Part 18 (1/2)

An idea quickly blossoming within her, she walked farther down the beach, where Jake was spearfis.h.i.+ng. Annie was surprised that Ratu was nowhere to be seen, as he often seemed to be Jake's shadow. ”Where's the namesake of Ratu Junior?” she asked, smiling at the memory of swimming with Ratu and the dolphins.

Jake set his spear next to a large tuna that he'd killed and removed a stem from between his teeth. ”That darn shark spooked him, miss. Spooked him like a rattlesnake rattles a horse. I reckon he's looking for sh.e.l.ls for his sisters. We already found a handful of them, but he wants an armful. I'd be with him, but the captain asked me to catch a few more fish in case people don't fancy shark. So here I am.”

Glancing at the ocean, Annie saw that the j.a.panese destroyer hadn't moved. ”Are we sure they can't see us?” she asked, suddenly frightened.

”Even with them binocs we can't see much of that big boat, miss. They sure ain't gonna be able to see us.”

Annie nodded, turning her gaze to the fish that Jake had speared. ”May I have a piece of that, Jake? Do you need it all?”

”A piece, miss?”

”A piece of meat. Believe it or not, j.a.panese like to eat raw fish, and I thought Akira might enjoy some.”

Jake smiled, the gap between his front teeth somehow serving to make his other teeth appear even whiter. ”I hear them j.a.ps eat anything from the sea,” he said, using the machete to cut away several strips of cherry-colored meat. ”Snakes and slugs. Things like that. I reckon I'd sooner eat my own foot than a raw fish.”

”Could you cut them even smaller?”

”I suspect so. Ain't only one way to skin a cat, or in this case, a fish.”

”Perfect,” Annie said, holding out her hands.

”You wanna put it on something? Maybe a rock? A big old leaf?”

”A leaf. Yes, that's a great idea, Jake.” Annie hurried to the edge of the jungle and quickly returned with a leaf the size of a cookie sheet.

”That'll work real nice,” Jake said, carefully placing the cuts of tuna on the leaf.

When he finished, Annie put her hand on his arm. ”Thanks, Jake. Thanks for everything you do around here.”

”Happy to help, miss. Ain't much else to do anyhow.”

Annie thanked him again and, holding the leaf like a large platter, moved toward Akira. He'd risen and was stretching his muscles as he leaned against a palm tree. As usual, she instinctively glanced at his wound, which had completely closed up. Deciding that she'd remove the st.i.tches the next day, she showed Akira the fish she'd brought. ”You like raw fish, right?” she asked. ”Don't j.a.panese like raw fish?”

Akira eyed the sliced tuna. ”You did this? For me?”

”I can put it away if you don't want it. I didn't know if-”

”No, no, no,” he said, bowing to her. He gestured for her to sit, carefully taking the leaf and lowering himself to the sand beside her. ”A wonderful treat,” he said. ”A wonderful treat that you have prepared for me. Thank you for your kindness.”

”Is this how you eat it? Just like this?”

He shook his head. ”Usually we have some . . . sauce. But this is nearly the same. This is perfect, in fact.” She smiled and he asked, ”Will you taste it with me?”

”Me?”

”Only if you care to.” Akira picked up one of the smallest pieces of fish and put it in his mouth. He closed his eyes, chewing slowly and methodically. ”What delicious sas.h.i.+mi.”

”Sas.h.i.+mi?”

”Yes. When it is so fresh like that, it . . . dissolves into your tongue.”

Annie glanced at the platter before her. The meat was red and ragged, and the thought of eating it repulsed her. ”I'll try . . . one bite,” she said, selecting a sliver of fish. Before she could stop herself, she closed her eyes and set the meat in her mouth. At first she noticed the coolness of the fish, which felt surprisingly refres.h.i.+ng. She then bit, and though she didn't like the texture of the meat, the taste was pleasant enough and she ate the entire piece. ”Not bad,” she said, smiling. ”Not bad at all.”

He grinned. ”Yesterday you swam with dolphins. Today you are eating sas.h.i.+mi. What will tomorrow bring?”

”It's your turn to do something brave tomorrow. I think I've done enough.”

Akira took another piece of fish. ”Yes, yes, I sincerely agree.”

Annie watched him eat, noting how refined his movements were. How differently Akira and Ted approach eating, she thought. While Ted seemed to attack his food, Akira appeared to savor and almost study the fish. ”Can I ask you something?” she said softly, the comparison of the two men prompting her curiosity.

”Of course.”

”It's kind of silly. Rather childish, actually.”

”I think that today I have time for one silly question.”

She smiled nervously, her gaze darting from him to the sea to a bug bite on her arm. ”Do you really think . . . think that I'm like that little tree?”

”I think-”

”I just don't know if it's realistic for a man to pay that much attention to a woman. Or for that matter, for a woman to pay that much attention to a man. Who has time for such things?”

Akira looked out over the water. ”I do not know what is realistic,” he finally said. ”But I do know what is possible. And is it possible for a man to pay such attention to a woman? Yes, I think so.”

Annie's thoughts drifted back to Ted, and she wondered if he'd ever see her as the gardener had seen the tree. What would he do with her once they were reunited? ”But anything is possible,” she replied. ”That doesn't make it probable.”

”This morning,” he said, setting a piece of tuna aside, ”I found something.”

”What?”

He pointed to her feet. ”Beneath you. Please look beneath you.”

She dug into the sand at her feet. Almost immediately, she uncovered a snail's sh.e.l.l, which was sculpted and blue and highlighted with white borders-almost as if the sky had somehow been painted onto the sh.e.l.l. ”It's beautiful,” she said.

Akira wanted to tell her how his discovery made him think of her, of how he had written a haiku about her after he'd found it. But she was engaged and American, and the impossibility of their union weighed so heavily upon him that he simply said, ”I would be honored . . . if you would keep it.”

Annie sensed that he wanted to say more. She was unsure, however, if she wanted him to. ”Thank you,” she said, continuing to hold the sh.e.l.l. ”It's quite lovely.”

He smiled, aware that he'd thought of little but her for the past three days. ”The fish is delicious, yes?” he asked, picking up another piece.

”It's certainly simple to prepare,” she replied, smiling. ”Beats cooking all day over a hot stove.”

”Simple is good.”

Though a part of her wanted to leave, another part longed to know where his mind lay. Her heart beating quicker, she licked her salty lips and found his eyes. ”What were you thinking about?” she asked, surprised by her brazenness and unsure what to think of it.