Holy: Book 4

Possessive

Masako did rounds with Ayako throughout the day, taking a break around lunch to get some air outside of the hotel and refresh her memory of how it felt outside of the expensive hubbub. Takigawa and John talked to security personnel and some of the workers about the eighteenth floor, and Lin caught up on sleep from his graveyard shift at the monitors.

And Naru and I made phone calls. Or rather, I did all the talking and he took notes—occasionally slipping over written questions for me to ask when he saw fit to.

Around noon, while everyone was out getting food, I put the phone down from my sweaty ear and laid my head down on the table to give my aching back a break. I listened to the scratching of Naru's pencil till he finished his sentence and moved his hand to scratch my back idly.

"Is that another thing you're mother told you to do?" I asked, smiling.

"I do have some natural inclinations." His hand pulled back.

"Don't stop! That felt nice."

I could feel his amusement as he returned to running his fingers up and down my back. I allowed myself a little noise of pleasure.

"You hungry?" he asked.

"Are you offering?"

"I do like feeding you. I think it's a male thing: the want to provide."

"Way to make it weird. Provide away, what we doing?"

"Well, there are various restaurants here, though I wouldn't recommend them, since they're not only insanely expensive but also slow. Cuisine takes time."

"Better not that, then. Time is calories. Where'd you get those sandwiches from last night?"

Just then the door to base opened and Ayako appeared, a hand on the edge of the door.

"Hey, Mai, I bought some sushi from a place down the street. Would you come have some with me? Masako's still off on her little venture."

"Sure. Is there enough for Naru?"

She looked at Naru hesitantly, as though sizing him up. I recognized her look instantly. She had something to talk about.

Naru must have gathered the same thing, as he said, "Don't mind me. I'll call up room service for Lin and I, he should be getting up. Don't want to deprive Mai of binging on sushi."

"Don't make me sound like a glutton."

"I've seen you eat sushi."

I pushed at his head playfully and followed Ayako out into the corridor. She made small talk about the manner of some of the staff here ("Naru would fit right in. All of them snobby know-it-alls that serve God himself."), as she led me into her room, which was an exact mirror copy of mine. We sat at the cushy sitting area and set out our sushi on the coffee table. At the sight, my mouth instantly began to water. They looked high end, or at least high quality. I was going to enjoy this.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" I picked up a colorful roll of green avocado and salmon with fish eggs and popped it into my mouth.

"What, I can't invite you to lunch without needing to drill you on something?" At my dry look, she sighed and broke apart her chopsticks. "Takigawa snuck into my bed naked last night."

I nearly choked, but somehow managed to swallow. "Eh?"

"Right? It isn't like he's ever made any sign to—"

"How'd he get your key card?"

"I don't know! That's the thing, my key card was right where I left it! Maybe I didn't close the door all the way, but he had the gall to act surprised and act like I was the one that had crawled into his bed, but before that when I woke him up, he just started laughing and trying to hug me as though we were married or something, it was the creepiest thing ever!" She dropped her chopsticks, sushi forgotten, and face flushed. "Mai, has he ever said anything to you?"