Aya’s fingers curled into Genevieve’s T-shirt dress. “It’s not easy, but you can’t let it get to you. You’ve got to keep your head up and redirect attention. When I left the office today, I heard two of my coworkers laughing about the nudes they saw of me. I had to put them in their place. They weren’t expecting me to do it myself. That’s what I have to do. If anyone starts talking about it, I’m going to shut them down. You can’t let it consume your thoughts or your actions.”
“You’re right.” Genevieve sat up. “That is easier said than done. Come on.”
“Gen, I…”
“You don’t understand. Back home, your reputation is everything. It’s one thing for everyone to know I actually own a kinky club where people can go get their freak on in front of others. The mutual understanding is we don’t talk about it outside of the club. We keep it out of the news. We go back to being proper ladies, mothers, and businesswomen once our freaky business is done in private. To have it all out there like that… I don’t know how to explain it to you, Aya. I’ve lost a lot of face. Not only in Singapore, but in Taipei. Here, too! I’ve barely established myself here in Tokyo, and now everyone is going to associate this with me!”
“No, they won’t.”
“What are you going to do? Do you have the ability to reach into people’s hearts and make them stop caring? Aya, please… I know some of your pictures are out there too, but all of the attention is on me. That video is of me. It’s me putting my fingers in my pussy!”
“I know.” Aya sighed. “You were doing that for me.”
“The intention doesn’t matter. Now anyone who watches that is going to think I’m doing that for them. It looks like POV porn!”
Aya offered an arm to her girlfriend. Genevieve shook her off, leaping up from the bed and holding both arms around herself. At first, Aya assumed that shoulder shaking was from the pent-up rage about to explode. Only a second later did she realize Genevieve was crying.
“Genny…” Aya got up but gave Genevieve her distance. “Tell me what to do.” Seeing her like this was unnatural. Genevieve didn’t always broadcast “strong woman,” but she didn’t have to. This, though? Genevieve Liu was breaking down. Soon, Aya might not recognize what remained. “I’ll beat the shit out of someone if that’s what it takes to make you feel better. Or I could make you some tea. Why don’t we take a bath together?” She braved a hand on Genevieve’s arm. Although it was not pushed away, Genevieve was less than responsive.
“There’s nothing you can do,” she said through sniffing tears. “I’m sorry. I need some time to think. Or… not think at all.”
Aya knew it was not the time to suggest sex, not that she was in the mood, either. If it was what she needed to forget, I’d do it. Anything to bring a smile back to that beautiful face.
Genevieve had said what she needed, though. She needed to be alone. Here, in this new apartment, in a strange neighborhood, in a city that already knew too much about her.
Aya would give that space, though. She had promised to give Genevieve anything she wanted. Even if it was her own universe where she could simply exist as the only living, breathing being for a million light-years around.