A Cup of Tea Bk. 01

"All done," said Dax proudly.

Keiko looked at the box of meticulously cleaned fish and nodded approval. "Well done, Dax. You surprised me." He had indeed surprised her. She thought that the box of fish would discourage him, and that he would be calling his driver to take him back in his fancy car back to his fancy apartment. Instead, he stood before her beaming like a ten year old boy, covered in pieces of fish entrails and blood.

"What's next?" he asked, putting the box on the counter and then wiping his hands on a kitchen towel.

"We prepare the stew."

Dax was prepping vegetables on a large stainless steel work table as Mariko and Keiko fileted the fish and cut the filets into smaller pieces. They dumped each batch into a large pot of broth that was already bubbling on the commercial range. As Dax was peeling a carrot his phone started vibrating in his pocket. It was Mason.

"Time to go, sir. You've got a two o'clock back in the City and we'll have to leave now if we're going to make it."

Dax hadn't felt this relaxed in years. Working in the kitchen was a welcome change from the grind of endless meetings in windowless conference rooms. "Was this real freedom?" he thought. Something started to creep into his mind that had no place there before - doubt. Dax always acted with certainty and always got his way. Yet, taking orders and allowing his mind to wander had its appeal.

"Tell Mel to cancel it. In fact, have her cancel the remainder of my appointments today."

"But ..."

"Just get it done."

"Yes sir."

Keiko heard Dax's end of the exchange. "So you're going to be here more than an hour," she said, clearly pleased. She could sense his change in mood. His hard edge had softened.

"You're a quick study," quipped Dax. "Now what's next?"

"Finish up the vegetables and then we need to get the dining area ready."

As the fish stew simmered, its seductive smell now permeating the kitchen, Keiko went into a closet and pulled out a chef's jacket, clean, but bearing faded stains on its sleeves. She draped the jacket over her arm and showed it to Mariko. Her mother's eyes teared as she nodded. She went up to Dax and presented him with the revered garment.

"It's my father's chef jacket. Why don't you take off your apron and put this on?"

Dax knew that he was being given a small reminder of Keiko's father, and a surge of admiration and respect overcame him.

"Thank you. I'd be honored to wear it." He took off the heavily stained apron and threw it in a trash can and put on the jacket. It was a tight fit, and the sleeves were about two inches too short. Even so, Dax would have happily traded his custom tailored jacket for this one. With his business meetings out of his mind, he concentrated on working with Keiko to wipe off the large rectangular dining room tables and retrieve the stacks of plastic chairs, pulling each one off the stack and arranging them around the tables. Mariko was busy seasoning the stew, then slicing baguettes and putting the pieces into red mesh plastic baskets that were then placed on each table. There was quiet as each person concentrated on their tasks, the only noise being the squeaking of the rubber tips of the chair legs as they rubbed against the linoleum floor.

Keiko surveyed the room and smiled with satisfaction. "We're ready."

* * *

As Dax was serving, an elderly Japanese man with a white beard looked at the tall man as his bowl was being filled with the fragrant stew. He moved his tray down the line, now in front of Keiko. She doled out some cut fresh fruit into a bowl and handed it to him.

"You ... boyfriend?" he asked, in halting English, showing a grin with tea-stained teeth.

Keiko snickered. "No ... just someone who wants to help."

"He no here just to help," the man replied, showing the wisdom of his years.

"Maybe not," said Keiko, her heart clearly softening.

* * *

The door to the community center dining hall was closed and locked. The last of the pots and pans had been washed and put away. Dax folded Koji's jacket and placed it on the counter and then used his shirt sleeve to wipe the sweat from his brow.

"I guess it's time for me to go," he said, tired but happy.

"Thank you, Dax. You were a great help." Keiko stood on her tiptoes and gave him a peck on the cheek.

Dax beamed, the original purpose of his visit long forgotten. He stood under the bright fluorescent light of the commercial kitchen, stinking of dead fish, and couldn't remember the last time he had enjoyed himself as much as he had that day.

* * *

"You look good boss man," said Mason, looking at Dax's ruined white shirt, the cuffs heavily stained with fish blood. "You seem to ruin your clothes every time you visit this woman." But Mason saw a man refreshed. He saw the same sparkle in his friend's eyes that he had seen twenty years ago. "It suits you."

"I do feel good. I didn't know that gutting a fish could be so rewarding."

"You are ... fragrant, sir."

Dax laughed. He stunk of fish and had ruined yet another set of clothes. Ordinarily, he would have been horrified to be soiling his immaculate limousine but that thought never entered his mind. Her face, her touch, he wanted to remember every detail of being with her. It was as if she was exerting an unseen pull on him - a force he was unable to resist.

As they crawled in heavy traffic, Dax called Mel for an update on the rescheduling of the Reynolds meeting.

"Got good news for me?"

"I'm afraid not. They told me that they're going to meet with several other companies that have expressed interest in their building. If those don't pan out they'll come back to you." Mel waited for the explosion.

"I was afraid that was going to happen."

"What?" said Mel, unable to contain herself. "No screaming, yelling?"

"Maybe it was meant to be."

"Dax, seriously, are you OK? You've been chasing this deal for months. Then you cancel it for some stupid reason and don't seem to care that you've lost it."

"It wasn't a stupid reason."

"Tell me. What's up?"

"Nothing. Really."

"Fine, don't tell me." Dax heard a click.

Mel went online to research Keiko Muramoto. She found a picture of Keiko announcing her affiliation with a local accounting firm. No wonder, she thought to herself as she studied the picture of a beautiful Japanese woman. This woman had Dax wrapped around her little finger.

* * *

Dax was standing under the hot spray of his shower, attempting to remove the fish odor from his skin. As he scrubbed his arms, he started thinking about what Dana had said to him. Did he have a crush on Keiko? His relationship with her wasn't like any of the others that he'd been in. Although Keiko was attractive, there was something else. Something he couldn't pin down.

As he thought about Keiko, his cock stirred. As men are wont to do in a shower with an erection, he started stroking his engorged penis, conjuring up an image of Keiko hovering over him as she watched him prone on the floor, splattering cum all over his chest. The image fueled his desire, and with each stroke he ejaculated pearly ropes of cum on the shower floor, his knees weak from the gut-wrenching orgasm.

* * *

"You're going to be gone again on Friday?" Mel now knew that Dax's relationship with Keiko was more than business. It was the third time he'd asked to have his Friday calendar cleared. Mel put the call on speaker so she could access his schedule for Friday.

Her tone of voice sounded more like that of a wife than an assistant. "Yes," he replied, becoming annoyed at her comment.

"She's not your type."

"Jealous?"

"Not at all," Mel replied, Dax not believing her lie. "She just doesn't look like the kind of girl you've been chasing."

"So you've seen Keiko?"

"Well, I may have done some online research." Mel could feel her jealousy bubbling to the surface. She reminded herself to be careful. "Is she nice?"

"She wasn't nice to me in the beginning ..."

"Because you were being an asshole ..."

"That's true. I think being with her has shown me that I may not fully understand the complexities of the female mind."

"You think?"

"C'mon Mel. Cut me some slack. This is all new to me."

Mel had to admit that Dax had demonstrated a great amount of self-awareness, an attribute formerly in short supply. He was changing, and for the better. She decided that maybe this direction was a good one for Dax and for her. She needed to let go of the fantasy that she and Dax would hook-up.

"I'll move the Jensen and Martin appointments to next week. You should be clear tomorrow. And I'll make sure that Fridays are blocked out for you."

"Thanks Mel. You're a peach."

* * *

Dax began spending all of his free time with Keiko, becoming a regular volunteer for the Friday lunches at the community center. His respect and affection for her grew each time they were together, and the proposal from Owen Harrison's group was long forgotten. Dax saw that his little fourplex was the focal point of Keiko's community and that he didn't want to disturb that dynamic.

"I've decided I'm not going to sell," he announced after finishing his clean-up chores at the community center.

"I'm not surprised," replied Keiko, recalling that no mention of the lease buyout had been uttered since she had refused his offer.

"You and your mother can live here as long as you like." It wasn't like Dax to be magnanimous, but since meeting Keiko there were a lot of things about Dax that had changed.

"Thank you," she said, her thanks giving Dax a feeling of satisfaction. "Would you join me and my mother for a cup of tea?"

"I would be delighted." Dax knew that Keiko wouldn't have extended the offer if there was still friction between the two of them.

They washed up and then locked the kitchen. Outside in the afternoon sun, they walked together hand in hand to Keiko's apartment. Dax had signaled Mason to move the car, and the Bentley soon disappeared into the traffic, to await Dax's call from Keiko's apartment.

When they entered the apartment, Dax noted a neatly folded kimono on the sandalwood table. Keiko picked up the garment with great reverence, holding it front of her and offering it to Dax.

"This is my father's kimono. I would be honored if you would wear it for the tea ceremony."

Dax bowed and then took the kimono. He put the kimono on and held his arms out, allowing Keiko to tie the sash for him. Mariko emerged from her bedroom also wearing a heavily embroidered kimono. The two women knelt before the table and Keiko pointed where Dax was to kneel. As Mariko watched, Keiko took a red napkin, which was folded in the sash her kimono, to wipe the inside of the tea bowl that would be used to brew the tea. The tea bowl (about the size of a large soup bowl) was placed in a black lacquer tray. A stainless steel kettle was sitting on a trivet on the table. A bow was exchanged between all participants, then Keiko took the red cloth napkin and wiped the edge of the tea cup. She poured a small amount of hot water into the tea bowl, then used a bamboo whisk to stir the water inside of the bowl, then used the napkin to dry it. Another bow was exchanged, then two scoops of tea leaves from a covered container were spooned into the bowl. The hot water was then poured into the bowl and the whisk used to vigorously mix the leaves and the water, turning the tea almost into a cream. As the guest, Dax bowed and gave thanks for the tea, placing the bowl in his left hand, turning the bowl twice and drinking it.

Dax was impressed by the reverence and precision of the tea ceremony, and enjoyed the smell and taste of the tea. He now understood the magnitude of the insult he had inadvertently delivered when he rejected Keiko's previous offers. He wondered how he could have been such as asshole.

The tea ceremony completed, Dax folded the ceremonial kimono and handed it to Keiko. She handed it to her mother and then took Dax's hands into hers.

"I'm impressed by your newfound interest in our culture." She was truly impressed by the changes in Dax's personality. Gone was the brashness and arrogance. In its place was patience and respect.

"I want this."

"I know you do," she said, kissing him on the cheek. "Maybe he is the one," she thought to herself.

* * *

Dax finally screwed up the courage to take Keiko to see his apartment. He would accompany Mason in picking her up at her apartment.

The Bentley idled by the curb as Keiko approached. Mason opened the back passenger door. Dax was waiting with a broad smile on his face.

"Shall we?" he said, extending his arms towards her. She offered her cheek for a chaste kiss and got into the car.

The traffic was heavy, and the late afternoon rush hour traffic trapped the Bentley on the Van Wyck expressway (a misnomer if there ever was one). Keiko peered out the heavily tinted windows, watching a darkened version of her reality, always studying other people. A woman putting on make-up as her convertible crept along, an older man sleeping with his face pressed against the back window, and a man who looked directly at her from a passing sedan. Dax was mesmerized watching his guest study the outside. She had a calm about her, the same calm she demonstrated when he fell to the pavement. She was a student. She studied everything. The long silence prompted Dax to fill the void.

"Do you go to Manhattan often?"

"When I need to." She was still staring out the window, her voice reflecting off the glass.

Dax wasn't a practiced conversationalist. Usually the women would talk and he would fake listening. She didn't seem compelled to share anything about herself.

"When do you need to?"

"My accounting firm has a number of clients located in Midtown. I probably call on them once every two weeks during the busy season." She head still didn't move. She didn't appear to be interested in the conversation.

"Well, what do you do for fun?"

"Fun?"

"You know. When you do stuff and you smile. You do smile, don't you?"

Keiko twisted in her seat, her face now inches from his. She unleashed a disarming smile.

"You mean like this?"

Dax mumbled an answer. He wasn't used to carrying a conversation. She was toying with him as a cat would with a cornered mouse. He decided to press on.

"Yes, like that. So what do you do for fun?"

"I spend a lot of time with my mother, but what little free time I have I enjoy spending it painting with water colors and reading."

Dax didn't know how to artfully extract the information he was seeking so he just asked.

"Are you seeing anyone now?"

Keiko cocked her head, not expecting such a bold question out of the blue.

"I'm not sure you're entitled to an answer to that question. I'll tell you that I'm not in a committed relationship."

"Fair enough, fair enough," Dax stammered, realizing he may have stepped out of bounds. They hadn't even kissed yet. For all he knew, she was going to his apartment out of curiosity rather than any genuine interest in him. But he had to know.

"Is there room for me?"

Keiko took his meaty hand between hers. She gently massaged his fingers as she spoke.

"Of course there is. But I'm not one to have a conventional relationship with a man."

That statement couldn't go unchallenged. "What do you mean by a conventional relationship?"

Keiko thought for a moment. "You've been married two times?"

"Uh huh."

"Those are conventional relationships."

"You don't even know ..."

"I know."

She pulled his head towards her and lightly brushed her lips against his, then pulled his ear close to her lips.

"I'll show you."

The Bentley eased out of the traffic and into the underground garage. Its tires squealed on the concrete as Mason turned the limo into its assigned parking spot. The burly chauffeur dashed around the car and opened the passenger door, letting in the harsh fluorescent light and the cool damp air of the basement.

"Home, safe and sound," he proclaimed as he helped Keiko out of the back seat. She rested two fingers on his outstretched palm as he helped her out of her luxurious cocoon. Even with that fleeting touch, Mason knew that the woman that had enthralled his boss was nothing like any of the woman Dax had dated.

This was the first time Dax had seen Keiko dressed up in Western-style clothes, and her appearance was nothing short of spectacular. She was wearing a clingy black wool jersey dress with black heels. The dress hugged her slender body and the additional height afforded by the heels made her diminutive frame more imposing. Even though she had small breasts, the bra she was wearing showed them to their best advantage.

"Very nice," said Dax as his eyes travelled up and down his attractive visitor.

Mason went to the elevator and pushed the call button. Keiko stood uncomfortably close to Dax, crowding him. With her heels she was much closer to looking at him at eye level. Her hand dropped down and she used her fingers to trace along the inseam of his pants, getting uncomfortably close to the growing bulge in his pants. He shivered at her sensuous touch.

"So you like what you see, Mr. Hanlon?"

"Very much so. Can I see more?"

"In time." She wet her finger and then ran it slowly across his lips. Dax attempted to suck on it but wasn't fast enough. She then whispered in his ear, "Patience."

They went up the elevator with Mason, stopping at Dax's penthouse.

"Will that be all, sir?" asked Mason, holding the elevator door open with his hand.

"That'll be all. Thank you, Mason." Mason grinned as they exited the elevator. He wondered what web this temptress was spinning for his boss.

The elevator doors closed and Keiko and Dax were alone. Dax punched his security code into the keypad next to his front door and then pushed it open. Keiko was greeted with a panoramic view of Queens to her left and Brooklyn to her right, wispy white clouds framing the horizon. The small dining table had been set for dinner, along with a bottle of chilled Champagne in a bucket of ice and two crystal flutes.

"It's lovely Dax."

Dax was oblivious to the view. His eyes were on Keiko. "So are you."

She kissed him again, this time swirling her tongue against his as their passions rose. He lost himself in the kiss, and ran his hand against the large expanse of exposed skin on her back. As they kissed, his hand ventured lower, touching the lace covered elastic band of her skimpy panties. She broke the kiss when she felt his hand in an area that he had not been given permission to touch.

As she broke the kiss, Dax couldn't stop himself from begging. "Please ... I want you."

Keiko stood up straight. Her eyes narrowed. "It has to be on my terms."

"Your terms?"

"That's right. I only have only one rule. If you choose not to obey one of my commands, our relationship is over. Is that understood?"

Her declaration was clear. This was the "unconventional" relationship she had tantalizing left undefined until now. "Yes, I understand."

Keiko had to confirm that he was ready ... and willing. "Get on your knees ... and be quick about it."

Unquestioning, her budding submissive grimaced as his knees slammed into the hardwood floor.

He felt her power over him. It was as if he had been going through life in the dark and in her presence he was in the light. He felt alive ... truly alive ... for the first time. He became hyperaware of his surroundings ... it was his apartment, his sanctuary, his private domain, but somehow it wasn't his anymore.

She stood over him, gazing down into his eyes, deep pools of emerald green, shimmering in the light, pleading for her guidance. He looked into hers, so full of life, her shiny black hair now hanging down, framing her face. His life was in her hands, yet he knew with certainty that was precisely what he wanted.