Tokyo Seduction (Book 1 Of The Gaijin Series)

Chapter 8

... January, Three days after the dinner party...

Ritsu looked around the plush reception area for the hundredth time and spotted the two young receptionists glancing at her. She made a show of scowling at her watch and tapping her foot in impatient displeasure for them.

Ritsu watched the two girls' hushed argument before one of them got up and approached her. Watching the timid young girl—clearly a trainee—approach her with a sickly sweet smile really pissed Ritsu off.

"I would like to apologise again Hanabushi-san for the delay. Kanzaki-san is still in a meeting and hopes to be able to see you soon."

Ritsu lips turned down in a deep frown. What a complete load of crap, she thought knowing full well the arrogant ass was making her wait just to assert his dominance. She had seen him pull this power play crap before and she wasn't falling for it.

"You tell him I'm a busy woman," she snapped. "My appointment with Kanzaki-san was meant to be an hour ago and I have something to discuss of the utmost importance that is time sensitive."

The girl's whole body curled forward and she looked like she wanted to run and hide. Ritsu didn't mean to be a bitch and she usually went out of her way to be polite and friendly to people that had a heavy customer service element to their jobs. Dealing with other peoples shit with a smile day in day out was a hard job. But, Ritsu had spent the last two days, her entire damn weekend cleaning the mess that was Jinpachi and Mimi's twisted relationship, and she was at her wits end.

The girl quickly bowed and turned to walk away. Ritsu sighed. "You're Yamaguchi-san right?" Ritsu said more gently. "I'm sorry for my rudeness. Please tell Kanzaki-san that I need to speak with him about an incident that happened at the gala fundraiser Friday night. And inform him that the matter is urgent."

The girl nodded, bowed again and walked down the long hallway toward her boss's office.

The memory of what happened at the party surfaced making Ritsu antsy. She stood up and walked over to the panoramic wall of windows that encircled the waiting area on the top floor of the building the Kanzaki family owned.

She had wanted to enjoy the party and possibly hook up with one of the many single rich bachelors that always attended. But after the uncomfortable car ride to the party and Jin and Mimi's demeanor after their privet elevator ride, Ritsu was determined to keep an eye on those two instead. She had been vigilant throughout the meal but nothing happened and she even hovered around the bar for twenty minutes after dinner and watched both her cousin and Mimi. When it had become clear that Jinpachi was more interested in flirting with every woman other than Mimi and her best friend was intent on sitting at the table Ritsu decided she could kick back and have some fun without constantly worrying about those two.

She had been flirting shamelessly with a sexy young MP close to the corridor leading to the elevators when Hatori Kanzaki stormed by practically frog marching her cousin to the exit. She didn't know what to think when Kanzaki told her that Jinpachi and her friend had been through an ordeal and she probably needed Ritsu's help. The look that was twisted all over Jinpachi's face, a mixture of shame and regret, had frozen her in place. She knew he was hurting and, knowing all about his childhood history as well as what he went though after he and Mimi broke up, made every fiber in her body shout at her to help her cousin.

Ritsu had stepped toward the two of them she was ready to yank Kanzaki's hand off Jinpachi and rip into him for treating Jin like some thug. However, Jinpachi pinned her with an acid stare and jerked his chin in the direction Kanzaki said Mimi was. A silent command demanding that she go and help Mimi. Despite Jinpachi and Mimi's destructive and twisted relationship, in the end Jinpachi always, always make Mimi a priority before himself. Ritsu gave both men a scathing look, clicking her tongue before turning on her heel and walking away.

A shiver racked Ritsu's body as she recalled the state Mimi was in when she found her. It took nearly five minutes to get her to stop sobbing and make any since to what she was saying. When she had finally calmed Mimi down enough to ask her what happened, Mimi had the nerve to feed her a bull shit story. It really pissed Ritsu off that neither her bestfriend nor cousin trusted her enough to tell her the truth. And if Ritsu didn't understand that keeping secrets was a coping mechanism for both Mimi and Jinpachi she would've been hurt.

Instead of pushing Mimi to divulge what actually happened Ritsu thought it best to leave the fundraiser via the fire exit. Mimi hadn't stopped crying and Ritsu had no desire for her father to bump into them.

"Excuse me, Hanabushi-san," the receptionist's voice pulled Ritsu back from her thoughts, "if you will follow me please, Kanzaki-san will see you now."

Ritsu turned and followed the young woman down the long hallway. They reached a set of mahogany double doors and the girl opened it allowing Ritsu to enter and bowed before shutting it.