ATTENTION: To avoid disappointment, please note the following statistics:
– Story is 35,460 words / ~10 1/2 Literotica pages
– There are three sex scenes in the story
Hello all! A slightly different story than my first. I wasn’t sure which category to place this in since it could fall into two or three quite neatly. In the end, I’ve decided to put this into the Romance category instead of Loving Wives, Novellas, or Interracial, only because this story really is about the three different love stories that the protagonist experiences throughout his lifetime. As love stories go, not all of them end well, while others aren’t necessarily romantic in nature, but the love prevails.
This again is a longer tale and may be slow going for some. However, I do enjoy savouring time spent immersed in a story, so I hope if you continue on, that you do, too.
WARNING: *NOT* a lawyer. Between research, renewing my mortgage, and the experience of friends who have gone through divorces, I’ve been able to cobble together the broad strokes of what happens when you get divorced in Canada. Also, not sure if he’s still active, but Rehnquist’s “A Crash Course in Family Law” was very helpful. I’m sure I’ve taken broad dramatic license here but, hey, this is fiction.
SPOILER: Despite the title, there is *NO* incest, or step-incest, in the story. However, there is a passage early on that describes sex that has dubious consensuality. Please be forewarned.
There is some sexual content, but that’s not the main thrust (pun not intended) of the story.
Also, yes, there is some emotional infidelity, but this is not a BTB or a RAAC story, just one where people move on with their lives and are redeemed by their relationships with the people around them. That being said, maybe there’s a *little* karma…
* * * * *
“I’ve filed for a divorce Ken,” Karen Fischer-Suzumura told her husband as they sat across from each other at their dining room table.
Kenji “Ken” Suzumura’s shoulder’s slumped as he felt the blood drain from his face. His heart sank down to his stomach and he felt the tingle of pins and needles begin around his mouth. He struggled with getting the words out through his pursed lips as he felt them tremble.
“What about the kids?”
==========
ACT 1 – KAREN
— Twelve Years Ago – Waterloo, Ontario —
“BYE MOM! I’LL be home late tonight!” eighteen-year-old Karen Fischer reminded her mother Margaret, Marge to her friends, as she kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks for the party last night. It was great to see Katie,” mentioning her older sister Katherine, who worked in Toronto, an hour and a half away. The five foot two, honey blonde, blue eyed bundle of energy grabbed her knapsack and bound out of the house on her way to the local theatre in Kitchener where she volunteered.
“I swear Karl, that girl can’t slow down,” Margaret said to her husband as he fried some bacon on the stove. “It’s gonna be quiet here when she goes off to university.”
“Well, Toronto isn’t that far and it’s still a month before she graduates. Katie’ll be there to look out for her,” he acknowledged, proud of his daughters. Katherine had graduated a year ago and was a bookkeeper at a business services and logistics company, and Karen was off to university for a degree in theatre.
He and his wife didn’t have the chance to go to university and were glad that his daughters would have that opportunity. They both came from German Mennonite farming families in the area and were able to provide a solid, middle-class lifestyle with their jobs, Margaret as an administrative assistant at the local insurance company headquarters and Karl as a foreman at the local meat processing plant. “Now, how about a cup of coffee?” he asked his wife, taking the percolator off the stove for a cup.
~ ~ ~
KAREN CAUGHT A ride to the theatre with another one of the volunteers and hurried backstage. She had volunteered at the theatre since she was sixteen, ever since she had seen a local girl make big in Hollywood. She was hell-bent on making it big herself, and had gotten herself accepted to the same Theatre program at the same university her hero had. As usual, she enthusiastically threw herself into the tasks at hand as a stage hand and all-around gofer for the troupe, hoping to have the opportunity to get up and act on stage one day.
However, her mind was elsewhere today. Yesterday was her eighteenth birthday and she had celebrated with her family. Tonight, a group of her friends were taking her out to a club near the theatre for a party. What was more exciting was that Bill was going to be there! Among the younger set at the theatre, 27-year-old Bill Davis was the “big man on campus”.
Bill wasn’t one of the leads but, he occasionally played the best friend, and he even spent a season at Stratford as an understudy to a secondary character at one of the smaller plays! What’s more, his old Film Studies professor from university was able to get him a few lines on a TV show being filmed in Toronto, so he was a real, live, card-carrying actor.
Oddly, no one at the theatre really questioned an almost 30-year-old man hanging around with the teenagers and young twenties. That’s just how it was in the theatre community. Outsiders looking in would find it a bit creepy, but hey, didn’t actors have a bit of a Peter Pan complex anyway? And he was cute, at least to Karen and her friends. Blonde and blue eyed, like Karen, with the square-jawed good looks from Hollywood’s golden era.
“Hey Karen! Happy birthday! We all still on for tonight?” Ralph, one of the other volunteers had asked as she was hanging her jacket in her locker and stowing her backpack with a change of clothes for tonight.
“Sure Ralph! Have you got the thing? You know, the thing?” she asked him under her breath. Ralph fished around his pockets and pulled a card with a magnetic strip and her photo.
“You mean your fake license?” he chuckled. “That should pass muster. Anyway, the bouncers don’t really care at the club. They see these all the time,” Ralph reassured her. The two universities and the college nearby meant that there were thousands of eighteen-year-olds trying to get into the clubs to get a drink instead of waiting to turn nineteen. The club they were going to was a little lax since it would take way too long to really scrutinize every single ID closely.
“Thanks Ralph! Have a good one!”
Karen, Ralph, and the rest of the crew were setting up for a matinee showing of some kids’ play for the summer holiday camp programs. Karen walked around that day on a cloud of air as she thought of the party that Bill would be attending, all for her!
The performance went off without a hitch, the children laughing and singing along at all the right places. When Karen wasn’t occupied, she mooned after Bill on the wings as he played the Forest Ranger. It wasn’t the lead, but it was a very important role, she thought. As the performance closed, the volunteers rushed around setting things right, and making sure that all the costumes and props were put away and that the stage was ready for tomorrow’s performance.
~ ~ ~
BILL GOT OUT of his costume and wiped off the thick stage makeup after the performance. He frowned at his reflection in the mirror as he ran a cotton pad across his eyes and then he sighed. He thought he was one of the best-looking actors in the company and wondered why he didn’t get the leads in the performances for the main audiences. As it was, he was pretty tapped out in Toronto for roles. He begged for a favour from his professor and all he got was one line on a TV cop show. “I saw him drive off in a grey four-door, officer!” That was it.
Hell, he still had to work a part-time job at the university bookstore just to afford rent on a room in a student house near campus. At twenty-seven-years-old Bill thought he would be further along in his career instead of bit parts in regional theatre. A buddy of his had suggested moving to Vancouver. Hollywood was producing there in a big way and there were lots of roles to audition for.
“Hi Bill! That was a great performance!” he heard someone gushing behind him. He looked into the mirror over his shoulder and saw this petite farmer’s daughter corn fed type standing by the door of the shared dressing room. She was really cute in a girl-next-door, cheerleader kind of way. Her eyes sparkled, naively star-struck. That was one of the benefits at least, he thought: ready and willing young pussy.
Bill turned and gave her his thousand-watt, toothpaste ad smile. “Thanks…,” he tried to recall her name “…Karen?”
Karen flushed as he called her by name, thrilled that he knew it. “So, are you coming with us tonight? It was my eighteenth birthday yesterday, so we’re celebrating.”
So, she just turned eighteen? The smile grew broader and brighter, and he really turned on the charm. Eighteen was legal, and she really looked like she’d be a good time. “Of course, Karen! I wouldn’t miss it for the world! Happy birthday!”
~ ~ ~
“HEY KAREN! I bought you a drink!” Bill shouted over the throbbing dance music in the club. It wasn’t crowded, full of locals and summer students, so the theatre group were able to claim a large set of tables.
“Thanks Bill!” she gushed. She took a sip and her eyes watered as the liquid burned going down her throat. The drink was strong, but she didn’t want to let on that she wasn’t able to handle a drink. She wanted to show how sophisticated she was to Bill. She smiled brightly at him as she sipped her drink.
Bill returned her smile. He was hoping he wouldn’t have to slip her the roofies that he had picked up before coming here. With enough drinks in her and his charm, he was hoping to get lucky. He continued to ply her with drinks as the evening wore on, and Karen became more intoxicated.
By midnight, Karen was pretty wasted, but still on her feet. The drunker she got though, the more she was all over Bill. As she put her head on his shoulder, he leaned over and murmured into her ear.
“Hey Karen, I’ve got a gift for you in the car,” the vibrations of his voice on her earlobe sending shivers down Karen’s spine right to her pussy, moistening it almost immediately. “Want to come out so I can give it to you?” Karen looked up at him, doe-eyed and nodded with a huge smile on her face.
“I’d luuuv to Bill…,” she slurred drunkenly. “I cahn’t bulleev yuu remumbr’d my birfday…,” she beamed at him, eyes full of infatuation. Bill was amazed how easy this was going! All it took was two or three drinks from him, and a few others from the unsuspecting well-wishers. “Guys! Ahm gunna leaf with Bill! Thank… thank… thanks for the party evbodee! Whooo! Bess birfday ever!”
Bill made excuses to everyone, assuring them he would get her home safe. He helped Karen to his four-door beater, buckled her into the front seat and drove up to Columbia Lake to park. As he arrived, he shook Karen’s shoulder to wake her. “Hey baby, we’re here for your birthday gift!” Karen smiled up at him dumbly, her eyes semi glazed as her expression went from slightly confused to hero worship.
“Oh Bill, you don’t haff tooo! I’n juss so happy to be here wif yuu!” she gushed as she reached for him and planted a sloppy, clumsy kiss on his lips.
“Baby, I want to make love to you for your birthday. I want to give you the gift of mind-blowing sex with me,” Bill offered un-ironically. Karen’s eyes widened and the smile on her face grew wider.
“Omahgahd Bill, pleeease! Make me a woman!” Karen threw her arms around his neck as she parroted the old romance novels she had strewn all over her room. Bill disentangled himself from her limbs, popped the trunk and opened the car door.
“C’mon Karen, let’s go down by the lake,” he suggested as he pulled a blanket, flashlight, and a six-pack of beer from his trunk. Karen fumbled with the door until she was able to open it and make her way out. Bill reached out to grasp her elbow and guide her down to a grassy area by the water. As he lay out the blanket on the grass, Karen was impressed by how much of a gentleman he was. Bill made sure to act the gentleman and turn on the charm for these girls. It made getting into their pants that much easier.
Bill sat down and patted on the part of blanket-covered ground beside him with an arched look at Karen. Karen tried to sit down gracefully, but almost tripped over her feet, finally managing to sit down heavily beside Bill. She put her head on his shoulder and smiled up at him. Bill leaned over and gave her a soft kiss on her lips as she sighed. It all felt so romantic to Karen who, before today, had only had inexperienced teenage fumblings to guide her. She was still a virgin and had little experience, because she was a good girl.
The pair began making out on the blanket and hands became more familiar with each other. In no time, Bill had himself down to his boxers and Karen down to her plain cotton bra and panties. Somewhere in the back of Karen’s mind, something didn’t seem right, but she went with it because Bill was so handsome and confident. The combination of the alcohol, the moonlight, and Bill had her so excited and wet that she thought she had peed her pants.
Bill deftly played with the girl like a cat toying with a mouse, and had her naked and panting as he fingered her lightly furred, moist snatch. As he inserted one, and then two fingers to stretch out the virgin pussy, he felt the resistance of her hymen. He hadn’t had a virgin for at least a few months and was very excited. His other hand found her breast and its puffy, tan nipple, and he bent to put it in his mouth. Karen first felt some discomfort with the invading digits in her soft core, but began to writhe with the overwhelming sensations coming from multiple fronts. After the short foreplay, Bill pulled away from Karen, which elicited a disappointed whine from the hot and bothered teen.
“Billy, whyd’ja stop?” she asked plaintively.
“Don’t worry baby, big things will be coming soon,” he promised as he shucked his boxers. He quickly fisted his cock and lined it up with her steaming hot entrance. Without any preamble, he thrust into her fully, tearing her cherry in an instant. Karen screamed in pain as he began to hammer himself into her tenderest parts. Bill continued to piston into the teen, savouring the vicelike tightness, feeling every fold and ridge inside her.
“Bill, it hurts!” Karen sobbed as he continued to fuck her. Even though he was only of average size, to her inexperienced body it felt like being rammed by a baseball bat. The pain and shock of the invasion sobered Karen up quickly.
“It’ll get better baby, trust me,” he reassured her as sweat began dripping from his chin onto her face. Karen’s lower lip quivered as she nodded her assent. After a few minutes of thrusting, Karen began to feel a tingle in her pussy, but only moments later, she felt Bill tense up and his member swell. He grunted as he pumped her full of his seed. After a few more halfhearted thrusts, he plopped out of her and collapsed beside her on the blanket, breathing heavily. “So, was it good for you?” he asked.
“Sure Bill, I guess it was…,” Karen replied, thinking that this was what sex was supposed to be like. She wondered why some of her other friends went on and on about it. It wasn’t anything special, and it hurt!
“Let me finish this beer and I’ll drive you home,” Bill offered. Karen nodded wordlessly and stared up into the night sky consoling herself with the fact that she could boast having had sex with Bill Davis. The other girls who were volunteering at the theatre would be so jealous! Come to think of it, some of the guys would be too.
~ ~ ~
OVER THE COURSE of two weeks Karen flitted around home and the theatre as if she was on Cloud Nine. Every chance she would get she went to Bill’s dressing room, where they would make out. Every chance he would get, Bill made sure his cock was in Karen’s pussy. The sex eventually got bearable, and even sometimes enjoyable for Karen. She didn’t so much like putting Bill’s penis in her mouth, but he did reassure her that it was something that was just done often in show business, to be traded for parts and favours.
After a month and a half, things weren’t as rosy. Karen ran into Bill’s dressing room and locked the door behind her. Bill turned around and sighed, already tiring of the girl and ready to cut bait before he moved to Vancouver.
“Bill, I… I think I’m in trouble…” Karen announced to him, wide eyed, tears threatening to cascade down her cheeks.
“What is it, Karen?” Bill asked, exasperated at what he thought was teenaged drama.
“I missed my period!” Karen fought valiantly not to cry, but a stray teardrop fell from her lashes. Bill was taken aback by the news.
“Aren’t you on the pill?” he asked “Are you sure it’s even mine?!” he continued without letting her answer. “How could you be so stupid?”
“I’m not stupid, I just didn’t know! You’re the adult here!” she yelled back at him. “You were my first!” she cried as she hit him in the chest with her balled up fist.
“Well, IF you are pregnant, I won’t be here for that. You can either get the problem taken care of, or you can take care of everything yourself!” he rebuffed as he pushed her away. Karen was shocked by what Bill had suggested and was frozen in place, her dumbfounded gaze following Bill as he started grabbing some personal items, stuffing them into a bag. “You know what? I’m outta here! There’s bigger things for me and I can’t be saddled with some kid and a baby momma. Have a good life, Karen!” Bill ranted as he stormed out.
The door slamming as Bill left opened the floodgates and Karen burst into tears. She collapsed onto her knees as sobs racked her body. After a few minutes her crying attracted the attention of some of her fellow volunteers, one of whom drove her home. By then, Bill had resigned from the theatre, called his friend in BC, packed up his room in the shared house, and got into his car to start the almost week-long drive to Vancouver.
~ ~ ~
KAREN’S PARENTS WERE very worried about her. She had been in a funk for a week. When they probed, she would snap at them. It took her sister cornering her one weekend to get the scoop from Karen.
“What do you mean you’re pregnant?!” Katie demanded. “I thought you we all about this whole purity thing in high school!”
“Well obviously that’s out the window!” Karen hissed back. “Anyways, that’s all kids’ stuff. I’m and adult now!” she threw out defiantly, feeling anything but.
“If you’re so much of an adult, then you’ll have to cowgirl up and let Mom and Dad know!” Katherine demanded. “And then you’re going to have to make some adult decisions,” she told Karen, shaking her head.
Later that evening, at the dinner table, Karen let her parents know about her unexpected pregnancy. Her mother started sobbing loudly at the table while her father’s face, while expressing sorrow, also hardened in disappointment and anger.
“What about school Karen? You know we saved up for so long so you could go to university! Your father and I couldn’t go so we wanted you both to have that opportunity!” her mother exclaimed in disappointment.
“University is out for the girl, Marge!” Karen’s dad spat out, a slight Germanic accent coming out in his anger, belying his Mennonite roots. “She’s gone and wasted it all by getting herself knocked up! Who’s the father?” Karl asked his younger daughter, piercing her with an accusatory glare. Karen pressed her lips together, looked down and shook her head, loathe to give up a name, scared that her father would do something to Bill of she told. “You stupid girl! We had high hopes for the both of you, but now you’ll be living the life of an uneducated single mother! I hope you’re happy!” her father slammed his hand on the tabletop and stalked out of the room as her mother wept.
~ ~ ~
OVER THE NEXT few months, Karen and her parents prepared for the coming of the baby. Since she wasn’t going to be going to school after all, Karen had to find a job, which meant no more volunteering at the theatre, which really broke her heart. Instead, apart from working at the convenience store near the two universities, she spent her time reading up on pregnancy and parenting. Her first year’s board and tuition went to paying for and preparing for baby necessities.
It took over a month before her father would even look at her, let alone speak to her. Even then, it was mainly in single sentences. Gone were the loving hugs and cheerful exchanges. All Karen got from her mother were doleful looks as she helped her youngest daughter prepare for motherhood, making sure she wasn’t completely alone at her doctor’s appointments.
Although readily obtainable in Canada, Karen and her family did not even consider abortion, since their faith would not have allowed it. While they had also explored adopting the child out, Karen still held on to schoolgirl dreams of reconciling with Bill and wouldn’t hear of giving his child up.
Over the nine months of her pregnancy the mood in the house was quiet and tense. Through family gatherings during Thanksgiving, and Christmas, Karen was generally ignored by the extended family, pointed out to younger cousins as an example of what happens when a girl becomes too worldly. The only kind face throughout the ordeal was her sister, although she didn’t cut Karen any slack either, kindly reproaching her whenever Karen’s head got too stuck in the clouds. She encouraged Karen to take a few correspondence courses at the community college before the baby came to at least earn some credits that she could use in the future.
When the time came to give birth in February, Karen’s mother was in the room with her throughout the sixteen-hour ordeal. Although her father wasn’t ready to welcome her back into his good graces with open arms, he did stay in the waiting room with Katherine until his first grandchild, Christine, was born.
While Karl was still not feeling quite charitable to his younger daughter, his heart melted for his granddaughter. She was wrinkly, and an angry pink colour. The nearly white peach fuzz on her head her only hair, but to him she was beautiful, and he pinned higher hopes for her than he did for her mother.
The next few weeks were a flurry of activity. Karen had to learn how to be a new mother, with the help of her own, and a hand from her sister and cousins. After a few weeks, Karen had to go back to work, still hoping that she could go to university by September and get her plan back on track. She didn’t want to deplete her college fund any more than she already had. Luckily, her sister was able to find her a mailroom/reception job at a local branch of the company where she was a bookkeeper.
Karen found the job only marginally better than the convenience store, mainly because she had to find cheap daycare for Christine when family couldn’t cover, but she enjoyed the work. She especially enjoyed when she was at reception before the main receptionist’s shift and during her lunch hour. This was where her cheerful, perky personality shone.
The company where Karen now worked was a Japanese business services and logistics company serving the many Japanese companies in the country. Her office supported auto manufacturing nearby and engineering research at the university sponsored by various Japanese industry associations. Despite being a satellite, the office was quite important, which is why on a very early morning in mid-spring, the head of the Canadian operations and his entourage arrived to meet with the local executives.
As the group entered, Karen stood up from behind the reception desk and bowed in the Japanese fashion, thankful for the pointers her sister gave her. “Good morning Mr. Sakai!” she greeted as she recognized the head of the group. “Please let me show you in,” she offered as she led the gathered group into the main boardroom. As they began seating themselves, she noticed that the admin assistants were just coming in for the day, so she took the initiative to serve coffee and tea to the men until they were able to take over. She bowed again to the group and thanked them for visiting their office.
Osamu “Call me Sam” Sakai, the chief of the group watched her as she walked out. At 55, he was still young enough to appreciate a pretty girl, but there were pretty girls all around, and so many executives here in North America were getting in trouble fooling around with the pretty girls that they worked with. Also, his father-in-law, who was the head of the company, would have his head on a platter for that kind of indiscretion, so his head turned to business.
He surmised that a pretty western girl who looked like a cheerleader would be a great presence at reception in their Toronto offices. He leaned over to the younger man sitting beside him, to the consternation of his main assistant, since it bucked protocol. But he was the boss, and the big boss’ son-in-law, so no one complained.
“Kenji, I want you to do something for me,” he requested of the younger man in Japanese. “After the meeting, go to personnel and find out who the receptionist was and get her transferred to our main office.”
“Hai, shachou! Yes, Mr. President!” he agreed enthusiastically, happy to be given a task by the highest-ranking person in their company here in Canada. After two hours of presentations from the local staff and pronouncements from the executives from Toronto, business was concluded and they group had an hour to spare before going to entertain their largest client in the area at a local Japanese restaurant and bar.
Kenji “Ken” Suzumura, took the opportunity to complete the task assigned. At 23, he was the youngest man at the table, and it was mostly men at the table. He knew that he was in a privileged position, and he understood that even this menial task meant that the boss trusted him.
Most Japanese salarymen would not have had the opportunity for a foreign posting this young, however Kenji had two things going for him. The first thing was that Mr. Sakai was his father’s sponsor in the company, so he took Kenji under his wing out of a sense of responsibility. The second was that Kenji’s father had also been assigned to the Toronto office in his younger days so Kenji had grown up partway in Toronto and was fluent in both English and Japanese and knew the ways of both Eastern and Western business practices – a perfect go-between for the mainly Japanese upper management here and the local staff and clients.
~ ~ ~
KENJI WALKED OVER to the HR manager’s cubicle, which was right by the mailroom where Karen was working away. He knocked on wall of the cubicle’s entranceway and the occupant turned to greet him. Before going in, Kenji looked at the nameplate on the door so he would know her name.
“Good morning, Doris, my name is Kenji Suzumura,” he offered his hand to the trim, middle-aged lady. She was a bit surprised since most of the expats wouldn’t generally be so forthcoming with a handshake initially – a slight nod maybe, a shallow bow, but not a handshake. This endeared him to her and she was happily willing to help. “I have a request from Mr. Sakai that I was hoping you could please help me with?”
“Of course, Mr. Suzumura,” she agreed, making sure to add the Mr. since the expats always seemed to stand on protocol. “How can I help you?”
“Please, call me Ken,” he smiled. It was then that Doris noticed he acted and spoke quite differently than the usual expats. For one, his English was very good, almost flawless. Secondly, he walked and held himself quite differently from the rest, in a looser, more confident way, and he seemed taller. “Mr. Sakai would like to know who was working the front desk when he arrived this morning.”
“Was there a problem?” Doris asked worried that she would have to let the cheerful and hardworking girl go.
“Not at all, Doris. Mr. Sakai would like for her to consider transferring to our Toronto office as our full-time receptionist,” he replied, reassuring the HR manager.
“Well, that’s good news. I’ll ask her,” Doris let Kenji know. “When would you like to know?”
“The sooner the better,’ Kenji replied. “Please call or text me when you know,” he requested. Doris nodded as Kenji thanked her and left.
~ ~ ~
“HI KAREN. WOULD you mind if we had a chat quickly?” Doris requested as she knocked on the open door to the mailroom.
“Sure Doris. Everything OK?” Karen asked, worried that she may have messed something up.
“Nothing bad, really,” Doris assured her. “Why don’t we have a seat here and chat?” Doris indicated a small meeting table after she checked if anyone else were around. “So, Karen, what’s your situation like here?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Karen said, confused by the question.
“Sorry, I mean, is there anything keeping you here in Waterloo? A husband? Boyfriend maybe?” Doris clarified. Karen thought for a moment.
“Nothing really. I have my daughter, and my mom and the church ladies help out watching her, but nothing tying me here. Why?”
“Well, seems like Mr. Sakai, that’s the older gentleman,” Karen nodded as Doris explained. “Well, he seems to think that you would do well as a receptionist at the Toronto office. Now that would come with a pay bump, but since you have a support system here…”
“That would be amazing! My sister works out of that office,” Karen exclaimed.
“That’s right,” Doris remembered. “She was the one who recommended you for this job. Would you be open to making the move?”
“Let me talk to my family, but I’ll let you know by…, say tomorrow?” Karen requested, thinking that being in Toronto would help her back on the acting track more so than in Waterloo.
“Alright,” Doris nodded, “but don’t wait too long. Let’s not keep management waiting,” she warned as she got up to return to her cubicle.
Karen went home later that day to let her parents know that she’d be moving to Toronto with the company. There really was no discussion to be had since this would get her one step closer to the entertainment industry. Her parents were happy to have her go, and arranged it so that what was left over of her education money went to her sister Katherine so she could find a larger apartment in the suburbs closer to the office.
Doris texted Kenji the next morning to let him know Karen had accepted.
~ ~ ~
TWO WEEKS LATER Karen and her daughter Christine moved in with a very put out Katherine. While she was happy to be closer to her niece, who was an absolute cutie, living with her sister was not as great. At nineteen Karen was still a child, who was meant to be responsible for a child. Not having gone through the same formative experiences as others she was not taking to the responsibility of reality well.
Although going through the motions of motherhood and adulthood perfunctorily, Karen still had her head in the clouds. She continued to have notions of going to acting school, of becoming a famous actress, and of reuniting with Bill and becoming a family.
Despite being dreamy and inattentive in other aspects of her life, Karen really did love her daughter, and she valued her new job. It paid quite a bit more than her mailroom gig, and the building management provided a daycare facility. It helped that being a receptionist in an image conscious company put her front and centre, and she thrived on the attention and the opportunity to put on a performance.
As a very pretty, nubile, shapely girl-next-door type, Karen got quite a bit of attention from most of the single, and a few of the less-than-single, men in the office. Karen practically preened whenever any of the more attractive men would stop by and spend a few minutes paying attention to her. Many would try to go on dates with her, but once they found out about her daughter, most would beg off.
One man who was very polite to her, but had not paid her any particular attention was the one that helped her land the job in the first place. That really puzzled Karen who, despite her inexperience and naivety, expected attention from the opposite sex. For Kenji’s part, it wasn’t that he didn’t find her attractive, or that he didn’t want to date her. Kenji focused on his career and on making sure he didn’t cause any embarrassment for his father, who was also an executive in the company, and for his mentor, Mr. Sakai.
A peculiarity of Japanese corporate culture is drinks with the boss, or a nomikai. In a team bonding exercise colleagues and the boss would get falling down drunk as a shared experience. Many times, the social lubrication would allow things kept internalized to be spoken out loud. While the spirit of the event followed the company to Canada, the excess did not, since it was frowned upon in current Western corporate circles.
This was how Kenji found himself in Mr. Sakai’s office with one or two other of his boss’ direct subordinates sharing in pours of expensive single malt scotch. As they drank, his boss signaled him closer to speak to him.
“Ken-kun,” he called over, adding an affectionate honorific, “Why are you so stiff with everyone?” Sam asked. “You’re too much like your father, too proper,” he continued as if not expecting an answer. “You should enjoy yourself while you’re here, enjoy the culture. Of all the junior executives, you are the one I can see taking over here in the future. The rest are too stuck in their ways. You grew up here, and you understand how things work,” Sam said as he finished his glass of scotch.
“Thank you for your confidence, Sakai-san,” Kenji nodded his head in a bow as he refilled his boss’ glass.
“Why don’t you ask out the new receptionist?” Sam continued. “I see you look at her. You like her, don’t you?”
“Yes, Sakai-san,” Kenji agreed.
“So then, what’s stopping you?”
“I don’t want to embarrass you or my father if something goes wrong. And she is a single mother,” Kenji hedged.
“This is what I mean, Ken-kun! Such a stick in the mud, just like your dad, although his is firmly up his ass!” Sam laughed. “Loosen up! Would it be so bad if you did get involved with her? I wouldn’t be embarrassed.”
“But how would it look to the company shachou? My family?” Kenji asked.
“You let me take care of that, my boy!” Sam enthused as he patted Kenji on the knee. “Now drink!” he urged as he filled his subordinate’s glass.
~ ~ ~
THE NEXT DAY found a few of the sales team gathered around the reception desk flirting with Karen, and she was gamely flirting right back. Kenji walked by and caught her eye, giving her a smile and a nod. Karen was caught off guard by the attention and froze in a half wave. She gave her eyes a quick few blinks and refocused on her chat with the sales guys.
Kenji went straight to his desk getting ready to take care of his supervisor’s requests for the morning. As he worked through the AM, his thoughts strayed back to Karen many times as he took his superior’s words to heart. After he caught up with the morning, he walked over to the now empty reception area.
“Hello Miss Fischer!”
“Hello Mr. Suzumura, how are you?” she replied as she stood and made a slight bow, recognizing the stature of his informal position, despite his relatively junior title.
“That’s alright Karen, no need to do that,” he waved at her to stop. “And thank you for asking. I’m doing well,” he replied. “I just wanted to come and see how you’ve been adjusting. How about we get some lunch and have a chat, say at 11:45?” making an excuse to have lunch with her.
“Sure Mr. Suzumura, that would be great! But I’ll have to be back by one o’clock.”
“Don’t worry about it, I’ll get someone to cover,” he assured her.
“OK then, I’ll see you at 11:45!” Karen replied cheerfully.
~ ~ ~
KENJI AND KAREN walked around the corner to a small deli and spent thirty minutes getting Kenji updated on how Karen was settling in and the next hour getting to know one another. By the end of lunch, they were “Ken” and “Karen”, and were communicating naturally.
Over the next few weeks Karen and Kenji lunched at least twice a week, sometimes thrice weekly, if Karen’s sister Katherine came along. Kenji got to know Karen and Katherine, and about their semi-rural upbringing on the outskirts of Waterloo – close enough to the city but in the middle of Mennonite country. He learned of their fairly conservative upbringing, but also of their dreams of the bigger world, particularly those of Karen.
He also learned of Karen’s daughter, Christine. He didn’t necessarily hear the details of her parentage, but gleaned that it was not in the plan. At the moment it was a minor detail that he filed away, not intending things to go beyond a friendship with the two women.
Karen and Katherine learned of Kenji’s solitary childhood as an only child to a busy Japanese salaryman. How his father, Ichiro, was quite typically a distant Asian father, seeing his role as provider, and working long hours, both at the office and drinking after hours, or golfing with clients and bosses at the weekend. When Kenji’s father was stationed in Canada for six years, Kenji was able to live the typical Canadian middle, and high school experience. His relationship with his mother, Akiko, was also distant, her traditional upbringing little preparing her for an increasingly Westernized son.
Upon his return to Japan though, Kenji found himself a bit of an outsider – not Japanese enough for his classmates – so his solitary existence continued. Kenji’s saving grace was his father’s boss, who saw the potential of children like him, having grown up in both worlds, to build the business internationally. So Kenji was sponsored to go to the best university in Japan, and to continue further studies abroad. During the summers he dedicated his vacations to grunt work for the company. That landed him a gig in the company’s international management trainee program, which suitably impressed the sisters.
~ ~ ~
“HEY KATIE, WHAT do you think about Kenji?” Karen asked one evening as they put Christine to bed.
“Well, he’s a really nice guy. Quiet for sure, but kind of confident. Why?” Katherine responded with her own query.
“I was just wondering if you were into him…,” Karen explained slowly, but rushed to finish her next statement. “‘Cause if you’re not then I’d like a shot at him even though you probably aren’t into him since you have a boyfriend and how would I even get him to ask me out and would you look after Chrissy for me and… and…,” Karen ran out of steam and flushed. “I mean he’s kind of cute, and he’d be a catch, his star’s on the rise at the company and such, ya’ know?” she shrugged sheepishly.
“Hey sis,” Katherine began with a small, tight-lipped smile that just didn’t reach her eyes. “Most of the expats here are only here for a while, you know?” Kare nodded. “So, he’s gonna be leaving at some point…,” Katherine explained to her sister. “That means that if you start dating, it would be temporary, at best.”
“Yeah, but that shouldn’t stop him from dating me for a while, right?” Karen rationalized.
“You said it yourself, his star is on the rise, which means they’ll expect him back in Japan, and that comes with expectations, including who he’s with,” Katherine continued to explain. “And what about Chrissy? It wouldn’t be fair for her to get to know him and then just have him disappear.”
“OK then, like I said, no strings! Why can’t I have some fun?” Karen pouted. Katherine just shrugged and shook her head as she went to pour herself a glass of wine.
~ ~ ~
OVER THE NEXT few weeks Karen and Kenji started seeing each other outside of work. Often it was a quick dinner after work whenever Kenji didn’t have obligations to socialize with his co-workers. On the odd weekend that he didn’t have to golf with clients or his boss, Kenji would take both Karen and Christine out to small excursions to Centre Island, or out to the Zoo, not that Christine would remember, but it would be a stretch to have Katherine watch the baby every time Karen was out.
In early September, Kenji was able to book a lodge an hour and a half north of the city right by a small lake. Since it had a few rooms, he was able to invite Karen, Katherine, Christine, and Katherine’s boyfriend to join him. Karen was excited. This would be the first time she could spend some time with Kenji that wasn’t just over a meal, or together with her daughter.
If Kenji was honest, he too was looking forward to the outing. It had been a while since he was with a woman, and he was hoping that they would have the opportunity to be intimate over the weekend.
The group left early Friday afternoon in two separate cars. Kenji, Karen, and Christine in one, and Katherine and her boyfriend, Robert, in the other. They arrived while the sun was still out and were able to unpack and get the grill and firepit going before sunset. While it was understood that Karen and Kenji would be sharing a room, and a bed, on this trip, unloading and unpacking were still quite an awkward experience.
Between Kenji’s natural reservedness and Karen’s relative inexperience the process was almost comical. It didn’t help that both Katherine and Robert were ribbing them the whole time.
“So… Karen, did you pack your naughty nighty?” Katherine would ask with a smirk.
“Hey Ken, so tonight’s going to be a ‘special’ night, eh?” Robert would say to Kenji with a sly smile and a nudge with the elbow. By the time it was bedtime, Karen and Kenji were both bundles of nerves.
They stood in front of each other by the bed, their hearts each beating so hard that they both thought the other could hear. Kenji’s hands shook as he drew Karen’s face to his and gave her a gentle kiss. A warmth bloomed within her as they kissed and it crept up her chest and neck. Kenji could feel himself rise as their lips came together and he could feel the plump softness of her bottom lip against his tongue.
Stepping back, he skinned off his shirt and stepped back as he caressed her shoulders. He looked into Karen’s eyes as she nodded her permission. Kenji reached down to unbutton her satin nightshirt, each button revealing creamy soft, pale skin. Kenji’s breath became shorter and his heart beat harder as he pushed the satin off Karen’s shoulders to reveal her breasts, pert and slightly larger with motherhood, her nipples hard with excitement. Grasping her hands, Kenji gazed at her tight, panty clad, nubile body and his breath hitched in his throat.
Kenji knelt to draw Karen’s panties down her shapely legs. He paused to marvel at her shaved pussy lips and the small tuft of blonde hair that she left on her mons, taking a deep breath of her scent, arousing but different from what he had experienced before.
Karen blushed at Kenji’s gaze, aware that her body had changed, even if those changes were imperceptible. Pregnancy gave her stretchmarks and wider hips; breastfeeding had taken their toll on her breasts. She may have exaggerated the impacts to her body in her mind but no matter how slight, the changes were still there.
Kenji didn’t see any of the imperfections, and if he did, he didn’t care. He gently set her down on the bed and lifted her legs so her knees were bent and her feet were on the mattress. He spread her thighs and inhaled deeply again, then lowered his head to her pussy. Kenji’s hot breath on her vulva shocked Karen out of her haze and she tried to scoot out of the way while pushing his head aside.
“Ken, don’t!” she exclaimed in embarrassment. “It’s dirty down there!” Kenji smiled up at her.
“Karen, have you ever had a man in your mouth before?” he asked her.
“I mean… well, yes, I guess…,” she admitted. “But that’s different. I’m supposed to do that!”
“Did you enjoy it?” he continued.
“Well, kind of, but not really…,” she revealed.
“OK then, I won’t ask you to do that to me if you don’t want to, but I quite enjoy doing this, so please let me?” he urged. Karen worried her lower lip and gave him a concerned look. “I don’t think it’s dirty at all. I just want to give you some pleasure.” She held his gaze and then nodded her head, relaxing and parting her knees for him.
Kenji smiled and lowered his head once more. Karen flinched as he gently touched her clit with the tip of his tongue, teasing it out from under the hood. Once engorged, he sucked the tiny button into his mouth, sending a bolt of pleasure straight to Karen’s centre, her nipples springing erect. He teased her vaginal opening with his finger, spreading her quickly flowing juices around her labia. When Karen flowered sufficiently, he gently inserted his finger into her and curved it forward to find her g-spot, stroking it as he continued to feast on her.
Pressure began to build in Karen’s gut with Kenji’s sustained efforts with his mouth and fingers. Her heart hammered in her chest as her breath became short and her thoughts became clouded. Karen came violently, points of light flashing behind her closed eyelids, her body shuddering, her stomach fluttering, her back arching off the bed, and her legs kicking and flopping about without control. She reached to grab a pillow but it was too far, so she grabbed the comforter just in time to bunch it up and bite on it as she released. Even with the comforter in her mouth a muffled, high-pitched squeal could be heard from the other parts of the cottage, eliciting applause from Katherine and Robert in the other room.
After a few moments, Karen’s body sagged back into the mattress, her eyes closed, her breathing deep. She opened her eyes and looked down to where Kenji’s eyes were looking into hers. She smiled weakly as she reached her arms between her knees, urging Kenji to come up. He crawled up onto the bed between her legs and her hands immediately drew his face down to hers. After swiping her essence off his face with her palm, they connected for a long, deep kiss.
“Ken, I… that was… oh my goodness… that was amazing!” Karen enthused breathlessly. “I’ve never felt like that before! I mean, I’ve had orgasms before, but not like THAT! And definitely not with another person!” Kenji smiled.
“Oh Karen, I have many more of those I can give you,” he offered. Karen held his face and looked deep into his eyes with entreaty.
“Kenji, please make love to me,” she pleaded. Kenji nodded gently with a small smile. He shucked his boxers and reached over to the nightstand for a condom, which he slipped on. As he slotted the head of his cock into her entrance, his hands felt how wet she was. He began to press forward and was enveloped into her very tight, very wet heat. After pausing for a moment, he began to move slowly, pistoning in short strokes and grinding his pubic bone into her clit.
Having just come off an orgasm, Karen found herself quickly building to another one. Making love to Kenji was very different from Bill fucking her. As he moved, he made sure to pay attention to her expressions and vocalizations. Both of them began to grunt and moan as Kenji’s efforts brought them closer to release. Karen encircled Kenji’s waist with her legs, locking her ankles above his buttocks and pulling him deeper into her. Kenji began to pump in earnest, looking into her eyes as they both began building to a climax.
Kenji, sensing that were both about to come, slammed his cock deep into her and released. Feeling him swell and pulse within her drove Karen over the edge into her own climax, as explosive as the last. All of a sudden Karen grabbed the back of Kenji’s neck and pulled him into another hard, deep kiss as her legs pulled him violently against her. Her squeals of ecstasy muffled against Kenji’s lips. Forehead to forehead, they were both breathing heavily, sweat drenching their faces.
“Oh my gosh!” Karen exclaimed after she caught her breath. “I didn’t know it could be like that!” Karen flung her arms around Kenji’s neck and peppered his face with kisses.
~ ~ ~
KAREN AND KENJI continued to see each other over the next few weeks, making love every chance they could. Kenji had also started becoming friendly with the Fischer sisters’ extended social network. It seemed that Kenji was beginning to integrate into the social fabric outside of work. This, however, was not meant to last.
What Katherine had warned her sister about came to pass. Kenji’s star truly was on the rise and in October he was recalled to Japan for further management training. Even though Kenji was upset that they would part, he held out hope that he would be transferred back. He took the news stoically, showing only the proper gratitude and resolve.
Meanwhile, Karen was sad that the opportunity to explore where the relationship could have gone was cut short. For a few weeks, she was downcast, but through the constant attention she got, she resumed socializing and dating.
Upon returning to Japan, Kenji threw himself into work, impressing his supervisor and upper management with his determination and commitment to the company. He did take the odd opportunity to casually connect with old classmates to satisfy his needs, but otherwise confined his socializing to company drinking or losing rounds of golf to clients and supervisors.
His parents, particularly his father, had heard through the company grapevine that their son wasn’t entirely discreet with his occasional dalliances. What was worse was that his father had heard from his old contacts in Toronto that his son had been enamoured of a gaijin girl, a foreigner, and he was scandalized. Kenji’s father determined to use his contacts to arrange a suitable match from a good family for his only son.
Months of omiai, or traditional arranged matchmaking sessions followed, to no avail. Kenji was not a very willing participant, but neither were the matches. Despite their respect for tradition, many of the younger generation had begun to move away from arranged matches and sought out love matches, or no matches at all. After multiple failures, Kenji’s parents gave up and projected it through quiet disapproval.
Professionally, Kenji went from strength to strength. As one of the first set of bi-cultural trainees, Kenji was set to make a move, and that happened just over a year after he returned to Japan. Sam’s head of client relations had tired of living abroad with his family and desired for his children to grow up Japanese, so took the next opportunity to transfer back. Kenji, having few significant ties to Japan, leapt at the opportunity to return, this time in a senior management position.
~ ~ ~
A WEEK BEFORE Kenji arrived back in Canada, Katherine, Karen, and Christine were driving back home. Katherine glanced over to Karen, who was fiddling with her new cell phone. Looking back to the slushy road she turned the radio down.
“Hey, you know about the vacant corner office on the second floor? You know, the one for the head of client relations?” Katherine asked her sister.
“Yeah, Mr. Sato’s office, right?” Karen answered the question, with a question, not looking up from her texting. “He really didn’t like it here, did he?”
“Yeah, he didn’t want his kids growing up here and his wife really missed home,” Katherine elaborated. “Did you hear who’s going to replace him?”
“Some hotshot from Japan I heard. It’s always some hotshot from Japan, isn’t it?”
“Well…,” Katherine started, glancing over to gauge how the next thing she said would land, “the hotshot filling the role… is Kenji…” Karen’s head shot up, her attention suddenly away from the phone.
“What? When did you hear? When’s he arriving?” Karen asked in a rush.
“Slow down Karen! He’s arriving next Thursday from Haneda so he’ll have the weekend to set up his place before reporting in on Monday,” Katherine replied. She looked over at her sister and saw her almost vibrating with excitement, then looked back at the road and shook her head.
~ ~ ~
KENJI WAITED UNTIL most of the passengers shuffled off towards the exit before standing up to get off the plane. Even though he got to fly in business class, given his executive rank, he still felt it would be a waste of energy to cram into the aisle impatiently to rush off the plane, only to have to wait for his luggage. After 12 hours, what was a few minutes more? Walking down the long concourse, his thoughts turned to all the things he needed to get done to settle back in and was happy that the company had assigned someone to give him a hand.
After going through immigration, picking up his bags, and going through customs, Kenji exited Arrivals, and searched the small crowd for a company representative. When he saw the sign with his name on it, he did a double take. He wasn’t sure if Karen was even still working for the company, and here she was picking him up at the airport!
He stopped in front of her after walking down the ramp with his cart. Karen executed a very proper bow. After he returned her bow with a shallower one, he looked at her face and on it was plastered a mischievous grin right under a sparkling set of eyes.
“Welcome back to Canada Suzumura-san, I hope you had a good flight,” she said teasingly. Kenji half snorted and half chuckled.
“C’mon Karen, let’s get going,” he got out before breaking out in laughter.
“Do you want to drive or do you want me to drive?” Karen asked as they walked through the parking structure companionably. Kenji looked at her questioningly. Karen shrugged and explained, “Your job comes with a company car, so I drove it down for you to use.” Kenji scrunched his nose and shook his head. “OK then, I’ll drive. I have the address programmed into the GPS anyway,” Karen nodded as she led the way to a dark blue Lexus sedan.
Karen drove along towards Kenji’s company-provided condo not too far from the office just north of mid-town. They chatted amicably about inconsequential things as Kenji looked out the window at the cold, grey, wintery scenery. Tokyo never really got like this.
When they arrived at the furnished, luxury condo and unloaded Kenji’s bags, Karen handed Kenji a set of keys for his unit and his car.
“OK Ken, we’ve got your paperwork in for your driver’s license and we have three months’ worth of health insurance set up until your public health kicks in. The fridge is stocked and the rest of your things should be arriving by this Saturday. Is there anything else you needed?” Karen asked with a smile. Kenji opened his mouth, then closed it, contemplating his next words. He shrugged and decided to go for it.
“If you’re not doing anything, would you like to grab coffee with me? Maybe dinner later?” he asked her. Karen beamed and nodded. “OK then, give me a moment to freshen up and we can hit the road.”
~ ~ ~
WHEN IT CAME to Karen and Kenji’s relationship, it was as if Kenji hadn’t left. They slipped back into the casual, but exclusive relationship they had over a year ago. While Kenji concentrated on settling into his new managerial role, Karen helped him reintegrate into Western life.
After a few months Karen and Kenji settled into a comfortable routine. Date nights happened once or twice weekly, with Karen and Christine spending the weekends at Kenji’s condo. Before long, Karen began hinting at moving in together with Kenji, but despite the ease of their relationship, it still wasn’t public knowledge. For propriety’s sake, moving in together with a single mother would have been frowned upon.
Even though Karen and Kenji tried to keep it a secret, Sam still knew what was going on. Sam had now taken over North American operations and spent half the month in their offices in the United States or Mexico, so relied on Kenji to keep things running smoothly in Toronto. Anything that upset the equilibrium of the operations required his intervention.
“My boy, how are things going with the new role?” he asked Kenji one day as they shared numerous drinks.
“Things are going well, shachou,” Ken replied, concerned that there were issues he wasn’t aware of. “The team has accepted my leadership, and we have been able to increase our client satisfaction over the last month.”
“That’s good Ken-kun, how are you settling back into Toronto?”
“As well as can be expected, Sakai-san,” Kenji equivocated.
“You know that the role will be a longer-term assignment. I was wondering if there was anyone in Japan you were planning to bring over?” Sam asked slyly, already knowing the answer.
“Well, shachou, there’s no one in Japan…”
“So, there’s someone here?” Sam continued, trying to draw out his protégé.
“You remember the receptionist, the one I was seeing the last time I was here?” Sam nodded at Kenji’s question. “Well, it’s getting serious, and she wants to move in together, but I’ve been trying to figure out a way to commit to this relationship while making it socially acceptable.”
“Is this a woman you could see as your partner for life?” Sam gently probed.
“Yes shachou, I could. But how do I get my parents to accept my choice? Especially with a daughter. I can’t just move in with her,” he explained.
“Ken-kun, you let me take care of that,” Sam advised, and he did.
~ ~ ~
AS WAS EXPECTED, Kenji’s father was not happy with his son’s choice of bride, and his mother was in a state of constant bewildered anxiety. Frequent calls ended in ultimatums and silent reproach, but no raised voices or emotional outbursts. Stoicism and saving face were paramount.
As promised, Sam stepped in to help. He met both Karen and her family and convinced them to allow him to be their representative to smooth ruffled feathers. As he was higher up the food-chain than Kenji’s father was in the company, Kenji’s boss, and technically Kenji’s father’s boss’ boss, his involvement as the matchmaker lent the whole affair an official seal of approval. This allowed the family to save face, smoothed things over corporately, and alleviated the Fischers’ concerns that their daughter’s indiscretion would doom her to a life of spinsterhood.
After all the back-end manoeuvering, and a quick trip to Waterloo for Kenji to ask Karen’s father for her hand, he sprung the question in late spring. At his father’s insistence, Kenji and Karen signed a prenup protecting the family’s assets in Japan and outlining other stipulations in the event of dissolution. By fall, Kenji and Karen had a small wedding at the family church in Waterloo, attended by many of Karen’s close family, Kenji’s small family, select friends, and company executives, including Sam, who took a place of honour as the facilitator of the relationship.
At two and a half, Christine acquired a stepfather, and the first constant male influence in her life. At 27, Kenji became a father figure to a toddler. Karen could not have appeared happier. At 21, she was married to an up and coming executive, her daughter was well behaved, her family couldn’t shame her anymore, and she was the centre of attention.
~ ~ ~
A FEW MONTHS after the wedding, Karen and Kenji purchased a small house in a suburb north of the office and moved out of the condo. Life settled into a nice routine for the newlyweds. Work for the Kenji, then corporate social obligations.
Karen settled into a life of a housewife and mother since it would have been improper to have one of the senior managers’ wives working at reception. Visits to Waterloo on long weekends to see Karen’s family, and occasional dinners with Katherine and Robert, who by now was her fiancé, took up the rest of the time.
Karen took the opportunity to get some more college credits when she wasn’t doing housework or taking care of Christine. By late spring Karen had convinced Kenji that going back to school would be a better use of her time. Kenji was smitten by his young bride so agreed to her pursuing the remaining two years of her BA in Performing Arts.
Kenji had grown up in a very traditional Japanese home so was not prepared for one where the husband shared in the household tasks, but he fell into it enthusiastically. At first, he found himself completely unprepared to care for a three-year-old girl, frequently calling Katherine, his mother, or his mother-in-law for advice when Karen was in class. Soon, Kenji was as much a contributor to running the household as Karen was.
Two years flew by for the small, blended family. Kenji’s responsibilities increased until he was the number two man in charge of Canadian operations, Sam having moved to the offices in the US. Karen had completed the coursework to earn her degree, and Christine had finished her first year in kindergarten.
“Ken, I’m so glad to be finished my degree!” Karen exclaimed at her convocation as Kenji embraced her tightly, Christine clinging to her stepfather’s leg. “None too soon too!”
“How come?” he asked her.
“I don’t know if I could handle classes if I was pregnant,” she declared into Kenji’s confused face. “Ken, I’m pregnant,” she explained after a few moments of silence while Kenji tried to piece together her hints. Once he did, he broke out into a smile.
“Looks like we’ll need a bigger place!” he chuckled as he lifted her off her feet and planted a big kiss on her lips.
~ ~ ~
SEVEN MONTHS, AND a move to a larger house a few blocks away later, Bradley Hideki Suzumura was born. Christine, at six years old, was eager to not be left out, insisted on a Japanese name too. Her insistence charmed Kenji’s mother and father who were visiting the birth of their first biological grandchild, and they gave her the name Megumi.
Since the new house was close to the local Japanese Cultural Centre, Kenji’s parents had suggested that Christine could take classes there, so she could understand the culture of her new family. Sundays found Kenji and Christine at the centre, with Christine in children’s Japanese classes, and then accompanying her stepfather to martial arts class after lunch. The time together served to create a bond that was somehow lacking earlier on.
With Bradley, Kenji was able to be a hands-on father, which confused some of the other expats in his group, who were used to their wives taking care of everything at home. Kenji quickly gained a reputation as a strange one. He didn’t neglect the clients, or the drinking, or the golf, which his job required, but he did spend more time with his family than most. That endeared him to the local staff, who were more used to the work life balance of the corporate West.
~ ~ ~
WHEN BRADLEY TURNED one, Karen decided to get back into the world of show business. Since she had little in the way of professional acting, she took the first job in entertainment that presented itself. Karen ended up as an assistant to a local casting agent, Janet Lee. Since Toronto was such a hub for television and film production for Hollywood and for the domestic TV market, Janet’s firm was busy.
Kenji found himself more involved in his home life, which puzzled his father and some of the other expat executives, but Kenji was relishing it. Being a mixed family did bring some odd looks and the rare visit from the police when “concerned citizens” would report an abduction on the occasions when the family was out without Karen. While irritating, the family took it in stride.
Home life became busier as both Kenji and Karen’s responsibilities increased at work. Sam’s father-in-law had retired so he was back in Japan, which required Kenji to take on more responsibility. Karen became more involved with casting as the firm increased their involvement in location scouting. It got so busy that the family ended up hiring a nanny to help at home. Amelia was a godsend and was like another mother to the children, having left her own family back home to work as a nanny in Canada.
Despite their hectic schedules, Kenji and Karen had an active sex life, but desiring to be in front of the camera, Karen did not want any more children so went on the pill. That didn’t bother Kenji much, who disliked condoms and was used to small families now being the norm in Japan.
Karen continued to audition whenever time permitted, and did book the occasional catalogue or infomercial, but most of her acting was confined to community theatre or helping at Christine’s school. Still in her twenties and in possession of her looks, Karen knew that her window to compete against younger actresses was closing.
When the opportunity to work with the local film authority to coordinate with others around Canada came up, Karen volunteered. That put her in the same room with other casting agents, show runners, and producers. More importantly, it meant frequent trips to Vancouver, which was the other major filming hub in Canada, and opportunities to coordinate her schedule to allow for additional auditions.
Kenji, and really, most of Karen’s family, couldn’t quite grasp her drive to become a professional actress. If she was honest about it, there were aspects she felt guilty about herself. She hid the true intentions of her trips to Vancouver from everyone. She would often find herself coming home late from a long local audition or being an extra on set to find her family asleep and dinner warming in the oven. Through it all, Kenji was supportive of what he knew about, considering it fair since she was also supportive of his career.
~ ~ ~
KAREN HAD BEEN making the trip to Vancouver now for two years, with little success. This trip was important because a few pilots were casting roles for streaming services. Her agent was able to get her an audition for a lead role in a new science fiction show for the end of the week. It would be a stretch as she was a virtual unknown as a performer, but a good move to get her face out there.
After all her meetings ended on the Tuesday, Karen extended her stay for the rest of the week, anticipating three days of back-to-back casting calls. Having booked out of the pricey hotel that the conference was in, she found herself in an Airbnb in the suburbs just west of downtown which, thankfully, had good wifi and a separate entrance. As she was sitting down with takeout the video call tone started ringing on her phone. She answered and saw it was her youngest.
“Hi sweetie! How are you?” she answered, happy to see her son’s chubby face onscreen. “It’s like nine o’clock there. How come you’re still up?”
“I’m scared! I can’t sleep! Daddy checked the closet and Amelia checked the closet, but they’re old and can’t see good. You’re less old than them. Could you check too?” he asked her. Karen laughed.
“Sure sweetie,” she replied. Bradley walked the phone to his closet, turned on the flashlight, and swept the camera back and forth. “I don’t see any monsters either baby. You’ll be safe. Get Daddy or Amelia to leave the door open and plug in a nightlight, OK?”
“OK Mommy, I miss you,” he blew his mother a kiss and dropped the phone on the bed and ran to get his father. A wave of guilt washed over Karen, her conflicting emotions squeezing at her chest. Movement on the screen snapped her out of her funk as she saw her husband’s face fill the screen.
“Sorry Karen, our boy seems to have figured out how to work these things before even I do. How have your meetings been?” he asked her.
“They’ve been going well, just tiring, you know?” she smiled at the lens. “It gets so repetitive sometimes. It got so boring I begged off dinner with them and just got takeout. How are the kids doing?”
“Well, they’re both missing you. Thank goodness that Amelia’s around though. She makes sure that things are running smoothly. I miss you too. Looking forward to you coming home,” he said to her, triggering another bout of guilt and longing.
“I miss you all too. Give them both a kiss for me, OK?” she requested. She blew her own kiss at the screen and signed off. With a heavy sigh, she sat staring out the window rationalizing that if acting was what would make her happy, then she could bring that happiness back to their home.
~ ~ ~
THE NEXT FEW days of auditions we fruitless. The roles were too minor to justify flying back and forth to Vancouver. In any event, the roles went to actors that fit the roles better. Friday was the big day though. It was for the lead in a sci-fi show, and despite the fact that she knew she wouldn’t get it, nerves still gripped at Karen. Early Friday morning, she was sitting in the waiting room of the casting office, fidgeting in her seat and working through her vocalization exercises.
“Karen Fischer!” an assistant yelled out to the room. Karen shot to her feet.
“Here!” she announced, as if attendance was being called. The assistant led her to room and introduced the casting director, producer, director, and head writer of the show. She shook their hands in turn and was happy to see they had her head shots and a list of her credits in front of them.
“Good morning, Karen,” the casting director greeted her. “I see you’re in the casting line yourself, so you know how this goes. We’ll be having you read with someone else this morning, just to see how you interact with another performer,” she explained. “Let me introduce you to Brock Chambers. He’ll be one of the actors on the cast, but we haven’t settled on a role for him yet.”
The casting director indicated to someone behind Karen. She hadn’t noticed the other person when she entered the room but turned to greet the other performer, only to be shocked at who was sitting behind her. The name was Brock, but if you had asked her who that was, she would have answered Bill Davis!
She froze for an imperceptible moment, long enough for Bill, or Brock now, to reach her and shake her hand. Karen realized her mouth was agape and quickly closed it. Brock did recognize her and smiled slightly as they shook hands. A quick clap of hands from the table and a call to begin started the process and a half hour later the audition was finished.
“Thank you, Karen, we’ll be in touch,” was all she heard from the casting director. Karen was sure she didn’t get the part, but was happy for the experience. Brock followed her out for a moment before the next audition.
“Karen, it’s so great to see you! How have you been?” Brock asked, giving Karen a big smile. Karen could have given him grief for leaving her pregnant, for all the misfortunes he left in his wake, for the daughter he didn’t know or care about, but his smile all but erased the last eleven years. He was older and more masculine, but it was as if Karen was transported back to her eighteenth summer again. “How about we grab lunch?” It was all Karen could do to nod. He gave her his number, directions to a café nearby, and a time to meet.
Karen wandered around the neighbourhood, window shopping, until it was time to meet Brock for lunch. She walked into the café and found a booth near the back. Brock walked in a few minutes later and greeted a few people before coming to stop at the booth where he gave Karen a hug.
“Wow babe, you look great!” he exclaimed as he looked her up and down. Karen shivered with pride as she basked in his appreciation. “So, what have you been up to?”
After ordering, Karen gave him the abbreviated version of her life from the time he left to the time they saw each other that morning. The story came out matter of factly with the only regret that her acting career had been curtailed. Brock was surprised that she decided to have the baby, but more surprised that she wasn’t angry with him.
“Bill… er, Brock, why did you leave?” she asked. “We could have been a family,” she continued, her tone more longing that reproach. Brock took a deep breath and sat back, trying to remember the excuses he gave some of the other women along the way.
“Well, y’see, acting is a tough game. How long have you been auditioning?” he asked her.
“Two years now, here in Vancouver, and constantly back in Toronto,” was the reply.
“So, you know how tough it is.” Karen nodded in agreement. “An actor has a window, you know. And mine was closing as a young heartthrob, but I stuck to it and focused my energy to ONLY acting, and look where I am now! I’m a successful actor!” Brock boasted as he spread his arms. What he neglected to mention to her was that outside of his steady gig at a dinner revue and the few guest roles he picked up every year, Brock relied on lonely, rich, older women to keep him in the appearance of a successful actor.
Knowing the truth wouldn’t have mattered. Karen had stars in her eyes. Brock regaled her with inflated stories of his achievements, and Karen couldn’t get enough. She could already see herself being a successful actor, just like Brock had become.
After a few hours, they agreed to see each other again the next time that Karen was in town. After paying for both their meals, Karen left for her Airbnb, and then a red-eye home to Toronto. All through the rest of the day, Karen was vibrating with excitement, so much so that she couldn’t get a wink of sleep on the plane and crashed as soon as she arrived home.
Seeing how beat she was, Kenji gathered the children up and went to the Cultural Centre for their classes, and then for some burgers.
~ ~ ~
A FEW MONTHS later, Karen’s boss, Janet, got her a lead on an audition for a recurring guest spot on a show that would coincide with her next trip out west. Karen’s excitement was palpable. Even Kenji, who was usually not as emotionally observant noticed.
“You seem very excited about this trip, hon,” he noted as she was packing for the four-night stay.
“I’m always excited about trips out west, sweetie,” she replied. “This trip might be quite significant, though,” she continued, worrying her lip with guilt at continuing to keep her west coast auditions from her family.
“OK then, have fun out there. We’ll make sure the house doesn’t blow up while you’re gone,” he said, kissing her on the temple and heading down to the den to watch some television.
Karen wondered why she was keeping these auditions from her family. It’s not like they didn’t know she wanted to return to acting, and they saw the schedule she kept when she was in town – auditions, call backs, extra work, and some local advertising. So why was she so worried about them finding out she was auditioning in Vancouver?
Karen shrugged, putting the stray thought away for another day. It wasn’t like Kenji had noticed her guilty behaviour. She finished packing up and went out to the back yard for some fresh air. She pulled out her phone and sent a text to Brock.
[Hey, all set for dinner Tuesday night?]
Karen worried her lip again, waiting for the response.
[looking fwd to it!]
[will giv u tips for ur audition]
Karen set her phone down and sighed. She felt guilty that she had been texting with Brock over the last few months. It felt wrong, but she couldn’t help it. He was her constant connection to that world, and she craved it. And, if she were honest with herself, she still felt drawn to him, even after he had abandoned her and their child. She picked up her phone and sent her reply.
[Text u when I’m done meetings on Tuesday]
~ ~ ~
TUESDAY’S MEETING ENDED early and handshakes all around were performed quickly, the attendees looking to get some leisure time in before heading to their respective destinations. This gave Karen just enough time to check out of her hotel, drop her bags off at the Airbnb and head to a sushi bar on Robson Street to meet with Brock.
He stood as she entered and found him seated at the bar. Reaching up with one arm to encircle his neck, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He pulled back and gave her a look from head to toe, which sent shivers up her spine.
“You’re looking great Karen! I hope hubby knows what a stunning wife he has!” Brock complimented her.
“Oh you!” Karen giggled as she slapped him on the arm.
“So, when’s your audition?” he asked her.
“It’s for tomorrow afternoon.”
“What’s the project?” he pressed.
“It’s some sort of wilderness period project for, like, a women’s cable channel, or something,” she answered, feigning disinterest, but feeling every nervous butterfly in her gut.
“Want me to help you with your lines,” he grinned with a waggle of his eyebrows.
“Jeez Louise Brock! That’s so cliché!” she laughed. “Next you’ll be leading me to the casting couch!” In an instant Karen realized what just came out of her mouth and she blushed deeply. “Let’s order,” she said, changing the topic quickly.
After a lively dinner, which Karen paid for, again, Brock looked at Karen and made an earnest offer. Brock did earnest well; it was one of his best emotions. “So, I was serious about helping you. How about we head back to your place and run some lines?” Eager for some “experienced” guidance, Karen quickly agreed.
~ ~ ~
BACK AT KAREN’S Airbnb, Brock and Karen did, in actuality, run lines for Karen’s audition next afternoon. What Brock hoped for, and Karen didn’t count on, was the emotional connection that the process would build between them. After a particular passage had them breathing heavily and looking deep into each other’s eyes, Brock reached out and caressed Karen’s cheek with his fingertips. Letting out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, Karen closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.
Taking this as an invitation, Brock leaned in and held his lips just a whisper away from her’s, his breath tickling her cheek. Karen opened her eyes and closed the distance, tasting Brock’s lips. Brock deepened the kiss, teasing her lips with his tongue, pulling Karen to him. Karen returned his fervor, pressing her body against his arousal, allowing his tongue access to her mouth, her core dripping with her excitement.
Untucking her blouse from her skirt, Brock brushed his hand up the soft skin of her firm stomach to the cups of her bra. His thumb teasing the hardened nipple through the lace of the flimsy material. Brock dragged his lips down her throat as Karen’s breath grew shorter.
Suddenly, the ringing of Karen’s phone broke through the haze of her excitement. It took two or three rings for it to register with her. Once it did, Karen snapped out of her fog and pushed Brock away, quickly grabbing her phone and answering. As she touched the button, a dread filled her stomach as she realized how her disheveled state could be interpreted.
“Mommy,” she heard coming from her little boy’s voice over the video chat. Karen experienced a huge wave of guilt but breathed a huge sigh of relief, realizing the bullet that she had just dodged. “I can’t sleep!” he complained, while he rubbed his eyes.
“Aw, baby, what’s wrong?” she asked as she brushed her fingers through her hair. Brock handed her a tissue off camera and she wiped her mouth of smeared lipstick. “Wait, aren’t you supposed to be asleep?”
“I couldn’t sleep Mommy! So, I went and got Daddy’s other phone…,” Bradley trailed off realizing he could be in trouble.
“That’s OK baby. Can you hold on? Mommy has to take care of something.”
“OK Mommy!” Bradley agreed. Karen muted the phone and turned to Brock.
“Listen Brock, I’ve got to take care of this right now, but we shouldn’t have let this get too far. I’m married, and I don’t plan to be a cheater. I think maybe you should leave,” she told him.
“OK Karen. I’m sorry. Would you please call me after the audition?” he requested. Karen though for a moment, then nodded reluctantly.
“OK baby, what can Mommy do?” Karen asked, risking a side glance at Brock’s retreating back.
~ ~ ~
KAREN FELT SURE that she aced her audition. The reception she received was more positive than in any other audition. Promises of further contact buoyed her confidence. Riding a high, she immediately texted Brock to meet for coffee, not yet prepared to share her news with her family.
“Oh my God, Brock! I think I got the part!” she crowed as she hugged him at the café later on. “This is so exciting!”
“That’s great news Karen!” Brock enthused along with her. “So, this’ll be your first TV role?” he asked.
“Yeah, it is! I’m so excited!” she repeated. “I’ve gotta calm down though, the part hasn’t come through yet…,” she said, pressing her palm to her chest, taking deep breaths. Brock’s eyes immediately followed her motion.
“So, what are you thinking if you get the part?” her asked. “Will you move here?”
“I don’t think so…, it’s too early,” she mused. “Think I could stay with you while I’m here?”
“Ah…, let’s discuss that when you get the part,” he smiled, thinking his latest matron may not be so thrilled with him moving another woman into the house.
“Sure Brock, sure!” Karen agreed, not letting anything bring her down from her high. After her coffee, she caught a cab to the airport for another red-eye.
~ ~ ~
KAREN WAS ON pins and needles the next few days. Kenji, Christine, and Amelia noticed her agitation. At breakfast a few days after, Kenji broached the subject.
“Hon, you seem on edge. Everything OK?” he asked her.
“Nothing really Ken, just waiting on confirmation for some projects. You know how it is,” she replied, waiting to share her good news if it came.
“OK then sweetie. You let me know if there’s anything I can do. Have a good day!” he wished her. Karen smiled and gave a distracted nod as Kenji kissed her on the cheek.
A few hours later, Karen got the call she was waiting for. She had gotten the part! With a hoot of triumph that brought her co-workers out of their cubicles, she did a little happy dance at her desk. Good news must travel fast because she got a call from her agent, Lauren Bright. Any other time, she would have to wait on hold or leave a message.
“Congrats Karen! The casting director just called with the details. You’ll need to fly out in two months for a three-week stint in some backwater in BC,” she announced. “Great job!”
“Why thanks Laura,” Karen said, “I’ll make the arrangements with work and my fam.”
“Cool, cool, Karen,” Lauren agreed, distractedly. “You know, seems like you’d have more success auditioning in BC, than TO. Ever think about moving there?”
“I’ve got my family here Laura, and my day job,” Karen explained.
“OK Karen, if you want to succeed in this business you have to take some risks. I’m sure your boss could have you do some work out there, maybe drop the family while you’re making a name for yourself. You can always come back to them when you’re a star. They’ll appreciate it, and who doesn’t like a reconciliation story? Makes you more human!” she suggested nonchalantly. “Being single just makes it easier to do what you need to do to get the parts, if you know what I mean.”
Karen definitely knew what she meant. “#Metoo” meant “#metoo, if you’re caught,” but the practice would always survive. In fact, she’d had offers herself when she was doing the castings.
“I love my family, Laura, but I’ll think about it,” she offered, just to get the conversation over with.
“Alright superstar, think about it. Talk later!”
The first thing Karen did was text Brock.
[I got the part! :D]
Karen stared at the three dots […] while Brock formulated his response. It took a while but it came through.
[congrats! knew yud get it. see u here in 2 mos.]
Karen then texted a summary of what her agent suggested, asking for some advice. She waited again for his response.
[shes not wrong u kno]
[had my share of that]
[think abt it]
Karen sighed, the idea beginning to burrow into her head. In her estimation two experienced voices from the industry couldn’t be wrong. The next step would be to tell Kenji about her activities of late and arrange for time off, which she did right away.
~ ~ ~
“KEN, HAVE A minute?” Karen approached him later that night after dinner.
“Sure hon. For you? Always,” he said, setting aside his paperwork.
“I got a guest role for five episodes on a TV show!” she announced.
“That’s amazing sweetie! I knew you’d land something. When’s it shooting?” he asked as he hugged her.
“Well, that’s the thing,” she said as she worried bottom lip, “It’s near Vancouver, and I’d have to be there for three weeks.” Kenji frowned sightly and furrowed his brow at Karen’s announcement.
“I didn’t know you were auditioning in BC. Is that why your business trips over there are always so long?” he asked her.
“Yes, but it’s not like I’m doing anything different! I’m just auditioning there like I am here,” she explained. “Anyway, it’s not like you don’t take long business trips either!”
“True, but it’s all business for me! And then I rush home to spend time with the family,” he countered.
“Well, it IS business for me. MY business, Ken! You KNEW when we married that this was my dream. I NEED this.”
“Well Karen, I’m happy for you, but I’m not happy that you kept this from us. I thought we discussed major things together,” Kenji shook his head. “What’s done is done. I guess you’ll have to go,” he said as he returned to his work.
Karen felt a mixture of anger, guilt, and frustration. This should have been a triumph for her. She couldn’t understand why her husband couldn’t be more supportive. She left the room in a huff and called the one man who would know the struggle and be supportive.
~ ~ ~
TWO MONTHS LATER Karen found herself exactly where she was meant to be, doing the thing she was meant to do. Despite all the hardships that came with filming on a smaller budget in a rural setting, in hot, heavy, period costumes, Karen thrived. She called home when she was able, but schedules just wouldn’t mesh. Torn between elation and guilt she sought out the one friend she had in the area.
Brock drove up from Vancouver to watch her film for a day, thankful for the time away from his latest benefactress, who was getting too clingy. He watched, feeling the jealousy pull at him at her success, believing himself more worthy. He also hoped that he would be able to play on her constant need for attention to bed her. Brock wasn’t the best actor, but he was a master manipulator.
Brock played the sympathetic ear, always understanding her point of view. He questioned why her husband wasn’t more supportive, how her family didn’t understand her passion for acting, and how success required sacrifices. Slowly, he was creating an “us against them” mentality, the “creatives” against the “normals”, and Karen bought into the belonging.
Brock waved at Karen, who smiled at him and walked over to leaned into him. “Hi Brock,” she said in a low voice, her lips near his ear. Mainly to keep the set quiet, but it also let her to feel naughty. “I’m glad you could make it.”
“Happy to be here,” he said to her, giving her a grin. “How about we go for a walk, y’know, to let them film in peace.” They both took a stroll over to craft services and grabbed coffees and walked around an empty area of the makeshift mining town.
“Thanks again for coming up Brock. I really am glad you made it up,” Karen repeated. “It’s been so hard, you know? Leving on not the best terms, and I feel guilty not being around for my kids.”
“Why should you feel guilty Karen? Isn’t it your husband’s turn to support what you want to do?” he prompted her, continuing his subtle, but constant tearing down of her husband.
“Well…, but Ken, he is usually supportive, and he’s almost always with the kids when he’s not working…,” she responded uncomfortable, guilty that her defense of her husband wasn’t firmer. “But you’re right. It’s my time now,” she declared, sucking in a deep breath and squaring her shoulders.
After Karen finished off the day of filming, they ended up seated at a table in the town’s only pub. After a few drinks Brock broached the topic that he had been laying the groundwork for over the last two months. “You remember what your agent mentioned a few months ago?”
“There was a lot of things she was throwing at me. Which one?”
“The thing about dedication to your career,” he started, circling his main point. “She had a point, y’know?”
“I guess she did,” Karen agreed, reluctantly. “But why so drastic?”
“It’s not as drastic as you think,” he began his pitch, knowing a lot of it was probably bullshit. “Being single helps the fantasy that you’re available. And it gives you the time and freedom to focus on auditions,” he continued. “What’s more, it’ll let you move to Vancouver, where you’ve had better luck. You think your husband would move his family out for that?”
“I don’t think he would. He wouldn’t be able to make the same kind of living. He’s been with his company for so long…”
“So, you see, you have to cut ties and focus on you!” Brock declared; arms wide open.
“But my kids…,”
“Your kids have a father,” Brock cut her off. “A father who can support them. And I hate to break it to you. You’re not getting younger. They’ll be able to smell ‘mommy’ on you from a mile away and all you’ll ever get cast as is a supporting soccer mom. Do you want that?”
“Well…, no. Not really,” Karen continued, swaying to his way of thinking once again. Then Brock went in for the kill.
“And think about it. Because of the way things work here in Canada, you’ll get half of everything AND alimony, so you don’t have to worry about working while you pursue your dream!” Dollar signs danced in his head as he said it, hoping to at last latch on to a younger sugar momma.
“I’m gonna have to sit with this Brock,” Karen murmured, deep in thought. “Maybe you should head back. I’ve got some thinking to do.”
“OK Karen. But don’t think too long. Your window is closing,” Brock warned as he stood up and kissed her cheek. Karen sat at the table a while longer in thought, only realizing she was stuck with the bill when she went to leave.
~ ~ ~
KAREN FINISHED FILMING a few days later and she headed back to Vancouver a few hours before her flight. She made sure to give herself enough time to grab a quick lunch with Brock before checking in.
“So, did you think about what our last chat?’ he asked.
“I did…,” she started slowly. “But it’s so drastic! Why a divorce? We could just live separately,” she tried to provide an alternative.
“You could, but in that case, he could cut you off. This way, you get half of everything while you’re establishing yourself. And if it doesn’t work out, you could always go back. He’ll always take you back,” Brock said, giving her an out. “You said he wasn’t the most supportive of your career. And that he has such a nobody personality that he would never say no to getting back with you.” Karen winced at Brock’s characterization of her husband and their relationship.
“He had been supportive,” she began to defend her husband “but, this time he wasn’t very happy about how he found out…”
“What happens when you get more parts here? Or if you become more successful and have to spend more time away? What then?”
“There’s no guarantee of that. I guess we’ll just have to see. I gotta go Brock. I have to check in,” Karen said, making her excuses as she stood and kissed Brock on the cheek, dropped fifty on the table, and left to find a taxi.
Brock smirked, knowing he was getting to her. He settled the bill with her fifty and took all the change.
~ ~ ~
ONE WEEK AFTER Karen had returned, she operated in a bit of a haze. Elated at her first real professional acting job, but also preoccupied by what could come next. Her family noticed that she wasn’t quite herself, and Kenji broached the subject a few times. “I’m fine, Ken. Just decompressing and coming back to reality,” would be her standard response, followed by a tiny sigh, a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, and a small shake of her head.
“Alright Karen. Let me know if there’s anything I can do,” would be his standard response. Kenji figured she would let him know if there was anything he could do to help. In the ensuing weeks, things returned to a semblance of normal at the Suzumura house.
Two months after getting back from BC, Karen got a call in the middle of her day. It was her agent, and she was excited.
“Karen, Karen! I just got a call from the show. They want you to be a recurring guest! That means at least half the episodes!” Laura explained. Her agency wasn’t a large one, dealing in catalogue models, extras, and local advertising, so having an actress recurring on a television series was a big deal. “They want you back in BC in two months’ time! This time for at least four months. Think about it, you could even become a regular next season!”
Karen’s head was spinning. She was extremely excited, but all her anxieties returned. “That’s great news, Laura! When do I need to let them know?” she asked tentatively.
“Sweetheart! What a question to ask! You let them know now! And you let the know yes!”
“But I’ve got to tell Ken, and let Janet know…,” Karen began her excuses.
“Listen Karen, shots like this don’t come often. I’ll deal with Janet. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to have a real, live, professional TV actress working for her. And I’ll send you the name of my divorce attorney. He handled my last two,” Laura explained. “Remember what I said about your career and being single…,” Laura let that hang for a second. “Let me know by tomorrow. I’ll let Janet know.”
~ ~ ~
THE DAY AFTER, Karen sat in the offices of Jacob Arthur, one of the preeminent divorce lawyers in Toronto, with the fees to match. She was nervous, fidgeting with the clasp of her designer clutch while she waited for her appointment.
“Mrs. Fischer-Suzumura?” a well put together lady, about Karen’s age, inquired as she looked straight at her. Karen stood. “I’m Mr. Arthur’s assistant, would you follow me, please?” she indicated that Karen should follow her into a conference room where Jacob was waiting.
“Mrs. Fischer-Suzumura! Very glad to meet you,” he greeted as he shook her hand. “Please, have a seat. So, Mrs. Fischer-Suzumura…”
“Please, call me Karen, my last name is a mouthful,” she offered, smiling nervously.
“OK then. Would you mind if Amanda sat in with us to take notes?” he asked. Karen nodded her agreement. “Alright then Karen. Ms. Bright gave us a brief rundown of the situation. What is it you would like for us to help you with?”
“Well…,” Karen began “I haven’t really had a chance to think it through. I’m pretty sure I would like to start divorce proceedings…”
“Karen, if I may say so, you sound a bit unsure. Far be it from me to turn business away, but divorce is a very serious thing. It’s not something easily undone,” Jacob warned. “There are those that marry and divorce often, and there are those that are just not happy in their marriages, and then there are those that want to move on with someone else. Why do you want to do this?”
“It’s… I’ve been… It’s like this. I’m an actress, or at least I want to be. I’ve been married for about nine years now, but I guess it’s just been convenient,” Karen continued, now on a roll. “Yes, my life isn’t hard, and my family isn’t bad. My husband pretty much lets me do my thing, supports me and our children financially, and we share childcare duties pretty evenly…” Karen trailed off when a small amount of guilt crept in as she fibbed about taking care of the children. Between Kenji and their nanny, Karen really hadn’t had to shoulder much of the hard work.
“And you find this unsatisfactory somehow?” Jacob prompted.
“It’s not unsatisfactory, per se, it’s just that it doesn’t suit what I’m trying to achieve with my life now,” she explained, elaborating about her career goals and a providing a description of what Laura and Brock had suggested how her life should be. “… and that’s why I think divorcing my husband is the best option.”
“Well, it’s not the best reason I’ve heard, but it’s not the worse. And at least it’s honest,” Jacob admitted. “So what would you want out of this?”
“A friend had told me that I’d get half and alimony, so that’s what I would need.”
“OK then, I have a few questions,” Jacob began. “Do you have a pre-nuptial agreement?”
“Yes.”
“And do you have children?”
“One of my own, and one with Kenji,” Karen replied.
“Next question, and be honest with yourself, do you want custody?” he asked. Karen then hesitated.
“I… well…,” she waffled. “I know I’m supposed to say yes…”
“No judgement here Karen. We’re looking to give you the best outcome possible for you.”
“OK then, it would be convenient if I don’t get custody,” she admitted, a weight suddenly coming off her shoulders. “This is gonna sound awful but, my daughter was unplanned and I was a very young mother, so I didn’t get to experience life the way it’s usually supposed to go,” she explained. “And having my son was just something that I thought I needed to do,” she continued. “Being married means you should have kids, right?” she looked for reactions in the room, but both Jacob and Amanda’s faces were neutral. “Don’t get me wrong, I love them both, I just don’t know if I could be a full-time mom, y’know?”
“And what’s your timeline like, Karen?” Jacob asked.
“As soon as possible. I’m planning to relocate to BC and focus on my career in a few months, and with as little cost as possible.”
“Alright, well then. Let’s start the paperwork, and we’ll have to get a copy of the prenup. Just so you know, you will have to go through a separation period of a year before the divorce is final, but we use that time to work through the details of custody and division of property,” Jacob explained. “But for all intents and purposes, you will have terminated your relationship with your husband.”
~ ~ ~
IT TOOK A few weeks for the paperwork to be finalized. The first Saturday following, Karen arranged a playdate for both Christine and Bradley. Amelia usually had the weekends off. Karen woke early and brewed some coffee, preparing herself for the confrontation to come. She had asked Kenji not to book any golf today since she had something she wanted to discuss with him.
“Morning sweetie! Do I smell coffee?” he asked as he came down to the kitchen.
“Yeah, Ken. Why don’t you sit down? I’ll get you a cup,” she offered with a smile. Kenji sat down as she brought him a steaming cup of coffee. Karen sat back down and cupped her mug as she stared at a space to her left.
“Ken, I’ve got something I need to tell you,” she said quietly, almost like she was ashamed.
“Sure hon. You know you can tell me anything,” Ken offered after a sip of his coffee.
“It’s… ah… I don’t know how to say this…,” Karen began haltingly, turning to stare at a space on the table between them.
“What is it, Karen?” Kenji asked, worried now that bad news was coming from the tone of Karen’s voice and her body language. Karen took a deep breath, pulled her shoulders back and looked Kenji in the eye.
“I’ve filed for a divorce Ken,” Karen told her husband.
Ken’s shoulder’s slumped as he felt the blood drain from his face. His heart sank down to his stomach and he felt the tingle of pins and needles begin around his mouth. He struggled with getting the words out through his pursed lips as he felt them tremble.
“What about the kids?” he asked.
“Ken, I’m not taking the kids away. I just need to move on with my own life. I have so much I want to do,” Karen explained.
“Couldn’t you do that and keep our family together?” Karen shook her head at his question.
“I wish I could Ken, I really do, but this whole family thing wasn’t something I wanted for a while. My daughter’s gonna be a teenager in a couple of years, Ken! I’ve got to do what I want to do with my life before it’s too late!” she tried making him understand.
“So, what’s the last nine years been about then Karen? You suffering through something you didn’t want? Did you even love the kids? Our life? Me?” Ken asked. Karen looked down at her hands for a moment, silent. She looked back up at Ken with tears in her eyes, knowing what she was going to say would hurt him.
“I’ve grown to care deeply for you Ken, but I don’t think I was ever in love with you. It was just comfortable, y’know…,” Karen went silent again, tears now flowing freely. “And I do love our kids, it’s just…, I don’t love being a mom, the responsibility, the baggage…, and you’re so good with it that I thought…, if I left most of it to you and Amelia, that I would feel different, but I was wrong.”