Monarchy of Roses

Chapter 13

Nika had to chuckle when she saw Clara flirt with her cousin Enyo, as Josh chuckled and put an arm around her waist. "Clara's always been boy-crazy and I got good-looking cousins", she said, shaking her head.

"We're going to the Wagon Wheel Tokyo in Shinjuku. My uncle started the club after visiting the original in Manchester, he got permission from the original owner", said her cousin Enyo Mizigami. Like the rest of the Lacroix clan, he was tall and dark with the family's trademark purplish-blue eyes, his almond-shaped eyes and high cheekbones showing his father's Japanese heritage.

"Dad loves to put on old-school Motown, he can't dance at all. Must be a musician thing", said Clara ruefully.

"I can try to dance but I'll be wearing a brace for my knee, to keep it from slipping out of the socket. Old skateboarding injury", said Josh.

The group left the hotel and followed Enyo towards the bright lights of Shinjuku. Even though it was past nine that night, the buildings were lit up with neon lights so bright as make it look like daytime and blotted out the night sky. The streets were crowded with a motley group of people which ranged from salarymen in severe black suits being loud and drunk, teenagers and college students dressed in everything from the latest trendy styles to anime outfits to everything else and tourists from the Japanese hinterlands and other countries who either gawked at the scene or took it all in passively.

"Tokyo in the night is the best city in the world, London and New York can't compare. We work hard and play harder", said Enyo proudly as he led them down some steps past a nondescript door. From a distance they could hear lively music which got progressively louder with every passing step. A bouncer let them in when he recognized Enyo. The music got very loud and the door opened up to reveal a crowded dance floor, the dancers whirling and doing amazing athletic moves while the DJ played fast and furious Northern Soul. "Just go right in and dance, there's no attitude allowed", said Enyo cheerfully.

Under most circumstances, Josh would have never been out on the dance floor except after a lot of drinks. But he quickly realized most of the dancers were dressed casually and danced in stylized ways as the music took over. He was surprised to see Nika go straight to the dance floor and dance, beckoning for him to join her. "Just let go, this is not an LA club", she ordered.

Josh realized she meant business and was glad he had the brace on his knee as he joined her on the dance floor, the DJ spinning lively stuff that sounded like faster Motown. At first he just shuffled a bit from side to side and his feet were stiff, but gradually he limbered up and felt more loose as Nika laughed in delight and spun in a tight little circle that made her denim skirt swirl around her legs.

Josh started feeling more relaxed and copied some of the other dancers' moves, slowly letting the music take over and improvising his dance steps. Nika laughed and gave him a thumbs up as she continued dancing, her feet moving nimbly on the dance floor and occasionally doing a little twirl as her skirt swirled around her legs. Soon he was able to match her step for step as he shadowed her movements, instinctively knowing how she was going to move. It might have been imperceptible compared to the other dancers, but gradually but she began to follow his moves and she took the lead in dancing. It seemed as though Josh and Nika were dancing in their own little world, oblivious to the other dancers. Their movements were perfectly in sync as though they could read minds and were telepathic.

Josh felt the endorphins go through him as he danced with Nika, far better than any chemical and nearly as good as playing music or sex. Nika looked happier than he'd ever seen her, her cheeks flushed pink as a rose in bloom and blue eyes sparkling like polished sapphires. Her dark hair swirled around her shoulders and her denim skirt swirled around her slim legs with her movements, just watching her joyous abandon making him grin like a loon.

Some lights flashed over the bar and the dance floor became crowded since this was the signal for the last few songs. The first two songs the DJ played were mid-tempo ballad type songs but the last had the crowd get up and start really dancing as the DJ spun Night Owl by Bobby Parish. Josh got one final surge of energy as the anthemic song made him want to finish with a band as he took Nika into his arms and danced with her.

The music ended as the crowd began to leave. Nika felt her phone vibrate and saw the text from Clara, saying she was going to Enyo's place. "Okay, we'll let Flea know", said Josh.

Both were still riding high on endorphins as they left he club, the lights and neon of Shinjuku bright as before. "Clara mentioned you could dance, but I didn't realize how good", he said.

"I only dance when I'm comfortable, and only to Motown or Northern Soul. I don't dance to Dad's EDM, it's not my thing", she replied.

"But you have some moves, I've never been good at dancing since I'm tall and skinny. And you looked so happy out there, so abandoned", he murmured.

"I only lose control when playing music or dancing, otherwise I'm in control", she replied.

"Then one day, you ought to lose more control. You're wound up tightly as a drum", he said.

Nika just sighed and said nothing as he led her inside the hotel and then upstairs. "I can't lose control, Josh. Mom lost control and she never let me forget it", she whispered, kissing his cheek before entering her room.