The jet landed at the Incheon airport and Cristal removed her seat belt and casually peeped out of the window, expecting to find Masaaki standing on the airfield waiting for her to turn over her interview to him.
"Are you glad to be back?" Yi-jun asked her as he stepped out into the aisle.
"Yes," Cristal replied. "Not that I didn't have the time of my life in Paris."
"I'm glad," he said, loaning a hand to assist her out of the tight area. "I had the time of my life too."
Cristal pretended not to see the lusty look in his eyes.
Maybe he meant what he said, but as far as she was concerned it was over. She walked down the aisle and then exited the plane with Yi-jun close on her heels. The next thing she knew they were back in the limousine, headed off the airstrip.
Yi-jun pulled out his laptop and began typing. "I know Satoshi can't wait to see you. He misses you."
Cristal frowned. Why was he bringing up Satoshi? "Yeah, I miss him too. I'm glad we made it back in time to see their interview."
Yi-jun suddenly went silent and powered down his laptop.
"About that. I might not be able to make it. Something has come up. I have to get back to work."
"Aw, can't you just put it off for one or two more days?"
Yi-jun shook his head. "I'm afraid not. A lot of people are depending on me. It's bad enough that I've shirked those responsibilities for a week to fly to Paris on a whim."
Cristal frowned. It wasn't like she'd dragged him there.
Stupid, infuriating man. If he was busy he should have just said something. "When will I see you again?"
"I don't know," he replied. "I'll be very busy for a while. I'll call you."
Their conversation ended at that very moment. "I'll call you" was the ultimate kiss-off. A few minutes later, Beatrice turned onto the roadway leading to the mansion rented by Mr. Niigata, and then she waited at the gates until the guards allowed her to continue down the main path that led to the door. Five minutes later she stopped the limousine and got out.
Cristal stepped out through the door, looking at the mansion and its surrounding property. She finally had her feet on solid ground, and she only wanted to go inside and escape to the privacy of her room.
Beatrice opened the trunk and started pulling out Cristal's luggage and loading it on a cart. She wheeled it up the sidewalk.
Yi-jun opened and stepped out of his door and stopped her before she followed Beatrice. "Have fun for me tomorrow night," he told her. Then he kissed her on the forehead and stepped back inside the limo, leaving her alone.
"Stupid man," she muttered as she walked up the sidewalk to the stairs. He could go straight to Hell for all she cared.
The door to the mansion swung open and Satoshi appeared, dressed casually in a denim jacket, jeans and an Aomori T-shirt with the band's picture blazed across his chest.
He opened his arms and Cristal flew into them. "Welcome home, Cristal," he said.
Cristal hugged him tightly. "I'm so glad to be back," she replied, trying to hold back the tears. "It's been a long week."
He took the luggage from Beatrice once she released him and realized that the chauffeur was staring at them. "Thank you, Beatrice. You're looking as scrumptious as ever."
"Thank you, Satoshi," the chauffeur said, bowing. "It's a pleasure to see you as always." She bowed again and then walked down the stairs.
Cristal punched him playfully on the arm. "Don't tell me that you've done her."
Satoshi chuckled. "Why do women assume that I'm like that?"
They watched the limousine drive off.
"Why didn't Yi-jun get out?" Satoshi asked as he closed the door.
"Because he's a moron," Cristal replied.
Satoshi sighed. "Don't tell me the two of you have had a lover's quarrel. I thought you were getting along in Paris."
"We were," Cristal replied. "But I think it's all over now. He had to get back to work, and he told me he would be very busy and would call me."
"Oh!" Satoshi replied. "Not good."
"Same thing I thought," Cristal said, heading for the staircase. "I know a brush-off when I hear one."
"Maybe the man is just busy," Satoshi said, following her up the stairs struggling with her luggage. "How much shopping did you do? Did you leave anything in Paris?"
"Yes, mister smart guy. Yi-jun insisted that he buy me an outfit for every day we were there. I swear I don't know any man who has more fascination with clothes than that one."
"Then you really don't know your boss, Harper Kehoe.
Maybe I should introduce the two of them."
"Don't bother," Cristal replied as they finally made it to her room. "I don't think I'll ever see Yi-jun again. It was nice but it's over. I have work to do getting you clowns to China."
"Speaking of clowns, the others have arrived."
Cristal opened the door to her room, and Satoshi rolled the luggage cart in and put it next to her closet door. He flopped down in a chair while she sat on her bed. "They're here?"
Satoshi nodded. "You'll get to meet them tonight at dinner."
Cristal looked over at the clock. It was three o'clock in the afternoon, and her body was suffering from a severe case of jet lag.
"Dinner is at six. Ichiro likes everyone to be on time."
Six? Maybe she could get in a few hours of sleep before meeting the rest of the family. "I need a nap," Cristal confessed.
"What's stopping you?" Satoshi asked.
"I have a strange man in my room."
Satoshi rose and walked over to her. "Does that scare you?"
Cristal rose, aware of the heat from his body. "No."
Satoshi pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "Try to get some rest," he told her. "We can discuss Yi-jun's stupidity later." He broke the embrace and left her standing alone in her room, breathless and out of words.
Cristal's alarm went off at five. She opened her eyes, reached over and turned the alarm off before it could disturb anyone else in the mansion. Satoshi said that dinner would be served at six, so she rolled out of bed and headed for the bathroom. The nap had reinvigorated her, and she was anxious to meet the others.
After her shower she rooted through her closet for something to wear, wanting to make a good impression. She chose a casual but cute pantsuit and pulled her hair back in a ponytail. She'd had enough of being the glamorous date of a hot movie actor for one week, and she just wanted to feel like herself. Cristal checked her cell phone for messages before heading downstairs. Damn, no messages from Yi-jun. She slipped the phone into her pocket and left the room.
Cristal heard voices coming from the dining room as she walked down the stairs. Satoshi waited for her in the hall.
"Don't be nervous," he told her, taking her hand into his.
"They're going to love you."
Cristal eyed him suspiciously. He was being especially nice to her for some reason. Maybe he was still feeling sorry for her because Yi-jun had given her the brush-off. Satoshi opened the door for her, and she entered. All conversation ceased. Satoshi slipped in behind her.
"Everyone, this is Cristal Gentry, Aomori's new public relation person." He led her around the room still holding her hand. "Cristal, this is Shaundra, Ichiro's wife."
Shaundra rose. Cristal didn't expect to meet a gorgeous African-American woman who looked closer to her age rather than fifty. And she certainly didn't expect the big welcoming hug.
"Nice to finally meet you," Shaundra said. She had a cute Southern accent and an easy smile. "Satoshi has told me so many lovely things about you, and I'm looking forward to hearing about your trip to France."
"It was wonderful," Cristal replied. "Well, most of the time.
I'll show you the pictures later."
Satoshi walked over to an Asian female in her early twenties. "This is Yori's wife, Amaya."
Cristal bowed to Amaya.
Amaya didn't rise. She just nodded politely. "Nice to meet you too, Ms. Gentry."
Okay, is it my imagination or is this one a snob? Cristal bowed again and then smiled. She planned to stay as far away from Amaya as possible. She'd met others like her, spoiled, pampered and rude.
Satoshi turned her. "And this is the leader of Aomori, Yori Morika."
Yori stood.
Ooh, Cristal thought. Drop dead gorgeous.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Gentry."
"The pleasure is all mine," Cristal replied, still transfixed by those dark eyes and sensual lips. "I am looking forward to working with you." He was so poised and mannerly and nothing like Satoshi and Takumijo.
Yori sat down next to his wife, and Satoshi shoved her over by Takumijo and Kenshin. "Play nice," he told her.
Kenshin just bowed and smiled, but Takumijo picked her up in a bear hug and kissed her affectionately on the cheek.
"I'm so glad you're back. Poor Satoshi has been going crazy since you left."
"I'll just bet he has," Cristal said once Takumijo put her back on solid ground. "Did he tell you that he was the one who arranged my little excommunication out of Korea?"
Takumijo nodded. "I tried to stop him, but he insisted you needed to have a little fun and adventure."
"You are such a liar," Satoshi said in his own defense.
"It would have been nice if you two guys would have let me in on my exile."
"I told you that Mr. Niigata would retaliate for you leading us astray," Takumijo replied.
Cristal rolled her eyes at him. "You two guys are horrible."
"Did you get the interview?" Takumijo asked.
"Yes, she did," Masaaki said, entering the dining room. "Yi- jun faxed an advance copy earlier."
So that was why he asked for a copy. Fresh guy. It was nice of him, but it still didn't change anything between them.
"You did an excellent job on the interview, Ms. McIntire, and I can't wait to see the pictures and articles from the fashion shows."
Cristal bowed to him. "Thanks for the opportunity. I hope you won't be disappointed."
"I'm sure I won't be," he said, sitting down at the table. "I heard that you and Mr. Lee took Paris by storm. Everyone wants to know who you are and how you managed to capture the heart of Korea's most eligible bachelor."
Satoshi's leg stiffened against hers.
"There's nothing between us. Yi-jun opened a couple of doors for me and introduced me to a lot of nice people. He is a very nice man."
Masaaki looked at her like he didn't believe her. "Kind? Are we speaking of the same Yi-jun Lee?"
Cristal smirked. "Yes."
The door off the dining room opened, and Cristal forgot all about her conversation with Masaaki. She stared at the man who entered the room.
Satoshi nudged her knee. The man rolling the cart of food could be none other than Ichiro.
Ichiro looked up, saw her and then looked away shyly.
"Come over here, Ich," Satoshi told him like a father speaking to a child.
Ichiro straightened up and gave her the full effect. Six feet of gorgeous young man. Her gaze traveled up to his hair, and she trembled. Look at that hair.
"Ich, this is our new PR person, Cristal Gentry."
Ichiro bowed. "It is very nice to meet you, Ms. Gentry," he said in English. "Please sit down and share a meal with us."
The pit of her stomach jiggled with delight.
"Stop gawking," Satoshi told her. "Ich has that effect on everyone the first time they meet him."
A rosy blush stained Ichiro's cheeks, which she found endearing. She caught Shaundra's attention. "He's gorgeous."
Shaundra nodded her head enthusiastically. "And mine."
Cristal and Shaundra laughed, ignoring the looks Amaya gave them. Cristal looked the four guys over. Boy, I'm looking forward to see them perform.
Ichiro culinary skills were superb, she noted when they finally got down to the business of eating. Everyone except Ichiro and Amaya talked candidly about the upcoming tour, and she couldn't help but notice the way Satoshi and Yori kept sneaking peeks at Shaundra. She sighed. The next couple of months were going to be anything but boring.