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realized.
    “You’ll need to hurry to get there,” I said sotto voce to the Journal reader, deciding he had to be the brains of the bunch. “I’m Rei Shimura, by the way. I hope you were comfortable. I’m sorry I wasn’t here in the morning—”
    “You’re Hugh’s chick. I recall from last night,” he answered in a broad accent that Hugh had taught me was North London. “I’m Nate. And the digs are great, yah? Love the wooden chest over there—is it from Japan?”
    As I answered Nate in the affirmative, Angus interrupted me. “We don’t have to rush anywhere, Rei. People anticipate our arrival. They schedule around us.”
    I couldn’t help smiling. “Is that so?”
    “Yah. In fact, when we go to Japan next month, the promoters told us just to get ourselves there, and then they’d arrange the shows. They already arranged our visas—it’s bloody brilliant.”
    “You’ll be going to Japan?” It struck me as ironic that Angus had free access to the country, his visas arranged by Japanese music promoters, while I had to creep in through the back door.
    “Of course! You know we’ve been signed to a label there, don’t you?”
    “I didn’t!” This was major news. I wondered if Hugh had heard.
    “We’ve got an Asian tour in the works,” said Nate, who’d stood up and was starting to get dressed, pulling on black jeans. “Taiwan and also Singapore.”
    “Angus, I’m embarrassed I didn’t know all this! You’ll have to tell me more after you get back from Towson. I don’t want you to be late.”
    “Right, well, we’ll be talking about this on the radio show. Do you think you’ll be able to hear and tape it?”
    “It might be too far—”
    “You can listen on the web,” Keiffer said, emerging from the bathroom. I noticed that the blond drummer’s hair, which he’d apparently been working on so hard, still looked as if he’d just rolled out of bed.
    “Keiffer, if you’d like a private place to dress, try Hugh’s and my room,” I suggested quickly, when I saw him pick up a pair of red bikini briefs from the dining area. The boys’ underwear styles appeared to be as diverse as their onstage attire.
    “Shug’s still there, in a rather bad way.” Keiffer made a face.
    “What?” I shot a glance at the bedroom door with the DO NOT DISTURB sign I’d tacked up when I’d left Chika there, sleeping, a few hours earlier.
    “Relax, Rei, he’s there by himself,” Angus cackled, as if he’d read my mind. “Chika got up a while ago, woke us all with cups of green tea, actually. Totally gorgeous, that cousin of yours. Why didn’t you introduce me when I was in Japan before?”
    “Chika was away at school,” I said, even though it had been summer when Angus was around. I had done everything to keep my Japanese relatives from learning about the decadent young troublemaker in my apartment. “So where is Chika, then?”
    “She wanted to see the neighborhood, so she went with Sridhar to get the van. She’s attending our gig as well.”
    “Sounds like a good time.” The apartment would be empty for a few key hours, hours that I would use to broach the subject of my return to Japan with Hugh.
    They left thirty minutes later, fully dressed and teeth brushed, after I gave out spare toothbrushes to the ones who’d forgotten. I should be a mother, I thought wistfully, as I watched out the window as they recklessly crossed Mintwood Place, oblivious of the delivery truck that had to brake for their passage. Who did they think they were, the Beatles crossing Abbey Road? They’d kill themselves before the end of the day.
    Only Chika waited demurely in her pink pleather coat at the curb, and looked both ways as she crossed. I found myself hoping that she would be the driver.
    I turned away from the living room window and cracked open the bedroom door to check on Hugh. The room was dark, the curtains were drawn, and a foul smell lingered in the air.
    “Still feeling awful?” I asked as I