The Wild, Wild East
Chapter 4 - The Honeymooners

by GL Sandborn
                                      Miyabi Kagurazaki descended the
stairs from her office with an air of someone full of bad news.  She had
been on the phone almost all day with the police, assorted confidants,
and most importantly the Sakuraba household.  Despite her pleas, she had
come away with nothing positive to report.
     Kaoru and Aoi were waiting for her in the living room.  They didn't
look any happier than she felt.
     With a heavy heart, Miyabi stopped in front of them.  "I am very
sorry, Lady Aoi," she said with a formal bow.  "I was unable to persuade
the police that Miss Tina's disappearance is anything more than a minor
gaijin incident.  They say they are handling it the same as any other
missing gaijin."
     Aoi's chin dropped slightly even though her expression remained the
same.  "I see."
     "Then, the police are not looking for Tina?" Kaoru asked, his voice
trembling with apprehension.
     "That is not what I said," Miyabi replied, her forcefulness
reflecting her own frustration at being unable to discover any solid
information about their most troublesome boarder.  "They are looking as
we speak."
     "There must be something we can do," Aoi said in her usual soft
voice.  While the girl's assertion sounded delicate, Miyabi could sense
a hidden strength behind the words.  It was something that almost made
her smile since she had been the one who trained Aoi.  She knew well how
the women of the Sakuraba family were the glue that held the clan
together.  Tina's disappearance threatened her development, possibly
harming the girl's future happiness and value to the Sakuraba clan.
     But Miyabi could also see Aoi's eyes a degree of anxiety over her
missing friend.  All the more reason to choose her words carefully.
What she had learned from people she knew in the investigation field;
private detectives, security people, and former members of Japan's
intelligence community, was particularly disturbing.  They all agreed on
the same thing; if the men who abducted her were themselves gaijin, Tina
Foster was probably already dead.  There was no way she was going to
tell Aoi or Kaoru THAT.
     "I believe there is something else going on that is not readily
apparent.  My contacts hinted that the police have been warned off by
the Jouhou Honbu, the Defense Intelligence Office of the Japan Self
Defense Force," she admitted, choosing her words carefully.  "While
their duty compels them to investigate, the police appear to be avoiding
certain avenues of inquiry."
     Kaoru seemed to wilt with information, his shoulders sagging
beneath an ashen expression.  Miyabi couldn't help feeling sorry for
him.  Tina was a special part of his life, the only person who
befriended him during those dark days when he was alone in Tokyo.  Sure,
she was annoying, brash, and quite unconventional but there was a
quality about her that made her likable.  If nothing else, Kaoru had
just lost his best friend, possibly his only friend outside of Aoi and
the others in their impromptu family.
     "I also tried to enlist the help of the Sakuraba group to find Miss
Tina."  Miyabi grimaced slightly when she thought of the bitter exchange
she had with Mr. Sakuraba's personal secretary.  The man was a pompous
ass.  "I was told it is the decision of the Sakuraba Group that we are
not to involve ourselves in any way in further investigations into Miss
Tina's disappearance."
     "Why?" Kaoru growled, his eyes hidden as he faced the floor.
     "The men who abducted Miss Tina and the man that Tina brought home
with her are most likely involved in something illegal.  Any mention of
the Sakuraba Group or the Sakuraba family in connection with their
activities could easily become a major scandal, possibly large enough to
send shock waves through our entire corporate structure and threaten
Lady Aoi's family control of the group.  So far, our involvement has
been only superficial."
     Biting her tongue, she fought the urge to describe the acrimonious
exchange she had that revealed the secretary's obvious xenophobia about
Aoi's American friend.  He insisted that, as far as the Sakuraba Group
was concerned, Tina Foster was a disposable gaijin who would mean
nothing but trouble should they take a hand in trying to find her.  Much
to Miyabi's displeasure, she failed to get confirmation that this was
the opinion of the Sakuraba family as well.  She hoped it wasn't an
indication of what they thought of Kaoru and the kinds of people he
seemed to attract.  That was especially unfair.  In the short time she
had known them, she had seen qualities in each that were quite
admirable.
     "Tina will be all right," Aoi said to no one in particular.  It
sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than anyone else.
"She always comes back.  I believe this time will be no exception."
     Without waiting for a response, Aoi purposefully turned away and
disappeared into the kitchen.
     "Sir Kaoru?" Miyabi asked, when she saw his expression as he
watched Aoi leave.  She couldn't be sure, but he had the wounded look of
a man about to do something rash.
     "I am not a Sakuraba," he said.  "Therefore, I am not bound by the
decision of the group."
     "Please, Sir Kaoru.  I implore you, do not take matters into your
own hands."  Miyabi wanted to reach out and comfort the young man but
knew if she tried, his state of mind right now would reject such a
gesture.  "Please..."  She couldn't continue.  Words which had always
been readily available to her, vanished when his eyes met hers.  His
obvious seething anger could only mean he was ready to storm out and
search for Tina on his own.
     "Tina always looked after me," he said, his voice beginning to
tremble again.  "I can't just sit here and do nothing."
     "That may be, but if your actions now are imprudent, you might very
well find yourself on the outside of the Sakuraba family."  She paused
to gauge his reaction.  He didn't appear any less determined but the
mention of Aoi's family seemed to hold him there, for now.  "You have
worked so hard to win their respect.  A reckless act now would destroy
everything you have worked for.  You could lose Aoi forever."  She hated
herself for using Lady Aoi this way but she needed him to appear calm,
thoughtful, and emotionally strong; everything he was not displaying at
the moment.
     It was also somewhat of an idle threat.  She knew well how Aoi was
willing to abandon her Sakuraba ties to stay with him but she was
counting on his emotional focus on Tina to plant a seed of doubt that
would keep him at home.
     Kaoru trembled as his fists clenched and unclenched by his side.
"What is it you would have me do?" he asked, his voice surprisingly
controlled, despite his outward appearance.
     "Right now, Lady Aoi needs you.  She needs you here to reassure
her.  If you were to go out on your own and disappear as well..."  She
gave up pondering the unthinkable.
     Kaoru considered her words for a few moments, his eyes never
leaving the floor.  As the clock on the wall seemed to tick louder in
the silent mansion, he slowly nodded and turned towards the side door
that led to the servants' quarters.  "I better be getting back to my
room.  It's almost ten o'clock," he said, just loud enough for her to
hear.
     "I think..."  Miyabi hesitated, quickly calculating how her next
suggestion might be received by both Kaoru and the Sakuraba family.
"Under the circumstances, I think it would be best if you stayed in the
mansion tonight," she said.  When he stopped and looked at her over his
shoulder, she tried a gentle smile.  "Lady Aoi will sleep better knowing
there is a man in the house to protect her - and so will I."
     Kaoru stood silent for several long seconds, as if her suggestion
had merit.  "I'll just get my things," he said, before starting for the
door again.

*****

     Tina woke with a start to the sound of train brakes.  She barely
remembered getting on the subway, much less the train.  The grueling
walk to the subway was unforgettable but what came after was a blank.
It was little wonder since she fell asleep soon after boarding the
subway car.  How she got on the train was anyone's guess.
     Rubbing her eyes, she abruptly stopped and slowly took in her
surroundings.  There were only a few other passengers and most of them
were probably drunk salarymen going home or people trying not to notice
she was currently laying in a very un-Japanese position; stretched out
in the seats, her head in Steven's lap.
     When she tried to move, every limb protested.  Even her knees and
hips ached from having been hung upside down.  Whimpering softly, she
tried to make her ankles work.
     "Your timing is perfect," Steven said, quickly checking each
remaining passenger in the car.
     Sitting up with Steven's help, she groaned and tottered in the
seat.  "How long have I been asleep?  Where are we?  What time is it?"
     "A little over an hour, Mienaku-Naru, ten-thirty," he replied,
checking the station platform.
     "I feel like I've been run over by a truck," she said, testing her
arms.  She flinched whenever a particularly bad jolt of pain came from a
stiff joint.
     Steven got out of his seat and held out a hand to help her.
"Understandable, considering what you've been through.  Can you walk?"
     "I better try," she said, grimacing as she unfolded her legs.
"Otherwise, you'll try to carry me again."
     "I doubt my arm could carry you very far," he said, flexing his
still-wounded left arm.
     "I'm NOT fat," she growled, remembering how hard it was for her to
convince herself of that the last time she and a scale had their weekly
meeting.
     "Agreed.  However, the question isn't your weight but the strength
of my bad arm."
     "Oh.  Where are we going?" she asked, trying a few experimental
steps.  Pain shot up from her ankles directly into her hips, causing her
to grunt and grab for a seat back.  Steven's arm went around her waist.
She froze, unsure whether to slap him for being so familiar or thank him
for helping her.
     The pain in her hips intensified at her awkward position, making
the decision for her.  She sagged against his body, allowing her head to
roll onto his shoulder.  It wasn't Kaoru's shoulder but it was available
and not totally repulsive.
     "The Mikomi Inn is only a few blocks from here," Steven said,
helping her take a few more steps towards the exit.  "I called ahead and
they're expecting us.  Can you make it?"
     She tilted her head enough to look up into his face.  "Just so long
as you don't stop anywhere along the way."
     "Good idea.  If you keep moving, you won't tighten up," he said as
they reached the exit.  "Don't worry about how this looks.  Anyone who
cares probably thinks you just had a little too much to drink in Tokyo."
     "Speaking of which, I could use one right now."  She limped along,
still clinging to him.  The more she walked, the easier walking became.
     "We'll get you in a hot bath at the inn.  That'll help with the
pain.  A little alcohol will probably be okay."  He guided her off the
train platform and onto the street.  Despite her painful gait, the
blocks passed quickly.
     As Steven slid open the inn's door, a plump old lady in a summer
kimono greeted them with a bow.  "Welcome to the Mikomi Inn," she said,
moving out from behind a small counter that served as the check-in desk.
     "I'm Steven Lawrence," Steven said with as much of a bow as Tina's
weight hanging on him would allow.  "I called earlier."
     "Oh yes, Mr. Lawrence."  The old lady bowed again.  Tina could see
her eyeing their wedding rings.  Apparently, Steven was right about them
making things easier.  "I have your room ready."  She hesitated, like
she was noticing Tina's condition for the first time.  "Is the lady all
right?"
     Jeff issued a soft chuckle.  "Yes, she's just a little shaken up.
We were riding in a friend's car earlier today when it was hit broadside
by another car.  I'm afraid my wife got the worst of it."
     Tina tried not to frown at Steven's fabrication but had to admit it
sounded plausible.  Her grip tightened on his arm.
     "Perhaps she should see a doctor," the old lady said, reaching for
the phone.
     "We've already been to the hospital," Steven replied, adjusting
Tina's weight in his arms.  "There is nothing more they can do for her
so they released her with instructions she is to take it easy for a few
days.  I think we overdid it a bit getting here."
     "Oh, yes, I understand completely."  The old lady nodded with a
quiet smile before gesturing towards a hallway.  "This way, please."
     Steven easily slipped out of his shoes and into the waiting
slippers.  Tina found the effort too much for her, causing Steven to
gently help her make the exchange.
     Tina noticed the old lady's eyes drawn to her bruised ankles.  "Oh,
you poor dear.  I'll make sure the furo is extra hot.  You know, our
mineral water here is known for its recuperative powers."
     Tina looked down at Steven with a frown.  "If y'all think, I'm
going to let you take my clothes off...," she growled in English, just
loud enough for him to hear.
     Both glanced at the old lady and noticed her confused expression.
She probably didn't hear what was said other then enough to know it
wasn't Japanese and it sounded angry.  "She's just upset with herself
for putting you to so much trouble," he said with a nervous smile.
     "Tell her it is no trouble at all," the old lady replied.  "This
way."
     Tina took a couple of abortive steps, her ankles and hips burning
with each until one of her legs completely gave out.
     Not missing a beat, Steven scooped her into his arms and followed
the old lady down the hall.
     Tina gasped and went stiff, her breath caught in her throat.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried not to imagine how this must look.
All she knew was it felt alien to anything she had ever experienced.
The man's hands were in places that had never been touched by anyone but
herself; one on her bare thigh and the other uncomfortably close to her
right breast.  "What are you doing?" she gasped.
     "I promised you earlier that I'd carry you over the threshold of
the inn," he replied as if it were no big deal.    "Just stay in
character a little longer."
     She wasn't sure why but the dismissive way he said it kind of
disappointed her.  She had dreamed of being romantically carried into a
bedroom but this situation was decidedly outside even her nightmares.  A
strange man, a remote inn, and a single room all contributed to goose
bumps across her body.  Only reminding herself that it was all an act
prevented her from bolting from his grasp.  Taking a deep breath, she
frowned and relaxed in his arms, her own arms sliding around his neck.
She dug one set of fingernails into his flesh as a warning to him not to
take her acting job too seriously.
     As the old woman slid open the door to their room, she blushed and
covered her mouth with a hand.  "These American customs," she said with
a twinkle of mirth in her eyes.  "So romantic."
     Romance was the last thing on Tina's mind.  Being carried by
someone other than Kaoru into a private room for two, was less than a
dream come true.
     As Steven turned to enter the room, he cut the corner a little
short.  A shower of stars exploded in Tina's eyes when her head hit the
door frame.  "Ow, you idiot!" she growled, one of her hands releasing
his neck to cover the spot on her head that was certain to raise into a
nasty bump by morning.
     Steven pulled back from the doorway a little and tried to enter
again.  His aim this time wasn't much better.  One of her sore ankles
wacked into the door the old lady was holding.
     "OW!  What are you trying to do to me?" she snarled.  "PUT ME
DOWN!"
     "I think I can get it this time," he said, turning sideways to the
opening.
     "DOWN-DOWN-DOWN!"
     "Oh, my," she heard the old lady gasp.
     There came a pause before Steven eased Tina back on her feet.  As
her weight settled onto her injured ankles, she yelped in pain and
grabbed on to him for support.  He may be an idiot, but he was better
than falling face first into their room.
     Her frantic clawing at his arms must have looked like she was
trying to start the honeymoon right there in the hall.  She heard the
old lady gasp again and mutter something about checking on the furo
before quickly shuffling back down the hall.
     "Do something," Tina demanded.  It wasn't as if he was being very
helpful.  He made several aborted attempts to find something to grab on
to that wouldn't hurt or offend her further.  When the pain in her
ankles shot up to her hips, she collapsed against him.
     She felt herself suddenly spun around until she faced the room.
His arms went around her waist and she was abruptly hoisted off the
floor.  Carrying her like a rag doll, he paused before tromping over to
a ready futon.  Without a word, he dropped her.
     Landing face down, her knees absorbing the fall, she slowly sagged
into the futon.  "Ow," she said into the pillow.
     She heard Steven sigh and then head for the door.  "Stay put.  I've
got to pick up something before we can travel again," he said.  "I'll be
back in an hour."
     Still face down, she held up one hand.  "I'll be right here," she
said.  Hearing the door slide shut, she drew a deep breath.  "This
marriage thing is never going to work."


     It was almost exactly an hour when Steven trudged back to the inn.
Two medium-sized barrel bags full of stuff were draped over his
shoulders.  He found them exactly where he stashed them two weeks ago,
up in an old abandoned shrine not far from the town.
     There was no one at the front desk when he returned.  That didn't
really surprise him.  It was eleven-thirty.  Anyone with any sense was
in bed, which was exactly where he was heading.
     Plodding down the hall, his eyes burning from lack of sleep, he
shrugged the straps on his shoulders into only slightly more comfortable
position.  Just a little further, he thought, and he could finally take
a hot bath and get some sleep.
     Sliding open the door to his room, he was surprised to see the
lights still on.  What that revealed caused him to pause in the doorway.
     Wearing a yukata provided by the inn, Tina was on her back. She
appeared to have passed out on her futon, her yukata open just enough to
reveal her white nylon panties.  An empty bottle of sake was still
clutched in her hand.  He shook his head.  Well, he did say a little
alcohol would probably be okay.  He just didn't' expect her to drink a
whole bottle.
     Stepping into the room, he frowned at another empty bottle on the
floor.  Nudging it with his foot, he sighed like a frustrated parent.
Well, at least she's getting some sleep.  Considering what she's been
through, it was probably for the best.
     Dropping the two bags on the floor along the wall, he started to
take off his shirt.  Between the day's activity and the odd position his
arms had to take pulling the shirt off over his head caused his wounded
arm to spasm.  He dropped his shirt and clutched his bicep.  "Damn!" he
cursed, a little louder than he intended.  When he checked to see if his
outburst had any effect on his roommate, he was surprised to see her
eyes open and regarding him in a strange way.  "Sorry.  I didn't mean to
wake you."
     Tina stretched and yawned.  "You okay?"
     "I'm fine," he replied. "My arm still hurts sometimes.  You did a
good job with that bandage you applied."
     "Miss Landlord rebandaged your arm," Tina said, yanking the bottom
of her yukata closed as if she just noticed her exposure.
     "Well, she did a good job," he acknowledged.  Undoing his belt, he
glanced her way just long enough to notice she had rolled over and was
eyeing him in anticipation.  "What?"
     "Just curious," she said with the kind of expression one would
expect from a woman in a male strip joint.
     "About?"
     "If you're as good lookin' as those spy fellas in the movies."  She
rose up slightly on her elbows, her hands framing her pretty face.  Her
change of position also revealed a quantity of cleavage.
     Tearing his eyes away from what she had inadvertently displayed, he
tried to push inappropriate thoughts from his mind.  "Those movies are
cheap fantasies for men.  They're not real," he replied, a little more
bitterly than he intended.  It wasn't her fault she had no idea how
rotten this business really was. "Did you get your bath?"
     "Yeah," she said, looking at the floor like she was thinking.
"Mrs. Otah helped me get in and out.  The water was wonderful," she
said, her words were heavily tinted with her Hakata accent.
     "Otah?"
     "The old lady who runs the place," she said.
     "Oh," was all he could say.  His arm still hurt.  He probably
should get the bottle of pain killer he had him in one of the bags but a
hot bath right now sounded better.
     "Steven, what do we do now?" she asked, still looking at the floor.
     He pulled on a yukata that was a size too small and skimmed off his
underwear.  "I still can't contact headquarters.  My partner was the
only one who knew our normal contacts in Japan."  He tied shut the
yukata and folded his pants.  "There's an emergency contact in a small
town down along the coast but that means traveling.  I only have a code
name and a shop.  We're not supposed to use the phone."
     "Steven..."  She looked up at him.
     He could see fear and uncertainty in her emerald green eyes.  It
also struck him how pretty she was.  He allowed his eyes to briefly
wander over the rest of her.  Her yukata was still parted  enough to
show the promise of her full breasts.  She was slender, almost athletic,
with beautiful long legs.  He had to admit, even if this wasn't a stupid
spy movie, the girl certainly had all the makings of a co-star.
     "Don't worry.  We'll do okay."  He wasn't all that sure himself but
it was important to help her keep up her spirits.  She had to be more
scared than he, given she knew so little about what they were up
against.
     Her expression, however, didn't change.  "Where are you going to
sleep?"
     "Over here with the bags," he said, indicating the two barrel bags
he had stashed along the wall.
     "It'll get cold."  She still looked afraid.
     "I'll be fine.  There's an extra comforter here."
     She nibbled on her lower lip, as if trying to make a decision.  "If
you want...  I mean,...  The futon is big enough for two."  The first
hint of blush crossed her cheeks.  "You gotta promise you won't... you
know."
     Tempting as the offer was, he surprised himself with his response.
"No, that wouldn't be a good idea," he said, pangs of regret stabbing at
his resolve.  "Besides, you're hurt.  I wouldn't want to do something
that would hurt you more."  He could see she was blushing furiously now.
Poor kid, she was probably still a virgin.  He grimaced when it occurred
to him how his answer must have sounded to her.  "I mean, I might roll
over on your ankle or... something.  Look, I'll just go take a quick
bath and try not to wake you when I get back."
     He gathered what he thought he'd need for a bath and started for
the door.
     "Steven?"
     "Yes."
     "Leave the light on."
     With a nod, he slid open the door and stepped into the hall.


     Morning came far too early for Tina.  Sunlight streaming through
the rear window wrapped her in its warmth.  It felt so good she
regretted having to get up.  As usual, she had kicked all her covers off
and was laying on top of a bare futon.
     Stretching, she looked around for Steven.  Unlike a few nights ago,
he was exactly where he said he would be; across the room, propped up
against two green barrel bags and wrapped in the spare comforter.
     "So, Mr. Secret Agent is asleep.  Maybe, I should wake him up
Tina-style," she thought with a mischievous grin.  That idea quickly
dissipated with the memory of Taeko's morning encounter with a sleeping
Steven Hunter.  Better let sleeping agents lie.
     Slipping silently out of her futon, she reached for her clothes.
Wrinkling her nose at the thought of wearing the same clothes two days
in a row, she picked her bra out and started to remove her yukata.
     Hesitating, she cast a wary eye at her sleeping roommate.   Asleep
or not, getting dressed in a room with a strange man gave her a crazy
mixture of excitement and fear.  Still, caution was the best approach in
situations like this.  She turned away and worked herself into the bra
without exposing anything.  Checking Steven again, she smiled to
herself.  Score one for her Japanese training, she thought.
     As she finished dressing, careful to remain covered as much as
possible, there came a scratching at the door.
     "Yes?" she said.
     The door slid open and Mrs. Otah entered, carrying a tray of food.
"Did you sleep well?" the old woman asked, kneeling down and placing the
tray on the floor.
     "Oh, yes, you have a lovely inn," Tina said, bowing and folding up
her yukata.
     Mrs. Otah eyed the sleeping Steven before casting a curious look at
the futon Tina had used.  Obviously confused, she looked questioningly
at Tina.
     It wasn't hard for Tina to figure out what was bothering the old
lady.  "Oh... uh... allergies," she said.  "He has allergies that are
aggravated by all this clean country air.  The only way he can sleep
sometimes is propped up like that."  She added a nervous chuckle.  It
sounded phoney as a Texas tall tale but it was all she could think of.
"Besides, he didn't want to do anything last night.  You know, because
of the accident."
     "Ah, of course.  I understand.  He's such an understanding
husband."  Mrs. Otah, still on her knees, bowed until her head almost
touched the floor.  "Do you feel better today?"
     The question caught Tina off guard.  Since crawling out of bed, she
hadn't really thought about it.  Her wrists worked well enough to dress
herself and she was standing on her feet with only a hint of the
previous day's pain.  Even the bruises had faded.  "Yes, now that you
mention it, I feel great."
     Mrs. Otah nodded with a big smile.  "The waters here are amazing.
It does wonders for my arthritis."
     Tina responded with a smile and a nod before another thought came
to her.  "Oh, does this town have a clothing shop?" she asked.
     "No, I'm afraid we're too small to support something like that.
However, Kagome is just fifteen minutes away by train and they have a
fine lady's clothing store," Mrs. Otah said.
     "Good."  Tina smirked at the still sleeping Steven.  "Since I don't
have anything else to wear..."  She paused, thinking of how careless
words might blow her cover.  "Uh... since we forgot my bag in the car...
the car that was hit... last night, I think Steven owes me some new
clothes."
     Smiling behind a wrinkled hand, Mrs. Otah giggled.  "Good for you.
Get control early and you will have a long and happy marriage."
     Tina was still digesting that last bit of advice when Mrs. Otah
bowed again and quietly left.
     "I'm going to get something out of this trip, maybe even a new
camera," Tina said, eyeing Steven.
     "Don't count on it," Steven said without moving.
     "Yeah?  Well, I think... WAITAMINIUTE, you're awake?"  Tina
instinctively clutched the folded yukata to her chest.
     "Ever since you crawled out of your futon," he replied with a deep
breath.  Stretching he regarded her with a satisfied expression.
"You're pretty good at getting dressed in a coed environment.  How long
did it take you to learn that?"
     "Not long, once I figured out you perverts like to watch girls
getting changed.  In my junior high, we had to change for PE in our home
room.  The girls in the middle and the guys around the outside facing
away.  I learned pretty quick, especially since the guys were always
trying to sneak a peek at the blond American girl."  Tina crossed her
arms and shot Steven a look of satisfaction.
     "And you're pretty good at thinking on your feet," he said sitting
up rubbing the sleep from his eyes.  "Are you sure you haven't done this
before?"
     "I don't like lyin' to people, if that's what you mean."  She felt
a bit awkward making up a story to tell someone as trusting and kind as
Mrs. Otah.  It wasn't the sort of thing she wanted to get used to.
     Steven crawled out of his improvised bed, heading for the tray of
food.  "In any case, I don't have any clothes for you in my bags, so you
are correct that we will have to do something to remedy that."
     Clapping her hands, Tina dropped to her knees next to the tray.
"You mean it?  I haven't gotten anything new since I was back home."
     "Where's home?" Steven asked, sitting down across from her.  He
carefully tucked his too small yukata to cover anything interesting.
     "Well, Mom and Dad now live in California but I was born in Texas."
She wasn't sure why it felt good telling him this.  Maybe because nobody
ever asked her about her life before.  She warily regarded Steven,
watching carefully for his reaction.
     "I thought your accent was familiar.  I'm guessing you're from
Dallas."
     "North Dallas, yeah."  Tina mixed egg in her rice and eagerly began
scooping great mouthfuls with her chopsticks.  "How 'bout you?" she
asked around all the rice in her mouth.
     Steven chuckled.  "I'm afraid I don't come from such upscale
surroundings.  Mom and Dad had a little spread out west.  Closest big
city was Amarillo."
     "I was right," she said, gulping down her juice.  "I thought you
were a cowboy."
     "Hardly.  I haven't been there in almost 20 years."
     "Don't your parents miss you?"
     "I don't think so.  They died when I was five."
     Tina froze in mid-bite.  Slowly, she lowered her bowl of rice.
"Sorry."
     Steven shrugged.  "That's okay.  I've had time to get over it.  Dad
liked to fly.  Had his own plane.  He and Mom went out one day, going to
fly down to Midland.  They never made it."
     Her hands holding the bowl of rice slowly dropped into her lap, one
thumb nervously running back and forth along its rim.  "I guess, I
sometimes say stupid things."
     "Not at all.  You had no way of knowing."
     "It must have been terrible being on your own," she said before she
could stop herself.  Stupid, stupid, stupid, she thought.
     "It was, at first.  After they died, Grandma took over the ranch
but she couldn't raise a five-year old.  So, she kinda farmed me out to
other relatives."
     A thousand questions and a few self-admonishments roamed through
Tina's mind.  Her hunger now for information on this strange American
exceeded whatever she felt about the food in front of her.
     "Got to see a lot of America.  Lived in Galveston until I was nine.
Learned to cut bait for an uncle who ran a charter fishing business.
When my aunt had another baby, there wasn't room for me anymore.  So, I
got sent to New York where another aunt taught me proper manners and how
to behave in social settings."  He paused with a slight grimace.  "Boy,
talk about not fitting in.  Never did get used to the big city.
     "Anyway, by junior high, I was in California.  That's where I
discovered I picked up languages easily.  Lived in a neighborhood full
of Japanese-Americans.  I was speaking Japanese before I graduated.
     "By the time I was in high school, I was living in Kahului, Hawaii.
Had an uncle who managed the airport there.  He taught me how to fly."
     "Weren't you scared?  I mean, considering..."  Tina grimaced at her
own clumsiness.  She might be more coordinated than Taeko, but sometimes
she could be just as clumsy with her language.
     "A little, at first, but Uncle Rod was pretty cool about it all.
He knew what happened to my parents and said something about how you
gotta get back on the horse when it throws you.  I guess he was right.
I got pretty good, too."
     "So, why didn't you stay in Hawaii?  That sounds like a nice place
to live."  Tina congratulated herself for at least saying something
positive this time.
     Steven shrugged.  "Wasn't home.  I didn't belong there.  I mean,
the people were nice enough but I could tell I was still an outsider.
When I graduated high school, I went back to Texas for college.  Well,
for a little while, anyway.  I discovered that I no longer belonged
there, either.  By then, Grandma wasn't doing so well.  I guess her age
was catching up with her.  So, I turned the ranch over to a cousin and
went to the University of Colorado.  I have a masters degree in
Japanese.  I picked up six other Asian languages along the way."
     "Well, that explains why you're in Japan," Tina said, as she
resumed eating.  "What got you doing this job?"
     "Since my only options seemed to be teaching or translating Anime,
I listened to some guy I knew from my classes.  He put me in touch with
a guy from back East.  Turns out he was some sort of recruiter.  What he
offered didn't sound all that bad, so two weeks later, signed up and
found myself somewhere in Virginia learning how to be an agent."  He
hung his head and picked at his food.  "Stupid decision, really.  This
isn't anything like I thought it would be."
     Tina idly pushed rice around in her bowl as she considered how
tough it must have been for him.  Like her, he was adrift, searching for
somewhere to belong.  The closest place she had ever felt like she
belonged was with Miss Landlord and the others.  But even that gave her
an uneasy sense that she was missing out on something.
     "Tina, I'm sorry I got you into this," he said.  "I'd do just about
anything so you could go home."  He paused to draw a deep breath.  "I
suppose we could separate here and each go a different direction."
     "I guess.  I could just act like it's a photography trip, only I
don't have a camera... or a tent."  Tina reached up and lightly rapped
her forehead with her fist.  "Heck, I don't even have enough money to
get back to Tokyo, much less find some place to stay."  She hung her
head and shyly looked at Steve.
     He slowly nodded.  "I guess, if we separated, there's no guarantee
the Koreans wouldn't find you again.  They're pretty determined folks,
those Koreans."
     Tina couldn't argue with that.  Getting captured and hung up by her
ankles once was enough for her.  He'd already rescued her twice.
Expecting it a third time was probably pushing her luck.
     They ate in silence for several minutes, all the while, Tina kept
glancing at him.  Sitting in a country inn eating breakfast together,
she wondered if this was what it was like being married.  All she had
were her dreams and stories she'd read but they were all flowers and
romance.  They were nothing like this.
     Closing her eyes, she tried to put herself into one of her romance
mangas.  She envisioned herself having a leisurely breakfast with her
husband while outside their balcony birds chirped happily in the
blooming cherry trees.  It was perfect.  Well, almost perfect.  There
had to be Kaoru beside her, teasingly feeding her bits of breakfast,
between kisses, of course.
     "You okay?" she heard Steven ask.
     Blinking out of her daydream, she caught his eye and quickly turned
her head, resisting the urge to blush.  "I was thinking," she said
softly.
     "About?" he prompted, appearing to concentrate on his breakfast.
     "Not important."  It would have been awkward to admit that while
she was sharing a room with one man, she was actually dreaming about
another.  Placing her empty bowl on the tray, she leaned back on her
hands.  "That sure was some fine grub," she said, more to herself than
her roommate.
     "I agree," Steven replied with a deep sigh.  "You know, this would
be a perfect place for a..."  His words trailed off as his chin dropped.
     "For a what?" Tina asked with a sly smile.
     Steven refused to take the bait.  Shaking his head, he looked away.
"It's not important.  Sorry."
     "Come on," she teased.  "You were going to say something."  She
might have dodged his question about her daydream but that didn't mean
she was going to let him get away with his own.
     He glanced her way only for the briefest of moments and squirmed
slightly.  "I was going to say how perfect this place would be for a...
a honeymoon."  He rubbed his eyes like it was more of an embarrassed
gesture than something he needed to do.
     At first, she wasn't sure just how to take his observation.  Sure,
it was the same thing she was thinking earlier but that was with Kaoru.
The fact he was even considering such a thing with her in the room made
her stomach knot.
     She rocked forward, her hands coming to rest on her knees.  The
phony wedding ring pressed into her finger.  With a satisfied little
smile, she held up her hand to admire how the tiny stone in its setting
sparkled in the room's light.  "Well, I guess we are married," she said,
still admiring her ring.
     "Not really," he added, his head turned away as she spoke.
     "Okay, we're pretend married.  You ever pretend you were married?"
She regarded him with a demure, almost innocent expression.
     "No."  He shot a challenging look her way, his eyes meeting hers.
"Have you?"
     She chuckled.  "Yeah, at a park once.  Kaoru and I..."  She paused,
remembering the bittersweet phony wedding she got herself caught up in
that crazy build-your-own fantasy building.  Looking at him again, she
could tell he had caught her reference to Kaoru.  Explaining about him
right now could be awkward.  "Steven, do you have a girlfriend?"
     That question seemed to stun him.  He blinked at her for a couple
of moments.  "Uh... No.  I really don't want to talk about it."
     A moment ago, he was ready to tell her his life story and now he
wouldn't even talk about the girls he knew.  She thought all guys liked
to talk about girls.  "You mean there's nobody waiting for you back
home?"
     Steven sighed and turned away from her.  "No."
     "Well, why not?" she demanded.  "You're a good lookin' guy and you
seem nice enough, although you are a little clumsy at times.  Anyway, a
girl would be lucky if you took an interest in her."
     He turned back around a looked directly into her eyes.  "No, she
wouldn't," he snarled.  "I'm a nobody doing a dirty job.  I don't even
know why I'm doing it."  He drew a ragged breath.  "Besides, girls want
athletes, doctors, or just about anyone who has a lot of money and
power.  I'm just a nerd who knows a few languages."  He slowly looked
away.  "In any case, a girlfriend would... complicate things," he said.
"You know yourself how just being around me can be dangerous.  If I had
a girlfriend, the bad guys would probably kidnap her and hang her up
by... her..."  His voice trailed off the same time his shoulders sagged.
"Sorry.  I shouldn't have said that."
     Tina could only bl ink at his confession.  Was that how he saw
himself; a nerd with nothing to offer?  She had to admit, that was
unexpected.  She always thought spies were suave and self-assured macho
guys who could vanquish dozens of attackers and still have enough energy
to rescue the beautiful heroine.  But there was something reassuring
about his reaction.  As much as the stereotypical spy-type guy appealed
to her, there was something comfortable about his vulnerability - and
his honesty.  There was no doubt he was thinking about her when he
talked of a potential girlfriend?  Could it be that he actually liked
her?
     "Look, we better get going, if we are going to buy you some
clothes," he said, reaching for one of the bags.  "I still have to find
that contact."
     "Right," Tina absently replied, still wrestling with her feelings.
She kept trying to remind herself that this wasn't some stupid movie and
she still had to see this endeavor through so she could go home again;
back to Kaoru, Miss Landlord, and the others.  But every time she looked
at Steven, she saw a miserable, lonely, out-of-place person who really
needed somebody She tried to tell herself that Steven would be okay and
would go back to America when it was all over.  Both of them would have
great stories to tell.  Maybe somebody would write a best seller about
their adventure.  As she began to tidy up the place, she pondered who
would play her in the movie version.
     It took them only a few minutes to pack, neither having much to
say.  Out front, they promised Mrs. Otah they would return some day and
take full advantage of the inn and what the area had to offer.
     Walking towards the train station, each with a bag over their
shoulders, Tina innocently slipped her hand into his.
     His obvious surprise caused Tina to chuckle.  "Just stay in
character a little longer.  We're almost to the train station," she said
with a straight face, hoping the director was getting her good side.