Kaori: Day 1 (Overture)

You wake once more at Rebekah and Jada’s place on Tuesday morning. Rebekah is already moving through the room with purpose, tidying the corner where the loveseat faces the window and pulling the blinds just enough to soften the light. She sets two glasses of water on the low table, then checks her phone and nods to you. Freya texted ten minutes ago. She’s on her way.

A few minutes later, there’s a knock on the door. You answer it and let her in, a quiet nod all that’s needed to reestablish the connection after a month away. She carries a camera bag and a folded tripod and asks after the light, the sound, the placement of the chairs. You and Rebekah help lay out the equipment. The camera goes just off-center, angled to keep you in the foreground and Rebekah on the frame’s edge. Freya checks levels, clips a lav to your collar, and adds a backup mic on the table.

When the red light on the camera stops blinking and becomes a steady glow, Freya sits opposite you with a notebook balanced on one knee. She doesn’t read from it. She looks at you and asks her first question.

“During the last show you had a chance to grab all four six-value cards and build a powerful hand,” she says. “You didn’t. Why not?”

You take a breath so your answer arrives as a complete thought rather than a reflex. “Strategy,” you say. “If I’d tried to scoop all the sixes at once, someone would have **** a move to knock the one I already held out of my hand. It made more sense to grab two so I wasn’t immediately threatening and keep my options open. That way if my held card was attacked, I could defend it.”

Freya nods as if she expected that answer but wants to hear how you carry it. She glances at the notebook and then back to you. “Okay,” she says. “But you also chose not to reserve your manager and girlfriend, and instead reserved a different six. Why would you do that?”

You open your mouth and close it again. The camera is quiet. Rebekah leans forward slightly, not enough to crowd the frame, just enough to enter it.

“That was my decision,” she says. “Reserving me would give him an unfair advantage over the other players, and I’m not going to let the competition be spoiled that way.”

Freya considers the response carefully before she asks her follow-up. “How do you feel about someone else having sex with your girlfriend? Is this an open relationship?”

“It isn’t,” you say, careful with your wording to keep things true. “We’re committed. The game is its own thing with its own rules. As long as I’m a player and she’s a Lady in the deck, what happens in the game is allowed, and it’s not a challenge to us. We talk about it. We debrief it. I trust her. I love her. And I think she feels the same.”

Rebekah rests her hand on the arm of the loveseat, not quite touching you, but close. “I do,” she says. “Don’t get it twisted. We’re good. This competition is something we’re involved in, not something that defines us.”

Freya looks between you and closes her notebook. “So,” she says, letting her summary be part of the record rather than a judgment, “a difficult balance, but one you’ve decided to make. I’m not sure everyone could, or would make such a choice, but for you it works?”

“That’s right,” you say.

She thanks you both and powers down the camera. Freya asks if she can take a few seconds of B-roll at the door and you agree, because it costs nothing and might make the cut feel cleaner in the edit. When she leaves, the quiet returns, but it has a different texture now.

The blinds cut the morning light into even bands across the carpet. Rebekah grabs a bottle of water and sets it down unopened, studying you with frank focus.

“So,” she says, “how are you actually feeling about Milo reserving me?”

You try to keep your voice steady. “Angry at Selene. Uneasy with Milo, even though I know he didn’t make the call. Worried about you. All of the above.” You rub your palms on your jeans. “Part of me wants to pull him aside and convince him to drop it.”

Her expression tightens a shade. “Convince him how?”

“Not pressure,” you say. “Just a conversation. It’s a douchebag move to go after someone else’s girlfriend”

She sits back and sighs. “We covered that already. I’m not your girlfriend in this game. I’m a card in the deck and you’re a player. And I don’t need you to fight my battles for me,” she says, and there is a small, clean edge to it. “If I want it dropped, I’ll tell him. If I don’t, it stays. And since we’re both in the game, you have to be okay with it.”

You nod, because she’s right, but the knot in your chest doesn’t vanish on command. “I know. I’m not trying to take it out of your hands. I hate that Selene used you to poke at me.” You search for the line that makes sense and lands where it should. “I know we talked about this, but now it’s actually a reality it sucks. I don’t feel particularly happy about my role either to be honest.”

The edge softens. She reaches over and finally opens the water. “It’s fine,” she says softly. “It’s just a competition. One you’re gonna win. Don’t worry, I’ll keep Milo down to a low scoring challenge - maybe a naked kiss even. Can you be ok with that?”

You shrug. “I guess. Sooner this game’s over the better though.”

She tilts her head, the work talk done for now. “All right, let’s talk strategy,” she says. “Do you have any thoughts on how you’re going to handle Kaori?”

“I have something special in mind,” you say, and the corner of her mouth lifts despite herself. “It’s designed for her. It’s theatrical. It’s intricate.”

“Intricate?” she asks.

You nod. “There’s a lot of moving parts. I’m gonna tap into my contacts - the other Ladies I’ve been with in this game. Some of them anyhow. If there’s one thing you’ve taught me it’s go big or go home and if this works out I think you’ll like it. Her too.”

Rebekah grins. “Cool. I’ll leave it to you this time - just let me know if I can help.

You nod and grab your tablet. The first thing you need if you’re gonna make this work is for Kaori to be in it. Heading to the college social network you pull up her information and send a message.

You: Hi, Remember last semester when you let Cassie Li challenge you in the College Spread game? I’m another player and I just selected your card. I wanted to ask if you’d be down for another challenge. All I want to say right now is I’ve got something in mind that should really appeal to you as a theater major…

It’s blunt, but hopefully intriguing enough to get her interest. It takes a couple of hours for her to respond.

Her: Something that appeals to a theater major? Sounds… intriguing. Tell me more.

You grin, the first step worked, now to see just how kinky she might be.

You: It being a mystery is kind of part of it. So are you willing to go along if you have a safeword?

Her: Safeword? Is this something like 50 Shades? I’ve never really done that…

You: You can say no if you want, but I promise it’s not going to be about whips and things. This would be something intense… but gentle.

Her: Oookaaayyy… This is about the scariest and sexiest… and weirdest thing anyone’s ever asked me, especially over social network. I can’t believe I’m gonna say this, but if you can respect me saying “red” or “yellow” I’ll try. When do you want to meet?

You: I’ll send you the details once I’ve set it up. Thanks for this, Kaori. I’ll make it worth your while.

Her …