Chapter 16: Jumin, What Did You Do?

Zen's mind was racing as he sped toward Jumin's penthouse. He was running on raw emotion. He didn't have any kind of plan for what he was going to do when he got there. He didn't even know if Jumin was home or if he'd agree to see him. He just needed to get there and get some answers.

So many scenarios were running through his mind, all in answer to the main question: why? Why would Jumin try to drug MC? Why would he choose to make that unfavorable comment to Enquire? What possible motive could he have? None of it made any sense.

Finally Jumin's penthouse came into view, a large 30 floor building secured behind two iron gates at the end of a well-manicured winding driveway. From where he stood outside the gates, Zen could see that the top three floors, the ones he knew belonged to Jumin, were lit up like Christmas. Well, at least I know he's home, Zen thought.

Zen rang the buzzer and waited. A moment later the speaker crackled to life.

"Jumin Han's residence, may I help you?" It was a male voice Zen didn't recognize, strict and professional. Zen leaned in toward the speaker.

"Zen, err, Ryu Hyun, here to see Mr. Han," Zen said.

"Do you have an appointment?" the voice asked. It was 6:30pm, past business hours, why would he need an appointment?

"Uh, no," Zen said. "I don't have an appointment…"

"You'll need to make an appointment," the voice interrupted.

"No, I don't have time for that," Zen said, raising his voice a little. He was starting to feel impatient. "Tell Mr. Han it's Zen from the RFA, and it's urgent."

There was a click and then a silence. Zen held his breath. He hadn't really considered this, not being able to even make it past the front gate. He was an RFA member after all.

Arrogant prick, Zen thought, irritated.

Finally the speaker crackled to life again. "Please stand by," the voice said. "Transferring you to Assistant Kang."

There were some more clicks, followed by another silence and then the speaker crackled to life.

"Zen is that you?" Zen recognized the voice of Jaehee. "What are you doing here?"

"Yeah, Jaehee, it's me, Zen," he said. Zen could've asked her the same thing. What the heck was Jaehee doing at Jumin's house after business hours? Whatever, Zen thought. It wasn't a stretch to believe that privileged jerk would be a horrible boss, the kind that would keep his employees long past reasonable hours running his personal errands.

"You know exactly why I'm here, Jaehee," Zen said. "Let me in. I need to speak to Jumin immediately."

"Zen, we talked about this," Jaehee said. "You know I don't think it's a good idea for you to confront him here."

"So where do you suggest I confront him?" Zen said, his voice rising. "Because I am definitely seeing him somewhere, and I'm see him now."

"Zen, please," Jaehee pleaded.

"Jaehee, he drugged my girlfriend," Zen said. "I'll stand out here all night if I have to. You know I will."

"Zen, you haven't even thought this through," Jaehee said.

Jaehee was right. Zen hadn't thought any of this through, but he didn't care. He needed answers, a plausible explanation. He needed to know why Jumin did what he did.

"What's your plan?" Jaehee said. "You just going to come up here and say Jumin, why'd you drug my girlfriend?"

That sounded pretty good, actually. "Yeah," Zen said. "That sounds about right."

"Well, I'm officially letting you know I think I this is a bad idea," Jaehee said.

"Noted," Zen said. "Now open the goddamn gate."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Zen," Jaehee said. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you protecting him, Jaehee?" Zen's adrenaline was rising. He was getting angry and more frightened about what he might find out. "Is he paying you to be his goddamn bodyguard? Let me in!"

"Calm down, Zen," Jaehee said with a frustrated sigh. "Look, I'll go and see if Mr. Han will see you now...but I can't promise anything."

"Good," Zen said. "I'll be here waiting."

The speaker went silent and Zen stood there for a few minutes with his hands stuffed in his pockets. He wish he still smoked, then he'd be able to have a cigarette.

Damn, he thought. He felt so helpless.

He looked up at the castle-like structure, but there was no discernible movement, and the crackling speaker remained silent. He realized he might be waiting here for a while.

By the time I hung up the phone with Saeyoung, I was feeling energized and empowered. We had basically hatched a plan that would get Echo Girl out of our lives, or at least knock her down a peg or two.

"You know, it's almost too easy," Saeyoung had said. "I mean, she'll basically hang herself, if you let her."

I nodded and waited until for Saeyoung to continue. In the background I could hear the creak of his office chair as he settled into think-mode.

"You see," he went on. "We already know Echo Girl is a horrible human being…and horrible human beings, well, you know they are already going to do horrible human things…"

"Ya," I said, eagerly. I could see where he was going. "We just have to be there when it happens…"

"Ya… and capture it all on film," he said, enthusiastically. He sounded almost like a mad scientist. "We'll capture every filthy, damn moment of her being a horrible human being... and then distribute it all over the internet!"

"Kind of like what you did to superpower Zen's reputation," I added. "...only in reverse."

"Yup!" Saeyoung said. "Eggs-actly!"

I imagined Saeyoung's red head bobbing back and forth as he said this. I think he was enjoying this maybe a little too much.

The best part of the plan was Lexi Ann. Since that cat commercial had gone so wrong, Echo Girl had fired her manager, and then her assistant flat out quit. It was the perfect opportunity. We were going to make sure Lexi Ann got hired on as her new assistant - that way we'd have someone on the inside.

"She's always begging me to get to do some secret agent stuff," Saeyoung said. "Now's her chance."

"How are you going to make sure she gets the job?" I asked.

"I can pull some strings…" Saeyoung said.

"And by that you mean hacking," I said.

"Ya, is the earth blue? Is the sun yellow?" Saeyoung said.

"Sometimes the sun is orange," I said.

"Technicality!" Saeyoung sang. "Suffice it to say that I can make sure Lexi Ann's application is the only viable one they receive."

It was times like this that I realized how glad I was that Saeyoung was on my side, and not the other way around.

By now I'd cleaned up all the broken glass in the bedroom, and was trying to figure out what I was going to say to Zen about the hole in the wall. There was no other way around it. I think I just had to come straight out and say it. I'd had myself a little tantrum, I'd tell him. period. I had a feeling he'd understand…

Finally I wandered out into the main living area of the house. It was getting well on into the evening, and Zen still wasn't home. Wow, I thought, that's some run. Then I came across his note on the kitchen table.

Sweetie, There's something I need to take care of… I love you. I'll be back… soon.

Hmm, I thought. That's kind of vague… Maybe I'll log into the messenger app and see what's up.

When I logged on there was no one there, and so I scrolled back and started reading previous messages. There was one from more than four hours ago. Zen must've logged on as soon as I'd laid down for my nap. I got a little misty when I saw how upset and worried he was for me. Then I got to part where Jumin entered the room. Jumin commented in the Enquire article? Why in the world would he do that? What did he say?

Quickly, I spun around scanning for the copy of Enquire I told Zen to buy at the store. It was nowhere in sight. Zen must have taken it with him.

I returned to the messenger app and tapped on the most recent conversation. As I scrolled down and read, my jaw dropped. Zen was accusing Jumin of something… My eyes got wider as I got deeper down on the thread. I couldn't believe what I was reading. Zen was suggesting that Jumin might've slipped something into my drink that night during the karaoke performance. Was he serious? And was that the "thing he needed to take care of" right now?

I was just about to log out when Yoosung logged on.

[Yoosung has entered the chatroom]

Yoosung: MC! You're here^^

Yoosung: [happy emoji]

Yoosung: We've all been so worried for you.

MC: I'm sorry to have worried you

MC: but thanks^^

MC: Listen, do you know where Zen is?

Yoosung: He's not with you?

MC: He left a note that he's on an errand...

MC: But I read the last chat…and now I'm worried…

MC: It seems like he left in a hurry...

Yoosung: Yeah, he said he needed to talk to Jumin...

Yoosung: He was pretty upset T-T

Yoosung: [depressed emoji]

MC: oh God, you don't think…?

[Jaehee has entered the chatroom]

MC: Hi Jaehee

Jaehee: Zen is here, waiting outside the gate of Mr. Han's penthouse.

MC: ?!

Jaehee: you must've read the chat log

MC: yes...

Jaehee: He's insisting on talking to Mr. Han, but I don't think it's a good idea

MC: What's this about Jumin possibly drugging me?

MC: And making a comment to Enquire?

MC: I'm so confused.

Jaehee: I wouldn't get alarmed...

Jaehee: There is certain to be a logical explanation for all of this...

MC: I hope so!

MC: I'm getting very curious.

Jaehee: I'm trying to reach Mr. Han on the phone now.

Jaehee: He's not answering any of my calls.

MC: But you say you're at the penthouse now?

Jaehee: Yes, but Mr. Han has locked himself in on the top floor.

Jaehee: I know this because I can hear the Vivaldi

MC: Is this something he does often?

Jaehee: No one is allowed in except Elizabeth the 3rd

Jaehee: MC, I really think you should try and get Zen to come home.

Jaehee: I think Mr. Han will likely be indisposed for the rest of the night.

MC: What is going on, Jaehee?

Yoosung: Yeah, what is it you're not telling us?

Yoosung: You sound worried.

Yoosung: [crying emoji]

Jaehee: Don't worry yourself, Yoosung.

Jaehee: Mr. Han is fine. Everything is fine.

Yoosung: But that's just the kind of thing people say when things are *not* fine

Yoosung: [confused emoji]

Jaehee: In fact, I must go… I need to prepare some paperwork for tomorrow.

Jaehee: MC, please try to get your boyfriend to come home.

MC: I'll do my best ^^

Jaehee: Good night, all!

[Jaehee has left the chatroom]

Yoosung: Wow. Jaehee doesn't seem like herself.

Yoosung: I wonder what's going on?

Yoosung: [confused emoji]

MC: I don't know but I should probably get going, too.

MC: I need to see if I can reach Zen.

Yoosung: OK. Good luck ^^

MC: Goodnight ^^

[MC has left the chatroom]

I had barely logged out of the messenger app when my phone began to buzz. It was an incoming called from Jaehee. I picked it up immediately.

"Jaehee," I said. "What's going on?"

"I didn't want to say this in the app where everyone could read it, but there's something very strange going on with Mr. Han," she said.

"OK," I said. "So what's going on?"

"I really didn't want to have to involve you, but it seems I have no choice," Jaehee said.

I felt a bad feeling creep up my spine and I sank down on the couch.

"What is it, Jaehee?"

"Oh, I don't know where to begin," she said.

"Just tell me, Jaehee," I said.

"Well, I don't know how else to say this, but it seems Mr. Han has developed feelings for you," she said.

"What?! That's impossible," I said, but even as I got the words out of my mouth, I knew it was true. I just didn't want to believe it.

"And it seems lately he's taken to some pretty, uhmm, creative measures to try and win your affection," Jaehee said.

My mind was reeling, thinking back to all the impromptu meetings in his office, the creepy stares, the unsolicited half-attempts at compliments.

"He told you this?" I said. "Jumin told you he has feelings for me?" Somehow I couldn't picture this, Jumin pouring out his heart to Jaehee over coffee. No, that's not how it would go at all.

"Well, that's the thing," she said. "He didn't tell me, not exactly. In fact," Jaehee paused to take a breath. "I don't think he knows that I know anything about it."

"Well then, how can you be sure this is true?" I wondered.

"Well, I have been watching," Jaehee said. "...and gathering evidence."

"Evidence?" I said, feeling my stomach lurch in blood curdling surprise. "Like what?"

Jaehee went on to tell me that, about six weeks ago, she was in his office looking for an important stack of papers.

"I know I'm not even supposed to be in there by myself, but I needed these very important documents," she said, sounding sad and guilty as hell. "You see, I know it was wrong, but I was so desperate… Mr. Chairman was waiting for them in the next room."

Jaehee went to to tell me how her search prompted her to look inside Jumin's desk. Well, when she opened the left-hand top drawer, she found something shocking.

"There were maybe thirty pictures of you," Jaehee said. "All taken from different angles, different places. Some were candid shots, like maybe he'd been following you around, or maybe having you followed."

I sucked in a breath. Zen was going to freak out when he heard about this. He was already upset, this was just going to make things worse.

Jaehee must've been reading my mind because she said, "You realize you cannot mention a word of this to Zen...You know how he gets…" Jaehee paused to take a lion's breath.

"For Christ's sake, he's standing outside the penthouse right now... and he doesn't know the half of it!"

"Oh god, Jaehee," I said. "How can I not tell Zen?" I was just thinking about my new promise to Dolly, the one about how I was going to be a better girlfriend. "We can't possibly have a secret like this between us…"

"Look," Jaehee said, her voice getting very low. "Just for now, then. Just until I figure out what the very next step will be."

"Jaehee," I said. "I just don't…"

"Look," Jaehee said. "I promise you he's not dangerous..."

"Dangerous!?" I breathed. "Jesus, Jaehee!" I hadn't even really considered that as a possibility, but now my blood pressure was rising.

"Just give me 24 hours, OK?" Jaehee said. "I'll figure something out."

I thought about it a moment. What other choice did I have but to trust her? It sounded like Zen was already halfway off the rails. This new information would only send him over the edge. Besides, what was twenty-four hours in the grander scheme of things?

"OK," I said. "I'll do my best, but if something happens and I feel like I need to tell him, all bets are off."

"Fair," Jaehee said. I had one more question.

"Jaehee," I said. "What are you doing at Mr. Han's house so late at night?"

She sighed. "Oh, it's a special project," she said. "Classified."

"Of course," I said. How convenient. "OK, I'll get going then."

"MC, wait…" Jaehee said. "Please make sure you bring Zen home. It won't be good for his complexion if he stands out there all night in the wind and cold."

"I'll do my best," I said. "But I meant it, you've got twenty-four hours."

When I hung up the phone, I leaned my head back on the couch and just stared at the ceiling, trying to process everything I'd just heard. I'd just come up with a plan to deal with Echo Girl, and now I had to deal with my boss's a stalker crush? Wow, I thought. Just wow.

In the end, I decided it was the right decision: I needed to trust Jaehee, at least for now. She was right, we didn't have enough information and Zen would certainly go ballistic if knew my boss had been practically stalking me. Zen and Jumin didn't like each other anyway, which would only add fuel to fire. Besides, when it came down to it, did I think my boss was creepy and annoying, yes, but was I afraid of Jumin? Did I really think he was going to hurt me? No. I mean the drug in my drink thing scared me a bit, but like Jaehee said, we both knew he wasn't really that type of man. Still, I was going to watch out for myself, like I surely wasn't going to accept and food or drinks from him, LoL.

It was getting pretty late at night, almost 9pm, and I still hadn't heard from Zen. He hadn't shown up on the messenger app yet, either, so it was getting pretty clear I was going to have to take action. Zen was probably still out there waiting to talk to Jumin, and I knew he could be a bit stubborn. How in the world was I going to get him to come home?

The answer to that question suddenly appeared in my mind clearly, as if it were already predetermined. Of course, why didn't I think of this before? I smiled to myself. This might well be fun.

First I went into Zen's closet and picked out one of his cream-colored long-sleeved button-down shirts. Then I took off all my clothes and put it on. I rolled up the sleeves to the elbows and unfastened the top three or so buttons, just enough so the fabric hung hinted at the curves of my chest when I was sitting or standing up. Just enough so the fabric would fall forward and give Zen an eyeful when I leaned over. Lastly, I went into the bathroom to add a few finishing touches to my hair and face. I loosened and tousled my hair for the sexy bed head effect and then smoothed on some cherry lip gloss.

Ready for action, I pulled my laptop out of my work bag and placed it on the coffee table in front of the couch in the living room. After one final look over in the sidewall mirror, I fired up the face2face app and dialed Zen's number. He picked up right away.

I decided that I wasn't going to try to pretend that I didn't know where he was… it was getting pretty late now and he'd know that I'd probably already been on the messenger app and read all the logs by now. Plus his video feed would be a dead giveaway - I would be able to see straight away that he was standing outside the gate of Jumin's penthouse. I was hoping my outfit, or dare I say, lack of one would be sufficiently distracting.

I was right.

"Whoa, babe," Zen said once the connection was made and the video feed went live. His red eyes popped wide with lust and his mouth stretched into a lecherous grin.

"What is it that you're wearing?" He said.

"Just one of your shirts," I said, placing emphasis on the word "just" and smiling. I noticed with satisfaction that he couldn't tear his wild red eyes from my chest long enough to look me in the eye.

"Well, it suits you," he said. "You can keep it, damn."

I leaned forward a little to give him a glimpse of the full view down the front and he gasped.

"Aww man," he said, shaking his head in amazement. "Babe, you're just killing me right now." Zen glanced around nervously, once over each shoulder. "Like hopefully no one else can see this right now..."

"I'm home alone, Zen...and all the shades are drawn, relax..." I assured him. Then I leaned back onto the pillows of the couch and moved my hand lower, out of view.

"Guess what I'm doing now, my lovely Zen?" I said, sweetly. I heard him suck in a sharp breath of air.

"You are not…" he said.

I nodded my head slowly and smiled wickedly. "I am," I said. "...and guess who I'm thinking about?"

"Aww, man," Zen said, his cheeks flushing pink. "Aww, babe, don't…"

"Want me to tell you what I'm thinking about?" I cooed. As I said this, I bumped the laptop with my knee on purpose so it would slide forward on the coffee table. This caused the camera to tilt downward and momentarily reveal my actions between my legs.

Yes, I was really doing it, and enjoying it, too. Zen's eyebrows shot up and he groaned. Then his eyes got that smokey beast look they get when he wants me, when he wants me bad. I had him.

"Oh!" I said, righting the camera angle with my other knee. "Sorry-not sorry about that," I purred.

"Jesus, MC!" Zen said. His face was so flush, his jaw was so slack and his tongue was almost hanging out. I loved having him under my power like this and I was cursing the fact that he was all the way over on the other side of town. I was dying to get my hands all over him, like now.

"Babe," I said, carefully, keeping it playful. "I think you should come home now, don't you?"

I watched him momentarily glance in the direction of the gate, then back at me, then back at the gate. He was painfully torn.

"Uh, but Sweetie," He started.

"Zen, honey," I said. "I know why you're at Jumin's house, and I appreciate you running out to defend my honor and all, but I kinda need you here right now…"

I bumped the laptop again with my knee. By now he probably realized I was doing it on purpose.

"Oh, MC," he whispered. "But I…" His voice was weak almost pleading. I can't tell you how sweet it was to have this handsome man-god so much at my mercy.

"Jumin will be there tomorrow," I said. "And the next day after that… but me," I said making a pouty face I knew he found irresistible. "I don't know how long I'm going to last…"

"Aw damn," he said, letting his eyes roll back in his head, giving in to whatever dirty thought he was thinking. He let out a long, low sigh.

"You are too cute, you know that?" He said, smiling wryly. "Haven't I told you to stop being so cute?"

That's about when I started to come. I felt my breath get hotter, shorter, quicker, and Zen got quiet… I think maybe he was a little stunned. Maybe he'd never seen a girl get off before on her own?

"Oh MC," he whispered. "Jesus, you're beautiful." His voice was low and thick, and his eyes were heavy with wanting. Seeing him that way just drove me harder.

I threw myself back on the pillows and continued to go to work, fingers working faster now to get me where I needed to be. The laptop was still in place but I had used my ankles to press my body further up onto the couch so my lower body up was now in full view of the camera. As my climax built my mind and senses swirled into colors, blues, golds and silver, like Zen's hair. Finally my eyes rolled back into my head and as I started to lose my mind just a bit more I started breathing his name over and over.

"Hyun, oh Hyun…oh god, here I come, oh god, H-yun!" In a rush of pure sensation the swirling colors exploded into a million little particles of light that left me quaking and shivering. I lay back on the pillows, panting, a little flushed and utterly satisfied.

"God MC," Zen said, a moment later. "I've never seen anyone look more beautiful than you did just now." Sentimentally, he reached out to touch his screen with a finger to trace my face. His red eyes were still lusty, shady.

I smiled. "Well, are you coming home now, Hyun?"

He smiled like a little boy at the sound of his first name.

"Oh yeah, you bet I'm coming home," He said, without hesitation or even a glance toward Jumin's penthouse. Then his eyes got dark again, and full of intent. "Oh, and MC?"

"Yeah?" I said, matching his tone.

"I think I may need to get selfish with you, if that's ok?"

"I want you to," I said.

"Don't you dare move or change a thing," he said. I could see him already reaching for his helmet. "I need you to stay there so I can see you just as you are now."

I smiled demurely. "I wouldn't have it any other way," I said, purposely leaning forward.

"Aw, man...oh stop, already!" he groaned. He leaned forward and kissed the screen, giving my breasts a big "muah".

"Don't speed too fast my lovely Zen… I need all of you when you get here."

"I love you, Pretty Girl," he said. "I really do...and I'll see you soon."

"Yes, you will," I said. "I love you, too, Ryu Hyun."

Mission accomplished. My boy was coming home, so I had the Jumin problem solved for the moment… but I had no idea what I was going to do tomorrow if Jaehee didn't come through...

Author's note: Whew... time for a cold shower! Dang. Where'd that come from, LoL. A little longer than usual, but a lot of ground to cover, especially where Jumin is concerned. More to come in that department... I'm feeling for the guy right now, aren't you? As always, comments, suggestions, reviews, etc. appreciated... :-) :-)