Great. This is the third date I’ve interrupted tonight, and it all started with Ian missing ours earlier today. What a roll I’m on!
They’re speaking Japanese, shutting me out of the conversation. From Kunihiro’s casual stance and Junri’s serious expression, I can tell this is a family matter that has nothing to do with me, anyway. If I were more in my right mind I would be able to read the situation better. Maybe deduce how far these two go back and how much they like (or don’t like) each other. Right now I’m barely capable of minding my own two feet, so that’s out.
Kunihiro opens his door and gestures for us to enter. Junri goes ahead, and I follow. Immediately we come upon the scene of an underway seduction. Kunihiro’s date is a Japanese woman in a blond wig and a tacky taste in cocktail dresses. I can tell a fake Dior dress from a mile away. It wouldn’t bother me except this woman with two chubby cheeks and a squeaky voice turns her nose up at me when I enter. What? Can’t handle a real blonde?
He cleans up the empty wineglasses and pulls on a loose black overshirt. His date realizes she’s not getting laid anytime soon and crosses the room with a pout.
“Do you know what happened to Mr. Mathers after your party last night?” Junri asks in English.
Kunihiro snorts as we sit down on the couch and chairs on the far side of the room. “Sou kamoshiremasen,” he says with a gruff voice. A change from the professional, subdued tone he used at our meetings.
“Let’s speak in English, please, so Kathryn can understand.”
“English?” His accent was the worst at the meetings, not that I held it against him, but now I swear he’s being flippant on purpose. He’s probably been perpetually drunk since last night’s party. “Okay, English only.”
“So?” Junri leans forward, hands folded across her knees. “Do you know where he is? He’s been unreachable all day, and Kathryn says it’s not like him. At all.”
Kunihiro mulls over her words. I know that look. Every person who speaks a foreign language knows that look. “I saw him at the party last night. Uncle left first. Said he had to leave early to go back to Sapporo for a meeting.”
“Okay, but what about Mr. Mathers? I don’t care about Uncle.”
“Ian was… a bit indisposed.”
What the hell does that mean?
“You’re going to have to do better than that, Cousin.”
“Ah, well… I promised I wouldn’t tell.”
I jerk up. “So you do know where he is?”
“Like I said, I promised I wouldn’t tell.”
“Cut the crap, Kuni-kun.” Junri stands up and towers over her cousin. He leans back, unintimidated by the woman who will one day rule his family’s company. I don’t have to know a lot about Japanese culture to know that’s not in his favor. “Where the hell is he? Even if you’re covering for him, you should still tell us. If he was at our company’s party, then we’re responsible for his well-being.”
“You think I don’t know that?” he scoffs. The more this guy talks, the less I like him. “That’s why I took him to the hospital when he got sick.”
“What?”
“Nan desutte?”
Both of us lord over him with our feminine powers that are sure to make him shake in his boxer shorts. Kunihiro does an admirable job of looking unfazed, however. “Relax! A little food poisoning from the club. I took him to the hospital. He’ll be fine. Surprised they didn’t let him out today and he didn’t come back.”
“Oh my fucking God, which hospital?”
Junri puts an arm in front of me before I can grab this ass by the collar and shake him until he gives me an answer. “What are you talking about? He’s in the hospital? Why didn’t you tell anyone? Why hasn’t Uncle said anything?”
“Because Uncle doesn’t know. Ian got sick after he left. You are not going to tell him that our important business associate got sick on my watch, Jun.”
“Shinjirarenai!” I hear he say for the second time tonight. She berates her cousin in their native language for a good couple of minutes. I glance over at his date, who is currently filing her nails on the bed. She couldn’t care less about us. “You’re really something else, jackass,” Junri finally says in English. “Kathryn’s been so worried about him all day, and this whole time he was in the hospital? You didn’t even tell me or Aunt?”
“Well, you know now, don’t you? Hey, don’t tell Uncle. He’s mad enough at me about other things.” Gee, can’t imagine what. “He doesn’t need to know about this. Tell Aunt if you want. She likes me.”