The Tutor

Chapter 1: Revulsion at First Sight

Sumire came upon the end of the winding road abruptly and hit the brakes, hard enough to lock up her seat belt and nearly strangling herself. She stared at the white fencing that indicated the end of the paved road for a moment before putting her little Honda in reverse and making a three point turn to get out of the tight spot and turn around. She must have missed the address.

Fuck.

She knew this section of Bel Air was full of hidden driveways and twisting lanes, but she thought she'd been paying careful attention. Once again, she looked carefully at every sign, and this time she saw it, nearly hidden in the dense foliage that grew right up to the edge of the street. She made the turn and followed the narrow, winding drive for nearly half a mile up the hill until it widened out, offering a spectacular view of the LA basin, all way out to Santa Monica and the Pacific.

Wow.

The April sun hit her in a blast as soon as she got out of the car, and she could feel herself beginning to perspire before she even got to the door. This irritated her, and she briefly contemplated taking off her sweater, but decided against it.

There were a lot of cars scattered around in front of the house, considering it was a Tuesday morning, and she wondered if something else was going on.

Sumire rang the bell, and heard expensive chimes echoing inside the house. She waited a minute, but no one came. She checked her phone calendar to confirm the time and date, and resolutely pushed the bell again.

🌴☀️🌴☀️🌴☀️🌴☀️🌴☀️🌴☀️🌴

"I'm coming! Jesus!"

Nick groaned as he zipped up his pants and flushed the toilet. He looked at himself in the mirror, decided he would do, and loped down the stairs while making a half- hearted pass at his unruly hair with his hand. He debated making a quick detour through the kitchen for some aspirin and a glass of water, but the bell rang again, and he decided against it.

He had to go through the living room on his way to the front door, and he passed two people playing video games, and two guys passed out on the sofas.

"Thanks for getting the door, guys," he remarked, shaking his head.

"Dude, I thought that was a TV or something," one of the game players answered without turning his head.

"Whatever," Nick replied.

He opened the door, squinting as the bright light from outside hit him. He held up a hand, trying to see who was standing on the threshold.

They stood and stared at each other for a moment.

"May I help you?" Nick finally asked, blinking in the light. He could tell the person was female, and that was about it.

"Um, I'm the tutor?" she said. " Your manager hired me? Martin Stabler? To teach you Japanese?"

"Oh, shit, yeah," Nick murmured, nodding as comprehension washed over him. Was that today? He opened the door wider. "Yeah," he said again. "Come in, come in."

She stepped in and Nick closed the door behind her, engulfing the entry in near darkness once more. He quickly led the newcomer through the living room, where, as far as he could tell, none of the four people had moved, and into the kitchen.

"Uh, have a seat, please," he said, gesturing at the kitchen table.

He saw how she gingerly stepped to the table, and noticed for the first time that the table top was littered with glasses, ashtrays, and bottles from the festivities the night before.