Without having eaten much all day, our empty stomachs caught up with us. We walked toward the nearest street vendor.
“By the way, didn’t you say that you were waiting for someone back at the restaurant? You made it sound like you were seeing someone already. What was that all about?” Jake questioned. I thought we were done hashing out all of our misunderstandings—apparently not.
“Yes, I said I was waiting for someone, but I never said I was seeing anyone.” My ambiguous answer didn’t sit well with Jake.
“What does that mean?” I loved that his childlike tone surfaced whenever he didn’t get his way. “Have you dated anyone since you got here? Have other men asked you out? If so, how many?
I chose to keep mum. I shut my lips and formed a flat horizontal smile, while eating my udon noodles.
“Emi, aren’t you going to answer?” His voice grew impatient while he placed his hands all over my body and tickled me. I laughed, choked on my noodles, and promised to answer without a fight.
“You play dirty,” I accused while giving him an evil eye.
“You, no, yes, and many.”
Jake took my answers and dropped them at the end of each of his questions. He looked upset again.
“I don’t understand the first answer.”
Staring at him I asked, “Are you really as smart as everyone says you are? You asked me who I was waiting for. I was waiting for YOU. I’ve been waiting for you since you left me last Christmas. Do you get it now?”
“Oh! I get it.” He smiled again till he thought through my other answers.
“What do you mean many men have asked you on dates? How many single men could live in that tiny village of yours? And why would they ask you out? Didn’t you tell them you were taken?”
“Why on earth would I tell them that? There’s no ring on my finger that says I’m taken. And, I didn’t stay in the village the whole time. I traveled throughout Japan. You’re not the only man to find me attractive.”
Jake reached into his pocket and pulled out my beautiful ring. Oh how I had missed that ring. He slowly drew out my left hand and my heart jumped a-flutter.
He was going to propose again!
I definitely knew what my answer would be this time. Jake slid the eternity band on my ring finger and I basked in this tender moment.
To my utter dismay, rather than proposing, he handed me a stern warning. “I don’t ever want to see you take this ring off unless I replace with another one, OK?”
“All right…” My lips pouted and my answer sounded sore.
Jake mused at my chagrin. “What’s wrong? Were you expecting something else? Do you not like this ring?”
What could I say? No, I like this ring but I’d like a proposal along with it?
“I love this ring,” was all that came out of my mouth.
Night fell upon us and we walked hand in hand back to the hotel.
“Where’s your suitcase?” I inquired.
“They’re holding it for me here. I haven’t had a chance to check in yet.”
“Why don’t you have them bring up your stuff up to my room?” I didn’t have to look in a mirror to know my cheeks had turned bright red. I also didn’t have to look at Jake to know his stunned face quickly changed to nirvana. He practically sprinted up to my room.
Walking in, Jake quickly surveyed the double bed. Heaven to hell in sixty seconds, he threw up a prayer. “Love, I’ve been apart from you for too long to be satisfied sleeping in a bed next to yours.”
“Would it satisfy you to sleep in a bed…with me?” I asked sheepishly.”
I’d never seen Jake so happy!
We said a quick and sweet good-bye in Kyoto, as we both had to leave for our respective jobs. It pained me to leave him again. I made up twenty different excuses as to why I wanted to go back with him. Every excuse pointed to the fact that we would be apart only twelve days. Then, we would have many joyful days together.
“I don’t want you to go. It feels like a dream to be back together with you. I don’t want to say good-bye anymore.”
“Love, it’s only for twelve days. We’ll see each other soon. After that, we don’t ever have to say good-bye. Make sure you log onto your computer at 9:00 p.m. your time. That will serve as a substitute until Paris.”
“OK.” I pouted some more. “I’ll miss you.”
“Me, too, my love. Me too.”
I left him standing at the station, knowing that we would soon be together again, and if God was kind to us, we would never have to say good-bye.