Miho – Page 2 – Miho & Jazz

MJS Out of office drama: Jazz x Kunihiko Black and white pictures

Miho’s and Goto’s wedding was finally over and Jazz could breathe easier again. It had been a very touching ceremony, a wonderful party. It had made Jazz want to have a ceremony, too, but she hadn’t told Kuni about that yet. There was so much else that they had to take care of first.

Jazz had had the operation the day after the bachelorette party and so far there were no complications. She had a scar on her belly but it was tiny, only slightly rosy now and smooth. The first few days it had been dark red, ragged and uneven. The first time she had changed the bandage she had cried, not because of the scar itself but because of what this meant for her, for Kunihiko and her. For them.

Jazz shoved those thoughts aside and smoothed down her shirt to cover the scar. Today she had another follow up appointment at the clinic and afterwards some more work. With Miho and Goto in their honeymoon Jazz was the only senior partner at the agency left and she was dead set on keeping the business running smoothly. Kunihiko had told her to take it easy for now but she needed something to take her mind off the whole ‘I just lost an ovary’ disaster.

“Should I take you to the clinic?” His arms enveloped her from behind and Jazz snuggled against his chest with a tiny sigh.

“No, I’m fine. I can take a cab or the train. No need for you to be late for work.” She turned in his arms and hugged him tightly. Despite the brave face she was making she couldn’t hide how on edge she was every time she had to get another check up.

Kunihiko’s hand wandered over to her belly, gently rested there, his warmth seeping into her skin.

“I’d rather be there for you in a time like this. Being late isn’t a problem at all today.”

“I know. But believe me, it’s fine. It’s only a routine checkup. Last time they already told me that everything was looking really good. Don’t worry about me, I call you if anything is off.” She cupped his face and smiled. “You’re giving me so much strength, Kuni. Even if you’re not with me. That’s why I can be so at ease.”

Their kiss was soft and only lasted for a second, but it conveyed so much love, so much warmth.

“Okay, if you’re insisting. I’m off to work now. I love you.” Reluctantly he parted from her, his hand rested on her hip although he had already taken a step back.

“I love you, too. And now off with you, before Osanai calls and gives you a lecture again.” With a last kiss she practically pushed him out of the door, laughed when he peeked in again to sneak another kiss.

Once back in the office Jazz was diligently working, creating proposals and profiles, answering calls and emails. In her lunch break she sent Kunihiko a quick text, telling him the checkup had been well. Her doctor had told her they could start trying for a baby if they wanted to, but also reminded her not be impatient and not to get frustrated if it didn’t work right away. With only one ovary it was still possible to get pregnant, but not that likely. Still, the doctor advised they should simply try for now and take measures if it didn’t work after a year.

“It is important that you don’t stress yourself. That wouldn’t help at all. Relax and just let nature take its course. You are still young and healthy enough for it to just happen.”

Jazz had nodded and thanked her doctor, but couldn’t help the nagging unease. Work was meant to distract her and so far it was serving this purpose well.

They needed a solution to their latest loss of test drivers. Ever since Rose got serious with her puppy boyfriend and H was – somehow distracted, MJS was at the same point where it had been almost a year ago, when Miho and Jazz decided to get an intern. Maybe they had to change their approach and cancel the test driving all together.

The ringing of her phone dragged her from her thoughts, the florists had questions about an arrangement for a wedding.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey, Kuni?” Jazz handed him the veggies to cut for their dinner and he pecked her cheek as a thank you, humming to prompt her to go on with her question.

“I was thinking… how about we find someone for the bar? You know, lately you don’t have much time to actually stand behind the counter anyway, but I like the atmosphere of the bar. I like that your friends, and now also my friends, can gather there.”

His hands stopped cutting the carrots briefly before he went back to preparing their dinner.

“Actually it’s a good idea. I have thought about that already. I’d rather spend my time with you than cleaning the bar anyway.”

Jazz grinned. “Well, we have combined that already. Although we didn’t really ended up getting much cleaning done…”

Ever since Jazz had gotten the diagnosis she had shied away from intimacy, not comfortable in her own body anymore. Sure, she had offered him relief in different ways and he hadn’t pushed her into anything she didn’t want to do, but by conjuring these memories now she signaled that she was ready to at least think into that direction again. A smile appeared on his face.

“I remember… that was a very pleasant night in the bar. But I guess you were driving at something else.”

Jazz giggled but nodded. “I was thinking, how about we ask H if she wants to manage the bar? She might need a new job soon, as things are at the agency right now.”

“You don’t want to close the agency, do you?” The concern in his face was surprising her, Jazz had assumed that he wasn’t a big fan of MJS.

“No, just changing some things. I’m not sure if we should continue with the date scenarios, after all it caused so many problems in the past and it’s difficult to find suitable girls to take care of it.” She shrugged. “I still have to talk with Miho about it, but I guess we’re going to get respectable and all.”

With a mocked shudder she turned to him. “I guess Miho just got the shivers, too, and has no clue why.”

Kunihiko laughed, pleased that Jazz was joking again. For some days she had been withdrawn and gloomy, although she had tried to hide it behind a smile that never reached her eyes. She knew that she had been worrying him but she really felt so much better now and was grateful for his support.

“But the wedding planning will stay unchanged?” he asked further, grabbing some bell peppers, and Jazz nodded.

“No need to change anything if it’s working just fine, right?”

He hummed in agreement but Jazz frowned lightly.

“Say, is something the matter? You seem a bit distracted.”

“What makes you think that?” he asked back, looking like being caught.

“You’re washing those bell peppers for the third time now.”

He immediately turned the water off and grinned sheepishly. “You are a sharp one, I should have know that I can’t fool you for long.”

“Right-o. And now, Mister, spill it.” She took the peppers and started slicing them.

“Not sure if I really want to tell you when you’re handling a sharp knife,” he joked but Jazz only glared at him. “Okay, okay. I’m telling you already. So, I got a call today. My grandmother wants to meet me tomorrow for lunch.”

Her hands stopped. His grandmother – well, that was unexpected.

“But it’s a good sign, isn’t it? Does that mean she starts to accept our marriage?” There it was again, the faked smile.

“I really hope so. At least it didn’t sound as if she wanted to disinherit and cast me out of the family anymore.” He carefully took the knife out of her hand. “You okay?”

“Sure, yeah. I mean, it’s not my grandma. Actually my family is pretty happy for us. They were surprised and confused at first, but now they are happy.”

She chuckled briefly, remembering the awkward Skype-date she had set up with her parents and grandparents to introduce Kunihiko to them. Being caught as the interpreter in the middle she had done her best to convey the reaction of her family properly but she couldn’t deny that they had all been bewildered that the Japanese man she was married to was another Japanese man than the original one all of sudden. They had just learned about Jazz being divorced after all.

“We will have to visit them soon,” Kunihiko pointed out.

“I would love that. Whenever you have a few days off.” She kissed him, snatched the knife back and returned to cutting vegetables. “But for now, get back to cooking, I’m starving.”

Jazz had decided not to worry so much about people accepting their love anymore. There were more severe things to worry about in the world, they couldn’t get the blessing of everyone after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After her second cup of coffee in the lobby of a fancy hotel Jazz grew impatient. Her client she was supposed to meet here was late without a notice and if she wouldn’t arrive in the next ten minutes, Jazz would leave her a note and go back to the office.

No call or text, no apology or explanation. Jazz had checked the mail with the time and place several times already and she was definitely in the right hotel, it was the correct day and she had already waited for half an hour. Not exactly a tolerating person when it came to tardiness in the first place her mood was close to hitting rock bottom when she looked up and saw something that made her blink several times, just to make sure it wasn’t an hallucination.

There was her husband, a pretty young woman hanging on his arm. Definitely not his grandmother. She was smiling at him but he seemed tense, glancing around uncomfortably. Jazz stomach sank and her heart started to race. This was bad. Why was Kunihiko with another woman in a hotel?

She quickly scribbled something down on a piece of paper and hurried to the front desk when other two were out of sight, asking the receptionist to hand the note to her client if she would ever show up. Jazz had to get out of there, needed fresh air and some answers.

It took all her willpower not to simply storm after them, or wait for Kunihiko in his office. There had to be a good explanation and she refused to jump to conclusions without giving him a chance to tell her about it.

That night Kuni came back home late. Very late. It was almost midnight, the dinner Jazz had thrown together absentmindedly earlier was long cold but she didn’t feel like eating anyway. She felt like drinking but she had stopped ever since she had learned about her medical condition, besides drinking alone had never been very appealing to her.

So she was sitting on the couch, trying to read but after she had stared at the same sentence for more than ten minutes now she admitted defeat and put the book away. Her heart leapt a bit when she heard the door. Kunihiko was back. He tried to sneak in as silently as possible, stared at her in bewilderment when he came into the living room to find her sitting there, no TV or music running, just staring at him.

“If that isn’t my lovely wife,” he cheerfully greeted her, but it couldn’t hide his tired expression. “You are still up.”

“I was waiting for you.” With pride she noticed how calm she sounded, not the nagging wife men seemed to hate.

“You shouldn’t have. I wanted to call and tell you I will be late today, but things were really crazy in the office.” He came over and leaned down to kiss her, frowning lightly when she turned her face away, only accepting a kiss on the cheek.

“Only in the office?” It was hard to keep the unease at bay, to not start screaming or crying just to get rid of this pressure inside of her.

“Actually, no. I told you about the lunch with my grandmother, right?” He sat down next to her and sighed, loosened his tie a bit and pulled the hairtie from his hair.

“Uh-huh…” Now was the time of truth and honestly, Jazz wasn’t sure if she really wanted to listen to what he would tell her next.

“I guess it’s safe to assume that she hasn’t accepted out marriage yet. She has set me up on a lunch date with the granddaughter of one of her friends. I know her since she was a child and it was so awkward. I’m a married man, I felt stupid sitting there with a girl that had barely finished college.” He dropped his head on the backrest and closed his eyes, missed the relieved smile on Jazz’s face.

“A childhood friend?”

“Not really. I mean, we met on some occasions, but I’m ten, maybe twelve years older than her. I don’t really remember. Anyway, she used to be a quiet child, but now she’s rather forceful. I have no idea what Grandmother has told her, but she seemed to assume that we will get married soon.” He sounded so tired and Jazz’s heart clenched when he turned to face her.

“Sorry, but I guess my family isn’t as happy about us as yours.”

She ran a hand through his hair, smoothed down the waves a bit and smiled. “No, I am sorry. It must be hard to go against your family like that. And sorry that you had to go on a date with some pretty 20something year old.”

“She isn’t even that pretty,” he waved her off but Jazz shook her head.

“No, she’s plenty pretty. It’s okay, I know that there are beautiful women out there. Doesn’t mean that I get insecure.”

A crease appeared over the bridge of his nose when he furrowed his brow.

“How do you know what she looks like?”

A dry chuckle accompanied her answer. “Well, I think you’re not the only one who got set up today. I was there, in the lobby. I saw you, arm in arm with a pretty girl.”

Kunihiko groaned. “Oh god… Jazz, I swear, there was nothing going on! She said she had sprained her ankle and begged me to steady her while walking. I figured it would get me out if there quicker if I just – you know, just let her lean on me a bit.”

“It’s okay, really. I trust you.” Relief made her giddy a bit, but there was enough of sass and sarcasm left in her to add: “Besides, you know I would probably kill you of you ever cheated on me. Or even better, I would sic Miho on you.”

His eyes widened. “I would never cheat on you. I love you, Jazz, you and no one else. And I will remind my grandmother that you and I are married after all, not just dating casually. There is no one who could take your place, not here in my home, nor in my bed and especially not in my heart.”

“I feel bad that you are having trouble with your family because of me,” she admitted, still smiling softly.

“It’s not your fault. Besides, you are my family. That’s all I need.”

That night they went to bed and only kissed good night again, but Jazz felt closer to him than in weeks.

“She did what?” H blinked in disbelief and Jazz shrugged.

“Set him up on a date. And it wasn’t only that, obviously they had planned it so that I had to catch him red-handed with that other girl.” She straightened some papers and handed them over to H.

“Wow, that’s really low.”

“You know what bothers me the most? Obviously his grandmother expected that I would – I don’t know, either quietly leave, broken hearted, or make a scene, cause a fight. She has probably thought I wouldn’t believe him if he tells me it was only a misunderstanding and that I would demand a divorce, convinced that he’s cheating on me.” She shook he head slightly. “But did she not expect us to actually talk? I mean, didn’t she think we would sit down and he would tell me about his strange day and I about mine? That weak plot she made up is so easily rumbled, all it takes is five minutes of honest conversation. She must think I’m stupid.”

And was what made Jazz angry. If his grandmother would have taken five minutes of her time to actually talk to Jazz she would have realized that Jazz was a smart woman. Yes, she had been easily fooled when it came to mattes of the heart before, but she had also learned a lesson each and every time.

“But is everything okay between you and Kuni again?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, of course. I know he loves me and he knows that I’m crazy about him. We are fine.” Jazz smiled at a visibly relieved H. “By the way, Kuni and I have been talking and – well, the bar is getting a bit too much work on top of our jobs and maintaining a happy marriage and all. And if we really end up having a child some day… long story short, could you imagine working in the bar? Part time at first, but if you like it and it works fine…” She let her sentence taper off, gauging H’s reaction.

“Me? Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I mean, when you’re not on date simulations you still have plenty of time, don’t you? And you could earn some more money.”

H beamed. “Sure! I mean, I’ve never worked in a bar but I have experience in the service industry. So yeah, I’d love to give it a try!”

With a satisfied nod Jazz leaned back in her chair. Another thing taken care of.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was strange. Never before in her life she had troubles initiating intimacy or sex, but as long as she didn’t have sex she couldn’t get pregnant on purpose. Not getting pregnant because her body wasn’t able to, was a completely different thing. So although the doctor had said it was fine, she was full of doubts. It was somehow easier to defend their marriage against dangers from the outside than to deal with her own fears and insecurities.

“I will be back in three days and then we take some time for us. Maybe spend the weekend somewhere else. How about an onsen?” Kunihiko just packed his last things into the suitcase, took the tie she handed him and put it to the rest of his clothes.

“I will miss you,” she said, a slight pout on her lips.

She had missed him for a while now, even when he was right there with her. The distance she had created between them was there on her own free will and he had accepted it, considered it a part of her recovery. And somehow she had already forgotten how it was to be close to him, physically close. Their love was strong like always, but the physical connection they shared in the beginning had been lost and that she regretted deeply.

“I will miss you more,” he replied and kissed her, softly at first but when he tried to deepen the kiss she pulled away. She had forgotten how to accept what she was craving for, too scared for the consequences if she stepped out of the safe zone she had created around herself.

“Don’t forget to pack your scarf. It’s going to be cold up there,” she reminded him and stepped back, right back into her safe zone. His smile wavered a bit but he nodded.

“Sure. Sapporo can be cold after all.”

Jazz felt bad for turning him down like that, but she couldn’t help it, torn between longing for him and hiding herself away. Grateful for the way he simply accepted her moods she embraced him again, this time without kissing.

When he closed the door behind him, leaving for a business trip, Jazz wondered why she just couldn’t let herself fall into the embrace of her husband anymore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She woke up in the middle of the night, the darkness in the bedroom so absolute that it made no difference if she opened her eyes or not. Lazily she turned around once, smiled when she realized she wasn’t alone in bed anymore. After two nights without him Jazz was glad that Kunihiko was back in their shared bed.

Still, it almost made her jump when she suddenly felt his hand on her cheek but she relaxed and inched closer, an awkward kiss in the dark, without being able to see each other, but they still managed to meet each other’s lips.

And just like that the distance she had so elaborately crafted vanished, took all her doubts with it, left her only with her love and desire for her husband. Kunihiko sleepily grunted when she pressed her body closer to his, wrapped his arms around her and rolled them around until he was on top of her.

Jazz got lost in their kiss, in his touch, eagerly wrapped her legs around him, felt his length hardening against her. When his hands slid under her comfortable and definitely not sexy pajama top she encouraged him by arching her back, pressing her body even closer. As soon as the top was out of the way she reveled in the feeling of his naked skin on hers, grateful for the fact that he was sleeping only in pajama pants. Which had to get off next. Still kissing him Jazz shoved her hands into his pajama pants, pushed them down over his ass, giving him a light squeeze. He chuckled briefly before his lips descended her neck, towards her chest, further down her stomach. She flinched when he kissed her scar but relaxed again when he started tugging off her pajama bottom and panties, waited for him to fully take off his pajama.

But she didn’t want him to linger down there, impatiently tugged at his hair until he came back up, kissed her again. It was strange, the darkness around them seemed to make this even more intimate, more meaningful.

A gasp escaped her lips when he pushed into her, made him still hesitantly until she grabbed his hip and pulled him closer. It had been some time since they had actual sex but suddenly she couldn’t remember why she had been so shy, so insecure. This was what she wanted after all, being close to him, as close as possible, until their hearts beat in the same rhythm again.

It wasn’t the ecstatic fireworks, but it didn’t lack passion and especially not love. Under the comfortable blanket of the darkness they found each other again, closed any distance that was between them, moved together to new highs.

Afterwards Jazz fell asleep again in his arms, snuggled close to him, and only opened her eyes again after the light of the morning drove the darkness away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They never talked about that night and Jazz half expected it to have been just a dream, but she could tell something had changed. They were back on track, the touches and kisses less careful, more casual again. And after a while they had sex just like they used to, whenever and wherever they felt like it. She didn’t even think about her condition, her body or the scar that much anymore. The lightness came back and made it easier to breathe, to laugh, to love.

The next few weeks were uneventful in a good way. Both Jazz and Kuni had a lot of work but at home they were closer than ever. While Jazz was planning their wedding ceremony Kunihiko did his best to come home before midnight every day and they spend each evening some time together, talking about their day and the plans for the near future. It was perfect.

It was perfect until Jazz got an unexpected visitor one day. She was sitting in her office, working on some proposals, when her door opened and a woman sauntered in, followed by Izumi who seemed out of breath – probably from chasing after the visitor.

Jazz needed a moment to remember when and where she had seen that face before. Oh yes, snuggled close to her husband in that hotel lobby.

“Sorry Mrs. Aikawa, she just ignored me,” Izumi apologized but Jazz waved him off, noticing the way the eyes of the other woman narrowed at how Izumi addressed her.

“It’s okay, Izumi. Please hold my calls for now.”

The other woman smiled sweetly at the receptionist before she took a seat in front of Jazz’s desk without asking.

“Coffee, please. Black.” With that she waved Izumi off who glanced at Jazz who shook her head. No coffee for that behavior. Jazz waited until Izumi closed the door behind him before she went back to work, ignoring the woman in front of her.

“Hey! I came here to talk to you!”

“One moment, please.” Without glancing up Jazz raised a finger and continued scribbling notes on a piece of paper, circled a word and put the pen down.

“What can I do for you?” She smiled politely but her heart raced. Putting up this act was also meant to give her control over this situation, but it only partly worked.

“You can listen to me!” The other woman pouted, very impressively so. She was really pretty, in her early 20s.

“Well, you are the one barging in here without an appointment, at least let me finish what I was working on first before you demand my attention.” Jazz took her glass of water and sipped, seemingly calm.

“So you really are a money grubbing bitch,” the woman said, obviously pleased with her observation.

“No, I’m someone who has to run a business and my time is precious. So get to the point or get out.” She wouldn’t back down, not in her own office.

“You know who I am?” That was straight to the point and Jazz shrugged.

“Barely. I don’t know your name or what you’re doing, just that you are loosely acquainted with my husband.” She relished in the way the other woman reacted to that word. Husband.

“My name is Yui. Aikawa.” A triumphant smile appeared on her rivals face – was she even a rival? Jazz wasn’t sure yet but she didn’t like the way Yui said her last name.

“I would say ‘pleased to meet you’ but we both know that would be a lie. So, Yui, why are you here today.” Not raising to the bait Jazz made a mental note to ask about that last name later. Someone else preferably.

“I thought I’d do both of us a favor and end this charade already. Kunihiko is mine and you should know it.” She raised her chin lightly, silently challenging Jazz.

“Funny, last time I checked I was married to him. So, care to tell me how exactly he’s yours?”

The smile on Yui’s face only widened. “I’m the reason he’s ‘working late’. He will leave you for me soon and then I will be his wife.”

Jazz’s first instinct was to yell. To tell Yui to shut the fuck up and get her ass out of Jazz’s office, but that wouldn’t answer any question. So she sucked a harsh breath and let it out in a chuckle again.

“Dream on, kiddo. As long as your name’s not Aikawa-Mihachi fusion you’re definitely not the reason he’s at work for that long each day. Just because you got the support of his grandmother doesn’t mean you have the man himself, you know?” She leaned back in her chair and kept smiling, but it was strained, the corners of her mouth twitching lightly.

“That’s what he wants you to think. We thought it would be better to have everything hashed out before presenting you with a fait accompli. We are planning our wedding, a real ceremony with our families, not some secret stunt like you pulled it. It should have occurred to you already back then when he didn’t want anyone to know that he might not be serious about you.” There was pity in Yui’s voice and that was something Jazz just couldn’t take.

She clenched her fists, trying to suppress her anger. Her patience was already thin on good days but this now was really putting it to a test.

“Listen, Missie, I have no idea what you’re thinking, but I don’t believe you, okay? And honestly, I get a bit tired of this farce, so would you-“

“I’m pregnant. With Kunihiko’s baby.” Yui reached into her purse and handed Jazz an envelope. “Open it.”

With trembling fingers Jazz pulled an ultrasound image out of the envelope. It was mostly black and white but there was a small human being recognizable. A wave of nausea washed over her.

“For how long?”

“Six weeks already. We are seeing each other for longer of course.”

Six weeks. Jazz quickly counted back in her head. The day she had seen both of them in the hotel? Or at least around that time.

“Get out.” She didn’t look at Yui, simply spat the words out, forced them through the anger that welled up again.

“I just thought I’d give you a fair warning. Maybe you are honorable enough to simply let him go instead of making it hard for him and his new family.” Yui got up and smirked. “Keep the picture. As souvenir. It will be all that you will be having left of him.”

“You say you’re sleeping with MY husband but I am the one lacking honor here?” Jazz grumbled after Yui was gone, struggling to keep her breathing even, willing her emotions aside. This wasn’t the time for a tantrum. It was the time to act.

Quickly she grabbed her phone and called the only one who could help her now.

“Takao? Sorry to disturb you, but I need some advice. Legal advice. Say, what can you tell me about divorces?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There had been a note with Yui’s phone number in the envelope, probably for when Jazz decided to cave in. Now she nervously called that number, still thinking about how to deal with all this. Takao had enlightened her in some points of divorce law and a quick internet research had answered some of her other questions so she was steeled for this encounter, not taken by surprise like the last time.

She knew exactly what she had to do and even if Jazz dreaded confrontations like that – with inevitable tears and screaming – she wouldn’t back down now. A clear cut, that’s what they needed now.

She pumped herself up mentally before she dialed the number.

“Yes?” Yui sounded very pleased so that Jazz gritted her teeth briefly, praying for countenance.

“I think we should talk.”

“Hm, yes, I think so, too. Are you still in your office?” There was a barely hidden triumph in Yui’s voice that riled Jazz up even further.

“No. And I don’t want you to come here again. I’d prefer somewhere else. Maybe a café or something.”

“A public place? For your safety or mine?” It was easy to see through Jazz’s suggestion but she didn’t care.

“How about that lobby? You know, the hotel where everything started?” Yui suggested, not without malice.

“Sure. In about an hour?” Jazz had to take back the reins or she wouldn’t survive that talk.

“I will be there.” With that Yui hung up, leaving Jazz with an unsettling feeling in her guts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Of course Jazz was fashionably five minutes late when she walked into that lobby without hurry. Spotting Yui was easy, the younger woman was beaming with smug self-satisfaction, it was like a neon sign.

After a last deep breath Jazz walked right over, waved the waiter away who appeared immediately.

“No thanks, I won’t stay long.” She dropped her purse on the table and took her coat off.

“So, did you decide what to do?” Yui took a sip from her coffee cup and leaned back in her seat.

“I did. I had to make some calls but now I know what I have to do. The only thing. The right thing.”

Jazz reached into her purse and took out a stack of papers.

“I called Osanai – he said you have visited Kuni in the office a few times…”

“I did. Sorry, I don’t like the whole sneaking around behind the back of the wife thing, but Kunihiko was – not ready yet. To tell you.”

Nodding her head slowly Jazz forced herself to look at Yui. “And now he is?”

The younger woman had the decency to hesitate, avoiding eye contact. “Well, given the circumstances I figured I couldn’t wait any longer.”

“True. Given the circumstances… but you know what really bugs me? That he didn’t have the balls to tell me himself. That he had to send you, you of all people…” Even Jazz thought that her sigh was a bit exaggerated, but she couldn’t stop now.

“You know how he is, far too gentle and kind to do it on his own.” Yui’s eyes flitted over to the papers. “What’s that?”

“Divorce papers. I thought I better come prepared.” Takao had delivered quickly and Jazz was grateful for that.

“So you decided to actually let him go?”

This was it, the moment of truth.

“No. Actually those are my divorce papers from my first marriage. I just brought them so you could see a tiny detail. See those signatures down there? Where both spouses have to sign to legally end the marriage? That’s the point – we both would have to agree on that. And honestly? Neither I nor Kuni will do that.”

She exhaled deeply, now that she had said her piece she felt much better.

“But Kunihiko wants it! He’s going to have a family with me soon! With me, not with you!” Yui was already half out of her chair when Jazz raised a hand and motioned for her to sit down again.

“I won’t accept this until I hear it from Kuni directly. But of course we can ask him – and tell him that he’s going to be a father soon. Or have you told him that already?” With a smile Jazz waved towards the entrance where Kunihiko just arrived.

“I took the liberty to call him. After all this is about him, too.”

Yui paled when Kunihiko reached their table, frowning in confusion at the unexpected sight of those two women together.

“Jazz? What is going on here?”

She greeted him with a kiss before she quickly explained. “Yui here told me she was having an affair with you and that she’s pregnant now so you want to break up with me to be with her.” Jazz shot a sweet smile into Yui’s direction. “Did I sum that up okay?”

Kuni’s frown deepened. “Wait, what? That’s – Jazz, that’s not true! I never – I mean, you know I wouldn’t cheat on you!” He stared at Yui who tried to make herself smaller. “Why are you saying something like that?”

“Yes, Yui, why? I mean, slandering his name, calling him a cheater – that’s really low. Do you have an idea how much that could affect his business? Spreading lies and rumors like that?”

With a satisfied grin Jazz watched Yui squirm. She had always been a fan of honesty and right now she knew she had been right. Why should she rush off and do something stupid without at least listening to what Kunihiko had to say to these allegations? In what world did that work?

“Is that why you kept coming to my office?” By now Kunihiko seemed less confused, more angry. Between Jazz and Kuni Yui could barely get a word in edgewise.

“And what about that bullshit about you being pregnant from me? We never even kissed, let alone had sex! And then you run to my wife, trying to manipulate her? What kind of snake are you?” Now Kuni was in full swing and Jazz had to place a hand on his arm to remind him to stay calm. Other guests were already staring, not that Jazz minded. A public place also meant public humiliation, something Yui apparently hadn’t considered. At least not for herself.

“I just – I tried to – I thought…”

“No! You didn’t think at all, that’s the problem! That faked, set up date was one thing, but this? A full-fledged scheme to make us break up? That’s – god, that’s so incredibly stupid and low!”

“Kuni,” Jazz whispered, “take a deep breath. I know you’re angry-“

“Damn right, I am!” Jazz had never seen him that furious, not even during their worst fights, but she kept talking.

“– but I guess she gets it now.” With her gaze on Yui again Jazz’s tone got sharper. “And I guess she understands that meddling like a toddler in kindergarten won’t bring her closer to her goal. I don’t know how much of this little scheme actually comes from you or if that was someone else’s idea, but you better remember now: We won’t fall for that shit. Because we actually talk to each other. We know each other. And I trust him – unconditionally.”

As if to prove her point Kunihiko grabbed Jazz’s hand and squeezed it lightly. They had their fair share of jumping to conclusions and making mistakes, but in the end they were both willing to make it work, to fight for what they had. Jazz wouldn’t throw that away just because some girl came along with that kind of story.

“Oh, and I don’t know where you got that ultrasound image but you can have it back.”

Kunihiko blinked. “You even got an ultrasound image? Where the hell-?!”

“Internet.” Yui’s voice was only a whisper but Jazz had no sympathy with her. Not after Yui had pulled that stunt. Going along with that date Kunihiko’s grandmother had set up was one thing, but this? Yui had crossed a line that Jazz would never dare to even get close to. A girl needed at least a bit of class and pride after all.

“Next time – pay attention while researching. And now excuse me, my husband and I are leaving. I suggest you never show your face around us anymore. Never.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jazz felt sick. Physically sick. Kunihiko ranted on and on, only interrupted by apologies and affirmations of his love for her.

“It’s okay, love, I’m just – can you take me home? All this was a bit much…”

“Yes, of course. I still can’t believe it… do you think my grandmother is behind all that? Or did Yui come up with that nonsense on her own?” Kunihiko flagged down a cab and helped her into it.

“I have no idea. Maybe you should talk to your grandmother again. God knows I’m not keen on that conversation.” She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.

“I will. Sorry, I never thought something like this could happen. And Yui just showed up out of the blue in your office?”

She nodded with a sigh. “Not even three hours ago. I had to find out some things on my own before I could tell you. Sorry, I should have called you first thing after she left. I just –“ Another sigh and Jazz squirmed in her seat. “I had to ask Takao if there’s a way for anyone to MAKE us get a divorce. He said that was only possible if one of us was declared incompetent so the marriage could get declared invalid after all.”

She grabbed his hand and kissed the palm. “Nothing could make me give you up. Not after all we had to go through to get here.”

“But she even came with an ultrasound image… I mean, every other woman would have gotten suspicious at that point. But you still trusted me?”

She swallowed. Obviously it was another moment of truth. Jazz had planned it differently but now as good as any other time.

“I trust you. You said you would be honest with me and I believe you. Besides… that picture she showed me. She said she was six weeks pregnant but that embryo in the picture was at least 12 weeks, maybe even later. And I figured if she lied to me about that, the rest might be a lie, too.”

She could feel him tensing up, his attention now focused on her.

“How do you know that? About the picture?”

She pressed his hand that she was still holding against her belly, tears pricking in her eyes.

“I know how a fetus with six weeks should look like – because I have an ultrasound image of one…”

He stared at her, speechless, mouth agape.

“Holy – are you – really? You are pregnant?” His eyes were shining and he laughed happily when she nodded, biting her bottom lip to keep her own grin in check.

“You are pregnant! We’re having a baby? I can’t – that’s the best news I ever got!” He cheered so loudly that the driver turned around, congratulated them when he realized what the fuss was about.

“Since when do you know? Why haven’t you told me already?” Kunihiko wasn’t angry, just eager to know everything there was to know.

“I only found out two days ago myself. Actually I haven’t expected it to happen at all so I didn’t realize that all my symptoms lately were – well, symptoms.” Jazz laughed with him, unable to keep her emotions from bubbling over. “The doctor confirmed my suspicion yesterday. I haven’t told anyone yet because – actually I can’t really believe it myself.”

She reached into her purse to show him the blurry black and white ultrasound picture. “That’s our baby.”

Almost reverently he took the picture, eyes shining wet with unshed tears. “Wow…” he whispered. “It’s perfect.”

There was a lot to do now, preparations had to be made and decisions. But in that cab on their way home, nothing else mattered than their little, growing family.

MJS Out of office drama: Jazz x Kunihiko One line, two lines

Jazz stared at the small test in her hand. She had been doing that for quite some time already, unable to bring herself to actually pee on that test stripe, afraid of the truth it would show her. What is she really was pregnant? There were a lot of symptoms hinting at it. She was constantly tired, gained weight, her period hadn’t shown for quite some time. But she was also taking the pill. Maybe she needed another one? She would have to see a doctor, that was for sure, but she’d rather know in advance than having the doctor tell her that she was pregnant.

With a sigh she read the instructions again. Did she have to pee in a cup and take the test like that? Or did she have to pee directly on it? And how should she do that without peeing on her hand? Who invented tests like that?! She knew she was just stalling and she also knew that she was a damned coward, so she took a deep breath, hovered over the toilet and just – let it flow. There. Done.

What followed were the longest 60 seconds of her life. One line meant she wasn’t pregnant, two that she was. And she had no idea what she was actually hoping for. A baby would change her life forever, there was no way back if she was pregnant. But she was sure that she had found the right man to start a family, Kunihiko would be a great father. They were married and she had always wanted children. Eventually. But right now? Well, she was over 30 already, there wasn’t much more time. She didn’t want to be an old mom, she wanted to crawl all over the playground with her kids, wanted to be active and running around with them.

She stared at the test in her hand again. How long could 60 seconds be? Her heart was pounding furiously, the nervous energy making her almost jump up. Instead she took another deep breath and put the test down at the edge of the sink and fixed her clothes. With all those conflicted emotions she didn’t know what to do, what to think. Anxiously she waited for her phone to chime and tell her that 60 seconds had passed.

She grabbed the test. The result was not what she had hoped for – or was it? She couldn’t even tell, she felt lightheaded and unsteady, like crying and laughing at the same time. She definitely needed a doctor’s appointment.

When Kunihiko came home Jazz was already calm again, smiled for her husband and kissed him deeply.

“I missed you,” she sighed at his surprise.

“I missed you, too. And I really like being greeted like this.” He smiled warmly at her, the love in his eyes bringing her to the brink of tears. Again.

Jazz pulled back and turned towards the kitchen. “Are you hungry? I cooked. I wanted to eat some of the food I know from back home, so I hope you feel adventurous.”

He chuckled and followed her into the kitchen were a pot was still simmering on the stove.

“Since I know you I’m much more adventurous anyway,” he said and curiously peeked into the pot. “What is it?”

“Soljanka. A soup, sweet and sour. Mostly a leftover food, you just throw in what’s in the fridge, some pickles, some tomatoes, et voilà – Soljanka. I hope you like it.” She handed him a bowl and a piece of bread before she took some for herself. They were eating in the kitchen, casually and in comfortable silence.

“It’s good,” he said after the first spoonful and Jazz smiled. It was a comfort food for her and she really needed this today. But it was something special that she could share her own comfort with the man she loved, especially since she couldn’t share her worries with him right now. Not before she had seen the doctor.

Jazz was stubborn. Stubborn and persistent. That was why she got an appointment three days later instead of having to wait for weeks. But it was so hard to hide it from Kunihiko. She had promised not to keep secrets from him, had demanded complete honesty and offered the same in return, and now she didn’t even mention this to him.

And Kunihiko acted strange. Maybe he knew that she was hiding something or he simply noticed that she was a bit off lately. He was pretty perceptive when it came to her, she had noticed this already. He seemed to be more at home the last couple of days. Sometimes they only met for breakfast or dinner, every now and then in the bar, but he was at home around 8 every night for some days in the row.

Jazz shifted in her chair in the waiting room and smiled at the thought of her husband. He would be a good father… patient and kind and full of love for his kid. Kids. Who knows? She put the magazine down that she had barely glanced at, too nervous and anxious to read at all. How could one single line on a test make such a difference? How could that test make such a difference? She still wondered what she would have done, thought, felt if it had been another result. Would she have been happy? Shocked? Disappointed? Would she have felt as numb as she did now? Confused and afraid of the future? So many thoughts, so many emotions were swirling around in her head and heart and for now she was glad that she didn’t have to decide anything right away, didn’t have to plan before she got certainty.

“Miss Mann?”

Jazz looked up and gave the doctor’s assistant a tight smile. “Yes.”

“Would please come with me?”

She closed the door. Leaned against it and exhaled. She felt as if she was suffocating, as if her collar was too tight, her chest constricted. Women must have felt like that when corsets where still high fashion. What should she do now?

She let her bag drop to the floor and kicked off her shoes, padded barefoot into the kitchen. A glass of wine… no. No wine for her anymore. For a while.

“Hey love, you’re here already?”

Jazz flinched at the sound of his voice but greeted him with a smile.

“Yeah, one of my clients cancelled for today. I just thought about making us dinner.”

Kunihiko hugged her and looked at her face, frowning slightly.

“What’s wrong? You seem – tired.”

She laughed briefly, not actually amused at all.

“I feel as if I’m constantly tired lately.” She sighed and leaned against him, trying to draw some energy from the contact. It helped at least to calm her down.

“Maybe we need a break. A weekend trip somewhere. No work, no stress. How does that sound?” He gently stroked her back and she inhaled his scent, the familiar, comforting scent she’d grown to love.

“Sounds like heaven,” she admitted. “But I just don’t have the time.”

He brought some space between them, looked at her, searching for something.

“You need a break. Some rest. There has been so much going on lately and all you ever do is working more. And more. That can’t be good for – you. Us. I love you, I just want you to take care of yourself.”

She could tell how serious he was so she didn’t argue any further.

“Okay. A trip, one weekend. But not the next weekend or the one after that. I’m booked solid for the next two weeks.” She smiled apologetically and placed a hand on his cheek. “Thank you. For taking care of me.”

There was so much she wanted to tell him and at the same time she felt so extremely guilty, she just couldn’t.

“Miho’s bachelorette party, huh?” He chuckled slightly and Jazz nodded.

“That, too. But also work. I’m not always partying,” she said with an exaggerated pout.

“I know, I know. Although I love to see you cheerful and relaxed, so I’m fine when you are celebrating whatever you like.” He peered into her face, searching her eyes. “Is there something you’d like to celebrate?”

“Mhm, as soon as Miho and Goto had their wedding I really want to celebrate ours. And our engagement, no matter how short that was.” She smiled genuinely now, for the first time since – well, since taking that test. Maybe even before that.

“Nothing else?” His hand caressed her cheek and she leaned into the touch. This moment felt so fragil, so precious, she didn’t want it to end. Funny how they went from mind blowing sex to being each other’s home. Not that the sex was any less spectacular now, but there was just so much more than that. And still she wasn’t completely honest with him.

“Nothing else. For now.”

He nodded and smiled slightly before he kissed her softly.

“How about we order some food and just cuddle a bit on the couch for now? I miss just being with you.”

Jazz looked at him, amazed how wonderful this man was.

“That’s a great idea, love. I miss you, too. Hey, how about sushi?” She twisted a bit in his embrace to open the drawer with the delivery leaflets.

“Sushi? Uhm… no, I don’t feel like sushi. How about… Italian?”

Jazz stared at him. “You don’t feel like sushi? Sushi handrolls are your absolute favorite food, why don’t you feel like it?”

“I had sushi yesterday.”

“Oh, okay. Italian sounds good, too. Carpaccio, proscutto… yeah, I could go with that.” It’s been some time since she had Italian food.

“Carpaccio – that’s the raw beef slices, right? Uh, how about French? Or Indian?” He almost looked a bit panicked and Jazz got suspicious now.

“Kuni, what is going on? Why can’t we just order already?”

“How about I order us something and surprise you with it?” he tried to distract her. “Any cravings?” He made a face as if he had said something incredibly stupid and now Jazz really was confused.

“No. Well, maybe something spicy. Lately my food is tasting bland, at least I have that impression.” She shrugged and stepped out of his arms.

“Do you want some coffee? Or wine?”

“No, don’t bother. I can take care of that. You go and sit down on the couch.” He grabbed a leaflet of an Indian place and browsed the menu.

“Okay, but I would like some coffee.” It wasn’t that late yet and she could really need something to perk her up.

“Wouldn’t you prefer some tea?”

Jazz shot him a glare. What was wrong with him that he was so picky about what she ate and drank?

“I bring you some coffee, okay,” he relented with a sigh.

Five minutes later Jazz sat on the couch, a cup of coffee in her hand, her feet resting in Kuni’s lap while he absentmindedly rubbed them.

“That feels like heaven,” she sighed and took a sip of her coffee. Kuni really made the best coffee. He was so sweet and thoughtful. But…

“Did you forget the sugar?” She peered into her cup, the bitterness of the coffee a bit too much.

“Oh, I just thought – well, sugar’s not really good for you, is it?”

Jazz pulled her feet back and sat up. “I swear, if you start telling me to watch my weight I WILL demand a divorce.”

“What? No! I love you, I love your body, I don’t care if you gain weight. I can’t wait for you to gain even more! The more the better!” he frantically explained.

Jazz put her cup down. “Kunihiko, you are acting strange. Care to tell my why?”

He frowned, gnawed at his bottom lip. Sighed.

“Okay. Okay, here’s the thing. I – I think I found something very – personal from you…” he began, obviously choosing his words carefully.

“Personal? And now you don’t know how to act naturally around me anymore?” She was amused by the thought he might have rummaged through her underwear drawer or something. Until the thought crossed her mind that he could have found a client report or two.

“I, ugh, it’s just that I don’t understand why you hide something like that,” he admitted, wiping the thought of client reports from her mind. If he seemed – what? Happy? – it couldn’t be that.

“A woman has to keep some secrets,” she said with a shrug.

“Sure, and you should have some small secrets, I don’t mind. But that?”

What did he find? Oh. OH!

“So it’s the – uhm the size of the ‘secret’ that bothers you?” She was blushing, actually blushing, but felt like laughing at least. Typical male.

“Yes. I mean, that’s not only about you after all. It affects me, too. Shouldn’t we – shouldn’t you at least tell me?” Oh. He looked hurt and Jazz immediately felt guilty. Again.

“Kuni, I love you, you know I do. I married you. I want to spend my whole life with you. But I’m also a grown woman, I have the right of some privacy. And privacy involves having sex toys. That doesn’t mean that you can’t satisfy me or that I don’t love our sex. It just means that I’m having some toys in case I need them.”

For a moment it was silent between them.

“What?” He shook his head slightly, as if to shake off his confusion.

“What do you mean, ‘what’? Isn’t this what it’s all about? You found my vibrator?” She had a bad feeling all of sudden.

“No. No, I’m not talking about a – a sex toy. I’m talking about the pregnancy test.” His frown deepened. “And I really think you should talk with me about that.”

Jazz drew a sharp breath. Exhaled again. “Okay. Okay, you are right, that is – well, personal enough. I didn’t mean for you to find it. But it doesn’t matter anyway, does it?” The sadness in her face was getting to him and he hugged her.

“Hey, it’s nothing bad. I mean, sure, we haven’t planned it and I thought you were taking the pill, but I’m happy. Genuinely, incredibly happy. I just thought – I don’t know, I thought you would tell me with a sweet gesture and I was really on edge the last few days. I didn’t know that you were worried about it.” He wiped the first tears away that welled up in her eyes. “Did you think I wouldn’t be happy? That I wouldn’t want a baby with you?”

She shook her head, so tired, so sad. So empty.

“I don’t know what you think you found, but I’m not pregnant. The test was negative.” Her voice was blank.

Kunihiko tensed for a second. “No… two lines, right? Two lines mean positive.”

“Kuni, there was only one line. I’m definitely NOT pregnant.”

“Oh…”

Neither of them said anything for a short while.

“You know, it’s possible that after some time, an hour or so, the second line appears but it’s still a negative test. It’s just – I don’t know, eventually every test has two lines. Important is the result after the time written on the box. And after 60 seconds there was just one line. I’m sorry…” She gave him a brave smile. “I didn’t know that you found it. I didn’t want you to get your hopes up just in case…” She shrugged.

“So, you never were pregnant? Or did you…?” He couldn’t even finish the thought. One second he was convinced they would become a family and the next one everything was just – gone.

“I never was pregnant. I would have told you the second the test was positive…” Jazz sighed, the disappointment in his face breaking her heart. “I’m so sorry.”

“No, no it’s – it’s fine. I jumped to conclusions… well, it was nice thinking you and I would, would become a real family, but – that doesn’t mean we can keep trying, right?” He cupped her face, confused when she started crying again. “What? What’s wrong?”

“Kuni – I… I was…” She sobbed, cried, clung to him. Reality was finally catching up with her and ripped down every little lie she had built up as defense so far, it made her dizzy.

“Jazz? Baby, talk to me. What is it?” He had never seen her like this, not even when Mino had disappeared. Not even when they had the worst of fights. Never.

“I’ve been – I have seen the doctor today. I – I… something isn’t right… they will… they will have to – to remove one of my – my ovaries…” She could hardly breathe, speak, think. All she could was feeling a loss of something she had never had and still taken for granted. She had always thought she would have a family one day. A baby. Maybe two. A husband, a house, but first and foremost children. And now she wasn’t even sure if that was possible. If she could have children.

“I’m so… I’m so sorry…” she muttered over and over. Now that she knew that he was thrilled by the thought of being a father the pain was even sharper, deeper. It wasn’t only about her, it was about them. About him. What if he left her? What if he would want someone who could give him that? What if?

“Shhh… it’s okay, love, it’s okay… as long as you are here I don’t care…” He rocked her in his arms like a crying child, waited until the tension subsided, the tremors running through her had calmed down.

When she could finally breathe again, still sobbing a bit, she wiped her face, not caring for the running makeup, and sat back a bit.

“I will have surgery the day after Miho’s party. I don’t want anyone to know, we had enough drama lately.”

He nodded, understanding what she meant. Especially Miho had been through a lot but the others had suffered, too. That was why everyone was looking forward to the bachelor/bachelorette party, just to let off some steam, take their minds off things.

“You’re not going to tell Miho, then?”

She shrugged. “No, not now at least. Maybe afterwards. You know that she’s not keen on babies anyway, I’m not sure if this is something I want to share with her until it’s done.”

Kunihiko pondered her words silently before he changed the topic slightly.

“Okay, I think I need more information about all that. If that’s okay with you,” he added and looked at her. Crying had helped clearing her mind and although the pain was still there, sitting prominently in the forefront of her mind and heart, she nodded.

“What exactly do you have and what will they do? What does that mean for you in the future?”

Jazz sighed. “I’m not a medic, I can only explain it in my own words. Obviously one of my ovaries, the left one, is twisted in a way that makes it necessary to remove it. That would explain some of the very heavy cramps I had in the last years. It’s called ovarian torsion and they will make a laparoscopy to remove it. It’s good that we found out about it now. There’s the risk of something called an ovarian infarct and that would be really painful and dangerous.” Her shoulders slumped a bit but she went on. “Once it’s removed the other ovary should be enough to keep the hormonal balance, but getting pregnant might be a problem.”

“A problem or impossible?” he asked, holding her hands, his thumbs rubbing over the back of her hands reassuringly.

“It’s not impossible, just – not that likely anymore. We might have to see a specialist.”

The doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of their food. Suddenly Jazz realized why Kuni had been so picky about their food earlier and a fresh round of tears welled up in her eyes. She loved him so much, wanted him to have everything that would make him happy. Children included.

Kuni came back with bags and boxes of foods but simply put them down on the table, ignoring them for now. Their conversation was more important after all.

“Okay, one last question, maybe the most important one. Do you want to have a baby?”

She nodded, her lips trembling. The 60 seconds before the test showed a negative result she has actually hoped for a second line. Yes, it would have change their lives forever, but she was sure it would have been in a good way.

“Good.” He smiled warmly. “In that case we are at least on the same page. I actually was a bit excited, maybe a bit too much. I – I ordered something, online.” His smile wavered a bit.

“What did you order?” Jazz snuggled close to him, needed the contact, the reassurance it gave her.

“It’s a bit embarrassing… but I ordered a onesie. ‘Daddy’s sweetheart’.”

She choked up a bit but smiled. “I bet it’s cute.”

“Yeah. I will return it, though.”

Jazz sat up a bit and looked at him. “No. Keep it. When it arrives, give it to me. I will give it back to you when we will actually need it.”

“So you want to keep trying? Or better, start trying?” The love in his gaze was too much for her now but she nodded despite her tears. “Good. Of course only after you have recovered and all. Until then – what was that about a vibrator earlier?”

Jazz chuckled, wiped her cheeks and grinned. “Hey, what about a girl being allowed some secrets?”

“Too late, you already told me. And now I really want to see it in action…” He winked at her, actually winked, and she laughed even more.

“First dinner. After that we can see what you can do with the information of me owning sex toys. But I bet there’s something you’d enjoy in my collection.” She felt much lighter now, after having told him everything. After sorting out her feelings.

And for now they could just enjoy being a newlywed couple. Everything else would be okay. She looked at him and was truly convinced of that. Everything would be just fine.

MJS Out of office drama: Jazz x Kunihiko Meet the family

When Jazz came back home after a long day of visiting venues, trying cake and picking out the right napkins to the right tablecloths she was surprised to see the lights on in the living room and kitchen.

“Kuni? Are you home already?” She took off her shoes and padded towards the kitchen where she could hear him rummaging through the cabinets.

“Oh, hi.” He looked up from his search for the right pan and smiled sheepishly. “I wanted to be done before you come home.”

Jazz walked over to him and gave him a peck on the cheek.

“And with what did you want to be done before I came home?”

“Dinner. Something simple, but I thought I haven’t cooked for you for a while now. It’s only pasta, though.” He motioned towards the pot on the stove.

“Thanks, that’s great. I didn’t have time to eat much today.” She skipped towards the fridge and opened it. “Do you want a drink? Maybe some wine for dinner?”

“If I drink I will fall asleep right away. It was a hard day, week, month,” he said, slightly sour.

“Yeah, I get what you mean. We could use a break. Maybe a lazy weekend.” Jazz put the bottle of wine she held in hand back into the fridge.

“You don’t want any?” he asked and motioned towards the closed fridge.

“Nah, I’m also a bit tired lately. Might be good to take a break from drinking for a while.”

Kunihiko faked a shocked gasp and Jazz chuckled and swatted his arm lightly.

“Don’t act as if I’m always drinking!”

“You’re definitely drinking more than I do,” he teased her just for Jazz to grab his face, still laughing, and kissed him.

“That’s just because you’re rather a lightweight when it comes to alcohol.”

One kiss followed the other and they would have forgotten about their exhaustion and taken things further if it wasn’t for the pot and the water in it boiling over. She chuckled when she pulled back.

“I leave you to your cooking then. I go and change into something more – comfortable.” She winked at him and left for the bedroom, glad to get out of her dress and the rather constricting bra. Maybe she needed some new clothes. Maybe – and she shuddered at this thought – a bigger size. Kunihiko and his good cooking… she had definitely gained some weight. Well, he seemed not to notice or maybe he just didn’t care and Jazz felt better than she ever did in a relationship. As long as it were only a few pounds she was fine with it. She should work out a bit anyway.

Dressed in a tank top and shorts she came back into the kitchen and helped him getting their dinner ready.

“Oh, by the way, you got mail. Seems important. Manila envelopes and all. I put them on your desk.”

“Them? More than one?” He seemed surprised and Jazz shrugged.

“Three or four, and some other stuff. Sorry, I have just grabbed the mail and rushed up here.” She grinned sheepishly. “I really needed to pee.”

He chuckled and kissed her. “You are so sexy, you know that?”

It was strange, even this, domestic evenings, nights without the passionate and hot sex from the beginning, just lazing around on the couch, sharing meals, getting to know each other better with every passing day – this was so much more than Jazz had ever hoped for. Sometimes she was a bit scared of the extend of her own feelings, her own happiness, but then she remembered how hard she had fought for this, how hard THEY had fought for this. It wasn’t a gift, it was the result of persistence, communication and a lot of trust.

They talked some more, ate in a relaxed atmosphere and afterwards Jazz took care of the dishes as thanks for him preparing dinner. When she came out of the now clean kitchen she found him staring at some files in his hands.

Drying her hands with a towel she walked over to him.

“Why the serious face?” she asked, taking a seat next to him. “Business?”

“No,” he blankly said and handed her a file.

“This is… a marriage candidate? What-?!” She stared at the profile. Japanese woman, 28, good at housework. Loved to cook. Good education. The picture showed her in a kimono, very traditional.

“What is this crap?” She threw the file on the coffee table and grabbed another one. Almost the same, just the age and the name were different.

“You know, back then when I came to MJS… my family wanted me to find a bride. My parents are – rather conservative. Traditional. I guess they think they gave me enough time to find a wife on my own.” He sounded a bit shocked, but also sad. Of course. He hadn’t told his family about her, about their marriage because she asked him to keep it a secret for now.

“But this? I mean, look at those profiles… how many are there?” She quickly counted the files. “Five? And all of them are – so completely dull. Nondescript. Here, this doesn’t even say if she gives good blowjobs. Or blowjobs at all. All the important info is missing! Who should be able to make a decision based on this crap?”

It was one thing that his family meddled with his love life, Jazz had already understood that it wasn’t an uncommon thing in Japan. But her professional pride was another thing. This was exactly why they had founded MJS – because the dating world in Japan was really tricky. Like everywhere else.

Kunihiko only chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer until she straddled his lap and rested her head against his shoulder.

“You know, I often wonder how your profile would have looked like,” he mused, gently stroking her back.

“Well, there would have definitely been a whole paragraph about my fellatio skills,” she answered, slightly muffled against his shoulder.

“And that alone would have gotten my attention,” he played along before he got serious again. “No, really, what would you write in your own profile.”

“Hmm…” She thought about this, it had never occurred to her to create a profile for herself. “I would have asked Miho to make it, so it would have been full of praise of course.”

She chuckled, imagining Miho writing things like: ‘Great body, but damaged heart. Handle with care or I will hunt you down and rip your balls off.’

“Of course,” he agreed with a grin. The friendship between Miho and Jazz was definitely something special, and he was aware that he had crossed a line when he doubted it. It would take some time to fix things with Miho, but he really wanted to prove her that he was the right one for Jazz, that he would make her happy.

“So, what are we going to do about this?” Jazz wearily motioned towards the stack of matchmaking profiles.

“I’m going to meet all of them and ask them about their opinions about blowjobs. Just so their profile is complete. And then I tell them that I already found the perfect woman for me.”

She swatted his chest playfully. “Stop joking, I’m serious!”

He sighed and kissed her once more.

“I know you wanted a relaxed, lazy weekend, but I think we’d better go and visit my family. I will call them tomorrow. We can take the bullet train and be back in the evening.”

Jazz sighed. It was her fault that they were in this situation; only because she asked him to keep their marriage a secret for now. Now she had to fix things. Sooner or later she would have to meet his family anyway, although she had hoped for some better circumstances.

“Okay. I think I have time this weekend, no weddings so far.” She raised her head and cupped his face, kissed him softly. “I’m sorry for bringing you into this position.”

Kunihiko chuckled lightly and kissed her back, not that softly. “I actually like the position I’m currently in,” he almost purred into her ear, making her giggle.

“Yeah?”

His hand dropped to her ass, squeezing lightly. “Yeah…”

Three days later they boarded the train, Jazz with conflicted emotions. Kunihiko had already warned her that his family was rather traditional, conservative and strict. Not so much his parents but his grandparents and aunts and uncles. She was nervous. Last time she met her parents-in-law she found herself under scrutiny of Akane Kujoro and we all know how THAT ended. And back then she hadn’t even been working for a marriage matchmaking agency where the clients had to literally bare everything of them in order to create a profile.

She was nervous. She was beyond nervous to be honest. Although she had brought her laptop to work during the trip she couldn’t focus at all. Instead she fidgeted with her clothes, her hair, her hand until Kunihiko sighed and grabbed her hand, squeezed it lightly and smiled reassuringly.

“Relax, love. It’s okay, it’s not as if they could do anything. We ARE already married. You are just going to meet my family and I’m just informing them that they can stop looking for my future wife because I already have a wonderful wife.”

She smiled back, still nervous. If it only was that simple.

“Tell me again that you love me,” she demanded, almost pouting.

“I love you. Only you. You are the only woman I want to spend my life with, the only I can see myself with in the future.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her fingertips gently, one after the other. “And that is exactly what I am going to tell my family.”

Jazz took a shaky breath and nodded, slightly choked up. “Thank you…” She knew she would need some strength to face his family but she wanted to be a wife he could be proud of; a wife who would support him, fight for their love.

The trip seemed to take forever but they arrived before noon.

“We can have lunch somewhere but I assume that my family has prepared something,” he said, giving her the choice and effectively a short reprieve.

“We don’t want to keep them waiting,” she firmly answered, putting this off wouldn’t help after all. Better to get over with it before her anxiety spiked.

“Okay. Don’t worry, everything is going to be alright.” Kunihiko hailed a cab and Jazz wished it would drive anywhere but to the address he gave the driver. She was such a coward.

They were heading towards the house of his grandparents, a huge and traditional estate that took her breath away. Jazz knew that Kunihiko was quite wealthy but she had assumed that he had earned the money with his company, not that money ran in his family.

“Wow…” She couldn’t help but stare in awe and growing terror. Her own family was rather – well, average. Her parents had a small house, nothing fancy, and both worked hard for their money. She and her siblings – a brother and a younger sister – had been brought up in the knowledge that working was necessary and that there was nothing to be ashamed of in earning their own money. So Jazz had started working part-time jobs as soon as she had been old enough. It helped her pay for clothes and her hobbies and later to get her through college. She had been a babysitter, worked in retail and service, fully aware that her future career better offered a bit more glamour. She would have never guessed to end as an event planner in Japan but she loved that job. She loved working at MJS even more, being an associate, a founding member of the agency was something that filled her with pride.

She might not have the same background but definitely the same dedication to her job like Kunihiko. Jazz straightened up and took a deep breath. She was ready to face whatever would come, with Kunihiko at her side.

At least that was what she thought before stepping into the house, with the tatami mats and the paper doors it felt like stepping into another century. Or one of the historic dramas they showed on TV. Hadn’t Saeki just written some script about a forbidden love in the Edo era?

She quickly focused again, the surroundings making her nervous again.

Someone dressed in a kimono took Kunihiko’s jacket and threw Jazz a questioning glance but Kuni simply helped Jazz out of her jacket and handed it over. Was that a relative or some kind of staff? She didn’t dare to ask, simply followed her husband without a word. She didn’t want to embarrass him after all.

In front of some paper doors they stopped and Kunihiko turned towards her. Jazz could hear voices and her heart started to race again.

“It’s okay, just breathe. We will be fine, I promise.” His voice was only a whisper but it helped her to calm down. When she nodded Kunihiko opened the door and they stepped into a huge room, filled with several people, all clad in traditional Japanese clothes, sitting on the floor.

“Ah, Kunihiko, you finally arrived.” A stern looking, older woman beckoned them closer, or better, him. She frowned when she noticed Jazz.

“Who is that? You didn’t say you were bringing someone.”

Kunihiko bowed his head slightly and straightened up again.

“Sobo, thank you for having us. This is Jazz Mann. My wife.”

With a nervous smile Jazz bowed her head, just enough to show respect but not so much that she would make herself small. She was a smart and proud woman after all. And she was married to Kunihiko.

“Obaasan, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Kunihiko’s grandmother didn’t even spare her a glance, instead she glared at Kunihiko.

“Your wife? What is that nonsense? We send you a choice of profiles for suitable young women. Why did you bring someone like her?”

Now that escalated quickly. Jazz bit her tongue, didn’t want to make a bad impression right from the start.

“Sobo, you wanted me to get married and I did. Even before you sent those profiles to be honest. But I preferred to choose my wife on my own. I wanted someone I actually love and here she is. She is smart, successful, independent and at the same time she supports me, helps me to see where I’m wrong without being presumptuous.”

Jazz blinked a few times. She knew he loved her, he told her often enough, but hearing him saying all these things about her in front of his family was something else. She felt the love well up inside of her, her smile grew and was genuine now. But only for a second.

“You already married this woman? Without introducing her first? Without asking for our permission?” His grandmother seemed disappointed, clearly disapproving of their marriage.

“I didn’t know I needed ‘permission’,” he replied, still respectful but standing his ground. His grandmother made a sound between a snort and a click of her tongue.

“It would have been only proper to introduce us first. Why did you hide her from us?” She shot Jazz a taxing gaze, finally acknowledging her presence. And all the others followed her gaze so that Jazz found herself the center of attention.

“Besides the obvious issues.”

That hurt, but Jazz kept her head up high and her eyes trained on his grandmother, still slightly smiling.

“And what would be the obvious issues, obaasan?” She sounded calmer than she felt, proud that her emotions didn’t show in her voice.

“You are not Japanese. We know nothing about you and your heritage. Your family. We can’t know if you are honorable.” There was no accusation or malice, she was just stating the truth.

“You could just ask me. I can tell you what you need to know.” Jazz’s offer caused a stir in the group but Kunihiko stayed calm so she figured she hadn’t just accidently offended everyone in the room.

“You could lie,” a woman, probably Kunihiko’s aunt, said.

“I could, but what would that do for me? I’m actually a stickler for honesty.” Jazz shrugged, but she knew that if they didn’t want to listen to her they wouldn’t.

“I think we should have a more private conversation. Miss Mann, would you excuse us, please?” Kunihiko’s grandmother pointed towards the door and Jazz shared a short glance with her husband who gave her a smile and a nod. She was guided away by the same person who greeted them first, still unsure of their status in this house. But since it didn’t matter much to her she was simply polite and thanked the woman who bowed her head briefly and left Jazz in a smaller room without much furniture. This wasn’t going well.

She hadn’t expected them to welcome her with open arms, but at least to be allowed to stay for the explanation. Not getting send out of the room like a child when the grown-ups talked. Jazz made up her mind and slipped out of the room, tried to find her way back to room with Kunihiko and his family. She followed the faint sounds of voices until she could hear them more or less clearly. These walls were really thin.

“… the matchmaker? No one marries the matchmaker! That’s just not –“

“Sobo, I am not discussing this! Marriage matchmaking is a respectable business; after all you hired a matchmaker for me, too. So what if I fall not for the potential bride they show me, but the one who is trying to set me up? She knows me, she knows me better than anyone else. And she still fell for me. I think that is the most important part of this whole story: we LOVE each other. She has proven that over and over and I am willing to prove it for the rest of my life.”

Her heart felt like bursting at those words. He really stood up to his grandmother, only for Jazz. Only for them.

“But she is a foreigner!” someone else said, a male voice.

“That doesn’t matter. She is a wonderful person, honest and kind. Respectable. She comes from a respectable family, has studied and worked hard to get where she is now. She and her friends have their own business and lately they have even expanded their service, now offering wedding planning as well. They are making people happy and Jazz is making ME happy. I don’t care about where she was born.”

Jazz held her breath, trying not to make a sound and give the fact away that she was eavesdropping.

“What if one day she decides she wants to back?” another voice asked.

“Then I will go with her.”

They had never talked about this and honestly, Jazz hadn’t even thought about going back home ever since they had cleared everything, ever since she had decided to really do this, to accept her feelings for him and not to hold anything back anymore.

“If you had introduced her before rushing into a marriage like a fool we could have at least find someone to do a background check on her,” his grandmother stated.

“And I would have asked you not to do that,” Kunihiko shot back. “I trust her. She has told me everything I need to know, even if it wasn’t flattering.”

“Son, you have to admit that it looks rather strange when you go to matchmaking agency only to marry the matchmaker in the end. Head over heels. We are simply worried she might have – ulterior motives.”

Was that his father? Jazz blood started to boil. She wasn’t some money grubbing gold digger, she had her own business! (And the divorce settlement from Ai, but that wasn’t the point here.)

Jazz cleared her throat loudly, announcing her presence.

“May I enter?” Her heart was pounding like crazy but she wouldn’t back down now. Not when all this was about her.

“It is rude to eavesdrop,” his grandmother said, rather miffed.

“It also rude to talk about people behind their backs,” Jazz firmly answered. Not backing down.

“I understand that you are concerned,” Jazz continued, “and I take it as a sign of your affection towards Kunihiko. But I don’t like what you are implying. Fact is that we have a prenup, and fact is also that it was ME who wanted that. I understand that he is a successful business man and that his name and property have to be protected.”

She looked at Kunihiko who seemed relieved to see her. Good, at least one person here.

“Actually Jazz didn’t want to marry me at first,” he suddenly said, earning some surprised and some disapproving glances. “I had to woo her and convince her to give me a chance. And when she said ‘yes’ I just jumped at the chance.”

That was a very sugarcoated version, but it wasn’t a lie after all. What if they learned of her divorce?

“Is there a reason for your hasty wedding?” his grandmother asked, glaring at Jazz.

“What do you mean, sobo?” Kunihiko tensed a bit and Jazz could feel her stomach churn.

“There are two likely explanations,” the older woman went on. “Green card or… Kunihiko, did you – get her with child?”

Jazz gasped. She paled before the blood rushed into her face. “Are you implying I tricked him into marrying me?”

Kunihiko grabbed her hand, surprised to feel it trembling in his.

“I think we are done here. If you are rude towards my wife I feel not obliged to stay any longer.”

“If you go now – Kunihiko, you know what might happen,” his grandmother almost threateningly said.

“If that is what you have to do, then do it.” Kunihiko bowed his head slightly and tugged at Jazz’s hand. She had trouble to hold her tears back. This wasn’t what she wanted for him, being threatened to get kicked out of the family because he married her.

She managed to pull herself together until they were outside, standing at the street trying to find another cab.

“I’m sorry,” they said at the same time, just for Jazz to lose it and burst out into tears.

“I’m so sorry, really! I didn’t – when I asked you to keep it a secret for now I didn’t think this would happen…”

“Hey…” Kunihiko hugged her tightly. “It’s okay, it’s not your fault. They would have been unhappy with my choice even if I had introduced you before. It’s not about me being married, they want me to marry who they see fit. But I want you, so tough luck for them.”

“Shit,” she muttered. “Kuni, I feel as if I should offer to set you free so your family can be happy – but I can’t. I know I’m selfish, but I don’t want to give up on you. Give up on US. On what we have.”

“Shhhh…” He cupped her face and kissed her softly. “I wouldn’t accept that anyway. You have said ‘yes’, now you’re stuck with me. You are my wife and you are the only one I want. It will be fine, don’t worry.”

“But they are your family!” Jazz sobbed, thinking about her own family back home. They might fight every now and then but they still loved each other. They wouldn’t turn their backs on her just because she married someone they didn’t approve of.

“You are my family now,” he corrected her and wiped some tears off her cheek. “Although it might be difficult now to get you into my family register so you can have my name.”

She shrugged. “It’s only a name, right? As long as I can be your wife I don’t care. It was just – it’s nice to have the same name. Not necessary, but nice.”

He chuckled. “I could still take your name, you know?”

That made her laugh. She had never even thought about it. “Wouldn’t they be furious if you did?”

“Do you really think that’s important right now?”

She shook her head before she rested it against his chest. “Let’s go home, okay?”

But before they could call for a cab the gate to his family’s estate opened.

“Kunihiko?” It was a middle aged man and Jazz practically jumped back a bit only to get pulled back by her husband. He didn’t want to let her go, not even to preserve appearance.

“Otousama,” he replied and Jazz’s eyes widened. His father.

“I am sorry for the way things escalated. You know your grandmother can be – rather stubborn. I am sorry if she has offended you and your wife.”

Jazz could see the similarities between the two men; if Kunihiko looked like that in 20 or 30 years Jazz wouldn’t complain.

“I know this is a bit sudden, but this is my choice,” Kunihiko firmly said, squeezing Jazz slightly.

“It is. And I am sure Miss Ma- Jazz is a wonderful woman. After all she is the one who captured your heart. It might need some time but I will do whatever I can to calm the waves. I only hope next time we meet will be under better circumstances.”

Jazz pushed against Kunihiko’s chest until he finally gave her free and she could face his father.

“I am grateful for your words and I also hope that we can meet again soon. At a more joyous occasion.” She looked at Kuni briefly and he nodded.

“We are going to have a ceremony in some time and want to invite you. And mom of course. And whoever is happy for us.” Kunihiko bowed his head slightly and his father exhaled loudly, apparently relieved.

“We will gladly come and celebrate with you. Jazz, take good care of my son. He can be a bit foolish sometimes, but he is a fine man.” Mr. Aikawa bowed back and Jazz nodded.

“Don’t worry, I will.”

On their trip back home they both were unusually silent. Jazz couldn’t focus, her mind was racing like the train they were sitting in. She stared out of the window, unable to actually see something. All she could think about was the expression on Kunihiko’s face when his grandmother insinuated that he had knocked Jazz up. And the small box in the bathroom, hidden behind the towels. The pregnancy test she had put off for much too long already.

MJS Wedding: Ishigami x Liana (with some past Jazz x Katsuragi smut)

Jazz checked the last details to make sure that everything was taken care of. The flowers, the caterer, the band. Check, check, check. The guests were already waiting and the priest had just arrived. Showtime.

She quickly made her way over to the groom’s room and knocked. Goto opened the door.

“It’s time,” she said with a smile and nodded towards the door. “Get into position already.” He smiled slightly and left.

“Ishigami-san? Are you ready?”

She approached the groom, waited for his unspoken approval to fix his tie and the boutonniere.

“Congratulation, Ishigami-san. Your bride is a wonderful woman and I’m sure you will be very happy together.”

“Thank you,” he earnestly replied.

“But you better get going now, I’m going to get Liana next. Only five more minutes and you will be wed.”

She waited until he took a deep breath and nodded firmly.

“I am ready.”

It was good that there was no awkwardness between them, they both knew that whatever had happened between them had been part of a business, although it had been fun after all. Well, the act itself had been fun, the way leading there not that much. Ishigami-san had been the most difficult client in Jazz’s career but now he was happy and would marry the woman Jazz had found for him. All’s well that ends well, right?

After making sure that the groom was on his way Jazz hurried over to the bride’s room. She knocked again and when the door was opened she slipped inside, handed the bridesmaid a bouquet, and shooed Kurosawa out who was busy taking pictures of the bride in the last moments before the wedding.

“Liana? Your groom is waiting,” Jazz finally announced and the bride beamed at her.

“It’s really happening, isn’t it?” Jazz was slightly touched by how nervous the bride seemed. She had gotten to know her as a reasonable, not overly emotional woman so seeing her like this gave Jazz the good feeling that she really had matched up the right people.

“It is. He is looking very handsome and you are stunningly beautiful. I really hope that you will always be looking forward to seeing each other like you are in this moment. Congratulations and all the luck in the world to the both of you.”

Liana swallowed once and suddenly chuckled, a bit teary-eyed.

“Don’t ruin my makeup now, I can’t cry before he has seen me at least.”

Jazz smiled and handed the bride a tissue. Liana took a deep breath, grabbed her bouquet and nodded.

“I am ready.”

Yes, they were really a good match.

The ceremony went on without a hitch. The guests ‘ahh’ed and ‘ohh’ed at the bride’s entrance, the groom was visibly moved by her appearance and the bride was glowing, smiling all the time. It was perfect.

Their vows were simple but heartfelt, assuring each other of eternal support and trust. Ishigami was a bit nervous when it came to sliding the wedding band on Liana’s finger but he managed and for a moment it looked as if he would kiss her finger, but he held back. Probably because of their audience. But he was looking very relieved when the priest announced them husband and wife and this time, there was a kiss. Chaste but sweet and both blushed lightly. Very cute.

This was definitely the most emotional Jazz had seen Ishigami and considering what she heard from Goto and Subaru, she wasn’t the only one surprised at how visible touched the usually stony-faced detective was. Liana did have a softening effect on him.

When the first glasses of champagne were passed around Jazz slowly relaxed. The most important part was over, they were actually married. Whatever could go wrong now would be unpleasant but couldn’t change the fact anymore that Liana and Ishigami-san were newlyweds.

Jazz quickly checked on the serving staff and the caterer but they told her everything was fine. Of course Jazz wouldn’t drink at a day like this, she was on a job after all. But she got a glass of ginger ale that at least looked a bit like champagne and watched the guests and the bridal couple. She also watched Miho and Goto who were standing together, chatting and drinking with as much of physical contact they could get away with in this setting. Jazz knew that Miho was practically shameless but also that Ishigami was Goto’s boss and she was proud that Miho seemed to hold back. At least for now. What would happen when she had some more drinks was unpredictable.

“They are next, huh?”

Jazz slightly flinched, she hadn’t expected for anyone to talk to her.

“They are. What about you?” She turned to face Subaru who simply shrugged.

“MJS couldn’t match me up with someone suitable after all,” he casually said and took a sip of champagne.

“You mean you didn’t really give anyone else a chance,” Jazz shot back and he shrugged.

“Maybe I’m not the kind of guy that can be set up with someone easily.”

“Maybe we wouldn’t want our clients to have to deal with you all their life,” she said with a sweet smile.

“You are one to talk,” he grumbled but Jazz laughed happily.

“I am. After all I already am married.” He raised both eyebrows, surprised at her announcement.

“I mean I was. I already was married,” she quickly corrected herself. Dammit! Being Kunihiko’s wife felt so natural and right that she sometimes forgot to keep it a secret for now.

“You were. Well, well, the fact that you aren’t anymore doesn’t surprise me. I bet he got fed up with your talking back to him all the time.” His smug grin made her roll her eyes.

“No. He simply got fed up with lying to me about not being gay.” She shot him a challenging glare but he seemed to understand that this wasn’t something to joke about.

“Oh. Well… by the way, the flowers are great.” Subaru motioned towards a flower arrangement, a wordless olive branch of peace.

“Thank you. Haruka Utsunomiya made them.” She could tell by his expression that he actually was impressed, at least for second.

“What? Did you sleep with him, too? Isn’t he a bit young for you?” A very short second indeed.

“With whom I sleep or not shouldn’t concern you, but no. He’s an old friend of Kunihiko.” Jazz looked back at Miho and Goto who looked happy and relaxed, something that had been rare lately, while they chatted with Ishigami and Liana.

“Thank you. For taking care of her,” Jazz quietly said. It wasn’t easy for her to say something nice to Subaru but she was really grateful that he had made sure that Miho was safe. He tilted his head slightly and accepted her thanks graciously.

“Couldn’t let him lose another one,” he muttered and downed his champagne.

“Hello, everyone! Welcome here today! Who would have thought that we would ever celebrate the wedding of Ishigami one day?” a cheerful voice suddenly boomed through the speakers.

“Oh god, who gave that fool a mic?” Subaru muttered and Jazz jumped into action, ready to give the sound guy a sign to cut Kurosawa off if necessary.

“But I hardly know anyone who deserves this as much as Ishigami-san. He is a very dedicated boss and seeing him happy like this since he met Liana gave me hope that I, too, will one day find the love of my life.”

That earned some giggles and “awww”s alike. For now Jazz simply let Kurosawa talk, it was rather cute after all.

“But I guess I’m talking for everyone here today when I wish the bridal couple all the luck and love in the world. And demand a repeat performance of the wedding kiss!”

The crowd cheered, the call for a kiss quickly wandering from mouth to mouth. “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

Jazz rolled her eyes and gave the soundman a sign to take the mic back.

Ishigami frowned slightly but when he looked at his bride – no, his wife – a small smile played on his lips. He leaned in a bit and placed a soft kiss on her forehead just for Liana to pull him down again when he pulled back, pressing her lips against his. The guests cheered loudly and Jazz laughed with them. It was cute to see Ishigami blush lightly and Liana grin happily.

She excused herself to Subaru and made another round through the venue, making sure that everything was alright. The cake should be next and after that, the first dance. Later dinner and the party. Her job would be done when bride and groom left for the honeymoon.

She was deep in thought when she thought she saw a familiar face. For a second she froze but then relaxed. No, that couldn’t be. One of the caterer’s staff demanded her attention and Jazz forgot what she had been thinking about.

The cake was a huge success. Of course there was no childish smearing of cake into each other’s faces with Ishigami but Jazz noticed the way his eyes lit up when he got a first taste of it. Obviously Liana had picked the right flavor.

It was strange, although there wasn’t the usual exuberant display of love at a wedding there was a very touching, deep, almost serene connection between bride and groom that made not only Jazz a bit jealous, but only for a moment. After all she was happy in love, too.

When it was time for the speeches Jazz looked for Goto. Hadn’t he been here a minute or five ago? With Miho? A strange sense of foreboding washed over her. Miho wouldn’t actually do that, would she? Drag him off at the wedding of his superior to make out somewhere? Maybe even more? Hell yeah, she would.

She needed help to track them down and she knew it. Jazz looked for Subaru, hoping he had seen them sneak out or at least would help her, maybe check the men’s restroom.

She found him chatting with a group of men and politely cleared her throat to get his attention. Subaru turned to face her and she just wanted to ask him to help her search for Miho and Goto when she noticed one of the men standing there with Subaru.

“Jazz?”

“Daichi?”

Suddenly Jazz had the attention of all of those men, the short blonde one, the one that looked slightly familiar, a dark haired one. And of course of Subaru and Daichi.

“’Daichi’?” the smaller one asked but Jazz didn’t even react.

“Uhm, sorry, I am… I can’t find Goto, his speech is next,” she stammered, slightly taken aback by this sudden reunion with an old flame. This was awkward.

“We can help you look for them,” Subaru offered but Jazz quickly shook her head.

“Knowing Miho it would be better if not ALL of us went, if you catch my drift.” She made a face and Subaru snorted a laugh.

“Yeah, I get it. Okay. I check the groom’s room and the men’s restroom.” Subaru nodded and Jazz smiled slightly at him. At least he was getting what she wanted from him without her having to actually ask. She would check the women’s restroom and the whole staff area. With a quick smile she apologized to the other men and shot Katsuragi an apologetic look before she rushed off, hoping she wouldn’t find Miho and Goto in a situation that would scar her for life. Again.

After Goto finally had held his speech – still a bit flushed and slightly disheveled – Jazz wanted to yell at Miho and laugh at the same time. She had to admit, it had been funny. At least a bit. And she liked seeing Miho happy and as long as no one else had noticed she didn’t care that her best friend had a quickie with her fiancé at the wedding of his superior.

Jazz sighed. She could use a drink but she was still on the clock. And somewhere in the crowd was a man that had broken her heart once.

Jazz was relieved when the band started playing the song for the first dance of the bridal couple. After a long discussion they had agreed on “The look of love” by Diana Krall. It was a very good song, slow and with wonderful lyrics.

Liana beamed at Ishigami when he led her to the dance floor; they just couldn’t take their eyes off each other. They swayed in each other’s arms, completely enthralled and in their own world.

“Jazz?” She knew who it was before she even raised her gaze.

“Daichi.” She simply acknowledged him with a small nod.

“Can we – talk?”

She took a deep breath.

“I am working, Daichi. I’m sure you know what that means.” She knew she was being childish but she couldn’t help it. He had hurt her back then, had cancelled their dates too often, had left whenever a call came. She had spent too many nights alone although he had promised her he would be there. All for his work.

“Then maybe when you’re finished?” There was hope in his voice but she wanted to shoot him down on the spot.

“No. When I’m finished here I will go home – to my husband.” She directly looked at him. “I wanted to talk after your trip to Moscow. I waited for you for almost eight hours. And when you finally came? What did you say?”

The guilt in his face wrenched her heart but she couldn’t back down now. “What did you say, Daichi?”

“Not now, I’m too tired to talk,” he repeated his words from back then.

“I have waited eight hours in a fucking coffee shop!” she hissed at him. “And instead of calling me and sending me home you kept sending me texts that you would be there soon. Eight fucking hours, Daichi.” With a last glare she turned back around to watch the last few seconds of the dance.

The guests clapped politely and so did Jazz, a strained smile on her face. The band started the next song and Jazz weaved through the forming couples that crowded the dance floor now that the bridal couple had their moment in the spotlight. She knew he was following her but she didn’t care, she was too angry. Still. She was still too angry and that angered her even more. She had thought she was over him, hell, she had thought she was over him when she met Ai some time later. Funny, but without Daichi treating her like a backup plan of sorts she would never have fallen for Ai. Now she could see that, of course, but back then she thought that Ai was really the perfect match for her. Just because he actually called when he promised. She had pretty low standards back then. Pathetic.

Jazz quickly gave some orders to the barkeepers and the waiting staff, rushed off towards the kitchen to check everything there and when she came back to the party 15 minutes later Daichi was nowhere to be seen. Good. She had no time for that now.

Dinner went well and afterwards there was more music, more drinking. The bride and groom left for their honeymoon but the guests stayed and celebrated on without them. Who needed a bridal couple at a wedding anyway?

But Jazz didn’t care, she was happy that the wedding has been a success. That Ishigami and Liana enjoyed this day and would remember it fondly their whole life.

And now was the time she actually considered getting a drink. But of course Subaru had to come between her and her hard earned champagne; he actually asked her for a dance. Reluctantly Jazz agreed, mostly because she loved to dance and Subaru actually looked as if he knew what he was doing.

“So, you and Katsuragi, huh?” he asked after the first few steps.

“Just. Stop. Okay? I really don’t want to talk about it.” It had been a long day, lots of little catastrophes she had to take care of without anyone noticing, plus meeting her former lover – that was just too much.

“Hey, I’m just curious. I mean, he’s my boss and I didn’t even know he was dating someone.” Subaru twirled her once and pulled her back close. He was really a good dancer.

“And that’s part of the problem,” she admitted, so tired of all this that she actually considered resting her forehead against his shoulder. But this was Subaru and she wouldn’t show any weakness in front of him.

“What do you mean?” She could hear the frown more than she could actually see it from her angle.

“Well, we were dating back then, but we – he wasn’t really committed. Only called when it crossed his mind. Always put work first. I know that his job – your job – is important and dangerous, that you have to be dedicated and ready to do whatever is necessary to protect your client. It’s a hard job and not everyone could do it. I understand that.” She exhaled and bit her lip briefly.

“But I am not the kind of woman who is happy on the backseat,” she muttered.

“No? I would have bet you enjoy a backseat every now and then,” Subaru quipped just for Jazz to slap his arm once.

“You know what I mean. I’m not a stopgap, I’m not only second best. And that’s exactly what he made me feel.”

“Huh. Wouldn’t have guessed he’s like that,” Subaru muttered and Jazz shrugged.

“Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. If he meets the right one I’m sure he would make it work somehow.” But she could still be sad that she hadn’t been the one after all.

“Mind if I cut in?” Katsuragi suddenly ask, standing next to them.

“No,” Subaru answered the same moment Jazz said: “Yes.” There was a brief moment of confusion but in the end Katsuragi gave Subaru a stern look that weighed more than Jazz’s glare. He was Subaru’s boss after all.

“You are looking stunning,” he awkwardly said and took Jazz hand. She only tensed for a split second before she gave in and let him pull her closer, one hand in the small of her back.

“I know.” She couldn’t help being miffed, there was nothing he could say to make things right again.

“You never took my calls.”

“There was nothing left to say after all. I thought I’d save us both the time and the embarrassment.” She couldn’t look at him. She still remembered how she had rushed out of that stupid coffee shop, how she had gone home and packed the few things he had left at her place and sent them back to him, adding a note with a list of her stuff and the instructions how to send them back to her. She didn’t even want to talk to him again.

“I tried to explain,” he defended his actions but Jazz only snorted once.

“You did, but that didn’t change anything. You stood me up too many times, you ditched me too many times. Just saying there was a problem at work doesn’t change that.”

They had never really fit together, it was mostly a physical attraction. Jazz had to admit, the spark was still there. He really was a hunk after all, tall and with broad shoulders. That had attracted Jazz back then. She had felt safe in his arms.

And now? Her body betrayed her, molded perfectly against his, remembered every touch.

“We have danced to this song before,” he suddenly muttered and Jazz felt like crying.

“I remember.” She really did.

Daichi had taken her out to dinner. It was some kind of celebration, Jazz had successfully finished a very important event and he wanted to spoil her a bit for it. And apologize because he had to cancel the last two or three dates they had planned. But this night they had dressed up a bit and he took her to a wonderful, very intimate restaurant. Champagne, dinner, dancing.

It was a perfect date, a perfect night. Jazz had just the right level of tipsiness to feel both bold and relaxed with him. They were dating for a couple of weeks already and the sex was – unf, it was just incredible. Although he was so strong, with these big hands, and Jazz was rather small he always treated her gently, carefully, until she ordered him to be rougher. Sometimes she was afraid they would break the bed.

But he held her as if she was made of glass when they danced.

They were already kissing and touching on the way back to her place, building the passion and desire, and Jazz just knew this was one of those nights when they wouldn’t even make it back to the bedroom. When the door was closed behind them Daichi pushed her against it, dress hiked up so he could grab her thigh and wrap it around his waist, pinning her against the wooden surface with his body.

“I missed you so much while I was in Singapore,” he muttered and Jazz was already fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. She loved his chest, loved to run her fingers over the firm planes of it, the bit of chest hair and old scars. So manly. So sexy.

“Missed you, too,” she breathed against his skin, moaning when he pushed his hips against hers, letting her feel his state of arousal.

“Dammit, Daichi! Stop talking, get naked already!”

They both knew they wouldn’t even manage to undress completely, just tugging and pushing at clothes until they were bare enough. Lips and fingertips greedily explored every bit of naked skin in reach, Jazz’s hands quickly opened his belt and pants. She pushed one hand under the waistband of his boxer briefs, curled her fingers around his cock, reveling in its hardness and girth. Good thing everything was proportional to his huge build.

When he impatiently pushed two fingers into her core she yelped and tightened her grip only for him to groan and buck his hips. With her free hand she managed to reach into the inside pocket of his jacket and grabbed the condom she knew he had there. He always had one when they met.

She ripped the foil open with her teeth and he only stopped circling her clit with his thumb for long enough so she could get the condom in place before he hoisted her up a bit – showing off his strength, knowing it turned her on like hell – and held her place with one hand under her ass, the other guiding his cock into her.

With a low hiss Jazz welcomed the slight burn, the stretch, urged him on to move with an impatient roll of her hips. Daichi needed a moment to shift, to find foothold before he could grab both her hips and slowly pull back just to slam back into her, making her cry out. Jazz clung to him, arms wrapped around his shoulders, face buried in the crook of his neck, biting down to muffle her moans.

It was rough, it was quick, it was loud and oh so satisfying. Her back hurt, her head spun, she had lost her shoes and was fairly certain that her dress was ripped, but she didn’t care. Jazz loved it when he was like this, demanding, taking, using his height and strength to keep her in place while he fucked her mercilessly. Later there would be cuddles and kisses, he would examine every mark, every little bruise he had caused on her body and kiss them all better, but now all she wanted was this. Raw desire.

He growled against her neck and sucked a mark into her skin and Jazz gasped, grabbed the hair at the back of his head and yanked him back, just enough so she could kiss him. She lightly bit down on his bottom lip and giggled when he hissed but her laughter turned into moans when he slammed into her harder, punishing her for her teasing.

“You’re… a little… minx…” he grunted between thrusts and Jazz only laughed, spurred him on to be even rougher. Her legs around his waist were already trembling, the tension in her body almost too much to take but she just wasn’t quite there yet. So she carefully slid one hand from his back between their bodies, making him groan when he realized what she was doing. It took only a bit of pressure, one, two circles of her fingertips around her clit to send her over the edge, to make her cry out and cling to him, shuddering in his arms. When she came down from her high he kissed her gently, still panting, and with a short start he hoisted her up, holding her whole weight now to carry her over to her bed. This time they undressed properly and he took his time, lots of kisses and touches and whispered words of affection while he made love to her now.

And in the end Jazz fell asleep in his arm, really hoping this could work out.

It didn’t. The next morning Jazz woke up to a note on the pillow next to her, simply saying: “Work emergency.”

Lust and physical attraction simply weren’t enough to build a relationship on it and Jazz had to accept that Daichi would always pick his work over her. She had to put an end to whatever they were having before she fell even further for him. And after that coffee shop disaster it was surprisingly easy.

“You are divorced.” Daichi’s words pulled her from her thoughts. “I asked Subaru about it.”

“I am.” There was no use in denying or hiding the truth.

“You said you were married,” he pointed out.

“Again, I am. I got divorced and now I’m married to someone else. Subaru doesn’t know everything about me.” Jazz started feeling uncomfortable in his arms, a place she used to love. She looked around, feeling a bit guilty that her mind had flashed back to this particular memory.

“I thought you had left the country by now.”

Was that it? The reason he had held back? Had he been hesitating because he knew she would leave eventually? They had never talked about it, but they had never talked much at all.

“As you can see I’m still here.”

“Working as a wedding planner?” He readjusted his grip on her hand a bit, his big hand enveloping hers.

“It’s not that far from event planning and actually I enjoy it very much.” Just not this moment.

“And you’re doing a great job. Ishigami was full of praise.”

It was so much harder not to cry when he was sweet like this. Jazz shouldn’t feel like this, she shouldn’t be sorry for this lost chance when she was happy with Kunihiko. She shouldn’t wonder how things could have been when her life now was so wonderful.

“Mind if I cut in?”

Daichi was a bit puzzled when Miho suddenly stood next to them.

“You want to dance with me?” The crease between his brows showed his confusion and Jazz had to laugh.

“No, I want to dance with her. If you excuse us,” Miho boldly said and grabbed Jazz’s hand, pulled her closer and started to dance.

“Lemme guess, you want to lead?” Jazz asked, somewhere between laughing and crying.

“Shut up, I have to focus here,” Miho snapped back, but Jazz knew that Miho came to rescue her.

“But don’t even think you can drag me off somewhere like Goto. You have to get me a drink first.” Jazz was really grateful for having friends, especially in situations like these. She rested her forehead against Miho’s shoulder and giggled.

“You sound as if you’re already drunk,” Miho grumbled. “So, you’re going to tell me the story about you and that hunk?”

“Later maybe. Now I just want to enjoy this dance.” She earned herself a slap on the ass from Miho but kept giggling.

“Huh. Now that’s quite a sight,” Subaru muttered and grabbed his phone, trying to take a picture of Miho and Jazz on the dance floor. Goto’s simply reached out and took the phone, shook his head and sighed.

“I think we’ve had quiet enough photos, don’t you?”

“Come on, don’t tell me this isn’t hot. Hey, you think they ever…?” Subaru raised an eyebrow and motioned towards the dancing women.

“No.” Goto’s face gave nothing away until the corners of his mouth twitched lightly. He didn’t have to think. He knew.

It was way after midnight when Jazz silently sneaked into the bedroom, tired but over all pretty satisfied with her work that day. She carefully slid under the covers only to feel an arm wrapping around her.

“Hey,” Kunihiko greeted her sleepily.

“Hey. Go back to sleep.” She snuggled closer and sighed in contentment. These were the arms she belonged in.

“How was the wedding?” He nuzzled her neck and a wave of love for him washed over her.

“Chaotic. Hectic. Beautiful. The bridal couple was very happy in the end and that’s all that matters.”

“Good… I knew you would make it a success…” He was already drifting off but Jazz wouldn’t want it any other way. He needed his sleep, after all he had a busy and tiring job, too. And she was more than ready to close her eyes, too.

“Good night. I love you.”

“Love you, too…” he mumbled and was asleep again.

Yes, this was where she belonged. This was home.

MJS In office drama and client report rewind: Jazz x Kanata Tachibana

Absent mindedly Jazz stirred in her drink, staring off into space. It was strange how close happiness and heartbreak could be, how small the distance, how easy to fall from one in the other. A few days ago she had been convinced that she would never do this again, never again sit in Long Island and sip one of Kunihiko’s cocktails.

“Jazz?”

On the other hand she had thought that Miho’s and Goto’s only problem was Subaru and how he tried to take over control of the wedding planning. But then this thing with the photos happened and all the scary stuff with this creepy stalker.

“Jazz!”

Sometimes she wondered if MJS was a bad idea after all. So much drama, for what? They only provided a service to their clients, although she had to admit that they had their fun while doing so. Was that so bad?

“Mrs. Aikawa!”

Jazz’s head shot up, she stared around the bar, checking if anyone had heard.

“Kunihiko,” she chided in mock anger after seeing they were alone. “Do you really want to give us away?” With a slight pout she stared at him but he only chuckled.

“Well, you didn’t react when I called you by your first name so I thought maybe you listen to your last name.” He leaned in and kissed her gently. “And would it be that bad if anyone found out?”

Jazz exhaled and cupped his face. “You know that’s not it. I just don’t want to steal Miho’s and Goto’s spotlight. Once they tied the knot we can tell everyone.”

They hadn’t talked about their own wedding yet, but Jazz didn’t want a huge ceremony. She felt a bit guilty, this was Kunihiko’s first – and hopefully last – wedding, but not hers. The first one had burst all limits, 500 guests and she had known only a handful. This time she wanted something smaller, more intimate. Something that was actually about her and Kunihiko, not only a huge display of wealth for business partners like the last one.

“It’s okay, I understand. But as soon as they are married…” He gave her a pointed look and Jazz nodded.

“Go and shout it from the rooftops afterwards,” she said with a laughter, smiling brightly at him. “I love you. I‘m proud to be your wife and I don’t want to hide it. But for now… I want it to be something between you and me.”

“And Miho,” he reminded her and she laughed again.

“And Miho, yes.”

Of course Miho knew. When Jazz and Kunihiko decided to elope – basically just fill out a marriage registration and make it official – they needed two witnesses after all. They wanted to ask Takao because as a lawyer he was more than qualified, being able to keep it a secret, and Jazz knew that Miho would rip her a new one if she really got married behind Miho’s back. There wasn’t even much thought about the choice of a witness after all. Jazz called Miho, asked if she had a moment later that day and said she would drop by the office after lunch.

Fortunately Jazz had already some experience with filling out a marriage registration, because she had been married before and even more since she saw a lot of them lately in her function as a wedding planner.

So after breakfast – and another round of sweet lovemaking – Jazz and Kunihiko got dressed nicely and headed out to ask Miho for her signature.

“You are doing what?!” Jazz wasn’t surprised that Miho reacted a bit – hotheaded.

“Mr. Aikawa, would you please leave the office for a moment,” she said with barely masked impatience and turned back towards Jazz who calmly waited for Kunihiko to leave them alone.

Once the door was closed behind him Miho sighed. “You just made up, isn’t this a bit rushed?”

Jazz shrugged. “We talked all night – well, not exactly TALKED all night, but there was also a lot of talking, even of the G-rated kind – and we figured that this was a good idea.”

“Yeah, but you also thought it was a good idea to marry someone you never even slept with,” Miho coolly reminded her.

Jazz made a face. “Yes, I did. At least I know he isn’t gay this time.”

Both looked at each other.

“Okay, I don’t expect you to be all giddy and excited, but I’m asking you for being part of this. Now that Selina’s god knows where you are all I have here. I don’t want your blessing, I just want my best friend in this with me, okay? I don’t want to have to sneak around behind your back.”

Ever since the whole thing with Kunihiko had started Jazz felt bad for having to keep secrets. At first only her growing crush on him, but having to keep quiet about being married? That was just too much.

“Are you really sure? If you only do this because he wants it-“ Miho began but Jazz cut her off.

“I am sure. It’s not only his wish, it’s ours. I have to admit, the fact that it’s really important to him made me change my point of view, but not my opinion. I want to marry him, but this time for the right reasons. And it’s not just about business, not like with Ai. He talked me into marrying him, using my crush on him for this. But Kuni? He’s okay with keeping it a secret for now, he just wants to marry me. And I want that, too.” Yes, it was happening faster than she had planned but after having fought for their love so much already she was sure that she and Kunihiko could make it. Hell, they even had so much support from others! Miho for example.

“Gimme that,” Miho grumbled and pulled the marriage registration closer, quickly filled out the witness column and signed.

“Congrats, you are Mrs. Stupid now.”

Jazz laughed happily and hugged Miho. “Thanks. And now get your stuff, we take this to the registry office and after that we get some champagne and lobster.”

When they came out if the office, arms linked and smiles on their faces, Kunihiko already knew that Miho had given in. He smiled at them, opened his arms for Jazz who skipped over to him.

“Doesn’t mean we are good again, Aikawa,” Miho grumbled and narrowed her eyes at him.

“Only fair. But thank you nonetheless.”

“If you ever hurt her again-“ Miho menacingly said and Jazz giggled.

“She was an assassin in a past life, just so you know.”

Kunihiko blinked once, twice. “Okay… well, I better treat you right then, huh?” He kissed the top of Jazz’s head softly and she hummed in agreement.

“Get a room, this is disgusting.” Although Miho frowned Jazz knew that she was actually happy for them. Kinda.

“You think Goto can join us for some champagne later? Maybe for dinner?” Kunihiko asked, making Jazz chuckle.

“What? You afraid to be alone with us?” she teasingly asked. Kunihiko shook his head and laughed briefly.

“No. Just of Miho.”

“Do you regret it?” Kunihiko whispered close to her ear, dragging Jazz from her daydream/memories.

“No. Not for a single second so far. Do you?” The only thing she regretted was the timing; she would have preferred to get married without the whole Miho/stalker thing lurking in the back of their minds.

“I just regret that we didn’t do it sooner.” He shrugged and kissed her softly, making her sigh in contentment. This was it, this was happiness. Marital bliss.

When the door opened and the usual gang came in they quickly separated and smiled at their guests. Only Takao gave them a tiny nod, acknowledging the secret they shared, the rest filed in and greeted Jazz as if she was the old friend and Kunihiko just the barkeeper.

After some chatter Jazz noticed a book on the counter.

“Kunihiko? What’s that?”

He looked towards the book and shrugged. “Some guest left it here. Can’t be that good if she doesn’t want it back after all.”

Saeki grabbed it and studied the cover. “Oh, it’s Kana’s new book. You are mistaken, Kuni, as far as I know it’s actually a bestseller.”

“Really? What is it about?” Jazz asked. Being an avid reader she was always looking for good books.

“It’s a forbidden love story, very naughty, at least as far as I heard. I haven’t read it myself yet.” Saeki handed her the book and she flipped it open on a random page, her eyes browsing the passage. She froze for a split second, blinked and read again.

“What? Is it that raunchy?” Saeki teased her, drawing the attention of the others.

“N-no… that’s not it…” She let the book sink, a helpless look on her face. What she really wanted to say was: “I think this is about me,” but since Ren, Yuta and Yamato had no idea about the services that MJS actually offered she couldn’t just say that. But it was true. The book was about a woman who worked as a marriage matchmaker and had a secret affair with a client. Her name was Jess Bann.

“This – this is… I think this is a job for Takao.”

Jess Bann, attractive, successful, confident, was the number one of marriage matchmakers for high-class clients. She was discreet, efficient and had an eye for the right match. People she brought together usually stayed together – in her career she had only one couple that broke up eventually, and there was no way to blame Jess for that.

But her own love life lay dormant, no relationship she ever had was happy or lasting. Maybe she wasn’t easy to love, too demanding, too fickle for any man to stay longer than some weeks, a couple of months at the most. For now she was fine with it, her job and her friends keeping her occupied and when the nights got too lonely Jess found someone to share her bed with, someone to take her mind off her loneliness.

Kaneda Aki was a successful advertising agent. After having spent several years with meaningless flirts and flings he wanted something real and followed the recommendation of a friend who sent him to Miss Bann, saying she would certainly find the perfect wife for him. For a considerable sum of money of course. But love didn’t come with a price tag and he had enough money, but not enough time to search for the right woman on his own.

It was only logical for them to work together. And it was completely stupid of him to actually fall for her.

Jazz put the book down, her hands trembling. How much of it was fiction and how much the way he had actually seen her? Did she really seem like that woman in the book? Her appearance, her job, parts of her personality, hell, even her name – the similarities were too many to be coincidental. After a quick research Takao had to admit that he couldn’t find out who that ‘Kana’ was, not even if it was a man or a woman. But Jazz already knew. After reading the book it was more than clear and she could actually remember the author that once was her client. He had married the woman she had introduced to him after two months and even sent a picture of their wedding. Why did he do this now? Why did he write this – this hurtful, embarrassing version of their liason? The woman in the book was cold, calculating, didn’t care much for her clients, only for their money. In the end she tosses the client away, mocks him even. He finds the love of his life on his own later, working in a café as a pastry chef. What irony that the woman Jazz had set the author up with had the same job.

She sighed.

“Stop torturing yourself with this crap,” Kuni gently said and took the book out of her hands, rady to go to bed.

“I can’t,” she admitted weakly. “It’s like scratching an itch, knowing you will only make it worse, but being unable to stop.” She closed her eyes, the words still fresh in her mind.

Pursuing whatever she wanted she breezed through life, guided by her whims and instincts. Her beauty opened her many doors, and for now she ignored the fact that one day her looks would have wilted, and all that would be left was her selfish heart that held no beauty.

“He’s an author, it’s his job to form characters that can easily be put into a category,” Kunihiko reminded her.

“I know, it’s just – ugh, this is not how I want to be pictured. And please, promise me never to read this book. Please.” It wasn’t only that the description of the character that obviously based on her wasn’t flattering, although Jazz hadn’t read that passage yet she knew that there would be a sex scene in it, a probably rather detailed one considering the style so far. Now that they had made up she didn’t want Kunihiko to get all jealous and insecure again.

Kanata Tachibana. Jazz remembered him. He had been flirty and witty, friendly and over all a really pleasant client. Good looking. And he had told her that he was an author. Heck, she even had joked that he better not make their arrangement into a story!

She took the book back from Kunihiko and sighed.

“I just want to sleep now.”

He nodded, kissed her softly and turned off the lights.

“So, strawberry shortcake?” Jazz motioned towards the cake on front of him and Kanata laughed.

“It’s my favorite. I’m looking all over town for the perfect strawberry shortcake and this is the best so far.”

“So you are really persistent, huh? That’s a good quality – for a husband,” she teased and he chuckled again. “What else can you tell me about you?”

“I think I’m actually pretty boring. No drama, no fancy hobbies. I write a lot, that’s not only my job but my passion. I can get lost in my work and tend to forget about everything else – including eating, sleeping and cleaning. Especially when a deadline is coming up.”

She nodded. “I will note that in your report. Not every woman is willing to deal with that.”

Kanata sighed and nodded back. “Yes, I know. But I really love my work so it’s important for me that she has patience and understands what writing means to me.”

“What else should a woman have? Should she be sexy or shy? Caring or daring? Bubbly or calm?” Jazz took a bite of the shortcake. This was definitely good.

“I don’t know. She should have a passion. A dream. I don’t think I could love a cold woman.”

This answer surprised her a bit but she could understand what he was trying to say. Who wanted someone who hadn’t any fire, any passion after all?

After eating the cake and having some coffee Jazz accompanied him to his place. It was packed with books and she curiously browsed through his book shelves.

“You like to read?” he asked and offered her a smile that she returned immediately.

“I love it. Ever since I was a kid. I even tried to write myself, but I had to accept that I have no talent for that.” She chuckled and pulled a book out after waiting for his approving nod. It was in Japanese of course but she read the summary on the cover and put it back.

“Do I see a spark of passion there?” His voice was closer now, hands rested on her hips and pulled her against him. Jazz smiled smugly and let her hand rest on the front of his pants.

“Do I feel a spark of passion here?” she purred back.

With a small chuckle Kanata leaned in, brushed his lips against hers before kissing her again, deeper this time. Jazz wrapped her arms around him and let him walk her towards his couch where they sat down, exchanging kiss after kiss.

“Are you okay with a little challenge?” he asked, pressing kisses down her neck.

“You know my profile… everything within my boundaries is okay… even a little challenge.” She was curious what he was thinking off and a bit confused when he got up and fetched a book.

“Here. Read this to me.”

Jazz blinked. Read? What did he plan? But she shrugged, cleared her throat and opened the book at a random page.

“The tension between them was almost unbearable, longing and reason battling a long drawn war, ever since they first met.” Jazz frowned a bit, there were some vocabularies she didn’t use often. And she jumped when she suddenly felt his hands creeping up her legs.

“’I can’t do this any longer,’ Rui finally admitted. ‘I can’t keep pretending that she is the one I love when it really is you. It has always been you.’ He wanted to hold her, kiss her, to make her finally his after all these years.” Her breath hitched in her throat when his fingertips pressed against the fabric of her panties, when he curled his fingers under the waistband and pulled them off her without even bothering to take off her skirt first.

“Keep reading,” he prompted and Jazz took a deep breath and continued.

“Tentatively, hesitantly he raised a slightly trembling hand, reached for her face, his fingertips grazing her soft skin until he cupped her cheek. She didn’t flinch, she didn’t pull back, instead she leaned into the touch with a soft sigh, breaking his remaining control, crumbled it between his palm and her cheek.”

Kanata was still crouching in front of her, kissing up her legs until his head was hidden under her skirt, his nose gently running over her mound.

Jazz closed her eyes briefly and took a slightly shuddering breath. “You – you said this was a challenge. What do I… what do I get if I win?”

He hummed lowly before his tongue darted out, gently nudging at her folds. “I keep on doing this for as long as you are reading.”

“And if I lose?”

He chuckled, his face still hidden from her view. “Then you won’t get to come at all – unless I think you earned it.”

This was too close on dob/sub-dynamics for her liking but then again, his tongue wasn’t close enough to her pussy so she simply shifted a bit, opened her legs some more so he could pull one over his shoulder and continued to read.

“Their first kiss tasted like honey and wine, like coming home after a long journey, like finding the other half of your soul.” She gasped briefly when his tongue flicked her clit but kept reading.

“She parted her lips to invite him in, met his tongue with her own – holy… – let him devour her…” It got harder to stay focused when he licked, kissed and sucked at her folds and her clit like a man starving, groaning while doing so. She was in an awkward position, slumped down somewhere between sitting and lying on the couch, hips close to the edge. She couldn’t rock or tilt her hips much, there was nothing to do but to take what he offered and that was slightly frustrating.

“Are you stopping?” he asked, slightly panting.

“There was no trace of doubt in her mind anymore, she loved him and she wanted him, he was the only one who could – oh my god – who could make her feel like that…” Jazz’s legs were trembling now and Kanata pressed a hand on her lower belly to keep her in place. Her mouth was dry and her voice cracked every now and then.

“So when his hand started roaming her body she didn’t resist, didn’t object, instead she let her own hands… let her own – oohhhh – own hands – fuck!”

He chuckled again and Jazz wanted to yell at him, wanted to laugh and scream at the same time. The pressure in her lower belly was almost too much to take already, but she still needed more.

“… let her own hands wander ooover his body…” She started to draw the vowels, almost moaned them, but kept reading. She was stubborn after all. Kanata chuckled bit kept up his ministrations.

“…took his shirt off without hesitation. His chest was –“ Jazz gasped and took a few shuddering breaths, “was firm… and warm… his heart – oh – his heartbeat racing under… under her palm… OH!”

Maybe Kanata took pity on her or his need for teasing her was sated – or he was simply so horny that he couldn’t wait much longer neither. He plunged two fingers into her core, making her cry out and curse lowly before she tried to read on, muttering another ‘holy’ before she found the line where she had left off.

“She let her hand wander downwards, over his –“ Jazz gasped again, followed by a moan. “… over his stomach towards his happy trail… what – what kind of book is this?”

His only answer was another chuckle but he stopped licking and sucking until Jazz took another deep breath and continued.

“… towards his happy trail. Biting her bottom lip she watched him from under her lashes, placed her hand on the – oh my god, yes, don’t – don’t stop now… – her hand on the impressive – really? Oh! – impressive bulge in his pants…” Her words were a mixed with moans and gasps, barely understandable at all, rushed and slightly slurred and cut off completely when she finally came, that tension inside of her culminating into a breathtaking orgasm – literally. With eyes closed and her mouth open she let the pleasure wash over her, let Kanata prolong the sensation, wave after wave, with his skillful tongue and fingers. Only when she whimpered and tried to pull back he stopped, reappeared from under her skirt with a wide grin.

“A few pages further and it would have been like a live commentary,” he chuckled, making Jazz huff a short laugh.

“I need… a glass of water…” she almost croaked and sat up again, the wetness between her thighs slightly uncomfortable. She only noticed now that he had taken his glasses off, his hair was disheveled but he grinned as if he was the one who just had gotten off. After a sip of water she felt better but before she could finish the glass Kanata took it from her and set it on the coffee table.

“You think you can keep on reading while I fuck you?”

Jazz couldn’t stop staring at the report. It had been an interesting date scenario, and she had found a playful and teasing side to him that she hadn’t expected at the first glance. Finding a match for him had been pretty easy and Kanata had married not even half a year later. Tiff. Jazz remembered Tiff. With a sigh she got up from her desk and walked to their front desk.

“Izumi, if Kanata Tachibana calls – and he will call – tell him I’m not available. But he can have an appointment with me later this afternoon. Tell him groveling is a visual experience after all.”

Izumi frowned briefly but seeing Jazz’s very serious face he simply nodded. “Will do.”

Jazz knew he would call. After all Takao had sent Kanata a very stern letter, announcing that MJS was considering suing him for breach of contract and that Jazz personally considered filing a suit for libel.

After informing Takao about the similarities between the book and the actual events he had been shocked, flustered and very certain that they would win in court. Although there were slight differences, for example did Jess and Kaneda have sex in her office while she read him adult literature to turn him on, it was still too similar to be coincidental.

Throughout the book the Jess character got a bit more likeable but in the end she still broke Kaneda’s heart and they ended their business relationship just for Jess to take another lover.

Jazz had lunch at her desk and worked furiously, used her anger to fuel her zeal. When Izumi called and told her Kanata was there to see her she needed a moment to gather her thoughts, but her anger was still burning hot.

“Hello, Jazz.” He opened the door and peeked into the office just for Jazz to wave him in.

“It’s ‘Miss Mann’ to you, Tachibana-san.” She set the mood from the get go, making this a purely business related conversation, no room for feelings or nostalgia. He had betrayed her trust and that was something that Jazz simply couldn’t let slide. Plus he did ruin her reputation – there was no way this could stay under wraps. Not with the sales that book already had.

“Oh, well, Miss Mann, thank you for having me on such short notice.” He took a seat and Jazz simply stared at him until he squirmed.

She sighed. “You asked for this appointment, didn’t you? What can I do for you? Deliver some new ideas for your next book?”

He was visibly uncomfortable but that was the least he could be under these circumstances.

“I’m really sorry, but I didn’t plan for this to happen.” Bowing his head slightly Kanata waited for her say anything. She didn’t.

“It was an accident! My lector found the draft and basically forced me to write this story!”

“Don’t,” she hissed and clenched her fists. “Don’t you dare to put the blame on anyone else but yourself! And if a hundred editors and publishers and whatever were breathing down your neck, you had NO right to write this book! You have signed a damned NDA! Do you really think that changing the names a bit will be enough?”

Kanata sighed and hung his head. “I know. I know, I fucked up. I had the worst case of writers’ block and I just started drabbling a bit – and suddenly I had a whole book. It seemed a waste to just – delete it.”

“Are you kidding me?! This is much more than just ‘a book’,” Jazz imitated his tone. “This is my life, my business! You could have at least put some effort in changing the names!”

“Yeah, that was – unfortunate,” he admitted sheepishly.

“Un- UNFORTUNATE?! This is the lowest of low! You are an author, and as far as I know a pretty decent one! You should know better! People will connect the dots and figure out that ‘Jess Bann’ and Jazz Mann are the same person! Or they will think that at least.”

She sighed and rubbed her temples. Maybe she should change her name. Take Aikawa as her own last name.

“Imagine how my husband feels about this. Imagine how YOU would feel if I published the adventures of your wife with a slightly different name. I got her report here, that’s a very interesting read after all.” Of course this was a bluff. She would never do that to another woman, client or not. But Tiff had been on her date scenario with Kyobashi – and he was a proved recipe for some very dirty stuff. Jazz knew from personal experience.

Kanata paled a bit but Jazz immediately waved off. “Don’t worry, Tiff hasn’t done anything to deserve this. And neither did I.”

He nodded. “I know that I can’t undo this. The book is out and even if we stopped it now, too many copies have already been sold.”

“Oh, but I don’t want to stop the sale,” Jazz interjected.

“No?”

She shook her head, a small, vicious smile on her lips. “Of course not. Like you said, the damage is done. I want this book to be a bestseller because you will give me 50 percent of the profits.”

“50 percent?! That – that is a lot!” He seemed shocked but Jazz only shrugged.

“I could also go for a hundred if you prefer that. The words might be yours, but the story isn’t. It’s mine and you twisted it into something cheap and detestable.” She was back to hissing now and he exhaled deeply. “You gave me your trust, and I have honored that flawlessly – but you? You have committed an atrocious violation, a reprehensible, base and filthy crime against my true character that actually makes me feel dirty. And now I will have to live with this knowledge all my life and nothing I do can change that. Nothing ANYONE does can change that. So I could sue your sorry ass for everything you have, drag your face and name into every dirty little muckraking newspaper so you will never be able to go out again without being recognized –“ she paused for the dramatic effect, “or we settle that between us.”

Leaning back in her chair Jazz stared at him. “The only reason I’m even willing to negotiate is that you married a good woman and I wouldn’t want to destroy her life along with yours. I like her. She’s got spunk.”

“So 50 percent, okay. What else?” Kanata slumped down a bit, obviously giving up.

“I get all the rights that your publisher doesn’t hold already. I want to prevent that anyone can use this story, whether for movies or series or an audio book. Nothing like that.”

He nodded again.

“And you will never write anything that remotely resembles MJS or me or any of my partners in this business again.”

Another nod, this time firmer. Jazz exhaled.

“Good. At least that limits the damage a bit.” But it wouldn’t help her feeling better about the way her character had been portrayed in the book.

“One last question: Jess… I know she’s basically me, but do you really see me like that? Cold? Calculating? Heartless?”

Kanata shook his head softly.

“No. But I had to make her the antagonist in this. I couldn’t have him fall for her, could I? I –“ He hesitated but continued nonetheless. “I didn’t want my wife to think that I actually fell for you.”

“But you didn’t,” she stated, not asked.

“No. Don’t worry. But I can imagine it’s easy for your clients to fall for you.”

She let out a dry chuckle. “Not anymore. I’m a wedding planner now. My clients shouldn’t have eyes for anyone else than their future spouse.”

“It – it really hurt you how I wrote her character, didn’t it?” He frowned slightly, as if this thought hadn’t even crossed his mind so far.

“It did.” She clenched her teeth, the last thing she needed was his sympathy. She would gladly take his money, but not his pity.

“Hm… maybe I could – I don’t know, write a last book with Jess Bann. To show the softer side of her.” And when Jazz glared at him he added: “Purely fictional this time. Just to – redeem her. So the lasting impression wouldn’t be a negative one – and a wrong one.”

Jazz’s thoughts raced for a moment. Was that a good idea? She wanted less attention for this book, not more. But then again…

“You will let me read it before you publish it,” she demanded and he nodded. “Okay. I think that could appease me a bit. Well, that and 50 percent of the profits of that book, too.”

He let out a defeated sigh and weakly nodded again. “Where do I sign?”

“Head to Miho’s office,” Jazz told him coldly. “She’s going to want you to sign this one in blood.”

After everything was made official Jazz gathered her things and headed home.

“How did it go?” Kunihiko asked the moment she set a foot into their place.

“We’re going to get a nice sum of money,” she sighed and kicked off her shoes. “And a sequel to make Jess a better person.”

He wrapped his arms around her and Jazz inhaled his familiar and comforting scent. And frowned.

“Did you smoke again?”

He chuckled, she could feel the rumbling in his chest. “I did. Sorry.”

She simply waved it off and snuggled closer against his chest.

“I want to have your name.” She had pondered this for a while now and while there hadn’t been the time to get all the necessary paperwork before the wedding she now figured it would be a good idea. So far she had been clinging to her maiden name mostly because she felt it was an important part of her. But now?

“I want us to have the same name,” she quietly explained. He tightened his embrace.

“I have hoped you would say that eventually. I got everything ready for this. We can go and have your name changed tomorrow if you like.”

“And then we can be a real family?” she asked back, knowing how stupid that sounded. “A real married couple?”

“You and me. Mr. and Mrs. Aikawa.” He kissed her softly and Jazz nodded slowly, still wrapped up in his arms and his love.

“Sounds good. Sound really, really good.”

MJS Romance: Jazz x Kunihiko Fixing things

There was no denying the fact that Jazz needed her own clothes. No matter how long she stared into Miho’s closet, there wasn’t much that could fit her smaller frame. And no matter what Miho said, Jazz actually liked wearing panties, preferably her own. So she already knew she would have to go to Kunihiko’s place and get some clothes. Sooner or later she would have to get all her stuff anyway, but she didn’t want to sneak in like a thief in the night nor did she want to run into Kunihiko. And that was the problem.

He hadn’t called. He hadn’t texted or send a pigeon or anything. She had left and he had done nothing at all to contact her and that was hurt her the most. So she was afraid to face him because as long as she didn’t it wasn’t really true. Their relationship was in a strange limbo between intact and broken up and she was afraid to tip the scale into the wrong direction. It was Schroedinger’s relationship. Scratch the cat, every girl in the world would understand this parable.

But she knew she couldn’t avoid it much longer and so she called Osanai to ask him for Kunihiko’s schedule. It was an innocent question but when she knew that he was in a meeting she also knew that he wasn’t at home. Simple, clever, perfect. And obviously Kunihiko’s day was packed so Jazz had all the time in the world to gather some clothes and leave her key on the table. Not the classiest move but it would work.

But first she had some appointments and was really grateful that her emergency dress was still in the office. She couldn’t wear the same outfit three days in a row. It was late in the afternoon before Jazz had the time and the gathered courage to head towards Kunihiko’s apartment. Her heart pounded furiously and her hands were sweaty and trembling, but she managed to unlock the door like the countless times she did before. Only this time would be the last.

With a feeling as if she had swallowed a rock that now settled in her stomach Jazz walked into the familiar rooms, quickly grabbed the most important stuff. Documents, some memorabilia, and of course some clothes. She was glad that there were still boxes around from when she moved in with Kunihiko. She felt as if that was in another lifetime and it wasn’t even a month. Usually even Jazz managed to get a relationship going longer than that. With a glance at the boxes she realized that she would have to call a cab. Or someone with a car. But it was a workday and the only one coming to mind was Takao. She wouldn’t call Takao. He was a friend of Kuni and might tell him, it was too risky. No, she would quietly keep packing stuff and call a cab. Tokyo taxi drivers had seen worse than a crying woman with moving boxes.

She quickly sorted through her clothes, only took what she really needed now. Panties and bras, a few dresses and blouses, skirts and pants. Pajamas. Shoes. Everything stuffed into a box and a bag. She looked around the bedroom, considering bringing some of her jewelry but that didn’t seem that important now. Her gaze stopped at a picture that sat on Kunihiko’s nightstand. It was the black and white photo Jinpachi had taken, the lines and curves of her body from her hips down to her legs. Hesitantly she took the picture and following her whim she pushed it into her bag. Her picture, her body, her memories.

Jazz would have preferred to wipe out every trace of her in this place but she didn’t have the time for that. Still, she could take all the private things, everything that meant something to her. All the other stuff would follow as soon as she had figured out where she would stay.

She checked the clock and was surprised about how long she had taken so far. She better left soon, there was no use in pushing her luck. Jazz had just stacked two boxes on top of each other when she heard the key in the lock. She froze.

Now she really felt like an intruder, a thief, although she only came to get her own things. She wouldn’t take anything from him; she didn’t want anything from him. Only what belonged to her.

“Jazz? Jazz, are you still here?” He sounded breathless, hurried. Oh god. OH GOD! What should she do? Hide? Run? No, she wasn’t that childish and although she dreaded the encounter that was inevitable now, she was enough of an adult to simply get over with it and walk out with her head held high. No need for panic. Okay, maybe a little panic.

“I am here.” She stood up and smoothed down her dress, waiting for him to arrive in the bedroom.

“Thank god, you’re still here…” He was panting, his hair a bit disheveled. He must have been running. She snorted a dry laugh. Yeah, figure. He couldn’t wait to give her the finishing blow, could he?

His gaze fell on the boxes and the bag next to her and he straightened up, took a few steps towards her.

“What are you doing?”

Jazz couldn’t look at him. She knew his face, knew every expression and loved them all, but now she couldn’t watch him. Maybe she better just got over with it, like ripping off a bandage.

“I’m packing.” She was proud that her voice didn’t waver, that she sounded calm and matter-of-factly. Because inside she was a whirlwind of emotions, fear and pain and defiance swirling around in her head and her heart, making it hard for her to focus.

“You want to leave?” Kunihiko sounded as if he couldn’t belief it, as if that thought hadn’t even crossed his mind once. Maybe because he couldn’t imagine that she would take charge instead of waiting for him to send her stuff to her.

“I already left, did you forget? Or didn’t you even notice?” She couldn’t hold back the slightly bitter, sharp tone, that poison that was eating at her from the inside.

His shoulders slumped a bit and Jazz had to bite her lip to stop it from trembling.

“I – the office was like crazy today. All the projects that got cancelled – they all wanted to apologize and resume business relations. We were swamped with work.”

That was his answer? That was all?! Jazz took a deep breath, let it escape again through her nose. Tried to stay calm.

Kunihiko looked directly at her.

“Was that you?”

She chuckled dryly. “Sure. I went to all those companies and slept with everyone there so they would give you another chance.” The frown on his face was quickly replaced with a sad look.

“I deserve that, huh?”

Carefully he took a step closer and Jazz backed off, trying to keep the distance between them. She couldn’t be near him, here in this room where they had been so much closer, so many times. And now? Now she was here, watching their love wither before her own eyes. It was just too much to take. If he touched her now she feared that her heart would just shrivel, a tiny lump of tissue and muscle, no room for any kind of feelings left.

“What you deserve,” Jazz began, voice thick with her suppressed tears, “is someone who is good for you. But right now? I can’t find it in me to wish you that.” She knew she was petty, that this wouldn’t help her at all. But she was a stickler for honesty and she wouldn’t start lying now.

“I think I already have someone like that.”

Again he stepped closer and Jazz had nowhere left to run. Another step back and she would fall backwards on the bed. With every step he came closer her panic grew. If he touched her now she would just break. There wouldn’t even be enough left of her to ever put her together again. She would shrivel and wrinkle and when he turned his back on her she would simply cease to exist. Poof, just like that.

“Jazz… why did you even do that?” His violet eyes were trained on her, he was so close that she could feel his breath on her face. “After our argument… why did you even try to help me?”

She was trembling now, afraid of saying something stupid, really stupid when she opened her mouth. She wanted to snap at him, tell him that she didn’t ‘try’ anything but actually managed to resolve the mess with his company, managed to put Akane Kujuro in her place, all in a day’s work, but she couldn’t.

“Because I love you…” she breathed, followed by a sob. It was so pathetic, she was so pathetic, how could she ever think she deserved love? If she had learned one thing in her life it was that she only picked the wrong men and now that she had thought she had found the right one, the wrong men interfered again, albeit only their shadows. She tried to calm her breathing and wiped her eyes. She could do this. She could be a freakin’ adult and get over with this.

“Because the thought of you losing everything because of me drove me crazy. Consider it my farewell gift.” Jazz almost choked on these words but now that they were out she felt better. Closure. Yes, maybe that had been the thing she needed. By avoiding this conversation she had robbed herself of the chance to make her peace with this.

Of course that was complete bullshit. Even if they managed to talk this through, to find some mature and calm way of doing this, a break up was a break up. It would hurt either way.

“I don’t want that.” Kunihiko’s voice sounded hoarse and the crease between his brows deepened further. “I am grateful that you did whatever you did, but I don’t want it to be a farewell gift. I don’t want you to go.”

His hands cupped her face and as predicted Jazz broke. The tiny cracks in her façade widened and deepened, giving way for her tears.

“The last few days… without you here – it just didn’t feel right. I know that there’s no apology that can fix this, and believe me, I never wanted to hurt you or make you feel bad about yourself. That is actually something I admire about you. That you don’t seem to have regrets.” He offered her a small smile and Jazz snorted a laugh.

“Ha! I have so many regrets. The guy that pilfered my savings? Marrying head over heels and finding out my husband’s gay? Only yesterday I-“ She choked, sobbed and needed to take a deep breath. “I – I did something horrible,” she finally admitted in a small voice, unable to look at him.

His hands tensed slightly before he exhaled audibly, but he didn’t pull back.

“It’s okay, whatever it is, you can tell me. We can get through this,” he assured her only to meet her accusing gaze.

“You think I slept with someone else,” she finally said, a bitter statement, not a question. He only winced for a split second but it was enough for Jazz to drop her head again.

“Okay, I get it. Will it always be like this? Will you always doubt me? Make me feel guilty?” She stepped back and plopped down on the bed into a sitting position. “I can’t change my past, you know? And honestly, I wouldn’t even if I could. I made mistakes but that is life. Everyone makes mistakes.” And she didn’t even consider most of them actual mistakes.

The bed dipped next to her when he sat down, too, not touching her yet but close enough that she could feel the usual pull, the need for physical contact in his presence. But she didn’t give in, not when she wasn’t sure where this would end.

“I’m sorry… you are right. Everyone makes mistakes and I just made another stupid one. I do trust you, really, it’s just – my biggest fear is losing you. Ever since I finally found you I’m afraid that something, maybe someone, will you take you away from me.”

Jazz sighed. “Jealousy is often a sight of insecurity,” she mused loudly. “The thing is, whenever you get jealous I feel guilty, although I know I didn’t do anything wrong. You can’t blame me for having a past.” She shrugged. “I don’t blame you for yours, either.”

He nodded slowly. “I know. I really do.” For a moment neither of them spoke, they just didn’t know what to say, afraid to break this fragile peace.

“Do you want to talk about it? The horrible thing you did?” he suddenly offered.

She sighed, wrung her hands in her lap. “I blackmailed Ai and Akane to take care of their mess by threatening to make some details of my marriage public. I betrayed his trust and – shit, I just sank down on her level.”

“I don’t think he’s mad at you,” Kunihiko slowly said.

“Yeah? How come?”

“He paid me a visit today. Apologized for his mother’s actions. Honestly, between him and Miho – it’s a miracle that I’m still alive,” he jokingly said, but Jazz didn’t laugh. “Anyway, I had a long talk with him and if it wasn’t for the call from the concierge, telling me you came here I would probably still sit with him and talk.”

She still stayed silent and he filled the silence with words.

“I don’t like him, not after everything he did to you, but I have to admit – I’m not better. I hurt you, too, and I’m not sure if you can forgive me. If I can forgive me.” He hesitated but continued talking. “You are right, I have been jealous. But not of the men who – who slept with you. After talking to your ex husband I realized that I’m most jealous that he got something from you that you now won’t give anyone else. You married him. Even without ever having slept with him… because you loved him so much. I think that’s what’s really bothering me. Not that you had sex with other, in this day and age that’s pretty normal, but that you have loved so much before.”

Again silence stretched between them, wrapped them in a blanket that was hard to shake off. But she managed.

“You are an idiot.” But there was no rage in her words, she was too tired for anger by now. “I never said I wouldn’t marry ever again, I just said I don’t want to get married right now. That I want to be sure this time. I always thought I would only get married once and if I was Catholic I think I would have gone for an annulment rather than a divorce, basically erasing this marriage from my record.” She laughed briefly. “Sounds strange, I know. But in the end it wouldn’t change the fact that I said ‘I do’ and believed in it. So can you understand that I’m scared of making the same mistake twice? Of being too eager, too blinded?”

He nodded slowly, weakly. In his mind he could understand, even approve of her caution, her strength of will. But his heart – well, his heart had a mind of its own.

Jazz took another deep breath. The hardest part was yet to come.

“So the question is simple. Do you think you can live with that? Knowing about my past, but not about the future? At least not the next months, maybe years? I don’t know when I will be ready to marry again, but I do know that I can’t imagine it to be anyone else than you.”

She bit her bottom lip, dragged it through her teeth, unable to look at him. If he said ‘no’… well, if he really said no she would pack her things and leave. So far she had no idea what to do afterwards, but she wouldn’t beg him to stay, to love her. She would quietly leave his life and move on with her own. Somehow.

She prayed he wouldn’t say no.

“I – I think there’s something wrong here,” he finally said and she closed her eyes, bracing herself for whatever he would say.

“I’m not the one making a decision. You have always been honest with me-“

Jazz flinched imperceptibly. She was honest whenever he asked her something, but she only answered his questions. She still held some things back sometimes.

“- and still I have made you feel bad about yourself, about your honesty. I know you said some things just so I wouldn’t say them and I understand. It would have hurt more and there would be no way to take them back.”

Jazz nodded. Some words couldn’t be taken back, they would always stay, lingering between them, piling up until they suffocated any feelings. That was why she chose her words carefully in a fight. Things said in anger or frustration were often crueler than intended, but once said they couldn’t be unheard.

Kunihiko kept on talking. “But I want you to know that I was wrong, that I feel deeply sorry for hurting you, for saying what I said and most of all, for making you think I would actually believe those words. I don’t. I never did. And even if, it shouldn’t matter. You are a strong and independent woman, brave and smart. I was a fool not to tell you about Kujuro-san and her actions against me and my company, I was a fool to think you wouldn’t do everything you can to help me. But I was also too proud to ask for your help.” He smiled wryly and Jazz inhaled sharply. Where was he heading?

“Pride shouldn’t be an issue between us. Jealousy shouldn’t be. I love you. I want to spend my life with you, with or without wedding, I don’t care. If you can forgive me I will never let you go again. And if you can’t – the please let me do whatever it takes so you can eventually. Let me earn your trust again, let me-“

She cut him off with a kiss, slid into his lap and wrapped her arms around him.

“Sometimes the only one that can make you feel better is the one who hurt you in first place,” she whispered against his lips. “And I really, really want you to make me feel better now. I’m fed up with feeling miserable.”

She didn’t need tell him twice. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her even closer against him he kissed her, the fear, the insecurity, the guilt – everything that had kept them apart melted away under their kisses, the urgency and longing that spurred them on. They didn’t even separate long enough to undress properly, their clothes ripped from them, discarded carelessly on the floor.

Without giving him much of a choice Jazz pushed Kunihiko down on the bed, pulled his pants and boxers just so far down that she could reveal his hard cock, her own panties just pushed to the side so she could sink down on him, her dress hiked up, his shirt half unbuttoned. There would be time for tender lovemaking later, now she needed to feel him, to reconnect in the most primal way she could think of. Her nails dragged down his half exposed chest, left red marks until she reached a button, ripped it off while yanking his shirt further off him. Her hands on his chest Jazz started moving, spurred on by his gaze, eyes dark and full of desire.

He had been right, not everything could be fixed with sex. But this? This worked. She hissed and groaned, head thrown back, eyes closed, focused on the physical sensations rather the emotions. There was still a lingering pain at the edges of her conscience and she knew it would take some time for it to fade, leaving only a slightly more sensitive spot behind. But she was willing to take the risk, praying that this time she wasn’t mistaken. He was worth it. Their love was worth it.

Kunihiko startled her by suddenly sitting up, hands cupping her face again, his thumbs wiping away tears she hadn’t realized shedding.

“I will never hurt you again,” he promised hoarsely, making her sob. An empty promise; he couldn’t possibly keep it, but his intention was true. So she wrapped her arms around him while he did the same, slowly rocked in his lap, bodies pressed tightly against each other, countless kisses filling the little space between them. He came first, encouraged by both sweet and dirty words from her lips. Only when Kunihiko stilled the movements of her hips she stopped, still embracing him. They panted and were sweaty, but she grinned widely at him.

“You are … incredible…” he chuckled, dropping a kiss on the tip of her nose. “I really don’t deserve you.”

“Don’t you ever forget that,” Jazz reminded him before she got off his lap with a sigh, heading for the bathroom to clean up. When she came back Kunihiko was lying on the bed, completely naked now and with a small smile on his lips.

“Hey you,” he greeted her and Jazz smiled back.

“Hey.” She crawled onto the bed, right into his open arms. There was still a lot for them to talk about, but when he started undressing her, without the rush from earlier, they both wordlessly decided to do the talking later. And after he had coaxed the second orgasm from her, growing hard in the process again, they had the tender lovemaking that soothed both their hearts until they could fall asleep, entangled in each other.

Breakfast the next day was spent in a relaxed, happy atmosphere.

“Have you called Miho and said you won’t come to work today?” he asked and handed her a bowl with fresh sliced fruit.

“I sent her a text last night so she doesn’t worry. It was a bit short but I guess she got what I tried to say, she sent me a ‘Show him who’s the boss’ back, followed by a couple of emojis and some lewd comments.” Jazz giggled and Kunihiko rolled his eyes, but smiled.

“She’s really-“

He started but Jazz raised an eyebrow.

“A bad influence?” she asked teasingly.

“A great friend,” he finished his sentence. Jazz hummed in agreement and took a sip of tea.

“You know you will have to beg to get back into her good graces, right?”

He sighed. “Yeah, figured so much. Maybe whiskey on the house for – hm, forever?”

Jazz chuckled. “That’s at least a good start. Just to ease your mind, she’s at least not the type who slaps you the ‘I told you so’ into your face. She gloats, and very much so, but only because she’s happy that everything worked out in the end.” She smiled fondly, thinking about Miho. “But I’m glad that I don’t have to stay at her place anymore. She’s got wandering hands when she’s half asleep, thinking I’m Goto…”

Kunihiko blinked a few times but didn’t say anything. They continued eating, thoughts wandering but only to happy places.

“So, are you sure?” he asked, for the umpteenth time that morning after putting his dish into the sink.

“I am,” she confirmed and smiled reassuringly. “I know I will get into real trouble, especially with Miho, but I think it’s the right thing to do.”

He grinned happily, violet eyes shining. “We are really going to do it?”

Jazz nodded and beamed back at him. “We are. Let’s elope.”

MJS Out of office drama: Jazz x Kunihiko Heartbreak

Jazz felt strange, this had been the first fight between her and Kunihiko but it had actually been looming for a while now, casting its shadow over their happiness. He had a problem with the fact that she had slept with quite a few men, before and after meeting him, but he had also said he could live with it. Obviously he couldn’t.

Jazz sighed. She stubbornly refused to feel guilty, she had warned him, had given him the chance to change his mind but he had assured her he was fine with her past. Only he wasn’t. The comments about the men she had been with, the jealousy he had shown, the insecurity wasn’t only a burden for him, but also for her.

Although it was way before her usual time to get up Jazz left the bed and tiptoed into the bathroom, got ready quickly and dressed for the day, having already decided to skip breakfast to get out of the apartment as fast and silently as possible so she wouldn’t wake Kunihiko up. She didn’t want to face him now.

Her caution was unnecessary, he had already left, maybe he hadn’t even slept on the couch at all, it was hard to tell. Now that she thought about it, they hadn’t shared breakfast or dinner for a while now, one of them always out or at work. They did meet up for lunch every other day, and they spent the nights in the same bed. Except for last night.

Burying herself in the bed sounded tempting but she had appointments that day and wouldn’t miss them just because she was having trouble in her personal life. She was a professional after all.

After a first stop in the office Jazz hurried towards Larme to meet Liana Starling, future Mrs. Ishigami, and pick a cake for her wedding. She spotted her through the huge window already, quickly checked the time and sighed in relief when she saw that she was still in time.

“Liana, good to see you. Being engaged suits you, you’re looking great,” Jazz complimented the bride to be.

“Thank you, we are very happy,” Liana said with a smile. “We met Miss Fujiwara the other day. Did you know that her fiancé works with mine?”

Jazz nodded.

“I’m aware of that, and so is Miss Fujiwara. It might have been a surprise for Goto, though.” After all he hadn’t read the reports.

“So, uhm, she said she… she wasn’t in charge of creating the profile of…” Liana began but Jazz interrupted her, still smiling.

“I’m sorry, but I won’t talk about that. Confidentiality, you understand. And I’m sure you wouldn’t like me talking with Ishigami-san about your date with Baba, would you? If you feel uncomfortable working with me now I can recommend you another good wedding planner, but I hope we can simply move on from that topic and create the perfect wedding for you and the man that loves you.”

Liana nodded slowly and then smiled. Her deep blue eyes sparkled and she leaned towards Jazz as if to tell her a secret.

“I can’t wait to try the custard pudding cake. If it’s any good I already know which one I’ll pick.”
Jazz smiled back and nodded.

“Well, then let’s start trying cakes.”

It was a bit weird to have Aki serve them cake, but Jazz got used to act as if she didn’t know her clients when she met them outside of work.

“Thank you,” she just said and smiled warmly when he sat down a plate with chocolate cake in front of them.

“You are very welcome,” Aki replied with his usual smile, making Jazz blink a few times.

“Oh, this is good. I love chocolate,” Liana exclaimed and took another bite of the layered chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling and frosting.

Jazz took a forkful of cake and carefully ate it. It melted in her mouth and made her sigh in contentment.

“If I had to choose that would be my pick,” she admitted but knew that her opinion wasn’t important here. Still, it was a fantastic cake.

“It’s the first one, shouldn’t you at least try the others?” Aki asked, smile unwavering.

“Sometimes you know what you want the moment you see it, no other options needed,” Jazz replied airily, earning herself a chuckle.

But of course she still tried the other cakes.

“So, which one should it be?” she asked Liana after trying five different cakes.

“The lemon one was good, but not good enough. I liked the chocolate cake and actually the custard pudding one was really good. The rest was okay, but not what I want.”

Jazz jotted that down in her notebook, furrowed her brow briefly and motioned for Aki to come over.

“Say, would it be possible to combine two cakes? To have both the chocolate one and the pudding cake?”

Aki tilted his head for a moment.

“I have to ask our pastry chef, but I think it’s possible. We can send you an offer and then you can decide.”

Jazz nodded and thanked him, waited for Liana to finish her cake and got ready to leave. On a whim she ordered some cake to go and once she and her client parted ways she quickly called a number she knew by heart now.

“Yes?”

“Osanai? It’s Jazz Mann, I’m wondering if Mr. Aikawa already had lunch today.”

“Oh, Miss Mann. No, he hasn’t. He is very busy at the moment, too busy to even leave the office.”

Jazz made a decision.

“Do you think it’s possible for me to bring him lunch? So he won’t have to leave but still gets something to eat.”

“He is in a meeting right now but afterwards it should be possible. In half an hour maybe.”

She smiled. Jazz hated arguments, she preferred to actually have a harmonious relationship. So even if she thought herself to be in the right she still wanted to make up and act like an adult instead of sulking all day long.

“That would be perfect, but please don’t tell him about my visit. I want it to be a surprise.”

“Understood. I will announce you to the security, though, so you can come right up.”

“Thank you, Osanai. Till later then.”

With her smile even growing Jazz looked for the closest convenience store to get some kind of bento for Kunihiko. And something for Osanai.

Half an hour later she was standing in front of Kunihiko’s office, her heart pounding in a mixture of excitement and anxiety. She hoped that he had cooled off enough for them to talk about this like adults – and maybe even make up like adults. There was something about office sex that made her knees weak.

She waved towards Osanai and put a bento on his desk, raising her index finger to her lips to tell him not to give the surprise away by talking to her. After a quick knock against his office door she simply entered, figuring Osanai would have stopped her if Kunihiko was still in a meeting or on the phone.
He was neither, instead he stared at the computer screen, the crease between his brows deep and his whole expression dark. Maybe he was still upset about their fight but Jazz figured that there was more behind his bad mood lately. He must have been really busy.

“Lunch delivery,” she cheerfully announced just for him to stare at her as if she was a mirage.

“Jazz? Sorry, did we have an appointment?”

“I didn’t know that I need an appointment to see you now. Although that might explain why we haven’t had dinner once in the last two weeks,” she said, realizing that she still was rather miffed.

Okay, that start wasn’t the best but she could still make it.

“I brought you lunch. And cake,” she smiled and set both bags down on his desk. “I guess you haven’t eaten yet.”

Kunihiko sighed but turned away from his desk, ran his hands over his face and got up.

“You’re right. Lunch sounds good and I wanted to take a break anyway.”

His small smile relaxed Jazz, the tension didn’t vanish completely but at least decreased. Even more when he came closer and kissed her briefly.

“Thank you,” he muttered and for a moment everything was fine between them. They ate, sitting on a small couch, and talked a bit, not about their fight, though.

“What’s going on? You are working a lot lately,” Jazz wanted to know but he only flashed her a troubled smile.

“We are having some problems right now, some business partners are a bit – unreliable. But don’t worry, it will be fine.”

“If there’s anything I can do…” she offered but he shook his head.

“You can’t help me with that, but thanks.”

His tone indicated that the discussion was over but Jazz still was uneasy. Did he keep secrets from her? Well, she had to trust him, after all she always said that trust and honesty were the most important things in a relationship. So she changed the topic. Jazz put her bento down and turned a bit so she was pressed against his side.

“I might not be able to help with your work, but I certainly could do something else for you. Maybe take your mind off things?”

Her hand rested on his thigh and she could feel him tense under her touch.

“Is that really the only thing you can think of?” he curtly huffed and Jazz blinked but pulled her hand back.

“What? Now I‘m not even allowed to touch you anymore?”

“That’s not it. It’s just…” he sighed and scooted away from her a bit.

“Just what?” she asked. “Kunihiko, just what?”

“Not everything in life can be solved with sex, okay?” He scowled at her and for a moment she didn’t know what to say.

“Okay… first of all, I have NO IDEA what got your panties in a twist like that, but I’d say as long as it has nothing to do with me you better calm down before snapping at me like that. And secondly,” she had risen on her feet, the anger she had felt last night back in full force, “I’m not trying to solve anything. I thought you might enjoy a bit of attention, but obviously I was mistaken.”

“It’s not about ‘attention’ and you know that,” he growled.

“Then what is it about?” she challenged him to answer, but he kept silent.

“Is it still about jealousy? About the men I have been with before you?”

She forced herself to stay calm, to not yell at him. Osanai storming in wasn’t what she needed right now.

“No. But I have to admit that doesn’t help. I start wondering if there’s even one man-”

He stopped, obviously biting his tongue.

Jazz narrowed her eyes on him.

“One man what? One man I haven’t slept with?”

Her hands were trembling, she was so angry that she could barely keep her voice down. She knew it. She had known that one day he would hold this against her. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why did she ever think he would be really okay with this? With her?

“There is one. My ex-husband. But you already knew that. Aside from him? You better assume I slept with every man I ever met, that will save you some brooding,” she hissed and grabbed her purse and stormed out of the office, ignoring when he called her name.

She directly rushed into the lady’s room, hid in a stall and forced the tears down. Did they just break up? Was it over now? What the hell did just happen? Jazz was close to hyperventilating, she covered her mouth with her hands to prevent her sobs from escaping when she heard the restroom door and the chatter of two, maybe three female employees.

“Did you hear? Another project was cancelled.”

“Really? That’s the third one this week.”

“If that goes on like this they might fire some people.”

Definitely three different voices.

“I heard that Mr. Aikawa angered some influential bigshot somewhere.”

The first voice again.

“You mean that woman that came here the other day?”

Third voice.

“You don’t know her?”

Second voice again.

“No, do you?” the first one asked.

“Yes. She’s the mother of that CEO from that real estate company.”

Jazz’s heart stopped for a moment. That couldn’t be… Ai’s mother? Was it really Akane Kujuro? Wasn’t it enough for her to ruin Jazz’s life and take her apartment away? What did she want with Kunhiko? And why didn’t he tell her about that? Didn’t he trust her at all? Well, she would show him what she was able to do.

Not even 30 minutes later Jazz stormed into Ai’s apartment, knowing he was home.

“Jazz, what brings you here?” he asked innocently but Jazz was so angry that she didn’t even greet him, instead she rushed past him into the living room, opened a cabinet and grabbed a bottle of booze.

“You are a spineless coward, Ai Kujuro! Since when is your mother on this revenge trip?” She could hear Kou coming from the kitchen but she simply ignored him.

“What are you talking about?” Ai asked back.

“What I am talking about? I’m talking about your mother! I’m talking about the fact that you are suing me out of my apartment! That your company is responsible for several business deals falling through for Aikawa.com! I’m talking about your mother going all out because she’s still miffed about our divorce, something YOU were meant to tell her! Instead I had to, and in the worst possible way!”

She took a sip from the bottle and sputtered, the alcohol too strong for her to just gulp it down in her anger.

“Whoa, whoa, easy there. I am suing you?” Ai was standing in front of her now, brows furrowed.

“Not you, that damn company of yours! You didn’t know?”

He shook his head and briefly glanced over at Kou.

“No. I mean, I gave it to you in the first place.”

“Well,” Jazz said and put the bottle down, not attempting to take another sip, “maybe you should grow a pair and go to your mother to tell her that there is no need to punish me and everyone around me since divorcing me doesn’t hurt you at all. I mean, I know she doesn’t like me, but this is going too far.”

“Don’t you think you’re exaggerating?” Ai carefully asked just to get a very dirty look from Jazz.

“Oh please! She’s still angry that I didn’t want to quit my job to be a housewife and pop out two or three grandchildren!” she chuckled wryly. “Maybe I should tell her why I never got pregnant in the first place.”

Kou and Ai shared a look.

“Jazz… I’m sorry that this is happening to you but maybe you’re overreacting,” Ai slowly said.

“You think? Because I think I should be ripping your balls off, you won’t need them to make babies after all. And even that would be a pretty light punishment for the fact that you haven’t told your mother about our divorce like we said. If you would have just done that she wouldn’t have been so shocked when she ran into me and Kunihiko the other day and she wouldn’t have thought I was cheating on you. Pretty ironic, by the way.” Jazz was in full flow now. “I was fine with being your pretend wife as long as it was just about you and me, but now… shit, Ai, there are jobs at stake. I mean, forget the apartment, I can find something else, but this is really shitty. She’s punishing people who have nothing to do with the whole mess between you and me!”

“Ai,” Kou said urgently when he saw Jazz’s expression. “I think you owe her that much.”

It was strange, although Kou wasn’t exactly a calm and shy person he rarely spoke up when Jazz was around, maybe he just didn’t like her, maybe he actually felt bad for putting her through the whole faked marriage while having an affair with her husband the whole time. Jazz didn’t know and didn’t care, she wasn’t that keen on spending time with them anyway. But now he took her side and she was grateful for it.

“I’m just not ready to tell her yet,” Ai sighed but Jazz glared at him.

“I’m sorry, Ai, I know it’s a very private thing, but I won’t allow her to destroy the company of Kunihiko just because she’s petty. If you don’t tell her I will. I have more than enough proof, she will believe me in the end. She has to.”

There was no way for Jazz to back down now. She would show Kunihiko that she was capable of cleaning up the mess that she created, although involuntarily and unintentional. But this was still on her somehow. Maybe if she had tried harder to get along with Ai’s mother. Maybe if she had be more careful after the divorce. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

And afterwards? Jazz sighed, it was already late and she was tired, emotionally drained now that the anger slowly subsided, only leaving the hurt behind. Did Kunihiko really call her a slut? Maybe not verbatim, but it was the gist of it, right?

“If you don’t tell her by tomorrow noon, I will. Sorry, I can’t let this slide any longer.”

Without giving Ai the chance to reply Jazz turned around and left.

Sleep. She just wanted to go to sleep now, maybe curl up in bed and cry a bit. But she didn’t have a bed. Back to Kunihiko’s apartment wasn’t an option, her own place was already cleared and she didn’t feel like explaining this whole mess to anyone. With a sigh Jazz headed towards a hotel she knew, glad that she had visited enough to know which one would be a good choice now.

After an unpleasant night, full of doubt and without much sleep Jazz trudged into her office, glad that she didn’t have early appointments. She was still waiting for a message from Ai and she really hoped that he would have the guts to face his mother and not cowardly let her deadline pass so Jazz would have to do this herself. Kunihiko hadn’t tried to contact her either and although it was some kind of relief, not having to deal with this on top of everything else, there was a sting she couldn’t deny. Was it really over now?

Well, she figured it had been only a matter of time until things went pear shaped, lucky in love wasn’t meant for her after all. She wouldn’t go back to do the reports, it just didn’t feel right anymore.

“Didn’t you wear that outfit yesterday?” Miho’s voice dragged her back to the present.

“Yeah, minus the wrinkles,” Jazz wryly answered.

Miho walked into the office and sat down in the chair in front of Jazz’s desk.

“What’s wrong?”

And Jazz told her.

And the more Jazz revealed, the darker Miho’s eyes seemed to get. There may or may not have been the crack of knuckles as she balled her fists so tightly all blood fled from beneath the skin.

“I wasn’t wrong about Aikawa,” she declared, her tone tight, taut – that calm before the storm type of restraint that warned destruction was imminent. “That stupid fucker loves you or he wouldn’t be so manic about our work – but that cow Kujuro? You know I was a ninja assassin in a past life right? I’ll take that bitch out, just say the word.”

Jazz laughed, the first genuine laughter since she had – well, since the dance off two days ago.

“It’s fine, Miho, I think I can get that sorted out. Somehow. Unfortunately not without outing Ai in the process and I really want to avoid that. It’s not on me to tell his mother but you bet I will without batting an eye if necessary.” She sighed and rested her head on the desk.

“Just waiting for high noon to draw my gun, though.”

“It’s fine?”

Miho shook her head and glared unmerciful death at victims not actually present.

“It’s not fine,” she snorted, and seemed to be looking for some other words that maybe shouldn’t be articulated, or published, anywhere, ever. “So, you’re bunking with me until this shit is sorted right?”

“Depends. What did you do on the couch? No, don’t tell me. I better not bring my blacklight, but yeah, if it’s okay with you I’d rather stay with you than going back to a hotel. It’s rather – it reminds me too much of all the occasions on which I frequented hotels.”

Jazz made a face and sighed again. She didn’t feel guilty, there was no shame, no handprints on her body and soul. Whatever she did so far happened with her consent and in most cases she enjoyed it, very much so. There was nothing she truly regretted and she wouldn’t start pretending it was otherwise. And still she felt responsible for the whole mess she was in now. If she hadn’t been so stupid to belief Kunihiko would be really fine with her experiences and number of lovers she wouldn’t be where she was right now.

“Remind me to start acting like a fuckin’ adult already, will you?”

“You’d have to keep track of those panties if you did that,” Miho chortled, but there was still murder in her gaze. “Heh, forget the couch, you can snuggle with me, I’mma kick Goto out for a while.”

Jazz knew her well enough to not expect her to sit on her hands – Miho was a meddler, through and through. Miho told herself that by virtue of Jazz telling her all this, it was permission, if not clear instruction, for her to butt in and say her piece – also Miho’s own honour had been challenged.

“I’m a bad influence am I?” she sniffed, hazel eyes glinting. “Ooooh Aikawa, you are so dead.”

“Can’t wait to get me into your bed again, can you? Poor Goto, you’re not even married yet and you are already making him sleep on the couch.” Jazz laughed lightly. “No, it’s okay. Couch is fine, but please, don’t make me listen to you going at it like bunnies.” She quickly checked her phone again. Still no sign from Ai. He only had two hours left before Jazz would take matters in her own hand. And she really wasn’t keen on that.

“Let me treat you to lunch as token of my gratitude, how about it?”

“Goto will live,” she smirked. “He doesn’t like glitter much so I’m informed. And you know he has his own apartment to sleep in right? It’ll be just you, me, and my wine cellar until this is done.”

She then shook her head.

“You know you don’t need to pay off your best friend to take care of your right?” she said, rolling her eyes. “But you know, boozy lunch works for me.”

Lunch was boozy.

But not so boozy that Miho wasn’t in full possession of her faculties… and her rage. She knew she couldn’t KILL Kuni, should she kind of wanted to – eh but that meant admitting she had been wrong about he and Jazz being perfect for one another.

Sure, her own pride was a liiiiiitle bit hurt, but on the other hand, being a bad influence could have been taken as a compliment – she should totally take that as a compliment. With this on her mind, and a vicious grin on her face, she slammed her palm against the door of Long Island, drawing all eyes to her instantly.

And she didn’t care, not one, little, bit.

In fact, it made her next utterance easier, because she didn’t have to call the patrons to attention, she already held it.

If it was possible to see rage radiated from someone – it was visible, wafting from her in shuddering waves of I will fucking shank you.

“I need to have a quiet word with Mr. Aikawa,” she said, loud enough to be heard by all, but with that palpable warning of imminent death for anyone who failed to follow. “So I would appreciate (see leave or die), if you could give us the room (see gtfo if you value your existence).”

Takao groaned lowly when he saw and heard Miho. He didn’t know her that well but he knew she had kind of a temper and Jazz had told him some stories that made him wonder if Miho would ever need his help as a lawyer in other issues than those concerning MJS.

Saeki raised his eyebrow in interest, he could never resist some drama and even less a woman who was so wonderfully capable of showing emotion. Angry sex was some of the best sex after all.

Yamato only grinned. “Hey Kuni, you’re in trouble, huh? What did you do to make her that mad?”

Kunihiko only shrugged and poured Miho a whiskey.

“Guys, you heard the lady. Maybe you should step out for a minute.” He knew there was no use in stalling, but he was a bit irritated that it was Miho and not Jazz who came to talk. Or to yell at him, at least that what it looked like right now.

Takao furrowed his brow. “Are you sure?”

Kunihiko hadn’t told anyone about his recent troubles yet, not those at work and nor those with Jazz. He simply nodded. Let them think whatever they wanted to think.

“But I wanted to watch this? Might give me some inspiration after all. Beautiful enraged woman storms into a bar and threatens the owner. I need to know how this will end.”

“You will know, but you don’t have to witness it. Get out for now,” Kunihiko said firmly, the stress of the past few days making him impatient.

Grumbling Saeki slid from his chair, followed by Yamato and a still concerned Takao.

Miho allowed the men to file past her before approaching the bar and sitting herself up on a stool.

She then dropped her credit card onto the bar top.

“Whiskey please,” she requested, trying to restrain herself, but lunch had been pretty boozy already.

Really, she was just asking out of a strange sense of courtesy.

“And, when you’re done pouring, you can skip the ‘this is none of my business’ part of the defence, because my bestfriend is breaking into a thousand pieces because you can’t let go of a past that has nothing to do with you, and bad influence on her or not, you can bet what manhood you pride yourself for having, I will protect, and defend her no matter what.”

That was as good an introduction as she could manage.

Kunihiko sighed and slid the glass over the counter.

“So she sends you here to do what? Threaten me?” He should have known that Jazz tells Miho. Hell, he had actually expected Miho to storm in much earlier.

“No,” she disagreed. “She didn’t send me, and I am not here to threaten you. This is an informative mission – I’m, R2D2 and this may be your only hope, because you are clearly missing some serious subtext that maybe you’ve not spent enough time with her to pick up on.”

Her eyes narrowed, looking beyond him and fixing upon a bottle of whiskey before her gaze slid back to him.

“Do you know, that I’ve never seen her happier, in all the time I’ve known the woman, than when you two finally hooked up?” she offered, her tone suddenly light, conversational. “All that crap with the moron husband just sort of lifted from her, and underneath it all was someone shiny and light. You did that, you know?”

Shiny and light. Happy. Yes, he knew what Miho was talking about, and he had fallen so hard for that bright smile, the way Jazz laughed, a bit dorky but with this sound that made his heart soar. And he really wanted her to be like that, always.

“That moron husband is one of the things bothering me actually,” he finally admitted. “That and every other man who ever – anyway. Some things are hard to explain and I don’t even expect her to understand me – or you.”

“You’ve got me all wrong, Aikawa,” Miho laughed, pointing at the bottle now seeing as he didn’t seem to be able to multi-task and hadn’t gotten her point. “I absolutely understand, because I wasn’t wrong about you two. I know you love her so much, the idea anyone ever touching her other than you, whether she loved them or not, boils your blood. You simply can’t stand the concept she was anyone else’s but yours.”

Okay, now her smile was a little creepy, until it seeped slowly toward cold again.

“Ai broke her so badly, made her so miserable, trapped her in a place where she thought not only would she never love again, but that love wasn’t for her, that she didn’t even deserve it,” she continued. “Do you have any idea the courage it took for her to admit to herself she loves you? Jesus Christ! You don’t marry someone you don’t love excluding all others and she did only to be betrayed so summarily she resigned herself to loneliness… forever… until you. And you’re worried about what? That she’ll cheat on you because our job entailed – past tense – sexually profiling people so we could find them happiness in their lives we hardly dared dream for ourselves?”

Kunihiko raised an eyebrow. Miho seemed ever agitated but not only because of Jazz. Well, there had to be story there but he now was too busy with his own problems. He grabbed the bottle of whiskey and refilled her glass.

“That woman came visiting me in my office the other day,” he suddenly said. “Showed me a list of names and dates. A long list. Some of the names I even knew. Told me that she had someone tailing Jazz because she had been sure that Jazz only wanted to marry for money. I nearly kicked her out when she said that.” A dry chuckle escaped his lips. Of course he knew that woman. She was from a very influential family after all.

“So the PI she had hired followed Jazz for over a year. Do you know how many names -?” He stopped and took a deep breath. “Aikawa.com has business relations to some of those names. And suddenly they dropped those relations. Projects we had been working on for months. A lot of money and a lot of time.”

He poured himself a glass. “I know it’s not her fault. But I can’t say it didn’t sting when I saw that. And suddenly more of my business partners called off projects. That’s just… I thought I could try to handle one thing first, and maybe afterwards have a long talk with her. About how many men she had really been with.” He knew he was pathetic, swearing his love to her and now? But he needed some time to think, not to feel for once.

“Of course I know how many names,” Miho nodded, a little more soberly now she had her whiskey. “You think mine would be any shorter?”

She let that sit for a second, the tilted her glass in Kuni’s direction.

“You know, you came to us too, right?” she pointed out. “Your name is on that list of however many men – men, I might add, who are now mostly happily married to women because of MJS and have nothing to do with us anymore?”

Rhetorical question of course.

“Still, she might tell you how many, but don’t you dare ask her that,” she said, and her eyes narrowed.

Eyes like Godzilla considering how much indigestion eating that cab might cause.

“You already called her a slut once, you know that right? Looked right at her and called her a filthy, dirty, whore who you couldn’t trust not to hump the leg of the next passing man despite any declarations she’s made to you. A… whore.”

His eyes widened. He did not do any of that sort! He would never!

“That is not what happened,” he stated firmly. Did Jazz say that? Think that? He knew that there were some things better left unsaid because once out in the open the words could never be taken back. So he usually stopped talking BEFORE he actually said something like that. “And I don’t like you talking like that about her.”

He could be cold, too. He could be angry to the brink of being destructive, but he didn’t want to. He chose not to be like that. And still…

“She was the one saying things like that and before I could even object she was already rushing out. Didn’t come home at all. She didn’t even tell me where she was.”

“That is how she thinks you see her,” Miho clarified firmly, utterly impervious to anything he might say about herself. “Whether you said it explicitly or not, my best friend, who loves you more than she values her own self esteem, believes that is how you view her – and because she loves you, that much, she will try to protect you by walking away if you let her.”

Miho scowled now, but this time it wasn’t angry. It had to be clear, if Kuni had any sense about him at all, that Miho’s love for her friend was what drove her, and in turn, she hurt also.

“Don’t let her do that,” she said, an imperative statement grammatically speaking, but her tone of voice actually made it sound more like a plea. “Because she might never pick herself up again… mhmm, and maybe, after you… she shouldn’t.”

Kunihiko thought of Jazz, of her smile, her warmth. How she made cookies when she was happy and how she wanted him to teach her Japanese cooking so she could do that for him. And then he thought about that list again. He knew that the woman who slept with all those men was the same he wanted in his life so badly, but he had troubles matching those images.

Did she really think he considered her a whore? Would actually asking her with how many men she had slept make it easier for him? Probably not. But wasn’t Jazz the one who always said honesty was the most important in a relationship?

What do to? What to feel, to say? Was there even a way to apologize?

“I won’t let her go,” he slowly said. “But I can’t just ignore what happened, can I?”

In a single gulp, Miho emptied her glass, snatched up her credit card and dumped a bunch of bills onto the bar instead, before hopping off the stool.

It seemed she was done with the roasting.

She waved over her shoulder as she headed for the door, but paused to look back at him – sober, completely sober.

“We may have enjoyed the sex, but never loved the men we had it with… until we stopped doing it for the ones we actually do. You, are the one among this many you’re so concerned about, the one she never knew until she did, and it stopped her in her tracks completely. If you can’t be happy with that?”

She inhaled, and then exhaled.

“Then shit, I guess I was really wrong about you after all.”

Then she turned out the door muttering, to herself, bitterly.

“I fuckin’ hate being wrong.”

After lunch Jazz anxiously stared at her phone. Shit, she would really have to go and talk to Akane. Great, another one convinced she was only a money grubbing whore. She took a deep breath and browsed through her contacts until she reached the entry ‘monster in law’. Her finger hovered over the call button and she nearly let her phone drop when it suddenly rang.

“Fuck it, Ai! You wanna give me a heart attack?” she yelled and took the call.. “You better say you’ve talked to your mother, you spineless jerk.”

“I love you, too, but now I’m too wiped out for pleasantries. And yes, I talked to her. Told her everything. She still wants to talk to you, though, so you better get your little ass over here.”

Jazz groaned inwardly. And outwardly.

“You know I’m not exactly keen on seeing her,” she sniffed and Ai laughed.

“So am I, but cling together, swing together,” he chuckled.

“Oh please, swinging with you is out of question,” she shot back.

“I know, I know. But don’t worry, I think she’s feeling bad for what she did,” Ai said nonchalantly.

“You think?” Jazz asked, clearly not convinced.

“Okay, let me rephrase this: She won’t take no for an answer and if you want to get over with this, you better come here. I’m here, too, and so is Kou. Although mother isn’t amused about it.” He chuckled wryly and Jazz sighed. Better get this done now before it took even longer to resolve this mess. God, she should have stayed in Europe after all.

Gathering the last shreds of strength Jazz agreed and left the office.

There was no solace in the fact that Akane seemed beyond pissed whenever she looked at Kou and Ai because she looked at Jazz with the same disgust. But Jazz wouldn’t back down now.

“Hello, Kujuro-san.”

“So you lied to me. All the time you lied to me.” Akane didn’t even take a second to greet Jazz but she hadn’t expected anything else.

“No, I didn’t. When Ai introduced me I didn’t know either. And believe me, it might be a shock that your son loves another man, but it’s even more shocking to find out that your husband does.” Jazz had enough. She was a victim of this lie after all, not the one who came up with it.

“Ladies, please calm down. We are all hurt here,” Ai started only to earn a glare from both his mother and ex wife.

“I think you are the only one here who shouldn’t talk right now. Kou, your mother and I, we are the ones who had to endure this after all.”

Ai raised his hands in mock surrender but Jazz ignored it.

“I know you don’t like me, Kujuro-san, and I actually don’t care. But when I said ‘I do’ I really meant it, although I was the only one back then. I told Ai over and over again to be honest with you. You are his mother, you deserve that much.”

Akane acknowledged Jazz words with a brief nod, but her stern expression didn’t waver.

“And I don’t care if you want the apartment back, although I hope we can get that resolved without our lawyers.” Jazz wouldn’t need it any longer when she went back to Europe. And that she couldn’t stay in Tokyo any longer was crystal clear.

“What I can’t accept though is the fact that you use your connections to ruin a company for the mere reason of its owner being an associate of mine.” Her voice didn’t show any trace of compliance, she wouldn’t budge on this.

“He’s hardly only an ‘associate’,” Akane said with a scowl.

“He is what I say that he is, nothing else. I don’t care how much you despise me, but even you should know that ruining the lives of all those working there won’t change the fact that your SON lied to you, not me. So you better undo whatever you did or I swear I’m going to make it public. I wonder how YOUR company will take such a blow.” Jazz was bluffing, of course she was, but her pokerface was flawless.

“So you came here to threaten me?!” Akane was already half out of her seat when Jazz got up.

“I came here because you SUMMONED me here, if I wanted or not. And only because you don’t like what I have to say doesn’t make it a threat. I know some people at Shiki Publishing and I’m sure it will be easy to spread some pictures and maybe even emails showing that the CEO of Kujuro enterprises cheated on his lovely wife with his best friend. His best MALE friend.” She didn’t dare looking at Ai and Kou, feeling sorry for having to actually say this. “And THAT isn’t an empty threat either.” With her head held high Jazz stalked out of the room only to slump against a wall in the hallway. She needed a few deep breaths to calm down again but heard footsteps rushing towards her. It was Kou.

“Don’t worry, it’s okay.” He flashed her a sad smile. Poor Kou. At first he had to watch the man he loved marrying a woman and now said woman threatened to drag their relationship out into public.

“No, it’s not okay,” Jazz whispered. “I’m sorry, Kou, I really am. But I can’t let her do that. I just can’t.”

“I know. Don’t worry, we work that out. Ai said he would step down as CEO if she doesn’t relent.I don’t think she can risk that.”

Jazz nodded slowly. “I hope you can get over this crap,” she said and smiled back at him. “At least one of us should be happy in the end, right?”

That night Jazz slept poorly, in Miho’s bed that smelled like fresh sheets and someone else. All she could think about was that this wasn’t the place where she should be, where she wanted to be. And although she was grateful for Miho and her somewhat fierce friendship she couldn’t help but poke at the still fresh wound in her heart, wondering if Kunihiko even cared what Jazz did, where she was now. Or if he was glad that she was finally gone.

MJS Out of office battle: Dance off!

After another long day Jazz was glad that Miho had agreed to go out for drinks, saying Goto wouldn’t be home after all since he was working and sitting alone on the couch wasn’t really what she wanted to do.

“How’s your intern? Is she what you have been looking for?” Jazz asked while waiting until Miho had gathered her things.

“She’s doing a good job, very good reports. She even adds sketches of some – uhm, special features.”

Jazz stared at Miho blankly for a second before she burst out into laughter. “Show me! I want to see!”

Miho grinned and grabbed a file, browsed through it until she found a quickly sketched drawing of a definitely male body part.

“Wow…” Jazz was impressed. “Now imagine what she could do with a brush and paint…” She waggled her eyebrows, prompting a chuckle from Miho.

“I know, but honestly, it’s a good idea. Helps me envision things.”

“Yeah, I can imagine.” Jazz handed the sketch back. “Hey, have you thought about maybe throwing a welcome party for Rose and H? I mean, shouldn’t we at least show them that we are grateful for having them?”

“We pay them, shouldn’t that be enough?” Miho brushed her off.

“Okay, let me rephrase that: Remember when we started the business? The one thing we all had in common?” Jazz smirked and waited for the coin to drop. “How we decided whether we were actually suitable for judging the client’s sexual skills?”

“Oh god… you are not saying we should all have a roll in the hay, do you? Because I’m not sure if I can sell Goto that as ‘girl’s night out’.” Miho seemed actually reluctant and Jazz laughed.

“No, no. Oh god, I mean, I’m sure Kunihiko would be less than pleased. He’s already jealous of every man that talks to me, I don’t want him to get suspicious of every girl, too. No, I’m talking about something else. We should have some rite of passage, if you catch my drift. Like that one time, in that bar that never again set a foot in afterwards?”

That had been a wild night but Jazz was sure that Miho remembered.

“I’m not so sure that we should do that,” Miho said and tilted her lightly.

“Not ‘we’,” Jazz pointed out. “’They’.”

After some quick calls Jazz and Miho made their way to Long Island, hoping Kunihiko wouldn’t kick them out after all. Well, even if he got mad Jazz was positive she could calm the waves somehow. When they arrived H was already there, talking to Saeki, but Rose was nowhere to be seen. Jazz kissed Kunihiko briefly but tried not to be too lovey-dovey to not annoy the others. She enjoyed rubbing their love into the faces of Yamato and Saeki, but tried to keep it fair for the rest.

“So, when will our judge appear? Does he plan a huge entrance?” Miho asked once they had settled around a table. By now Kunihiko knew pretty well what drinks they wanted so there was no need to actually order.

“I told him to drop by in around half an hour, so knowing him he will show up in an hour.” Jazz smiled at Kunihiko when he placed a cocktail in front of her.

“Did I tell you that I love you already today?” she asked, making him chuckle.

“Me or the cocktail!”

“Both,” she declared and took the straw between her lips, sucking once and letting it go again just to hum in pleasure. “Hmmm, soooo good.”

Miho snorted and took a sip of her whiskey and H thanked Kuni for the rum.

“What are we celebrating?” she asked and sniffed at the glass once before breaking out onto a contend smile.

“Basically just life. And you and Rose joining the agency,” Miho replied casually, looking up when he door opened and Rose came in. She motioned towards Kunihiko for a second glass of whiskey and once they were all sitting and holding a glass they raised them and cheered: “To MJS!”

A few rounds later the door opened again, a grin appeared on both Jazz’s and Miho’s face.

“Baba! Over here!” Jazz called and waved. Despite their ups and downs she usually didn’t hate him – much. With a smile Baba approached their table, only glancing briefly around the bar.

“So many pretty ladies at one table – lucky me.” He bowed slightly and tapped the rim of his hat briefly.

“Lucky indeed – now sit down, have a drink. I still have plans for you tonight,” Jazz said and motioned towards a free chair, unfortunately just in the moment when Kunihiko came with another round of drinks. He raised his eyebrow at her but she simply smiled at him, there was nothing wrong with what she had said after all.

Baba ordered a drink and Kunihiko reluctantly went back behind the bar. Saeki and Yamato were still sitting there, throwing him a curious glance.

“So, what are we having here?” Baba asked, looking around the table.

“Just a little agency party,” Jazz said with a shrug. “Since you are working for us – kind of at least – we thought you should meet our new interns. This is Rose and this is H.”

The girls nodded at the mention of their names, already a bit tipsy but still unaware of what Jazz and Miho had planned.

They chatted some more, drank some more until Miho vanished towards the bar and had a brief conversation with Kunihiko, giving Jazz a small nod when she came back. Good, Kuni was on board. Jazz didn’t want to ask him because she knew he wouldn’t say no to her, even if he didn’t like the idea. But since there were almost no other people there – Saeki and Yamato didn’t count – Kunihiko didn’t seem opposed to Miho asking for music.

“Say, Baba,” Jazz began and turned towards the only male at the table. “Think you could help us with something?”

After a quick explanation of their plan Miho and Jazz waited for the reaction of Baba, Rose and H. Well, the reaction of Rose and H, Baba was on board when he heard he would get a lapdance. Or better, two.

“Okay, but I need more rum,” H simply stated and motioned towards Kuni.

“Tell me again, why are we supposed to do this?” Rose asked and sipped from her glass.

“It’s some kind of initiation rite. In MJS all female associates have sat on Baba’s lap at least once,” Jazz chuckled. Miho rolled her eyes when Baba winked at her, obviously she didn’t really want to get reminded of that, but she was still smiling. Sort of.

“You have all given him a lapdance?” H asked and laughed loudly. “Well, that’s an interesting kind of bonus, huh?” She leaned back and let her eyes wander from Jazz to Miho to Baba.

“I can’t complain,” Baba stated almost humbly, earning a light slap on the arm from Miho.

“We were young and drunk,” Jazz said airily and shrugged. “There was music and I wanted to dance and I managed to get Miho to join me only by making it a competition.” Other than Jazz Miho wasn’t that fond of dancing, although she knew very well how to move her body. But when Jazz had practically challenged her, taunted her, she couldn’t say no. And she was fierce competition after all.

“Who won?” H wanted to know just for Miho and Jazz to exchange a gaze.

“Baba,” Miho dryly answered, just for Jazz to almost choke on her drink from laughter.

“Yep, definitely,” she agreed and laughed again, thinking back to the events AFTER that lapdance.

“We want to see how seductive you can be,” Miho steered the conversation back to the topic at hand. “I mean, we know that we ARE damned seductive and sexy, we know what we can do after all. And we have – experienced some things first hand.”

Completely unlike her usual self Jazz bush lightly at Miho’s comment. Well, that had been wild times after all.

“Yes, but now we won’t do that anymore, for obvious reasons.” Jazz flashed Kunihiko behind the bar a sweet smile. “All we have at this point are the things others have told us and although we are pretty sure you’re doing a good job, we just want to –“ She laughed suddenly. “Nah, to be honest we just want to make you do something embarrassing for our amusement. Bonding over shared embarrassment.”

Although Rose’s expression stayed serious she nodded. “I see. Well, in that case… who’s first?”

Jazz looked back and forth between H and Rose. “How about flipping a coin? Head, H goes first, tail, Rose begins.” When no one objected Jazz grabbed a coin and tossed it.

“Head. H, any song of choice?”

H got up, smoothed down her blouse and the short skirt and furrowed her brow briefly. “Talk dirty to me.”

“I gladly would,” Baba smoothly offered but Jazz shoot him a dirty look.

“Poison.”

“What? Isn’t that a bit drastic?” Baba asked, looking shocked.

“No, the song. Talk dirty to me by Poison. Good choice. I prefer some slower songs for that kind of dancing, but I’m sure you can make it work,” Jazz cheerfully said and nodded towards H. “Rose, think of a song, I’m just getting the music ready for H.” She got up and skipped over to Kunihiko who actually looked not very pleased.

“What’s wrong?” Jazz asked, mirroring the frown he wore in an exaggerated way.

“Nothing. Are you having fun?” His tone made clear that it wasn’t nothing, but also that he didn’t want to discuss it. Not there and then at least.

“Actually, I have. Are you sure you are okay with this? I swear, they won’t get naked so it should be no problem.”

He scoffed briefly but then sighed. “That’s not a problem, even if they did. I just close the door and it’s basically a private party in here.” He shrugged and Jazz nodded before she smiled teasingly.

“Are you afraid I will get mad when you watch them? Because I won’t, you watch as much as you like. But only looking, not touching, you got that?” She leaned in and kissed him softly but he didn’t respond to the kiss like he usually would. Okay, someone was a bit miffed.

“You sure you’re okay?”

Kunihiko sighed again but smiled wearily. “Yeah, it’s nothing, really. It has just been a hard week.”

“Why haven’t you told me? Instead of opening the bar we could have snuggled on the couch?” She touched his arm gently and smiled at him.

“And miss out on all this fun? No, it’s okay, really.”

Jazz kept looking at him intently but then nodded. “Okay. So, about the music…”

Two minutes later the song played through the bar, Baba was sitting on a chair in a hastily cleared area, Jazz had confiscated Saeki’s phone – “Hey, nothing I haven’t seen yet, at least with H. The other lovely lady though…” – and the rest of the audience was sitting at the bar, watching H start moving to the music. It was a rather upbeat song, but full of energy, and H was like a completely different person. Not that she usually was shy or insecure, but there was a confidence in her stride, grace in her movement that usually wasn’t that obvious. She swayed her hips, bent and twisted her slender body, showing off for the first few moments before she started moving towards Baba who was already eagerly waiting for the real show to begin. H dropped down on her knees and started crawling towards him, prompting Baba and Saeki to let their breath escape in a hiss. Jazz chuckled and Miho nodded appreciatively. Rose studied the moves of her contestant and Yamato as well as Kunihiko didn’t really know where to look.

Meanwhile H had reached Baba’s chair, ran her hands up his legs and rested them on his thighs, pushed her body up, face close to his body, and winked once when she was close to his own face. She whispered something that the others couldn’t hear over the music and Jazz figured that H had just allowed Baba to touch her since H got up and straddled his lap, both her knees balancing on the edges of the chair so she could keep her weight off him and her movements free. But his hands came to rest just above her knees, slowly skimmed over the bare skin up, just stopping shy before vanishing under the hem of her skirt, so whenever H moved the fabric touched Baba’s hands. She didn’t seem bothered by that, on the contrary seemed to make a sport of it to get his hands even further up her legs, deeper under her skirt with a daring grin on her face.

She kept moving her hips, swayed them, rolled them, leaned back with her hands on his knees to present him with a great view of her body until Baba had to swallow visibly, much to the delight of Miho who snickered and Jazz who cheered loudly and whistled. When H straightened up again, her hands resting against his chest and her whole body sinking further down on him, ass finally pressed against his thighs, she cheekily snatched his hat and put it on, earning herself a gasp from him, followed by a groan when she rolled her hips again. His hands were gripping her upper thighs now, already halfway under her skirt when the music faded and the song stopped.

There is a tension in the air, a wordless plea for more until Saeki started clapping and Yamato hissed a low ‘Jeez’. H slid from Baba’s lap and smoothed down her clothes, the skirt had ridden up to reveal more of her slender legs. She took Rose’s seat who now was preparing for her own performance. In a plaid shirt and jeans. Maybe it wasn’t fair that Miho and Jazz hadn’t warned them, prepared them so they could choose a fitting outfit, but hey, this was about fun and it was also about showing what they were capable of under circumstances less than stellar.

Jazz chuckled at the choice of song but “Naughty girl” was very fitting for this challenge and when the lyrics started Rose slowly made her way over to Baba who was now shifting in his chair, obviously already rather agitated by the first performance. But his eyes widened when he saw how Rose started to undo the buttons of her shirt, not taking it off but revealing the black lacy bra she wore underneath, connected with some intricate straps that ran all over her upper body, creating a suggestive pattern on her skin.

Jazz could hear all male attendants suck in a harsh breath and H mutter ‘Holy shit’ under her breath. She looked over to Miho who grinned, her imagination probably running wild by now. Jazz doubted that Rose wore this kind of underwear on a daily basis, maybe she had been on a date or was on her way to one. From Miho she knew that Rose was one of Kyobashi’s – let’s call it ‘girlfriends’ and Jazz remembered her own brief encounter with Kyobashi. He would definitely approve of this choice of underwear.

The song was softer than the one H had picked but Rose let the music carry her, her movements less powerful, but smooth and catlike. Jazz had to admit, both girls were really good.

Rose reached Baba but unlike H she didn’t straddle his lap, instead she turned around and sank onto him, placed his hands on her ribcage, right under her breasts, and pressed her ass against his crotch. And then she moved. Yamato cleared his throat awkwardly and Kunihiko got up and cleared away some glasses, Jazz spotted a tinge of pink on his cheeks. She quickly watched Rose and Baba again, this was what was important right now after all. And amusing.

Rose had changed her position, had turned and now one knee between Baba’s legs on the chair, her upper body leaned towards him. There were fleeting and lingering touches, less hips and more body movements, completely different to the first performance but no less seductive. Hell, even Jazz started squirming in her seat a bit. Baba would have a hard time picking a winner. Or simply a hard time. With emphasize on ‘hard’.

The song ended and somehow everyone was longing for a drink, only Rose seemed rather unfazed when she buttoned up again. Baba needed a moment to catch his breath but he had definitely enjoyed this and Jazz’s mind flashed back to the time she and Miho had taken on this challenge. He hadn’t been able to actually determine a winner back then, not that anyone had complained. They had all won in the end…

“So, Baba, what will it be? Leg or breast?” Miho smirked and handed Rose her glass who took with a small nod.

“You both were really good,” Jazz added and grinned at Baba. “Weren’t they?”

“You never did that for me,” Saeki sulked a bit into H’s direction but she only poked her tongue out at him.

“Can’t decide again, huh?” Jazz teased Baba who finally managed to get up and join the others.

“Could you? I mean, two pretty ladies and they were giving their all, how should I decide?” He seemed crestfallen at the task before him and Jazz gently nudged his shoulder.

“I never said it was an easy job,” she said and Miho raised an eyebrow.

“You still owe us a decision for our little competition back then,” she said sweetly, but there was an edge in her voice that made Jazz laugh. Miho was competitive. Very competitive.

“How about a dance off?” Saeki suddenly suggested. “You all get up on a stage and dance for the title. ‘The boy is mine’ would be a good song. And if that doesn’t help I would offer myself as a judge.” All eyes suddenly were on Saeki, but they all frowned rather than welcoming his idea.

“My girlfriend won’t shake her hips for you, Saeki,” Kunihiko almost growled, making Jazz blink against the buzz in her head created by the alcohol and the hormones. She was only human after all, seeing pretty girls dance like that didn’t leave her unimpressed.

“Well, Baba, how do you decide?” Miho pressed on, demanding an answer. Baba sighed, this would be a long night – and probably not of the good kind.

Back at home Jazz plopped down on the couch, still pleasantly buzzed and giggling when she thought about the way Baba had been unable to decide. Well, no matter which of the girls had won in the end, they all had fun that night and now a memory that bound them together. From her point of view it had been a successful night, but Kunihiko didn’t seem very happy.

“Hey, loverboy, is there anything I can do to turn that frown into a smile?” She smiled up at him, waiting for him to answer.

“Not really, but thanks. I’m just a bit tired.” He made a face to show her it wasn’t serious. Jazz got up from the couch.

“Maybe you are a bit sad because you weren’t part of the fun tonight?” she half inquired, half prompted an explanation.

“Well, at least you seemed to have fun,” he said wryly.

“Ohhh,” Jazz cooed happily, “I know a way for you to have some fun, too.”

She gently pushed him down so he sat on the couch and grabbed the remote to turn on the music. Three clicks later the sounds of “Lady Marmalade” started filling the room and Jazz shot Kunihiko a smoldering glance before she turned around and swayed her hips slowly, seductively. Looking over her shoulder she gauged his reaction but he didn’t meet her gaze, instead he seemed rather uncomfortable. Well, in that case she just had to try harder. Jazz turned around and straddled his lap. Slowly rolling her hips against him she leaned closer and brushed her lip against his, breathing the softest kiss on his mouth.

His hands found her hips and she smiled, finally he seemed to play along. But instead of enjoying what she offered him Kunihiko stilled the movements of her hips and pushed her off him.

“Don’t you like that?” she asked, a bit confused at his obvious annoyance.

“I think you like that too much,” he stated and ran hand through his hair, obviously agitated.

“What? What are you talking about?”

“You said you were ‘sitting in his lap once, too’,” Kunihiko pointed out and Jazz frowned.

“Whose? Baba’s?” She needed a moment to follow his train of thought.

“Yes, Baba’s.” Kunihiko almost spat his name out.

“I did and it’s true. But it was exactly what I said: I sat in his lap. I never slept with him!” She got up, not wanting to sit next to him anymore, and paced the floor. “Is this another jealousy thing? Because I have to admit, it’s getting old.”

“Sorry it’s annoying for you, but I’m not very happy when my girlfriend is getting all cozy with other men!”

Wow. She stared at him. This was the first time he really raised his voice. But she was right here and he was not. She had barely touched Baba all night, not even hugged him as a greeting.

“I wasn’t getting ‘cozy’ with him, especially not in your presence,” she hissed and glared at him. “I know him forever, okay? And he has seen some of my worst times AND he was really kind to me back then.”

It was true. When Jazz was broken after finding out about Ai she had done something stupid and it could have ended with a really huge mistake but it didn’t because Baba has actually been a gentleman back then. When she was looking for some ego boost, for someone to tell her that she was indeed a beautiful woman, sexy and desirable, unfortunately completely drunk, he had stopped her and made sure that she could cry on his shoulder and get back home afterwards. It had been a bit awkward the day after, especially since she did have tried to seduce him, but they quickly got over this weird tension and Jazz had accepted that night as a proof of his friendship. Not sleeping with a woman who practically threw herself at him was almost heroic for a guy after all. There had been some kissing and making out, but in the end he had not taken this opportunity. And Jazz was grateful, after all there had been something between Baba and Selina, whatever it was, and Jazz didn’t want to hurt either of them just because she was hurt.

“Then what about this whole lapdance battle?” Kunihiko dragged her thoughts back to the present.

“It was some kind of joke, okay? It’s harmless, just some teasing. And yes, if you really want to know, it’s exactly what it looked like: Miho and I have done the same, ages ago, and yes, with Baba.” But it wasn’t as if Jazz wanted anything from Baba, or as if she had been the one grinding down on him earlier.

“I start to think that Miho isn’t exactly a good influence,” he said and Jazz sucked in a harsh breath.

“You better watch your words before you say something you are going to regret and I’m not going to forgive,” she warned him and turned on her heel to storm into the bathroom, hissing a last sentence over her shoulder.

“And just so you know, you can cool off your fiery temper on the couch tonight.”

MJS Past, present and future: Jazz x Kunihiko (past Jazz x Jinpachi)

“I still need your guest list to get the menu with the caterer done. Flowers are taken care of and we get the cake at Larme,” Jazz said and grinned at the way Miho and Goto examined the proposal she had given them. They and Subaru, who was constantly nagging, much to Jazz’s annoyance.

“What kind of location is that?” he frowned.

“Actually it belongs to an old classmate of Kunihiko. It’s perfect, a small garden for the ceremony and a hall for the reception afterwards. I think it fits the bridal couple very well.” Jazz winked at Goto; she had read the report after all and knew about their little adventure in the park. The garden was the tribute to that and when she had told Miho her idea Jazz was met with loud laughter. She loved it.

“You know we want to keep it simple and rather small. Family and close friends, that’s all. I don’t want to feed every Tom, Dick and Harry who gets us a potted plant as wedding gift,” Miho reminded Jazz.

“I know, that’s why the location is rather small. 80, maybe 100 people at the most. The less the better,” Jazz said with a nod.

“But you will invite the team, right?” Subaru asked and Goto sighed. The groom had been rather quiet so far, not even the glass of beer had loosened his tongue so far.

“Kuni, can we get another round?” Jazz asked her boyfriend behind the bar and he nodded, prepared a whiskey for Miho, a fruity cocktail for Jazz, a glass of red wine for Subaru and water for Goto. They were comfortably sitting in Long Island, discussing the wedding of Miho and Goto.

“And guess what? I got Jinpachi Yushima as your wedding photographer.” Proudly Jazz beamed at the bridal couple and Miho looked adequately impressed, but Goto didn’t even bat an eye.

“How did you get him for this? He’s a top photographer, one of the best we have in Japan,” Subaru wondered and Jazz grinned smugly.

“It was a personal favor.”

“Really? Well, anyway, I guess Kurosawa will be heartbroken that someone else is taking the pictures,” Subaru quickly changed the topic, robbing Jazz of her short moment of accomplishment.

“Even better,” Goto said. “No matter what that photographer costs, we take him.” Miho chuckled and Jazz joined in.

“So, about the bridesmaid’s dresses… don’t you dare putting us into some butt-ugly rag. We accept silver, blue or grey, matching the color theme of the wedding.” Jazz knew that in the end she would chose the dress but she wanted at least pretend to ask Miho for her opinion.

“Silver, blue and grey?” Subaru scoffed. “I thought it was a wedding and not a policemen’s ball.”

Jazz rolled her eyes. “Who are you to nag all my suggestions?” she snapped at him, only calmed down by Kuni who just brought them their drinks.

“I am the best man!” Subaru declared, almost challenging Jazz.

“Yeah? For what? Lame ideas? Honestly, ikebana and napkin folding are not the ‘pillars of a wedding’,” Jazz mockingly repeated Subaru’s earlier words, earning a chuckle from Miho.

“I told you it would be fun when they get at each other’s throat,” she just whispered towards Goto whose lips curled up into a tiny smile.

“And who are you that you come with ideas like ‘butterscotch cake’?” Subaru was angry, the crease between his eyebrows deepening with every new topic Jazz brought up so far.

“I am the wedding planner. AND the bridesmaid, so please let me do my work and stop complaining about everything. The bride and the groom are the only ones who may complain,” Jazz hissed and shot a glance at Miho. “Although I would advise them to be kind in their choice of words.”

Miho winked at her and Jazz stuck out her tongue, giggling softly.

“Honestly, what am I doing here in the first place if the wannabe wedding planner is making all the decisions in the end,” Subaru pouted and suddenly cried out in pain.

“Oh sorry, was that your shin?” Jazz smiled sweetly and batted her eyelashes at Subaru. Kunihiko chuckled lowly behind the bar and even Goto grinned.

“Just so you know, I am a really good wedding planner,” she said and took a sip of her drink. “Not everyone would get OMI to sing on a private wedding after all.”

“You got what?!” Miho actually seemed excited about this piece of information.

“Who’s that?” Goto asked, looking back and forth between his fiancée and their wedding planner.

“See? He has no idea. You don’t even know what kind of music he likes. I know him better than you,” Subaru said triumphantly.

Jazz snorted a short laughter. She had read Goto’s client profile after all, she knew more about him than Subaru could imagine.

“That’s cute, why don’t you marry him, then? And don’t forget, I know the bride better than you.”

Subaru smirked. “Are you so sure about that?” He raised an eyebrow at Jazz who knew how crude that was, especially in presence of the groom.

“Oh, I am.” Jazz had also read Subaru’s report after all. “Believe me, I know her better. In every aspect.” Jazz saw the realization dawning in his face and leaned back, now she was the one smirking.

Miho cleared her throat and sighed. “So, are you done comparing your dicks, metaphorical and real ones? Good. Subaru, Jazz is the wedding planner, she takes care of the location, the food and drinks, the whole party. You are the best man, you take care of the speeches, the rings and if necessary, the bachelor party before the wedding.”

Goto frowned and clicked his tongue, obviously not wanting that party at all.

“Everything else will get figured out between all of us somehow and until then, try not to strangle each other, okay?”

Jazz nodded reluctantly and so did Subaru, but they kept glaring at each other for the rest of the night.

“So, would you tell me how you know people like Jinpachi Yushima and OMI?” Kunihiko asked when he and Jazz were back at home, getting ready for bed.

“Funny story, I was actually living with them in the same apartment house when I first came to Tokyo,” she explained and smiled at the memory. “It was strange but they were nice, everyone in that apartment house was. Well, maybe the landlord was a bit creepy, but we always had those parties on the roof and that somehow bound is together.”

“So… you never worked with them?” Kunihiko kept asking, trying to sound casual.

“Oh, I did. At least with Jin. Not with Masa, though…” When she saw how his eyes narrowed a bit and his jaw tensed she chuckled.

“Kuni~” she cooed and wrapped her arms around him. “We have talked about this. You have promised not to pry and not to get jealous of my past.”

He sighed and rubbed his forehead. “I know, but I didn’t think it would be this hard.”

“You should make sure to ask the right questions, then,” she chided him gently. “I worked with Jin, but he never was my client. It was more the other way around.”

“What do you mean?” Kunihiko frowned lightly, obviously unable to follow her train of thought. Of course, he couldn’t read her mind after all. Which was a good thing most of the times.

“He wasn’t a client of MJS if that was what you wanted to know. You are aware that I had another job before that, right? And not even that job was it what I was referring to. He’s a photographer and one day one of his models cancelled on him, five minutes before the shooting. He had asked me to take her place and said he owed me a favor for it. Well, I called in this favor now.” She shrugged and nuzzled her nose against his neck. “Are you feeling better now?”

“Mhm… actually I am. Sorry, I know I said I could handle it…” He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly and Jazz laughed.

“Honestly, if I would meet someone you had sex with I wouldn’t be exactly elated, either. And it’s nice that you are a bit possessive when it comes to me. But of course you still have to apologize properly.” She let her fingertips trail down his chest and stopped at his belt.

“Do I have to beg you on my knees?” His lips brushed over hers and she closed her eyes and sighed.

“That actually sounds very tempting. Try that for a start.”

Jazz found herself staring at the picture that used to hang in her bedroom and now was stored away in a box with some of the other stuff she had brought to Kunihiko’s apartment but hadn’t found a place for yet. This picture was special, though. It was a black and white photo of a naked female body, just the curve of the hip and a part of the stomach, a bit of the leg but nothing else. It was completely safe, no private areas showing and yet it was a very intimate picture, although more for the story behind it than the actual scene.

She still could remember the way he smelled, like cigarettes and developer and something else she couldn’t name but that would always be tied to him in her mind. She could remember how he made her laugh, how serious he was about taking her picture. He had made some breathtaking close-ups of her face, au naturel, with disheveled hair but still glowing from the night they had spent together. And in the warm morning sun that was shining into his bedroom he had taken more pictures, the focus of his camera wandering from her face down her body and up again, capturing her from every angle she was still comfortable with.

“You are really beautiful, you know that?” Jinpachi smiles and looks at her over his camera and Jazz stretches lazily, winks at him and purrs: “You’re pretty handsome, too.”

Letting the camera sink he stares at her, following the lines and curves of her body with his gaze, already planning on doing the same with his fingers and lips again later. This isn’t the first time he sees her like this, naked and relaxed after one or even a few rounds of sex with him, but somehow this is special and he wants to memorize as much of this as possible.

“Say, Jazz, would you turn around for me?”

She is currently lying on her back, unashamedly presenting her breasts and the small curve of her belly, this little bit of flesh he wants to sink his teeth into, and pretends to actually think about his request.

“You won’t do anything naughty, will you?” she coos and he grins wolfishly. Of course he will and she knows it, but still she rolls over on her stomach, looks over her shoulder and wiggles her hips, lets her ass shake a bit. She knows how much he loves her ass, this firm and round butt that tempts him every time she walks in front of him, every time she bends over a bit, aware of his eyes on her.

She hears the shutter of the camera and chuckles.

“You’re really taking a photo because it lasts longer?” she teasingly asks. “I have thought you had enough photos by now.”

“Never enough,” he growls but eventually puts the camera down, his urge to capture the moment, her sensual beauty, losing against the other urge, the need to have her again and again. He hasn’t told her yet about this job that will take him to Africa for half a year, probably more, there hasn’t been the right time yet.

Jazz sighs contentedly when he gets on top of her, his weight already a familiar one that she enjoys more than she likes to admit. She can feel his hardness pressed against her ass, his lips leaving wet trails on her skin from her shoulder up her neck. His goatee tickles her a bit but she moans at the feeling of his teeth grazing her skin. He playfully bites her earlobe and she chuckles again just for him to change his approach and trail kisses down her back until he reaches her ass.

“You’re really looking good enough to eat,” he mutters and nips at her skin, the flesh soft and warm under his touch. Jazz squeals a bit and buries her face in the pillow, her body shaking with laughter, sending vibrations into the cheek he’s just nibbling at.

“Shh, hold still. I’m working here,” he grumbles teasingly and Jazz tries to hold her laughter in.

“Sorry, sorry. I didn’t know it’s work for you. But in your age it as well might be considered work, huh?” Her sass earns her a harsher bite and she yelps a bit, chides him with a laugh.

“Ouch, Jin! Not so hard!”

“Hm, that’s pretty much the opposite of what you usually say.” He grins against her skin and licks the bite to soothe the pain a bit and Jazz giggles again.

“You are terrible.” It’s said with the sweetest smile he can imagine and he simply shrugs.

“That’s what you like about me. I’m terrible – terribly handsome. And talented. And I can make you scream my name terribly loud.”

She giggles again but sighs when he pushes a hand under her and raises her hips a bit, pushing her ass up in a way so he can push his tongue into her pussy, making her gasp.

“J-Jin!” she half chides, half moans, feeling a bit too much on display in this position. But he keeps her in place, tongue exploring her pussy and folds.

He groans against her skin, greedily tasting her wetness, until he finally pulls back.

“Get that ass up higher,” he demands and grabs a condom from the bedside table while Jazz sighs and gets on her knees, face still buried in the pillows.

“You know I’m still a bit sore, right?” she pouts and he grins, almost proud at her complaint.

“I know, but I also know that you like it when you feel where I’ve been for days.” He quickly rips the foiled square open and rolls the condom over his cock, his mouth watering at the sight in front of him.

“Should have never told you that,” she mutters but wiggles her hips slightly to urge him on. When he lines up, the head of his cock nudging at her core, she takes a deep breath. Despite his rough tone and sometimes seemingly thoughtless greed he’s gentle when he pushes into her but Jazz hisses and grabs the sheets tightly. There’s a faint burn alongside the pleasant friction, an unfamiliar edge. She will feel this for several days to come but she doesn’t care.

“Come on, old man, show me what you still can do,” she taunts him, grinning at him over her shoulder. Jinpachi growls and pulls back just to slam back into her, eliciting gasps, curses and moans from her.

“Holy-! Ugh… come on… harder…”

They are capable of having sweet and gentle sex, vanilla and still satisfying, but most of the times they enjoy a slightly rougher, faster pace. His hands grab her hips tightly, probably leaving bruises again. Wouldn’t be the first time.

Jinpachi is busy soaking up every last impression and sensation of this moment, he wishes he could take a picture of this right now, just to capture the way her body is bending and moving, how her back is arched, the line of her neck is exposed. He wouldn’t dare telling her that of course, fully aware of her limits. But dammit, she’s so lost in this moment like he is, savoring every touch, every thrust.

He stops, a bit panting. “Lie down.”

Again she looks at him over her shoulder before she sighs and glides forwards, smoothing down the crumbled sheets in the process until she’s lying flat on her stomach again. There is something about the way she just follows his instructions, completely trusting him and eager for him to continue, that makes him want to stay. Maybe if he doesn’t leave this could become something serious between them, something with a future. But then again, she will leave Japan soon, too. Better to live in the moment, to enjoy what they are having for as long as it lasts.

He follows her movement, covers her with his own body, his chest against her back, propped up on his elbows.

Jazz turns her head and angles it so they can kiss, messy and sloppy but sweet nonetheless. When one of his hands snake under her body, grabbing her breasts, she already knows what will happen next and tilts her hips slightly to allow his other hand to slip between her thighs. She moans when his fingers find her clit, circling the already swollen bud. To her surprise he moves slowly now, not slamming into her like usual. Not that she wants to complain, it feels amazing after all.

Jinpachi peppers her neck and shoulders with kisses, nibbles at her skin from time to time and Jazz reached behind her, wraps an arm around his neck and draws him closer while titling her hips again, changing the angle of his thrusts slightly.

“So… oh… so close… “ she whimpers and tugs lightly at his hair, urging him on so that he picks up the pace again, pushing her over the edge into her climax.

Once she calms down a bit he stops, only slowly grinding against her now.

“You okay?” He’s panting and so is she but she nods.

“Uh-huh… but I think that’s enough for today… I can’t take another one…”

With a soft smile he kisses the nape of her neck. “That’s okay, as long as you enjoyed it.”

“Oh, I did, don’t worry. What about you?” There’s no doubt that he is still hard and he chuckles.

“I might need some help with that.” He pulls out and plops down on the bed just for Jazz to straddle him immediately.

“Easy now,” he reminds her and she smiles, slowly sinks down on his cock and leans close to kiss him. She rolls her hips against his, unhurried and relaxed, rides him almost lazily. He grabs her hands and intertwines their fingers, kisses her greedily and she is a bit startled by this display of affection, usually he’s not that clingy. She doesn’t mind, though. Jazz speeds up when he starts panting against her lips, angles her hips a bit until he gasps just to keep rocking against him like this. He throws his head back into the pillows, digs his heels into the mattress, his legs trembling slightly, and Jazz sits up a bit, one hand on his chest, the other reaching behind her back, cupping his balls.

“Oh my… fu… ohhh…” With a growl he tenses, upper body rising from the bed and Jazz wraps her arms around him, holds him close while still moving her hips until he stills her movements with a hand on her hips. They share some kisses before she finally gets off him, lying down next to him, waiting until he is cleaned up a bit. She snuggles close to him, sore but satisfied, a bit drowsy.

“I’ve got a job offer,” he says into the silence in the bedroom, his hand gently trailing up and down her arm.

“Uh-huh…”

“In Africa.”

Jazz sits up a bit. “That’s good, isn’t it? Didn’t you want to go there?”

“I did. I do. It’s just –“ He sighs and sits up, too.

“When?” She doesn’t even ask for how long.

“Next week.”

“Hm…” They have talked about this, the whole thing between them is only temporary and both know that, agreed to that.

“Guess I will have to make sure you’ll miss me then, huh?” She pushes him back on the bed and rolls on top of him.

“What are you doing? I thought you were sore.” There’s laughter in his voice but also confusion.

“I will have enough time to recover after next week,” she explains and leans in to kiss him. He doesn’t object at all.

At the end of that week he gives her the pictures he has made that morning and she has to bite back the tears.

“I’ve destroyed the negatives, don’t worry. You’re the only one who has these photos,” he assures her and Jazz quickly browses through the stack of pictures, smiling at the memory of that morning. She pulls one of the pictures out and hands it over to him.

“Here. I know how much you love my ass,” she says cheekily and waits until he takes the picture of said body part.

“You sure?” He raises an eyebrow at her but she only nods.

“Something to cheer you up when you get lonely,” she teasingly replies. It’s only a butt, no one would be able to tell it’s hers after all.

“Okay. Thanks. Take care, babydoll.” He smiles at her and Jazz smiles back, gets on her tiptoes and kisses him.

“Take care yourself,” she whispers, turns around and goes back into her apartment without looking back. It’s better that way.

“What are you looking at?” Kunihiko’s voice pulled her back from her trip down memory lane and she smiled at him. It wasn’t fair that she hadn’t told him the truth earlier, although he definitely didn’t ask the right question. But she knew what he wanted to ask and she owed him an honest answer.

“Just a picture,” she casually said and showed him what she had been staring at.

“It’s pretty.” Kunihiko wrapped his arms around her and Jazz rested her head on his shoulder.

“That’s me,” she admitted and he made a non-committal sound, but craned his neck to look at the picture again.

“Hm, yeah… I can see that. That little mole there… and the tiny scar here.” He pointed at said spots and Jazz smiled.

“You have spent quite some time to get familiar with my body, huh?” she teased and turned to kiss him.

“I have. And I plan on spending even more time on that.” Kunihiko nuzzled her neck and she sighed. “Do you want to tell me who took the photo?”

“Don’t you already know?” she asked back.

“Was it for that job you have mentioned?” He created some space between them to look at her and Jazz shook her head.

“When you asked if I had worked with them I told you the truth. I have worked with Jin but only once, and only as his model. But this picture? It’s a private one. We had – something, I don’t even know how to call it. It was more than a fling and less than a relationship. I had a crush on him but I wasn’t in love. He left for a job and I thought I would leave the country, too. And then I met Ai and things changed a lot and honestly, if it wasn’t for Miho’s wedding I wouldn’t have talked to Jin ever again, I think.” She bit her bottom lip, unsure how he would take it.

“How long ago was that?”

Jazz sighed. “Feels like a lifetime ago, but it was about four years ago?” It really felt like an eternity.

“The picture is really good. Do you want to display it somewhere?”

She knew it was his way of saying he wasn’t mad, it was fine.

“No. I will keep it, but I don’t think we should put it on a wall here at home.” It was strange how easy the word ‘home’ came from her lips now. She grinned mischievously. “But we can hang it in your office. So you could always look at it when you get lonely.”

“And always have to sit there with a hard-on? No, thanks.” He chuckled and Jazz cupped his face in her hand.

“You know that I love you, do you?” she seriously asked.

“I know,” he confirmed and kissed her. And then he confirmed it again.

MJS Romance: Jazz x Kunihiko – New challenges

Jazz was typing furiously, trying to get this proposal done before her client would arrive. This was the first wedding she was planning and she wanted it to be perfect for the happy couple. She still was amazed that it was Ishigami of all people who would use the new service MJS offered. It was a logical step from marriage matchmaking to wedding planning after all.

She sighed. This was a lot of work, especially since she hadn’t recourse to former plans. Of course she could use some of her old connections and experience from her event planner days, but a wedding was really something different. Especially since she had to convince Ishigami first to actually contract her.

She quickly hit the ‘print’ button and walked over to the tea kitchen to get another tea when she ran into Miho.

“Hey, how’s your new intern doing?” she greeted Miho with a huge grin. H had proven to be blessing and Jazz had made the transition from matchmaker to wedding planner smoothly.

“She’s doing one of my clients just now,” Miho smirked and Jazz laughed. Ever since their little conflict had been resolved they were back to being friends again.

“Kunihiko is opening Long Island tonight, how about a drink after work? You can bring your fiancé,” Jazz suggested, stressing the word ‘fiancé’ by saying it with French pronunciation.

“Let me call him and I tell you later, okay?”

Jazz knew that Goto was working odd hours, the problem when being a cop obviously. Well, Kunihiko was working a lot, too, and he and Jazz couldn’t meet up that often either. But still she was on cloud number nine with him.

She nodded and waved briefly, already on the way back to her office. Ishigami would arrive soon.

“Ishigami-san, let me congratulate you to your engagement.” She smiled warmly and bowed her head.

“Thank you, Miss Mann. As you know my time is short. Please let us get on with the topic. Why should I let you plan my wedding?”

Right to the point, like always. Jazz was still smiling and motioned for him to take a seat.

“As I already told you this will save you time and money after all. I already know all your preferences, your favorite food, music, colors. Yours and of course those of your bride. Any other wedding planner would need time to get to know you; I already do. I know things about you and your bride that no other wedding planner could know so I can make sure your wedding will be simply perfect for you. I know how important perfection is for you after all.”

She slid him the folder with her concept over the desk.

“Please have a look at this, Ishigami-san. And tell me if that is at least close to your idea of a perfect wedding.”

The venue, the menu, the band – everything was chosen basing on the profiles of both Ishigami and Liana. Jazz hoped she would work more with the bride after convincing Ishigami; the woman was definitely easier to get along with. Blue as dominating color theme since both liked blue best. Some classical music for the ceremony and a jazz band, live music for the venue of course. Bouquets of freesia since the bride loved those – and Jazz, too. The scent would be heavenly.

Jazz still knew some caterers that would provide great food, both sweet and hearty dishes. She had called the famous photographer Jinpachi Yushima and asked him about good wedding photographers. They could order the cakes from Larme. A lot of possibilities and choices, yet she was sure that her first proposal was already close to perfect.

“What is a pudding pyramid?” he asked curiously.

“You know champagne towers? All the glasses stacked up and someone pours a bottle of champagne into the topmost one so that it flows in all glasses in the end? Imagine a tower made of glasses full of pudding. We can play with the colors and flavors so it will be really impressing, both visually and in taste, of course.”

He nodded once.

“A pudding cake?”

“Just an idea. You can also have a traditional cake, I just wanted to show you the possibilities.”

Another nod.

“Can I keep this?” He raised the folder questioningly and Jazz nodded.

“Of course. Take it home, sleep over it, show it your future wife. When you have decided you can call me.” He was hard to read but Jazz had a good feeling.

“Was that all?” he sternly asked and again Jazz nodded.

“If you don’t have any questions left we are done,” she confirmed.

“Good. My fiancée will call you about this. I think she will be the one to make the most decisions concerning this wedding. And… please focus more on her preferences than mine while making your proposals. I want it to be the perfect wedding for her after all.” There was a faint smile playing on his lips and Jazz mentally patted her own shoulder for obviously finding the perfect match.

“My goal is it to plan the perfect wedding for both of you, Ishigami-san. But I will keep your words in mind.” She bowed slightly and so did he before he left.

Jazz grinned. Okay, her first wedding planning assignment. This day was going to be great!

This day turned to be complete trash. After a really successful and satisfying day at work Jazz walked into Long Island in the evening, happy to be able to see Kunihiko again after a few days with only calls and texts. Although she really wanted to take things slow she noticed how much she enjoyed being around him and that she actually wanted more time with him. Greedy little Jazz.

“Hello, guys!” she loudly called into the bar as soon as she saw the usual guests. Saeki, Takao, Yamato and Yuta. Ren, from whom she just learned he was a prince of a neighboring kingdom of her homeland, wasn’t there. But Kunihiko was. Jazz ignored the stares of the others when she walked towards the bar and leaned over it to drop a light kiss on Kunihiko’s lips. She loved the way he blushed slightly when she did this in front of his friends. Usually he was fine with a bit PDA, but when his gang was around he was adorably shy. Thank god only then.

“Hello darling,” she purred and slid on a bar stool.

“Hello love,” he answered just for Yamato to groan and roll his eyes. Takao had averted his gaze and Jazz assumed it was because this display of affection wasn’t within his comfort zone. Saeki only grinned and Yuta pouted a bit.

“No one ever greets me like this and calls me ‘love’ or ‘darling’.”

Jazz chuckled but when Kuni suddenly leaned over the counter a bit and handed Yuta a glass of beer with a wink and a low: “Here you are, darling,” she burst out in a full laughter. She wasn’t the only one.

The usual banter soon was resumed and Jazz got a cocktail and some gossip, but Takao was unusually quiet, even for his means. He couldn’t look at Jazz and for a moment she was afraid he had seen or heard her having sex with Kuni in the storeroom the other day… but no, that wasn’t likely. They had met after that and Taka had acted just fine. No, there was something off but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

Half an hour later Miho came in, without Goto but with a huge smile when she saw the tumbler of whiskey already waiting for her. Like always she made herself right at home. Jazz was always impressed how easily Miho found a place in a group, no matter if she knew the people or not. Well, she already knew Takao and Kunihiko and ever since Jazz had suggested Saeki as a tester for their female clients Miho of course knew the scriptwriter. But Yamato and Yuta were new faces for her, still she treated them as if she knew them their whole lives.

They were just talking about some event Miho had to attend with Goto when she looked at Takao.

“What’s wrong with you today?” She sipped from her glass and Jazz chimes in.

“Yes, you are a bit quiet. Is everything okay?”

“If you have troubles in matters of the heart you can always ask us,” Miho said, but the devilish glint in her eyes made clear that she wouldn’t make it easy for Takao.

“Uhm… no, it’s something else…” he said, scratched the back of his neck and stared at his feet.

“Something serious?” Jazz asked. Takao nodded.

“Something you can’t tell us?” She was suddenly aware that everyone was now staring at them. This wouldn’t make it easier for him to tell.

“Actually…” Takao hesitated. “It’s something work related.”

“Oh.” Jazz nodded, she understood the importance of confidentiality after all.

“Boooooring,” Miho said in a singsang voice. “Hey, Kuni, can I get another one?” She raised her empty glass and the conversation around them continued, Takao breathed deeply and gave Jazz an apologizing smile.

“Actually… I really have to talk to you.”

“Am I in trouble?” Jazz jokingly asked. Takao didn’t answer, but his serious face made her smile drop.

“Shit. Am I really in trouble?”

“We should talk. Somewhere private.” Takao got up and waited for her to do the same.

With growing unease Jazz followed Takao upstairs, not even aware of Kunihiko’s worried gaze.

“As your lawyer and the one who was in charge of your divorce they sent this letter to me instead of you,” he explained while Jazz was still staring at the piece of paper in her hand. Her trembling hand.

This was impossible. Outrageous.

“When did you get it?” Her voice sounded strangely distant in her ears.

“Today. I tried to call you but couldn’t get you on the phone. Sorry, I didn’t want to ruin your evening with this.” He was sitting next to her, unsure if he should pat her shoulder comfortingly or not.

“No, it’s okay… I will need some time to take care of my living arrangements from now on.” She still stared at the words in front of her eyes, they suddenly lost their meaning.

“We can still go against this,” he said reassuringly.

“Takao, they want to take my apartment from me. And I know exactly that it’s not Ai who’s behind this.” She sighed. There was it, black on white. Obviously Ai hadn’t even been in the position to transfer the property rights for the apartment in the first place. Which meant that the contract in which he did exactly that wasn’t valid. And now Kujuro enterprises wanted the apartment back.

Or better, Ai’s mother wanted it back. This was her last friendly kick in the ass for her former daughter in law.

“But you have a divorce settlement. And he had been the owner of that apartment at that time,” Takao pointed out.

“Let’s be honest. The Kujuros have more money than I can imagine and I can’t afford to pay for a long legal war. I just can’t. So far most of my own money went directly into MJS and what I get out of the business is enough to feed me and make sure that I can afford clothes so I don’t have to go naked. But I’m not exactly wealthy, by no means. I had only some money because I didn’t have to pay rent.” She let the letter sink and sighed. “I need a drink. If I can even afford that now.“

“I’m sure Kuni won’t charge you,” Takao muttered, making her smile faintly.

When they came back down into the bar the chatter was a welcome distraction for Jazz. She walked behind the counter, grabbed a bottle of Tequila and a shot glass, poured herself a drink and downed it without batting an eyelash.

“Whoa, easy there. What’s wrong?” Yamato asked but Jazz only refilled her glass and downed it again.

“Jazz? If you’re in the mood for shots you can always ask me to join,” Miho said, but there was a slight crease between her eyebrows. She was a bit worried at the sudden change of mood of her friend.

Without a word Jazz grabbed a second glass, filled it and slid it over to Miho. And refilled her glass a third time.

“Last time we had Tequila was real fun,” Miho mused and Jazz only snorted a dry laugh.

“Yeah, I remember. Hey, Miho, you do like me, don’t you?”

“Depends. When you give me alcohol I like you. When you nag me about glitter in your panties, I don’t.” Miho shrugged and took the glass. “Cheers.”

“Say, if I suddenly was homeless, could I crash on your couch?” Jazz came back from behind the counter and took a seat. She didn’t dare to meet Kunihiko’s eyes.

“My couch?” Miho frowned.

Jazz was aware that she was petty and selfish and wallowing in self pity, but she couldn’t help it. The apartment was the only good thing she had left after her trainwreck of a marriage. Due to the prenup she didn’t get much else. Not that she wanted money. Maybe she should call Ai and ask him if he knew about this. If he could prevent his mother from going on with this bullshit. But knowing Ai she immediately dismissed this thought. He wasn’t even bale to tell her that he and Jazz were divorced, or that Ai was gay. Or anything that would make his mother mad.

“That old bitch wants the apartment back. She’s suing me for it.” Another shot.

“Well, my couch is still free, but you know… you might not want to sleep on it after – anyway. Can I help you somehow?”

Jazz shook her head. She knew she couldn’t impose on Miho. Hell, she just got engaged! Of course Jazz couldn’t stay at Miho’s place. What was she thinking?

“Does anyone know a good realtor? And cheap. Scratch good. Only cheap.” Jazz felt like crying. Alcohol wasn’t helping any so she stopped refilling her glass. Now that part of the matchmaking fee would go to H Jazz had even less money than before. And the wedding planner service was still in the early stages, there was no money in sight yet. She knew how expensive living in Tokyo could be. Maybe she had to move into a cheaper part of town.

“Doesn’t Selina have a guest room?” Miho asked.

“She’s thinking about moving herself. Something closer to the office,” Jazz mumbled. And closer to the office meant also more expensive and that meant probably less space.

“I have a guest room,” Takao said but Jazz only smiled sadly.

“That’s sweet, but I can’t take you up on that offer.”

“Why not?” he asked and Jazz chuckled.

“I couldn’t guarantee for your virtue,” she answered with a wink before she sighed. “No, we are working together, that’s not a good idea. Plus, you are a man and I am a woman – I don’t want to give you the wrong impression about how living with a woman can be. No, keep you illusions until you move in with someone you really like so you won’t want to kick her out immediately.”

And Jazz needed some privacy after all.

“Can they just do that? Go against a valid divorce settlement?” Yamato asked.

“The problem is, the apartment hadn’t really been part of the divorce settlement. He transferred the property rights before the divorce, thinking it would be clever. But that was also before he was CEO of Kujuro enterprises and therefore before he actually held the property rights. The apartment obviously belongs to the company, not him.” Jazz sighed. Ai was working with real estate all the time, that was what his company did after all! Okay, mostly it was about commercial property, but that couldn’t be that different, could it? How could he fuck that up so badly?

“Wow. What are you doing now?” Yuta asked.

“Drinking, obviously,” Jazz answered.

“You can still sleep in the office,” Miho pointed out. Jazz laughed. The thought alone was hilarious, greeting clients in her pj in case she overslept.

“Or you could move into the room upstairs,” Saeki suggested. Now that was a good idea – no, wait, she would have to ask Kunihiko for permission.

Shyly she peeked over to her lover. He seemed a bit angry, definitely unhappy. Okay, so not the room upstairs.

“Sorry, I feel bad for ruining the mood. I better go home now – as long as I still have a home,” she lamely joked and grabbed her purse, shoved the letter in and slid from the chair. It was hard enough not to cry and the smile she wore was already crumbling.

She could hear them talk while she hurried outside.

“Do you think she’ll be okay?” That sounded like Takao.

“She needs a moment to herself, to let it sink in. I’ll talk to her tomorrow. We’ll find a way,” Miho assured him.

A few steps out of the door Jazz took a deep breath. The tears were already gathering. That was a punishment. She had been too happy lately and now the universe reminded her that everything had a price. Without a bit of suffering life just wasn’t the same.

Fuck it! Jazz had always prided herself in being independent and strong. She was used to not having much money and willing to work hard. She would make it. Blinking her tears away she straightened up and exhaled deeply. Okay, no new shoes for now, no fancy restaurants and shopping trips. That was okay, not even a serious cutback of her quality of living.

“Jazz?”

She turned around, only hoping that she didn’t look as if she had cried. “Kunihiko. What are you doing out here? You’re having guests.”

He stepped closer and cupped her face in his hands, intently looking at her.

“Why didn’t you ask me for help?” There was disappointment in his voice and only now she realized that he might have gotten the impression that she didn’t trust him enough, trust their relationship enough to share this burden with him.

“Sorry, I – it just didn’t come to mind. I’m so used to fixing things myself…” She shrugged lightly.

“If anything comes up, any problem at all, I want you to talk to me about it. I want you to know that you can rely on me.” His thumbs gently wiped the traces of some treacherous tears away that had managed to escape before she could hold them back.

“I know.” She sighed, but this time it seemed that together with a lungful of air also some of the anxiety and the anger left her.

With a small smile she looked at him. “So, do you happen to know a good realtor?”

He shook his head. “Jazz…” he softly chided her. “That’s not the first thing you should ask.”

With her brow slightly knitted she pondered his words. Did he really want her to say ‘Help me’?

“There’s an easy solution to your problem, isn’t it?”

“I need more money?” she asked back. That would be a solution, but she wouldn’t ask him for money. Never.

He let go of her face and sighed. “No, not that. I was thinking of something else.”

Oh. OH. Her eyes went wider when she realized what he was talking about.

“Jazz. Do you want to move in with me?”

Her heart stopped beating for a second. This was not what she wanted. It was sweet and she knew that he really meant it, and she would lie if she said she wasn’t happy to hear this. But not like this. Not just because she might lose her own place.

“Kunihiko…” she started but he cut her off.

“I’m not finished yet.” He reached into his pocket. “I’ve been thinking about this for some time now. I know we aren’t together for that long yet, but every time I come home and you are not with me it feels wrong.” When he pulled his hand back from his pocket he was holding a key.

“I want you to come and go as you please. Although I’d rather have you there every night and every day. And not just as my guest. I want you to live with me.”

She was speechless. In her effort to make sure they didn’t rush things she had completely forgotten that they still should be moving forwards.

“I love you,” she muttered, fighting with her tears again. It was the first time she actually said that to him. ‘I like you’, ‘I love the way you kiss me’, ‘I love it when you fuck me like that’ – she had said all that already, but never ‘I love you’.

It felt better than anything before. She had guarded those words so carefully, always afraid to break whatever spell was binding them if she said them out loud. Always afraid of jinxing everything.

“Is that a yes? Will you move in with me? Even if Takao manages to win your apartment back for you?” He was smiling, so happy, so gentle, so sweet.

“Yes, I’ll move in with you. But don’t complain about my hair everywhere and that my 60 pairs of shoes take up to much space or-“

He cut her off again, this time with a kiss. And another one. And another one. Until she finally pulled back, snatched the key from him and grinned.

“Now it’s too late to change your mind, you know that, right?”

“I wouldn’t even dream about that,” he replied, still smiling.

“Okay, we better get back inside or Miho drinks all your whiskey and everyone else under the table,” Jazz said with a chuckle.

“Say, one quick question… glitter in your panties?” He arched an eyebrow and Jazz giggled.

“Maybe I will tell you about that one day. Or you give me more Tequila and Miho and I reenact it for you.” She leaned in and quickly licked over his lips once before she turned around and walked back into the bar as if nothing at all had happened.

Maybe this day wasn’t complete trash after all.

	BelXSar on The scent of smoke – par…
	BelXSar on The scent of smoke – Par…
	Jazz Mann on The Scent of Smoke – Par…
	BelXSar on The Scent of Smoke – Par…
	Jazz Mann on The scent of smoke – Par…