Queen of Love

Chapter 3

OutofAya’sshort list of hotspots to entertain clients, the upscale nightclub in Shibuya was not at the top.

For one thing, it was loud. For another, it was dark and sent the wrong message to a woman who had put the flirtations on thick.

I’m still not sure that really happened. Aya waited outside the main entrance, still dressed in her work clothes while her nose was glued to her phone. Right in front of my boss.

Mr. Ishida had been embarrassed, but polite. The man would never bring it up to anyone. Perhaps not even if Aya had filed a formal complaint, not that she was inclined. After all, Genevieve Liu was a classic beauty who hit Aya right where she was most vulnerable.

Femme fatales that want to eat me alive. God help me.

Her fate was only made worse when she realized Mr. Ishida would not be joining them that night. That had never been the plan. I’m on my own. Atsukatta Real Estate had put their faith in Aya’s ability to single-handedly sell a piece of property with her own hospitality skills. While they would never condone her sleeping with the client to get it done, they also wouldn’t jump to defend her honor if Ms. Liu batted her eyelashes and hiked her skirt farther up the thigh. Like some cheap drama they show at 1 a.m. Aya may have been familiar with them. She liked flashes of thighs at one in the morning. That was when she was her most susceptible.

”Ms. Sugiya, yes?”

There Genevieve was, and she was not fucking around.

Holy hell. Genevieve had returned to her hotel to change. Gone was the simple black dress, now replaced with a red off-the-shoulder ensemble that put even more emphasis on her prominent clavicle and the black choker now wrapped around her throat. The diamond earrings glittered between her heart-shaped face and the luxurious long hair falling over her bare shoulders like warm, inviting sheets. The kind Aya should have been wrapped in right now. At home. Not with her.

Not like she hated the idea, though.

Any other day, in any other circumstance, Aya would relish the attention from Genevieve Liu. It would only take a few more minutes of that overt flirting for Aya to transform into her own seductive siren who knew how to kiss a girl and make her shudder. Genevieve had a body meant for crushing against a couch, after all. Or a bed. Aya wasn’t discerning.

Except she was a client. An important one that didn’t only translate to her net worth and the business she was willing to do with Atsukatta Real Estate. Genevieve had connections. She was the ticket to bringing in more foreign clients from the Chinese-speaking world. If Genevieve was happy, then she might recommend Atsukatta to her wealthy friends. If she was unhappy? Goodbye, work. While the agency did all right for itself, the pandemic had hit them hard, too. Few people were moving into the city right now. Even fewer were starting up businesses before there were guarantees that the tourists would be back that summer. While nobody had lost their jobs in the agency, the president had taken a pay cut and there were no bonuses in 2021. Everyone had felt it. Everyone knew this year could be worse.

That’s what Aya thought about as she greeted Genevieve outside of a Shibuya nightclub.

“Where’s your boss?” Genevieve slipped her wallet, conveniently on a slim gold chain, into a pocket resting in the deep folds of her dress.

“Where’s your bodyguard?”

“I relieved him. I think I’m in safe hands with you, Ms. Sugiya. Where’s your boss?”

“He had an emergency and had to cancel at the last minute. I am sorry. I hope that…”

“Did you make us a reservation?”

“Ah… yes.”

Genevieve turned toward the woman in a cocktail dress who manned the front podium of the club. As soon as she saw Aya returning, she manned her station and awaited the name of the reservation. “Then what are we waiting for? I’d love a drink.”

A hostess showed them past a blacklight bar, a small but bustling dancefloor, and three occupied VIP rooms. Far in the back, around a corner and snug between a fake plant and a painting of Shibuya at night, were two large chairs awaiting the pair. They were handed a cocktail menu as soon as they sat in the chairs.

“Order what you would like, Ms. Liu,” Aya said. “This is a gift from the company.”

“Naturally.” Genevieve quickly perused the menu before asking the hostess for a cosmopolitan. Aya went with her usual highball. They were assured their drinks would arrive in three minutes or less. “Now, I suppose there were some questions I was supposed to ask you.”

Aya was only slightly relieved. She didn’t know how much Genevieve might continue to flirt with her, especially since they were now alone, together, in a dark and secluded corner of a nightclub. Most people were polite enough to look away if they saw a couple getting snug. In Aya’s case, her short hair and fashion choices led many to believe she was a man. Few would question what a lioness like Genevieve was doing with her tongue down Aya’s throat. Great. My mind went right there. At least it wasn’t thinking about that ruffly dress climbing into her lap and those legs wrapped around her waist. Or that hair falling past her face. Oh, no. That would have been horrible.

Cut it out, you horny shithead.

So what if had been a while since Aya last knew the furiously intimate touch of another woman? So what if she had been thinking about it from the moment she first saw Genevieve walk through the bar door?

So what if it was grossly inappropriate to get it on with a client? Even if it were more likely to ensure Aya made the sale?

“I couldn’t help but notice the neighborhood was a bit… sad.” Genevieve thanked the waitress who soon brought them their drinks. “I’ve been to the gay bars before, of course. Many years before. I’m afraid I don’t travel to Japan as much as I used to anymore, but I do remember Ni-chome being more… active? Fun. That’s the word.”

Aya waited for the client to acknowledge her own drink before responding. “Times have changed since I was young as well.” She lifted her glass to Genevieve’s. “Kanpai.”