“Come along. Let Master Hardwick teach you all the tricks about being a ninja shopper.”
They stopped at the next display and were discussing form and color when a female voice said, “Sensei Black?”
Immediately his posture changed and that blank mask slid onto his face before he turned toward the woman.
“I thought it was you, but I never thought I’d see Sensei out shopping.”
Amery scrutinized the Asian woman who spoke in heavily accented English. She in turn scrutinized Amery.
And Ronin didn’t seem inclined to introduce them.
Then she refocused on Ronin. “Is this your new girl?”
Ronin switched to Japanese. His tone seemed sharp, but the language inflections were so different that Amery couldn’t be sure.
The woman snapped back in Japanese, her eyes flinty, her gestures choppy.
Definitely an angry reaction. Which got her no reaction from Ronin besides a shrug.
She attempted to get in Ronin’s face.
All he had to do was hold up his hand; she stopped in her tracks. But her mouth kept running as she rattled off something that sounded like a verbal smack-down.
His response was clipped.
Which didn’t deter her. Her voice took on a low, almost seductive bent. When she didn’t get the response from Ronin she expected, she switched to a one-sided diatribe and the words came much faster. When she finally quit speaking, she gave Amery a once-over and sniffed.
Ronin had struck the defensive stance Amery recognized from class. He leaned closer to the woman and spoke so quietly Amery could hardly hear him. But she did make out one word loud and clear: Naomi.
Holy shit. She knew Naomi was Japanese and this woman’s pouting tone suggested she and Ronin had shared an intimate relationship at one time.
The woman walked away without looking back.
Ronin stared after her, his face still blank. But when the interloper disappeared into the crowd and Ronin’s eyes met Amery’s, she saw the anger burning there before he banked it. “If you’re done browsing I’d like to go now.”
“Ah, sure.”
Amery swore IKEA changed the exit point every time she was in the store, so it took ten minutes to escape.
They were zipping downtown when she couldn’t stand the silence a moment longer. “So, that woman you had words with . . . was that Naomi?”
“No.”
That was all she got for an answer? Bull. “Then who was she?”
“Naomi’s friend Kiki.”
Silence.
“What did Kiki say?”
“She blathered on with a Naomi update, which I warned her I didn’t want.”
“What was the update?”
Ronin said nothing. He just cut in and out of traffic as if they’d jumped onto the autobahn.
“Ronin?”
“That Naomi was coming to Denver.”
“When? Does she want to see you?”
“Doesn’t matter. I won’t see her.”
Her mouth opened. Closed. When she opened it again to ask him a question, Ronin shook his head. “End of discussion.”
That was a little high-handed. And another example of him holding back on her and just expecting her to accept it.
Why are you surprised?
“Where to now?” Ronin asked.
“Home.”
“I thought you had more errands.”
“Nothing that won’t keep.”
Ronin frowned. “You sure?”
“Positive.” Amery didn’t fill the void with chatter. In fact, she didn’t look at him at all.
He pulled into the alley. “I’ll find a parking place and be right up.”
“Actually, I’m tired and I know you’re exhausted after your mysterious all-nighter, so let’s call it a day.”
“It’s only two o’clock in the afternoon.”
“Just means you can nap longer.”
“I don’t nap,” he said curtly.
Maybe you need one. “Whatever. Later.” She started to open the door, but Ronin stopped her.
“Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Think about it, Sensei.”
“Jesus. Don’t act like this.”
“Like what? Pissed off you pull that end of discussion bullshit and expect me to accept it?”
“I tried to head off a pointless argument, which obviously was a waste of breath because you want to fight with me today.”
“Wrong. I wanted to talk. You refused.”
“That’s it?”
“Isn’t that enough?”
“No. Why didn’t you introduce me to Kiki?” Are you ashamed of me?
“She’s a snake and you’re better off if she doesn’t know who you are.”
“Or maybe you don’t want her blabbing about me because you still have feelings for Naomi and that’s why you won’t talk about her.”
“That’s laughable. You should know—”
“I don’t know anything about Naomi or your relationship with her besides the bare bones. Anytime I ask questions, you shut me down. I’m tired of you making me feel like a jealous hag about it, especially when it’s clearly not my issue, just because I had the audacity to ask a question about her.” Amery inhaled a calming breath. “So I finally get it, okay?”
“Get what?”
“You’ve proven to me time and time again that you want to keep this casual. We’re hookup buddies. Hot sex with a few bondage games thrown in. That’s it.”
Ronin pinned her with his hard stare.
Amery wouldn’t back down. “So, call me if you literally want to tie one on. But not tonight. I’ve got plans.”
“With who?”
“Chaz and his friends.”
“Why didn’t I know about this?”
“Because you didn’t ask.” Amery opened the door and slid out. “And that right there is the difference between us, Ronin. I ask you a question and you don’t answer. But you can’t even be bothered to ask me any questions in the first place.”
• • •
SOMEHOW Amery got everyone’s attention over the deafening noise in the restaurant. “Tonight we’re celebrating a milestone in our beloved friend Chaz’s career; his glorious artistic work will be showcased in the launch of a groundbreaking new series in the U.S, graphic novels featuring homoerotic story lines.”
Clapping and wolf whistles followed.
“So let’s toast.” She lifted her martini glass. “Chaz, may the contracts keep rolling in, brother. We’re all proud of you and no one deserves this success more than you.”