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CHAPTER 4
A Chance Encounter
It is beautiful, Sakura thought as she gazed at the bright rainbows that formed from the crystal chandelier by the window as sunlight shone on it, causing it to sparkle everywhere in her bedroom. She reached her hand out in midair as if to catch them. The prism of colors appeared on her pale skin instead.
"Another beautiful spring day," she said softly.
She turned her face to her right to look at the alarm clock on her bedside table and noted it was nearing nine in the morning. Suddenly, her stomached flipped.
Today was the day she'd get to see her biological mother, the woman named Haruka Tanaka, the woman who worked as an assistant to the famous Japanese designer Mr. Tachibana. The thought made her smile. Finally, after one full year of searching and waiting, she was able to meet her.
Toby, her West Highland white terrier, nestled his head into her arms, seeking attention. She laughed.
"Good morning, Toby. I'm sorry I won't be home until late this evening. I have important business to attend to. And don't you be naughty and bother Ned too much, all right?"
The dog cocked his head to one side and gave out a friendly bark. She stroked his head fondly. Toby stuck out his tongue and licked her. Sakura chuckled. "That tickles!"
A moment later, after she'd given her beloved dog his deserved attention, she went into the adjoining bathroom to shower. After she'd finished, her person still dripping wet and wrapped in the thick, fluffy white towel, she stared at herself in the mirror.
The Sakura Tanaka gazing back at her now looked nothing like the Sakura Princeton one year ago. This Sakura had hair the color of dusty corn and eyes so deep and dark brown that one could almost call it black. The shape of her face, too, had changed dramatically. It was slimmer and more defined, marking her maturity. Her lips, however, were still as red and as plump as ever.
Slowly, she put in the contact lenses. She knew people thought her a bit weird for wearing two different colors, but she didn't care because she had her own reasons for doing so. One was because they hid her eyes--and therefore her emotion--and her true identity from the world. The other was more personal. The two colors represented the two men she loved dearly, the two men she couldn't have in her life.
Her left eye was an azure blue, which represented the summer and the day, just like the man she loved, Sebastian Princeton. He was her day, her light, and he'd always been there to protect her. The other was a mauve-grey, which represented the winter and the night, just like Darcy Princeton, the other man she loved. He was like the moon to her, shining so bright when night came, showing her the way through life in the dark, secretly giving her the support and love she so cherished.
Her heart ached at the thought of them, at the thought of their love for her. But she could never accept their love because in doing so, she would be selfish. She wasn't worthy of their love. So far, she'd only brought them heartache and sorrow. And she never, ever wanted that for them.
Casting aside the thought of the two men, she quickly got dressed in her powdered peach-color pleated maxi skirt and lace embroidered blouse of a similar color. Then she put on her makeup. A few moments later, she gazed at herself; her lashes were long and dark, her cheeks tinted with peachy blush, and her lips rosy. She was ready.
She came back into her bedroom, walked past the window toward the antique mahogany chest-of-drawers, and retrieved a pair of peach gemstone earrings. She was just finished putting the earrings in when she heard loud beeps from outside the window. Curious, she took a few steps back and had a peek. She saw a sleek black Ferrari speeding off.
She shook her head. "Rich boy too busy daydreaming," she chuckled softly under her breath.
A few moments later, she rushed into the dining room in her beige round-toe pumps and made herself a quick breakfast of toast and coffee. As she was eating, her phone beeped. She picked it up and noted it was from Jane.
"Hey," she said into the phone. "Are you heading over already?"
"Yeah," Jane said. "Got to be there early. Lots to do. Be there in a minute, okay?"
"Okay," Sakura replied. Once she'd hung up, she quickly downed her coffee, grabbed her bag, and then rushed out.
She came into the gallery located on the ground floor of their building a moment later.
"Running off again, are we?" Ned said from the other side of the counter.
Sakura chuckled. "Yes, Jane's coming."
"I do hope you realize it's the Princeton Hotel you're going to?" Ned asked gently.
Sakura nodded. "I know that, and I also know for sure I'd never see them. Or rather, they'd never see me." Then she turned herself around as if to show Ned she no longer looked like the Sakura Princeton she'd been before. "See? I have blond hair. Well, at least I think it's blond. Also, different colored eyes."
"Which I think is odd," Ned countered.
Sakura ignored him. "Ned, dear, please try to understand it's my mother Haruka I'm going to see. I mean, I just want a peek."
"I know what you mean, Sakura," Ned said. "Just be careful."
"Of course I'll be careful, Ned. And please be a dear and look after Toby for me while I'm gone."
"Of course," Ned replied, giving her a smile.
"Morning," a voice said from the doorway.
Sakura turned to see Melissa Williams, her sales assistant, heading toward them.
"Where are you going?" Melissa asked, her eyes on Sakura, noting the perfect makeup, the pretty though rather too conservative clothing, and the handbag. "Not a party, I hope."
Sakura frowned. "No, not a party," she replied. Then she turned to Ned. "Please don't forget to walk Toby this morning. Otherwise, he'll be really agitated when I get back."
"A whole day out, eh?" Melissa asked. "You're going out quite a bit lately, aren't you?"
Sakura frowned again. What was with Melissa? She was always being so nosy. Gosh, she wished she hadn't hired the woman in the first place. There was that something about her that Sakura just didn't trust or like.
Jane bustled in then, her blond hair flying around everywhere, her glasses haphazardly perched on her nose. Melissa snorte
d and wanted to laugh out loud at Jane's unpleasant appearance. Sakura noticed and scowled darkly at the assistant.
"Hey, Ned," Jane greeted, nudging up her glasses.
"Morning, Jane," Ned replied. "Look after that one, won't you? She could be quite wild and get into all sorts of mess. Should keep her under lock and chain, if you ask me."
Lock and chain? On Sakura? Not a bad idea, Melissa thought. That one deserved to be imprisoned in a dark cell where no man would ever be able to lay eyes on her.
Yes, Melissa was envious of Sakura Tanaka. So envious in fact that sometimes she couldn't even stand the thought of standing next to the oriental beauty.
Sakura said, "If I'm wild, then it's all your fault." She turned to Jane. "Let's go. I don't want you to be late for work."
Jane nodded and said farewell to Ned, ignoring Melissa completely. As they headed out of the gallery into the beautiful spring morning outside, Jane said, "I don't like your sales assistant."
Sakura replied lightly, "Me either. But I had no choice at the time, since Megan left three months ago. I hope she'll be back soon. I miss her."
"Me, too," Jane said. "I miss her cakes more, though."
Sakura laughed. "You and your cakes."
Jane giggled and nudged her glasses up her nose again.
Sakura noticed and said, "You know, you always look so uncomfortable wearing your glasses. Why don't you go see an optometrist and ask for contacts instead?"
Jane raised her hand for a taxi. "I do have contacts," she said as the car came to a stop before them. The girls slid in and put on their seatbelts.
"Then why don't you wear them?" Sakura couldn't help asking.
Jane turned to the driver and told him where to go and then turned back to her friend. "You think I should?"
"You have beautiful eyes, Jane. You should show them off more often."
"Really?" Jane wasn't so sure about that.
"Thanks for letting me tag along," Sakura said.
"Thanks for offering to help," Jane replied.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the Princeton Hotel, and the girls couldn't help gasping in awe. People! There were people everywhere. People going in and coming out of the hotel, staff going about their jobs, backstage people lifting equipment from trucks, etc. It was loud and noisy and very busy.
