Chasing The Sun - Act 17
"John, I'm only dancing.
(She turns me on.) I'm only dancing.
(She turns me on.) Ooh, but she moves me.
Don't get me wrong.
I'm only dancing, wooh-wooh."
- David Bowie, "John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)"
Chang 'An, Walpurgisnacht
On April 30, it rained all day which put Genjyo in an unusually crankier mood. We could not go outdoors, so Genjyo and I played gin rummy all morning. I wanted to learn to play riichi mahjong, but there were never four of us free at the same time. I knew how to play the Chinese classical and Hong Kong versions of the game a little, and I wanted to participate sometimes when the guys played mahjong. After lunch, Genjyo returned to Keiun Palace to check on Goku and take care of temple business. That afternoon, Hakkai showed up for my Chinese lessons as usual. The rain continued until supper time so Hakkai and I went to the inn's library to do our lessons. Gena came to the library to announce that supper was ready. I was invited to eat with the inn's staff in the dining room. Hakkai left then because he and Gojyo were going out that night to the bar on the top floor of the Hotel Chang 'An. He said he would have invited me to go with them but he did not think Genjyo would approve.
The rain finally stopped at nightfall. Depressed and bored, I hung out with Grimmy in my room after supper. Genjyo had not returned so I sat down at the table to play spider solitaire. I had finished laying out the first hand when someone knocked on my door.
Thinking it was probably Gena (Genjyo never bothered to knock. He would always simply come and go as he pleased.), I opened the door. Gojyo was leaning on the frame - wearing a fuschia satin shirt that was mostly unbuttoned and tight black jeans. "Put on something pretty. I'm taking you out tonight," he said with a mischievous gleam in his scarlet eyes. "Aww. What the hell," I said aloud and invited him inside to wait while I fetched my backpack and went into the bathroom to change. I put on a red velvet cocktail dress and a little makeup. I combed out my hair but decided to leave it loose. When I was ready, Gojyo escorted Grimmy and me downstairs.
Hakkai was waiting in the lobby - chatting with Mrs Browning. We went outside where Hakuryu was parked in his jeep form. I sat in the front with Hakkai, and Grimmy and Gojyo piled into the back. Hakkai drove northwest to the Hotel Chang 'An which was a few blocks from the medical university.
At the hotel, we took the elevator to the top floor. The bar was already crowded when we arrived. We found a table near the dance floor and sat down. Hakuryu perched on Hakkai's shoulder. Grimmy plopped down on the floor under the table. A waitress came over and took our orders. Gojyo ordered a bottle of baijiu - a hard rice liqueur equivalent to vodka - for us all to share. I could not drink the baiju so I ordered a fuzzy navel and a bowl of water for Grimmy. We sat around the table drinking, chatting, and smoking for about an hour.
I was on my second drink when the band started playing a slow song. Several couples wandered to the dance floor. I watched them. Gojyo watched me watching the dancers and grinned.
"Wanna dance with me?" Gojyo asked and held out his hand.
"Sure. Why not?" I said and accepted his invitation.
The band had just started another slow song. I put my arms around Gojyo's shoulders and rested my cheek on his chest. He put his arms around me with his hands on my back and my hair hanging over his fingers.
We must have been swaying to the song for about a minute when Gojyo looked back at our table and whispered, "You know this must really burn Sanzo's ass."
"Huh? I doubt he really cares what I do," I said and shrugged.
"I dunno. He looks pretty pissed to me," Gojyo said.
"What?!" I squawked and looked back at our table too. As I had expected, there was Hakkai with Hakuryu and Grimmy. Unexpectedly however, now there was also Genjyo striding across the dance floor toward us - furious enough to melt steel. I saw he had changed out of his robes and was now wearing a filmy, black, silk shirt that was fully unbuttoned and tight blue jeans.
"Oh boy. Here it comes," I remarked. Before I could say anything else, Genjyo left hooked Gojyo on the jaw hard enough to raise a bruise instantly.
"Ow! What the hell was that for?" Gojyo barked. "If you wanted to cut in, all you had to do was ask." Gojyo rubbed his jaw. The bruise was rapidly turning from bright red to to dark red to purple.
"I told you never to touch my..." Genjyo growled at Gojyo then trailed off as if he realized what he had almost said.
"Your what?" I snapped. I crossed my arms across my breasts and glared at Genjyo. I had just about had enough of being kept in the dark.
"Go on. Tell her," Gojyo sneered.
"My wife!" Genjyo snarled at him.
"That's right. Your wife. Maybe if you treated her more like your wife and not some expensive painting you hang on a wall...," Gojyo started to say. Genjyo's face flushed at Gojyo's words. Before Gojyo could finish the sentence, Genjyo raised his fist to punch him again.
"Knock it off," I hissed and slapped Genjyo across the cheek with the palm of my hand. "This is the stupidest thing I've ever seen."
By this time, Hakkai was headed across the dance floor to intervene. Fed up with Genjyo behaving like a junk yard dog snarling over a bone, I turned and stomped back to the table. I plopped down in my chair and put my elbows on the table with my face buried in my hands. I was so mad I wanted to cry. Grimmy shoved his head in my lap and whined. I looked down at the dog and scratched his ears. I wished I had some money of my own so I could go ask the bartender to call a cab for me.
"Oh. Fuck it!" I muttered. "Come on Grimmy. Let's go for a walk outside." We were halfway to the door when Genjyo caught up with us. He grabbed my shoulder and spun me around to face him.
"Don't you dare walk out on me," he snapped. Through his lowered lashes, his violet eyes sparkled like amethyst with a candle flame shining through it.
"Why didn't you guys tell me?" I asked through gritted teeth. He flinched and stared down at the floor. "Never mind. I'm out of here. Let's go, Grimmy." I shook Genjyo off and walked out of the bar. I did not care if Genjyo followed us.
Grimmy and I had already boarded the elevator when Genjyo grabbed the sliding door and shoved it open. He entered the elevator and punched the "close door" and the "halt elevator" buttons. Then he shoved me back against the elavator's wall. My legs turned to water. I grabbed his shirt to keep from falling. I was sure he was going to hit me. Instead, he twined my hair around his fingers and kissed me hard on the mouth - taking my breath away.
Notes and Comments Section
Act 16
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Act 18