Sammy in Japan (Single Wide Female Travels #8) Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  A note from the author

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

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  Other Titles

  Legal Notice

  Single Wide Female Travels

  (Book 8)

  Sammy in Japan

  By

  Lillianna Blake

  Copyright © 2016 Lillianna Blake

  Cover design by Beetiful Book Covers

  All rights reserved.

  LilliannaBlake.com

  Dear Reader,

  The Single Wide Female and B.I.G. Girls Club books are written for every woman out there who has struggled with their weight, self-esteem and any number of issues that we all face as we work to become the best versions of ourselves that we can be.

  They are meant to be light-hearted and fun, but I do hope that they will inspire you—to REALLY live your life to the fullest, loving yourself completely as you do so.

  You might prefer to get to know Sammy in the Single Wide Female: The Bucket List series first. You can pick up that first book for free here:

  #1 Learn Pole Dancing

  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R334AE4

  If you enjoy Sammy in Japan, I’d appreciate it if you would take a moment to leave an honest review.

  And…

  ** I have a FREE book for you! **

  Wanna know what inspired Sammy to write her bucket list? Visit my website below and get your complimentary copy of “Sammy’s Big Plan!”

  LilliannaBlake.com

  Enjoy!

  Sincerely,

  Lillianna

  P.S. Also be sure to see the previews following this page for introductions to additional series by Lillianna Blake.

  Chapter 1

  After arriving at the Narita airport, Max and I waited to board a train to the city center in Tokyo. It didn’t take long for me to recognize just how different Japan was going to be from Bali. The crowds at the airport and the train station reminded me of the busiest times in New York City.

  Max gripped my hand tight and looked over at me. “Don’t let go. I don’t want to lose you in this crowd.”

  “I doubt that you could.” I laughed as I surveyed the people around me. Most were petite—in weight and height. Even though the train station was crowded, I thought Max’s anxiety was a little overstated. How busy could it get?

  It wasn’t until the train rolled into the station that I realized what he meant. The station filled up with even more people, and there was a definite crush of the crowd to get to the train. Max’s hand on mine was so tight that I might have complained if it weren’t for the circumstances. With our luggage strapped over our shoulders, we were an even larger mass that everyone attempted to get around.

  Max managed to get a foot in the door of one of the train cars, but that was as far as he could go. The people in front of him were not moving and the people behind us were still moving forward.

  I took a deep breath and tried not to panic at the sensation of being closed in from all sides. Even though the crowd was massive, I didn’t see anyone shoving or pushing. People didn’t seem to be shouting at one another.

  Finally the crowd in front of Max shifted and he managed to step all the way onto the train. As I attempted to get my foot inside, the doors began to close.

  “Sammy! Hurry up!” Max tugged at my arm.

  I wanted to, but there was nowhere for me to go.

  Max tried to wedge himself against the wall of the train to give me some more room to get in, but there still wasn’t enough space.

  “Max, I can’t fit. There’s just no room.”

  “It’s okay, we’ll wait for the next train.” Max let go of my hand in an attempt to make his way back off the train. However, the small space he’d made for me was now filled by someone else getting on the train and he was trapped behind them.

  The doors slid shut before he could reach them.

  “Max!” My heart raced as I met his eyes through the window of the train. It was my first time in Japan and I had no idea what I was doing.

  As Max whirred past me he held up his cell phone. I nodded and rummaged in my bag for mine. I backed up a few steps as I did, to avoid the rush of the train. Just as I got my cell phone out of my bag, I bumped into someone behind me and my phone flew right out of my hand. I heard it clatter to the ground, but all I saw were shoes and boots. “No, no, not my phone!”

  I groaned and wondered what I was going to do next. My phone had all the information about the hotel and my contact in Japan on it. I didn’t speak a single word of Japanese. How was I going to get anywhere?

  Then I heard it—my ringtone. It was the incessant chirping of a bird. I thought it was cute when I’d put it on the phone, but as I heard it ring over and over again in the crowd, I noticed some annoyed expressions.

  “I’m so sorry—that’s my phone—I dropped it—I’m just trying to find it.” I edged my way through the crowd. Many people smiled and nodded at me, but none seemed to understand that I was looking for my phone.

  I followed the sound of the chirps but the din of the crowd made it difficult to place exactly where it was. What if the phone stopped ringing? I would never find it again. I started to panic and the panic that rushed through me caused me to feel dizzy. The last thing I wanted to do was lose it in the middle of a huge crowd.

  “Is this yours?” A man, who didn’t appear to be Japanese, held my phone out to me with a small smile.

  I was relieved to see my phone and also to be talking to someone who also spoke English. When I met his eyes I noticed the shimmer of amusement in them.

  “Yes, thank you so much.” I took the phone from him.

  “Don’t worry. You’ll get used to this. It was overwhelming to me at first too. I’ve spent a lot of time here for business and the crowds still stun me, but they’re not so scary anymore.”

  “My husband got on the train—and I didn’t.” I sighed.

  “Oh, he’s going to be in trouble, isn’t he?” He laughed. “If you head for that section over there, it’s usually less crowded and you’ll be able to talk on your phone.” He pointed to a small alcove off to the side of the main track. “Just take your time getting over there and hold on tight to that phone.”

  “Thanks for your help. It’s very kind of you.”

  “It may be easy to get lost in the crowd here, but there’s always someone willing to help.” He nodded to me, then joined in the wave of people that rushed toward the next train.

  I fought my way against the flow until I reached the less crowded alcove. As soon as I was there, my phone began to chirp again. I answered it right away.

  “Max, I’m sorry.”

  “Y
ou’re sorry? I practically abandoned you. I tried to get off the train.”

  “I know you did. It’s not your fault. I have no idea what to do, though. Should I get on the next train?”

  “No. Just stay where you are. I’m going to come back to get you.”

  “Are you sure you want to do that?”

  “Yes, I don’t want to risk us getting any further from one another. Just stay there and I’ll get on the first train back to you. I’ll call you when I get to the station.”

  “Okay, see you soon, Max.” I hung up the phone and found an empty spot on a bench to sit.

  Chapter 2

  As much as I wanted to be able to hop on a train and meet Max, I knew he was right and the best plan was to stay put. While I waited, I did one of my favorite things—I people watched.

  There was such a mixture of styles in the people before me. While some dressed in suits and ties, others dressed in brighter casual clothing and some even seemed to be dressed up for a costume party. The biggest difference I noticed was how polite people were. Yes, it was crowded, but the crowd was orderly and patient.

  I noticed a few people seemed to be staring at me. I was sure that I looked rather strange because of my size—and my bright orange blouse. I’d wanted to wear something nice for my first day in Japan, but now I felt a bit like a traffic cone. I laughed. At least it would be easy for Max to spot me.

  When my phone buzzed, I glanced down at the screen to see that I had an e-mail from my Tokyo contact, Yuki. It confirmed our lunch date. I glanced at my watch and winced. Were we going to make it in time?

  I thought about asking her to push it back, but I didn’t want to give her a bad impression. Here I was stranded in the first hour since I’d arrived in Japan—not off to a great start by any standards.

  After a few more minutes my cell phone rang again. I was excited to see that it was Max.

  “I’m here, but I don’t see you. Where are you?”

  I looked through the sea of people and tried to describe my location. “You can’t miss me. Look for my bright orange shirt.”

  “I don’t see you.”

  I stood up on the bench and waved my hands in the air.

  A few people laughed at the sight, some even snapped pictures, but I didn’t care. I wanted Max to find me.

  “Can you see me now?”

  “No, I’m sorry. It’s so crowded in here, I don’t see you anywhere.”

  “Okay, I’ll walk toward the train.”

  “No, stay right where you are. Here, I’m going to try something. See if you can hear me.”

  From the middle of the crowd I heard someone shout.

  “Marco!”

  “Max, was that you? Did you just say Marco?”

  “Yes, so you can hear me. We’re close to one another.”

  “Polo!” I waved my hands in the air and jumped up and down on the bench. “Polo, Max! Polo!”

  This drew plenty of attention, more laughter, and a lot of phones pointed in my direction.

  “Marco!” Max shout was closer this time.

  “Polo! Over here, Max, over here!” I jumped as high as I could, excited that he might find me, but without thought to whether I would land safely. My heels caught the edge of the bench on the way down and I started to fall.

  Just as I was about to hit the ground, Max’s arms wrapped around me. We both stumbled for a moment, but managed to avoid injury.

  “There you are.” He grinned and kissed my cheek.

  “How could you miss me?” I laughed.

  “You blended in.” He pointed to the orange paint on the wall behind me.

  I hadn’t even noticed it. “Oops. Sorry.”

  “No problem. It was the best treasure hunt I’ve ever been on.” He winked at me.

  I wrapped my hand tight around his. “Let’s stick together this time.”

  “Here.” One of the women who had been pointing a camera in my direction gestured to get our attention. She grabbed Max’s hand without explanation. I was tempted to ask what she was doing, but she didn’t give me a chance to as she tugged Max along, and he in turn tugged me along.

  Without hesitation, the woman weaved her way through the forest of people until we were at the edge of the platform.

  It was a little too close for comfort for me. I hung on tight to Max’s hand.

  As soon as the doors opened, the woman tugged us inside. We were soon pressed against the back wall of the train.

  “Thank you.” I smiled at the woman. She nodded and smiled back, then disappeared further down the train.

  I leaned my head against Max’s shoulder as the train shot off to our destination. The sudden speed made me a little dizzy, but it was nothing compared to the jolt of the stops as we grew closer to the city center.

  Max continued to grasp my hand as we made our way off the train and into yet another crowded train station. Long gone was the casual feel of Bali.

  When we emerged from the station there was yet another crowd waiting for us on the sidewalk, but this time I barely noticed it as I was dazzled by the large screens, towering buildings, and flashing lights. Even in the daytime, Tokyo was a lot to take in. I couldn’t imagine the way that it must glow and buzz at night.

  “Do we have time to go to the hotel before we meet Yuki?” Max adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder.

  I glanced at my watch. “I think so, but we’ll be cutting it close.”

  “Why don’t I just take the bags to the hotel and you can head off to meet her, then?”

  “I don’t know.” I looked at the crowds and the large city before me. “I got lost in the train station, Max.”

  “You didn’t get lost. I shouldn’t have gotten on the train without you. I’m sure you can handle it, no problem. Now, the likelihood of me finding the hotel…” He grinned. “That might be a bit more of a risk.”

  “Let’s make sure we keep in touch with each other. I won’t drop my phone this time.”

  “Good plan. There’s a taxi stand right over there.”

  He guided me toward it. The line was long, but moving quickly.

  “This is a bit different from hailing a taxi in the city.” I watched as the long line of taxis rolled past.

  “Could you imagine if all these people were hailing taxis? It would be chaos.”

  “Yes, it would be. I’m glad this is an option. Plus it gives me time to return e-mails.” I shot an e-mail back to Yuki telling her that I would be on time for our lunch meeting.

  When it was our turn, Max pointed to the next taxi. “You take this one, I’ll take the next. Remember to show the driver the name of the restaurant. I’ll meet you back at the hotel.”

  “Okay, see you there.” I reached for the door but it opened automatically before I could grasp the handle.

  I laughed and slid inside.

  Chapter 3

  I showed the driver the name of the restaurant on my phone and he nodded. A few minutes later we were in gridlock traffic. I glanced nervously at the time on my phone. I really didn’t want to be late. It was easy to see on my GPS that the restaurant was only a few minutes away. But with the slow crawl of the traffic I guessed that it would take another twenty minutes to actually reach the restaurant.

  “I think I’ll get out here.” I handed him the fare then waited until it was safe to get out of the taxi.

  When I reached the sidewalk, I was swept up in a large flow of pedestrians. I had no choice but to match their pace, which was a little too swift for me. I underestimated how difficult it would be for me to recognize the restaurant when I saw it. The further I walked, the more I worried that I might have already passed it. My GPS was not much help, as it had a hard time translating driving directions into walking directions.

  I tried to make my way to the side of the crowd so I could get an idea of where I was. As I did, I bumped into a young woman.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “Samantha?” She smiled at me.

  I smiled bac
k. She didn’t look much older than fourteen. “Yes, my name is Samantha. How do you know me?” I really had to hand it to Max—he’d been doing a great job with my exposure online lately.

  “I’m Yuki.” She grinned and thrust her hand out toward me.

  I took it in a mild shake as my mind spun. “Yuki? You own the bookstore?”

  “Yes. Well—actually, my mother does. But she doesn’t speak much English, so I’ll be your contact while you’re here in Tokyo.”

  “Oh, wonderful. I’m so glad I bumped into you. I was looking for the restaurant and couldn’t find it.”

  “It’s right here.” She gestured to the door beside her. “I just arrived myself. There was more traffic than I expected.”

  “Me too.” I laughed as she opened the door.

  When we stepped inside, the sudden quiet of the restaurant was a relief from the congestion outside. There were only a few tables occupied.

  “I wanted to find a place that was quiet enough for us to talk. I’m friends with the chef. He will make us a good meal.”

  “Great, I’m starving.”

  We sat down together at one of the tables. I couldn’t help but stare at Yuki. She seemed far too young not to be in school. “So, you don’t mind doing this for your mother?”

  “No, not at all. One day I’ll own the bookstore, so it gives me good experience. Plus, I’m a big fan of yours.”

  “Oh?” I smiled. “Have you read my books?”

  “Yes, I’m really enjoying the characters—especially Zara. I’m not sure how you keep coming up with such relatable characters. And your blog is quite popular here as well.” She grinned.

  “I’m glad. I’m not always sure if my writing reaches younger readers.”

  “Younger?” She laughed. “I guess twenty-four is still considered young somewhere.”