Sushi for One? Read Online Free PDF Page A

at Saturday’s Red Egg and Ginger party.
    Until then, she’d stick to him like gum on his shoe.
    “Hey, Kin-Mun. Jill.”
    “Lex, I was asking Kin-Mun if he’d play with us at the Vegas tournament in a few months. Can you play, too? No one sets him like you do.”
    Lex shrugged. “Sure, I’ll play. Email me.”
    “Let me check my work schedule first.” Kin-Mun’s unusually deep voice growled in the noisy gym. Lex had to move in to hear him better.
    “No prob. Thanks, guys.” Jill drifted away.
    “I hope I can play.” Kin-Mun sat down to tug off his volleyball shoes. “’Cuz then Jill can set me instead of you.” He roared with laughter.
    “Very funny. I’ll tell her you like your sets low and tight to the net so the blocker will stuff it down your face.”
    “Aw, you’re so mean.” He rose and picked up his bag.
    Excellent. Maybe she could hustle him out of the gym early. “Going out to eat?” Lex started ambling toward the door.
    “Yeah . . . Where’s my ball?” Kin-Mun wove his way toward the folded-up bleachers, examining balls lying on the floor.
    Lex went to the other side and helped him search. Anything to get him out to his car faster. She spotted the faded blue Sharpie graphic he’d drawn over the “Tachikara” emblem. “Here it is.”
    “Thanks.” Kin-Mun put the ball into his bag, then dropped back down to the floor to stretch.
    Stretch?!
    Lex could have a cow or just be patient for once. She dropped to the floor next to him.
    They were a little removed from the other players, out of earshot if she spoke low. “Hey, Kin-Mun — ”
    “Hi guys.” Robyn walked up to them. “Will you buy magazine subscriptions for my son’s fundraiser?”
    Another interruption. She’d never ask him out at this rate. “Sure.” Lex fumbled in her bag for her purse. The faster she paid Robyn, the faster she’d leave them.
    “Kin-Mun?” Robyn gave him a coaxing grin.
    “Uh . . . sure.” Kin-Mun searched through his bag for his wallet.
    Robyn handed Lex the tattered flipcard listing the magazines. Lex barely glanced at them. “ Golf .”
    Kin-Mun gave her an adoringly confused look. “You don’t like playing golf.”
    “I like keeping up with the sport. And I already have ESPN and Sports Illustrated .” She handed Robyn some cash.
    Kin-Mun scanned the magazine listings with agonizing slowness. His methodical nature really annoyed her sometimes. Like now. Sometime this century . . .
    “ Entrepreneur .”
    “You don’t invest.”
    “I’d like to.” He handed Robyn the card and his money.
    “Thanks, you guys.” Robyn finally left.
    “So, Kin-Mun — ”
    “Unca Kin-Mun!”
    The screech came only a millisecond before a three-year-old hurtled in between them. Lex caught a flailing hand across her eyes. “Oof!”
    A burning sensation crawled across her eyeballs. She squeezed her lids shut, and the pain radiated laterally to the corners. What did that brat — er, child have on his hands?
    “Oh, buddy, your hands are all sticky.” Kin-Mun’s jovial voice spoke through Lex’s dark pain.
    “Oh-jay.” The boy giggled like he’d made a joke worthy of Sesame Street.
    Tears finally welled and gushed out. The burning eased. Lex rubbed at her eyes.
    “Go back to Mommy.” Kin-Mun gave him a pat on his well-diapered bottom as the toddler stumbled away.
    “So, Kin-Mun — ”
    With a fluid motion, he hoisted his lanky frame to his feet. “You going out to eat with everybody?” He turned toward the door.
    Kin-Mun didn’t even wait for her as he walked out. Lex swallowed her ire as she stood up, grabbed her bag, and followed behind him.
    Well, at least he held the door open for her as they exited the gym.
    Other players walked beside, in front, and behind them as they all made their way to the parking lot.
    “Do you know where we’re going to eat tonight?” Kin-Mun dodged a branch that had fallen onto the sidewalk.
    Lex shrugged. “Probably the usual.”
    “I’m getting tired of