Mama Love Club

"Great!" fumed Adam. He was angry at himself more than at his mom. He felt that it was all his fault for not locking the door. He sat down on a chair next to her and leaned his head against the wall. "We lost our bags and now we'll lose our house."

They sat in silence for a while.

"One thing at a time," said Adam eventually. "First, we need to get back to Tokyo somehow. We can call someone back home and have them send us money."

"I have a better idea," offered Elizabeth. "Shigeo! I can ask him to lend us a few hundred bucks."

"That guy again?"

"Why not? He seems nice. He bought me expensive champagne. Dom Perignon."

Adam scratched at his head. "Ehhh, I don't know."

"Come on," said Elizabeth, standing up. "Let's go to that restaurant and see if he's there."

They walked to the restaurant. Unlike yesterday, it was bustling with customers. They managed to catch the old woman that served them yesterday and Adam asked her about Shigeo.

"She said he is out on business," explained Adam. "She gave me his number."

"Let's go call him from a payphone. I have some change left."

Elizabeth dialed the number, but no one answered.

"No one is picking up, and there's no answering machine."

"Let's try again a little later," suggested Adam.

Not knowing what to do, they visited the police department, but received no news. After that, they tried calling Shigeo again. There was no answer again.

"He said that he'll be at the club again tonight," remembered Elizabeth. "We can try him there."

"Kinshinsokan Monogatari? I'm not going back there!"

"We're not going to go in. We'll just ask for Shigeo."

Adam was too depressed, hungry and tired to argue.

They killed time by walking around the city, and eventually made their way back to the sex club toward the evening. The sun had already set and the night lights were turned on.

The same stocky man stood at the door.

"We want to talk to Shigeo!" announced Elizabeth loudly.

"I doubt he knows who that is," whispered Adam. "Let me talk."

Before Adam could open his mouth again, the doorman nodded to Elizabeth and disappeared inside. He came back several minutes later and waved them in.

"I'm not going in there," said Adam.

"Stay here then. I'll go in by myself," said Elizabeth taking a step inside the corridor.

Adam grunted and followed Elizabeth, not willing to let his mother be alone in a place like this.

It was still early in the evening and there were only a few people inside. The stage was empty and the room was well lit. Shigeo stood at the bar, flanked by two surly looking fellows in leather jackets. He noticed Elizabeth and Adam, and smiled.

"Elizabeth! Nice you see you again. I'm afraid the club isn't open yet. Come back a few hours later."

"That's not why we're here," explained Elizabeth. She cut straight to the chase: "We've been robbed. Our bags, with our passports and our money, have been stolen out of the hotel. We need your help."

Shigeo's smile faded and his face turned serious. "That is bad news," he said. "Come with me. We'll talk in the office."

They walked into a different corridor, passing several rooms, until they reached a closed door.

The two surly guys flanked each side of the door.

"Adam, would you mind waiting out here?" asked Shigeo.

"Okay," replied Adam, with a frown.

Shigeo ushered Elizabeth into a small room furnished with a big desk, several bookcases, and a few chairs.

"I just need a few hundred bucks," Elizabeth began right away. "I'll pay you back as soon as we get home."

Shigeo stared at her intensely for a few seconds. "Elizabeth, I'm a businessman, and I'm not in the business of lending money to people. Especially, people I don't know."

Elizabeth did not expect that reply. She felt her chest squeeze with worry. "But... but we were robbed, and... we need money to get to Tokyo," she pleaded.

"I realize your predicament. Unfortunately, I cannot just give you money."

"Please," Elizabeth pleaded. "I promise, I'll pay you back."

Shigeo seemed to ignore her: "I can, however, make you an offer to earn some money."

"What? Do you want me to wash the dishes or clean your house?"

"No, Elizabeth. I'm not talking about earning a couple of hundred dollars. I'm talking about earning tens of thousands of dollars."

Confused, Elizabeth stared at Shigeo.

Seeing her confusion, Shigeo pointed to a chair. "Have a seat and let me explain. As you may have guessed already, I own this establishment. It brings in good earnings from a group of exclusive clients. The performances that you got to witness last night... that usually costs anywhere from three to five thousand American dollars for the entrance. The performers are paid a fair portion of all the proceeds. For example, last night, Kayo and Ichiro walked out of here thirty thousand dollars richer."

Elizabeth stared at Shigeo with a distressed frown. "Are you hinting at what I think you're hinting at?" she asked raising her brows. "Are you asking me to perform in a sex show?"

"No, Elizabeth. Not just you. Your son also."

The grimace on Elizabeth's face reflected her thoughts. "Are you insane!?" she exclaimed.

"Insane? No. I'm a businessman."

"Yeah, well. I'm not interested." Elizabeth turned and stormed out of the room.

"Let's go," she said hastily to Adam and then hurried down the corridor.

When they were outside of the building, Adam asked: "Did he give you the money?"

"No," replied Elizabeth.

"What did he say then?"

"Nothing. I don't want to talk about it."

They walked in silence for some time, not knowing where to go. Eventually, they stopped in the middle of the street.

"It's getting late," said Adam. "Where are we going to sleep?"

"Maybe we should head to the train station. Someone there might be willing to help us out."

They went to the Takasaki train station. By the time they got there, the station was already closed. There was a group of homeless people gathered around a fire that burned in a large metal bin. Cautiously, they approached, hoping to share in on the warmth. The bums were mostly male, with one grimey looking woman. They all wore tattered clothes and smelled like they haven't washed in years.

"Hello," said Elizabeth.

"You probably shouldn't talk," suggested Adam. "I doubt they understand English anyway."

"Just trying to be friendly."

The bums eyed them with great interest and made an opening in their circle. Adam and Elizabeth joined them and stood staring at the fire silently.

Suddenly, Elizabeth felt a hand rest lightly on her buttocks. Astonished, she looked at the homeless man at her side. He grinned wickedly at her, but dropped his hand. A few minutes later, Elizabeth felt the hand again. This time it squeezed her ass cheek. She pushed the hand away.

"Adam," she whispered. "I don't like the way these people are looking at me. Maybe we should go somewhere else."

Adam was oblivious of his mother's situation. He was enjoying the warmth of the fire, and thought grudgingly of the cold, night air. "Relax, mom. They've probably never seen people like us. Where else can we go tonight?"

The hand returned to Elizabeth's ass and groped her roughly.

"Let go of me!" screamed Elizabeth, pushing the bum away.

"What's going on?" asked Adam looking at his mom. He felt a pair of strong hands yank him back by the shoulders. He fell to the ground. When he looked up, one of the bums was standing over him. He could hear his mom struggling and saw the other bums head towards her.

"Mom!" yelled Adam. "Are you okay?" He tried to stand up, but the bum pushed him back down.

There was a sound of clothes ripping. Adam made a frantic attempt to get up. The bum grabbed him and they toppled down together.

"No!" screamed Elizabeth. "Let me go!" She was being held from behind as three bums felt up her body. She tried to break free, but the bums were stronger than they looked.

Suddenly, a car's headlights lit up the whole scene. The bums froze and looked towards the lights. Two men got out of the car and walked towards them. The men appeared to be holding handguns. Upon seeing this, the bums scattered like cockroaches.

As soon as Adam was free, he hurried towards his mom. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

"I'm okay," said Elizabeth, pulling her torn blouse together. "I'm fine."

They turned to look at the headlights. The two men stopped a few paces short of them and now a third man was walking towards them. It was Shigeo.

"The streets of Takasaki are dangerous at night," he said with concern. "Come, I'll give you a ride."

Too shocked to say or do anything else Elizabeth and Adam got up and followed Shigeo. They climbed into the back of a limousine, and it drove off.

They sat in the back seat, with Shigeo and his two henchmen opposite of them. Shigeo watched them for a long moment without saying anything.

"Your mother asked me for some money tonight," said Shigeo, addressing Adam. "I do sympathise with your problem, but I have a business to run. You see, Adam, I made your mother a proposition. I offered for you and her to perform at my sex club. Has she told you this?"

Furious, Adam clinched his fists and looked at Shigeo. He noticed the two henchmen tense up and stare him down with hard eyes.

"Ah, you want to meet my friends?" asked Shigeo. "These are my personal bodyguards: Tsubasa and Hiro. They are both ex-Yakuza. I'm sure you know what that means. But do not worry, they won't harm you." Shigeo smiled wickedly. "Where was I? Oh yes, I was telling you about the offer I made your mother. You see, the success of my little club depends on the fact that some people have a lot of money, but no excitement in their lives. Thus, for a generous fee, I offer them the excitement that they so desperately seek. In this case, the excitement is watching a genuine mother and son engage in sexual intercourse." Shigeo sighed. "It's not easy to find participants these days, but money goes a long way. I pay the participants a portion of what the club brings in for the night. Last night, one of the couples walked out with roughly thirty thousand in your American dollars. Not bad, eh?"

Adam didn't answer.

"Of course, an unusual appearance like the two of you, would bring in a much larger crowd. My clients would gladly pay extra to see something as exotic, as an American mother and son. You don't seem persuaded, Adam. Perhaps thirty thousand isn't enough for you. How about forty? Fifty? Maybe even more?"

Elizabeth was the one to speak: "If we agree, can we have some money now to buy some new clothes and food?"

Adam looked over at his mom with a terrified expression.

"Of course. If you agree, I'll make sure that you are well fed and clothed."

"Okay," said Elizabeth. "We'll do it."

The plan

They arrived at a high-rise building, and took the elevator to the twenty second floor. Shigeo led them into an apartment that was richly decorated with designer furniture and upscale appliances.

"I have to return to my affairs," said Shigeo when they walked inside. "You'll find everything you need here, in the apartment. Tsubasa will stay and... protect you." Shigeo indicated to one of his men. "You two can have the bedroom and he'll sleep on the couch. If you need anything just let Tsubasa know."

Without saying anything else, Shigeo bowed and left.

The man called Tsubasa, locked the door and settled on the couch. Elizabeth went into the bathroom to clean up, while Adam found some food for them in the refrigerator.

Elizabeth came out of the bathroom, wearing a heavy white robe and went straight to bed. Adam followed her into the bedroom.

"I made you something to eat," he said, handing her a plate.

"Thank you." She took the plate and placed it on the night stand.

"What was that all about in the car?"

"What do you think that was about?" Elizabeth lowered her voice "I was buying us some time. I was scared, cold and hungry. Agreeing with him seemed like the easiest way out."

"Oh, good." Adam breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you were going bonkers."

"Don't be silly."

"So, how do we get out of this?"

"I was just thinking about that while I was in the shower. Speaking of which, you should take one. You smell like those bums."

Adam shuddered. "Don't remind me of that."

"Anyway," Elizabeth whispered. "We play along. We make Shigeo think that we're going to do his show because we are desperate for money. Then, right when he least expects it, we make a run for it."

Adam didn't think much of her plan. "Run for it?"

"Yes. I'll try to weasel out some advance money, then we slip away and take the first train to Tokyo."

"O-kay," said Adam. "And what if we can't slip away?"

"We'll have plenty of chances. He can't watch us all the time."

That night Adam stayed awake for a long time. He kept thinking that his mom's plan wasn't very good, yet he couldn't think of a better one. He was too worried for their safety to try and tussle with the Yakuza men. In the end he decided that he'll go along with his mom's plan. They could always stop the ruse at any point. He just wasn't sure what the consequence of that would be.

Elizabeth woke the next morning to the smell of coffee. Groggy, she stumbled out of the bedroom.

"Good morning, Elizabeth!" called out Shigeo. "Coffee?"

Elizabeth nodded and went to sit at the kitchen table. She noticed Tsubasa standing by the window, sipping a out of a cup.

"How did you sleep?" asked Shigeo and placed a full mug in front of Elizabeth.

"Good," she replied, giving herself a nice stretch.

"I'm glad to hear that. I have good news. I've been able to spread the rumor of your performance amongst some of my clients. It generated quite a strong interest. People are willing to pay good money to see you and Adam."

Elizabeth put on her most sincere smile. "That's great. Does that mean we get paid more?"

"Well now, didn't we decide on fifty thousand last night?"

"I remember you saying something about making more than that."

"I did?" Shigeo put a hand to his chin. "Oh yes, I must have. Good morning, Adam! Would you like some coffee? Orange juice?"

Adam shuffled out of the bedroom and looked around. "Juice," he said and came to sit by his mom.

"Your mother and I were just talking about your compensation. I was just about to explain to her just how much money you can make. You see, I like to make it interesting for my participants. First, there's a starting amount for participating in a show." Shigeo gave a big grin. "Second, is the interesting part. Every five minutes during sex, the couple can switch positions. And for every new position they earn a bonus amount. Does that make sense?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Every five minutes. Change positions. Make more money."

"Yes! Our dear host, Mr. Kimura, keeps the time and tells you when you can switch. The positions must all be different. Also, there's a bonus if the mother takes her son's ograsm on her face."

Elizabeth had a hard time keeping the smile on her face the whole time. She was distressed at how calmly Shigeo talked about such things.

"Interesting," she said. "Okay, so we start at fifty thousand. How much do we make for each bonus round?"

Shigeo eyed her silently for a few moments. "Very well," he said. He began pacing along the length of the table. "I don't want this one to end too soon. I suppose, I'll give you a special deal. I'll let you earn ten thousand for each additional position."

Elizabeth batted her eyelashes suggestively. "Does anal count?"

A loud snort, followed by a coughing fit burst from where Adam was sitting.

Shigeo's eyebrows rose. "Sure! I would count that."

"I'm only joking. You'd have to pay me a lot more than ten grand to consider that."

Doubled over in a fit of coughing, Adam limped over to the bathroom, and slammed the door behind him.

Shigeo eyed the bathroom door, then asked: "Will he go through with it?"

"Don't worry," replied Elizabeth. "Leave him to me."

"May I ask a personal question, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth looked up at him. "Obviously."

"When does your monthly cycle begin?"

"Not for another week or so."

"Excellent! We'll do the show tomorrow then."

"Tomorrow?" Elizabeth's frowned.

"Why not? I'm sure you're eager to get on your way."

Elizabeth nodded thoughtfully.

Adam came out of the bathroom and Shigeo broke the news to him. Adam looked at his mother but didn't say anything.

"Are you a virgin?" asked Shigeo looking at Adam.

"No," replied Adam calmly.

"A shame. That could have fetched a bigger price."

"Why don't you just lie and say that I'm a virgin," suggested Adam.

"Oh, no." Shigeo shook his head. "That can never happen. My club is renowned for its authenticity. I would never risk its reputation.

Adam caught a curious look from his mom.

"Jessica. Prom night," he said.

"Oh!" Elizabeth remembered. "That's right."

"I'm going back to bed," said Adam lethargically and shuffled away.

Shigeo waited until Adam closed the door to the bedroom and motioned for Tsubasa to go stand by it.

"Elizabeth, can we have a moment in private?"

Elizabeth nodded.

Shigeo led her into the other room, which appeared to serve as his spare office.

Closing the door, Shigeo began: "Elizabeth, you seem so enthusiastic today about my proposition. Yet, just yesterday, at the club, you seemed outraged by it. I'm curious why the sudden change?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Elizabeth sighed and sat down in the chair. "It's the money." She looked plainly at Shigeo as she continued: "At the club, you offered thirty thousand. I can't deny, that is a lot of money to me, and devil knows that I need it. But it's not enough for me to have sex with my own son. I would never even consider something so perverse, especially doing it for the pleasure of rich, old perverts." She looked suggestively at Shigeo then continued: "However, fifty thousand is a hell of a lot of money. And, considering that maybe Adam could last a few rounds... I just can't walk away from such an opportunity."

Shigeo was smiling. "You'd be surprised Elizabeth, but you're not the first mother to do this because of money. In fact, most mothers I've approached struggled with their morals a lot more than you. But, I am offering you a lot more than I've ever offered anyone else. Perhaps that makes the decision easier."

The facade

"Tomorrow? That doesn't give us a lot of time," said Adam. "We better back out now. Do it before he hasn't made any plans."

"Not yet," insisted Elizabeth. "We need to get at least a little bit of money first. He fell for it. I just need to convince him to let me have a little money in advance."

"We're playing with fire, mom."

"Well, we are in a sticky situation."

Adam shook his head. "I just hope you know what you're doing."

"I hope so too," said Elizabeth quietly.

They spent the rest of the day in the apartment, under the watchful eye of Tsubasa. Shigeo came back later that evening, bringing with him food and several bags of clothes.

"I wasn't sure of your measurements," said Shigeo handing the bags to Elizabeth, "so I bought everything in several sizes. There's underwear, small clothes, as well as something nice for tomorrow's show."

Elizabeth smiled. "Thank you."

"As I suspected, you and your son are quite a hit. You see, I purposely scheduled your show on a short notice to create a sense of urgency." Shigeo passed his hand in the air. "Hurry. One night only. Never seen before."

"Did it work?"

Shigeo smiled. "Let's say I was able to book a full club for tomorrow."

"How many is that?"

Shigeo turned to the window. "The club is small. It can only hold forty people comfortably. But, enough about business. You must be hungry. I brought some home made food."