Call Me By My Name, 2/2
Jan. 1st, 2014 12:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
astrangestormCall Me By My Name, Part Two
It seemed that Togashi-san's friendliness toward her was impacting her father's business decisions greatly. The week after her date found Hosho Group's publishing division paying visits to Togashi Family Publishing, meeting with the staff. The deal would likely be finalized just before her father left for his next vacation.
To avoid thinking about her Christmas date and what it might entail, she flung herself wholeheartedly into work. She spent hours out of the house, following up with any case she could get her hands on. A home robbery where a vintage guitar had been the only thing taken. Neighbors with competing Christmas displays that were routinely causing blackouts on their street. She even tagged along with the parking meter enforcement team until they politely noted that they could cover more ground without her trying to arrest violators.
Togashi-san started sending her daily emails, detailing how excited he was for their Christmas Eve together. They'd go look at Christmas light displays and then for a drive. On one evening a few days before Christmas Eve she was tired, but she slid across the seat to peer over the divider between the rear of the limo and the driver's section where Kageyama was seated.
"Togashi-san is taking me on a drive," she informed him. "Can we practice that?"
They were stuck in traffic, Kageyama tapping his hands on the steering wheel in his boredom. "What is there to practice, my lady?"
"Sitting in the front," she replied, poking him on the shoulder. "I found it difficult to relax in his car last time. I was unaccustomed to it."
And Reiko wasn't stupid. A driving date, at least in television dramas and movies she'd seen, often led to parking somewhere. Conversations in darkness. With her dinner date, she'd had the food and Togashi-san's business to speak about and the table between them, but what if he wanted to hold hands this time? Or more? And what if she didn't want that? How could she turn him down gently without hurting his feelings?
"It's not safe right now," Kageyama said. "Let me pull off at the next exit."
Reiko was pleased with this, and as soon as Kageyama had pulled into a parking lot she opened her own door quickly, hurrying to the front and settling herself in. It was totally strange, sitting up front with Kageyama. He turned to look at her. "I require my glasses to drive," he informed her. "I will not take them off for this...practice session."
"Oh fine," she said with a wave of her hand. "Now drive."
Instead of heading back towards home and the traffic mess, he headed in the opposite direction. In Togashi-san's car he'd had the radio off, had stolen glances at her during red lights that made her nervous. Kageyama, however, turned on some classical music that instantly relaxed her. Of course, she was used to being in a car with Kageyama. But the music was helpful. Maybe she'd request that Togashi-san put something on that would fill in any gaps when they weren't talking.
Kageyama asked her about work, not taking his eyes from the road and not driving too fast or too slow. Unlike the tinted windows in the rear that afforded her privacy, she glanced out the front, seeing the highway signs go by, the other cars. She had to admit that she was always comfortable with Kageyama, never felt safer. Much as he could annoy her, her father had done well to name him as Karasawa's replacement.
"Maybe we should park."
"Park the car? Would you prefer to go home now?"
"No," she said nervously. "We should just park."
"Very well."
They ended up in a less than scenic, empty parking lot near a high school. Kageyama turned off the car lights but left the engine and heat running. They sat side by side quietly for a few moments.
"Maybe...maybe if we took off our seatbelts?" she wondered, hearing the soft click as Kageyama did as told and she did the same.
It was usually easy to talk to Kageyama, but now that they were here in the dark it seemed different. At home, even when they were alone, it had never felt like this. This was secret, something between the two of them that had nothing to do with solving a mystery. She could hear him breathing beside her, leaning his elbow against the door awaiting her next instructions in this odd date dress rehearsal. A date, Reiko knew, she wasn't even all that excited about. But it was somehow exciting here, sitting at Kageyama's side instead of in the rear of the vehicle.
She turned to look at him from the corner of her eye as the lights from the street cast them both in shadow. She could see the angle of his jaw, the curve of his nose. All the Kageyama features she was used to. She was suddenly struck with the memory from the day her father had come home, the way he'd helped her when she'd fallen. The way he'd held her close. Out of necessity of course. Kageyama was always proper in that respect.
But he'd changed these past few weeks. In fact he'd changed quite a bit since that day, had retreated from his usual teasing. Perhaps it was because of her father. Perhaps he was frightened of appearing overly familiar with his master's daughter. Certainly her father didn't have a problem with them being friends. Kageyama had nothing to fear unless he...
Unless he...
The thought sent a jolt through her. It was her stomach, turning and twisting. Her heart, pounding. Her mind, whirring. All of the sensations that Togashi-san, even with his goodbye kiss, had failed to bring about in her.
She looked over at Kageyama again in her surprise. Same jaw, same nose. Same glasses, same hair. Same bow tie and behind those lips that same poison-tipped tongue ready to disarm her at a moment's notice. It was obvious that he cared about her, and she had come to care for him a great deal since his arrival in spite of his bouts of rudeness. But what was going on here? What was she even thinking? What was she even considering?
"Do you wish for me to suggest a topic of conversation, my lady? Would that help?"
She glanced away from him instantly, spying herself in the side mirror attached to the car door. Glasses, ponytail, rumpled suit from work. She was tired, and perhaps that was why she was allowing her mind to wander to such odd topics.
"Kageyama, I..."
"...yes?"
She pressed forward. "Kageyama, I had a good enough time with Togashi-san but I've found that I have no attraction to him whatsoever. However, I've agreed to this second date as a gesture of goodwill and in the event that maybe I'll change my mind about my feelings and of course, because he and my father are in the middle of negotiations, and I would be a very bad daughter indeed if any hasty decision on my part caused problems for the merger."
He interrupted her there. "My lady, has Togashi-san stepped over his boundaries with you? Is he pressing you to date him?"
"Oh no," she replied, waving her hands frantically. "No, not at all I just...I just..."
"I highly doubt he would be so deeply offended by your turning him down to break off negotiations with the Hosho Group," Kageyama continued. "It is Togashi Family Publishing that benefits the most from this deal, after all."
"Yes, of course, I'm well aware of that..."
"Excuse my reach," Kageyama said then, moving for the car's glove compartment. He pulled out an envelope that was inside, shutting it up again. "I was going to bring this before your father this evening, but perhaps I should tell you first."
She stared at him, at the envelope in his hands. He slipped out of his gloves, opening the manila file. "Tell me what?"
"Of course the Hosho Group is performing its own investigation into Togashi Family Publishing, but the master requested I look into Togashi-san himself."
"Papa had you spy on him!" Reiko exclaimed, suddenly feeling ashamed. It was a business deal, and even though her father had had Togashi-san in his home, he could still do something like this.
Kageyama had no apology for that, handing over the envelope. She opened it, glancing at a handful of financial documents as well as some photos of Togashi entering a bank. "Togashi Family Publishing is heavily in debt, and the Hosho Group would absorb it in order to take on the company. The reason for that debt is mostly Togashi-san himself. He takes money from the company and has been depositing small sums in an account weekly and has for the past several years."
She looked at the photographs. "Where does the money go?" Togashi-san had been so proud of his business, of carrying on the family's name, of his employees. "He's not stealing from them, he couldn't be."
"I was unable to trace the money from there without committing a crime," he explained. "And the master would not allow it. I have only this evidence of Togashi Family Publishing money being funneled into a private account owned by Togashi Masahiko. The master has a right to know that he would likely continue doing the same with Hosho Group funds after the merger."
But he couldn't be a thief. He couldn't be stealing from his own company. Surely he'd drive a better car. Surely his credit card wouldn't be rejected at a restaurant. There had to be another explanation. Reiko wasn't attracted to Togashi-san, but she wanted to clear his name. She knew this wasn't what it looked like.
Her mind was in disorder. About Togashi-san, about her father, about Kageyama. Kageyama...
She turned the envelope over in her fingers. "With the way you've presented this evidence, it certainly makes Togashi-san appear suspicious."
"My lady?"
"You've been rude to him from the start. You were impolite at the airport, you served him last at dinner that night even though he was a guest. You immediately jump to conclusions, assuming that my discomfort in dating him stems from him acting inappropriately. You even spied on us when we returned from our first date, watching from the doorway."
"I never spied on you during your personal time, my lady. Not ever!"
She plowed right over him. "How convenient that this evidence against him has arrived, sitting right here in the glove compartment! How convenient when the deal is about to be wrapped up and my Christmas date is almost here. You...you would ruin this man's reputation in my father's eyes because...because...well, because you are simply jealous!"
Kageyama was staring at her, completely at a loss.
"Tell me that's not a factor, Kageyama," she snapped at him. "Tell me to my face that it isn't."
This was where he was supposed to lean forward. This was where he was supposed to smirk and let loose, to get in her face and act as usual. "Are you blind?" he was supposed to say. "This evidence is irrefutable. Even an imbecile could see that. There's no jealousy on my part because I am merely your butler. There's no jealousy because I do not have those kinds of feelings for you."
She waited for it. Waited with dread for the confirmation, for the verbal slap. For the world to right itself, the world where he really was just a butler and she his lady. The world where she didn't want him to take off his glasses like he had that night in the sitting room, to lean forward and let her hear the sound of her name on his lips for the first time.
It didn't come. He only sat still, keeping his proper distance. More distance than he'd ever shown her. "I was following the master's orders."
"Take me home," she said flatly, thrusting the envelope at him and opening the door.
Once she was seated in the back of the limo again, he turned the car on and for the first time, Reiko pressed the button to put up the divider glass between the driver's section and herself.
--
The envelope of evidence against Togashi-san was in her bag. At some point during the night, Kageyama had slipped it under her bedroom door. Though he was under her father's orders, it seemed that he was allowing her time to investigate on her own. He would disobey, he would stall so that she could ask Togashi-san about the money herself.
She was grateful for it, but it was certainly making even more of a mess of her feelings. One moment the night before she'd been staring at him, wondering if there was the potential for something more between them and the next he was shoving evidence of embezzlement in her hands, turning Togashi-san into a petty criminal.
Even Kazamatsuri-san could tell that she was bundled in knots of confusion, handing her one of the coffees his female minions had brought to the crime scene that morning. It had been a hit and run. The victim, an antique car worth millions of yen. As they stood in the cold together, the forensics team was pulling paint from the fleeing car off the heavily damaged antique's bumper while they waited to see if there had been any CCTV cameras pointed this way at the time of the incident.
Of course the coffee he'd handed her had been sitting out for some time and tasted horrible while he drank a fresh, piping hot one, but she sipped it without complaint. "Ah, Hosho-kun, it's a shame. Now had it been a vehicle made by the fine men and women of Kazamatsuri Motors, there'd be far less damage, wouldn't you agree?"
"I wouldn't agree," she mumbled to herself.
"What was that?"
"Oh look, that man out walking his dog. Perhaps he witnessed it," she said, pulling her notepad from her coat pocket and wandering away from him.
It was mid-afternoon when she couldn't take much more of the situation and found herself dialing Togashi-san's number. She asked to move their driving date up, to that very evening. He agreed readily and eagerly, and Reiko felt guilty leading him on. But he would clear his name. He would explain everything, she was certain of it. Date arranged, she called Kageyama.
"I won't be needing a ride this evening. I'm seeing Togashi-san."
"I understand."
Do you really, she wanted to ask him, but she was in the squad room going through witness statements and didn't need to let anyone overhear her. "Please let Papa and Mama know where I'll be. I don't expect to be home that late."
"As you wish. I will wait up for you."
"That isn't necessary..."
"It is my job."
With that all too blunt reminder of who and what he was to her, she hung up on him.
--
Togashi-san had just gotten into the car and was turning the key in the ignition when Reiko pulled the envelope from her purse. It wasn't fair to make him take her for a meal or anything and then accuse him of wrongdoing. It wasn't right.
She hadn't even stopped home to change. She'd had him pick her up a block from the station so none of her coworkers saw, and he seemed a little nervous about her professional appearance - glasses, suit, serious expression. "Some questions have arisen about you, Togashi-san," Reiko said as calmly as she could manage. "About your company's finances. I would rather know the truth of it from you directly. The Hosho Group will be my responsibility one day, as you surely know."
He opened the envelope dutifully, frowning at the photographs and papers within.
"You've withheld information from my father. It is not my place to question the way he does business or investigates pending partnerships, but you must admit this is suspicious. My father is a forgiving man if people are upfront and honest with him. Would you explain this?"
He slipped the papers back inside the envelope and handed it to her. "I'll show you. And I'll come clean to Seitaro-san. I was actually going to...I...I just haven't found the right time for a meeting. He's so busy..."
That much Reiko knew. Even with this pending acquisition the Hosho Group was always looking for new opportunities as well as maintaining the many businesses it already operated. Her father may have spent most of the year out of the country, but he was always working hard. "Well, tell me the truth and I'll get you your meeting with him. That's a promise."
Instead of dinner and a drive, the car was silent. No music, no chatting. They took the highway south, arriving at a children's hospital in Kawasaki. She thought she might have seen a tear escape the corner of Togashi-san's eye, but when he came around to open her door his face was calm.
He led her inside, signing the visitor registry and heading up to the fourth floor. At the end of the hall was a room for Togashi Masaharu. There was a glass window on the wall allowing those in the hall to see inside. Within she could see a small boy asleep in a bed. There were numerous machines around the room, the harshness of them softened a bit by numerous bouquets of flowers, teddy bears, and action figurines. This boy wasn't a temporary visitor. He was a permanent resident.
They remained in the hall, Togashi-san with his hand pressed to the glass. "My son."
Reiko remained quiet, allowing Togashi-san to explain in his own time.
"His mother and I are no longer together. I want you to know that, Reiko-san, that I wasn't playing you false. And as to the money, well, as you can see, Masa stays here. He needs a brand new heart, and he's on the list but he's too unwell to come home. They can monitor him here, but it's no small expense, you see." Togashi-san wiped his eyes. "Ah, forgive me. I love my company very much, I love its legacy. But what does the legacy mean if my son doesn't carry on the business? So yes, I have used company funds to give Masa a fighting chance. It's shameful, stealing from my employees and my company's future, but there is no future without Masa."
Reiko could barely hold back tears of her own. "I'll get you your meeting, Togashi-san."
He looked at her gratefully, but there was something in his eyes that showed understanding. "I am thinking that our Christmas Eve plans are canceled."
She watched the boy in the bed, watched him fight. "I think that your place on Christmas Eve is here, wouldn't you say?"
He squeezed her shoulder, looking grateful. "Thank you, Reiko-san. For giving me a chance."
--
She sat up with her father until well after midnight, explaining the situation. She laid out all the documents and photographs that Kageyama had prepared and then went on to detail her night with Togashi-san and the truth behind his company's debts.
Her father squeezed her hand. "He was dishonest with his employees. The Hosho Group is about trust."
She could see that he still had something to say, and she squeezed his hand in return.
"But the Hosho Group is also a family. A very large, diversified, multi-national family," her father said with a twinkle in his eye. "I'm proud of you, Reiko. For seeing to the heart of the matter."
"You'll continue with the acquisition?"
He got to his feet, patting the top of her head. "I will call Masahiko-kun first thing tomorrow." He looked to the doorway. "Ah, Kageyama-kun, there you are."
Reiko turned, seeing the butler standing in the doorway. Just how long had he been there, watching them? Her father stepped away, giving Kageyama a firm thump on the back. "Let's have waffles again tomorrow, hmm? With a dollop of whipped cream as big as my fist!"
"Of course, master. Pleasant dreams to you."
They were left alone once more in the sitting room, the tree aglow behind her as she heard her father's footsteps retreat down the hallway.
She crossed her arms, gesturing with her chin to the documents laid out on the coffee table. "I've solved the mystery."
"As expected of you," Kageyama said, inclining his head politely. "Togashi-san's thievery was no mere thievery, was it?"
"Of course it wasn't," she snapped at him.
He watched her expectantly, even though he ought to have been apologizing for getting her so upset. He was lucky she hadn't told her father about his behavior. And that was, of course, when Reiko remembered just what accusation she'd leveled at him the night before. That his thorough detective work and witch hunt investigation of Togashi-san was out of jealousy. Because his feelings went beyond that of a butler for his charge.
What did he feel about her? Would he deny it and slip further away from her? When her parents left, would things return to how they'd been or would he retreat? She realized how badly she wanted answers from him, and it scared her. With Togashi-san, the matter had simply been unfamiliarity, the unknown that came from dating someone she'd only just met. But with Kageyama he was all too familiar. His presence by her side, his devotion. She wasn't sure she could make do without him. She'd be falling off ladders all the time.
What were these feelings she was having for him all of a sudden? How long had they been there, lying dormant under layers and layers of denial and her position above him and worst of all, his constant smugness? There was obviously a man before her, a man who cared for her. A man she cared for in return, but was she confusing her reliance on him for love? Was she confusing his loyalty for love?
"You still seem troubled," he said quietly, putting aside his usual attitude for compassion. "Shall I run you a bath? Put on a movie for you?"
"I no longer have plans for Christmas Eve," she announced, straightening her glasses. "Which is a good thing, as I'll be able to be home to set out cookies for Santa-san and will be snug in bed when he arrives with my gifts."
"I am sorry things did not work out for you with Togashi-san, but I know how important timeliness is to you on Christmas Eve," he replied diplomatically.
"I was wondering, Kageyama..."
"Hmm?"
"Papa and Mama have the Holiday Ball at Hosho Group headquarters with the shareholders that night," she said, as calmly as she could. "Are you busy then?"
He stiffened a bit. Oh, of course, Reiko thought. He'd probably made a stupid bargain again with that bakery owner and would be stuck outside selling Christmas cakes until he was blue in the face. Or maybe he had a date. A proper date with a maid from another household or some fanatic from one of his creepy online manga message boards.
"Actually, my lady, I was planning to polish the silver that night." He raised an eyebrow. "A task that could be postponed, if necessary."
"I thought maybe we could go for a drive."
He nodded. "If that is your wish, I'd be happy to escort you..."
"Not...not that kind of drive," she mumbled, wishing he wouldn't be so purposefully quiet, so intentionally dense and unwilling to volunteer his own feelings. When it came to her job, he was always too quick to make his opinion known. He was leaving her to stumble through this more personal business awkwardly and alone. "A drive where I don't nap in the back of the car. A drive where we sit together and you want to be there as much as I do."
"Oh," he said, face falling. "I see."
She took a step forward, clenching her fists a bit to keep the panic in her from rising. Maybe she'd read him entirely wrong all along. Maybe her new and developing feelings were woefully one-sided. "That isn't something you'd want then? You can be honest with me. I have no power to fire you when Papa is at home and in charge."
"I don't think your father would like us to take that sort of drive together," he replied.
She kept walking forward until he was trapped between her and the doorframe. She looked up at him. "I didn't ask what my father would think. I asked what you think."
He peered down at her, smirking. "It's an awful waste of a limousine if there's no one sitting in the back."
She scowled. "That's what you think? Your honest, genuine opinion?"
"It is one of my honest, genuine opinions."
She poked him in the chest with her finger. "Would you care to express another? A yes or no, perhaps?"
At that, he grinned widely.
--
They dropped her mother and father off at the banquet hall. It was not an awful waste of a limousine in the slightest, as Reiko had spent the drive over seated in the rear with them. But as soon as they had waved their goodbyes and shouted their "Merry Christmas!" wishes, Kageyama had promptly exited the vehicle and opened her door.
"Kageyama," she announced. "There is an awful draft back here. Perhaps I should sit in front closer to the main heater."
"Perhaps you should, my lady."
He held out his hand to help her as she stepped out, dressed in her emerald green coat and red mittens. He ushered her quickly around the car and got her settled in the seat beside his before joining her. She took the mittens off as soon as they were on their way, relaxing when Kageyama settled the radio on a classical station.
Just the other day, the Hosho Group had officially announced its acquisition of Togashi Family Publishing, a company specializing in technical manual production, an area of publishing where the Hosho Group was lacking. Unofficially, in addition to the acquisition, medical bills for one Togashi Masaharu-kun were found to be paid in full not at his current hospital but in a top of the line hospital under the Hosho Group. The boy had just been moved into his new, larger room that morning, and Reiko had received an ecstatic call from the boy's father.
"They say a new procedure and medications could reduce Masa's urgent need for a transplant. That he could be much healthier and stronger by the time it's his turn on the transplant list. My ex-wife and I could never have afforded it." Togashi-san had been openly weeping, and Reiko had barely held it together on the call. "It is all truly thanks to you, Reiko-san. Thank you for your kindness."
The phone call had put her in fine spirits and from the looks of it, Kageyama too. They drove along the highway, heading for a popular holiday light display in Tokyo Midtown. They parked and let the lights draw them in. As expected, the illumination displays were swarming with couples and families, and she kept close to Kageyama's side. They turned a corner and to avoid bumping someone, Reiko slipped closer still.
He looked down, worry in his eyes, as she took hold of his arm. "So you don't lose me," she explained, thankful for the chill in the air to excuse the growing pink flush to her cheeks.
They wandered around for quite a while, taking in the blue and white glow of the lights, slowed by the crush of the crowd. But Kageyama was warm and steady, pointing out the displays and of course, taking time to ruin the magic by pointing out a random burnt out bulb the staff was quickly fixing in one area. Reiko was certain that the Hosho house had the best light display and the best holiday spirit in all of Japan, but this was a close second.
Perhaps it was the holiday. Perhaps it was the throng of people all around them with arms around each other or holding hands. But Reiko hadn't been so happy in quite a while. On December 1st she'd have never considered spending December 24th alone with Kageyama. And yet it seemed perfect, holding onto him a little tighter with each pretty, colorful grouping of lights they passed.
They eventually reached the end of the displays, and she made to withdraw from Kageyama's grasp to save him from any awkwardness. But he only let her get so far, holding tight to her mittened hand as they headed back for the parking lot.
"So I don't lose you, of course," he replied airily, even as the tips of his ears turned red. She squeezed his hand and was pleased when he squeezed back.
They took to the road again, this time driving out to Tokyo Bay. Kageyama parked the limo strategically across the bay from Odaiba and the holiday lights across the water there. From the front seat of the car, Reiko had the perfect view, unbuckling her seatbelt and slouching down a bit in her seat. Kageyama unbuckled his, but maintained his posture.
"Merry Christmas," she announced, grinning from ear to ear.
"Merry Christmas, my lady," Kageyama replied.
She turned to him, eyebrow raised. "You have no surprises in the glove compartment, I hope? We can have an evening without a mystery to attend to?"
He smiled. "Mystery-free, to my utter disappointment."
"I'm sure," she replied.
It was perfect. The parking spot, the lights across the bay, the company. The clock on the dashboard read 8:00 PM, giving them at least a few hours before they had to return home to get the cookie plate for Santa-san ready. Reiko had spent the past several days rehearsing an accusatory speech, wherein she would call Kageyama out on his jealous behavior, demand to know his true feelings for her, and if they matched hers, she would require him to take on a brand new task: the role of dutiful boyfriend. With dates and gifts and perhaps even some of the things suggested in the women's magazines.
But sitting here now, completely relaxed and comfortable, she wasn't so sure it was the right tone to take with him. When Reiko entered attack mode, Kageyama had a skill for entering his own attack mode. "Are you stupid? The master would not allow such a thing." "Are you stupid? The master would fire me." Somehow all of it would begin with an "Are you stupid?" comment and Reiko would end up raging mad, which would put a damper on her holiday cheer.
Instead she decided to enter a far different attack mode. Subtle attack mode.
"Ah Kageyama," she mumbled, shivering a bit. "It's a little chilly in here."
"My apologies," he said immediately, fingers heading for the dial on the heater. "Forgive me for not noticing sooner..."
She struck her own red mittened hand out before he could adjust the dial. "Maybe the seat warmer on this side isn't working at one hundred percent. Maybe if I just..."
She scooted, his arm seeming to naturally rise as she moved to her left across the seat. His arm hovered awkwardly before coming down to rest on the back of the seat behind her. With no warning, she leaned against him, head coming to rest against his shoulder.
"Oh, this is much warmer." And truthfully it was. She was pressed against his dark wool coat, feeling his body heat. It was a bold move, but it was still technically subtle attack mode. She'd yet to demand he confess his feelings. Kageyama didn't seem to know what to do. It was fulfilling her wish to be warm, so if he moved away from her, he'd be in trouble. But of course, what was a proper butler to do when his lady snuggled so close?
She grinned wickedly. "Actually, there's still a bit of a chill on my shoulder..."
Reiko heard a bit of a grumble emerge from Kageyama's mouth, now much closer than she realized. She had only to look up and he had only to look down and then they might...they could...
Soon his hand had moved from the back of the seat to come around her shoulder. "Is this better?" he asked quietly.
"Much."
She had accomplished this much in so short a time, getting him to put his arm around her. But even with his obvious confusion, he was steady and constant. His hand didn't quiver but held her firmly. And she was comfortable with him, more than she'd imagined possible when taking such a massive leap forward in their relationship. Even if she'd mostly tricked him into doing it, she'd yet to hear him say no that night.
But still her heart was pounding. If anyone walked by, they'd be totally convinced they were a couple.
Was it improper? Reiko had had days to ponder the repercussions of it. Would it compromise his duties if their relationship changed? She was in a position of authority over him, and he was paid by her father to look after her. It was not even ground. And Reiko was an heiress. Was it not shameful to date so far beneath herself?
Her conclusion was thus: it was the twenty-first century. Reiko already stepped outside the expected bounds of what an heiress could or could not do. She was a detective, and a good one. Most heiresses didn't even work, and she'd chosen one of the most dangerous career paths possible! So if she could do all that with her father's blessing, then why couldn't she love the person she wanted?
And as for Kageyama, he was the best butler the world had to offer. She doubted that the quality of his work would suffer, and even if he chose to resign, it was unlikely to stop him from nosing his way into her cases. Butler bow-tie or no, she doubted he'd ever leave her side so long as there were mysteries to solve in Kunitachi.
See, she'd reasoned everything out. Logically. Analytically. Thoroughly. Kageyama certainly couldn't fault her for that.
The only thing she needed now was confirmation that her feelings were returned.
She waited a few moments, staring out across the water and enjoying the simple feeling of Kageyama's arm around her. Knowing how safe she felt. Knowing how much she liked him, even when he infuriated her. Because he knew her, understood her. And in helping and supporting her, he brought out the very best in her.
Finally she turned a bit, tilting her head up. He was so close now. So perfectly close.
"Kageyama."
He didn't look her way. "Yes, my lady? Are you properly warmed now?"
"I think that my lips are cold."
She saw a flash of panic on his face, but she removed her mitten and boldly reached for him. Her fingers skimmed along his cheek before coming to rest at the corner of his mouth.
"It seems, Kageyama, that you are also a bit cold there."
"I should bring you home."
"You should do no such thing," she insisted quietly, slowly tracing along his chin, seeing his Adam's apple bob in his throat in his seeming distress. "But I don't want you to catch a chill."
"I am not catching a chill."
She frowned. "You have no wish to kiss me?"
"My lady..."
She pushed her shoulder against him, nudging him hard. "None of that. It is a yes or no type of situation we're in here. My father does not enter into this, your job does not enter into this..."
Finally he looked down at her in exasperation. "Are you blind? My job always enters into this."
"If you truly believed that, you would not still be holding me like this." She poked his cheek. "We wouldn't even be here alone like this if you believed that."
He sighed. "My personal feelings do not matter. I have a duty to you..."
"Yes, yes," she complained. "And don't I know it! Insult after insult to my intelligence and still I put up with you."
At that, he allowed himself a tiny smile before growing a bit more solemn. "It is not my place to be self-indulgent where you are concerned."
"Then it is, in fact, something you want?" she asked him, her hope returning. He was silent and a bit embarrassed, and she smiled brightly. She gave him another poke in the cheek. "Aha! You do, Kageyama! You do want it!"
"You are putting words in my mouth..."
"If it is something you want and it is most certainly something I want, then what is the problem? You ought to be honored, Kageyama, knowing an heiress such as myself could have anyone I wanted and instead I have selected you."
She lifted her hand, sliding his glasses off to hold in her lap. There he was now, unable to hide.
"It is Christmas, Kageyama," she said, looking into his eyes. "We should all get what we wish for on Christmas, shouldn't we?"
The hand at her shoulder grasped tighter, and he drew her closer against him. She closed her eyes, soon feeling his breath against her face. It was his voice, then, closer than it had ever been before. "You'll stop at nothing, my lady. It is what I've always liked about you most."
She was only able to let out the first syllable of his name before his lips found hers. She discovered that they were not cold at all, but soft and warm. She had expected it to shock her, to overwhelm her, and yet it didn't. Like most things Kageyama did, it was simply perfect.
He made to pull away, but now that he'd done it the first time, Reiko wished for a second time. And for many more times after. She fumbled for the lapel of his coat, giving it a tug to bring him back to her. She kissed him back this time, letting out a soft sigh as she clung to his coat. The hand that wasn't around her found her face, tucking a strand of her long hair behind her ear before cupping her cheek.
A few minutes later, Reiko stopped to take a breath. She was flushed from head to toe, grinning. "Perhaps now you could call me by my own name for once?"
He looked at her with such warmth, with such genuine affection that she thought she would burst. "Is my lady stupid? Allow me something to wish for next Christmas."
She laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling her stupid butler back to her. She was kissing Kageyama. Kageyama was kissing her. Forgive me, Santa-san, she thought, but I've already received the best present.
--
It was cold, but Reiko insisted on standing by the fence as the Hosho family's private jet departed the gate and prepared for take-off. January would find her Papa and Mama in Brazil, enjoying the sunshine and beaches of Rio. Of course, there was the Hosho Group's Latin America headquarters there as well.
She waved at the plane, knowing her father and mother were waving from their end as well. It had been a quiet, lovely Christmas, and she'd received a ton of perfect presents. None, though, could compare to her perfect Christmas Eve. They hadn't told her parents. Kageyama had been walking on eggshells the past week, almost as though he expected her father to figure it out and kill him.
She'd tell Papa sooner or later, but for now she liked the air of mystery. To keep the rest of the house staff in the dark, she treated Kageyama the same as she always had, and he didn't hesitate to criticize her. After all, he wouldn't be Kageyama if he wasn't being obnoxious and rude from time to time.
But then she'd catch his eye from across the room, thinking himself hidden behind the relative safety of his glasses. And she'd know. She'd know.
The plane made its final checks before the engines noisily kicked on. Reiko waved harder as the plane raced down the runway, lifting up and into the cloudy winter sky.
Kageyama was already holding the door of the limousine. The front passenger door. They'd stop sometime before arriving home, and Reiko would return to the back seat to keep up appearances, but for now her place was up front. She got in and buckled her seat belt, smiling when the driver's side opened.
He started putting on his own seat belt and turned the key in the ignition, and Reiko cleared her throat.
"My lady?" he asked airily, adjusting the dials on the heater to warm the vehicle up again. "Is something the matter?"
"He can't see you. They're already thousands of feet in the air," she said.
"The master has sharp eyesight," he replied, turning to her. "Better safe than sorry."
She pouted. "My lips are cold, Kageyama!"
"Are they, my lady? How dreadful."
Pigheaded as always, Reiko heard him chuckling at her outrage. But not for much longer. She grabbed him suddenly, his elbow whacking the steering wheel and sounding the limo's horn as she pulled him close. Her mouth found his, his arms came around her, and she had no more complaints to make.
It seemed that Togashi-san's friendliness toward her was impacting her father's business decisions greatly. The week after her date found Hosho Group's publishing division paying visits to Togashi Family Publishing, meeting with the staff. The deal would likely be finalized just before her father left for his next vacation.
To avoid thinking about her Christmas date and what it might entail, she flung herself wholeheartedly into work. She spent hours out of the house, following up with any case she could get her hands on. A home robbery where a vintage guitar had been the only thing taken. Neighbors with competing Christmas displays that were routinely causing blackouts on their street. She even tagged along with the parking meter enforcement team until they politely noted that they could cover more ground without her trying to arrest violators.
Togashi-san started sending her daily emails, detailing how excited he was for their Christmas Eve together. They'd go look at Christmas light displays and then for a drive. On one evening a few days before Christmas Eve she was tired, but she slid across the seat to peer over the divider between the rear of the limo and the driver's section where Kageyama was seated.
"Togashi-san is taking me on a drive," she informed him. "Can we practice that?"
They were stuck in traffic, Kageyama tapping his hands on the steering wheel in his boredom. "What is there to practice, my lady?"
"Sitting in the front," she replied, poking him on the shoulder. "I found it difficult to relax in his car last time. I was unaccustomed to it."
And Reiko wasn't stupid. A driving date, at least in television dramas and movies she'd seen, often led to parking somewhere. Conversations in darkness. With her dinner date, she'd had the food and Togashi-san's business to speak about and the table between them, but what if he wanted to hold hands this time? Or more? And what if she didn't want that? How could she turn him down gently without hurting his feelings?
"It's not safe right now," Kageyama said. "Let me pull off at the next exit."
Reiko was pleased with this, and as soon as Kageyama had pulled into a parking lot she opened her own door quickly, hurrying to the front and settling herself in. It was totally strange, sitting up front with Kageyama. He turned to look at her. "I require my glasses to drive," he informed her. "I will not take them off for this...practice session."
"Oh fine," she said with a wave of her hand. "Now drive."
Instead of heading back towards home and the traffic mess, he headed in the opposite direction. In Togashi-san's car he'd had the radio off, had stolen glances at her during red lights that made her nervous. Kageyama, however, turned on some classical music that instantly relaxed her. Of course, she was used to being in a car with Kageyama. But the music was helpful. Maybe she'd request that Togashi-san put something on that would fill in any gaps when they weren't talking.
Kageyama asked her about work, not taking his eyes from the road and not driving too fast or too slow. Unlike the tinted windows in the rear that afforded her privacy, she glanced out the front, seeing the highway signs go by, the other cars. She had to admit that she was always comfortable with Kageyama, never felt safer. Much as he could annoy her, her father had done well to name him as Karasawa's replacement.
"Maybe we should park."
"Park the car? Would you prefer to go home now?"
"No," she said nervously. "We should just park."
"Very well."
They ended up in a less than scenic, empty parking lot near a high school. Kageyama turned off the car lights but left the engine and heat running. They sat side by side quietly for a few moments.
"Maybe...maybe if we took off our seatbelts?" she wondered, hearing the soft click as Kageyama did as told and she did the same.
It was usually easy to talk to Kageyama, but now that they were here in the dark it seemed different. At home, even when they were alone, it had never felt like this. This was secret, something between the two of them that had nothing to do with solving a mystery. She could hear him breathing beside her, leaning his elbow against the door awaiting her next instructions in this odd date dress rehearsal. A date, Reiko knew, she wasn't even all that excited about. But it was somehow exciting here, sitting at Kageyama's side instead of in the rear of the vehicle.
She turned to look at him from the corner of her eye as the lights from the street cast them both in shadow. She could see the angle of his jaw, the curve of his nose. All the Kageyama features she was used to. She was suddenly struck with the memory from the day her father had come home, the way he'd helped her when she'd fallen. The way he'd held her close. Out of necessity of course. Kageyama was always proper in that respect.
But he'd changed these past few weeks. In fact he'd changed quite a bit since that day, had retreated from his usual teasing. Perhaps it was because of her father. Perhaps he was frightened of appearing overly familiar with his master's daughter. Certainly her father didn't have a problem with them being friends. Kageyama had nothing to fear unless he...
Unless he...
The thought sent a jolt through her. It was her stomach, turning and twisting. Her heart, pounding. Her mind, whirring. All of the sensations that Togashi-san, even with his goodbye kiss, had failed to bring about in her.
She looked over at Kageyama again in her surprise. Same jaw, same nose. Same glasses, same hair. Same bow tie and behind those lips that same poison-tipped tongue ready to disarm her at a moment's notice. It was obvious that he cared about her, and she had come to care for him a great deal since his arrival in spite of his bouts of rudeness. But what was going on here? What was she even thinking? What was she even considering?
"Do you wish for me to suggest a topic of conversation, my lady? Would that help?"
She glanced away from him instantly, spying herself in the side mirror attached to the car door. Glasses, ponytail, rumpled suit from work. She was tired, and perhaps that was why she was allowing her mind to wander to such odd topics.
"Kageyama, I..."
"...yes?"
She pressed forward. "Kageyama, I had a good enough time with Togashi-san but I've found that I have no attraction to him whatsoever. However, I've agreed to this second date as a gesture of goodwill and in the event that maybe I'll change my mind about my feelings and of course, because he and my father are in the middle of negotiations, and I would be a very bad daughter indeed if any hasty decision on my part caused problems for the merger."
He interrupted her there. "My lady, has Togashi-san stepped over his boundaries with you? Is he pressing you to date him?"
"Oh no," she replied, waving her hands frantically. "No, not at all I just...I just..."
"I highly doubt he would be so deeply offended by your turning him down to break off negotiations with the Hosho Group," Kageyama continued. "It is Togashi Family Publishing that benefits the most from this deal, after all."
"Yes, of course, I'm well aware of that..."
"Excuse my reach," Kageyama said then, moving for the car's glove compartment. He pulled out an envelope that was inside, shutting it up again. "I was going to bring this before your father this evening, but perhaps I should tell you first."
She stared at him, at the envelope in his hands. He slipped out of his gloves, opening the manila file. "Tell me what?"
"Of course the Hosho Group is performing its own investigation into Togashi Family Publishing, but the master requested I look into Togashi-san himself."
"Papa had you spy on him!" Reiko exclaimed, suddenly feeling ashamed. It was a business deal, and even though her father had had Togashi-san in his home, he could still do something like this.
Kageyama had no apology for that, handing over the envelope. She opened it, glancing at a handful of financial documents as well as some photos of Togashi entering a bank. "Togashi Family Publishing is heavily in debt, and the Hosho Group would absorb it in order to take on the company. The reason for that debt is mostly Togashi-san himself. He takes money from the company and has been depositing small sums in an account weekly and has for the past several years."
She looked at the photographs. "Where does the money go?" Togashi-san had been so proud of his business, of carrying on the family's name, of his employees. "He's not stealing from them, he couldn't be."
"I was unable to trace the money from there without committing a crime," he explained. "And the master would not allow it. I have only this evidence of Togashi Family Publishing money being funneled into a private account owned by Togashi Masahiko. The master has a right to know that he would likely continue doing the same with Hosho Group funds after the merger."
But he couldn't be a thief. He couldn't be stealing from his own company. Surely he'd drive a better car. Surely his credit card wouldn't be rejected at a restaurant. There had to be another explanation. Reiko wasn't attracted to Togashi-san, but she wanted to clear his name. She knew this wasn't what it looked like.
Her mind was in disorder. About Togashi-san, about her father, about Kageyama. Kageyama...
She turned the envelope over in her fingers. "With the way you've presented this evidence, it certainly makes Togashi-san appear suspicious."
"My lady?"
"You've been rude to him from the start. You were impolite at the airport, you served him last at dinner that night even though he was a guest. You immediately jump to conclusions, assuming that my discomfort in dating him stems from him acting inappropriately. You even spied on us when we returned from our first date, watching from the doorway."
"I never spied on you during your personal time, my lady. Not ever!"
She plowed right over him. "How convenient that this evidence against him has arrived, sitting right here in the glove compartment! How convenient when the deal is about to be wrapped up and my Christmas date is almost here. You...you would ruin this man's reputation in my father's eyes because...because...well, because you are simply jealous!"
Kageyama was staring at her, completely at a loss.
"Tell me that's not a factor, Kageyama," she snapped at him. "Tell me to my face that it isn't."
This was where he was supposed to lean forward. This was where he was supposed to smirk and let loose, to get in her face and act as usual. "Are you blind?" he was supposed to say. "This evidence is irrefutable. Even an imbecile could see that. There's no jealousy on my part because I am merely your butler. There's no jealousy because I do not have those kinds of feelings for you."
She waited for it. Waited with dread for the confirmation, for the verbal slap. For the world to right itself, the world where he really was just a butler and she his lady. The world where she didn't want him to take off his glasses like he had that night in the sitting room, to lean forward and let her hear the sound of her name on his lips for the first time.
It didn't come. He only sat still, keeping his proper distance. More distance than he'd ever shown her. "I was following the master's orders."
"Take me home," she said flatly, thrusting the envelope at him and opening the door.
Once she was seated in the back of the limo again, he turned the car on and for the first time, Reiko pressed the button to put up the divider glass between the driver's section and herself.
--
The envelope of evidence against Togashi-san was in her bag. At some point during the night, Kageyama had slipped it under her bedroom door. Though he was under her father's orders, it seemed that he was allowing her time to investigate on her own. He would disobey, he would stall so that she could ask Togashi-san about the money herself.
She was grateful for it, but it was certainly making even more of a mess of her feelings. One moment the night before she'd been staring at him, wondering if there was the potential for something more between them and the next he was shoving evidence of embezzlement in her hands, turning Togashi-san into a petty criminal.
Even Kazamatsuri-san could tell that she was bundled in knots of confusion, handing her one of the coffees his female minions had brought to the crime scene that morning. It had been a hit and run. The victim, an antique car worth millions of yen. As they stood in the cold together, the forensics team was pulling paint from the fleeing car off the heavily damaged antique's bumper while they waited to see if there had been any CCTV cameras pointed this way at the time of the incident.
Of course the coffee he'd handed her had been sitting out for some time and tasted horrible while he drank a fresh, piping hot one, but she sipped it without complaint. "Ah, Hosho-kun, it's a shame. Now had it been a vehicle made by the fine men and women of Kazamatsuri Motors, there'd be far less damage, wouldn't you agree?"
"I wouldn't agree," she mumbled to herself.
"What was that?"
"Oh look, that man out walking his dog. Perhaps he witnessed it," she said, pulling her notepad from her coat pocket and wandering away from him.
It was mid-afternoon when she couldn't take much more of the situation and found herself dialing Togashi-san's number. She asked to move their driving date up, to that very evening. He agreed readily and eagerly, and Reiko felt guilty leading him on. But he would clear his name. He would explain everything, she was certain of it. Date arranged, she called Kageyama.
"I won't be needing a ride this evening. I'm seeing Togashi-san."
"I understand."
Do you really, she wanted to ask him, but she was in the squad room going through witness statements and didn't need to let anyone overhear her. "Please let Papa and Mama know where I'll be. I don't expect to be home that late."
"As you wish. I will wait up for you."
"That isn't necessary..."
"It is my job."
With that all too blunt reminder of who and what he was to her, she hung up on him.
--
Togashi-san had just gotten into the car and was turning the key in the ignition when Reiko pulled the envelope from her purse. It wasn't fair to make him take her for a meal or anything and then accuse him of wrongdoing. It wasn't right.
She hadn't even stopped home to change. She'd had him pick her up a block from the station so none of her coworkers saw, and he seemed a little nervous about her professional appearance - glasses, suit, serious expression. "Some questions have arisen about you, Togashi-san," Reiko said as calmly as she could manage. "About your company's finances. I would rather know the truth of it from you directly. The Hosho Group will be my responsibility one day, as you surely know."
He opened the envelope dutifully, frowning at the photographs and papers within.
"You've withheld information from my father. It is not my place to question the way he does business or investigates pending partnerships, but you must admit this is suspicious. My father is a forgiving man if people are upfront and honest with him. Would you explain this?"
He slipped the papers back inside the envelope and handed it to her. "I'll show you. And I'll come clean to Seitaro-san. I was actually going to...I...I just haven't found the right time for a meeting. He's so busy..."
That much Reiko knew. Even with this pending acquisition the Hosho Group was always looking for new opportunities as well as maintaining the many businesses it already operated. Her father may have spent most of the year out of the country, but he was always working hard. "Well, tell me the truth and I'll get you your meeting with him. That's a promise."
Instead of dinner and a drive, the car was silent. No music, no chatting. They took the highway south, arriving at a children's hospital in Kawasaki. She thought she might have seen a tear escape the corner of Togashi-san's eye, but when he came around to open her door his face was calm.
He led her inside, signing the visitor registry and heading up to the fourth floor. At the end of the hall was a room for Togashi Masaharu. There was a glass window on the wall allowing those in the hall to see inside. Within she could see a small boy asleep in a bed. There were numerous machines around the room, the harshness of them softened a bit by numerous bouquets of flowers, teddy bears, and action figurines. This boy wasn't a temporary visitor. He was a permanent resident.
They remained in the hall, Togashi-san with his hand pressed to the glass. "My son."
Reiko remained quiet, allowing Togashi-san to explain in his own time.
"His mother and I are no longer together. I want you to know that, Reiko-san, that I wasn't playing you false. And as to the money, well, as you can see, Masa stays here. He needs a brand new heart, and he's on the list but he's too unwell to come home. They can monitor him here, but it's no small expense, you see." Togashi-san wiped his eyes. "Ah, forgive me. I love my company very much, I love its legacy. But what does the legacy mean if my son doesn't carry on the business? So yes, I have used company funds to give Masa a fighting chance. It's shameful, stealing from my employees and my company's future, but there is no future without Masa."
Reiko could barely hold back tears of her own. "I'll get you your meeting, Togashi-san."
He looked at her gratefully, but there was something in his eyes that showed understanding. "I am thinking that our Christmas Eve plans are canceled."
She watched the boy in the bed, watched him fight. "I think that your place on Christmas Eve is here, wouldn't you say?"
He squeezed her shoulder, looking grateful. "Thank you, Reiko-san. For giving me a chance."
--
She sat up with her father until well after midnight, explaining the situation. She laid out all the documents and photographs that Kageyama had prepared and then went on to detail her night with Togashi-san and the truth behind his company's debts.
Her father squeezed her hand. "He was dishonest with his employees. The Hosho Group is about trust."
She could see that he still had something to say, and she squeezed his hand in return.
"But the Hosho Group is also a family. A very large, diversified, multi-national family," her father said with a twinkle in his eye. "I'm proud of you, Reiko. For seeing to the heart of the matter."
"You'll continue with the acquisition?"
He got to his feet, patting the top of her head. "I will call Masahiko-kun first thing tomorrow." He looked to the doorway. "Ah, Kageyama-kun, there you are."
Reiko turned, seeing the butler standing in the doorway. Just how long had he been there, watching them? Her father stepped away, giving Kageyama a firm thump on the back. "Let's have waffles again tomorrow, hmm? With a dollop of whipped cream as big as my fist!"
"Of course, master. Pleasant dreams to you."
They were left alone once more in the sitting room, the tree aglow behind her as she heard her father's footsteps retreat down the hallway.
She crossed her arms, gesturing with her chin to the documents laid out on the coffee table. "I've solved the mystery."
"As expected of you," Kageyama said, inclining his head politely. "Togashi-san's thievery was no mere thievery, was it?"
"Of course it wasn't," she snapped at him.
He watched her expectantly, even though he ought to have been apologizing for getting her so upset. He was lucky she hadn't told her father about his behavior. And that was, of course, when Reiko remembered just what accusation she'd leveled at him the night before. That his thorough detective work and witch hunt investigation of Togashi-san was out of jealousy. Because his feelings went beyond that of a butler for his charge.
What did he feel about her? Would he deny it and slip further away from her? When her parents left, would things return to how they'd been or would he retreat? She realized how badly she wanted answers from him, and it scared her. With Togashi-san, the matter had simply been unfamiliarity, the unknown that came from dating someone she'd only just met. But with Kageyama he was all too familiar. His presence by her side, his devotion. She wasn't sure she could make do without him. She'd be falling off ladders all the time.
What were these feelings she was having for him all of a sudden? How long had they been there, lying dormant under layers and layers of denial and her position above him and worst of all, his constant smugness? There was obviously a man before her, a man who cared for her. A man she cared for in return, but was she confusing her reliance on him for love? Was she confusing his loyalty for love?
"You still seem troubled," he said quietly, putting aside his usual attitude for compassion. "Shall I run you a bath? Put on a movie for you?"
"I no longer have plans for Christmas Eve," she announced, straightening her glasses. "Which is a good thing, as I'll be able to be home to set out cookies for Santa-san and will be snug in bed when he arrives with my gifts."
"I am sorry things did not work out for you with Togashi-san, but I know how important timeliness is to you on Christmas Eve," he replied diplomatically.
"I was wondering, Kageyama..."
"Hmm?"
"Papa and Mama have the Holiday Ball at Hosho Group headquarters with the shareholders that night," she said, as calmly as she could. "Are you busy then?"
He stiffened a bit. Oh, of course, Reiko thought. He'd probably made a stupid bargain again with that bakery owner and would be stuck outside selling Christmas cakes until he was blue in the face. Or maybe he had a date. A proper date with a maid from another household or some fanatic from one of his creepy online manga message boards.
"Actually, my lady, I was planning to polish the silver that night." He raised an eyebrow. "A task that could be postponed, if necessary."
"I thought maybe we could go for a drive."
He nodded. "If that is your wish, I'd be happy to escort you..."
"Not...not that kind of drive," she mumbled, wishing he wouldn't be so purposefully quiet, so intentionally dense and unwilling to volunteer his own feelings. When it came to her job, he was always too quick to make his opinion known. He was leaving her to stumble through this more personal business awkwardly and alone. "A drive where I don't nap in the back of the car. A drive where we sit together and you want to be there as much as I do."
"Oh," he said, face falling. "I see."
She took a step forward, clenching her fists a bit to keep the panic in her from rising. Maybe she'd read him entirely wrong all along. Maybe her new and developing feelings were woefully one-sided. "That isn't something you'd want then? You can be honest with me. I have no power to fire you when Papa is at home and in charge."
"I don't think your father would like us to take that sort of drive together," he replied.
She kept walking forward until he was trapped between her and the doorframe. She looked up at him. "I didn't ask what my father would think. I asked what you think."
He peered down at her, smirking. "It's an awful waste of a limousine if there's no one sitting in the back."
She scowled. "That's what you think? Your honest, genuine opinion?"
"It is one of my honest, genuine opinions."
She poked him in the chest with her finger. "Would you care to express another? A yes or no, perhaps?"
At that, he grinned widely.
--
They dropped her mother and father off at the banquet hall. It was not an awful waste of a limousine in the slightest, as Reiko had spent the drive over seated in the rear with them. But as soon as they had waved their goodbyes and shouted their "Merry Christmas!" wishes, Kageyama had promptly exited the vehicle and opened her door.
"Kageyama," she announced. "There is an awful draft back here. Perhaps I should sit in front closer to the main heater."
"Perhaps you should, my lady."
He held out his hand to help her as she stepped out, dressed in her emerald green coat and red mittens. He ushered her quickly around the car and got her settled in the seat beside his before joining her. She took the mittens off as soon as they were on their way, relaxing when Kageyama settled the radio on a classical station.
Just the other day, the Hosho Group had officially announced its acquisition of Togashi Family Publishing, a company specializing in technical manual production, an area of publishing where the Hosho Group was lacking. Unofficially, in addition to the acquisition, medical bills for one Togashi Masaharu-kun were found to be paid in full not at his current hospital but in a top of the line hospital under the Hosho Group. The boy had just been moved into his new, larger room that morning, and Reiko had received an ecstatic call from the boy's father.
"They say a new procedure and medications could reduce Masa's urgent need for a transplant. That he could be much healthier and stronger by the time it's his turn on the transplant list. My ex-wife and I could never have afforded it." Togashi-san had been openly weeping, and Reiko had barely held it together on the call. "It is all truly thanks to you, Reiko-san. Thank you for your kindness."
The phone call had put her in fine spirits and from the looks of it, Kageyama too. They drove along the highway, heading for a popular holiday light display in Tokyo Midtown. They parked and let the lights draw them in. As expected, the illumination displays were swarming with couples and families, and she kept close to Kageyama's side. They turned a corner and to avoid bumping someone, Reiko slipped closer still.
He looked down, worry in his eyes, as she took hold of his arm. "So you don't lose me," she explained, thankful for the chill in the air to excuse the growing pink flush to her cheeks.
They wandered around for quite a while, taking in the blue and white glow of the lights, slowed by the crush of the crowd. But Kageyama was warm and steady, pointing out the displays and of course, taking time to ruin the magic by pointing out a random burnt out bulb the staff was quickly fixing in one area. Reiko was certain that the Hosho house had the best light display and the best holiday spirit in all of Japan, but this was a close second.
Perhaps it was the holiday. Perhaps it was the throng of people all around them with arms around each other or holding hands. But Reiko hadn't been so happy in quite a while. On December 1st she'd have never considered spending December 24th alone with Kageyama. And yet it seemed perfect, holding onto him a little tighter with each pretty, colorful grouping of lights they passed.
They eventually reached the end of the displays, and she made to withdraw from Kageyama's grasp to save him from any awkwardness. But he only let her get so far, holding tight to her mittened hand as they headed back for the parking lot.
"So I don't lose you, of course," he replied airily, even as the tips of his ears turned red. She squeezed his hand and was pleased when he squeezed back.
They took to the road again, this time driving out to Tokyo Bay. Kageyama parked the limo strategically across the bay from Odaiba and the holiday lights across the water there. From the front seat of the car, Reiko had the perfect view, unbuckling her seatbelt and slouching down a bit in her seat. Kageyama unbuckled his, but maintained his posture.
"Merry Christmas," she announced, grinning from ear to ear.
"Merry Christmas, my lady," Kageyama replied.
She turned to him, eyebrow raised. "You have no surprises in the glove compartment, I hope? We can have an evening without a mystery to attend to?"
He smiled. "Mystery-free, to my utter disappointment."
"I'm sure," she replied.
It was perfect. The parking spot, the lights across the bay, the company. The clock on the dashboard read 8:00 PM, giving them at least a few hours before they had to return home to get the cookie plate for Santa-san ready. Reiko had spent the past several days rehearsing an accusatory speech, wherein she would call Kageyama out on his jealous behavior, demand to know his true feelings for her, and if they matched hers, she would require him to take on a brand new task: the role of dutiful boyfriend. With dates and gifts and perhaps even some of the things suggested in the women's magazines.
But sitting here now, completely relaxed and comfortable, she wasn't so sure it was the right tone to take with him. When Reiko entered attack mode, Kageyama had a skill for entering his own attack mode. "Are you stupid? The master would not allow such a thing." "Are you stupid? The master would fire me." Somehow all of it would begin with an "Are you stupid?" comment and Reiko would end up raging mad, which would put a damper on her holiday cheer.
Instead she decided to enter a far different attack mode. Subtle attack mode.
"Ah Kageyama," she mumbled, shivering a bit. "It's a little chilly in here."
"My apologies," he said immediately, fingers heading for the dial on the heater. "Forgive me for not noticing sooner..."
She struck her own red mittened hand out before he could adjust the dial. "Maybe the seat warmer on this side isn't working at one hundred percent. Maybe if I just..."
She scooted, his arm seeming to naturally rise as she moved to her left across the seat. His arm hovered awkwardly before coming down to rest on the back of the seat behind her. With no warning, she leaned against him, head coming to rest against his shoulder.
"Oh, this is much warmer." And truthfully it was. She was pressed against his dark wool coat, feeling his body heat. It was a bold move, but it was still technically subtle attack mode. She'd yet to demand he confess his feelings. Kageyama didn't seem to know what to do. It was fulfilling her wish to be warm, so if he moved away from her, he'd be in trouble. But of course, what was a proper butler to do when his lady snuggled so close?
She grinned wickedly. "Actually, there's still a bit of a chill on my shoulder..."
Reiko heard a bit of a grumble emerge from Kageyama's mouth, now much closer than she realized. She had only to look up and he had only to look down and then they might...they could...
Soon his hand had moved from the back of the seat to come around her shoulder. "Is this better?" he asked quietly.
"Much."
She had accomplished this much in so short a time, getting him to put his arm around her. But even with his obvious confusion, he was steady and constant. His hand didn't quiver but held her firmly. And she was comfortable with him, more than she'd imagined possible when taking such a massive leap forward in their relationship. Even if she'd mostly tricked him into doing it, she'd yet to hear him say no that night.
But still her heart was pounding. If anyone walked by, they'd be totally convinced they were a couple.
Was it improper? Reiko had had days to ponder the repercussions of it. Would it compromise his duties if their relationship changed? She was in a position of authority over him, and he was paid by her father to look after her. It was not even ground. And Reiko was an heiress. Was it not shameful to date so far beneath herself?
Her conclusion was thus: it was the twenty-first century. Reiko already stepped outside the expected bounds of what an heiress could or could not do. She was a detective, and a good one. Most heiresses didn't even work, and she'd chosen one of the most dangerous career paths possible! So if she could do all that with her father's blessing, then why couldn't she love the person she wanted?
And as for Kageyama, he was the best butler the world had to offer. She doubted that the quality of his work would suffer, and even if he chose to resign, it was unlikely to stop him from nosing his way into her cases. Butler bow-tie or no, she doubted he'd ever leave her side so long as there were mysteries to solve in Kunitachi.
See, she'd reasoned everything out. Logically. Analytically. Thoroughly. Kageyama certainly couldn't fault her for that.
The only thing she needed now was confirmation that her feelings were returned.
She waited a few moments, staring out across the water and enjoying the simple feeling of Kageyama's arm around her. Knowing how safe she felt. Knowing how much she liked him, even when he infuriated her. Because he knew her, understood her. And in helping and supporting her, he brought out the very best in her.
Finally she turned a bit, tilting her head up. He was so close now. So perfectly close.
"Kageyama."
He didn't look her way. "Yes, my lady? Are you properly warmed now?"
"I think that my lips are cold."
She saw a flash of panic on his face, but she removed her mitten and boldly reached for him. Her fingers skimmed along his cheek before coming to rest at the corner of his mouth.
"It seems, Kageyama, that you are also a bit cold there."
"I should bring you home."
"You should do no such thing," she insisted quietly, slowly tracing along his chin, seeing his Adam's apple bob in his throat in his seeming distress. "But I don't want you to catch a chill."
"I am not catching a chill."
She frowned. "You have no wish to kiss me?"
"My lady..."
She pushed her shoulder against him, nudging him hard. "None of that. It is a yes or no type of situation we're in here. My father does not enter into this, your job does not enter into this..."
Finally he looked down at her in exasperation. "Are you blind? My job always enters into this."
"If you truly believed that, you would not still be holding me like this." She poked his cheek. "We wouldn't even be here alone like this if you believed that."
He sighed. "My personal feelings do not matter. I have a duty to you..."
"Yes, yes," she complained. "And don't I know it! Insult after insult to my intelligence and still I put up with you."
At that, he allowed himself a tiny smile before growing a bit more solemn. "It is not my place to be self-indulgent where you are concerned."
"Then it is, in fact, something you want?" she asked him, her hope returning. He was silent and a bit embarrassed, and she smiled brightly. She gave him another poke in the cheek. "Aha! You do, Kageyama! You do want it!"
"You are putting words in my mouth..."
"If it is something you want and it is most certainly something I want, then what is the problem? You ought to be honored, Kageyama, knowing an heiress such as myself could have anyone I wanted and instead I have selected you."
She lifted her hand, sliding his glasses off to hold in her lap. There he was now, unable to hide.
"It is Christmas, Kageyama," she said, looking into his eyes. "We should all get what we wish for on Christmas, shouldn't we?"
The hand at her shoulder grasped tighter, and he drew her closer against him. She closed her eyes, soon feeling his breath against her face. It was his voice, then, closer than it had ever been before. "You'll stop at nothing, my lady. It is what I've always liked about you most."
She was only able to let out the first syllable of his name before his lips found hers. She discovered that they were not cold at all, but soft and warm. She had expected it to shock her, to overwhelm her, and yet it didn't. Like most things Kageyama did, it was simply perfect.
He made to pull away, but now that he'd done it the first time, Reiko wished for a second time. And for many more times after. She fumbled for the lapel of his coat, giving it a tug to bring him back to her. She kissed him back this time, letting out a soft sigh as she clung to his coat. The hand that wasn't around her found her face, tucking a strand of her long hair behind her ear before cupping her cheek.
A few minutes later, Reiko stopped to take a breath. She was flushed from head to toe, grinning. "Perhaps now you could call me by my own name for once?"
He looked at her with such warmth, with such genuine affection that she thought she would burst. "Is my lady stupid? Allow me something to wish for next Christmas."
She laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling her stupid butler back to her. She was kissing Kageyama. Kageyama was kissing her. Forgive me, Santa-san, she thought, but I've already received the best present.
--
It was cold, but Reiko insisted on standing by the fence as the Hosho family's private jet departed the gate and prepared for take-off. January would find her Papa and Mama in Brazil, enjoying the sunshine and beaches of Rio. Of course, there was the Hosho Group's Latin America headquarters there as well.
She waved at the plane, knowing her father and mother were waving from their end as well. It had been a quiet, lovely Christmas, and she'd received a ton of perfect presents. None, though, could compare to her perfect Christmas Eve. They hadn't told her parents. Kageyama had been walking on eggshells the past week, almost as though he expected her father to figure it out and kill him.
She'd tell Papa sooner or later, but for now she liked the air of mystery. To keep the rest of the house staff in the dark, she treated Kageyama the same as she always had, and he didn't hesitate to criticize her. After all, he wouldn't be Kageyama if he wasn't being obnoxious and rude from time to time.
But then she'd catch his eye from across the room, thinking himself hidden behind the relative safety of his glasses. And she'd know. She'd know.
The plane made its final checks before the engines noisily kicked on. Reiko waved harder as the plane raced down the runway, lifting up and into the cloudy winter sky.
Kageyama was already holding the door of the limousine. The front passenger door. They'd stop sometime before arriving home, and Reiko would return to the back seat to keep up appearances, but for now her place was up front. She got in and buckled her seat belt, smiling when the driver's side opened.
He started putting on his own seat belt and turned the key in the ignition, and Reiko cleared her throat.
"My lady?" he asked airily, adjusting the dials on the heater to warm the vehicle up again. "Is something the matter?"
"He can't see you. They're already thousands of feet in the air," she said.
"The master has sharp eyesight," he replied, turning to her. "Better safe than sorry."
She pouted. "My lips are cold, Kageyama!"
"Are they, my lady? How dreadful."
Pigheaded as always, Reiko heard him chuckling at her outrage. But not for much longer. She grabbed him suddenly, his elbow whacking the steering wheel and sounding the limo's horn as she pulled him close. Her mouth found his, his arms came around her, and she had no more complaints to make.
