Stranded in the Future

Chapter Seventeen: Invitations

"Bring Kumiko along?" Ichiro repeated back to Mrs. Konno. "Are you sure about that?"

"Why, yes." Mrs. Konno continued to smile in a genial manner. "She's your special girl, isn't she?"

"Yes, but she always returns home late from work. I don't know if she can come on the day you've mentioned."

"Oh, that won't be a problem. We'll move our meeting to another date if she can't make it."

Ichiro felt reluctant to accept the invitation when he remembered what had once happened to Kumiko after drinking wine. She'd become unusually amorous and foxlike in behavior, prompting him to usher her out of the inn before others could realize what was happening.

Of course, he'd had the advantage of understanding his surroundings back then. If something similar were to happen now, he would be even more helpless than his wife as her secret was revealed to the public.

He met eyes with Mrs. Konno and tried to decline her invitation as gracefully as possible. "I appreciate your consideration, but I must speak with Kumiko first. I'll seek you out when I have an answer."

Mrs. Konno appeared crestfallen by his response. "Is that so? Well, take your time. I only want to get to know you better."

The door to apartment one clicked shut, and Ichiro felt a sense of victory while turning to observe Futoshi's reaction. Unfortunately, the old man did not look pleased at all.

"Why did you say that? A chance was staring you right in the face."

"Because Kumiko is a busy woman," Ichiro defended. "I can't simply add to her burdens like that."

Futoshi did not let his frown falter. "What are you on about? I know her just as well as you do, and what she needs most is a chance to have fun and let loose."

Ichiro fired back despite barely understanding the old man's words. "Yes, but drinking isn't the way to achieve that. Sake makes her unruly."

"You know what?" Futoshi refused to relent. "It's been four hundred years, so maybe her alcohol tolerance has improved. You can't be sure until you ask."

Ichiro hated to admit that Futoshi was right, but he didn't have much of a choice. "Fine, I'll approach her tonight for an answer. Does that make you happy?"

Futoshi shrugged. "I don't know. Are you?"

"What?"

"Never mind, let's just move on to Mr. Suzuki."

"So, we aren't finished here?" Ichiro asked. He had hoped that speaking with Mrs. Konno would be enough trouble for the day, but this was evidently not the case.

"No way. One reference just won't cut it."

Once again, Futoshi was using a phrase Ichiro had never heard before. He decided to express his lack of understanding. "I'm sorry. What does that mean?"

"I'm saying that Mrs. Konno won't be enough to get the word out. We'll need a few more."

Ichiro sighed and gave up. "All right. I'll do what must be done. Please lead the way."

******

Any hopes of Mr. Suzuki being helpful were dashed when the eighty-year-old made a point of ignoring all of Ichiro's questions and coming up with his own about Kumiko's physical attributes.

"So, you are moving in with Miss. Takahashi. Tell me, is she as beautiful up close as she is from afar?" the elderly man asked in a creaky voice while tapping at the pieces of framed glass that covered his eyes.