Keenan
I could have killed the driver for popping up like he did. I know this was a different country, but it seemed like everywhere it would have been clear what was going on. I had been so close to finally tasting my wife, but then nothing because Qing popped up. I could have strangled him right there.
The spell I had on her was gone and she realized what we were doing. She had gotten dressed and Gemma was back to her old self. We were in Japan and she wanted to go see some sights that didn’t include groves of cherry trees. I wanted to go back to where we were and finish what we started, but Gemma had other plans and she was in charge far more than I was. I couldn’t tell her no and when she smiled at me, I had a feeling that she knew that fact.
We went to all of the sights that she could think of and none were as breathtaking as Gemma was in her light skirt that flowed in the breeze around her. She had a glow about her and while she took in the view around us, I was content to watch her react to it all. If I didn’t know any better, I would think that she hadn’t done much traveling, but I knew it wasn’t true. Gemma just saw everything with fresh eyes and it wasn’t the first time that I was jealous of her easy ways and wished that I could do the same.
“Are you just going to sit there or are you going to come for a walk with me?”
“Why are we here again?”
“Because this forest is special and I have wanted to see it for some time since I read about it. I just could never get anyone to come with me.”
I just shook my head. I didn’t know why it was so special, but I was sure that she knew. Gemma had some of the most interesting little anecdotes for everything and there was no wonder how she remembered it all. I had a feeling that she knew more about the forest than I ever would. I never worried too much about the sights of the world, but now I was wondering why that was.
“This forest is known as the suicide forest. Or Aokigahara.”
My brow went up. “Huh?”
Gemma shrugged and laughed at the expression on my face. “I am serious. For some reason a bunch of people hang themselves here every year and it has become a thing here in Japan.”
“Why would you know that?”
“Why wouldn’t you?”
I could think of many reasons, but I did have to say for a place she had only been once, Gemma knew a lot about the country and we had gone to some peculiar places, though this one topped it. The forest was creepy and the last thing I wanted to do was go in it. But I couldn’t tell her that it was because it had an eerie feel to it. She wouldn’t understand and I didn’t want her to see me as less. Gemma didn’t need to know how superstitious I could be sometimes, even when I knew that there was no reason to worry.
So I followed her to the forest that was notorious for such a strange thing and I had to admit that I was not all that excited about it. The place had a weird vibe to it, but all Gemma could see was beauty and all I could see was her.
“This place is beautiful. I guess they come here because it is so peaceful. This wouldn’t be a bad place to be if this was your last moments on earth.”
A shiver went through me and I was ready to go.
“Let’s get out of here. Aren’t you hungry yet?”
She nodded her head that she was, though Gemma gave me a smile that told me she knew I just wanted to get out of there for other reasons. I would have thanked her for that, but then I would have meant that I had to admit that I didn’t want to be there.
“I could go for some sushi.”
I wasn’t going to make a face, but I wasn’t into raw fish, even here. We were so different and though I could have let it be the reason that we couldn’t be together, I wanted to make it work.
So when we got out of that creepy forest and Qing had everything loaded up in the car from her art supplies, I took her to a place that he recommended. Gemma ordered for both of us and by the end of it I stopped asking what it was that I was eating. Half of it I never wanted to try again, but she had won me over on a few things.
We went and walked the streets for a while on her request. She wanted to get out and be with the people. I wasn’t sure what that meant to her, but to me it was rather pointless. Again my pleasure stemmed from her and there was a moment when she was looking up one street, trying to claim that she wasn’t lost and I just had to kiss her.
I don’t know if it was the way the light was reflecting from her eyes or what it was, but I couldn’t help it. Gemma was timid at first with her response and I almost pulled away, but then she made a sound low in her throat that turned it up a notch. She was so beautifully sexy when she wanted to be. I couldn’t help but be entranced by her charm.
She pulled away and smiled up at me shyly before turning away to look out at the view we now found ourselves looking at. I don’t think I could have planned a better moment.
I’d had all these great ideas of how I was going to impress her, but it had all went away and we had done it all on a whim. It wasn’t something that I was used to, but there was a sense of freedom in it that I hadn’t realized before. I wouldn’t want to do that sort of thing all of the time, but at the end of the day, I really enjoyed myself. However it could have been the girl that made everything more manageable and pleasant.
“You are really quiet today Keenan. Is there something that you want to do? I have just been dragging you around and you haven’t really suggested anything.”
“No, I am fine. You know more about what is here than I do. I have liked spending time with you here.”
“So what else did you plan to do here? Is there business or a meeting you have to get to?”
She was waiting for me to take off for work and it was then that I realized how much I must do that. We hadn’t been married that long at all and she already sounded like every single person that was close to me in my life. They all said the same thing, that I was married to my work.
“No work. I told you that I took the weekend off.”
“You also said that you never take weekends off last week.”
“Yeah I did. Things have changed. I told you that you changed me Gemma. I don’t want to work all weekend. I wanted to see you and spend time with you. There is still so much that we need to learn about each other.”
Gemma looked confused and I stopped myself from getting so passionate about it. She wanted to take things slow, pretend that there wasn’t something real between us. I had moved past the how we had met. It didn’t matter, we met, we were married and now I would like to get on with our life. As it is.
“I don’t know what this is Keenan. I really don’t. When you kiss me, it feels like this is all meant to be, but then I remember why we are married. I can’t be okay with it all of a sudden. I don’t know how you are.”
She hadn’t really said much since our painting earlier. I wanted to pull her to me every chance we got that we were alone, but I knew better. She was being standoffish and I didn’t know what it was that I was supposed to do. I wanted her to see that I wanted her in all ways. She knew though. She knew and she wasn’t ready for it.
But I was. I was ready for more from here. I yearned for her and I felt like I was going to lose all control if I didn’t have her soon. I couldn’t wait any longer. I wanted my wife, now.
Gemma moved back from the side of the concrete bridge that we were on. It looked out into the ocean and for a moment I wanted to pull her to me. All she had to see and realize was how good we could be together and then she wouldn’t deny us anymore. She wouldn’t deny me and then we would both get what it was that we both needed.
“I know we are meant to be Gemma, that’s how I don’t let it bother me. I feel lucky to have found you and even though I don’t like how this all came about, I am just happy to have you. I can wait for you to come around. We are together till death do us part, so I have all the time in the world to wait.”
I was dying inside to say that, but she seemed to perk up a little bit. I think it was the idea that I was going to give her some time that she liked the most. I meant every word of it. I was willing to wait, even if it was going to kill me in the process.