“And I can touch you here,” he said under his breath, taking off her blouse and pulling down on her skirt, revealing her ivory-colored breasts. The floral and pungent smell of female skin filled his nose, and he longed to bury himself in it. He spread a tan palm on each breast and squeezed, moving his hands in a circular stroke and feeling himself get hard. Just as his lips fell hungrily on her bare skin, Jade tore herself away with animal strength.
An indulgent smile flashed again on Ito’s selfish face. “I do love the fight that you Joseon girls have . . . It is much more fun.” He wrapped his left arm around her waist and locked her in. His right hand reached underneath her skirt, traveled up between her thighs, and pressed urgently on the warm and dewy triangular mound, covered only by the muslin underwear.
“Don’t touch me!” Jade screamed and swung her arm, slapping him in the face with a loud smack. He hardly seemed to notice, only tightening his grip on her. She beat his back frantically with her hands, and finally bit him on the muscled top of his right shoulder.
“You bitch!” he shouted as he let go of her. She spun away to the opposite end of the dressing room, clasping her hands over her undone skirt. She looked frightened at what she’d done.
“I could have you arrested for this,” Ito began, leaning back on the settee and breathing roughly. “But I won’t, as long as you spend a night with me. You might even enjoy yourself.”
“Never,” Jade said softly, her arms still crossed over her body. “I’m not afraid of you,” she added, although her voice was shaking.
“Fine. What is it that you want? You want flowers like these?” Ito gestured sarcastically at the bouquets. “Or is it money or jewels? No one has yet accused Ito Atsuo of miserliness. I am willing to pay a fair price.”
“There’s no amount of money you could pay to sleep with me,” Jade said, which was half true. She had paid off the cost of her training and board to Dani and the discharge fee to the guild, and she didn’t have the time or the need to entertain at parties. She made plenty of money from acting, yet she also accepted gifts from men who may or may not eventually become intimate with her. But like other celebrated actresses and courtesans, she was never for sale to just anyone with money.
Ito, frustrated with her obstinacy and still in that desperate state of arousal, unbuckled his trousers. “Just watch me, then.” He started stroking himself, the other hand gripping the armrest. Jade stared, and then turned her eyes away when he grabbed her silk blouse, balled it up like a rag, and climaxed into it.
Ito slouched back on the seat for a few minutes, eyes rolling up to the ceiling one moment and fluttering closed in the next, breathing hard as if he’d just sprinted. As he collected himself and buckled his trousers back on, there was a sound of footsteps outside the door.
“What’s taking you so long? Can I come in?” Lotus said as she entered, wearing her street clothes. Finding Ito and Jade in their state of disarray, she blushed and averted her eyes. Unconcerned by the women, Ito calmly got up, brushed off the length of his sleeves, and walked out without a word.
“What was that all about? Are you okay?” Lotus asked, putting her arm around Jade.
“I’m okay. I just need to go home,” Jade answered, shivering. She pulled on her street clothes and they went out together through the side exit, where HanChol was waiting for them with his rickshaw. Since the night of their benefit performance, he had become their favorite driver; Jade made sure to let him know where she needed to go next, addressed him politely as though he were her equal, and always paid at least time and a half, if not more. But now she wished to be left alone, even by him. She could feel Ito’s handprints turning to bruises on her skin like crushed grapes.
“Is she okay? Is Miss Jade ill?” HanChol asked, and she turned her head away and said nothing.
“She just had a bit of a scare, that’s all,” Lotus said. “Can you get us home quickly?”
HanChol nodded, helping the young women up into the carriage. When he was in front of them, he stole a glance back and saw that Jade was crying. He trotted quickly to their villa, although it was late at night and he’d had a long day. When they arrived home, the women got out without their usual banter and disappeared into the gates.
It was so different from how HanChol had imagined the night would go, and he was exhausted by disappointment. He had thought that she would ask him if he’d sent her the cosmos flowers, for which he’d saved up pennies here and there for a week. He’d planned to finally tell her how he felt about her. Instead, he was sickened by worry over her, and at the same time, strangely exhilarated by his own concern, because it made him feel more deeply like a human. At all other times, he was only thinking about what to do next in order to survive and climb his way out, numb to any emotions. Worrying about Jade was the only time he felt such sweetness along with the pain.
JADE AND LOTUS CROSSED the garden and went inside their pavilion. Instead of going to her own room, Lotus followed Jade and started preparing her bedspread for her.
“Here, lie down under the covers,” Lotus said, patting the pillow. “Do you want me to sleep here tonight?”
Jade crawled into the cot and nodded. Lotus went to the linen chest and retrieved another cot. She put it next to Jade’s, undressed, pulled out the pins from her updo, and combed her long, lustrous black hair, all with the same reassuring, robust energy she always radiated. Next she undid Jade’s pins and brushed her hair for her, feeling as tender and protective as when they were little girls dressing each other’s hair every night.
Once finished, Lotus slipped into her bedspread, murmuring, “Should we take off our makeup? I’m so tired . . .”
“Me too,” Jade said, her eyes closed. She was already sedated from the influence of her best friend.
“What did that Japanese bastard do? He didn’t force himself on you, did he?”
“He tried . . . and I bit him,” Jade said, and Lotus broke out in laughter.