Chapter ONE
1
Hollywood, CA
1999
The
applause was deafening as the last curtain call came ending the
month long run of Richard O’Brien, Rocky
Horror Picture Show. Sadie Banks followed the
rest of the crew backstage to the dressing rooms. She dropped a towel on the
ground and dropped down in a heap of sweat and exhilaration on the
floor beside her best friend and fellow dancer, Minako
Chouda.
“You got another show lined up yet?” Minako asks offering her a
bottle of water.
Accepting the water, Sadie answered, “Yes. Thank God. The next
production I’m working in will be in New York. It will be great to be home
for awhile. We pay
ridiculous rent on a place we hardly get to live in. What about you?” Sadie took a deep swallow of
water before setting it aside to release the strap across her instep
before she eased off the soft character dance heel and wiggled her
toes beneath the off black sheer stockings.
“I had a couple of promising auditions, but I’m
going to take some time off to spend with Mom.” Minako answered while
stuffing her carrier bag with personal
items.
“Are you going to
Japan?”
“No, Mom’s here.” Minako shook her head
smoothing her curtain of shimmering black hair behind her ears as
she leaned forward and shoved a makeup bag inside the larger
bag. “Well, not here in
Los Angeles, but in New York.
I want her to meet George.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” Sadie sighed. “She will love
George. Besides, your
father already approves.
I’m sure that will help things go
smoothly.”
“My father’s opinion probably doesn’t have as
much clout since they’ve divorced,” Minako murmured. “Mom is more of a
traditionalist. She was
born and raised in Japan, where my father is Japanese
American.”
“I can’t believe your folks
divorced after thirty years of marriage. They always seemed so
happy.”
“They were. They still are; just not
with each other,” she chuckled. “Growing up in the
household, it was no secret that theirs was an arranged marriage
between fathers who were best friends. After Subaru won that music
contest when he was sixteen and mom chose to accompany him to Osaka,
we knew it was pretty much over between our
parents.”
“Do you regret staying in New York with your
father?” Sadie
asked.
“No, I had aspirations of my own,” Minako shook
her head. “Besides,
Subaru is the baby of the family. There is a ten year
difference in our ages.
He needed Mom more than I did. She supported me all my life
and saw me through dance school in Paris. It was Subaru’s
turn.”
“Your older brother, Ichiro, has just always
been on his own, huh?”
“No, he had our grandparents to himself. Ichiro remained in Japan
with my mother’s parents,” Minako supplied. “He had a girl he loved and
wanted to someday marry.
He refused to leave her behind, so he
stayed.”
Sadie nodded and took another drink of
water. “Oh man, it will
be great to see Subaru again.
He’s all grown up now. He’s what, twenty
years old?”
“Yeah,” Minako picked up her water bottle and
sipped before saying, “Hopefully this time you don’t have to worry
about him walking on your heels and talking nonstop. What did you two have to
talk about anyway?”
“Mostly music and dancing,” Sadie
answered. “Even back
then he would pick up his guitar or sit at the piano and play such
beautifully composed music. Here was this eleven
year old kid, composing music like I’ve never heard and he was even
more skilled at fourteen when I saw him again. I can’t believe he’s wasting
it on that mediocre female vocalist Riya’s
band.”
Her expression thoughtful, Sadie said, “He sung
them with so much emotion.
He was singing about love and heartbreak like he’d been
through it a hundred times!
I often wondered where it was coming from. All that emotion, yet his
experiences were few.”
“Mother
says Subaru is an empath.” Minako explained. “He
unknowingly has the ability to feel another's true emotions to a point where he
relates to that person by sensing the true feelings that run deeper
than those portrayed on the surface. She believes these emotions
come out in the music he writes and in his playing in general.”
“I can believe that,” Sadie nodded.
“Well, whatever special talent my brother has,
it’s all going to making Riya Matsuda famous for she takes all the
credit for the music he writes. I personally think my
brother has a crush on her and she is taking full advantage of his
feelings for her.”
“If he is allowing her to take full credit for
his music, maybe it’s more than a crush,” Sadie said softly. The idea saddened her and
she wasn’t sure why.
“How does she feel about him?”
“I personally think she is just another
opportunist. She will
keep him dangling in her web until she no longer needs him, or she
finds someone else that can give her what she wants.” Minako’s voice was full of
mistrust.
Minako screwed the bottle top back on the
bottle of water and shoved it into her gym bag with the stuff she’d
cleaned out of her dressing room locker. “Maybe while he’s here, he
will talk to you about what’s going on in his private life.”
“Subaru isn’t a kid anymore. He definitely won’t be
interested in hanging out with me like he used to.” Picking up her carrier, she
eased her burning achy feet into a pair of soft-sole slippers. “I’m ready to go if you
are.”
Both the ladies headed out of the auditorium
waving and exchanging “goodbye” hugs with their fellow dance troupe
members of the show.
Some they knew they would be working with again soon, while
others they would never cross paths with again. Ending a long-run show
was always bittersweet. It was like losing members of
your family after every show went black.
“Hey, Sadie! Holdup a moment!”
Sadie slowed and turned at the sound of her
name. An easy smile
came to her lips. “Mr.
Horowitz, I didn’t know you were in Los
Angles.”
The
aging handsome man came forward in assured strides. His thinning light brown hair was swept back,
revealing a broad forehead. The most attractive thing
about him, Sadie thought as he halted in front of her, was his
arresting blue eyes and wide-toothed grin.
“Told
you to call me Marshal,” he corrected. He slid one hand in his
front trouser pocket and shifted most of his weight to one leg in a
nonchalant stance. “Are
you two ladies going to the wrap-up party at the Wiltern
Theatre
in Koreatown?” Marshal asked, briefly touching Sadie’s
hand.
She looked up into
his weathered lined face and felt awareness in the pit of her
stomach. His
unflinching sky blue eyes lingered on her although the question was
addressed to Minako and herself.
“Wouldn’t miss
it,” Minako said with a smirk.
Sadie gave her a
hard, warning look to be nice.
“Yeah, we’ll be there as soon as we go to the
hotel to shower and change,” Sadie replied in softer tones to
compensate for Mina’s rudeness. Marshal was a nice enough
man. He was making a
name for himself of being a A-1 director on the Broadway circuit and
was about to roll out his own production in which he offered her the
lead and the chance to stay at her home base of New York.. She was grateful that he
considered her for the role.
There weren’t too many shows on Broadway these days offering
leading roles to the Black female dancers regardless of how talented
they were.
“Great to hear; then I will see you there,”
Marshal winked at her.
“Uh, Mr. Horowitz, I wouldn’t have pegged you
for one to like Japanese Rock music,” Minako piped
in.
“Heh?” He cocked a bushy eyebrow in
question tearing his gaze from Sadie’s face to stare at Minako.
“My brother’s band is playing there
tonight. I think the
crowd may be a bit too young for your taste is all I’m
saying.”
“Minako,” Sadie elbowed her in the
arm.
“We’ll, I...” The cellular phone shrilled
at his hip. “Excuse me a moment ladies. I need to take this
call.” He started
speaking into the phone as he walked away.
“What’s with you, Mina? Why are you always so rude
to him?” Sadie asked in
hushed tones.
“I don’t like him,” Minako shrugged her narrow
shoulders. “I don’t
know why, he just...I don’t know. Don’t tell me you like
him.”
“He’s nice and he’s opening up some new doors
for me,” Sadie pointed out.
“Yeah, but what is he wanting in return?” Minako rolled her eyes,
cocked and crossed her arms over her breasts. “You are far from
naïve, so don’t even try and play. You know he’s trying to tap
your ass. I've slept
with enough of these creeps to know that and so have
you.”
“Would that be a bad thing?” Sadie eyed Marshal while he
stood unaware. He had a
nice body on him. So
what if he was older than she, losing his hair and not her usual
type? She had enough of
the musician types; maybe it would be best to try an older, more
distinguish entrepreneur with an understanding of the
business.
“Geeze, I know that look,” Minako shook her
head.
“What?
Shit, girl, it’s been awhile for me. At the very least, I can
consider it and knock the edge off,” she laughed
softly.
“Doing the Horizontal Mumbo with someone that
is going to be your boss; it’s not a good idea,
Sadie.”
“I haven’t done anything, have I? Either way, you need to be
nicer because Marshal has been nothing but nice to the both of us,
right?”
“I’ll do it for you, but I don’t like it, or
him,” Minako murmured and went quiet as Marshal closed his mobile
phone and approached them.
“My apologies ladies, but it seems as if I have
a business crisis I need to deal with and won’t be able to make the
party tonight.”
“Awe,
damn,” Minako crooned.
“That is too bad.”
Sadie’s smile slipped a bit but she avoided
looking at Minako who she was sure gloating big time about now. “I’m sorry to hear that
Marshal, maybe another time.”
“You can count on it,” Marshal looked into her
eyes and held them.
“How about I make it up to you over dinner? Call me when you return to
New York?”
“I’d like that,” Sadie
nodded.
“Err...you’re welcome to come too, Miss
Chouda,” Marshal turned to look at the fair woman standing at
Sadie’s side.
“Thank you, but I’m sure I will be
busy.”
“I’m sure you will be,” he said dryly. “Ladies, have a good
night.” Marshal nodded
and turned on his heels when his phone rang again and he immediately
answered the call.
Before Sadie could reprimand Minako about her
behavior again, she said, “I’m sorry. I just don’t like him,” and
sauntered over to the awaiting taxi cab.
Sadie shook her head and released a long sigh
as she caught up to her and slid in to slump comfortably into the
back seat of the taxi.
At least this one didn’t stink of stale cigarettes and piss
like the one they arrived in earlier.
“I wouldn’t be going to this bitch’s show if my
brother wasn’t in the band,” Minako muttered. “I’m thinking we should wait
until we think it’s almost over and show up long enough to pick up
Subaru and go party somewhere else.”
“It’s up to you,” Sadie shrugged. “I feel my stage-high coming
down,” she yawned. “I
would love some smoked eel sushi, a good book and an early night
myself.”
Minako cut a glance at Sadie. “Don’t even think about
staying at the hotel and leaving me out on my own with my kid
brother. I haven’t seen
much of him in years. I
don’t know what he’s into these days. To me, he will always be the
introverted geeky kid brother that likes to keep his head buried in
video games and his music.”
“Just ask him what he wants to do when you see
him. Maybe he will just
want to chill quietly after the show. If so, you can hook up
tomorrow and do something touristy. Tonight, all you need to do
is just show up, find out where he’s staying, you know...just make a
connection like your mom wants you to do.”
“Yeah,” Minako nodded in agreement. “What are you
wearing?”
“Something casual I’m
thinking.”
“Sadie, something casual to you is something
‘dressy’ to others.”
“You know me Mina; I’m a Goth type of gal. I adore my corsets, pencil
skirts, ruffled blouses and vintage spike-heeled shoes or my
platforms shoes, high neck blouses and tulle skirts,” Sadie laughed
softly. Her head,
resting on the interior seat, lolled and rocked each time the cab
driver hit a dip or bump in the road. “I’m not going to change me
to suit that J-Pop Princess band your brother is playing
for.”
Minako snickered. “You know that’s wacked
right? What the hell
came over him? When
Subaru started out with his first band, he was the lead singer and
guitarist. He was pure
rock and roll and metal.
I felt it was his niche. The next thing I know, he’s
being headhunted for this band with a big contract and when I found
out who it was with, I didn’t speak to him for
months!”
“Did Subaru ever tell you why he left the other
band?” Sadie
asked.
“No, he would have told you quicker than
he would have me.” Minako shrugged her shoulders.
“What does that mean?”
“You’re telling me Subaru doesn’t shoot you an
email every once in awhile?”
Minako asked.
“Just on holidays, birthdays and such, but not
like he used to when he first moved to Japan. Now they are short and
sweet. Nothing about
what’s going on in his life or I would have told you; you know
that.”
“I just think it would have made more sense to
me if Subaru had moved on to something better for him. But it’s stupid to give up a
solo gig to become a backup singer and lead guitarist for Riya. I don’t understand it; do
you?”
“You said it earlier. He has a crush on
Riya.” Sadie laughed at
Minako’s expression.
“C’mon, it makes a lot of sense. If he and Riya are
romantically involved, being in the same band people wouldn’t have
such a big issue out of building a romance between them. But if you want to be sure,
why not ask him?”
“Because it will piss me off and ruin our
reunion if he tells me to mind my own business.” Minako gave her a sly look
out of the corners of her exotic dark eyes. “Hell, it would piss me
off even more if he tells me he’s in love with the bitch. What? I don’t like
her?”
“Have you liked anyone that I or your brother
has been interested in?”
“Subaru hasn’t liked anyone but you and Riya
from what I can tell, and--”
“It’s not like that between us; you know
that,” Sadie injected.
“I know it’s not for you. He’s just a kid, but nothing
you can say will convince me you weren’t his first crush,” Minako
teased.
“A first crush is nothing in comparison to a
first love. Be mindful
of that, just in case he has fallen in love with Riya and refrain
from giving him your two cents like you do me,” Sadie
chastised.
“Yeah, speaking of you, let’s talk about you
and your non-existent love life.”
“Let’s not,” Sadie groans. “I haven’t had a love life
for two years now, so there is nothing to talk
about.”
“You were a happier person when you were
getting you some,” Minako murmured.
“Until I had to take my STD tests, and have you
seen how expensive condoms are now? The sex was great. It’s all the other mind
numbing responsibilities and emotions that come with it that
convolutes the mind and body.”
Sadie defended her decision.
“Well, tell me how is the
celibacy working out for you?
Is it giving your karma or whatever shit you were trying to
tell me enlightenment?”
Sadie
made a face and laughingly said, “I’m laying the foundation for spiritual
progression to conserve Ching Chi and transform it into a positive
behavior. My behavior
prior to finding enlightenment from within was destructive to my
body, soul and nature.”
“Huh...okay...if
you say so.” Minako’s
lips twitched at the corner.
“You can have all that stuff with a good man in your
life.”
“Mina, I discovered after several broken
relationships in a ten year period that there hasn’t been a man made
for me yet. I have
abandonment issues because I lost my parents when I was a
kid.”
“Many kids have lost their parents and went on
to be in loving healthy relationships,
Sadie.”
“When my grandmother passed away, I really felt
completely alone and as if my life hadn’t already sucked enough, I
became a burden to my aunt when they moved me into her house. Trust me, if I didn’t have
issues before, living with her family brought me to a new level of
dysfunctional.”
“That’s why you need to try harder than anyone
else to make a good home for yourself and have lots of babies. You need to create some good
memories and give your children everything you missed out on,”
Minako reasoned with unwelcomed frankness. “I know it’s something you
secretly long for.”
“Yeah,
I said it when I was what, eighteen?” Sadie said accentuating the
annoyance she felt more with herself than with Minako. “I think my life is better
the way it is now. I
don’t have to answer to anyone. My career is on the
rise. My money is good
and I’m too busy to give a man the attention it takes to maintain a
healthy relationship.”
“You need to find a man that has a career
similar to yours. You
can’t date Dr. Dan down the way. He is probably looking for a
sweet housewife that keeps everything immaculate. He will want dinner cooked
and you know your ass can’t cook.”
“My granny taught me how to cook when I was a
little girl,” Sadie protested.
“It’s just I can’t cook that healthy calorie free shit that
ya’ll like to eat to keep those girly stick dance
figures.”
“Oh wow, like I’m the only dancer in this
car. Your bubble butt
would get out hand if I didn’t stay on you.” Minako reached out and
pinched her.
“Will you stop,” Sadie burst
out laughing and playfully tapped Minako’s knee. “Those skinny fingers
hurt.”
“I bet if you were to marry that tight-ass old
guy, Horowitz, he will want you to hang up your dance shoes and keep
his polished.”
“Oh my damn, you are so wrong,” Sadie
scoffed. “I don’t even
see that man like that.
We are going to work together; that’s
all.”
“You need to remind him of that because I see
much more than you do.”
“You
worry about keeping your
man
happy and I will keep my mind on my
career.”
“Alright...alright,” Minako
huffed.
With a heavy heart, she rode in silence beside
her friend, enjoying the way she happily chatted about her
relationship and plans for the future with George. She was resentful although
she knew she shouldn’t be.
She wanted the best for Minako; she just hated the thought of
their lives taking them in separate directions and possibly causing
them to lose touch with one another.
Sadie also wasn’t ready to admit the idea
of her never finding someone to share her life with bothered
her.
CHAPTER
TWO | 
