It was quiet and that was what Jia both loved and hated. Only checking in with New York, with Bangkok, with the rest of Japan and California, Jia grew insanely bored. He checked in with Toshimasa and Xiao Tien every now and then and even went to Kyoto on his own out of boredom. Any free time I had, I spent with Toki any time Jia went out of town and with Jun. Toki hated to travel and unless there was business going on, so Jia couldn't get Toki to go with him. Jia had gone out of town to Kyoto to see Niikura and Xiao Tien for a while and during that time, Toki and I went to see a movie. When it was over, he lit a cigarette as he said,

"What you wanna do?"

"You want to go for coffee?"

"People actually do that?"

"Do what?"

"Go for coffee."

"Yes. I do sometimes."

He laughed slightly as he said,

"Thas a trip. So you jus go an sit an have coffee?"

"Yes. Sometimes conversation is exchanged."

"Wait...so if you're talkin, wouldn't the coffee get cold?"

I paused to think as I said,

"Shut up Toki. Let's just go get some coffee."

He laughed as we then went to Bon.

Toki didn't like to drink coffee. Toki didn't like to drink anything that wasn't liquor anyway, but I asked him to drink something.

"At least for me."

He sighed and asked for whatever I was drinking. Once he got his cup, he picked it up and smelled it as he said,

"What is it?"

"Hazelnut."

He took a sip as he said,

"It's good."

"I know. It's all I drink."

He continued taking small sips as he said,

"Why the sudden thaw Ghosto?"

"I'm not sure."

He set his cup down, his fingers still circling around the bone china cup as his blonde bangs fell around his face. He looked up at me and said,

"So...where's the fox?"

I shrugged as I said,

"I wouldn't know."

"Ghosto, why are you still talkin to him?"

"Would you like me to wait for you forever?"

He laughed slightly as he said,

"Your sarcasm is scary."

"If it's scary why do you laugh?"

"I never heard you be that damn sarcastic before."

I took a sip from my cup again as he said,

"What you wanna do after this?"

"I don't know. Whatever you want."

"Don't say that."

"Why?"

"You wouldn't wanna do what I wanna do."

He smirked slightly as I said,

"You really do think about that all day don't you."

"For the most part yeah. I can't help it. Especially about you."

I tucked my hair behind my ears as I sipped my cup and said,

"I feel odd doing things with you that I usually do with someone else. You're not the type."

"I'm not the type to do what?"

"Go for walks, sit through movies, play pool unless girls with no panties were serving you drinks. All that."

He smiled slightly as he said,

"How you know me so well?"

"I don't know."

He rested his chin on his hand as he said,

"We'll do what you want. I'm not eatin though."

I spent the week in his company for a while until Jia came back. Of course when Jia came back, he was thrilled with an idea.

"I love to gamble."

We all stood in Jia's office when he came back as he sat on top of his desk. Tai gave him an odd look as he said,

"Since when Jia?"

"Since I decided to go to London."

"London?" Said Gabriel.

"Yes London. You know, Big Ben, bad food, worse weather. London."

"Why on earth would we go to London?" Asked Aya.

"Two words. Illegal boxing."

Jia looked at us as Toki said,

"You drunk?"

"Look, I can't keep fending off my country right? I make money buy the tons and a little more never hurt. I can never have too much money."

"Jia, it would be wise to not get greedy. You do have your fingers in almost everything illegal already." Said Tai.

Jia laughed as he said,

"I'm a yakuza Tai. There's no such thing as getting too greedy. If I didn't, I wouldn't be where I am today."

"London is different then most places Jia." Said Aya.

"I know. I can't just stroll in there and expect to be welcomed with open arms. I'm not that stupid."

"What do you want to do with illegal boxing Jia?" Asked Aoki.

"Same shit I'm doing with illegal gambling in Tokyo and in New York. Just have my hand in it and make more money."

Tai thought for a moment as Gabriel said,

"It would be wise not to travel in large packs. We also don't even have a contact there."

"Screw a contact. I'll make one. I'm not worried abut that. I walked into Korea without a contact. Same with New York. I made contacts in New York I can do it in London."

"Why London of all places Li? It's fuckin horrible there." Said Toki.

"I was talking to Xiao Tien about it. He told me how when he was working with the Teo Chiu, they had weak connections there. He would travel to England to make a couple of bets and make a chunk of change. They returned with a good amount. Also, the bookie they knew in London is probably still functioning."

"You're taking the Teo Chiu bookie?" Asked Gabriel.

"It's a start. Plus I own the Teo Chiu. Nothing I have to worry about. And what is with all of you? You people never second guessed me before."

Everyone was quiet for a moment until I said,

"I agree with you Jia. I think it's a good idea."

Jo then nodded as he said,

"So do I."

Jia nodded towards us as Aoki said,

"I'm down. I'm down with whatever you know."

The rest who had doubted what Jia had said soon agreed.

Xiao Tien appeared a few days later. He walked in, dark hair swaying under his chin as his hazel eyes brightened. He saw the trio and Jo as he put a slender hand on his hip as he said,

"Hey. Can a doll get some attention here?"

The trio along with Jo went to greet him as I continued reading the paper. They laughed a few moments later as Xiao Tien then said,

"I need to see Jia."

"Where's Toshimasa?" Asked Toki.

"At his home. His knee was acting up. He didn't think he could make the trip."

"He should see Jun." Said Jo.

"He'll get around to it. Anyway I need to see Jia. So...which one of you is going to escort me upstairs?"

Jo made the gesture as Xiao Tien took his arm and they went to the elevator. The trio returned to the lobby as Akio slouched down in the sofa as he said,

"I never been to London."

"You'll find out what it's like soon enough." Said Aoki.

I finished the paper, folding it down as I then got up and excused myself.

Jia planned out what he could. Xiao Tien even made contact with the bookie he knew in London, asking how things were going. He told Jia that things were fine enough for him to go visit. He warned Jia though.

"London is not like any other city. It's got it's own dark side, tough and harden people. Also be aware, the bookie is not a pleasure for the eyes."

Jia laughed as he said,

"What's that suppost to mean? That my contacts are just eye candy?"

"Name one associate that you or your associates haven't thought about bedding."

Jia paused for a moment as he said,

"Takuro."

"He wasn't ugly."

"Still, I never thought about bedding him. I doubt my associates have either. Not their taste."

He said it was a smile as Xiao Tien smiled slightly and leaned back in his chair and said,

"What of me?"

"You're such an ego. You're the China Doll. What else could you want."

Xiao Tien laughed as he then said,

"Well you have your work cut out for you Jia. When will you go and who's going with you?"

"Mikkie of course. Mostly because I know he won't get carried with the prospect of a new town, new area, new women. Gabriel who has a good sense for business. Akio because I need Mikkie to be backed up and Jo, mostly because he has a good sense for business and also he has enough street credit to know a rotten deal."

"And Toki, Aoki...what of them?"

"No way in hell would I bring Toki to a country that offers more non-Asian women to him like New York. You know the first few weeks we arrived in New York, I didn't see him at all unless he was coming home to change and then to sleep? He drank, fucked and partied all day and night until he got use to it. I'm not repeating that in London."

Xiao Tien laughed slightly as I stood near the doors of Jia's office. Soon afterwards, plans were made to travel to London.

A day before we left, I got a phone call as I packed. I paused in my packing for a moment as I picked up my cell phone, glancing at it to see Furukawa's number and answered.

"Hai."

"You're going to London?"

"Hai."

"When?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"Thanks for letting me know."

"You were too busy. Besides when was the last time I even got to see you? More over, when do you care when it comes to my job?"

"You could have at least let me know you would be out of the country for a while."

"It's my job Furukawa. I'm not entitled to tell you anything about my job. Who let you know anyway?"

"Jia. I spoke to him earlier. He let me know who he was taking with him."

"Well now you know. What is you inane need to have to confirm with me as if Jia was lying?"

"It's not inane. I just wanted to know why you planned on leaving without so much as breathing a word to me."

"You would have found out. And you did anyway so stop bitching at me like a jealousy girlfriend. I'm busy packing. I'll call you when I get back."

I hung up and tossed my phone aside as I went back to my packing. I wasn't at all surprised with my actions to him. I also made myself aware I just called him Furukawa rather then Kazuki.

The next morning, I got up quickly and showered as I changed into my usual suit and tie, got my bag and took a cab to Narita. I met up with Gabriel there first, who stood at the gate, waiting as he yawned and brushed soft, sorter blonde hair away from his face. He stood still for a while, hands in his pockets, gray suit coat under his arm as his white shirt was in place, blue tie that set off his eyes in front of him in a neat knot. I joined him a moment later as he said,

"Ohayo."

"Ohayo. Been here long?"

"About twenty minutes. If I sit down now I'll fall asleep."

I checked my watch as I said,

"It's only eight. Since when are you so tired?"

"Long night."

I nodded as we continued to wait. Jia and Jo showed up about ten minutes later. Jia was yawning, wearing what was his suit, his coat, but Toki's fedora. He yawned, covering his mouth as Jo walked sluggishly slightly behind him. Jo wore a black suit, white shirt underneath, no tie as his dark red hair fell over his shoulders. He seriously needed a trim. Jia joined us as he said,

"God it's so early. Who made these flight arrangements?"

"Aya did I think." Said Gabriel.

"I'll scold him later."

Jia yawned as Jo plunked down into a seat and promptly dozed off. As he did, Gabriel looked at Jia and said,

"How did he manage to drive you here?"

"I really don't know."

Five minutes before the boarding call, Akio showed up, pinstripe suit on as his dark chocolate brown hair fell over his shoulders. He smiled as he said,

"Sorry...traffic and all that."

Jia nodded as he said,

"You look fine Playboy. Sexy as ever."

Akio smiled with satisfaction as the call for our plane soon arrived and we boarded.

London was not without it's charms. It was somewhat bright the day we arrived and yet still dull compared to brighter days I've seen in other cities. Once we gathered our luggage and went left to catch a cab, Jia looked up at the sky as he said,

"I hate this city already."

He put his hat on as I looked up and saw the once brightened day had already turned completely gray. So much for blue skies. We caught a cab soon afterwards and piled our luggage in the back as the driver asked us with an English accent where we were off too. Akio, the only one really catching what the man asked, directed him to the finest hotel London had to offer. Within moments we were in front of Claridge's. Jia peered up at it as he thanked the man, paying him with a couple of London pounds and then we left. We went inside were Jia checked us in and we were brought to our rooms. After the bellhop left Jia took off his hat again and said,

"I'm having the damnedest time understanding a word they're saying. Don't they speak English? I thought this fucking country spawned the damn language."

Akio laughed a little as he said,

"You're not use to the accent."

"Obviously not. All right, I'm calling Xiao Tien, I'll get in touch with his bookie soon and then we'll get to work, for now, go relax."

He dismissed us with a wave of his hand and so we each went to our rooms and went to get some sleep.

----------------------------------------

References

Claridge's- A real luxury hotel in London.