The Devil Wears a Pinstriped Suit

Chapter 25

The day ran its course with dream-like loftiness. Events seemingly ran together. People, places and things were a collaborative blur with nothing at all in focus or of particular interest. Court was still in recess, though all of us lawyers did meet with the judge to discuss the last session. I was still very confident I would crush DeMackey, but all in all, it seemed less than important. In fact, I would say I cared very little. In the haze of my dream, the fiery locks of my partner did draw my attention. My eyes fluttered like the wings of a moth trying desperately to reach the warmth and light of the flame. But, my flame burned not for me, and his attention seemed to be focused on the drab proceeding. We rode to court together, went over our files and even walked into the chambers together, but not once did those violet eyes meet mine.

Lunchtime came and went. Not even my favorite meal at Outback could rouse me. For the first time I could ever remember, I was just existing. I was just there, with no will, purpose or function. What was worse was that I could make little sense of the situation. I was unaccustomed to having absolutely no control. Kenshin was right; I could no longer neatly contain the passion that burned between us. Still, I was not ready to call it undying love or anything. I was not the kind of woman to simply take a man away from his happy home. A wanton, I may be, but a home-wrecker I never have been.

And there was still the situation with my dearest little sister. She was in love with Aoshi. For some reason, I could not shake the feeling that there was something more between him and Tomoe. Missy deserved to be happy and this situation I had created had threatened it.

And Enishi...

If Kenshin hadn’t caught us, I would have thought of him to be a phantom. He was insanely handsome, but behind those eyes were so much mystery even I could not comprehend it. Suddenly, my world began to focus as I felt the blood rush through my veins again. Enishi both excited and frightened me, thus the mere thought of him stole me from my daze. He complicated things, but all in all, he was more than interesting. In him, I learned more about the tragic beauty that was Kenshin’s wife. She was heir to a Yakuza family. The way Aoshi doted upon her, it was easy to figure he was either her former lover or protector, thus further explaining their close connection.

But Enishi...

Why wasn’t he angry? Though our interaction was short-lived and involved more fucking than talking, I could tell he adored his sister. Why wasn’t he acting out? If it were me, I would be fighting tooth and nail. On second thought, no, I’d take a more controlled approach. Was that what Enishi had planned? I sighed and placed my pen down on my desk, realizing I was putting too much thought into it. Enishi didn’t have anything planned. Besides, if he did, it wouldn’t have mattered. The happenings between Kenshin and I needed to be resolved. I couldn’t leave it up to my lover, for he was too wishy-washy to be trusted. Hell, he couldn’t even follow the rules to our arrangement.


“Why me?” I cried mockingly to myself as I laid my head down.

“What did you do now, Kamiya?” I heard an old voice ask.

Fucking great.

“Nothing, Carter. This case is just kicking my ass,” I lied.

“Cut the bullshit, Kaoru,” he said as he shut the door behind him and invited himself to sit in front of my desk. “You seem to forget who you are dealing with. I want to know what the fuck is going with that case of yours. You aren’t starting more trouble with Himura, are you?”

“NO!” I slammed my hands down onto the desk in an odd display of emotion to the old fart.

Carter settled back into the leather and lit his cigar, keeping his eye on me the whole time. I knew what that meant. He wouldn’t say another word, only wait for me to explain, in detail, what was going on.

I might have mentioned it before, but it was not very often Carter got involved in my affairs. This, however, was different. I had made it his concern and his business. He had every right to know. And, if not anything else, I needed to vent.

“No, I told him this thing was done. We both broke the rules and I wanted it over with. But, it’s bigger than me, now, Carter,” I explained, hoping it would be enough for him to understand.

“But, you saw it from day one, didn’t you?” he responded.

“Saw what?” I asked, unsure of what he meant.

“You knew Himura was a challenge, one unlike any other. You let your eyes get bigger than your stomach. You, the smart cookie that you are, got caught up. You’re not used to failing. You’re still so damn young. Too bad youth is wasted on you stupid fucks...” he began to trail off, taking a long drag of his cigar.

I suppose it made sense. In fact, it made a lot of sense. The chase was exhilarating. Kenshin was always out of my reach, and if I were smart, I would have kept it that way.

“You could have just said ‘Youth is wasted on the young,’ Carter. I get your drift, though,” I said quietly.

“Kaoru,” Carter started in a tone I was unfamiliar with. It was...almost fatherly.

“Kaoru...you’re the brat I never had. You are just as I would imagine my progeny being, because I was a hard-headed son of a bitch at your age. I worked hard and played twice as hard. And believe it or not, I was once quite popular with the ladies.”

We both chuckled as he patted his rounded stomach, his balding head reflecting some of the low lighting in my office. Yeah, maybe half a century ago, I thought.

“But,” he continued, “I lived. I lived a lot. And in that living, you learn a lot. You learn you don’t always get what you want no matter how hard you work and how good you think you are. You learn that life hurts. Sometimes you get hurt, sometimes you hurt others. What is right is subjective, but you have to be objective enough to recognize it. You follow, Kamiya?”

I nodded slowly as the picture became ever so clearer in my mind. It was like seeing Scarlett O'Hara, running through the fog in search of home when she finally realized of the lie she had been living in the false love of Ashley. The mist was parting and the goal I had been searching for was at my fingertips.

“I told you to be careful, but I knew you wouldn’t. Do you know how I met my wife,” Carter asked.

I shook my head.

“She was waiting tables at this little diner I liked. They were open late and working long hours trying to get this firm off the ground. Well, it was like home away from home. Marie always waited on me, the last customer of the night, and I waited on her, for her husband to pick her up after his graveyard shift at the plant ended.

I knew it was wrong, but nothing felt more right. Sometimes life doesn’t happen in the right order. If she had met me first, we wouldn’t have had to worry about her jealous husband. But, nothing would have been more wrong than denying the truth in our hearts.”

I did not know that about Carter. My mouth was slightly gaped; he had never given me so much detail about his life before. But why now? Why talk about love? No, I didn’t want to marry Kenshin. I couldn’t cross that line.

“Did you hear any fucking thing I said?!” Carter almost shouted.

It was as if he was reading my thoughts. I swallowed hard and for some reason, my eyes were burning with tears.

“I can’t, Carter,” I said, finally.

“Who would have thought you would be such a pussy?” he laughed, extinguishing his cigar. “Well, love will do that to ya.”

I wasn’t sure how to take that, but I couldn’t get offended. Carter was right. I had to stop denying what was right in front of me. The past was the past, right? I didn’t have to run from it any longer. Carter smiled as he read my face. He could see the changes in me, and it pleased him. I looked at him and cracked a bit of a smile. Carter could drop knowledge like no one else. And often, it wasn’t what he said, but when and how. Context matters...and somehow, he hit the nail on the head. I was trying to attain the unattainable and my youth allowed me to believe it could be done. I thought less of myself for admitting failure, when it was actually a sign of maturity.

“You knew this would happen, didn’t you?” I asked in a mocking tone.

“I’m the boss for a reason,” he shrugged.

“Why didn’t you keep us separated?”

“Because even though I knew this was going to happen, I hoped you would handle it the right way. Looks like I had a bit too much faith in you,” Carter said somberly. “Don’t let me down, again, Prodigal Daughter.”

“I won’t,” I replied, feeling better than I had all day.

“Good. Now get back to work and don’t shit on my good name. When you aren’t riding on my coat-tails anymore you can do what you want. Until then, keep your eye on the prize, kid...and be smart enough to know when to change your game plan.” he said on his way out.

I wanted to thank him, but I knew the moment had passed. My door shut, but my spirits rose. I had made my decision. It would be hard to actually carry out, but it had to be done. Kenshin and I belonged together. But, before I could devise a plan, my cell phone rang. It was Enishi.

“Hey, you. I’m glad you called, we need to talk,” I said briskly.

“Yeah, we do. Can you meet me at Athens?” he asked.

“Sure,” I said.

A very short conversation, but that’s all that was needed. I would tell him everything I had planned, then tell the person that mattered the most, Kenshin.

Athens was in walking distance, so I slipped on my Aerosoles and made the ten minute hike to Greek-Town. The low evening sun made the journey picturesque. Walking the clean, narrow street felt like you had stepped into another country. The street vendors were peddling fruit and pastries along with the artisans. Any other time I would have delighted upon the scene, but my mind was focused. As I pulled the door open, my heart began to accelerate. Something big was about to happen.

I stepped inside and searched for Enishi. Just like the rest of Greek-Town, the Karaoke Bar looked very different during the day when it was just a regular grill. The smoky haze was contained inside the bar area, while the booths on the opposite wall were free from it. The tables in the middle were spaced farther apart during the day because they add two more during the night to seat more people. I still did not spot Enishi, so I decided to sit in a booth. A few moments passed and my anticipation began to fade and anger surfaced in its place. Why did he call me here if he wasn’t going to show up? I could have been talking to Kenshin.

“Sorry, had to use the Little Boy’s Room,” Enishi’s voice echoed to me.

I turned around to see his tall, lean frame towering over me. He smiled seductively and rubbed my shoulder, seeing I was tense with unrest. His eyes, shielded by his glasses, calmed me a bit. I let out a sigh and shrugged as he sat down on the opposite side of the booth.

“Don’t worry about it. Today’s just been...rough,” I said to him.

“Hmmm, just as you predicted this morning,” he said, dripping with innuendo.

“Yes, just as I predicted. In fact, this morning is what I would like to discuss with you,” I said.

“And I with you,” Enishi leaned forward and captured my lips before I could say anything.

Totally caught off-guard, I parted my lips ever so slightly and his tongue took advantage. Before long, the kiss was much deeper than I would have liked it to be, but for some reason, I couldn’t help myself. My mind fought with my body. I wasn’t here to do this with him. I pushed away abruptly, ending the torrid kiss, leaving both of us panting a bit.

“That wasn’t what I had in mind,” I said, trying to compose myself.

I took a napkin and patted my forehead down while Enishi took a sip of water. He eyed me with an eerie possessiveness I could not say I liked. He was completely different from Kenshin, in so many ways. Enishi exuded a different aura than his relatively demure brother-in-law, and I was certain this rooted from something deep in his past.

“What, you would rather my sister’s husband to accost you?” he replied sarcastically. I was about to rip him a new one, but he put his hand up and continued to speak. “Don’t have a fit, I was just joking. I just wonder why the women in my life are so enchanted by that man.”

“Why do you dislike Kenshin?” I asked him.

“Now’s not the time to discuss my feelings about my brother-in-law,” he said.

“What happened to us having no secrets?” I shot back.

“It’s no secret why I hate him, we just shouldn’t talk about him when he’s on his way,” he said as the waitress placed two drinks on the table.

“On his way?”

“Hai, with Tomoe.”

He sipped his drink, a gin and tonic, very casually as my mouth gaped open. I hadn’t planned on it to work out like this. Yeah, Tomoe had to know...but right now, like this? Kenshin didn’t even know I had changed my mind.

“You should have told me when we talked,” I scolded.

“You seemed to be in such a hurry, I figured I’d just mention it when you arrived,” he replied with a wicked smile.

“What is this all about?” I asked.

I grew uneasy and increasingly impatient with each passing minute. I found it hard to believe that less than twenty-four hours ago, I was all over this man like white on rice. True, he served his intended purpose, but it seems he had his own agenda. He knew I loved Kenshin, the husband of his sister, yet he seemed interested in me. Was he interested in me only because of my link to the situation?

But, he only ignored my question and looked past me with enthusiasm. I didn’t have to turn around to know the show was about to start.

“Brother!” I heard over my shoulder as a swift breeze, the scent of plum blossoms, passed me and surrounded Enishi.

Tomoe also toppled her brother in the booth. Her midnight locks cloaked the both of them as they embraced. I began to wonder if they would ever let go of each other, but just as I thought they were bordering the weird zone, they disengaged and Tomoe slid in the booth next to her brother, seated properly. It was then I noticed Kenshin beside me. He said not a word to me, only nodded as he invited himself to sit on my side of the booth.

“I’ve missed my beautiful sister. And brother, how long has it been?” Enishi said, only the three of us knowing the true depth of his words.

“Not long enough,” Kenshin said under his breath.

I wanted to chuckle, but the atmosphere did not allow for it. I shifted uncomfortably, for Kenshin was like a sack of bricks against my side. He tried his best not to even touch me, as if the cramped quarters would even allow such a thing. Tomoe placed a hand over her husbands and shook it with mock anger.

“Now, you two boys play nice. It’s not often I have my most favorite men in the world with me all at once.”

“What am I, chopped meat?” an icy voice boomed.

OH COME ON!

As if things could have not gotten any more complicated, Aoshi and Misao decide to show up. My sister was hanging onto her lover’s arm, per usual, but there was something different about her. The chubbiness in her baby face seemed to melt slightly, allowing the angles of her face to give her a more refined look. It was a look of maturity and I must say she never looked more beautiful. But, behind her usually bright eyes, I could read more.

“Hello, Kaoru,” she said in her chipper tone, and for a moment, I was relieved.

“Hey, Missy. What brings you and your man here?” I asked as Aoshi pulled a couple of chairs from a neighboring table to give them room to sit.

“Actually, we were just walking around and noticed everyone in here. Aoshi insisted that we join you guys,” Missy explained.

I looked at Aoshi, a man whom I hated and hated me with equal passion. Yeah, I bet he wanted to rush in when he saw the crowd in here. Just then, I felt my stomach churn as the anticipation returned. What was his reason?

“Aoshi, long time no see,” Enishi said, his tone mocking.

“Yes,” was all Aoshi said in response.

Common courtesy demanded I introduce Misao to Tomoe and Enishi, though I could not rid myself of the nagging feeling he had a hand in my sister showing up as well. After the basics were covered, the six of us, for a brief moment, sat in silence. The secrets that brewed within our small circle could fill a library, yet not one person was privy to all the details. There was so much to be revealed, to be found out. I internally struggled as I looked between Kenshin, the man I loved and Misao, who would undoubtedly be hurt one way or another by my actions. Surprisingly, she gazed at me as if she had the same knowledge as I.

My brow arched as I pondered the possibilities. Would I have to be the one to reveal all? To let all the ill feelings fall onto my shoulders? Would I have to be the most hated party?

Drinks were served and quiet discussion broke out amongst us as Kenshin spoke to his wife about today’s drama at work. It was during this small talk I decided to just flip the bird and get the shit over with. Since when did I care who hated me? Since when haven’t I been the object of hate and loathing? I’m Kamiya Kaoru...and I’m no punk bitch.

“Guys, I have something to say,” I interrupted.

Kenshin, seemingly knowing what I was up to, shook his head.

“Can it wait until after we order? I’m starving,” he complained playfully. But, knowing him the way I did, I could hear the panicking undertone in his voice.

“No. I wanted to wait and tell you in private, but that’s not going to happen. What I have to say will affect all of us,” I said.

Just then, Misao slammed her glass down on the table. All eyes were on her as her own filled with tears. It seemed as if her whole body was trembling in her chair. Did she already know?

“Don’t say it, Kaoru. I had my suspicions, I didn’t want to believe it,” she sniffled.

“Nani?” I quizzed, shocked by her outburst.

Aoshi put his head into one hand while the other captured Misao’s in an attempt to control her. Disgusted, she tore her arm away and focused her pained eyes onto me.

“I should have listened to you, big sister, but I did not,” she almost whispered, though all could hear due to the close proximity.

“Misao, not here,” Aoshi said through his teeth.

“Not here?!” she exclaimed, now highly angered. “She is the reason why we’ve been arguing and you just decide to stop in and see her when this was supposed to be our alone time. I may be new to relationships, but I am definitely no one’s fool!”

I had never seen my baby sister as anything but. I never saw the woman beneath the childish, exuberant exterior and overly-optimistic personality. Perhaps it was my fault for not realizing that she would grow up eventually, though I often teased her for being such a child. But, on this day, at this very moment, there was no question as to who Misao was, and that was a hurting woman.

“Misao, I don’t understand,” I said solemnly. “I don’t know what you mean.”

It was then she pointed to Tomoe, who had been more than silent. The sad eyes of Kenshin’s wife met those of my fuming sister.

So, it did go down.

“That bitch slept with my boyfriend! A married woman! Aoshi tried to deny it but I knew it with every fiber of my being. Are you going to deny it, too, you whore! You sit here and you shake my hand and smile in my face as if what you did never happened?” Misao spat as her slender body trembled with the strong emotions radiating through her.

“Misao, I’m sorry...” Tomoe began, but a hand to her cheek halted any further words.

You could hear a pin drop in that place. The few other patrons had huddled next to the staff who were watching us as if we were a soap opera. This was not what I had in mind. I took Misao’s hand and pulled her down to her seat. I then looked at Kenshin, who was looking down into his lap. I could feel his energy rise, though he tried his best to control his emotions. When he did look up, his eyes glowed with the amber light of fury barely contained.

The situation was volatile.

“I think we need to stop. I feel responsible for all of this...” I said, standing up and edging out of the seat, pulling Misao along with me.

“Well you should, you serpent in the tree,” Aoshi said to me.

“Unless you want a repeat of the last time you talked down to me, I suggest you shut the fuck up,” I snapped, “But truly, this is not what I had in mind. There’s a lot we need to say to each other, but here is not the place. I’m sorry for starting the discussion.”

“You need to start thinking about someone other than yourself, Kaoru,” Kenshin said as he, too, exited the booth.

He didn’t even look at me as he left, Tomoe crying behind him. Aoshi, however, did not hesitate to visually accost me as he made his exit. He pulled Misao by her shoulders in an attempt to take her into his arms, but she shrugged free. Again, he stared me down, and then left. Only Enishi, Misao and I remained. She sat back down in her chair, drained by the past few moments.

“It was too good to be true,” she said finally.

“Why didn’t you come and talk to me about it, kid?” I asked her.

“I thought I could just forget about it, pretend it didn’t happen because I had no proof, but today I had all the proof I needed when you said you were going to expose Aoshi’s lies,” she said.

“I didn’t say that, Missy. I was going to reveal something else. I had no proof about Aoshi,” I told my baby sister.

“At any rate,” she continued, “I want nothing to do with him. I can’t believe I couldn’t see it before. They were just too close.”

How could I sit there and tell her I was the reason Tomoe ran to Aoshi, due to my affair with Kenshin? As much as I wanted to, as much as I knew the truth had to be revealed eventually, I didn’t say a word.

It seemed Enishi was a dark cloud meant to bring rain to my life. And when it rains, it pours.