Ink Portals

Celebrations are in order

18

As night fell over the facades of the Yakuza penthouse, towering high over the city, Chong's chefs paraded from the kitchen with platters of sushi, accompanied by bottles of the finest liquors. The sheer volume of food and drink took up nearly all the space on the large dining room table.

Chong toasted Arthur and everyone raised their glasses to the man of the moment, and Arthur had to admit; it felt good, he liked the praise and attention, but he also felt guilty for taking the credit when he knew it was Pierre who deserved the glory for his achievement. Arthur looked around the table and noticed Pierre hadn't returned from his outing.

The twins sat next to one another and ate with lady-like modesty; the Panda on the other hand, wasted no time stuffing his wide face (using his good hand) and washing it down with gulps of beer. Even Jack was much more relaxed after indulging in a bit of alcohol.

With everyone's meals coming to a satisfying end the servants started bustling around in the background, going to work on clearing the table. Chong belched loudly then clapped his hands, summoning half a dozen Japanese escorts, patiently waiting in the wings, wearing only thongs and high heels. Abby shifted her chair close to Arthur's and put her hand on his knee, sending a clear signal to the girls that he was off limits.

The party went into full swing when two of the escorts climbed onto the table and started dancing seductively to the beat of the electronic music. Chong had two girls on his lap, whispering in his ears while their hands wandered below his belt. The twins stood up and politely excused themselves from the table. The sumo took his pick of the girls and promptly disappeared into a back room, with a bottle of scotch tucked under his good arm.

"I'm gonna go to bed," Arthur said, leaning in close to Jack's ear and raising his voice over the music.

Jack nodded and took another swig from his glass. One of the escorts sauntered by and sat down on Jack's knee, draping her arm around his neck.

"What can I say," Jack said, a little embarrassed. "I'm a single man, unlike you. See ya tomorrow, kid."

Arthur and Abby got up from the table and thanked Chong for his hospitality. His face was half-buried in a pair of breasts at that point. Then they made their way to Arthur's room and shut the door behind them.

"Crazy party, huh?" Arthur said.

"A bit too crazy for my taste," Abby said.

There was a knock at the door.

"I swear, if it's one of those hookers I'm gonna-" Abby said, opening the door to find Hiroko and Mei in the doorway.

"If you would still like to see Tokyo after dark, our offer still stands," Mei said with a mischievous smile. "Don't worry, Jack has retired to his room for the night. We will be back before dawn."

Arthur glanced at Abby.

"Well," Abby shrugged, "when are we ever going to be in Japan again?"

Arthur and Abby snuck out down the hall, following the twins. Chong was the only one left in the dining hall with the prostitutes, but he seemed to be enjoying himself. Arthur spotted three girls now dancing on the table; one of them was taking off her thong, while another pulled out a plastic tube of ping-pong balls from her handbag.

The twins ushered Arthur and Abby past the dining area, keeping hidden in the broad shadows cast by the pillars. Further down the hallway they entered through a wide, wooden door into a dark loft that overlooked the city skyline.

Hiroko flicked on the lights, illuminating floor-to-ceiling windows which offered a breathtaking, panoramic view of Tokyo at night. The open-plan room was basically a large apartment on its own, separate from the rest of the penthouse. It had equally high ceilings, housing a two-floor living space and a kitchen area.