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I’m quiet as we enter the Aman Tokyo hotel because, as usual, when I think Diego has let down his guard, he says something to remind me I shouldn’t be here. It should be Belén instead.
“This is our suite, where we’ll be staying for the next couple of weeks.”
He's wearing a casual kimono shirt with black pants. There's nothing this man can't wear that doesn't look good on him. Even if I'm so mad at him, I can't help but admire the way he seems to fit into everything he wears as if he were born here. He causally told the driver where to go, he understood him, and then as soon as we arrive at the hotel, he has a grace and authority about him that seems to make him fit in anywhere. Part of me hates the way he does it. I want him to feel embarrassed about saying the wrong thing or even just trip on something. How can someone be so perfect?
“Are you listening, Leticia?”
¡Joder!1
He caught me admiring his ass in his pants. The back view is so much better than the front. Then again, I can’t decide,because I should be concentrating on what he’s showing me and not be interested in him at all.
“Si, señor.2”
I’m not sure why I did a curtsey, but I can tell he’s unimpressed, because he rolls his eyes. He ignores my attitude as he shows me around the suite, which is flooded with natural light. I can’t help but be drawn to the windows and the breathtaking views of the Tokyo skyline.
“You need to take your shoes off. You must remember to do that when you enter a room here.”
I walk back to the entrance and take off the new sneakers he just bought me and put them to the side. Then, like a moth to a flame, I go back to the windows to enjoy the view.
“It’s amazing,” I say as I trace the beams of light coming into the room.
My artistic abilities shine through as I start to think about a painting I could do of the view in front of me. There’s little furnishing in the suite, and my mind wanders as I think about putting a little table for my paints. I tilt my head at different angles as I think about how I could draw them on a canvas.
“Here’s the dining area, and that room is yours. This one here is mine,” Diego offers as a simple explanation before heading into what he just described as being his room.
As I enter the dining area, a table is elegantly set with flowers in the middle. One appears to be cherry blossoms with their soft, pale pink petals.
“The blossoms symbolize the transient beauty of life,” Diego says, surprising me as he enters the room.
“What are these called?” I ask, continuing to admire the arrangement.
“Kiku. They’re associated with the imperial family.”
They are in a range of colors from white to yellows with soft pinks and deep reds.
“And these?” I touch the ones in a small vase.
“Ume. They symbolize endurance and perseverance.”
They are five-petaled flowers with shades from white to pink. The blossoms form small clusters along the branches, giving it a type of elegance and beauty.
“It’s as if each flower that’s been put on the table represents something. Is it for us, or they put the same ones on each table in the suites?”
“Every flower is placed with precision. They could be according to what the guest has booked or even down to the person that made the arrangement. Their attention to every type of detail is admirable.”
¿Entiende lo que significa desfase de horario?3
If I had money, I would be on a flight back to Spain. Not even New York. Spain. Cobeña. Where my family that love me live, not some sister who passes me off to the husband she doesn’t want, because the more I think about it, which I’ve had time to do since I've been flying for hours, none of what Belén did makes any sense at all.
And as for his missing brother, that’s just the kind of thing Belén would do if I went missing. Just brush it off and call me weak.
But I touched a nerve at the mention of Jorge. It was as if he was rattled by it. Something I didn’t think was possible. I decide the best thing to do is to just try and be the dutiful wife and learn as much Japanese as possible.
I just hope my teacher is more patient than Diego. Then again, he’s one of a kind, so that shouldn’t be so difficult.
“Do you want to stand here and admire the flowers, or do you want to get something to eat and rest before the teacher arrives?”
“Get up!” he shouts in my ear. I must have passed out after I came to my room to have a quick nap before my lesson. A twenty-four-hour journey can do that to a person. Add in an irritating husband, and it just sucks all the energy out of you.
