Author's pre-note: Lemons ahead… second half of this chapter. Read at your own risk ;-)

Chapter 27: Celebrity Gossip

It was Saturday morning, the day of the big RFA party, and so we decided to really make a day of it, starting with brunch at our favorite neighborhood cafe.

"This shit is just ridiculous," Zen said, angrily turning a page of the latest issue of Enquire. The celebrity and gossip magazine must have written yet another article about what they were now calling the "More Than Friends Love Triangle." It seemed like every other day there was some new story with some new tidbit of information about me, Zen, Echo Girl, or some combination of the three of us. Last week it was a follow up article about the Echo Girl handkerchief video that went viral. The video showed Jumin shaking a yellow gingham handkerchief in Echo Girl's face, blowing his nose in it and handing it back to her, and then her storming out. Although the original video made Echo Girl look like a fool, the Enquire article made me look like a villain. It covered the whole backstory about the ugly yellow gingham dress, the cat commercial, me having the handkerchief made in the first place, and then gifting it to Echo Girl. They even had a quote from the dressmaker I'd employed to do the job.

"MC insisted that it wasn't a gift," the old woman said. "But I could tell she was up to no good."

They also had a quote from the bored teenager running the register, who turned out to be the dressmaker's granddaughter. "Like, I wasn't going to notice or know who she was," the girl said. I could just picture her rolling her eyes as she said it. "MC knows she's got nothing on Echo Girl… It's just a matter of time before Zen comes to his senses."

Anyway, the whole story, which was basically true (I guess that just goes to show those damn tabloids don't get it 100 percent wrong all the time) got totally blown out of proportion. That article, and several afterwards, made me out to be a jealous, vindictive bitch, certainly not worthy of Zen's affection.

Saeyoung and Sarean were of course doing everything they could behind the scenes to counteract all the negative press. They had cute memes and photos of me and Zen floating all over the internet to "popularize" our relationship. Me and Zen holding hands in the park. Me and Zen sharing a milkshake at the Yummy Freeze. There was even a story for a lesser known celebrity blog about our matching tattoos, including the bit about Echo Girl's plan to hijack the design for the show (ok, so sure the plan to use the tattoo in More Than Friends might have actually come from the director, but it was a much better story to pin it on Echo Girl, according to the blog editor anyway).

The result of all this back and forth press was a full-on media war, and people had even begun to take sides. While maybe a third of the country was standing in solidarity for "Team MC", the majority of the population was rooting for "Team Echo Girl." Depending on the story or the day, the meme or the post, I was either Zen's true love or just a pawn standing in the way of South Korea's most lovable couple.

Back to brunch at the restaurant, I peered at Zen across the table, trying to read his face. His mouth was tight, his forehead wrinkled with concern.

"This stuff is really starting to get out of hand, don't you think?" I said, feeling a little worried. I watched with fascination as Zen's features instantly morphed from worry to nonchalant.

"Aw, babe," he said, smiling. "Don't worry yourself… It's nothing."

God, he was such a good actor. He had probably sensed my anxiety and was trying to put me at ease. That meant, whatever it was in the paper, it was bad, probably worse than I was imagining. I looked down at my plate and pushed my eggs around with my fork. I know we'd agreed that I wasn't going to look at any of the media stuff about us anymore. Since I'd gotten so upset after my first appearance in the news as "Zen's Lush Girlfriend" and then lashed back with the whole handkerchief fiasco, I made a promise, not just to Zen, but to the rest of the RFA, that I would stay out of it. Not getting involved meant I would not pay attention to, and would in fact, go out of my way to avoid, any news or social media feeds. Everyone said I had to leave it up to Saeyoung and Sarean, trust that they would take care of it. But this was hard.

"What's it say, Zen?" I said. I couldn't help it. I was completely curious.

Zen looked at me and sighed, reaching his hand across the table. He played with my fingers while weighing his options.

"Babe," he said, finally. "We've talked about this…"

"I know, but..." I said, feeling a knot in my stomach beginning to form. He might be a good actor, but I was good at reading him, and something was wrong. Possibly really wrong.

"Look," he said, squeezing my hand. "Do you trust me?"

His red eyes were soft and full of love… How could I not? I nodded.

"Need to know basis," he said. "Just like we agreed… We'll tell you what you need to know, when you need to know it…" He paused to shove the copy of Enquire aside and I thought I saw his red eyes momentarily turn dark. "Trust me, you don't want to be a part of any of this media bullshit… because that's what it is, it's bullshit."

Instead of making me feel better, this last statement, and especially the way Zen said it, made me feel worse. Today was a big day we had all been looking forward to, the day of the RFA party, where so many things were about to happen (or supposed to happen). Today, they were going to film the culminating scene of Yoosung's episode of Queer Eye For A Guy. Today, Jumin was going to meet Mi-Sun in person for the first time and (hopefully) fall in love. Today, I was going to get to wear my new sexy blue dress and watch Zen become undone at the sight of me… Today, god damn it, was supposed to be awesome.

What the fuck was going on?

After brunch, we walked to the park across the street to sit on the grass in the sun. I laid down on my back with my head in Zen's lap while he practiced his lines out loud for an upcoming audition. It was for a musical, a true story about a business tycoon turned philantraphist, and he really wanted the role.

"This," he said with passion in his voice. "Is the kind of character and plot I can get behind… It's the shit people need to hear about…" Then he got quiet for a moment and his eyes got dark again. "And do you know what's the best part about it? No fucking Echo Girl. Damn, I'd be fine if I never had to deal with any more Kyungju drama ever again."

Zen had been having a lot of trouble with Echo Girl on the set, and it was really stressing him out. Honestly, he hated her so much at this point, it made it hard to believe how so much of the country could still believe they were destined to be the perfect couple. I guess it just goes to show what a good actor he truly was...

Around 2pm, we headed back to the apartment to get ready for the party. Over the past couple of days, there had been a lot of build up about my new dress between us and I couldn't wait to put it on. I made Zen promise to stay out of the bedroom while I showered and got dressed. Reluctantly he agreed.

"OK, fine," he said, abruptly removing his hands from my body. He'd been pulling all his very best moves to get me to try and change my mind. "Your loss…"

I had to admit it was a tough call. I knew I was willingly giving up a good opportunity for shower sex, which we were having a lot of lately. I forced myself to think instead of Zen's smoky eyes when he saw me in the new blue dress. It would all be worth it. For the greater good, I thought as I pushed him away and shut the bedroom door.

Later, when I was getting out of the shower I heard Zen's voice from the other room. It was louder than usual and sounded anxious. I moved closer to the door and pressed my ear to the wood.

"What the fuck, Saeyoung?" Zen was saying. "Who the fuck is he?"

It got silent for a moment, and I realized I was only hearing one side of the conversation. Zen was talking on the phone.

"What do you mean you don't know yet? Aren't you the brilliant hacker?" Zen said, his voice rising. "He's fucking got his hands all over her…"

More silence. God, I wish I could hear the other side of the conversation.

"Yes I'm sure it was a recent picture…" Zen said, sounding exasperated. "Believe me, I know that yoga top!"

OK, so obviously he was talking about me… but me and who? Who was "he"?

I made a split second decision and opened the door. This definitely sounded like a "need to know" situation, and didn't we agree to have no secrets between us? Technically, if I didn't let on that I'd overheard this conversation, I'd be keeping a secret... right?

Zen turned around when he heard the door, and his eyes popped when he saw me. I was clutching a towel tightly around my naked body and droplets of water were dripping into a puddle around me on the floor. Even in this state of distress, I could tell the beast was on notice.

"Zen," I said. "What the hell is going on?"

Zen's eyes glanced momentarily downward, where the latest copy of Enquire lay open on the table. "Saeyoung," he said into the phone. "Buddy, I gotta call you back…"

"Zen?" I said, nodding in the direction of the open magazine. "Seems like this is a 'needs to know' thing, don't you think?"

He sighed, running both hands through his silver hair. "Damn, Princess," he said, pacing back and forth. "It's the day of the RFA party…"

"Even better reason for me to know what I'm up against," I said. "Especially if it's that bad…" I paused to watch him continue to rake his fingers through his hair, looking distressed. "If it's out there, other people are going to be reading it. I have to be prepared."

"Fuck," he said, plopping down on the couch and putting his face in his hands, resigned. I walked over to sit beside him.

Without looking at me or even lifting his head, Zen shoved the magazine in my direction. It was open to a two-page spread containing three or four large full-color photographs with captions. As I looked closer and my eyes focused, I felt my mouth drop open and my heart sink into the pit of my stomach. They were pictures of me and Kwang-jo from that day he had been waiting for me outside my yoga studio. The photos had been carefully selected because, even though I know I hadn't been happy to see him, it sure didn't look that way. Every shot had me in Kwang-jo's arms, framed carefully and snapped before I'd been able to pull away. The headline read "MC's Secret Lover". I carefully scanned the accompanying text.

No one can be all that surprised to learn that Zen's "real" girlfriend is also a "real" slut. Who is this mystery man she's seen embracing outside Yoga Bend Studio in Seoul's hippest neighborhood? More importantly, does actor Zen know how his girl is passing the time when he's not around? When's he going to wise up and realize that his sexy co-star Echo Girl is the better choice?

"I know this isn't what it looks like," Zen said, touching my shoulder. "I mean, I get it... I know how the paparazzi works… and, besides, I trust you…"

I turned to look at him, taken aback. What? Zen not jealous? This was a first. I studied his face closely. Sure enough, his red eyes were worried and concerned, but not angry.

"What?" I said. "You're not…?"

Zen shrugged. "Of course I'm not jealous," he said. "How could I be, when I've been on the receiving end of this bullshit so many times?" He paused. The look on his face made it seem like rocket science, but I couldn't help but think of all the other less-than-significant times Zen had been jealous. Of Jumin. Of Yoosung. Of random-guy-here-and-there-you-name-it-at-the-supermarket who was into my yoga top. Out of all of these experiences, this was surely the one that held the most validity, the one that seemed the most probable, but Zen seemed to be the least worried of all. Still he wanted to know: "But who is this guy? Do you even know?"

It was my turn to put my head in my hands. I hated to admit it, but seeing pictures of Kwang-jo still cut me to the core. No matter how much I thought I was over everything that happened, there was something there inside me that still hurt. Even now I felt the lump in my throat and a sob threatening to rise up from my chest.

"Yeah, I know who he is…" I said, quietly. Hot tears were beginning to escape the corners of my eyes, and something behind them, shame. I wiped them away with the back of my hand. "Do you remember the guy I told you about? The one who broke my heart?"

"Oh no," Zen said, realizing at once who I was talking about. "Shit, babe," he said, reaching out to touch my knee. "God, I'm so sorry." I nodded as he moved one hand to my back and started to trace slow, comforting circles. I went on.

"His name is Kwang-jo," I said, hating having to say the sound of his name out loud here in the middle of my new beautiful life. "He's a DJ and a club manager at some underground dance club downtown…"

Zen listened while I went on to explain how I did run into Kwang-jo that day. How he'd been waiting for me outside the yoga studio. How I wasn't at all happy to see him, and even the part about how I'd run away.

"I didn't want to tell you about that night for the same reason I don't want to be talking about him now," I said, feeling my voice crack, the sob rising from deep in my throat. "The thought of him just ruins everything."

"He's a bastard," Zen said. I could both see the anger in his eyes and hear it in his voice, but all of it quickly flashed away as he reached for me. He knew he needed to put his anger second, be there for me now.

"Come here, Princess," he said, pulling me close. I scooted in close and buried my face in his chest. It was a good thing he hadn't gotten dressed for the party yet, because I sobbed a river into his shirt.

"It's not your fault, babe," he kept saying over and over again as he stroked my hair.

You'd think that maybe a moment like this might ruin everything for a big night like this, but then again maybe you've never had a boyfriend like Zen.

When I finally stopped crying, Zen got up to get a warm washcloth from the bathroom. He came back, sat down and gently started to wipe the tears away from my face. It was a small, tender gesture, so sweet it almost made me start crying all over again, this time with tears of sheer gratitude and joy.

"You're all right, MC," he said softly. "You're strong, so strong... one of the strongest people I've ever met… You can handle this, and you've got me, you've got the whole RFA behind you..."

Then he kissed me hard and slow on the lips. I felt his fingers, light and slow, like a piano playing, on my bare leg just underneath the edge of my towel. "Hey," he said softly, with a sort of a throaty voice. "How about we take a shower?"

It took me less than a second to realize he was taking advantage of the situation to bring up a previous negotiation he had lost, and possibly a second more to realize that I didn't mind. Why not have a shower and a blue dress reveal? Certainly both realities could exist, and damn, there was no way I was letting Kwang-jo have the last word on today.

"Yeah?" I said, biting my lip as images of showers from yesterday, and the day before, and maybe the day before that, played out from memory inside of my mind. Already, I was starting to feel so much better.

"You know you're too damn cute, right?" Zen said, touching the place on my mouth where my teeth made contact with my lip. Suddenly, he stood up, pulling me up by both hands. As this happened, my loose towel fell away.

"Whoops," he said, smiling. Obviously not a real "whoops" reaction, not really.

"Sorry not sorry?" I whispered, stepping back to reveal my nakedness.

"Damn, Princess," he said, looking me up and down with the appetite of a wolf. "You're so beautiful… I can't believe you're mine." His red eyes full of lust, he leaned forward to take my left nipple in his mouth. The softness of his lips coupled with the gentle nip of his teeth made me close my eyes and let out a small, involuntary moan. Yes, oh yes, all of a sudden, I was feeling so, so much better.

Slowly his mouth started making its way back to my lips, leaving a trail of kisses of in its wake.

"Shower?" I croaked as he lingered and sucked on my neck, that place I liked in the well of my collarbone.

"Mmm…" Zen said. Without moving his mouth from my neck he propelled me backwards into the bedroom, and then into the bathroom, where I reached behind me, working the knobs that controlled the water stream. Zen removed his lips from my body just long enough to strip the clothes from his body, and then it was my turn to take in his gorgeous, perfect body. His chiseled chest and sculpted arms. The trail of hair leading from his belly button downward…

"God," I sighed. Sometimes it was just too much looking at him, he was too flawless. Many times I had a flash of the afterlife, like that maybe I'd already died and he was an angel. "I swear, my lovely Zen, I could never, ever get tired of looking at you…"

"You like what you see, do you Princess?" Zen said, smiling devilishly. He loved being looked at like this and well, I liked looking at him like this, so it was a good combo.

I nodded. Moving forward I started kissing his chest, running my tongue in circular motions around one nipple, tasting it, while tweaking the other with my free hand, something I learned to know he liked. He moaned and, impulsively, I sucked harder.

Meanwhile Zen had both his hands gripping my ass and he was pulling me forwards and up, grinding me against his hardness. Heat and sensation were building there fast, and it was driving me crazy.

"God, Princess," Zen said, as he suddenly reached one of his hands around to my front side and slipped two fingers inside. "Damn, pretty girl, you're so wet, and we're not even in the shower yet…"

"Ohhhh," I said, as I began to greedily grind against his fingers. It wasn't enough, though, not even enough. I needed more.

"Zen…" I whispered. "I need you to fuck me… like really fuck me… like now."

There was an urgency in Zen's response. Instantly, I felt his fingers slip from inside me and then heard him fumbling around in the drawer… but then the action seemed to slow.

"Hold on a sec, Princess," Zen whispered as his lips broke free from mine long enough to rip a condom out of its package and slide it on. "There's something I gotta do first…"

I couldn't imagine what that could be, and then I felt it… His face was on my clit, sucking hard and fast and furious, so much so that my mind reeled and my eyes rolled backwards into my head.

"Ohhh!" I cried, somewhat surprised and unequipped to handle all the sensations that were invading my most receptive senses all at once.

"I need you to call me by my name, Princess," Zen said greedily, and I got it all at once.

"Ryu Hyun!" I called, instinctively, from a place of knowing and from need.

His eyes turned from red to darker and then got more determined. I gasped as he picked me up by the thighs and backed me into the shower. I felt the warm water cascade around my body, streaming down and soaking my face and hair. I wrapped both my legs around his body, clasping my arms around his neck, pulling him against me. I pressed my whole body into him, enjoying the sensation of my hard nipples rubbing against his porcelain chest.

"God… Mmmm…" I moaned, along with some more otherworldly sounds escaping from my lips.

Zen had me backed up against the wall of the shower, easily holding me up with one arm and positioning himself at my entrance with the other. "You ready, Princess?" he whispered, low and throaty, as he moved the tip of his dick back and forth across my clit.

"Mmmm…" I moaned.

"Tell me you're ready…" he urged, momentarily pausing the friction, teasing me. "Say it."

"I'm ready," I pleaded, every part of my body burning, wanting that friction to return.

"Ready for what?" Zen said, his red eyes taunting. Oh god, why was he playing with me? What did he want?

"Ready for you, Hyun!" I said, blind with lust, ready to do anything. I was hoping that the use of his first name would get me what I wanted, and fast, like it had in the past. "Fuck me, please, Hyun!"

Ryu Hyun paused, licking his lips slowly, savoring the moment, deciding. If I could have imagined myself at this moment, which I couldn't because I was a withering mess, burning for him from the inside out, I may have had a sliver of self-respect that wouldn't have made me beg so hard, so unrelentlessly.

"Please baby," I said, my only thought of total penetration, total relief. I watched as a wide, wicked smile formed on his lips, as if he were privy to these most personal thoughts and still willing to withhold the thing I most needed in favor of relishing the power he had over me, if just for a moment more.

I watched as his beast eyes reached peak level lust and then, for god's sake, felt his full lower body thrust forward.

"You're welcome, Princess…" he said, as he let his full length sink into me. I watched and held him close to me as his eyes closed and his head fell forward, and then his whole body began to shake. "Oh damn…"

Immediately my hips were there to meet his and my body was already responding, already reacting to the spasms of his climax.

"Hyun! Hyun! Hyun!" I called over and over again with the mania I might feel in a nuclear disaster, if the effects were reversed and death were administered by pleasure instead of pain.

When it was over, I came to my senses, my body pressed to the tile of the shower wall, smiling, both of us panting like animals.

"You're so fucking beautiful," Zen said, impulsively licking my cheek, sucking my neck.

"You're so fucking bad," I responded, letting my fingernails scrape a little flesh down the back of his neck.

God, he hadn't even seen me in my new blue dress yet. The night was young. There was still so much, so much left to come…

Author's note: So sorry for the almost 2-week hiatus… I had some big work stuff, and then some writer's block getting back into it… I know everyone's bracing for the big RFA party chapter…Me, too! Stay tuned… Thanks (always) for reading, commenting, reviewing, etc.