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John Saito had imagined Kumiko differently. More… Japanese. After all, she had a Japanese name, and he had explicitly ordered a Japanese woman from the escort service. Upon closer inspection, Kumiko’s almost Caucasian appearance was probably because she, like so many Japanese women, had undergone plastic surgery to make her eyes look bigger and more“western.” Although her black hair only fell to her ears, it was styled traditionally, and her eyes were such a dark brown that they almost seemed black.

Those eyes sent a pleasant shiver down Saito’s spine.

Kumiko bowed in perfect Japanese fashion with her hands flat on her thighs.“Konban wa, Saito-san. Kumiko desu. O genki desu ka?”

Perfect Japanese, better than his own, Saito had to admit. Okay, she was Japanese. Without a doubt.

“Good evening, Kumiko. Let’s speak English, please. Sit down. Would you like a drink?”

She smiled.“If you’d like.”

John Saito filled two glasses with whiskey and handed her one before taking a seat on the chair beside her. He was nervous, and not only because he was sitting next to an exceptionally beautiful woman. He cleared his throat.

“You’re familiar with the tea ceremony?” He wanted to make sure.

The woman nodded and leaned slightly towards him, as if presenting her neck to him to kiss— or bite. The single earring she was wearing, a massive gold piece in the shape of a palm-sized star, slid forward until it was resting on her cheek. She looked good enough to eat.

“So desu. That’s right. Do you want the traditional ceremony? I brought everything necessary.” The woman pointed to the sports bag that she had set down beside the chair and looked John over from head to toe.“Even a kimono for you.”

Her English was just as perfect and accent-free as her Japanese.

Saito cleared his throat again.“Your agency informed me that I could book certain… um, extras. I’d just have to arrange everything with you personally.”

She nodded again in that inimitable way that— along with the look in her bottomless eyes— was driving him mad. He got an erection. He hoped that she didn’t notice, but who could be a cold fish around such a woman?

“Yes, I can offer you extras. But of course, we are only having the tea ceremony.” She winked at him.

“Of course.” Saito smiled in relief.“And how do we do that? Do I pay you before or after?”

“Before, please. Then we can really focus on the tea ceremony.”

He nodded.“Is five hundred dollars reasonable?”

She gave him a look that seemed concerned, smiled, and remained silent.

“Well, a thousand dollars. Because I want something special.”

She nodded gracefully.“I promise you an unforgettable experience, Saito-san.”

Her voice was like a caress. John Saito smiled. He took the money from the safe in his office, shoved it into an envelope, and handed it to the woman. She put it into her purse without counting the bills and stood up.

“I’ll prepare everything, Saito-san.”

“The bathroom is over there,” he said, pointing to a door.“And the dressing room is there.”

The woman took her sports bag and disappeared into the dressing room. Ten minutes