Paul checked his watch, pushed his hands back into his jacket pockets, and rushed forward against the wind along the dark city sidewalk.
Shit, he thought, Iâm probably gonna be late. Maybe not. Shit, I think the storeâs closed tomorrow too.
The lights were still on in the store when he saw it, and the âKazawaâs Electronics Surplusâ sign still glowed. It was a small cluttered store, set into the first floor of one of the two-storey buildings that line the street.
Paul pulled at the door, and it wouldnât open. He looked up and a âClosedâ sign stared him in the face.
âFUCK!â
Paul stood there on the cold, windy sidewalk and wondered what to next. He tried the door a few more times, and only succeeded in making a clatter. In his mid-twenties and in good shape, it wasnât the walk he minded so much as the time wasted. He brushed a stray strand of brown hair from his eyes.
Then something moved inside. Soon he saw the smiling face of Mr. Kazawa, bald-headed and beer-bellied, who unlocked the door and let Paul inside, then locked the door again behind him.
âGee, thanks Mr. Kazawa, I guess I was running a little late and...â
âNo trouble, no trouble Paul,â Mr. Kazawa said in his thick Japanese accent. âI have your order right here. Follow me to the back, huh? I have it for you.â
Paul began to walk along behind him through the cluttered store when he saw another person looking at them in curiosity. Mr. Kazawa usually tended the store alone, and when he did have an assistant, it was usually a pimply-faced teenager. Paul had to blink twice to make sure it wasnât his imagination or a cardboard cut-out display.
âOh yes, of course! Paul, Iâd like you to meet my daughter, Midoriâ
Midori was almost as tall as her father, but that was still only up to Paulâs chest. She had doe-like eyes and a red gloss decorated her lips. Her straight black hair fell past her shoulders and her body was slim and sleek, her chest making a tiny bulge in her white T-shirt, while her hips had a little more definition under a pleated black skirt that stopped above her knees. She wore canvas sneakers on her feet.
âShe come over from Japan where she live with her mother,â Mr. Kazawa continued. âTwo days ago. She going to be going to university here in the new semester.â
âVery nice to meet you,â Paul said, and extended his hand.
âHe-hello-o,â Midori said very awkwardly, and when she gave her hand to Paul it disappeared in his. Her handshake was so passive and timid Paul wondered if she maybe didnât expect him to take up her hand and kiss it instead.
âHey,â Mr. Kazawa said, âPaul, he work at the university! Maybe he can help you if you have problems!â Midori didnât seem to understand what he said, and so he repeated it in Japanese.
âAh-ah!â Midori nodded and smiled.
âShe need some help with the English, you know? She from a small town. Shitty town. Thatâs why I leave.â
Paul hoped Midori couldnât understand the crass comments from her father. Paul knew that Mr. Kazawa had been here for almost twenty years now, so he guessed he left Japan pretty soon after Midori was born, if not before that. As for working at the university, it was actually a 2-week contract a few months ago, but this was no time to either injure his own pride or get into specifics. âYeah, yeah, sure. Yâknow, if I can help...maybe.â
Mr. Kazawa led Paul into the backroom and Midori followed behind them, sticking close to the side of Paul. The backroom was as disorganized as the front of the store, with boxes not only on the extensive shelves, but scattered all over the floor, many half-opened or ripped. Paul knew his imagination was drifting, but the faint scent of Midori brought the image of oriental flower blossoms to his mind.
âShit!â Mr. Kazawa cursed, looking in a bin. âI got two of the things you ordered here, but the third one, the refurbished voltmeter, yeah? Well itâs not here. The store got new shipment in at the distributor, but I had no chance to send anyone to pick it up today. I so sorry!â
âWell, if you donât have it, itâs quite alright...â Paul began to say.
âYou know what I do?â Mr. Kazawa asked. âI go there now. You a good customer, and you pre-pay for this order, so-â
âYou really donât have to-â
âHey, itâs okay, I have to go there sometime anyway, huh? Plus, we closed tomorrow, and I know you a busy guy. Fifteen, twenty minutes tops! You and Midori can chat, yeah? Bye!â
He said something in Japanese to Midori, an then left, locking the door. Locking them inside, Paul realized.
Paul looked at Midori. They were still standing in the backroom section of the store, and she was looking at him with what he thought was half tourist-like curiosity, and half jet-lag daze.
âSo...â he ventured, âhow do you like it here so far?â
Midori scrunched up her eyebrows. He couldnât help realizing how cute her confused look was.
âLike?â He tried again, âYou like?â
Midori brought her hands up to Paul, one brushing against his chest, the other along his shoulder. âYa,â she said, âVery big boys!â Sheâd obviously misunderstood, but something stirred inside Paul at her female attentions.
He raised a hand and brushed his thumb along her cheek. âYouâre very beautiful.â She didnât back away. Something began to glisten in her eyes, and it tempted Paul. He brushed his thumb along her lips, and then pushed in.
His thumb plunged into the wet warmth of her mouth, and she closed her eyes and sucked. Paul was suddenly aware of how warm it was, of the heat of her body, of the heat of his body, and the feelings she aroused.
Midoriâs eyes popped open at the sound of the zipper. She spit out his thumb and looked horrified. Paul had tossed off his jacket and lowered his pants around his knees, and now stroked his hard cock.
Paul put his hand on top of her head, over her dark hair, and pressed her head down, along his chest, towards his throbbing cock.
âAi!â Midoriâs head slipped to the side, and she took a couple of steps back. She said a few things in Japanese and then: âNo-No!â