Learn The Game

ALFRED

Chapter 38

In the early morning we arrived at Japan, I don't know how journalist can stay at the airport all night and still be in the mood to try to get in my personal space and yell my name. Around my whole personal bubble bodyguards were there. They were trying to keep all the yelling fans and paparazzi away from me. Quickly Clay and I got in the car and were ready to get to whatever hotel Clay stationed as at.

I exhaled relaxing myself. "Clay, how exactly do they live chasing people that get more money than them?"

He was looking out the window admiring Tokyo. "That sounds like someone I knew before summer began." 

I smirked. "Don't I always sound like this?" 

He laughed and turned and looked at me. "You really want to have that conversation with me, or maybe you just want me to talk about Tatum because..." 

I turned and looked at Clay. "Because?"

Clay chuckled at this whole situation. "Because you love her." He started to make googly eyes at me. 

I shoved his shoulder with my hand laughing at him. "Why are you saying nonsense that comes out of fairy tales?"

He smirked and looked at me. "Maybe your in a fairy tale." He raised his eyebrows.

"Stop being weird, and if it's a fairy tale it's a very twisted one." 

We soon arrived at the Hotel New Otani, place was nice inside and out. It was a pretty big hotel. Through I just wanted to lay on a bed and sleep forever. Clay had pulled in all the suitcases and already got my schedule of meetings ready and set. 

I started to text Tatum to see what she was up too.

ME:: What are you doing? 

I few minutes passed and no reply, she's probably asleep because it's early in the morning. So I turned my phone off and charged it and went to go lay down to catch up on some sleep. 

"Alfred it's okay,...everything is going to be alright." That voice kept echoing through my mind until a vision came. A young women appeared she was in a hospital bed, she turned and smiled at me. She then put her hand on my head smiling but with tears in her eyes. 

Before another word I woke up, I rubbed my eyes blinded by the light coming through the curtains.  I checked the time it was three in the afternoon, but also Tatum had replied to my text three hours ago. 

TATUM:: Sorry we got to Japan late last night and we went to bed. I'm heading to one of the zen gardens, what are you up too?

I thought about what to say to her. 

ME:: What garden are you going to?

The three dots appeared for a couple seconds until I received a text from her.

TATUM:: The kenroku-en garden.

ME::Heading over.

I jumped out of the bed taking a quick shower than pulled out a pair of black skinny jeans and a basic white shirt. To finish it off a grabbed a black Chiswell Gunners ribbed nylon bomber jacket. Which cost more than a thousand dollars. I grabbed my white vans and headed out the door. As I was I saw that Clay and Ava were cuddled up next to each other looking at the laptop. I guess they were planning on going somewhere romantic here in Tokyo. 

After a little while later I arrived at the garden Tatum said she would be at. I walked around taking in the scenery of the garden it seemed at peace but it wasn't making me at peace. I looked for Tatum and I saw her knelt down taking a picture of a tiny tower in the pond with koi fish swimming around it.  

"Hey." I shoved my hands in my pockets looking down at her she turned and looked up smiling. 

She was looking down at the pictures she took "What took you so long." She looked at me again with a cute smile on her face.  Her eyes shining bright and her hair up in a bun. No matter what she wears she always looks so beautiful.

I sighed pushing those thoughts aside. "So what's the reason you come to a garden first?"

Her and I started to walk down the path as we looked around. "I don't know I always have admired these gardens they seem peaceful and I love looking at the koi fish." She stopped and took another picture than afterwards we kept walking forward.  "Whats your reason for coming here? It can't be just because of me." 

I gave a small smirk and continued to look forward. "Well when I was was about to head into the early teens I lived here with my mother and father. And my mother loved to come here, she took so many pictures and hung them up around the house we lived in." I stole a quick glance at Tatum. She was smiling looking down.

"I thing that your mother and I would have gotten along." She took another picture but it was from afar. 

"Finish up I wanna take you somewhere." I didn't want to look at her because the rush of memories going through my head were tearing my soul apart.

"Where too?" She was leaning her head towards me trying to make eye contact. 

"Somewhere." I leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the lips and walked forward. 

She caught up to me, asking "What was that for?" She was acting mad but I know that she likes it when I do sweet little things to her or for her.

I shrugged my shoulder's. "It was on you." I continued to play it cool, just to mess with her.

She huffed. "How is it on me, I did nothing." 

I let out a little laugh. "Lying is really bad in fact it's a sin."

I turned and glanced, she had a confused face which was putting me in a good mood. "How am I lying? Tell me how it's on me?"

I turned my body facing her, our bodies where so close that a piece of paper was going to be hard to slip pass us. "I can't contain myself from kissing someone who gives a sweet smile just for me.

She laughed and nudged me. "Wow Alfred, what am I going to do with you?"

A smile grew on my face. "Whatever you would like to do." 

We went back to walking, but I slipped my hand into her's. "Let's go."

She turned towards me. "I need to take one more picture." She pulled out a small Polaroid camera and faced it towards me. "Smile." I gave a full teeth smile for her. "Perfect." She put the camera and the picture in the black back bag she had along with the camera she was using for taking her professional pictures with in the bag as well. "Let's go wherever you have in mind."

"Were going out to eat, it's a place that my parents went out to eat as a dinner date." The smile I had on my face for Tatum was fading because the sour memories were mixing in my head and it was making my heart hurt.

Should I tell Tatum the truth about my parents or should I skip the topic and hold in the pain and protect my figure of what she thinks of me?