July 9th &13th Birthday and a Message
The sun hit him full on. Brightest morning he had felt on his skin since the in the new residence. "Fitting for my birthday," he thought as he reached out for Kris in anticipation of an early morning present of her personal making. As usual with dawn, he was ready and waiting.
He moved his hands over the warm skin of what was obviously her inner thigh, but when his hand was batted away with gusto, he opened his eyes.
The breeze moved the gauze drapes of the open veranda doorway, leaving the bright sun to hit the floor in a dazzling display and the bed with a skin tingling intensity.
Silhouetted against this, lay Robin looking directly into his eyes. "My God," he thought. 'I should have been more careful about where I moved my hands!"
"Robin!" He exclaimed, "What the Hell are you doing in here in bed wi' me? And where's Kris? She'll go crazy when she comes in here!"
"Not to worry, Bill," Robin replied. "Kris was up and out of the house at dawn. She's away on some expedition to pick up or buy a special present for you," she continued, "And by the look of you right now, it isn't the present you were looking for this morning, and I am certainly not willing to participate, but if you want I'll let Susan know - I'm sure she'll accommodate you!"
With a twinkle in here eye and a chuckle in her throat, Robin sat up and set her feet on the floor.
Not naked or even provocatively dressed, she, had Bill realized, come in to speak with him one on one. Nothing she hadn't seen before he recalled and so he too sat up and gave her a grin of his own.
"Just like Hong Kong," he said. "We'll have to stop meeting like this," and they both gave a laugh at the memory.
"Yeah," Robin responded. "And I'm glad you've put that thing of yours away for now. I just wanted a quick word before Susan and I get out of here.
We're going to head down to Osaka and play tourists. I get the feeling that if we stay here the rest of the week, Kris will kill her or at least make the attempt," Robin continued. "We'll be back Friday night though in plenty of time for the party."
Bill nodded his head, as the vision of Kris and Susan having it out with carving knives in the kitchen. "Not a good scenario," he whispered out.
Louder, he said, "So what's up Robin? I know all this shit with the government and the money must be a real shock to your system."
Robin stood up saying, "Yes indeed, and even more to my bosses in Sydney. They are totally confused by the entire situation and have asked me to get the hell out of here as soon as possible."
She continued, "I'd have done a great job for you and Kris, you know. It was personal to me in some way, and now I feel cut off at the knees."
She walked over to the veranda and went outside into the sun. 'God Bill," she said over her shoulder, "It's so stunning here when the humidity leaves and the air and sky are clear."
She motioned for him to come over and join her outside and when he was beside her, she took his hands in hers and said, "Look Bill, I know you and I can see it in your eyes, but I want to warn you - no more dissuade you from going forward and trying to complete this madness in Foros." She mover her hands up his arms, over his shoulders and onto both sides of his face.
Almost like a lover, she pulled his head down to hers until their foreheads were touching and her eyes were a mere inch away from his.
"Stand down Bill," she whispered. "Leave Foros alone. Kris is safe now and they'll leave you alone. My Boss told me that Joe Minor has lost interest in the whole thing now that the Americans' funds have been withheld.
She pushed his head gently away a few more inches before continuing, "Fraser is long gone and out of the picture - Jakarta, I'm told. He lost nothing in the BCCI affair, although his influence is gone completely."
Bill remained silent because there was nothing he could say that would convince her he'd listened to here. A lie would have been too obvious, silence was his best response.
Sensing this, Robin continued, "Added to that Aleksandra is not with him. She stayed in Moscow and is living in the apartment in the Irish pub - "The Shamrock' in Arbatskaya Square. The message from there is that she'd like to touch base with you."
Big bad John spoke up at this juncture - Bill was surprised that he'd been silent this long. "It's no yer base she want tae touch laddie. It's yer dick ye ken. Ye'd be well leavin' that yin well alone!"
Robin started backwards a bit saying, "What's that Bill? What did you say?" Almost as if she'd heard the words.
Bill responded, "Nothing Robin, it was just a ghost whispering in your ear. The breeze in the curtains there." He was uneasy again though and the hair on the back of his neck prickled. 'How could she hear the old bastard?' he thought.
Robin too was not so sure, but she reached for his head again and drew him down to her and planted a kiss square on his mouth. This did nothing to ease his déjà vu and his skin tingled at her touch, like a spark of static electricity crackled between them.
Right at that moment Susan burst through the curtains with no composure and said, "Well, when you too lovebirds are quite finished, ROBIN, the car's waiting for us downstairs. Let's get the fuck out of here before you two do something we'll all regret!"
Robin moved away through the veranda door and said as she left, "Look after Kris, Bill. She's your rock in all this. Keep her safe and close. You'll get through it all." She gave Susan a shove in the back and said finally, "We'll see you Friday night. Saturday will be a great day!"...
'The day is indeed stunning,' Bill thought walking out past the cul-de-sac's end point and into the main road that ran down to the train station and the town center itself. 'I wonder when Kris will get back?" tickled his subconscious. 'I wonder if I should take a hike into Tokyo or hang local in case she needs help?"
Kris's bike was not in the below ground level garage at the house, and this he knew meant she could be a mile away or twenty miles away so often did she take unplanned and un-routed bike sojourns. This being his birthday though, he could see her being relatively close and picking up whatever items she intended to surprise him with.
Based on this assumption, his logical subconscious suggested was stroll into Jiyugaoka. It was a twelve to fifteen minute walk depending on one's pace and Bill on automatic pilot had calculated it to be somewhere around fifteen hundred steps - a little over a kilometer - 1.2 to be exact.
What amazed both Bill and Kris - because Jiyugaoka had become one of their favorite places in all of Tokyo - was that over that short distance, it was as if you had been transported to an entirely different part of the world.
Even although Nakane was upmarket and relatively trendy by Tokyo standards, it remained typical Japanese/Tokyo style with mostly drab colored buildings and predominantly grey tones.
Jiyugaoka was entirely different. It presented as if it were in the fairy land of story book China. Bright exciting color assaulted the eyes and scents of fine herbs and flowers circled in the humid air, providing a really intense impact. At night, it was illuminated by thousands of hanging lanterns in colors beyond those of the rainbow. Music crept out of every bar and restaurant, mingling to provide an air of romance and wellbeing to those meandering through the streets. Kris and Bill decided that it had a Venetian feel to it, since many buildings and restaurants along the wide canals were of Italian and Venetian design.
And the food! - Nothing like it anywhere else in Tokyo, Paris, London or New York. Like most places though, one had to know where to go and where to avoid. Kris in the few weeks she had been scouting for the new house and since had become the 'Guru' of Jiyugaoka. Nothing remained a mystery to her and they had long established their favorite little music bar and restaurant.
'That's where I'll go," cemented in Bill's mind as he stopped at the beer machine at the station and pulled a Sapporo out for the 100Yen coin he inserted in exchange. His Uncle John never failed to comment on this either, "Jesus laddie, a beer for a buck. Yet if we were in downtown, ye'd be paying seven or eight times that. Nae wonder this whole country is fucked up!" And Bill chuckled as the thoughts went through his mind.
Several cars gave a friendly honk during his walk. A day like this one had unique effects here as it did all over the world. Everybody had a smile on their face and aggression gets washed away with the sunlight.
No time seemed to have elapsed at all when he found himself inserted into the street scene around him. Tuesday he'd forgotten was street vendor and market day. Live music outside and loud. Beer stalls and outdoor BBQ. The central boulevard was again nothing typical of Tokyo. It was wide and lined with Sakura trees. Tables and chairs in the shade of these saw families of all ages hanging out and enjoying food and drinks.
Kris trickled through his mind and he thought, 'It would be great if I bumped right into her right about now.' It was a lingering thought, but didn't come to pass, so he decided on some more beer and sashimi Aji in the small place the two of them had come to love. He chose the Aji live right out of the fish tank and within minutes it was there in front of him. Twitching on a wooden skewer with soy sauce, wasabi and ginger surrounding it. It didn't last long at all, and thirty minutes later saw Bill wandering back through the town and homeward bound...
Chris Rea singing 'Between the eyes of love, I call your name' from the song "On the Beach" was sounding sweet and loud through the completely open windows of the entire Nakane house when Bill reached the corner outside. Kris was clearly home now and in a party frame of mind. The songs of Chris Rea and particularly the love songs - 'Josephine' and 'Looking for the summer' always had them dancing snugly and happy as Hell. It looked like he was in for a good time and his body began to move with the anticipation.
She was waiting for him in the big bath. Eyes batting in false innocence and two glasses full of Champaign sitting elegantly on either side of her outstretched arms. "Get your arse in here," she said pointing at parts he couldn't see beneath the bubbles. But he got the message and didn't need any second bidding... By the time he surfaced an hour later, Chris rea was playing 'The Road to Hell,' but Bill Douglas felt like he was in Heaven.
Kris vanished out of the bathing room and returned dressed in the elegant gold yukata she'd found only God knew where. She was carrying the black yukata she'd found at the same time for him. It was their garb of choice around the house when not naked themselves.
"C'mon Bill, present time," she smiled as she spoke. "Get out and come play some music yourself!" And she turned and left the room leaving him to dry off and stumble upstairs.
"Jesus," was all he could see when he went into their upstairs study. She was sitting at the finest 'Roland' keyboards money could buy and she rolled into her favorite piece of music as the smile grew even more on his face. She knew he'd been hankering after keyboards since she'd hit Japan months back. This birthday gave her the excuse she needed to go spend the cash.
Kris gave up the 'controls' to him and was rewarded with a kiss and Bill played his favorite Chris Rea song for her - "Heaven," As usual it set her dancing and singing along. Happy to have the house back under control and the man she loved seemingly relaxed and happy. Just the party to get through now flickered in her mind but not for long...
Saturday July 13th 1991 was upon them in no time at all it seemed. Robin and Susan had not as expected to, turned up on Friday night. There were mixed feelings about this because Kris had taken to Robin quite a bit. Even although the fact that 'Bill had met her in a bar in Hong Kong and invited her to Tokyo,' could have hit her as a more threatening scenario than Susan's arrival as a long time 'friend.'
Kris felt no threat whatsoever and sensed that Bill and Robin had struck up a great friendship in however short acquaintance they'd had. She sensed they were close but not in a sexually charged way.
At any rate, Kris and Bill had prepped everything on Friday night. Everything marinated and booze put on ice. Everything ready they hit Jiyugaoka hard and until Friday night had crept well into Saturday morning. The walk back took over an hour because Bill pulled her into open doorway or alcove on the way back. Giggling and laughter dominated their mood. Tipsy best described them when they fell into bed.
'Jumpin' Jack Flash' crashing through the floors and walls of the building shattered any illusions the two might have had in terms of a lie in.
"What the Hell?" shouted Kris jumping up and clamping her hands over her ears. Bill was a mere millisecond behind but his expletive was way less polite. Not quite out of his mouth before the door burst open and Susan came into the bedroom. Came in was not the right description. No, she physically leapt into the room throwing confetti and high in the air.
"Happy Birthday Bill! Rise and bloody shine! It's close to fucking Noon. Kris, you're a bad influence on this man," she shouted well above Mick Jagger.
"And put some clothes on will you please. It is not decorum to sit around stark naked you know!"
Kris recovered quickly but not quickly enough, because Bill was out of bed in a flash and expelled the twirling red dressed Susan unceremoniously out the door and was close to throwing her head first down the spiral. Her red dress had fallen with gravity and was now hanging practically off her at the shoulder. Her lack of underwear made her comments aimed at Kris all the more ridiculous.
Her fate was only saved by Robin at the bottom of the stairs demurely looking right up at the swinging private parts of the man once more.
"Jesus Christ," he shouted. Can you two not give us some privacy?' he yelled, "And turn that fucking music off!"
The magic of the morning was well shattered. Kris was livid and sitting on the toilet fuming with steam rising from the bowl. Bill grabbed his yukata and left her to it and headed downstairs.
Robin held her hands out at her sides in a "Couldn't do anything about that" apology so Bill, sensing a hug was in order did just that. Immediately, Susan tapped him on the shoulders and mouthed, "Where's mine then?"
The look he gave her stopped her dead in her tracks. There was no humor in his eyes and they spoke for themselves.
"Oh c'mon Bill. It was just a bit of fun. We thought you guys would be up and about long before this," and she rolled her eyes as if offended.
"You're a piece of work Susan, you know that? He replied. "If I were you, I'd put some knickers on and start helping prepare this place for the party. It's the only way you'll survive the rest of the day!" he concluded.
"Believe me," he said under his breath...
Two o'clock snuck up on them all with the arrival of the family from next door. Tanaka San, his wife and two kids came early to give their best wishes, leave a glorious bottle of fine Scottish single malt and bid their fair wells. Politely deciding to go away for the weekend and miss the undoubted noise and what they perceived as debauchery from their new acquaintances.
Big Ronaldo was next to arrive along with the estate agent who'd helped find the Nakane house. The fact that Bill knew him as a member of Yoshikawa's staff was ignored for the remainder of the afternoon. Members of the Embassy staff also showed up in civvies and had obviously been drinking the entire morning.
Toru and his girlfriend Miko added some color to the event, by arriving adorned in different color chef's outfits - or at least the hats and aprons usually associated with that profession. They gave Bill an additional set of garb to allow him to look professional during the BBQ session. Robin had once more become the 'Robin of Hong Kong'. No one looking at her in her oversized silk cover and white pants would imagine the athletic body and figure concealed.
Big Ron, ever the gentleman made an initial attempt to touch her up and had his fingers bruised for his efforts. Sober he'd not have allowed it, but he was well into his second straight pint of vodka before gaining the false courage.
Robin though took it all in her stride and made good by becoming the very active hostess to these folks she had never met before.
Susan kept the red dress on and hitched high. The good news Bill surmised was that she at least kept underwear on as far as he could tell.
Keiko and her entourage from her father's office came predictably later, but it didn't take long before they too were taking advantage of Bill and Kris's culinary skills at the BBQ.
The music was loud, the choices eclectic and the dancing fierce, wild and increasingly disheveled. Susan and the estate agent had hooked up in one of the rooms, big Ron had collapsed in the arms of one of the Japanese young ladies, making no attempt to hide their initial intentions from anyone. The vodka though had the final word. Ron was snoring loudly.
Bill managed to escape the grill area from time to time and Kris noticed that Ron and him were enjoying the vodka straight and was keeping an eye so that she'd have some chance of a nice evening with him after the crowd had gone home.
Close to two in the morning it was before the last straggles were escorted out through the cul-de-sac by a tired but contended pair of hostesses. Kris and Robin made sure everyone got off in taxis safely.
The house remained brightly lit with the big windows open to the air and uncovered. Kris expected that Bill would have made it upstairs by the time she and Robin were done all duties, but no, as they returned with a giggle or two towards the house, Kris saw him sitting on the floor of the main room with none other than Susan draped all over him. Anger flared instantly, but she was frozen to the spot.
There right before her eyes and in her own room she witnessed Susan reach for his head and move to kiss him full on the mouth. What save Bill Douglas' life that night was very subtle but had deep meaning for Kris. At the very last second as Susan's mouth moved toward his, Bill turned his head to the side and the kiss hit him right on the cheek. He pushed Susan away, rose and staggered towards the stairs.
Anger withered as quickly as it had appeared and Kris decided to have a quiet drink herself before heading upstairs. She shut down the house for the night, quietened the music to a subtle Enya album and poured a nice Cognac for herself, added some Kahlua and made for the big sofa.
An afterthought niggled at her, so before taking a sip and getting comfortable, she too climbed the stairs to make sure Bill had made it to bed.
She was glad she did! The sight of a near naked Susan attempting to climb into bed with Bill Douglas was more than she could handle.
Susan might have been the well trained, lethal intelligence officer, but in an inebriated state and perhaps even sober, she was NO match for the wrath of Kris at that moment.
Bill Douglas slept through the entire event, oblivious to it all. Next morning, Susan and Robin were long gone when they awoke. It was years later before Kris ever told him what happened that night... It was her secret and she was proud of him...
To be continued - Moscow and Aleksandra late July 1991