Chapter 7
It was raining as if there was a tear in the sky. The pitch black surroundings were illuminated with irregular bursts of lightning, followed by a deafening thunderclap. Yi Jeong leaned forward with his eyes squinted, trying to make out the road. He had been visiting the proposed site for Woo Sung's Natural History museum. Because of an accident, the highway was closed on the way back and he was forced to take a detour. He must have taken a wrong turn somewhere and had ended up completely lost. There was no sign of civilization anywhere, no lampposts and he appeared to be out of the cell phone's tower range. He cursed softly as he tried to discern something… anything, when his eyes spotted the tail lamps of a car. The emergency blinkers were on and the car seemed to be parked on the side of the street. Someone was standing by the car, waving their arms to get his attention. He slowed down and pulled next to the car. Someone was obviously in trouble and maybe they could help each other out.
He put his car in park as the person bent down and knocked on the passenger window. He rolled down the glass and to his surprise, annoyance and mild embarrassment, he found himself staring at the wet face of Chu Ga Eul.
"You?" she screeched.
"Yes, me," he let his irritation show, "What's wrong?"
She sighed, "I have a flat."
"And your spare tire?"
Ga Eul looked a little uncomfortable and mumbled, "I don't know how to change a tire."
"Never mind that, get in," Yi Jeong snapped, "You're getting drenched. Your car can be towed in the morning."
Ga Eul shook her head, "I'm not getting in any confined space with you."
Yi Jeong felt a stab of exasperation, "I don't bite Ga Eul, now get in or I swear I'm going to pack you in the trunk!"
She had opened her mouth to protest but just then a particularly bright ribbon of lightning streaked across the sky with a resounding thunder. That took all the fight out of her and she said in a low voice, "Let me grab my stuff."
He nodded wondering just how uncomfortable the ride was going to be. He didn't have time to dwell on it for long because Ga Eul had just settled on to the passenger's seat. He got a hankie out of his inner pocket and handed it to her, "It's not much, but at least you can dry your hands and face."
Wordlessly she took it from him, keeping her eyes averted. Which was just as well, he was already having a hard time trying to banish the image of her wet body from his mind. He forced his eyes on the road and tried to keep his voice calm, "What were you doing in the middle of nowhere?"
"I had gone to visit the fishing farms."
Yi Jeong raised an eyebrow, "Here?"
She sounded calm and assured of what she was saying, "Yes. The farms have to be away from civilization. Fishes thrive away from pollutants."
Yi Jeong nodded, "But you were standing in a road that has no lights or any human settlement and you stopped a car not knowing who it is. I could've been a serial killer or a rapist for all you knew."
"I have a gun," she replied stoically.
He almost choked, "Seriously?"
She nodded, "I'm a fantastic shot. I never miss my target."
"Remind me never to piss you off," he joked.
Ga Eul scowled, "Too late. You already have."
"So are you going to kill me for that?"
She smiled in a particularly nasty way, "No. How will I have the satisfaction of seeing you frustrated and smarting over your loss if I kill you?"
Yi Jeong bit his lip contemplatively, "Sounds like you've already planned your next move?"
Her laugh gave him a very uncomfortable feeling, "I've already made my move Yi Jeong, you'll see soon."
At that he made the mistake of looking at her. She had undone her hair and was running her fingers through it in an attempt to dry them. Her cheeks had become pink in the cold. She must've been in the rain for a while because her makeup had washed away and she looked innocent and untouched. Being a producer, he was well aware of the changes that makeup could bring about on a person's face. But the woman sitting next to him was a natural beauty. She didn't need cosmetics to enhance her soft features or her porcelain skin. Sitting there, dressed simply in pale pink button down shirt (that was clinging to her wet body in a very…. No don't even think about that!), black jeans and sneakers, she was more beautiful than any one he had ever laid his eyes on. A tendril of wet hair was lying on her breast, drawing his eyes to it. He could make out the outline of her pink bra and the effect was disastrous.
"Eyes on the road So Yi Jeong," Ga Eul said tonelessly.
If Yi Jeong had even a semblance of decency in him, he'd have been embarrassed. But no, this infuriating man merely grinned shamelessly, "Or what? You'll shoot me?"
Seriously, how thick was his skin? Did he have a layer of blubber beneath his human looking skin? "I'm too young to die," she retorted in a droll voice, "And I certainly don't fancy having 'driver missed an oncoming car because he was checking the deceased out' as the cause of death on my death certificate."
Yi Jeong burst out laughing. It was the first time she had heard him laugh genuinely. It was a warm, affable sound and momentarily Ga Eul forgot who it belonged to as she felt her own lips twitch in a smile. Although she would never admit it to anyone, she had actually felt a warmth wash over her as his eyes had raked over her. His normally inscrutable mask had slipped and Ga Eul had seen naked desire on his face. The gooseflesh that had broken all over her had nothing to with the cold.
The realization that he was headed in the wrong direction snapped her to the present, "You have no idea where you're going, do you?"
Yi Jeong had the grace to look sheepish, "No. I'm hopelessly lost."
Ga Eul smiled, "Good."
He smirked in a devious way, "If I didn't know better Ga Eul, I'd say you're happy that we're lost and get to spend more time with each other."
Ga Eul gave a tired sigh, "I'm drenched, cold and not really feeling too great, so I'd appreciate if you kept your smart ass comments to yourself. And we're not lost, you are. I happen to know exactly where we are. I said good because now I don't owe you any favors. You gave me a lift and I'll show you the way home thus we're even."
Yi Jeong nodded, "Yes, so now you can go back to loathing me in peace."
"Precisely. Now take the next left."
Thanks to Ga Eul's directions, he had managed to get back to familiar roads. As soon as they had reached the highway, Ga Eul had closed her eyes and slumped on the seat. Since there had been almost an hour before they could reach Seoul, Yi Jeong had let her sleep. But now that they were entering Seoul, he needed her to get up and tell him where to go because he had no idea where her house was.
"Ga Eul," he called gently.
No response. He called her name yet again, a little louder this time. Same result. The coat he had given her to cover herself, both from the cold and from his roving eyes had slipped a little. Taking advantage of the creeping traffic he touched her shoulder to wake her up but jerked his hand back in surprise. She was burning up! Tentatively he touched her cheeks to reconfirm and yup, she felt like she was on fire.
"Shit, what do I do now?"
He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, trying to decide what to do. As he saw it, he had three options. He could take her to the hospital or take her to his home or to his parent's home. He shot down the second option almost as soon as it came to his mind. He didn't want her to be in his house and not just for the obvious reasons. He didn't want to take responsibility of Chu Ga Eul. That was also the reason why he decided not to take her to the hospital as well. Not to mention that hospital was a very public place and the last thing he needed was to let people's imagination run wild upon seeing him bringing in a drenched Chu Ga Eul.
Therefore the only logical choice in his mind was to take her to his parent's home. His mother knew her mother and the two women could arrange something between themselves and as an added bonus, Ga Eul would be off his hair. His mind made up, he drove off.
Kyung Mi was sitting in the living room, reading a book when suddenly her son walked in with a woman in his arms. Yi Jeong had never brought a girl home and hence seeing him carry one in bridal style into the So mansion was shocking to say the least. It was then that she saw who the girl was and a small smile played on her lips. This was the woman Kyung Mi had set her sights on as her future daughter-in-law and if Yi Jeong was carrying her in his arms like this, it only helped her plans.
"Stop smiling and help me," Yi Jeong muttered, "This is not what you think."
"You're carrying a girl in your arms," Kyung Mi answered, "What else am I supposed to think?"
Yi Jeong rolled his eyes, "Maybe you could stop seeing what you want to see and notice that the said girl has passed out?"
That spurred Kyung Mi into action and she walked up to the duo. One look at Ga Eul's flushed face and she knew that she was sick. "Bring her to the guest room in ground floor."
She led them to the said room and Yi Jeong gently lowered her on the bed.
"What happened to her? Where did you find her?" Kyung Mi asked anxiously.
"She was stranded in the rain, I gave her a lift," he answered, "You can take it over from here?"
"I'll call her mother, wait here," Kyung Mi rushed out of the room leaving Yi Jeong with Ga Eul.
Fantastic! Now he was in a room alone with the woman whom he both hated and lusted after. Holding her unconscious body so close had led to an unwanted complication and he certainly didn't want his mother to spot his very obvious arousal. It didn't help that the sheets on the bed were black satin. And now he didn't even have traffic to keep him distracted. Ah, screw it! He wasn't going to stand vigil over her. He had done more than anyone else in his place would have done. He grabbed his coat, draped a sheet on top of her and started to walk out when a soft moan reached his ears, fueling his fantasies even further.
She's sick you asshole! He shook his head and walked out, with his coat held firmly in front.
"Yes he practically ran out," Kyung Mi was saying, "I guess he didn't want to stay alone with her?"
Jin Iseul laughed softly, "That can only mean that he's interested. Thank you Kyung Mi, I'll come and pick her up in sometime."
"Don't be silly," Kyung Mi said, "She's sick. I'll give her some medicines and take care of her. She needs to rest after all."
"How can I ever thank you?"
Kyung Mi smiled, "Nonsense. Just get your daughter married to my son, that's all I want."
Jin Iseul laughed again, "That's exactly what I want too. In fact I have an idea."
Ga Eul was toying with her fork. She asked herself, perhaps for the nth time as to what she was doing here. Just how on earth did her mother manage to bully her into doing things, she had no idea. Once again Ga Eul had succumbed in front of her mother's tears, despite knowing full well that the older woman used them to manipulate her. Jin Iseul had been trying very hard for a while to get her daughter married and now, in the latest attempt at match making, she had persuaded Ga Eul to go and meet some random man at a lounge for a meeting (she refused to call it a date) arranged by the two mothers. Thankfully the booth that the two older women had booked was a private one and therefore, thankfully, the awkward meeting was going to be away from the public eye.
A while later, the curtain of the booth was pushed aside by the maître d who told her that her guest had arrived. She turned to find herself looking at So Yi Jeong who rolled his eyes upon seeing her. He settled on the seat facing her and waited for the maître d to leave.
He broke the silence with a exasperated sigh, "I was right, you ARE like mold. I just can't get rid of you, can I?"
Mold? Ga Eul gritted her teeth, "What the… Look here I had no idea that it was you that my mother had set me up with otherwise…"
"Believe me, I had no idea you were here either. Otherwise I wouldn't have come here. I guess you caught my mother's fancy when you were at her place."
She sighed, "Your mother is a lovely woman and she took good care of me. Too bad her genes didn't pass on to her only son."
A strange closed expression came on to his face, "I'm willing to bet you have no desire to be here at this moment?"
"Gee, what gave it away?"
Ignoring her jibe Yi Jeong stood up, "Since neither of us wants to be here, we shouldn't sit here and waste our time. I'm leaving. You can do whatever you want to."
He dumped some bills on the table and Ga Eul stood up, equally annoyed. Without waiting for Yi Jeong, she stormed out of the booth. Her mother had a few questions to answer to. The livid duo walked out of the lounge in complete silence. As they were descending the stairs, Ga Eul missed a step and tripped. Instinctively Yi Jeong's arm shot out and he grabbed her elbow, preventing her from tumbling down. A sharp jolt of electricity passed down her arm and Ga Eul looked up at him, wondering what was it that was drawing her to him?
She was about to say something when a bright flash distracted her. She felt Yi Jeong's fingers dig deeper into her skin and saw his jaw harden. Confused she turned her head and gasped. There in front of them, stood the paparazzi.
"Mr. So we've heard from unidentified sources that you and Miss Chu are having an affair, is it true?" one man asked.
"What?" Ga Eul snapped completely flustered, "What rubbish!"
Yi Jeong had his wits about him and answered in a calm, albeit cold voice, "No. Your informer is wrong."
"What are you both doing here then?" another woman asked.
"That is none of your business," Ga Eul answered. She pried her elbow from Yi Jeong's hand and started down the stairs.
"Any plans of getting married any time soon, Miss Chu?" The first man asked her.
"No," she bit out.
The woman had moved closer to Yi Jeong, "Mr. So, we've heard that this isn't your first date and that the two of you have been on dates before. If you're not having an affair, why are you both out on dates?"
Enraged and horrified at the turn of events, Ga Eul looked back at Yi Jeong who was regarding the woman in a look she had come to identify as wrathful. The woman was about to get the full blast of the ruthless man that So Yi Jeong was and for a fleeting moment, Ga Eul felt a stab of sympathy for the reporter which was quickly quelled. "I see," Yi Jeong said conversationally, "What is your name?"
"Lee Dam Bi," the reporter answered.
"Lee Dam Bi, I'll say this once and for all, there is absolutely nothing going on between Miss Chu Ga Eul and me. Our meetings thus far have been strictly professional," he said smoothly, "Now if you'll excuse us."
Ga Eul was completely confused. She knew that he was angry but he had been perfectly polite and courteous with the woman. What was going on? He walked up to her, grabbed her hand and walked out of the scene, pulling her along. Once in the enclosed parking lot, Ga Eul snatched her hand from his.
"What do you think you're doing?" she screamed.
"I should've known," Yi Jeong whispered coldly, "You planned this, didn't you? "
"Huh?" Ga Eul was nonplussed.
Yi Jeong ran a hand through his hair, "Well played Chu Ga Eul, very well played. I almost fell for your pseudo sincerity."
Ga Eul blinked, "Yi Jeong, I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Oh come now," he said genially, "Don't play dumb with me. You've used my mother for your games once before, it's not a stretch of imagination that you'd do so again. What I don't understand is how did you know I'd come to the lounge? I could've refused you know."
Ga Eul gasped indignantly, "Wait! You think I did all this?"
He looked at her accusatorily, "Didn't you? I must say, bringing in the paparazzi was a master stroke."
Instantly Ga Eul saw red, "What the actual bloody fuck? I didn't do all this, believe me."
He snorted derisively, "Yeah right. I distinctly remember you saying that you've already played your next move. It has been ten days since then and things have been rather quiet. I have been wondering when and how your move was going to show up and now I have the answer."
Ga Eul huffed, controlling her impulse to slap the irritating man again, "Believe what you will, I don't really care. Fact is this isn't done by me. When my move does hit you, trust me you'll be left reeling. And boy oh boy am I going to enjoy that or what? You so deserve what's coming!"
With that she walked past him and into her car.
Seven days later Yi Jeong walked into his office of Woo Sung museum to find a bouquet of white roses on his table. Puzzled he walked up to it. His eyes caught a yellow card wedged in the roses. Carefully he pulled out the card and opened it to find a tidy handwritten scrawl. The card read, Enjoy the surprise So Yi Jeong. Ga Eul.
A feeling of foreboding settled on him. He had tried and failed to find any connection between her and the incident at the lounge. He had grudgingly accepted that she had been telling the truth, she really had nothing to do with the event. That meant that her retaliation was yet to come. Now the roses and card only confirmed his suspicion. Just then he phone rang. The caller was the director of his latest and as of date the most expensive film. Wondering what the man wanted, he answered. After a bit of hesitation, the man delivered the worst news that Yi Jeong could've heard making him scream, "Ha Jae Kyung did WHAT?"
