Broken Flyght – Chapter 12

I think about the last dinner date I went on, and I smile gently at Jinzo. He’s nothing like that asshole Devos Tite. First of all, he stands close to me in the elevator, my hand in his. Devos didn’t want to come near me unless he was sure he was going to get laid.

“You look lovely. It’s nice to see you dressed up,” Jinzo whispers in Japanese. His eyes travel down my dress to my Bomba-Farias. “The heels are killer.”

“I didn’t know you could speak Japanese.” My smile is getting silly, the kind of smile that precedes a giggle, something I rarely do unless I’m high on the Happiest of Hot Sauces. “What other languages do you speak?”

He switches back to English. “Well, English obviously. It’s the language of business in the Duo Systems. My Portuguese is pretty good, and I know some Spanish too. At home, we spoke English and Japanese. My mom tried to teach us all some Korean, but only my older sister learned anything close to conversational. You?”

The elevator doors open, and we follow everyone out past the casino floor.

“Almost the same, though no Korean. My Spanish is the worst, but I know USL.”

“Sign language, nice. I can sign a few words, and I know how to fingerspell. But I was too busy tearing apart ships to learn any more than that.”

We don’t wait long for a table, and I’m grateful for the high-backed booth far from the dance floor. This restaurant is famous with the celebrity crowd. They serve the kinds of dishes that were popular on Earth and hard to find here in the Brazilianos System, especially on Rio where there are no open lands for cattle raising and large-scale farming.

The picture windows across from our booth look out on Rio’s seas and a swath of land over and to the right. The sparkle of Rio’s system of rings covers the sky to the south, over the sea. It’s really a beautiful world. Beautiful and full of secrets.

“What would you like to drink? Cocktails to start? How are you feeling?”

I tear my eyes from the window and scan the crowd before answering. I’m always on the lookout for Tomu.

“Those are three important questions.” I pass my hand in front of the menu display and scroll through until I find the cocktails menu.

“I’m feeling better, thanks. I slept for a bit without dreaming which is what I needed.”

I debate whether I want a sweet cocktail or something with bite.

“Is it the dreams that are keeping you awake at night?”

“There’s plenty to keep me awake. I don’t know what the sleeping problem is, really. Sometimes I just wake up in a pool of sweat, and I remember nothing.” I shrug. “I’ll have a gin martini, three olives.”

“A gin girl?”

“Absolutely. I love juniper. The trees grew on our… I used to pick…”

My voice trails off. Any talk of the farm chokes me up now.

Jinzo looks at me sideways as I clear my throat and rearrange my skirt around my legs.

The virtual waiter pops up at the table projection, and Jinzo orders my martini and bourbon with water for himself.

“Tell me about your farm,” Jinzo says, leaning back into the soft cushions of our booth. “What’s your favorite part of it?”

“It’s not my farm anymore.” I sigh. I feel so defeated today, like I’ll never make the money to buy the land back. The task feels like a mountain I’m standing at the bottom of with no climbing gear. I might as well be standing there in a bathing suit, that’s how unprepared I am.

“It’s still your farm,” he replies. “Just because the bank took it into foreclosure doesn’t mean it can’t be yours again.”

He rubs the top of his head with his full palm and smiles, trying to put me at ease. The drinks arrive, and the interruption gives me a chance to think, to reminisce.

“The seasons on Ossun last for a long time, and even then, the difference between them is so minuscule. If you’re not looking at a calendar, it’s hard to tell them apart. But during the summer, the days are longer, and I’d come home from school after a grueling day and still have time to spend in the sun.”

I trace the rim of my glass and lift it to toast Jinzo’s. His face twitches with surprise, but he’s proper about his toast, making eye contact with me while we sip.

“My favorite time of day is the golden hour. Do you know it?”

He shakes his head.

“There’s a period right before the sun sets where the light is… just gorgeous. And the farm stretches for kilometers in a crisp, brilliant hue.” I pause to remember that color, that calm. “The sun on my face.” I close my eyes, and the warmth of Ossun kisses my cheeks. “I always took the time to walk the grounds during golden hour every day, as long as the weather was nice. Didn’t matter how much work I had to do. I’d rather work into the early hours of the morning than miss that hour outside. I’ve missed it.”

Jinzo sips his bourbon before setting it on the table to turn it in his calloused hands. “I’ve never lived on a planet. Did you know?”

I shake my head. I don’t remember that in his brief.

“I’ve grown up my whole life in artificial gravity. I was born here on Rio, but I didn’t live here for long. First, the home ship in Lee Shipyards, and then one station after another. I come to planets like this” — he waves his hand at the extravagant restaurant — “spend a day or two and then head back to the recycled air and cramped quarters of places like Belem City and Ossun Orbital Station, Palo Alto Orbital Station, and back to the home ship.” He circles his index finger in the air. “When Marcelo contacted me, I thought, ‘How quaint. A girl and her farm.’”

A rush of defensive anger rises up from my belly.

“But I kept looking at your photo and reading your file, and I wondered why I never considered it before. Why had I never lived on Rio, the place I was born? Why didn’t I have a home base on a planet? Even my own mother still considers this place her home. But I never did.”

“Where?”

“Segundo. We have a small home there. It’s not much when you consider that the home ship is five times the size.” He shrugs.

Never lived on a planet? This man is fascinating. I can’t imagine the kind of life he’s lived, and yet, if I think about it, I can see him growing up on a ship. He’s six years old and running through the corridors. He’s twelve and skipping classes with the ship’s tutor. He’s sixteen and hitting on the young women coming to shop in Orbital Station. So different from me, but so much like every other teen I grew up with. I never skipped school, but I watched out the window of third period as all the popular kids walked off campus to go eat lunch together. People like Alipha Cardoso and her friends knew how to live. I was too dull for that.

I take a sip of my martini, looking to shift the conversation a little. “Whoa. This is delicious, but I’m going to be drunk in a hot minute if we don’t eat.”

“Right.” He claps his hands together and rubs them. “I can’t imagine the pastry I got you earlier was that filling.”

I woke up from my nap to find a buttery and flaky pastry next to a hot cup of tea. It was comforting to know someone had thought of me while I slept.

“It was delicious, but more of a treat than anything. Can I order the appetizers?” My appetite rises up like a high tide.

“Please,” he says, gesturing to the menu portal.

I hem and haw over the selection, impressed by the Neo-Rio cuisine. We may not know much about the ecosystem here, but the oceans are filled with fish we can eat as long as the fishermen stay away from the giant squid. Some people call them Smart or Sentient Squid. I call them terrifying.

I decide on four appetizers, and Jinzo’s smile grows. “Just four?”

“I could probably eat more, but I want to save room for a main course and dessert too.”

He laughs, his eyes bright, and the sound makes heads turn at the surrounding tables. I shift to hide my smile from prying eyes.

“It’s my biggest weakness,” I whisper behind my hand to him. “Food. I relieve stress with food.”

“You don’t look like it,” he whispers back.

“Blessed with good genes.” I lean away from him to calm my racing heart.

Wow, I like him. A lot. He’s funny, and kind, and handsome. He seems to care, wants to spend time with me, and maybe, I think he might like me too. I must have been wrong about him from the start. I haven’t seen anyone following us since we got here, and we’re docked under a pseudonym. We might be in the clear.

I think the timing with meeting Jinzo was just a coincidence, but I’ll try not to get attached until I hear from Ai.

A bright light flashes across my peripheral vision and a young man, at a table near to us, takes my photo without my permission. He tries to hide it and pretend it didn’t happen, but he definitely just took my picture.

It takes a moment to make sure I’m not going crazy, that I just saw him do that. Anger washes over my brain so I can barely see straight, and my hearing buzzes. What the hell? Do I not get one night of peace? One date where I can just be myself?

No. Now I have to go yell at this guy and make a scene.

“I’m going to rip this guy’s balls off,” I growl under my breath. “I swear to all that’s holy, I never can catch a break.”

Jinzo’s cool hand slides onto my arm. “Let me take care of this.”

He leans close, and my whole body tenses up as he places a gentle kiss on my cheek along my jawline. “No one fucks with you if I can help it,” he whispers before he pulls away.

In one long, smooth slide, he’s released from the table and casually walking across the dining room. The people who just took my photo are now gossiping behind their hands and looking my way.

Did he just kiss me?

He did. He kissed me. It was chaste, and it was nowhere near my lips, but it was romantic how easily he did it.

I wish I could go back and actually experience it! I’d love to live in that split second of contact. I need it.

While I wait for Jinzo to return, I try to look busy by scrolling through the menu, but even such delicacies as steak, buttered Northern sea bass, and candied purple yams can’t tear my thoughts from the man who was just sitting across from me. I’m beginning to see why Marcelo is so sought after, why he’s the best at what he does. We need to find men who are interested in me and my family, who have money and are willing to help me out. Jinzo is all of those things and more. I didn’t realize it that first day, when he was in his work clothes and kick-ass boots, that he had a lot more to offer.

But then I thought Sean had so much more to offer me on the first impression and has ended up avoiding me at every turn.

And that’s why I should never trust first impressions.

“All fixed,” Jinzo says, returning to the table. He straightens his cuffs under his dinner jacket and smiles down at me. “The kitchen assures me that our appetizers are on their way, but we have time for a little dancing.” He points upward. “Hear that? It’s a bossa nova. Come.”

He extends his hand to help me out of the booth.

I’m about to protest that nothing has happened to the guy who took my photo when a man dressed in black accompanied by several larger men approach the offender’s table. There’s a whispered conversation happening as I walk away and a few raised voices. Since Jinzo has my hand, I cast a glance over my shoulder. Everyone at the table is being led away to an office on the far side of the restaurant.

Jinzo pulls me close on the dance floor. With his hand on my hip, he takes my other one and tucks it close to his chest between us.

Thankfully, we’re not the only ones dancing. Bossa novas bring out everyone even if you’re not a dancer.

And now I regret wearing the heels.

“Sorry about the heels,” I whisper, cringing, but his face is relaxed and happy.

“I don’t care,” he says, his voice only meant for me. “You could be three meters tall, and I wouldn’t care.”

“Well, I might.” I chuckle as we turn in a slow circle. “I’d probably accidentally crush you, and it would be tough to find clothes that fit.”

I catch sight of the empty table, now being bussed and cleaned up.

“What did you do?”

“Did you know,” he asks, pulling my hips to his, “that it’s illegal on Rio to invade someone’s privacy on private property?”

Heat crawls out from my belly, and I let my left arm relax and bring him closer. This is the closest I’ve been to a man in three years, and it’s a heady rush.

“I think I knew that.” Pushing the words out past the lump in my throat requires a great deal of strength.

“The restaurant and casino staff will take care of it. If it gets out that they’re soft on people who violate another’s privacy on their property, their reputation will be ruined. It might make the gossip news that you were here, but I wouldn’t worry about the photo. The photo is long gone by now.”

Do I even dare ask how he knows these things? I don’t expect every man I’m with to never have dated before, but something tells me Jinzo has intimate knowledge of this kind of situation because of another woman. Wasn’t there someone… a few months ago?

It’s a tickle at the back of my brain, but I would be a fool to ignore it.

I pull back from him to ask when he lifts my hand to his lips and kisses along my knuckles, taking my breath away.

“I know I’m not number one,” he says, catching me off guard. “Marcelo said your relationship network is young, but there’s no way you haven’t already gained two or three men —”

“I haven’t.” I relax against him and drop my head next to his. “Only one other, and that’s a recent development. He’s an ex-boyfriend.” Jinzo is quiet so I decide to be completely honest with him. “Ken Mata, the head of Flyght.”

He chuckles. “Of course,” he says with a heavy sigh.

“I haven’t dated anyone in a while. It’s been school, work, and more school and more work. No time for anything else.”

There’s silence between us as the music plays on, and I wonder if I should be ashamed of how… fresh I am. No real recent dating experience. No relationship network. Men in this universe need a woman who’s connected, someone who will provide a family, a salary, and a way into retirement. I have so little to offer.

I’m embarrassed by my lack of experience and knowledge in this area of life, and with Jinzo quiet next to me, I can’t help but think he’s having second thoughts.

He squeezes and lets me go, taking my hand in his.

“Appetizers have arrived, and I’ve kept you on your feet longer than I intended. Let’s eat and talk some more.”

His smile dispels some of my doubts… some.

Dinner is a wonderful affair of good food and laughs. We talk of family and homes. I hear of his mother and father, the other dads in his mother’s network, sisters and brothers. I’m careful to be as open and honest as possible, about home, school, and even a little about my old relationship with Ken. If anything, Jinzo is a great listener. He asks questions about my school life here on Rio and at home on Ossun. He’s polite and funny. I laugh a lot, something I haven’t done in ages.

Our dinner and conversation proceed uninterrupted. No more prying eyes or cameras. We eat and dance, eat and dance. His body moves next to mine and any fleeting thoughts of my doubts — or the height difference between us — skitter from my mind. I’m over it already.

My cheeks heat as he walks away from the table to use the bathroom, and I can admire his ass as it fades from view. I wonder what he’s like in bed. Is he a slow lover? Or fast and hot?

I fan at my face with my hand and sip my ice water to cool my thoughts to a lazy canter instead of them galloping away into the land of sex.

My wristlet catches my notice, so I check my messages while I await his return. Shit. I haven’t looked at the message from the bank that’s been sitting in my inbox for the last several days now. I had completely forgotten about it. I’m about to access it when I’m washed over with fatigue. God, it’s been a long day, and after many, many calories and dancing, I’m beat.

“Caught you yawning,” Jinzo teases as he returns to the table. “Am I really that boring?”

“Extremely,” I say with a wink.

He extends his arm to indicate I should stand. “Let me take you back to the room and get you to bed.”

I frown in my head. I get the feeling I’m not having sex tonight.

We walk through the restaurant, and the head waiter stops to whisper his thanks to us and shake Jinzo’s hand. I imagine this is the man who took care of the earlier incident.

“Thank you for dining with us, Ms. Kawabata. We hope you’ll be back someday.”

In the elevator, Jinzo drapes his arm around my waist, and I close my eyes, resting my head on his shoulder.

“It’s crucial that you go to sleep at regular times for the next week if you hope to kick the space lag. Just because you feel good tonight doesn’t mean the worst is over.”

“Right. You’re right.” The normality of this conversation brings me back to my mission. Tonight, I let it all go. I didn’t look for Tomu. I didn’t think about the three point three million credits. I didn’t spend a worry on the plants sitting in the auxiliary cargo bay. I just lived. I connected with a man I believe I could fall in love with. How can that possibly be?

When the door opens to our room, I breathe a monstrous sigh of relief and slip out of my shoes. I love the Bomba-Farias, but a girl has her limits. The lights are low, and I close my eyes for a moment to regroup. I’m tired, and I’m nervous. What’s going to happen now?

Jinzo takes my hand, steps forward, and pressing his hips against mine, he backs me up to the wall.

“I had an incredible night with you.” His lips ease into mine, and with a deep inhale, I take a kiss from him. Good God, I take the kiss, and I enjoy it. My heart beats hard, and my thoughts burst white and bright. His hands slip along my cheeks and tug my head towards him. I’m drunk on his lips, the taste of him. It feels like a first kiss as we test each other out, but it’s skilled and sexy. My body aches, so I lift my leg and wrap it around him to pull him even closer.

He groans and his lips disengage to drop to my chin and pepper kisses along my jaw to my neck and then to the skin of my chest.

“Oh yes.” The words leave me breathless as I squeeze him closer with my leg. I know he wants me, and I’m determined to have him. Now.

He actually growls as he comes up for air and holds my face in his hands.

“Vivian.” He says my name, but it’s to sober me, get my attention. “Vivi,” he says, sweeter, and I melt at the nickname. I only let people I care about call me that. “I have a rule that I don’t sleep with someone on the first date.”

“What?” I breathe out, and he chuckles. “It’s not the first date.”

“Lunch in hawker central is not a first date,” he counters.

I lunge in and take another kiss from him, one he easily gives up. He presses me against the wall, and I open my lips to him, letting our tongues slide over each other.

Ai said I needed sex and, boy, was she right. I suddenly need it like I need air or water. The last week I dreamt of sleeping with Ken again, what it would be like, but now, I dream of Jinzo in bed, his tight body gliding over mine. His lips on my breasts, my stomach, everywhere.

“Ahh.” He pulls away, and agony dominates his voice. “Vivian, holy hell, you are amazing.”

He takes a huge, cleansing breath, and I mirror it because I can tell when I’m defeated. This rule of his? I’m not going to break it tonight. I shouldn’t, anyway. If I had the same rule, I wouldn’t want someone persuading me to set it aside.

I’m just glad I’m tempting. Sexy Vivian lives on!

We both relax as our breathing returns to normal, and he leans in to kiss my forehead.

“Go to bed. Sleep in. We have all day tomorrow to spend time together and even look for Tomu. Our vacation is not over.”

“Okay,” I say, dropping my eyes. If I look at him anymore, I won’t be able to stop myself.

He steps away, so I remove myself from the wall and see him to the door of his room.

“Be sure to drink plenty of water and put the room on Do Not Disturb.” I smirk at his overzealous nursing care. “I’m going to go for a run in the morning and have a late breakfast, but you should sleep in and have breakfast whenever you get up. Remember,” he says, pointing his finger at me, “stay on schedule.”

“Yes, Jinzo.” I push him away with a smile and an air kiss. It makes him laugh, which is what I wanted to hear before bed.

“Night,” he says from the door.

“Night,” I reply, and the door clicks closed.

A huge, dopey smile splits my face, and I pump my fist.

Ha! I’ve still got it. I actually turned him on.

I sigh as I flop onto the bed. Sleep? Hell. I’m going to lie in bed and fantasize forever. Sleep is for the weak.