and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She had striking eyes and a curvy body with ample breasts beneath the dress. She was beautiful, no doubt, but why was she here?
“I’m sorry, I believe you have the wrong suite,” I said.
“Baako sent me,” she said, “To pay his debt.”
I ran a hand through my hair and sighed.
“I told him, I don’t deal in people, just money. I’m sorry, you’ll have to go back.”
“I can’t go back! They kept me locked in a room with no light and very little food. If you send me back, they will put me back in there!” she shouted.
I didn’t want her causing a scene so I waved her inside.
“Fine, fine, just come in,” I said.
I closed the door behind her and motioned to the living room.
“Please, sit down.”
I walked back to the leather couch and grabbed my drink before sitting down and taking in everything. I finished the scotch in a single gulp and set the glass down as my throat burned from the sudden influx of the fiery liquid. I looked over and noticed the woman was still standing.
“Why aren’t you sitting?” I asked.
She pointed to the empty glass.
“Would you like another?”
My eyes went from the glass and back to her. I couldn’t think of a single time my wife offered to make me a drink.
“Uh, yes, that would be great. The scotch that’s out will suffice.”
She picked up the glass and walked out of the room. Without realizing it, I found myself watching the way her hips moved beneath the flowing dress she was wearing. I wanted to know what she looked like beneath that dress.
When she came back with the drink, she sat down beside me as I took another long sip. The chill that ran down my spine told me it was starting to take effect.
“You look tense, would you like a back massage?” she asked.
Now this was getting too good to be true. Ayumi had perhaps once, in a different lifetime, given me a back rub, but even that was pushing it. I turned to the side. She placed her hands against the muscles around my neck and shoulders and went to work expertly massaging them. She dug deep and then eased up in perfect rhythm. I felt the tension melting off of me with each movement of her hands.
“Good?” she asked.
“Perfect.”
She continued rubbing and it was then that I realized I didn’t even know her name yet.
“My apologies for not asking sooner, but what’s your name?”
“I am Kamaria,” she said.
“Very nice to meet you, Kamaria, I’m Daiki, and the massage is phenomenal.”
She worked her way down my shoulders and massaged the inner muscles on my back. The pain evaporated as the scotch continued to do its work. It had been a long time since I’d experienced such a perfect moment.
It was shattered when I heard the lock turning on the door. Ayumi was home, this was bad. We both stood up and I started gulping down the scotch again.
I set the empty glass down and clenched my jaw as the liquid scorched the inside of my mouth.
“That’s my wife,” I said.
“What should I do?”
“No point in hiding, just stay there and leave the talking to me, I’ll come up with something.”
I heard Ayumi’s keys clatter against the bowl she used for storing them beside the door.
“Daiki, are you here?” she asked.
“Yes.”
I waited for her disappointed sigh, but she restrained herself this time. We hated being in each other’s company, but we both knew that if I divorced her, she would take half of my wealth. If she divorced me without any grounds for court, she walked away empty-handed. Our marriage was one long stalemate.
Ayumi walked into the room dressed in a thin blouse and a grey skirt. Her slender legs had once been a favorite feature of mine, along with her supple breasts and spicy personality, but those things were long overshadowed by our crumbling marriage.
She stopped and stared at the two of us.
“Who is this?” she asked, gesturing to Kamaria.
“This is Kamaria, she’s here for us,” I said.
Ayumi
Diane Duane & Peter Morwood