A rather slow courting

Chapter 18 of the thriller "An Irretrievable Step".

Chapter 18

On the next morning when Jeremy entered the class room he met last night's messenger, the young Japanese that mediated temporarily between Kasumi and him. His name was Akahiro Matsu but that was all Jeremy learned about that young man, apart from his being Kasumi's compatriot. He was not a shy person but nevertheless he kept away from him and from the rest of the students as well.

Kasumi exchanged a shy little smile with Jeremy from the other side of the classroom; she shared a desk with another female student over there far from him, and that is why he had not noticed her during the first week of studying; he concluded as he was watching Kasumi during the few seconds left before the Italian teacher entered.

At five pm at the drawing course classroom, when Kasumi entered Jeremy was already seated next to their desk waiting for her, like a predator ambushing its prey. She smiled to him as soon as their eyes met and uttered a hardly audible 'ciao', while turning around the desk to reach her seat. Her cheeks were covered with a slight blush; it was due no doubt to her excitement this time on seeing him.

It's a good sign she's glad to see me. Jeremy thought encouraged.

They exchanged a few polite words, and sat in silence up to the end of the first hour, busy each one of them with still life drawings, of the several accumulated items for a still life drawing, which were laid on the teacher's desk.

During the first break he learned a few more details about Kasumi Saito. She is nineteen years old born In Saporo in the Northern Island of Hokaido, while her two compatriots were about two years younger and from Tokyo; that is why they kept a certain haughty distance from her.

'They're shocked and confused…' Kasumi added and that short remark that ended her bits and fragments monologue surprised him.

'Why should they be?' He asked her overjoyed to listen to her sweet voice, and to watch her moving lips. She seemed much more at ease in his company, though she was still blushing but it added so much charm to her delicate features.

'The blonde Scandinavian girls, ' she said with an embarrassed chuckle.

At the end of their lessons Jeremy walked her along the fifty more or less yards up to the dormitory.

'Will you be so kind and have dinner with me?' He asked her surprised by his own exaggerated politeness.

Well she's Japanese and that's the kind of conduct that she surely expects to be approached with. The thought flashed in his brain, as he was waiting impatiently to her answer.

During lunch breaks she sat at the academy students' cafeteria with her roommate or the one that shared a desk with her at the Italian language morning lessons, thus the only way to be all alone with her was having a dinner with her in a far away restaurant.

'Oh thank you Jeremy it's very kind of you, but maybe at the weekend…' She added hesitatingly without ending her sentence.

He did not dare to touch even her hand; he knew very well that it was too early to treat her with such gestures. He exchanged a loving smile with her, and waited till she climbed the staircase and vanished from his sight.

He had some notions about this budding affair with Kasumi on his way to the bus stop and while riding the bus to the main train terminal where he got off, and kept on thinking after he reached his room.

It looks as if it was prearranged but Kasumi and her two compatriots are not aware to it, they don't have the slightest idea about the entire thing. I was the only one that was guided indirectly to this end, by Vito and his sophisticated instructions…So that must be the contribution of the Japanese intelligence to our organization, what they got in return is none of my business of course. Jeremy kept thinking and analyzing that certain situation in which he was taking the main part.

Well I've nothing to complain of on the contrary I approve it and I adore the perfectness with which this part of the puzzle was planned and is carried out.

Up to the weekend their budding affair was developing step by step and very carefully by the two of them. Their thighs touched inadvertently from time to time beneath the desk, while their hands touched inadvertently from time to time on top of the desk.

Thus on Friday night he took Kasumi to the restaurant La Casa dei Golosi, one of the many restaurants that he did not visit with Vito. This restaurant is surrounded with three public parks, but he was thinking on a hotel room. When he brought up the idea of finding a secluded place and was about to mention the name of the hotel to which he wished to check in, Kasumi rejected the idea decisively, and proposed to sit on a bench in the next park of the Biblioteca Rossa. They sat there on a bench just as she wished and chatted softly though he did most of the talking. After quite a long chat, he sent his hand and drew her gently to his chest and kissed her lips.

That's the first time in her young life that she's being kissed, and she must be a virgin… He realized by her reactions while caressing her hair, shoulders and back. But that was it they just necked some two hours, and he realized that he loves her. He knew very well that he shall have to part with her in two or three months, but he appreciated her wisdom and her delicate sweetness, and decided to be as kind as possible to her.

In any case she too must have dreamed of a love affair that would release her from her solitude, but not an affair that would lead to a marriage with a complete stranger.

@ Haim Kadman 2017 - all rights reserved.