Chapter 33

The next day we hired a car and a driver that was also a guide to take us to see the many temples in Phuket. The Big Buddha, the Wat Khao Rang and Wat Chalong were things that I never expected. The pagodas and statues were all beyond belief. The girls had to dress more modestly and bought colorful Ruean Ton outfits that they could wear into the temples and not offend anyone or the culture. They looked great and we were happy to spend a day immersing ourselves in the local culture.

Our last day the girls wanted to go to the outdoor market. The first thing they bought was handmade baskets and then tried to fill them with gifts and souvenirs. I did pick up a few things. There were carvings of animals. Each animal represents different things. I picked a few up as gifts. I also bought a couple paintings but had them taken off the frames so that I could transport them back to Japan more easily. They could be restretched in Tokyo.

That night after eating street food and having a few drinks, we took turns in bed so that I was with each girl separately. They both wanted some alone time with me and I was happy to spend some one on one time with them. Mizue was first and then Preeda came in and we had a nice time together. As we lay together afterwards she said, “This was nice. I grew up poor and then got sent to work in that club. When you came in you were so different not only as an American but your age and the way you carried yourself. When you took us racing that was so exciting and then you gave us our freedom.

“There is no way that I can ever pay you back for everything you’ve done for me. Mizue feels the same way and we both think that Reo is an idiot for doing what she did. We feel bad for you but know that one day she’ll be kicking herself for not counting her blessings. She was supposed to be here and instead is somewhere trying to make ends meet and probably has changed her tune about fucking the clients. It’s easy money but her perspective has changed and where before she didn’t need any extra money because you took care of everything. Now it comes out of her paycheck. If you ever need anything and it’s within my power, all you have to do is ask. Thank you, Nick.”

There wasn’t much to say so I just held her and then called Mizue in. She came in to join us and cuddle. The next day was all travel. After breakfast and packing it was a car to the airport, then the long flight and finally, another car to the apartment. It was a long day but it was good to be back in Tokyo.

Sometimes it feels like I don’t do much but then when I go away, it feels like I’ve fallen behind. It was just before Christmas when we got back. I did my check in meetings. Shiggy was selling like crazy and the second store was open and selling ahead of schedule. The numbers were good at the restaurants. The private club in my building was going well and had room for a few more members but it wasn’t advertising and was full in theory. Randy and Rodney were both home for the holiday but had a good team in place to manage the restaurants. They would be back after the first of the year.

When I made it over to the club to play cards, Ishii was happy to see me and said that his wife was doing well when I asked. Then added, “But my granddaughter could use some help. She’ll be coming down to go to school here in a few months. Maybe you can help to get her straightened out.”

“You know what business I’m in and it isn’t straightening out granddaughters. We can talk about her when I get back.”

“Where are you going?”

“I think I might go to Bermuda for a few days and then to a party in Boston for New Years.”

“I thought you were just on vacation?”

“I was but my parents are in Bermuda and my company is based out of Boston. I don’t know if obligation is a better word but it isn’t all pleasure. Although visiting my family is a good thing no matter where they are.”

The night was a wash and I think I lost a little bit. I didn’t stay too late. The following day, I made some calls and made plans for the holidays. Mi stopped by and let me know that Reo wasn’t happy about me changing the locks and Mi, put her on notice that she had better stop being a burden on the business and on me or she would be looking for a new job and end up working the counter at a fast food restaurant if she didn’t start acting like a professional.

While she was up, I gave her the present that I’d bought for her in Thailand. It was a carving of a turtle. In Japan the creature symbolizes wisdom, longevity and luck. In other Asian cultures it also represents Mother Earth. She loved the craftsmanship. Yuto and I had a quick meeting the following morning and things were going good and getting better in both Japan and Hong Kong although the Triad in Hong Kong were getting more violent as a group and the drug trade was pushing them to have more turf wars and shootings. It wasn’t hurting what we were doing but as a whole the city’s underworld was sorting out their structure.

It was a few days before Christmas when I flew off to Bermuda. Reagan had just been reelected but my father told me that he had put in his resignation. He’d been doing his work long enough and it was time to pass the torch. They would transition out the next month after the inauguration on the 20th. They planned to be in New York by the end of January.

On Christmas Eve we had a nice dinner and then played a game of three-handed Rummy. I won because I was more aggressive with my play and it paid off. My dad said his goodnight around 11:00 and went to bed. Mom poured a couple glasses of port and we sat on the couch in the living room.

After some small talk she said, “Your father and I are so proud of you and what you’re doing. We both expected you to finish high school, then spend six years getting a Bachelors and Masters degree. Then do some work at a company for a few years and then maybe follow in your father’s footsteps. You’ve taken a different path but it’s been very rewarding. It’s like a new branch growing on the family tree.”

“I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. Right now I’m just investing or gambling on the future. I may not be as risky as someone at the roulette table or picking horses, but I look at the future of where we’re heading as a society and buying things it will take for us to get there. Adam and I know that if things keep going in that direction we should do well. If not, then we’re diversifying to hopefully have enough money to live.”

“It isn’t a traditional route but it’s a way of life. You still have your trust from your grandparents.” She got quiet for a moment and took a sip of her wine. “Nick, your father’s health is not getting better. He has seen some specialists and the outlook isn’t good. He smoked like a chimney in college and everyone smoked in business when he got out and was in the workforce. He quit when you were born but he still smoked almost three packs a day for twenty years.”

“Is there anything he can do? Is there anything I can do?”

“He’ll work with the specialists at the newly opened New York Cancer Center. We’re hopeful but your dad isn’t a young guy and life sometimes catches up with us. It’s harder at his age to recover from medical setbacks.”

“Keep me informed and if there’s anything I can do, just let me know.”

Sleep didn’t come easy that night and Christmas was more somber than normal. I did mention to both Mom and Dad about the Dollar to Yen changes that I was expecting and he thanked me for the advice. We spent the next few days just enjoying each other’s company. I got a big hug from both Mom and Dad before flying back to the states.

Adam was in a much different mood than my parents. He was happy as always and upbeat in his attitude. Tiffany was happy to see me and would be finishing up at college in just a few months. They were planning a wedding in early summer and wanted me to be the best man.

I did have to ask, “If I’m the best man, then why are you marrying Adam and not me. Why settle for second best?”

“Adam is the best man for me. You’ll find yours one day.”

“I’m in no hurry and am practicing my skills as often as I can find time.”

This year, I’d made some plans and Katherine would be coming into the city and spending New Year’s Eve with me at the party. Adam and I spent some time during the day going over things at work. He said, “I might sound like a broken record but business is good. Your last few ideas have been keeping us busy and we’ve been getting good feedback on the accounting software and may be ahead of the market on the presentation software so we’re working on it but have most of our resources focused on the accounting.”

“That sounds like a good approach. It will give us more time for planning and building out the other program.”

Nodding he continued, “The investment software is still being upgraded and licenses are paying us well. The arbitrage software is also continually updated and printing money for us. The restaurants are all in the black and even though we are paying Rodney and Randy so much for their work, we’re paying off the buildings and land ahead of schedule. The rent was supposed to pay it off in eight to ten years but the income from the stores and restaurants has it closer to four to five. I like our diversification. You never know if this computer thing will take off or be too expensive and go away.”

“I see the need for it but if it will ever be a household item is yet to be seen.”

“Moving on, we have a lot of money in cash. You and I don’t spend nearly enough and it keeps coming in. I’ve talked to Mike about currencies. He said that if we didn’t do anything that we wouldn’t notice it but if we do something we could make a lot of money.”

“I’ve been thinking about it but can’t get my head around it.”

“I’ve had the same problem. If you buy a stock it goes up you do well. If it goes down you do poorly. If you buy Yen, then it goes down, you do well. It is hard to understand. The way it makes sense to me is to think that the dollar doesn’t change. But if a yen should be worth a penny then a dollar should be worth a hundred yen. Right now, if we change our dollars into yen, we have people willing to pay us two hundred fifty yen. If it should be worth a hundred, we’re getting more than double what it’s worth. So, we’re selling high and getting two hundred fifty for a dollar. As the value of the Yen comes down, to say a hundred, we’re making money because when we buy back the dollars, we can buy them back cheaper. If we invest a million and then move the money back at hundred yen, we could have two and a half million.”

“So we could, in your scenario, make a hundred to a hundred and fifty percent?”

“If we just moved cash from one bank to another, that would be the result. But like when we were trading stocks that summer there are more ways to make money. We bought put and call options on the stocks. We can do the same thing on the currency or just leverage the heck out of it and use other people’s money to sell a lot more dollars.”

“I don’t want to sell short and have unlimited risk and lose more than we have.”

“I plan to invest in currency options. I’ve spoken to Mike and we have charts tracking for when would be the best time to buy, the best prices to buy in at and make the most money. The good news is that currencies trade in much larger volumes than stocks and with banks and businesses moving money as they do we shouldn’t have any trouble with what we plan to do. Mike will be doing the same for himself and Patterson but he knows that our orders have to go first or they could get in trouble because of the rules of a fiduciary.”

“I said something to my dad. Maybe Mike can help him. They’re moving back to New York at the end of January.”

“I’ll set up a meeting when I’m down there.”

“I’d appreciate it.”

When the meeting was over, we walked out of Adam’s home office to find Tiffany sitting in the living room with Katherine. I walked over and got a hug and Adam was behind me waiting his turn. She was going to be my date for the Gala and was going to get dressed at Adam’s place. We talked about Japan and Katherine’s school. Tiffany talked about finishing up her schooling and planning a wedding. Katherine said, “That’s something I have to look forward to.”

Eventually it was time to get ready and Katherine followed me into my room. Her dress was hanging in my closet and there was an overnight bag on the floor. She said, “The plan is we’ll have a suite at the hotel with two bedrooms. We’ll check in and drop off our bags and then go down to the gala. We’ll spend the night at the hotel and come back here tomorrow sometime. I have to fly back to Tokyo on the third and will spend the next two nights at my dad’s house.”

“Give me the information about your flight and I’ll try to get on your plane.”

“I have it written down in my purse. I’ll get it for you. I’m glad I get to see you. I’m going to talk to Dad about moving closer to you, maybe even into your building. I went to school in Japan to see you more but you don’t visit very often and I don’t take the train out to see you either.”

“Won’t that take you away from your friends?”

“Most of the time when my circle meets we plan it. Some live a subway stop or two away. If I moved they would come to visit me and I’d go visit them.”

“I have three empty bedrooms if that will help your dad any.”

As I was saying that she was just taking off her bra and as she turned and I saw her body I had to stop talking as it took my breath away again. She still had that long lean body with a six-pack on her belly and shoulders of a swimmer. Her blonde hair came down a few inches below her shoulders and her blue eyes sparkled. She saw me watching her and pushed her panties to the floor.

“Nick, I like the way you look at me and feel in me. That’s why I moved to Japan and want to move closer. Now fuck me with that big cock of yours.”

By then I was down to my boxers and they were on the floor before she could make it to me and she climbed up my body and wrapped her legs around my waist. Her arms went around my neck and she looked like she wanted to say something but then just leaned in and kissed me. My hands supported her ass as we kissed and then she started to move, grinding her clit on my cock that was pinned between us.

Eventually her need to have it inside her was greater than the joy she was getting from rubbing on me and she lifted up and sank her pussy down on my cock. I was big and in good shape but after about five minutes, she was getting heavy so I laid her down on the bed as I stood beside it and kept pounding into her. “Fuck me. Fuck me harder,” was her chant. We were like a machine working together for optimum mutual pleasure. We came together and stayed connected as we both were sweating and breathing hard.

“I think that I’d like you being closer to me, Katherine.”

“I know I would but we need to talk.”

Those were scary words but I’d matured some and knew we just needed to get to the bottom of whatever it was. “We can talk now.” I said, fearful of what she had obviously spent some time thinking about. I lay down beside her.

“Nick, I don’t know the best way to say this so don’t be offended or judge me too harshly.” More words of impending doom.

“Since my parents divorce or going back further to when they weren’t happy with each other and started to cheat on each other, I made a decision that I didn’t want to live my life like that. I didn’t want to be stuck in something that I wasn’t happy with or lie to someone that I should trust. I feel like you get me and approve of what I do and how I live. I know that I accept you the way you are right now. How would that change if we decided to get married? It feels like it would take something that is perfect and change everything. I also feel like if I don’t push for that, someone else will and then I’ll be cut out and miss out on something that I love. You.

“I went to boarding school and had access to guys but I also lived in a girls dorm with girls. I was on sports teams and showered with other girls. Some showed an interest in me and in turn I found that I like girls and guys. Well, at least one guy. I also like to hear that you have other girls. It would be no different than when you win a race rowing or running cross-country. I’m proud that you won. So when I hear about you taking and bedding another woman I’m not jealous at all but proud that you can carve another notch in your bedpost and still love me. It sounds perfect but then I think about the world we live in and think I must be crazy.”

“You are crazy. But so am I. Sometimes I get lonely but have grown up an only child. I’ve changed countries, cultures, schools and languages my whole life. I had a long talk with my mom and she encouraged me to not settle down with my high school or college sweetheart unless I just couldn’t live another moment without her or would lose her. I don’t carve notches but feel like I’m challenged to bring pleasure or help others. I think it’s sexy that you’re bisexual and love that you aren’t jealous and I’m not jealous of you, even when you dated other guys and slept with them. I always looked at it as the guys would never have an experience like they did with you and would spend the rest of their lives looking for someone half as good.”

“I feel that way about you too. Where do we go from here?”

“You have a few years left to finish school. When you do finish school, you’ll have to decide what you want to do with your life. By then what I’m building here should be running and not need me here. We can figure out our next step.”

“If I move in, can I bring Hana? She’s my pet. One day we were watching TV. I was wearing some very loose-legged shorts and no panties. She was sitting on the floor and leaning against the couch that I was sitting on. I was stroking the outside of my pussy as I watched the movie on TV. She looked over and saw me. When our eyes met, I used the finger I was stroking myself with to motion her closer. I moved my shorts out of the way and presented my pussy to her. She knew what I wanted and she licked me. Since then she’s become my pet. She obeys my commands and sleeps with me at night.”

“She can share your room if you move into my place or if that would make you or her uncomfortable, I can get you a good rate on your own apartment.”

“I’ll talk to Dad and call Hana. I’ll let you know later this week.”

“What will your dad say?”

“I’ll listen to whatever he says and then I’ll decide. I watched the lack of communication ruin my parents. I make my decisions for me and let them know what I’ve decided and why. I don’t hide things or lie. They both know that I’m bisexual and very sexual. They know that I care about my education, about my health and having fun. Julie has her trust fund now that she’s graduated. I get mine when I graduate or turn thirty whichever comes first. We both have a chunk of the family business but don’t sit on the board. If we do ever get married, we’ll sign prenups and you will never touch mine and I’ll never touch yours. It’s written into the trust. I think it was meant to help me but it will screw me since you are doing very well from what I hear.”

“That’s what Adam just told me too.”

“I’d love to talk about it but my stomach is getting sore trying to keep all your cum from flooding out of my pussy. We need to clean up and get ready for the party. And don’t forget that Toni will be there.” she said as she rolled off the bed and raced to the bathroom.

I sauntered in and turned on the shower as she sat on the toilet. She smiled at me. “You fill me with your big cock then fill me with your seed. I want to make this work somehow. I’m glad I didn’t scare you away.”

“Katherine, I’m just a kid. I take each day at a time and hope that I don’t fuck up too bad. I do care for you and love you. I love others but I love you. I don’t know the future. It took one day for Reo to go from being my happy roommate to someone on the verge of being kicked out and fired. I’ve had guns pointed at me and I sometimes feel lucky to be alive. Let’s live our lives, have fun, work hard and see how things go. I’ll always be there for you. It is just too early to know what that will look like.”

Nodding she said, “Get in the shower before I drag your sexy ass back to bed. We’re both young and have our whole lives to figure it out.”

I was in the living room having a drink with Adam when the girls were finally ready to leave. We took our overnight bags and went to the hotel. We dropped our bags in the room and Adam said, “Same rules as last time.”

“No sleeping with Tiffany but all other women are fair game?”

“Yes and this is a charity event. Feel free to be generous. They do good work.”

Katherine asked, “What’s this for?”

“It supports the Children’s hospital. Adam and Nick have been large donors for the last few years. Most of the people here will be our parents and grandparent’s ages. Adam and Nick represent new money and are generous supporters. Have fun,” Tiffany said.

Adam held out his elbow to escort Tiffany. I took Katherine’s hand and we walked to the elevator. We weren’t the last ones there but the party was already going. I found a bar that wasn’t too busy and got a glass of wine for Katherine and a beer for me. Adam was shaking hands and talking to people soon after he entered the room. Tiffany was playing her part. I handed my beer to Katherine and got two more for Adam and Tiffany. After delivering the drinks I made a quick retreat.

Katherine was right behind me and I saw Toni and Dirk. We walked over and she excused herself from the conversation when she saw me and came over to say hi. We hugged and she whispered, “I’ve missed you. I look in the mirror and rub my nipples everyday as I think about you. Are you going to fuck me tonight?”