Tokyo Club Restaurant & Bar was once again busy and jam-packed with customers for a Saturday. Tonight, I estimated about eighty diners already on the premises, enjoying themselves, eating and drinking with family, friends, and loved ones. I was rather glad that neither Jess Taylor nor I were rostered on at the bar area, because that place could get rather rowdy with all the drunk patrons abound. Not to mention some outrageously flirty ones who couldn’t seem to keep their hands to themselves. They particularly liked to feel up staff members’ backsides, especially Jess’, and oddly enough, mine.
Honestly, every time that happened, especially to Jess, it pissed me off because that type of thing was just not on. I had to admit I was very protective of Jess since she was my best friend, and a very beautiful one at that, especially when she was wearing that waitress uniform of a white blouse and black pencil skirt, which perfectly fit her slender figure, showing off her stunning body.
Both Jess and I had started work at three this afternoon, preparing for the opening at five, and ever since, we had been rushed off our feet. Now it was prime time and both of us knew it would only get worse as the hours wore on.
It was about eight when Jess came and collapsed on the vacated chair behind me at the main counter in front of the kitchen. We both were waiting for our next batch of cooked Japanese food to be ready.
I turned around to face her and folded my arms across my chest as I leaned back against the countertop. I chuckled as I said, “You look like you’re about to collapse. What’s wrong?”
Jess sighed exhaustedly and said, “I think I’m dying, Haru. I swear I’m going to die. I mean it. There is not one hot gay couple in the restaurant. What is wrong with tonight? I need at least one hot gay couple to revive my strength. I swear if there are none by the time we finish at twelve tonight, when I get home, I’m going to binge-read some Yaoi manga until morning.”
Jess was a hardcore fujoshi and was obsessed with anything to do with Yaoi or LGBT, be it manga, light novels, anime, or movies. It always amazed me because she looked nothing like the fujoshi type. Jess was a blond-haired, blue-eyed beauty. The type that every guy wanted to date. Except Jess wasn’t in the least bit interested in guys in the dating arena. No, she was more interested in seeing guys dating each other. She’d rather be the observer enjoying the blossoming of romance from a good distance without her involvement. That was why she kept nagging at me to confess my feelings to Aiden, because according to her, Aiden and I would make a perfect couple.
Yes, I had told Jess about my feelings for Aiden a few years back. Being my best friend, she had supported me and patiently listened to my whining about my unrequited love story, at times offering her fujoshi guidance on how to best approach this overly complicated relationship I had with Aiden. Listening to her helped keep me grounded because reality was harsh, especially for people like me. Then there were times when she’d teased me to fess up to Aiden and get to the sexy bedroom scene already.
Referring to her binge-reading Yaoi manga, which she notoriously did regularly, I said, “Then you’re just going to complain about having headaches again the next day.”
“I’ll be fine,” she replied, brushing my concern aside. “I can totally handle—” She gasped, and her eyes widened. “Holy shit!” she swore, which caused me to jolt in surprise.
“What?” I asked. Was there a fight at the bar? I quickly glanced in that direction but noted that all was well. Turning back to her, I said, “No fights.”
Jess looked at me for a moment, as if she was conflicted. I frowned at her, wondering what was wrong.
She sighed and said as she nodded toward the entrance, “Aiden is here.”
The moment she mentioned Aiden’s name, my heart skipped a beat. Fuck! Worse than a fight at the bar.
Reluctantly, I turned my gaze toward the entrance of the restaurant. Sure enough, Aiden was there, along with a woman who seemed to be clinging to him. My stomach flipped in dread, and I felt a little sick.
“And he’s with a chick,” Jess said with a sour expression on her face. “What the hell? One of the hottest guys on the planet came into this restaurant with that woman? Really? Oh, man, I’m pissed now! And why the hell is she clinging to him? That woman needs to understand what personal space means.”
My throat felt tight as I watched the pair heading toward a table near the window—my section of the restaurant.
“Shit!” I swore under my breath, feeling like my heart was about to pop out of my chest any moment now. What the fuck, heart? Would you just calm down already?
Jess must have understood my feelings and patted me on the shoulder. “No worries, darling. I’ll take it from here,” she said, giving me her lovely grin.
With a turmoil of emotions erupting inside me, I managed to return her grin. “Thanks, Jess. You’re the best.”
She nodded. “That’s what a best friend is for,” she said. With that, she headed away.
I watched as Jess elegantly glided toward Aiden’s table. When she came to a stop in front of them, Aiden and the woman turned their attention to her. I noted Aiden smiling as Jess greeted them in her usual cheerful way. I didn’t miss the woman staring at Jess though. I knew she didn’t like Jess on sight, especially since Jess was so friendly to Aiden. Well, to be fair, Jess would put any woman on the defensive because of her stunning looks.
When a few minutes later she returned with the order, she sighed loudly and made a show of shivering in distaste. “I swear, Haru, that woman hates me. Did you see her glaring at me?”
I did and nodded.
“Do you know her?” she asked.
I shrugged my shoulders. “Probably one of his clients,” I said, trying not to show too much emotion.
Fuck! I was an adult now. I needed to control these stupid emotions, this envy and jealousy, just because Aiden was hanging out with a woman. A beautiful and rich one, by the look of her expensive clothes. She seemed high-maintenance.
Jess pulled a face. “Do clients go out on a dinner date with their real estate agent? And do they also emit that sort of vibe?”
“Vibe?” I asked.
“You know, the he’s mine vibe.”
“Is that what you get from her?” I asked, suddenly amused. “Maybe it’s because you’re too hot for her taste and she’s seeing you as her potential competitor.”
Jess frowned at me. “Competitor, my ass,” she said as she reached her hands out and pinched my cheeks. “I’m no one’s competitor, you hear? And when the hell are you going to fess up to your beloved, like I constantly tell you to? I freakin’ want to see some lovey-dovey scenes between you and Aiden already. It’s been two freakin’ years, and the suspense is killing me. Now here is competition showing up in the form of that sexy devil and you’re making fun of me. How dare you, Haru?”
“Ouch! Ouch!” I groaned loudly as I chuckled at the same time. “Please stop, it hurts.” I laughed.
“Oy, Jess, what has Haru done now?” Terrence Ito, the head chef, asked from the kitchen, chuckling. “You’re pinching his cheeks again.”
Jess finally released me from her unmerciful hands, thank God. And damn, I could feel the gaze of the customers on us. Moreover, I could feel Aiden’s gaze on me. Shit! I could see him watching me via my peripheral vision.
Jess said in defense, “He was making fun of me.”
Nursing my sore cheeks, I said, “I was not.”
“Yes, you were,” she retorted.
“I was not,” I retorted back.
Jess was about to pinch my cheeks again when Terence interrupted. “Oy. Oy. We still have customers to serve. Leave your little lovers’ quarrel for when you’re on break.”
Jess frowned. “It wasn’t—”
Warren, another chef, appeared and said, “Table twenty is ready.”
To Terrence I said, “Sorry.” Then I rushed over to get the newly cooked food where I said to Warren, “Thanks.”
Beside me, Jess expertly took up four plates, two on each hand. I did the same, and a moment later, we headed out to serve the customers.
It was quarter to ten and I was busy clearing a table when Aiden suddenly appeared in front of me out of the blue, which nearly sent me, and the plates, crashing to the floor. He caught me in time, my face landing against his chest and his arms wrapping around me, which didn’t help because having him in the restaurant was hard enough for me to concentrate on my work.
Once I regained my composure, I swiftly moved out of his arms, my face hot with the familiar emotions. Then something nagged at me. Perfume? I suddenly felt a little sick again.
“Why did you just appear like that?” I asked. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”
He chuckled, his eyes on me, which made me self-conscious. He said, “I was trying to get your attention, but you were too busy.”
“Yeah, it’s a Saturday, so it’s busy,” I said. “I’ve been pretty much on my feet since five.”
“When’s your break?” he asked.
“It was supposed to be at nine, but it got too busy. I’ll probably be taking it soon.”
“Good. Come and sit with me when you’re on your break,” he said, turning on his heel.
“Huh?” I frowned. “But what about your client friend?”
“You mean Camille?” he said. “She’s fine with it. She wants to meet you.”
I wanted to tell him that no, it wasn’t all right and I personally didn’t want to meet with this Camille. But he was already heading away, and I had to get these dirty dishes into the kitchen.
After clearing the dishes and cleaning the tables, I got myself a bottle of soft drink, which was free for the staff, and found myself obediently heading toward Aiden’s table.
Damn! I wondered why I was doing this. I should just ignore him and take my break in the staff room like I usually did.
Before I could change direction, however, I found myself already at the table, staring at Aiden.
HaruAiden moved over along the booth, allowing me space to sit next to him, which was also in front of Camille, who said. “You’re Aiden’s brother?”I wasn’t the least bit surprised by her astonished tone. Aiden was all American and very Caucasian, with blond hair and hazel-green eyes while I was half-Japanese with dark hair and eyes. Of course, most, like her, would be astounded if we mentioned that we were brothers.“I’m Haru, his stepbrother,” I said, twisting the lid of the soft drink bottle open. Then I drank to my heart’s content, so thirsty I was.Camille said, “Stepbrothers, I see.” She chuckled prettily. “So you’re the youngest, right?”I nodded, suddenly very aware of the strong perfume smell lingering in the air around us, which I now knew belonged to Camille.“Mm-hmm,” I responded, trying not to show how much I disliked the intense scent.“High school freshman?”I felt my face heat up immediately while Aiden beside me was chuckling away with amusement. I turned to glare at
HaruAfter dropping Jess off in front of her apartment, which she rented with some other university students, Aiden and I headed toward home. The journey was silent, and God, it felt strangely uncomfortable with just the two of us in the car. While Jess was around, it had been lively, with her chatting nonstop about her awesome life as a university student, along with me. But once she was gone, the atmosphere became tense, and damn, I so badly wanted to break the ice. I also wanted to know what Aiden had said to Camille after I left them back at the restaurant, because when I returned to clear away the dishes, she was gone. Then again, I didn’t want to ask, because the thought of Camille pissed me off.“So,” Aiden began suddenly, breaking the silence and drawing my attention to him. “You said you’re in love? That’s the first time I’ve heard of it.”My heart skipped a beat, and I turned away, avoiding his sidelong glance. I felt my face heat up in the dimness of the car.I said, “It’s
AidenAiden watched Haru go, his eyes on the boy’s slender back. He didn’t miss the fact that Haru had finally built some muscles either, since he had last seen the boy naked, which was six months ago.Had it really been six months ago that he had seen Haru nude? Ah, yes, that’s right. It had been when he had happened to walk in on the boy after a bath. And there was Haru, completely naked.Now that he thought about it, Haru did indeed look like a Shrine Maiden, especially with his dark hair wet and clinging to his face and his pale skin glistening pink from the hot bath. Of course, the alluring image had triggered some alarming sexual desire on Aiden’s part, which had caused him countless nights of sleeplessness and numerous wet dreams.Yes, Haru’s body looked more toned now, firmer, like he had finally grown into a fine young man. He wasn’t so boyish like he used to be. Well, he was eighteen now, so of course his body would mature into an adult, which both pleased and scared Aiden s
HaruAfter shutting the door to my closet-sized bedroom, I zombie-walked to the bed and collapsed facedown on the mattress. A moment later, I shifted around so that I lay on my back as I stared up at the ceiling, the light illuminating the room in a soft glow.I should dry my body and hair properly and then put on my pajamas, I thought tiredly. But then, the bed was so soft under me and I didn’t want to get up. Plus, it felt quite nice without clothes on, especially in this heat.I spread my arms out, relaxed, and was about to doze off when Aiden’s face appeared in my mind’s eye. Then I remembered the hug he had given me back in the car, and the way he had caressed my cheek. I remembered his warmth, the hardness of his body, and his smell that was so unique to him. The scent that I loved.“Aiden.” I groaned his name softly under my breath. “Aiden.”I flicked my eyes open, feeling restless.What the hell was wrong with me? My body felt hot, and my heart was racing.I sat up, and it was
AidenShutting his bedroom door behind him, Aiden leaned his back against the frame. His body felt hot, heavy, and weak. He took a few deep breaths to calm the turmoil of emotions erupting inside him.“Fuck!” he swore softly under his breath. He had just jerked Haru off. He felt his heart race, and his head was filled with this new sense of thrill, of love, and he felt like he was on cloud nine.He took another deep breath, and it was only then that reality returned to taunt him that what he had done moments ago was disgustingly wrong.“Shit!” he swore. “What the hell have I done?”Had he just taken advantage of Haru when the boy was vulnerable? he wondered. God, was he that desperate? Fuck, he was a despicable adult.With weak knees, he walked over to the king-sized bed and tiredly collapsed on it. Lying there restlessly while staring up at the ceiling, he wondered how on earth he was supposed to face Haru the next day. Should he act as if nothing had happened?Yes, he should do that
Haru“Aiden jerked me off last night.” I couldn’t help myself and whispered the words under my breath. His large, warm hand had touched me, intimately, rubbing me and…My heart skipped, and my face heated up.“Shit!”What am I supposed to do now? How am I supposed to face him?I sat up straight, my mind in a daze as I shifted my gaze to the place where my crotch was beneath the duvet. Again, the image of Aiden—so close to me, hugging me, and with his hand wrapped firmly around my penis—came into my mind’s eye, and I felt breathless.Fuck! If I let my mind wander off any longer, I knew I’d be in deep shit.I snapped myself out of the stupor and flipped the duvet off me. Then I got out of bed and headed for the door.I needed a cold drink to clear my head, I decided. Then I’d shower and get myself ready for the day. I’d pretend whatever had happened last night between Aiden and me had never happened.With that plan in mind, I opened the door. I was just about to head over to the kitchen
HaruI did my best to find a suitable opportunity to talk to Aiden, but it was just impossible. He was too busy preparing food for the party with Reo and Noah, and by five that afternoon, almost everyone turned up, filling the house with loud noise.Mason and Isaac brought along their friends—Lucas, Carter, Matt, Ryan, and Jason—when they returned from whatever they had been out doing. After that, Evan and David, Reo’s friends, as well as Connor, Noah’s best buddy, turned up. And soon, Jess appeared at the door as well, along with a bag of party food, even though we already had heaps.“Hello, Haru,” she said, wrapping her arms around me as she came into the apartment.Eyeing the reusable bag in one of her hands, I said, “You didn’t have to bring food. We have plenty. Just been shopping this morning.”“Well, I didn’t want to come empty-handed,” she said, chuckling.When we entered the kitchen-dining room, almost every pair of eyes came our way. Well, more specifically, they came to res
AidenPeter and Tina had just arrived, and Aiden was pouring them some wine when Noah returned to the dining room. Trailing behind the brother were Haru and Isaac, along with their friends. As the parties made their way toward the small sitting area, passing the kitchen, Aiden watched Haru, and Tina didn’t miss the intense gaze he had on the boy.When Aiden saw Tina making her way toward Haru, he was instantly suspicious. He didn’t have any doubt she was going to probe Haru for some juicy details about the boy’s love life, again. He wanted to go after her but found he couldn’t, as Peter was talking to him about Camille, who had now apparently commissioned Peter to find her an apartment.“What the hell did you do? She was complaining about you. It’s unlike you to treat a client like that,” Peter said.Aiden frowned. He asked, “What did she say?”“That you didn’t show up on time and when you did, you were cold and not very professional.”Aiden sighed. He wondered if the woman had tried