As All Our Fires Burn by Hildred Billings

Author:Hildred Billings [Billings, Hildred]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance
Publisher: Barachou Press
Published: 2018-12-07T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

Sayuri

The school day ended early on Wednesday, and after Sayuri finished up her paperwork in the teacher’s room, she texted Miwa to ask her how her day was going. She hoped to catch her attention before Miwa started her shift at the station. Sure enough, Sayuri was halfway to the supermarket, bookbag in hand, when she received a reply.

“It’s better now that I’m talking to you.”

A high school student on his bicycle almost mowed Sayuri over. That’s what happened when a girl stood in the middle of the narrow sidewalk, gaping in delight at her phone screen.

“Sumimasen!” the student called over his shoulder. Luckily for Sayuri, she hadn’t been grazed, let alone hit. Close call. She held her phone to her heaving chest, hoping the fright would subside soon.

“I hope you know I almost got hit by a kid on his bike when I read that.”

“One of your students?”

Sayuri was safely beneath the awning of the supermarket. A constant flood of young mothers and aunties maneuvered in and out of the store, their cloth bags full of dinner and after school snacks. Sayuri rubbed her phone against her skirt as raindrops began to fall. There were rumors of another typhoon heading their way, although the meteorologists seemed convinced that it would pass Japan. “Rainfall heading our way again! Potentially high winds, as well. Please be careful.” Sayuri wouldn’t complain. The last typhoon had blown in one of the luckiest moments of her life. She had also made it home Sunday evening to find that the neighbor had properly shuttered the apartment for her son’s teacher. One of the first things Sayuri did when she rejoined reality was arrange for a gift basket to be delivered to the Shimazaki household. Mostly fresh fruits and bath products for Mariko, although she asked for a couple of toys for Shota as well. That boy is spoiled enough, but I can’t help it. I want to spoil kids. She wanted the spoil lovers, too, and she had been formulating a plan for Miwa over the past few days.

“I have to work on Saturday,” Sayuri texted. “How about you come to my house on Sunday and I’ll cook you a late lunch?”

She waited for a flood of people to come out of the cramped supermarket entrance before looking at her phone again. She didn’t want to seem too desperate, even to herself.

“You want me to come to your place already? I’m flattered.”

That wasn’t an answer! “We’ve already kissed in your apartment. Seems only right that you come kiss me in mine.”

She hesitated before hitting send. The moment she did, Sayuri let out the smallest of squeals. What could she say? She wasn’t often this flirtatious over text. Sayuri was the kind of woman to let down her guard and show her softer, more seductive side in person. For a schoolteacher, she often asserted that she wasn’t great with words.

“You want to cook for me? I’m a lucky girl. Everything is about my mouth.”

“Do you want to stick everything in it?” Sayuri nearly died.

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