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Many thanks to everyone who's taken this crazy rock n' roll journey with Kei, Eva and the guys from Dominion's End.




Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


Chapter Ten


 


            As much as I would have liked to, hiding upstairs in the workroom just wasn’t practical.  Needs like food, sleep and of course Mother Nature prohibited me from becoming a hermit.  It also seemed stupid somehow—me, a grown woman—hiding from an attractive man with a penchant for control games. 


            Most of the time, Kei left me to my own devices, and through osmosis I learned about the not-so-glamorous side of the music industry, especially when it came to execs who cared more about the bottom line rather than the quality of the product or those who produced  it.  That had been one of the primary reasons Dominion’s End started their own label several years ago.  Thankfully they had their manager Tsuchiya, who knew when to manage his unruly brood and when the hell to get out of their way.  There were also the standard interviews, tour scheduling meetings, rehearsals and other aspects of what was not exactly rock and roll fantasy. 


            Other days he’d pop in, find himself a chair and watch me work.  Those times I kept my back to him, but I could feel those rich, dark eyes of his like fingers trailing up and down my skin.


            “Don’t you have something else better to do?”  I glared at him over my shoulder as I ripped the side seam from one of the pairs of tuxedo pants I’d purchased.  “Isn’t there some musical thing you could be doing?”


            “Is there a reason you’re trying to throw me out of a room that just so happens to be in my house,” was Kei’s amused reply as if he knew his presence disconcerted me.  “I just like watching you at work, and I like your taste in music as well.”


            My stupid-assed MP3 player just so happened to be stuck on their album ‘Stratospheres’ and though I was inclined to grab the damn thing and shuffle my playlist, that would have meant my having to see him and then walk by him, since the player was on the table beside him.


            I shrugged irritably as I practically sliced through the black threads.  “Fine, whatever.  There’s really not much to see.”


            The chair creaked and for a hopeful moment I thought Kei was going to get up, grab me and finally do the right thing—as far as I was concerned.  No such luck as I didn’t feel any strong arms around me or his lips against the nape of my neck.


            “Were you this maddeningly practical with every man you dated?”


            I dropped the seam ripper and wheeled around.  “I’m not going to apologize for that.  I have one passion in this life, Kei Matsuya and it’s making clothes.  Your passion is your music and you’ve never let anything get in the way.”


            His look was challenging. “Yeah but I also know that passion doesn’t have to be limited to one thing.  Besides, why are you so damn scared of what I’m asking for?”      


            “So you mean to tell me every groupie you fucked had to damn near be in love with you before you fucked them?  For some strange reason, I’m just not buying that.”


            Kei shot up so fast from the chair that it fell backwards as he jammed his fingers angrily into his hair.  Our eyes met in fierce debate and I was on the cusp of losing. “Fine, so I wasn’t a goddamn choirboy, but there got to be a time where it was all the same and honestly Eva, I couldn’t tell one hole from the next.  Is that what you want of me, or of yourself?”


            Kei didn’t raise his voice, but the fine hairs at the nape of my neck still stood up on end.  He was winning this argument and the competitor inside of me wasn’t about to allow that to happen.


            I stood up and folded my arms in front of my chest.  “I really don’t give a shit if you think of me as another hole or whatever.  I care about me, about AlterEva Designs and I care about doing the best work possible and what’s going on between us is getting in the way of that and fuck it, I want it gone!” 


            Kei just shook his head incredulously.  “I swear to god I’ve never met a woman as insane as you.  If I had any sense, I’d have already fucked you six ways and sideways, but for some reason, I just can’t.”


            “Maybe you need some Viagra,” I muttered as he flipped me off.  I flipped him off double and said, “Haven’t we had this conversation before?  You’re all talk and no action.  Now, if you don’t mind I’d like to get back to work.  Isn’t that what you’re paying me for?”


***


            I continued working, wondering if I needed Kat’s advice, then I realized no I didn’t.  Kat would only tell me to open my heart and let the naughty boy of prog metal inside.  She was such a happily-ever-after kind of person, whereas I was far more practical.  If I told her everything that had gone on between Kei and myself, she’d have been writing out invitations and helping me pick out a black leather wedding dress.


            “Fuck it,” I said out loud as I began stitching pieces of leather into the leg seam of the pants I’d ripped.  “Just fuck everything!”


            And right then, everything started fucking up.  The power went out in the middle of a backstitch and what had been the soothing strains of Dead Can Dance somehow ended up sounding more like Dimmu Borgir (and I didn’t have any of their stuff on my MP3 player).  The ambient temperature which had been pleasant with the bright afternoon sun filling the room, dropped instantly to freezing and my breath froze in front of my face.  My hands shook.


            I didn’t need all that to know Shane was making an appearance and I peeked over my shoulder to see his faint outline shimmering behind me.


            Once materialized, his eternally youthful if melancholy eyes stared back at me and fixed me with a wan smile.  His lips moved but I could not hear a word.  He just stood there, looking at me, looking around the room.  This time I didn’t faint and as he moved closer on silent feet that left no trace on the carpet, I didn’t flinch as he laid a ghostly hand upon my shoulder.  His spectral touch was as cold as it had been the first time I’d reached out to touch him.  I had no idea why he touched me, but there was the odd sense that Shane trusted me which made no sense at all.


            The entire encounter lasted a moment in a lifetime and then he was gone.  He’d left something behind. 


            My fingers glistened with tears and they were not mine.


            “Kei!”


***


            I reached the bottom of the stairs in a breathless rush when I heard raised voices coming from the living room.


            “Once again you tarnish the family reputation with your behavior.” The stern voice was as hard and unflinching as iron. “You’ve had plenty of time to act out and now it’s time for you to grow up.”


            It was none of my business, but after the experience with Shane, I needed Kei.  I needed to tell him and for him to make it better somehow.  He’d lived with the ghost all these years; he obviously had some kind of coping mechanism.


            I walked right smack into the middle of an epic battle of wills that easily rivaled the one I was having with Kei.  Kei caught my eyes and instantly knew what had happened. 


            “You okay?”


            I nodded.  “I’m sorry to interrupt.  We can talk later.”


            Cold, almost soulless eyes bore into me.  “And you are?”


            I’d seen pictures on the web about Kei’s father Ryo Matsuya, the founder and CEO of Matsuya Industries, one of the largest medical technology firms in the country.  Much like his son nothing prepared me for the flesh and blood human being (though I wasn’t quite sure about the flesh and blood part).  For a man in his mid-sixties he had the look of someone who took very good care of himself and could afford to do so.  There was no thickening around the middle; his shoulders were broad and well-defined.  I could see Kei’s features in his face and both shared that same arrogance.  The difference was the perpetual sneer that must have been tattooed on the older man’s face.


            The suit he wore was tasteful and tastefully expensive, but Ryo Matsuya was the kind of man who wore wealth and power as stylishly and as naturally as he wore obviously hand-tailored suits.  Savile Row must have loved seeing him.


            Good manners dictated that I offer my hand in greeting, but from the look the man gave me, I had the feeling that he wasn’t inclined to be nice.  There was not even the merest attempt at kindness nor warmth. 


            Before I could say anything, Kei strode right over to where I stood, put his arm around me and boldly pronounced, “This is Eva Vincent, the band’s new costume designer and my woman.”


Not even a flicker of acknowledgement from the older man, whose coal-black eyes gave me a scathing once-over.


“Your taste in women seems to grow worse and worse,” The elder Matsuya sneered, the look of distaste quite apparent.  His attitude was beginning to cut through Shane’s ghost having made another appearance and I balled my fists tightly.  “Then again, she is at least one step above that porn star you lacked any shame to be seen with.  Not by much, however,” he added pointedly.


That was it.   I’d been taught from childhood to show respect to one’s elders, but in some cases that respect needed to be earned.  I stood tall, extricated myself from Kei’s embrace.  I’d deal with him later.  “Excuse me, Mr. Matsuya.  You don’t know me nor do you know anything about me so it would be nice if you kept your ignorant opinions to yourself.”


            Kei’s arms were like tentacles; he wouldn’t let me get away that easy, or perhaps we were presenting a united front.  Either way, I was back by his side, glaring defiantly at his father.


            “If you don’t like it old man, all you have to do is disown me,” Kei taunted as he pulled me closer still.  “After all, you’ve been threatening to do that for the past twenty years.”


            “If your mother had given me another son, it would be no idle threat, Akihiko.”


            “But she didn’t, so you’re stuck with me and I want no part of your business.  Besides, look at me father.  I’m successful and I’m rich and I did it all in spite of you.  I’m sure that just frosts your nuts.”


            That was an understatement as the room went cold again, an icy wind blew from someplace it shouldn’t have and as I looked out of the windows, the panes had frosted over.  Shane hadn’t materialized, but he was most definitely in here.


            Kei’s father was not pleased.  “What the hell is going on?”


            The look on Kei’s face was priceless.  “Oh nothing really.  It’s just Shane and I don’t think he likes you.”


            I saw Ryo Matsuda flinch as if something—or someone—had touched him.  The icy veneer he’d presented to the world looked as if it had cracked just a little.  That was interesting, but as soon as it happened, he seemed to regain that arrogance once more. 


            With a dismissive wave of his hand he said, “I am not inclined to believe in your ghost nonsense.  I see that once again there is no making you see reason.”


            “I’m an artist, Father.  Reason has nothing to do with it.  Now get the hell out of my house!”


            His father pointed an ominous finger at his chest.  “This is not over by any means.”


***


            “Your dad certainly knows how to put the ‘fun’ in ‘dysfunctional’,” I said to Kei as we ate a sinful wood-brick pizza at the breakfast nook.  The three cheeses were so gooey that I could have played jump rope with them and the four kinds of Italian meats would have tempted even the most hardcore of vegetarians.  If I stayed any longer at Shadowside, I’d be as fat as a house.


            Oh well.


            The tension between us thankfully was muted, probably having to do with the appearance of Ryo Matsuya, but it was still there like a steady hum in the air.  I wasn’t steps away from jumping Kei’s bones, but I wasn’t adverse to him hopefully doing just that either.  I also wanted to know what the hell possessed him to tell his father I was his woman?


            Kei absently sipped his wine, his hands flexed as if wanting to choke the shit out of something.


            Or someone.


            “Any sane parent would actually be proud of a child who became successful living their dreams.”  Kei tipped his glass, downed the wine in one swallow then poured himself another.  “Then again, my father isn’t sane.”


            “If he knows you’re not interested in the company, why does he keep hassling you about it?”


            “Because my asshole of a father is used to having everyone obey him without question.”


            I took another bite of pizza and swallowed.  “What about your mother?”


            Kei’s lips drew into a thin line.  “She can only do so much.  The first time she came to see me perform was the last time.”


            There was nothing to say to that, so I continued eating though my heart really wasn’t into it.  Kei was trying hard to be tough, but it was pretty obvious how much the indifference hurt, even after all these years.


            “What about your family, Eva?”


            The question didn’t surprise me.  I wiped my hands on a linen napkin, poured myself another glass of wine and took a satisfying sip.


            “Trust me, they weren’t crazy about the whole designing thing at first.  I had several thousand dollars in student loans to pay back and even though I had a pretty decent job with some good money rolling in, the corporate world wasn’t my thing and I sure as hell wasn’t interested in real estate.  But once I found my bliss—you know, like what Joseph Campbell said—and I showed them my business plan and even had clients lined up, they slowly came around.  It was my dad’s idea that I use the loft as my workspace, but I decided to live there too.”


            Kei’s face was envious.  “It’s kind of pathetic, isn’t it?  I’m a grown man and yet I still want mommy and daddy’s approval.  That’s so not metal.”


            I placed my hand over his.  “It’s not pathetic at all.  But in the end, it’s really all about what makes you happy.  I feel kind of sorry for your dad.”


            “Don’t.  My bastard of a father thinks that money and power are what makes people happy,” Kei said darkly.  “I guess it makes him crazy to see I’m on his level and I didn’t have to sell out to do it.  I’m sure he wanted me to fail, especially after Shane died, but I was just too fucking driven.”


            “Kinda like him, right?”


            “Exactly.  Ironic, isn’t it?  Hey, do me a favor, Eva.”


            “Depends on what it is.”


            Kei fanned his fingers in front of me on the surface of the nook.  “Are you good at painting fingernails?”


            Well that was out of left field.  “You want me to paint your fingernails?”


            “Pretty please,” he wheedled overdramatically. “I even promise to behave myself.”


            I snorted.  “Well bully for you.  I can’t make that same promise.  But okay.”


            So there I was, sitting in Kei’s enormous kitchen, listening to Apocalyptica’s Inquisition Symphony while he presented those sexy, slender almost double-jointed fingers for me to polish.  Of course, the color he chose was black (duh) and the name fit him perfectly—Perversion.  As promised, Kei was the perfect gentleman.  I tried to come up with accidental ways to get those hands somewhere nice, like between my thighs.












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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.