Myra’s Big Mistake – Chapter 14

“I’m sorry I’m late!” I yell into the kitchen as I cruise through the back door.

Bryan looks up, startled. “What are you doing here?” He pauses chopping green onions.

“I work here, remember?”

“Not today, you don’t.” He jerks his head at the other prep station. Two men I don’t recognize are also chopping and doing prep work. “By the way, I had the night off last night, and it was glorious. Thank your new boyfriend for me when you get a chance.”

I frown at the state of things in my life. Ruby is angry with me for dating Nosuké. I’m on the outs with my father and probably the whole family. And my coworkers are happy to have time off because of Nosuké’s generosity.

“I don’t have a new boyfriend. What’s going on here?”

The door to the kitchen opens, and Mrs. Tanaka peeks her head in. “Oh, good. I saw you punch in. Can you grab your things and come with me?”

Uh oh. Again, I feel like something bad is about to happen to me, and I can’t stop it. “I thought I was on the schedule today.” I figure I should delay whatever’s coming.

“We’re making some adjustments to the schedule. But you should come with me.” The note of her voice is final. “Grab your coat and bag.”

I sigh and turn from her, hoping to keep my emotions in check. I spent all day at home baking, drawing, and ignoring my inbox. I don’t want to hear from anyone — not from Nosuké or Ruby or my mom or my dad or my sisters. I pulled the wool over my eyes and laid low. It was the only thing I could do that was less embarrassing than anything else.

As I return through the kitchen with my coat and bag, I stop at Bryan’s station. “Mochi is out and about, and he thinks I’m here working. Can you let him know I left if he comes back?”

“Sure thing.” He glances over at Butch sleeping in her bed near the staff room door.

Keeping pace beside Mrs. Tanaka, we walk through the neighborhood to the other side, nearest the hill leading to the Rokkaku Estate. When the Terrans first landed on Orihimé, that was the house that our empress lived in until she was able to move to a more secluded spot. Now her distant relatives live there, and they hold tea ceremonies for tourists twice a year.

“This is my place.” Mrs. Tanaka points to a little two-story home on the last street before the hill. I gaze up at the classic-style building, the cream walls and dark wooden shutters.

“Just so you know, I’ve heard your suggestions to hire new staff, and I have brought on two of Maeda’s employees. They should lighten the load for you.”

“Uh, it’s not contingent on me dating Nosuké, is it?”

She raises her eyebrows.

“Because it’s not going to work out, and I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up.”

“It’s not,” she says, clearly disappointed.

I hang my head and press the toe of my shoe into the ground. I hate this. I want to go back to bed.

“Come with me.”

We circle around to the side entrance, and I stop short at the large man standing outside.

My blood cools, knowing who’s inside.

Mrs. Tanaka opens the door, and I hesitate. I could say no. I could go home right now. But my life is not my own anymore, obviously.

“I have dinner all set up,” she says with a smile. “I know you love salmon.”

I sigh. “Fine. But I already got a lengthy and damning lecture at my parents’ place yesterday. Do I need another one?”

“No lectures. I promise.” She holds up her hand before jerking her head at the door. I follow her inside.

On my way through the entrance hall, I let my eyes settle on each of the photos hung on the wall. Mrs. Tanaka and her ex-husband with their two boys. Her again with an older woman. Mrs. Tanaka with Sanaa and her family. A photo of her younger with Sanaa and a blonde woman. But I stop and peer at the picture of Mrs. Tanaka standing outside Izakaya Tanaka on opening day. She’s smiling, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.

“Sanaa, Myra’s here.”

Around the corner and into the house’s main room, Sanaa, our empress, is seated at a kotatsu, a low, heated table, reading from her tablet with glasses perched on her nose. She turns off the tablet and crosses the room to me. Her hair is long and straight, and it swishes around her shoulders as she leans in to kiss me on the cheek. I smile and try to act natural like it’s no big deal for this woman to know who I am.

“Myra, I’m so glad you could join us for dinner tonight.”

I clear my throat as Mrs. Tanaka sets out salads. “I was unaware we were having dinner together, or I would have dressed nicer.”

I shoot a deathly glare at Mrs. Tanaka, and she chuckles.

“Everyone seems to want to spring dates on me when I least expect it.” I sit between the two women and pick up the chopsticks left out for me.

“I thought it would be better for us to talk in person about what’s going on, instead of through intermediaries.” Sanaa begins to eat, so I follow her lead. Mrs. Tanaka pours us glasses of water before she sits. “I’ve heard about your last few days, and I feel I must apologize for letting things get out of hand.”

I move the lettuce around on my plate to pick up more of the carrot ginger dressing. “It’s fine,” I assure her. “It was a little misunderstanding, that’s all.”

Sanaa dabs at her lips. “I spoke with Nosuké earlier this morning. This is not a misunderstanding. This is a tricky situation.”

I sigh and push the salad plate away from me before I rub my eyes. “How so? Because really, I’d like to just return to work and live my stellar life.”

Sanaa’s cheeks pull inward as she nods her head slowly. “I know the kind of position you’re in. I was once in the same situation, and it’s the worst.”

“What kind of situation could I possibly be in that’s similar to yours?” I huff a laugh.

“Don’t laugh,” she says, good-naturedly, though I don’t deserve it. “My husband and I, someone once forbid us from seeing each other. We weren’t allowed to look at each other, talk to each other, nothing. My mentor, who I loved with all my heart, tried to keep us apart for months.”

I’m quiet as I watch Mrs. Tanaka stare out into space, probably looking into her past for those times she spent with Sanaa. They were good friends until the war here on Orihimé, and then they didn’t speak to each other again until ten years ago.

“It was unfair on so many levels,” Sanaa continues. “I was overworked and lonely, and there he was, just waiting and wanting to be with me, but other people kept us apart. I hate seeing that happen to others. Forbidden romances are great in fiction, but they suck in real life.”

I laugh, then grumble and run my fingers through my messy hair. “I think you’re both on the wrong crusade here. There is no forbidden romance. There is just me being mistaken about an uncomfortable situation. Nothing more.” I clear my throat and push away from the table. “I’m a grown woman, and I know when to move on.”

“Don’t get up. You’re not leaving.” Mrs. Tanaka’s voice is cold, and I have to hide my surprise. “I will not let mistakes happen to people I care about, and I care about you, Myra.”

I reverse course and put my butt back in the floor chair.

“You know, like most people do, that Sanaa and I didn’t talk to each other for close to twenty years. I made a huge mistake. I… I let my ex-husband and mother-in-law poison me against her.”

“Miko…” Sanaa tries to interrupt, but Mrs. Tanaka raises a hand.

“They kept me away from her, told me she was evil and out to destroy our family. But Sanaa’s married to my brother-in-law, so you can imagine how that made life difficult. I ignored her in public for ages. I let other people be cruel to her without intervening. Yet, Sanaa never once said an impolite thing about me. Every year she sent me flowers on my birthday. Whenever I needed something, she found a way to get me it without me knowing. When my mother-in-law became sick, Sanaa was the first person at her bedside, even though the woman hated her.”

Mrs. Tanaka lifts her chin. “I see the same selfless person in you. You’re always the first to cover a shift if someone needs to take time off. You stay late when others have gone home. You help your mother, father, and sisters without complaint. You have supported Ruby through every hardship, through every breakup. And I never see you get the same treatment in return.”

I swallow, and the back of my throat aches.

“It’s wrong, and you shouldn’t be living your life like this,” she stresses.

“I can’t help what happened with Ruby,” I tell them both. “She thinks I betrayed her, and in a way, I did. I’m the one in the wrong here. Not the other way around.”

“Then there’s Nosuké,” Sanaa says, stumbling over the words. Emotion catches in her throat, and a blush reddens her cheeks. “He came to me looking for advice because he knows he made a gigantic mistake. He, quite naïvely I might say, thought he could use this whole situation with your father and the casino as an excuse to get to know you and date you.” Sanaa shakes her head and looks at the ceiling. “I have no idea what goes through the minds of men on a daily basis, but it’s like they don’t have brains at all.”

“Look, I’m going to stop you right there.” I raise my hand, and she smirks at my defiant interruption.

It’s time to turn this conversation around with the story I’ll tell everyone. I’ve had all day to think about it, and this is what I’m going with. It’s all my fault, and no one else’s. Mrs. Tanaka thinks I’m selfless? Well, here we go. I will make everyone look good, and no one but me will take the blame for any of it.

“I’m at fault, one-hundred percent. I apologize now for Dad’s behavior and what it will do to the deal. But Nosuké is not dating me nor is he trying to. He just said that to make the situation more palatable, to take the blame off of me.”

Sanaa raises her eyebrows.

“Men are not interested in me, in general. First off, I’m a Kimura, and that alone is intimidating enough for most of them to steer clear. Second, I’m…” I inhale a deep breath before I dare to continue. “I’m not physically attractive, I failed the I.A. exams, and I have no prospects for a career. Sorry, Mrs. Tanaka,” I say as she sits up straighter. “I love working at Izakaya Tanaka, but it’s not a career. It’s just a job to make money so I can continue living on my own. And I need that now because my father will never let me back home again.” I lift my chin. “So I’m sure Nosuké regrets the whole situation. He’s a good guy, and I have always enjoyed spending time with him. He doesn’t want to see me suffer. But he’s Ruby’s ex, and she’s still interested in him, and he only needs me on his side because of my father. Whatever you’ve heard to the contrary is just not true.”

The sex we had, the conversations, the date at Kisetsu, they feel like they happened to another person. He witnessed everything at my parents’ house, and I could tell from his rigid shoulders and quiet countenance on the way home that it was over. So over. He regrets the whole thing.

“You’re denying it, but I know he cares for you,” Sanaa insists.

“He may,” I admit to her. “There was a moment when I thought maybe…” I briefly close my eyes and remember how he held me in bed. It took my breath away to be treated so nicely. “But no, it’s nothing more than friendship now, I’m certain. So please tell him that everything is okay. I did what I had to do, and he shouldn’t feel at blame for any of it. And that if I think of anything to help him with my father, I will let him know as soon as possible. I have been thinking about it a lot, but nothing has occurred to me yet.”

This time I stand up, and I won’t let them stop me.

“My priorities right now are keeping my job and my friendship with Ruby. And since Nosuké and I won’t be dating, I’m sure we’ll be fine.” I bow to them both. “Mrs. Tanaka, thank you for the dinner invitation, but I need to get back to work. You should enjoy the meal with Sanaa.”

Both women stare at me, but it’s Sanaa who snaps out of her head first. “Men are so damned stupid.”

I chuckle as I back away. “All the more reason to stay away from them.”