Chapter Twenty-Seven: Charlotte is Venus:

-Takashi-

I don’t understand women. Charlotte is an odd case. She will try and sit by me, smelling nice. Her perfumes remind me of French vanilla and honey. That scent makes my heart flutter. It’s not just her perfumes either.

Charlotte wears nice-smelling perfumes, lotions, and shampoos around me. Tonight is no different. I press my lips together.

“Char-chan,” I say.

“Yes?” she asks. Her head rests on my chest. It’s her shampoo this time. I feel warm in my chest.

“You smell nice,” I mumble.

“Thank you,” she says.

“Why?”

Her giggling catches my ear. “I’m trying to seduce you.”

“Eh?”

“You see; I really like you. I’m trying to get you to see that. Well, not literally, but you get what I mean.”

“I guess…” I really try to.

Love. Char-chan says it a lot. I feel close to her. But… I don’t know what we are.

“Char-chan.”

“Yeah?”

“What exactly are we?”

“What do you want us to be?”

“I… Well… I…” I bite my lower lip. “I don’t know.”

“Aww. I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Why?” She always says the same thing. I do not think it sticks in my head. Char-chan crawls into my lap, her legs coming on either side of me.

“How about I show you this time?” she asks. I feel her lips inches away from mine. Her breathing grows heavier.

“What do you mean?” I ask. She put her finger to my lips.

“Don’t talk. Enjoy me.” She kisses me again. I feel so small under her. Her experience almost scares me. Char-chan grabs my hips.

We used to be more “innocent”. At the time, we were on the run from Okinawa. When we moved to Tokyo, we had to set up our lives again. I came to rely on Char-chan for my basic needs. She paid the bills, fed me, and clothed me. I didn’t do much around the apartment.

Char-chan pulls away. “Let me take you out on a date.”

“A date?” I asked.

“Nothing fancy. We can do something special like watching a movie and go to a restaurant.”

“Okay. That sounds rather nice.”

Char-chan presses her forehead against mine. “We’ll got out this Friday.” She climbs out of my lap. I come back to my senses when I hear footsteps.

“Where are you going?” I ask.

“To bed,” she says.

“I thought…”

“What?”

I find myself struggling as I try to say it as gentile as possible. “We would have relations again… tonight.”

Footsteps walk across the carpet and stop at my side. My right ear twitches as her lips come inches away from the skin.

“Not tonight,” Char-chan whispers. “We’re going to scale back and build a real relationship.”

“Relationship?”

“Yes.” Her hand rested on my shoulder. “I find a relationship based on sex boring. We need a strong base for a stable relationship. Our friendship is a good start, but we need to go further. This date could help out.” Char-chan kisses my cheek.

“Good night,” she whispers. I don’t move as my roommate walks back to her room. The moments that passed between us finally begin to sank in. I find myself back where I started.

I don’t understand women and I still can’t figure out Char-chan.