[Aidan's marriage has been shattered by his wife's cheating. Unable to cope with the thing Rosa did, he boarded a plane and put as much distance between them as possible. From Australia, making new friends in Sydney, to meeting Kat and sharing her bed, he finds himself in Los Angeles as the personal trainer and lover to Mara Fey, Hollywood A-Lister and one of the most famous women on the planet. As he becomes more deeply entangled in Mara's life, Rosa becomes more distant, leaving Aidan more lonely than ever.
Mara takes him with her to Tokyo, where Aidan is embroiled in Andrew's plans and must finally face up to his past.
The background to Aidan's story can be found in
Oxygen Games
by oneagainst, continued here with permission.]
---
LOOSE ENDS
At Mara's suggestion, Aidan has agreed to take Indi shopping in the Ginza district. Andrew is away with his business associates and Mara is busy with filming, pulling long days on set and coming home exhausted. Mara had offered a car to take them, but they take the subway instead, just two people in the crowd. Indi is in a tight t-shirt and she's wearing jeans, with minimal makeup. She looks like she dresses down when Andrew's not around.
"We get the day off," Aidan says to her, "What do you want to do first?"
They're standing outside a towering department store surrounded by people. It's mid-morning on a weekday, but the streets are still busy.
"I don't know," Indi replies, "What do you want to do?"
"Mara thought you might like to have a look at some of the boutiques."
"I guess."
They enter the department store, but Aidan feels like it's because he's suggested it, rather than from any desire on her part. He watches Indi as she moves through the clothes racks, the way her eyes shift from piece to piece, occasionally touching but never picking anything up. He's struggling to make conversation with her; the subway journey had been the same.
Aidan remembers how she looked on the coffee table, stretched out naked on the glass, waiting, the way she had closed her eyes as he drank sake from the cup. He doesn't know what to make of Andrew's peculiar offer: mi casa, su casa, that Indi wouldn't mind. Already, he has the impression that she doesn't care if he makes advances on her. It's not as if she has her defences up around him, it's more of a gap, a no-man's-land between them that he would struggle to cross.
"How long is Andrew away for?" Aidan asks, breaking the silence between them.
"He's back in a couple of days."
"Just the one night away?"
"Yes."
Silence again.
"Where's he gone?"
"Nara."
"Is that where his deal is?"
"No."
Indi picks up a dress and appraises it. Aidan is trying to work out what to say next.
"The deal's in Tokyo, but he's been invited to Nara as part of it."
It's the first time Indi has volunteered information.
"So, what's in Nara?"
Indi replaces the dress on the rack and moves on. Aidan follows behind.
"He's been invited to a traditional evening," Indi replies.
"Traditional?"
Indi nods. "They'll all get together in one of the entertainment houses for dinner and drinks. It's a chance for them to get to know him and vice versa. It's all about building the relationship."
"Entertainment houses? I never knew about that."
"They're wined and dined, attended by geisha. Andrew says it's an important part of the deal."
"What do you think about it?"
"About what?"
"Attended by geisha, you said."
Indi turns to him, her eyebrows raised. "What would I think about it? It's his business."
"Uh, sorry. I didn't mean to sound like I was criticising."
"Do you know what geisha do?"
Aidan shrugs, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. "No," he admits.
"It's not sex. It's about being the glue. Their job is to bring people together, smooth the friction. They're there to make sure everyone has a good time and enjoys themselves. They talk and entertain, they break the ice."
Her grey eyes are locked on his.
"In a world of men doing deals with each other, they're the ones who have to deal with the men."
Indi looks around the store and wrinkles her nose. They stand together in the middle of the floor while she looks around.
"Wanna see what else there is?" Aidan suggests, "Apparently you can find anything here."
"Okay."
Aidan leads her to the escalators and they ascend to the next floor. It's full of furniture and homewares.
"Anything here?" Aidan asks, as Indi wanders through the aisles.
"Not much point, really," Indi replies, "We're always on the move. It's hard to collect anything."
She's drifting towards the music section. Aidan has things he wants to know about Andrew and Mara and their history. He's not sure why he wants to know, but ever since the call with Rosa, the feeling has been growing: if Rosa wants to cut the cord and move on with Davey, where does that leave him? Mara is a possibility, but not if her life is tangled up with Andrew.
"How long have you known him?" Aidan asks, "Andrew."
"Years."
Again, Indi has fallen back to monosyllables. Aidan tries again.
"How did you meet?"
"You heard, remember?"
"Uh, he mentioned a property deal in New York. So that's how you met? Were you involved in the deal?"
Indi pauses, scrutinizing his face, frowning. "You could say that."
"So, are you in property too?"
"I came with the furniture, remember?"
It's not a question. Indi turns away and Aidan finds himself following behind again. They are heading towards a stand of violins and cellos, all gleaming brightly under the spotlights. They seem to have captured Indi's attention, and she reaches out to touch them before moving on. She stops again among the pianos, trailing her fingers along the dark, silky wood of a grand piano set on its own in the middle of the floor.
"Do you play?" Aidan asks.
"Used to. A long time ago. I had lessons when I was a girl."
