35 Sleeping Lotus

CHAPTER 35

SLEEPING LOTUS

Shoji sat on the edge of the bed, fidgeting with his fingers and listening to the sound of boiling water. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was only 4.50 pm. Yoko wouldn’t finish work so early, but he was still anxious. To calm himself, he paced around his villa, which he hadn’t fully explored.

The accommodation he had booked in a rush had turned out to be luxurious and a lot larger than he had expected. Rather than a room in a hotel, the place was a spacious three-level villa that could house up to six guests. It was located far from any public transport, so perhaps that was why the rate was still affordable.

The ground floor was an open-plan living, dining, and kitchen area. He climbed the staircase to the first floor, where the master bedroom was. A king-sized bed perched in the middle, a quirky rattan lampshade hung from the ceiling, and there was a wooden desk by the window with a coffee machine on top. The en-suite bathroom had a rain shower and a deep bathtub. The final level was a loft with ladder-style access, furnished with two sets of bunk beds.

Returning to the ground floor, Shoji opened all the curtains. The blue water sparkled in the distance. A pair of seagulls came and went, screeching.

He checked the time again. A quarter past five. How long would it take for her to get here? Just then, the doorbell rang. He went to answer it. Yoko was there, standing on the porch.

‘Can I come in?’ she asked.

He pulled her into him and encircled her shoulders with his arms.

‘The door is still open,’ she whispered.

Shoji let Yoko slip out of his embrace. She made her way in and he closed the door, feeling the coldness of the metal handle. Once the doorknob had clicked, Shoji rushed to Yoko. He reached for her hand and took her in his arms.

Sinking his nose into her neck, he whispered, ‘I miss you.’

Yoko kept silent. He took a step back to look at her. She had a sad expression on her face, and his heart grew heavy. He ran his fingers through her hair, touching her chin and bringing her lips to his. The moment they kissed, he was overwhelmed with emotion.

Shoji led Yoko to the bedroom and they undressed each other. Before long, he was deep inside her. He brushed her hair from her face and kissed her again. Her nails dug into his shoulders.

He stared at her. Her face was flushed, her breath heavy.

‘What are you looking at?’ she asked, cupping his face in her hands.

‘You,’ he said. ‘It took me a long, long time to finally find you. I’m sorry you had to wait so long.’