Page 40 of Summer Haze & Tokyo Craze

“Maybe I’ll tell you when you’re calm again. Thanks for the advice,” I say and hang up the phone before he can answer, quickly muting him when he calls back to continue to screamat me. But I'm just so fucking tired of this topic. I’m not getting into an argument with him today.

It’s coming. I can feel it. I am a breath away from snapping and his anger has been amplifying over the past twenty-nine years. The tension blowing up in our faces is inevitable at this point, but right now, I have my own issues to prioritize.

I can’t continue to keep my life on hold just to placate the feelings of someone in whose eyes I can do no right anyways.

We’ll have that talk. But we’ll have it on a day where I don’t have a date with Lily in ten minutes.

"So, where are we going today?" I shout over the loud sound of pouring rain hitting our umbrellas in an attempt to lighten the mood as we walk to the station. I wasn’t sure if she’d even turn up, but I waited in the hotel lobby anyways and punctual, like always, I heard her shoes clacking over the marble floor as she approached the obligatory iced coffee in her hand.

"Odaiba," she yells back as she leads the way to the station. She seems to be in a better mood compared to yesterday, thank God. We only have a few more days here and I’d like to make the most of it with her and maybe even convince her to go on a real date after we’re back home.

I'm in awe of the way she easily navigates the streets, at how well she knows her way around here. I would manage to getlost two blocks away from our hotel, but she navigates these tiny streets effortlessly and confidently.

And then in the station she effortlessly weasels her way through the steady stream of people. Keeping up takes more effort than I’m willing to admit as she leads the way to the platform.

"Odaiba?" I finally ask her as we come to a stand on the platform and she nods.

"It's basically in the Tokyo Bay," she explains and types the name into her phone, handing it to me with images of our destination open. The first thing I see is a giant, colorful Ferris wheel, a beach and a lot of water.

"We’re not going to the water though. Remember that digital art museum I showed you and Felix in the very beginning when you two interrogated me about my plans?"

"Ah, I remember!"

I already completely forgot about that, but now that I know that’s where we’re going, I’m getting excited.

“I couldn’t fit it in on any other day, so now you’re my lucky companion."

“Oh, the horror,” I say theatrically, and she shoots me a grin just as the train arrives. Thankfully, it’s not very crowded and we find a spot to stand in.

"Please tell me it's not far from here," I whine, feeling a trickle of sweat dripping down my neck, shuddering when it trickles down my spine before we even leave the station. The humidity right by the sea is just off the charts and I’ve never envied her more for the portable mini fan she’s holding in her hand. The air feels so thick it’s making breathing a challenge.

"Right over there, I think." She looks at her phone and points to our left, and we start walking. And thank God she's correct.

We step into the building and both of us sigh in unison when a wall of cold air greets us.

"Oh God, this is nice," she says happily, and I nod in agreement.

It's blissfully cool in here. If I admire Japan for one thing, it's their immaculate use of air conditioning. I thank the heavens that this conference isn’t taking place in Europe, because they are not quite as enthusiastic about air conditioning.

Lily shows them our tickets and the receptionist points us towards the entrance. But I stare at Lily, irritated.

I wasn't even aware that she got me a ticket, and honestly, I'm kind of pissed. What if I wanted to pay? Now she’s not getting around another date, because I'm definitely going to pay for the next one.

Somehow, the vibes are off. Both of us know that there’s an elephant in the room and both of us are trying to ignore it. As skeptical as I was during my call with Jackson, when I took the time in the lobby to reflect on our interactions, I remembered all the littlemoments.

The way she melted into the kiss, how she reached for my hand in Harajuku, and how despite her bad mood, yesterday I’d find her eyes on me.

That’s when I realized that I’m not making this up and when I knew that we’d have to breach the topic sooner or later.

Jackson said I need a woman to demand the uncomfortable conversations – but maybe I just need a woman who makes me want to have the uncomfortable conversations if the reward is her.

And with her as the reward, I would do just about everything.

I hold the thick curtain open for her and she slips through the gap after shooting me a thankful grin. I follow her, stepping into a completely dark corridor only lit by the emergency sign, and suddenly, I just can't bear it anymore.

"Lily, I think we should talk."

Her shoulders tense, and she looks at me over her shoulder while she walks. Which has no business looking as seductive as it does.

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