I nodded and rose off of him, the water sloshing in the tub again as I sat beside him under his arm. “I’m going to need another favor, though.”
“Just name it. Whatever you want. Anything.”
I gave a pained smile. “I’ve probably got enough to cover another month of rent in Chicago, but that’s it.” I leaned my head back against the tile. “All my money’s tied up in my car.”
“How much is left on your lease?”
“Until April.”
“We can figure out what to do after that, but I’ve got you covered until then.”
I bit my lip. “I’ll pay you back.” Though I had no idea how.
His deep laugh filled the glass room. “Forget it. I don’t want your money.” I scowled, but that only made his grin wider. “Think of it this way, you’re repurposing the money from the plane ticket, and I’ll still be coming out ahead.” His eyes gleamed. “Way fucking ahead.”
When our fingertips were pruned and the water became cool, Dominic helped me out of the tub. We toweled off and he gestured to the two robes hanging beside the sink. One was a manly, deep blue, and the other a black and white floral print. Only they weren’t robes.
“Yukatas,” he said. “Or maybe kimonos. I can never tell the difference.”
It was clear which one was mine, so I pulled on my bra and underwear, and slipped my arms into the sleeves of the soft fabric. Beneath it on the hook was a thin belt and a wide yellow sash. We had to watch a YouTube video on his iPad to figure out how to put them on properly. Of course the ultra-traditional inn would have WiFi. We had to help each other get dressed, and Dominic couldn’t keep his hands off of me so it took forever.
“We look like stupid Gaijins,” I laughed when it was done.
Even with my best effort, Dominic’s was lopsided and looked ready to come undone any second. Not that I was complaining. Our host confirmed it when she delivered our dinner and did a double-take.
“You need to turn your obi to the back,” she said, alarmed for me. “Wearing it in the front means you are a prostitute.”
I couldn’t contain my snort of amusement. “Wouldn’t want anyone to mistake me for that.”
Dominic didn’t seem to find it as amusing as I did.
We ate the delicious meal at the low table in our kimonos, discussing the process of applying for a temporary visa. I’d gotten so good at using the chopsticks, I was able to snap mine around Dominic’s when he leaned over to steal a bite out of my bowl.
“Get lost.”
“Come on, Mrs. Ward.” His playful smile was distracting. “Share with your husband.”
“Okay, I’ll fake share with my fake husband.” I pushed his chopsticks away. “It’s not my fault you already ate all of yours.”
I couldn’t stop him, though. His sticks snatched up a hunk of noodles and they disappeared into his mouth a half-second after. I shouldn’t have been surprised. He always got what he wanted.
“Was that your plan all along?” I asked him abruptly. “Did you bring me here to get me to stay?”
His blue eyes widened. “No. I was going to ask for another week.”
“And those three words.”
His expression went serious. “Yeah. Look, I didn’t think I had a prayer of getting you to stay another week, but I was gonna try.” He set his chopsticks down and they tinged against the bowl. “You don’t seem to hate it like I did when I first got here, but I know it’s not easy for you.” He took a deep breath. “You don’t have to say those three words tonight. You already did.”
“So, I’m off the hook, huh?”
He gave a sly smile. “For now.”
chapter
TWENTY-TWO
TEN DAYS LATER