Twilight Express, Chapter Ten: The Confession

Hate to sound like a broken record but new readers might want to consider starting from Chapter One.

Later that day, Melina accepted Shinichi's offer to take her out to dinner. Although he was looking forward to taking her to one of his favorite restaurants, she seemed oddly quiet as he opened the car door for her.

She said little during the drive to the restaurant, which was some 20 miles away. Finally Shinichi stopped the car to ask if she were feeling well. Although he was dreading her possible answer - what if she had decided to leave for Sapporo? - he considered it worse to do nothing.

Her answer was not what he expected.

"I was bad to you on the train."

Melina produced a bundle of banknotes from her handbag. She held it out to him, explaining that she wanted to return the money she'd won during their card game in the bar car. Of course, Shinichi refused it.

"You won it square and fair; it's yours."

She shook her head, looked as if she were about to cry. "No, I didn't. I ... I cheated."

Shinichi was surprised at the revelation, but not angry. Instead, he realized that, more than anything else, he was impressed by her skills as card sharp.

"How on earth did you do it?"

She pulled the pack of the cards out of the handbag, fanned them out so that the backs showed. "See these little dots? They're marked cards. I always knew exactly what cards you had." She tried again to hand him the money.

The irony of the situation - his appreciation of a self-confessed cheater's honesty - made it difficult to know what to say, especially since his prevailing emotion was relief that she was not rejecting him. He took the money, put it back into her handbag.

He said, "Look at it this way. When we were playing cards, we were still practically strangers. I can see how you could have been tempted to gain the upper hand on a stranger, especially if you weren't yet sure you even liked him or not."

Melina looked up at him. "So you're not angry?"

He shook his head. "Quite the opposite. If you didn't like me just a little bit, you would have never told me the truth."

"Shinichi, I like you a lot." She said this with no hesitation. "That's why I had to tell you." She almost continued, then stopped. Then she took his hand, turned it over and kissed the palm; a gesture that he felt not just on his skin, but much deeper.

The street light suddenly came on, illuminating her eyes in the car's dark interior as she held his hand to her face. Shinichi felt his heart turning into spun sugar. "My hotaru," he said suddenly.

Melina looked puzzled. "Firefly?"

"Yes," he said. "It's a term of endowment..."

Melina interrupted. "I think you mean term of endearment, sweetheart."

Her use of the word "sweetheart" cancelled out his potential embarrassment. "Mmmmm...yes. I'll explain it more later."

They drove on the restaurant, Melina both relieved and cheered after Shinichi suggested that they use the wager money to pay for dinner. By the time they arrived, her dark mood was gone.

The evening could not have gone any better. Over a nearly perfect meal, they talked as if they had known each other for much longer than two days. The discussed their favorite books, their jobs, shared traveller's tales. They discovered they were both lovers of Ferragamo shoes and wasabi. And Melina even won the approval of the restaurant staff who realized that Mr. Sakakura's date was no ordinary foreigner.

Twilight Express, Chapter Nine: Afternoon

New readers may want to begin at Chapter One.

The bathtub situation wasn't as disastrous as Melina first thought. The discarded washcloth had been sucked into the floor's drain, and the water cleared quickly after its removal.

After a late breakfast, the two set off on a hike through the woods adjoining the house, leaving the marble bath filled and heated for their return. After about an hour, they came to a small clearing. They both sat down and shared a thermos of coffee. Shinichi took off his sunglasses, pulled off his shirt and lay down next to Melina.

She looked down at his bare chest, tanned and well-muscled, with what she considered just enough chest hair. He also had several scars; most barely visible, one particularly deep and angry-looking. It wasn't an office worker's physique. She remembered how she had been oddly compelled to rub her face across his chest the previous evening. For the first time in her life, she had found herself more than a little aroused by the sight of a man's body.

"Where did you get this scar?" she asked, tracing the deepest one with her finger.

He explained that he had worked on construction sites during college, and been cut when another worked dropped a piece of sheet metal on him. The wound had required about 30 stitches, he said matter-of-factly. "It bled so much that the guy who dropped the sheet metal actually fainted," he said, grinning. "The hospital ended up keeping him in the ER longer than they kept me."

As they talked, they both discovered that their college years were remarkably similar. While Melina's parents hadn't had the funds to send her to college - she had gotten by on an Asian Studies scholarship and working nights as a bartender - Shinichi's wealthy banker father had been opposed to his career choice, expecting him to follow him into the financial sector. Shinichi ended up putting himself through college, with occasional help from an uncle.

"Have you patched things up with your father? Or, has he attempted to smooth things out between the two of you?" Melina asked.

Shinichi shook his head. "I'm afraid we're both equally stubborn," he said. "Although my mother suspects he now thinks I turned out much better than he had expected."

Melina reached down, brushed the hair from his forehead, said nothing.

After another hour of hiking, they returned to the house where Melina made a beeline to the bath. She was actually able to stand in the bath's deepest section, the steaming water up to her chin. Combined with the hike, the steam brought a pretty pink flush to her cheeks. Shinichi was pleased to see that his guest liked the bath; it had been a good investment. After an hour-long soak, Melina retired to Shinichi's bed for a nap.

Shinichi decided to unpack Melina's suitcase in the spare room, so she could dress and check her e-mail without being disturbed. Also, it gave her a choice of sleeping alone or with him. He never took anything at face value, and even though Melina liked him, he was still unsure of her deeper feelings.

He found himself enjoying the chore. As he took out each article of clothing and carefully put it away, he felt he was getting to know his girlfriend - for that's what he was already considering her - a little more. A pair of slim black trousers, a pink cardigan with a black knitted border, a dark green turtleneck with a Gaultier logo, a pair of black Ferragamo flats. A pink and white tank top. An assortment of silk and cotton underwear. An elderly blue cardigan. The usual collection of hair gels, cosmetics, body lotions. A small bottle of Issey Miyake cologne, which he sampled and liked. Two pill bottles - one which read TAKE ONE CAPSULE AT ONSET OF MIGRAINE; another unlabeled and filled with white pills.

Shinichi took one of the round white pills out of the mystery bottle for closer inspection. One side had the number 20 printed on it; the other side simply read OC. He was initially tempted to call the local pharmacist and ask him to identify the pills, but suddenly he felt like a guilty snoop and replaced the pill.

At the very bottom of the case, he found a small Stieff lamb, so old and worn that its synthetic wool was almost entirely gone in several places. He smiled, imagining a small Melina carrying the stuffed animal as she toddled around her parents' house. For all her business savvy, she was still a sentimental soul, he thought.

The last item was a small framed photograph of three people standing in a snow-filled yard in front of a modest house. Putting his glasses on, Shinichi took the picture near the window where the light was better.

It was immediately apparent who the trio was. Melina's mother shared her pale Irish complexion and green eyes but not her auburn hair; instead, her mother was a prematurely greying but still attractive brunette. Her father, wearing a worn sheepskin jacket, was solemnly standing behind the two women. Several inches taller than his wife and daughter, he had awkwardly put his hand on Melina's shoulder.

Melina stood smiling shyly, her hair cut short with long bangs. She looked to be about 15 years old, with visible puppy fat and a wire retainer across her front teeth. She was holding a black longhaired cat in her arms that seemed to be enjoying the photo opportunity.

He wondered about her early life. Had she been popular at school? Was her childhood happy? And why was she an only child? She had already mentioned her Catholic upbringing.

Finally Shinichi put the photograph on the desk, left the room, closed the door quietly.

Twilight Express, Chapter Eight: Morning

Hate to keep repeating myself, but new readers need to go to Chapter One and begin from there.

First published November 15, 2006

Melina woke earlier than usual, as the first light began filtering through the windows of Shinichi's bedroom. She gently removed his arm from around her waist, sat up and looked down at him. He looked innocent and even a bit boyish as he slept.

Deciding to search for coffee – she had spotted a coffeemaker in the kitchen earlier – she eased out of bed and retrieved her white robe from her overnight bag. She wasn't quite ready to wander around his home in the buff, no matter what they had been doing the night before. And there might be neighbors or a gardener about.

Even though Shinichi had been asleep when she got up, he sensed her absence and woke. He touched her pillow; it was still warm. Wondering if she needed something, he got up and found her in the kitchen, literally moving on tiptoe as she quietly opened one cabinet door after another.

"I was just looking for some coffee," she said, trying to straighten her hair with her fingers.

"It's in the freezer. But I'll make it, you're my guest. Go back to bed and I'll bring us both some coffee," he said.

When the coffee was ready, he brought her a cup, already dosed with milk and sugar. Even with uncombed hair and her makeup almost entirely gone, Shinichi considered her no less attractive as before. He noticed that her thick eyelashes were actually lighter than her hair - almost blonde. They drank their coffee slowly, both a bit unsure of themselves after the night before. He had brought Melina some sugar biscuits and she bit into one carefully, holding her coffee cup directly underneath her chin so she wouldn't drop crumbs onto his bed.

Finally he suggested that they go for a walk later that morning.

"I did promise sightseeing, you know," he reminded her.

"I've liked the sights so far," she replied. She leaned over and kissed him. She tasted like sugar biscuits.

He took her empty coffee cup and set it on the floor. Shinichi was tempted to kiss her back, hoping that it would lead to an encore of the previous evening, but decided against it. He didn't want her to think that he had only invited her to visit for immoral purposes.

Instead, he invited her to join him for a soak in the bath, which she accepted. While the bath filled, he had just stepped into the shower when he heard a knock on the door.

"Would you like me to wash your back?" Melina asked. "It's a popular tradition where I'm from." "Really?" he asked. "Well, it should be," she admitted, blushing a bit.

He opened the door, which he had not locked. She had pinned her hair back but was still in her thin white robe. Taking the washcloth and soap, she lathered his back, but instead of using the washcloth she began to massage him instead. Taking her time, she gradually moved upwards to his shoulders.

Shinichi sat on the bath stool, savoring the feeling of a woman's hands. Melina had such a gentle touch, untrained but somehow all the better for it. He could not remember any other lover, including his ex-wife, ever caring for him in this way. It added to his increasing belief that he was more than simply smitten with the foreigner; he was falling in love with her.

She finally finished his back and began washing his hair. She had brought some of her own things into the bathroom, including shampoo. "It's tea tree shampoo," she whispered. "I thought you might like it." Careful to keep the soap from his eyes, she began massaging his scalp, then his temples. He sighed. "You're too good to me," he said as she rinsed his hair.

She returned the sprayer to the shower stall but didn't turn off the water. Shinichi stood up, then backed her up carefully until she was under the shower spray. Her thin robe was instantly soaked, revealing the curves of her body. He peeled off the robe, then unpinned her hair and lathered it with shampoo. Holding on to the shower bar for balance, she tilted her head back for him, eyes closed as he rinsed her hair.

As he watched the water run over Melina's body, it was becoming increasingly difficult for Shinichi to adhere to his vow of morning celibacy. But he was resolute.

He finished rinsing her hair, then ran a comb through it. Melina looked at him. "Thank you," she said softly. She stood on tiptoe to kiss him.

Her kiss destroyed Shinichi's resolution in an instant. He took her in her arms, both under the still-running shower. In less than two minutes she had wrapped her arms around his neck while he carefully lifted her up, spreading her legs wide open before impaling her on the length of his shaft. He could feel her thigh muscles tighten against his sides as he leaned her against the shower wall, pounding her until her entire body trembled with each stroke.

Eventually he carried her to where her back was to the shower bar. She immediately knew what he wanted and transferred her grip to it with both hands. Shinichi was now able to back away so that he could watch her body react as he sank himself into her. The sight of her soft nether lips stretching wide to accomodate his thickness, then caressing him with their wetness each time he withdrew, was too much for him to bear for long.

He held her to him as he came, filling her with his warmth and breathing hard as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Afterwards, he leaned against the shower's tiled wall, gently lowering Melina to the floor so she wouldn't lose her balance. A rivulet of his semen slowly ran down her inner thigh.

Suddenly he saw Melina pointing to the area behind him, stammering but unable to say anything. He turned, wondering what could possibly be upsetting her ... only to see the overflowing marble bath and rapidly-flooding bathroom floor.

Twilight Express Chapter Seven: Melina's E-mail

To: powderpuffgurl@io.com
From: mel_reilly@yahoo.com.jp
Date: Sept 19, 2004
Subject: my trip to Sapporo and more

Greetings Cathie-san,

Sorry it's taken me a while to catch up with you, but I've spent the last weeks bouncing to and from the Tokyo and Osaka offices while trying to pack up for the Sapporo setup and config. Plus, my romantic life has suddenly improved in a major way.

The romantic bit is convoluted so here's the Readers Digest Condensed Version. Two nights ago I was on the sleeper train to Sapporo and I met someone.

He - his name is Shinichi, by the way - had spotted me at a drinks party several weeks beforehand when I was in Osaka, and had decided to come over and meet the foreigner. But I had plans to go out with some of the Osaka office gang and left before he got the chance. But then we met in the bar car on the wonderfully named Twilight Express sleeper train, of all places, several weeks later. Coincidence, fate, luck, I don't know how to describe it. You know I don't believe in luck so take your pick of the other two.

So he apologized for staring at me and explained he'd seen me before, which was a relief as I was beginning to think he was some well-dressed stalker. We ended up tipping a few and I took quite a few $$ off him with my marked deck of cards (yep, I still have them after all these years). I liked him more and more, and I only had two small drinks so I knew I wasn't hankering for him because I was liquored up.

Turns out he wasn't going to Sapporo, he was actually going to his country home that he designed himself as he's an architect. (Yes, a country home suggests he's very well off, although I still have a near-phobia of rich boyfriends after two years of Nigel.) And he invited me for a visit.

He was so cute and shy when he asked me, even though I'm pretty sure he's in his 50s. He kept insisting I could stay in the guest room, he'd drive me all the way up to Sapporo if I decided it was time to leave, he'd take me sightseeing ... on and on. I finally had to stop him so I could say yes.

If you're wondering what happened after we got to his place, all I'll say is yes, I misbehaved on the first date. Misbehaved quite a bit, to tell the truth: it started on the back porch and never made it past the living room sofa. But it was absolutely mind-boggling and I don't regret it. Shinichi is quite a passionate one; those quiet types usually are.

You know I always believed in holding out for at least two or three dates, but something about the situation was so right for lack of a better word. And all those rumors about Asians not being good kissers are just rumors.

I don't have any photos of Shinichi to send you, but he looks like a slightly taller version of a local actor named Sonny Chiba. Well, that's who I think he looks like - I've never mentioned this to him, so he probably doesn't see any resemblance at all, or has never heard of the actor. If you Google a movie called Explosive City and look for stills, Sonny Chiba plays the character Otosan (the bad guy I'm afraid). Shinichi looks a lot like Otosan except he has longer hair and is taller. And he's a good guy, not a bad guy. :D

We're going hiking today so hopefully I can send you some photos. That is, if I don't get, well, distracted by my new squeeze.

Say hi to Matt, Jenna and the rest,

Mel

Twilight Express, Chapter Six: Home

Last revised December 12, 2006.

When he returned to the living room, Melina had tucked one arm under her head and appeared to be asleep. Shinichi considered wrapping her in the blanket and carrying her to his bed, but feared waking her. But when he drew close, her eyes opened and she looked at him, a shy smile on her face.

He sat down next to her, peeled off his shirt and carefully washed her with the warm washcloths he'd brought. He looked closely at the tiny saint's medal she wore. It read Protect Us Saint Louise. Unfamiliar with Catholicism, he assumed the medal was a gift from a parent or relative. Then he wrapped the blanket around both of them and pulled her close to him, her head on his chest, until she fell asleep.

But Shinichi did not join her. He was wide awake, thinking of the evening's events and of Melina. What now? Would she want to stay until the weekend, or ask for a train schedule? And was she as attracted to him as he was to her?

He felt no less smitten with her after taking her; instead, he wanted her more than ever before. A song from his college days kept running through his head: ... see us together, chasing the moonlight with my cinnamon girl.

He kept thinking of their first kiss on the porch, how her face had felt between his hands. He remembered the first time she smiled at him, when he described his first days at Oxford and his various innocent faux pas. She had such a pretty smile.

And his varied memories of her on the leather sofa – arching her back as he entered her, whispering his name, cleaning his sticky fingers with her tongue – kept reappearing like a collection of pictures hidden in a bedside drawer. More than once, he found himself guiltily wishing she would awaken so that he might attempt to seduce her again before sunrise.

Finally he stood up, carefully carried her to his bedroom. She was even lighter than he imagined.

As he covered them both with a quilt, she stirred and opened her eyes. She touched his face with her fingers. The sight of Melina reaching out to him from his bed filled Shinichi with a pure joy, simple and profound. He lay down next to her, took her in his arms. He felt her slide her arms around him, holding him close, her forehead on his shoulder. He heard her whisper goodnight, Shinichi-san.

For the first time in years, he felt as if he were at home.