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“Oh,” she gasps upon seeing me.
“Yeah.” I shrug. “I’m incognito today.”
Kori stares at me harder before glancing around. “I’m not sure you’re pulling off incognito that well. Many people are staring.”
“Why wouldn’t they?” The farmer takes my hand in two of his. “She’s a beautiful woman. If I didn’t love my wife, I would make a move myself.” He winks and squeezes my hand before releasing me.
“Sir! I’m young enough to be your daughter.” I shake my head but can’t hide my smile from him.
He retrieves his phone. After swiping the surface a few times, he turns the screen toward me. “You may be too young for me, but not my son. I can have him here in ten minutes. Faster if you let me send him a picture of you. You are worth breaking a few speed limits and a confrontation with the cops.”
“That’s sweet of you to say, but?—”
The man hits his palm against his forehead with more enthusiasm than he should, leaving behind the echo of a loud smack and a reddened palm shape on his skin. “Oomph. Let me guess. You have someone already.”
A lump lodges itself in my throat making it impossible to refute his assertion, despite him being wrong. What I have is a business deal. An image of Shinji in Takeshi’s arms pops into my head. They have each other and I have no business wondering what it would be like if I could get a piece of what they share.
“For breaking my heart, you must now?—”
“How about this?” Kori sidles beside me, her hands full of containers. “Besides my usual order of produce, we’ll buy a few of your pre-packaged sides.” She hands the packages to Sylas.
He bags the items and sends us off with a reminder to look for him next week.
Kori hands me the bag of food. “These will go great with a French dip sandwich. Follow me.”
She leads me to a busy food stall with a long line of people. Instead of joining the line, she waves to a woman who beckons us toward the back. Once hidden from the crowd, she hands us a bag. “Today’s your lucky day. I made a seafood French dip and saved you one. Give me your feedback once you’ve tried it. I threw in your favorite roasted jerk pork dip, too.”
Kori holds the bag to her chest. “When will you leave your husband and run away with me?”
“Girl, if I thought you were serious, do you think my husband would stand a chance against your oxtail stew? Now get before he puts you on grill duty.” The woman shoos us aside.
Before we walk away, she whispers something to the woman. In less than three minutes, she hands Kori another bag and we set off in search of a place to eat.
Although Kori keeps up a vibrant one-sided conversation, my mind keeps replaying the two interactions I’ve had with her so far, leaving me dumbfounded by the drastic differences in her behavior. Who is the real Kori?
She leads me to an area much like a food court. Benches and tables go through a fast rotation of occupants as people eat to recharge for more shopping. We find a free spot without trash on the table.
“Dig in.” Before Kori settles down, she takes the second bag from the French dip spot and hands it to Riu.
Shame and guilt fill me for not thinking of him and his team. I’m not used to having someone around me for long periods, let alone people who put me before their bodily needs. Kori’s actions are a stark reminder to be more aware of the people looking after me.
I dip my half of the seafood sandwich into a buttery, lemony broth and take my first bite. I barely restrain myself from showing my appreciation the way I did at Katsuo’s house, understanding why the sandwich stall is a favorite. I’ll have to go back and check how often they’re a vendor here.
The air shifts around me but I barely notice, halfway through my dip and the vegetables roasted with Indian spices.
“It looks like you’re enjoying the meal.” Kori unwraps her sandwich but doesn’t make a move to bite into it.
Curious about her hesitation, I put down my meal and wipe my hands. “I am, but I get the sense you didn’t treat me out of the goodness of your heart.”
“Not true. I love feeding people and introducing them to great food, even if I’m not the one who prepares it.” She glances to the side before meeting my eyes. “I just thought… how could it hurt to do something I like to do and…” She averts her gaze again by staring at her food. “Pick your brain at the same time?”
I peer at her more closely, intrigued by this side of her personality. She reminds me more of the person who sat beside me at Katsuo’s table. “Before I give advice, I need to know who I’m talking to. Why are you so different from our first meeting?”
She raises her face, a crinkle of confusion creasing her forehead before it melts away as awareness enters her eyes. ”You’re asking because I was more reserved the other day?”
I nod without adding how her behavior was more than simple reservation.
“I can’t seem to help it whenever Mr. Kimura drops in for lunch.” Kori leans closer and whispers, “He’s very intimidating. I never know when he’s going to show until he’s just there expecting to be fed. I’ve worked for Katsuo for years and he doesn’t spare the compliments, yet I can’t tell if Mr. Kimura enjoys my food. He’s so frustrating!”
