The Little Teashop in Tokyo by Julie Caplin Page 0,54
one of the family.
‘Even so,’ said Fiona, doing her best to tamp down the fizz of excitement dancing low in her stomach, ‘I can’t come with you.’
‘I’m staying at the Four Seasons in Kyoto. I can arrange another room easily.’
Mayu muttered under her breath, very disgruntled. It didn’t take much to imagine that the words ‘it’s not fair’ had been voiced. Setsuko placed a placating hand on her daughter’s forearm and Mayu lapsed into sulky silence, shooting her grandmother a glowering death stare.
‘Maybe you could take me to this Robot Restaurant when I’m back,’ suggested Fiona. ‘I could take some shots of you there, maybe in your blue wig.’
‘Cool. You’re gonna love it. We could get you a costume too.’ She eyed Fiona a little sceptically. ‘My friend is tall but she’s not as tall as you. She has a Princess Gothic outfit.’
From the corner of her eye, Fiona saw both Haruka and Setsuko quash almost identical shudders of horror.
‘The restaurant sounds perfect, although I’m not sure about the dressing up,’ said Fiona, wondering what on earth she’d let herself in for.
‘Rather you than me,’ said Gabe, pulling a yeugh face at Mayu, who stuck her tongue out at him. ‘Your eyeballs will be burnt out.’
Mayu contented herself with yet another roll of her eyes and went back to her phone, busy tapping out a text with one hand while using her chopsticks with consummate ease to select another piece of sushi which Gabe equally deftly wrestled away from her.
In seconds he was teasing her again while she laughed and complained to her mother and Haruka looked on with fond indulgence.
Chapter 13
‘Now at least I feel like a proper photographer’s assistant,’ said Fiona attempting to sound cheery as she picked up one of the black cases and followed Gabe with his little portable trolley down to the platform. She’d had four messages from her mother already this morning. It was going to be a long journey if she continued in the same vein, which Fiona had a horrible feeling she would.
‘Don’t get carried away. I don’t need an assistant. I prefer working alone.’ Although Gabe said this with a smile, there was an uncompromising firmness to his words as he set off across the hexagonal concourse following the signs to the Kyoto line.
‘Don’t worry,’ said Fiona with a quick roll of her eyes, ‘I know the great Gabe Burnett is according me a huge honour.’
‘And don’t you forget it,’ he threw over his shoulder, this time the tone a little lighter, as he weaved through the station which buzzed with people all intent on getting to where they needed to be.
A few steps along, he stopped at one of the many kiosks.
‘We might as well get lunch here and eat early on the train. We’ll need to go straight to the hotel when we get to Kyoto. I’ll get us a couple of bento boxes.’
Fiona nodded even though he’d turned his back on her and was talking to the young man behind the counter.
‘Fancy a Kit-Kat?’
‘Yes,’ said Fiona, startled by the question. She’d got used to everything being very Japanese.
Gabe’s face held a hint of mischief. ‘What flavour would you like?’
‘Sorry?’
He nodded towards a display on the front shelf of the kiosk. Fiona stared at the familiar, and yet totally unfamiliar, display of at least ten different Kit-Kat bars. She could see the familiar logo but that was where all similarity with what she was used to parted company with what she saw. These bars were wrapped in colourful packaging – green, pale blue, pink, orange, black – but also featured pictures indicating different flavours. There were lemons, peaches, nuts, even cherry blossom on the front.
‘I don’t even know what they are.’
‘Kit-Kat Matcha is green-tea flavour, Kit-Kat Tirol is apple flavour, Kit-Kat Sakura is green-tea and cherry blossom. Then there’s salt and caramel, soy sauce, wasabi.’
‘Soy?’ She pulled a yeuch face in disbelief. ‘You’re having me on.’
‘I’m not.’ He picked up a bar with purple and cream packaging which had a little bottle of soy sauce pictured in the left-hand corner and then nudged the bright green wasabi flavour with his thumb.
‘No, that’s so wrong! Although I guess I could be enticed by the salt and caramel. That sounds good.’ But she was hesitant. ‘But I’m not sure they needed to mess with a good thing.’
‘It’s a case of what you’re used to, but I have to confess I still prefer the classic. Want to try the salt and caramel?’