Second to None

39. second love

Halfway through that week, Mayu was called into the association to sign paperwork. That done, she was introduced to the other directors, who were also receiving news of her onboarding that day. When she exchanged bows with Tezuka, she registered the shock on his face even though everyone else's expressions showed that they believed Tezuka had worked behind the scenes to make her return. Unable to explain anything at work, Mayu whispered that they'd talk at home.

That night, Tezuka was unusually quiet. Only near the end of the dinner did he ask Mayu for the details of her assignment. He wondered if she'd directly reached out to the Minister and she instinctively said yes, the Minister had been generous enough to vouch to the executives on her behalf. She then apologized for the short notice.

Her explanation relaxed Tezuka somewhat and he was relieved that she'd finally quit teaching at the academy. Convinced she'd earned this position with her own merit, he congratulated her. While she cleaned the dishes, he made a quick trip to the local liquor store and returned with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot to celebrate. Champagne in hand, Mayu toasted to a brighter future with Tezuka as if nothing was wrong.

In her new role, Mayu felt she'd regained her former career and more. As the chair, she had a full-time assistant, a team of senior analysts and Hirose as her dedicated media advisor. This time around, staff treated Mayu with the respect of a senior official even though she was only twenty-six. Knowing the Minister personally appointed her to this role, they also stopped associating her with Tezuka. 

Outside of work, Mayu lived on a double schedule. She started seeing Ryoma every week, each time on a different day and at a different location. He'd sandwich the hotel room key in files and personally delivered them to her. These hotels were either at central districts that millions pass through or out-of-way boroughs that their acquaintances would never visit. Sometimes they'd meet for an hour and frantically make love; other times, when Tezuka and Sakuno had other commitments, they'd spend the entire evening together. Knowing the lack of pattern in their rendezvous was by design, Mayu started to become a master of last-minute cancellations to make time for Ryoma.

***

"Have you given some serious thought about going back to the U.S.? When or how it's going to happen?" asked Mayu without warning.

They were sitting in the outdoor bath with the steam rising into the night sky. The onset of December brought a gentle snowfall that left dusts of white on rooftops and concrete sidewalks. Before them were the dark expanse of Tokyo Bay and blinking lights of cargo ships lethargically sailing through icy waters.

"It's always on my mind. With the year-end business at work, I haven't had time to map out details," he said without delay. "Why are you suddenly bringing it up?"

"You seem to be thriving at the association, advancing quicker than anybody. I can't help but wonder if your aims have changed."

"Doing well has nothing to do with where I ultimately want to be."

"What do you mean?"

He turned to face her. "Put it another way, it's not a matter of other people's assessment of me. Wherever I am, whatever my work is, I simply have to be the best. It has little to do with whether I care about it or not." The corners of his lips upturned, he said, "I'm sure you know how that feels."

"Me?" she said in surprise. "What makes you say that?"

"I saw your ambition the moment you set foot in the association: you aren't someone who's willing to be a lesser version of Tezuka. That lucky run-in you had with Gérald Simon was no fluke: it was a result of your capabilities and your desire to win. You have equal if not more drive to get to the top."

Mayu sat back. "Not only do you have killer intuition, but I say you also have killer observations."

"So my question is, if I do decide to leave for the U.S. someday, will you really come with me?"

"That depends," she pretended to think. "What do you have on offer for me there?"

"Let's see... I want a house on the beach so I could go running along the ocean every day without disturbance. I want a tennis court and a practice cage built in the house for training. I'd also live close to the nature trails so I could do endurance training regularly..."

"I see I'm not factored in this at all."

"Well, you interrupted before I was done. We could have a dedicated library for you to store as books that you like. There would be a wine cellar for you to collect as many French and California wines as you want. I'd get you a Peugeot so you could drive into town for the farmer's market and French restaurants..."

"Is it possible to make everything you said happen?" she interjected with a giggle. "Sounds like heaven on earth to me, and too good to be true."

Looping an arm around Mayu, Ryoma tugged her in for a long, lingering kiss. Lips next to her ears, he said, "It is, because heaven is a place on earth with you."

Mayu pulled away and saw on his face a tender smile he'd never shown anyone else. Resting a hand on his shoulder, she dared herself to ask, "Do you mean that?"

"I do."

"Do you love me?"

"Of course I do," he said, picking up her hand and kissing it. "I wish we met sooner."

She leaned into him and gazed up at the ivory winter stars, thinking it was a shame that they'd finally found and saw each other as the right person at a bad time. Yet chances for happiness had no care for timing, and she was determined not to let this one go.