be Damien liked Distraction more than he admitted?
“Mr. Kehoe is right. You guys are going to slay the audience at the christening and at Mr. Yoshida’s birthday party.”
“Do you really think Aomori will like us?” Izanagi asked.
“Yes,” Cristal answered.
“Good. I can’t wait to meet them. They’re my idols.”
The other two nodded.
Hmm , Cristal thought. She came up with a fantastic publicity plan. She could design a poster featuring both groups. This would certainly boost Distraction’s popularity.
“I can’t wait to see the farmhouse,” Izanagi continued. “I’ve heard so much about it.” He paused. “Is it true that you used to live there?” he asked Cristal.
“Yes, but I moved out a several weeks ago.”
“Why?” he asked bravely.
“Because I needed my own space,” Cristal answered.
Kioshi smirked smugly at her. “What? Couldn’t you handle Aomori?”
The young man was a prime candidate for a spanking. “Yes, I could handle them quite well, but Mr. Yoshida and his wife just became proud parents of twins, and they don’t need any more noise in the house.”
“I heard she doesn’t live there anymore,” Kioshi said.
Cristal gawked. Where did these monsters get their information? Shaundra and Ichiro’s split had not been publicly announced. “That’s just a temporary situation,” she assured him.
“Is it true Ichiro is married to an older woman?” Kioshi asked, still staring into her eyes.
“Yes,” Cristal answered.
“See, I told you,” he said to the other two.
“Don’t spread gossip,” Cristal told him in Japanese. “It’s not nice.”
Kioshi glared at her but did not respond. The look he gave her spoke volumes.
Maybe a whipping was too good for him. He needed an attitude adjustment. She sighed. He had idol written all over him. Soon, his name would be a household word and girls would be fighting each other just to get one his arrogant smiles bestowed on her. “We will be leaving for Kagawa at six on Friday morning. Make sure you’re on time.”
“I don’t do mornings,” Kioshi said.
Cristal rolled her eyes at him. “You’ll be up, dressed, and ready to leave at six, or I’ll personally come to your dorm room and pull you out the bed.”
“You might not want to do that,” he challenged. “I sleep in the nude.”
The other two boys nodded that he spoke the truth.
Cristal’s face flushed. Am I blushing? Oh my gawd, an eighteen-year-old has me blushing .
Damien’s hand left her shoulder.
Damn, she was in deep trouble.
Chapter Four
“Man, the moon’s still out,” Takumijo complained as Aomori packed the van for the trip to Kagawa. They decided to take the limo van instead of multiple SUVs so they could ride in comfort.
Kenshin checked the oil and then lowered the hood. “We want to start early to get around traffic,” he said.
“And it’s not that early,” Yori added. Amaya’s mother wasn’t feeling well, so Amaya opted out of the trip to be with her. So Yori decided to grace them with his presence.
Ichiro and Satoshi came out carrying zippered suit bags containing their christening outfits and stage costumes. They hung the bags in the back of the van so they wouldn’t obscure Kenshin’s vision while he drove.
Takumijo helped Amaterasu into the van to get her out of the bitter cold. Satoshi helped by loading her suitcase in the back by theirs, but kept it close enough in case she needed anything. She’d be the lone female on the trip since Cristal had other plans to get there. It felt strange to be the one with a date. He didn’t mind as much now that he had time to get comfortable with the idea of her accompanying him.
Yori went back into the farmhouse to secure the place while the rest of them climbed inside the van. He joined them about five minutes later. Ichiro and Satoshi sat to the back to play cards and to get comfortable. “Let’s go,” he said.
Kenshin started the engine once everyone had fastened
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