Chapter Thirteen (Lucky Thirteen!)

Moe had been surprised to come home and find Naoki at her house the other day. She was even more surprised when he did not go home to Mai. Kaede had been unusually with drawn. Normally she had a good relationship with her daughter. Moe believed Naoki was a good man, and she admired him. He was always good to her, and good to her daughter. She had met Akane and Mai at many functions and understood why Naoki had been looking outside for fulfilment in a relationship. Moe was convinced she was providing that for Naoki. It was time she made her move. She would talk to Kaede about having Naoki move in permanently. She could think of no better move than to help Naoki leave Mai and have him move in with her. It would offer Naoki with a permanent solution to his impasse. It would also mean that Moe would now possess the man she admired most in the world. It might mean a small fight, but Moe had what Naoki needed, and Mai had nothing to offer Naoki. Moe was convinced it was the right move. Moe called to Kaede. 'Hai, Haha,' Kaede said as she entered the room. 'Haha' being what she called her mother. 'Kaede, what would you think if I asked Naoki to move in with us permanently?' Moe asked. Kaede face became shocked. This was unexpected. She had long tried to find the right moment to make her move on Naoki. Though he was in his early thirties, and she seventeen, she considered him the man she wanted. Now, her mother was going to have him in the house. It was going to be strange. In one way, it would be more dangerous. She would be closer to him almost every night. It would make him easier to be with and more accessible, but she also felt that somehow, it would become easier to be caught. Moe reacted to her silence. 'Kaede? Are you alright? What do you think?' 'Oh, it was just unexpected Haha. I had not given it a thought before. It is a little bit of a shock. We have never had a man in the house before. Not all the time.' 'Well get used to it. I am going to ask Naoki to move in. He doesn't love Mai. He doesn't even like her. He loves me.' 'He has told you that?' 'He doesn't have to. I know him. Why do you think he stayed over the other night?' Kaede didn't have the heart to tell her mother that it was simply because Moe had come home a little early. Naoki and Kaede were still having sex in her bedroom. They had heard Moe drive into the drive way. Naoki had quickly grabbed his clothing and raced into Moe's bedroom. He quickly arranged the room so it looked like he was waiting for her. Moe had seen his car in the driveway so she knew he was there. It was very unusual. She could only surmise that she was winning the unspoken battle against Mai. Naoki was slowly succumbing to her charms and was ready to leave Mai. Moe had won. 'If that is what you want, Haha,' Kaede said. 'You do not sound like you approve of this,' Moe turned her head slightly to get a better gauge of Kaede's reaction. 'It is fine, Haha,' Kaede lied adding a smile. She could not let her mother know what had happened the other night. Maybe she needed to forget about Naoki. After all, her mother deserved happiness too. There would be other men. Still, there was a part of Kaede that did not want to let go of Naoki. She did not want to hurt her mother either. Her mother had fought a long hard battle to get to where she is today. She had fought against the prejudice of being a woman in a mans world to get to a management position. Japan was still recalcitrant in many ways, and a woman in Moe's position was still very rare. She had earned every promotion, every pay rise and every ounce of respect that she received. How could Kaede now take away the one thing Moe had always lacked, the man that she loved. 'It is a good idea I think,' Kaede added. She smiled even more broadly now, so that her mother would not suspect anything. Kaede had decided, in the battle for Naoki's affections, she would permanently withdraw. Her night with Naoki was a mistake and it would never happen again. Moe picked up the telephone and dialed. Mai answered at the other end. Moe put on her most business like voice and asked to speak to Naoki. Mai wanted to know why. It was late. 'Business,' was all Moe said. Naoki took the telephone from Mai. Moe told him to come over immediately. Naoki was a little surprised. Maybe Kaede had told Moe about their affair. Was it possible Moe was going to chew him out and fire him. 'What did that whore want, Naoki?' Mai asked as he put the telephone down. 'I think I made a big mistake,' Naoki said in honest embarrassment. 'I think I am about to lose my job.' 'Baka! You sleep with that whore! She wouldn't fire you even if you did make a mistake.' 'Maybe. It depends on how she takes it. I better go.' Naoki put on his shoes and was out the door as quickly as he could. He was in fear all the way over to Moe's house. He went through apology after apology in his head. How could he explain to his mistress that he had slept with her daughter? He was perplexed. On the one hand, Akane knew he had not returned home. he could lose Mai. Now, if Kaede had told Moe about them, then he could lose his job and Moe. If Mai found out about Kaede, maybe he would lose her too. Where would this leave him? He would be without a job, without a lover and without a home. In a few easy steps, he could lose the lot. He had to decide on a car to buy Akane soon, something to keep her mouth shut. Maybe he needed to buy Kaede one too. Two cars! How could he afford that? The worry was getting to him. The night he stayed at Moe's house, he could not sleep. He lay awake worrying the entire time. He was not burning the candle at both ends with all these relationships. It was more complex. It was like he was taking a blow torch to the candle and hoping the wax would stay in tact! Now, it was all going to come undone. The candle was going to be non-existent and he was going to be ... where? Out on the street? No home, no job. Where to go from here? Maybe he could drive his car off the road and into a ditch, hoping it might end his misery then and there. They could all discover his deeds after he was gone. It was bad to speak ill of the dead. They would all turn up to his funeral and say such nice things. Deep inside they would know he had been up to no good. Or maybe they would be in such a state that they all just keep quite to hide their own sins. Then again, he reasoned. Moe has not said anything to even hint that she knows about Kaede and him. Maybe she does not know. Maybe he was going to be offered a promotion. No, there were no promotions. He would have heard if there was a possibility of a promotion. Maybe she just wanted him to sleep over again. After all, it was very unusual that he would sleep over normally. Maybe she liked the experience and wanted to have him again. Not just for a casual liaison this time, but for the entire night. How would he explain that to Mai? Akane would then tell Mai about the other night. His marriage would be over if he stopped going home. He was confused. He was not even sure what he wanted. In one way, if he and Kaede had been discovered, it would be a great weight off his shoulders. In another way, he would be ruined. Then again, Kaede was a good girl. She would not tell. What of Akane then? Akane and Kaede went to the same school. What if Kaede bragged about it to Akane? Akane would then know the real reason he had not come home that night. Akane could tell Mai, Mai would tell Moe, and his life was ruined. How had his life become so complex? He had never imagines life would become so hard. He turned the wheel and was in Moe's driveway. He switched off the engine and waited a little. He could still drive home. He could call Moe on the car phone and just ask her what she really wanted. If she was going to fire him, she could do it over the telephone. Then again, maybe he was making mountains out of molehills. There was only one thing he could do. He had to go into the house. He had to find out whether he was facing the music or if she just wanted him for that night. He got out of the car and straightened himself. If it was going to be trouble, there was no way out, there was only through.