"I rank this right up there with getting a root canal..." he paused, "...without novocaine."
Before she could respond he added, "... in plane... spiraling down from the sky..."
"Oh stop," she chided as they approached the elevator doors. She turned to him and reached up to his collar and straightened it.
"... crashing into an erupting volcano."
She clucked her tongue at him and shook her head.
"You artsy types are a bit over dramatic."
The doors slid open and they stepped into the small space, and she reached for the top button.
"Explain to me again how you wrangled me into this."
"I get it, Changmin... I get it. You don't want to be here."
He folded his arms and leaned against the shiny, mirrored walls of the lift. His lower lip protruded and his eyes looked up to watch the digital numbers as they ascended higher... toward his doomed destination.
"You don't need to stay for long, just make a valiant effort." she tried to encourage him.
Valiant effort? More like a monumental, mountain-moving, parting-the-sea effort! He snorted as he recalled the exact moment he had decided to accompany her, as her 'plus one.'
She asked him to go shopping with her, 'for a man's point of view.' She had to attend this black tie event as part of her job. Peppered Rain had joined forces with Hyori Lee's "Priority" agency for a maiden campaign... never before had any two agencies anywhere in the world collaborated at this level.
He was in a high-end dress shop with her, about to chew his tongue off from boredom, tired of the many sales ladies flitting up to him, asking him if he needed any help. Freshening his coffee, bringing him a newspaper, a glass of ice water, as he sat in the large leather padded chair, and waited. He wouldn't have been surprised if they offered him a pair of fluffy slippers.
There was a reason that this was no-man's-land. A very sound reason.
His watch obviously wasn't working, because it reflected that he had only been seated for 20 minutes, but he was certain it was more like ten lifetimes.
Why do women take so long getting dressed? What mysterious thing happened between walking back into a dressing room with a few dresses, and putting them on? Was there a cafeteria back there? Maybe a shower? He mused at how the women's dressing rooms had to be extremely different than the mens!
That's when the door opened, and she stepped out.
"Holy...Mother... of... all that was good..."
He didn't even feel his legs pull him up out of the large, comfortable chair. He hadn't even realized he was standing, mouth agape, until she spoke to him.
"Well?" she smiled nervously and did that thing she always does with her hands when she doesn't know what to do with them... she flattens them over the front of her dress.
Someone had swept her hair up, in a makeshift bun, accentuating her gloriously long, neck, which forced one's eyes onto her white, creamy, bare shoulders ... the dress was strapless.
He didn't dare blink.
Her collarbone on either side shifted slightly and he couldn't peel his eyes from her. That area... that enticing, soft, indented area, near the bone... something about her collarbone mesmerized him. He could just imagine sinking his mouth exactly there.
His mouth went dry, and he swallowed deeply. He finally forced himself to lower his gaze ever so much, to her tiny torso... the slender waist was clearly outlined by the form fitting satin fabric that clung to her. His eyes rested on her breasts.
His breath hitched. As the dress was strapless, it pushed her breasts tightly together, lifted high, showing off the small, creamy mounds that formed a valley.
"Changmin?"
Her voice snapped his head back up to her eyes... those large, dark, shiny doe eyes, that were waiting patiently for his approval.
"No." he tried to sound as normal as possible, but it came out raspy. He cleared his throat, and made another effort. "No!" he said a bit more confidently.
"No?" she spun around and showed him the view from the rear. Her back and shoulder blades glistened, and several tendrils fell loosely down the nape of her neck. That fabulously long, slender neck... Since her back was turned to him, she didn't see him close his eyes briefly, trying to regain his composure.
He felt like walking up behind her, taking her waist in his hands, and becoming intimately familiar with that masterpiece of a neck, never neglecting the shoulders, or her bare, ever-so-tempting back.
Changmin thought randomly how Michael Angelo would have given his eye teeth to have Yoona as a model.
When she turned again to face him she quirked her head to one side, again highlighting her exposed neck and collarbone.
"Is it the color?"
He didn't even remember what color the dress was ... it wasn't the color.
"No."
"So is it the style? The cut?"
She bit her bottom lip and her hands balled the fabric. She knew that she'd look ridiculous trying to dress up... of course he didn't approve.
"I'll try something else," she lowered her eyes to the floor and sighed. "There's another one, a short, black formal. But it's backless, and I wasn't sure..." She began to fidget, raising an arm, crossing it over her chest and tugging on front of it, as if to force it to cover her bareness.
The action caused her small breasts to lift higher, pushing firmly together... so inviting, almost spilling out of the dress.
"Yoona..." he called to her softly. His eyes had turned coal black, and he felt his groin snap to life. Damn.
She raised her head in time to see him stride up to her, closing the space between them with his long legs in just a few steps.
His hand lifted her chin high enough so that she was looking into his eyes.
"You're beautiful." he found himself saying, involuntarily.
"What?" she must have misheard him.
He smirked at her expression. Obviously she wasn't used to hearing anyone tell her this, or if they had, she wasn't one to believe them.
"We'll take this one." he told her firmly.
"But you said no. You haven't even seen the others."
"I don't need to see the others," he let go of her chin and twirled one of the loose tendrils around his index finger. "Besides, the short black one will only show everyone how bowlegged you are..."
"So mean!" She raised her fist to him, but he took it in his own hand and pulled her into him.
He held on to the back of her head, pressing her close to him as he whispered to her, "Make sure to find some sort of shawl or scarfy thing to cover those shoulders of yours, or else you might not make it out of the car. What time am I going to pick you up then?"
She gently pushed her hands against his firm, broad chest, and looked up to see if he was joking.
"You'll take me?"
He nodded, looked down into her small face and smiled.
"Do you think I'm going to allow you to be in a room for of male model wolves wearing something like this?"
"But you said you'd rather die than go with me ..."
"I said I'd rather die than go to that event... I didn't say no to going with you."
"You're so confusing, Changmin Shim. First you say no, you're not going to be my date. Then you say no, you don't like the dress... now you saying yes to both?"
Oppa... he thought, when are you going to finally call me Oppa?
He shrugged. "Being fickle isn't just a woman's prerogative you know."
He was probably teasing her. One thing she knew about him by now, is that Changmin loved to tease her.
Yoona pushed away from him completely and looked at herself in the full length mirror.
"So should I at least try on the other two dresses?"
"I'm dying here, Yoona. Just..." he shoved both of his hands firmly in his jeans pockets.
"Ok ok ... I didn't realize this was so painful for you. Sorry!"
She spun around, and began to march back toward the dressing room.
He had accidentally offended her. She wanted to be a girly girl and play dress up, and he cut her off. He knew he was being unreasonable. He just didn't know how much longer he would be able to watch her, showing off all that glorious skin to him, and expect him not to pounce.
"Fine," he called out to her in surrender. "But you're me buying lunch, Sugar Mama."
She turned her head in surprise, "Really? I can try on the other two... Oh Changmin, I'll hurry, I promise we won't be long!"
"Can I help?" he offered half joking, half sincere as he winked at her.
I'd follow you to hell... he thought, wait, no, I AM following you to hell!
"Synchronize watches," he raised her tiny wrist, and noticed it was bare. "Where's your watch?"
"Who wears watches these days? That's what cell phones are for."
She reached into her tiny jeweled clutch bag, and pulled out her phone.
"Ok Commander, it's 8:19 pm, check."
"Roger that," he smirked broadly. "And what time have we agreed to flee from this Devil's Hole?"
She rolled her eyes at him, "No later than 10:00 pm sharp, Commander."
He looked down at the long slender fingers of her hand, the one he still held by the wrist, and placed it securely on his hooked arm.
"Ok Agent Long Legs, one minute later and you pay ..." his smile turned into a smirk as he looked down at her face, ".. and I get to name the payment."
She glanced up at him and noticed once again how handsome he was... but he would look better if...
She quickly looked up to see what number of floor they were on, and reached over and slammed down the red emergency stop button.
The sudden stop jolted the small carrier, and she temporarily lost her balance and fell into him.
"Ohhh" he said in genuine surprise, "... are we going to have passionate elevator sex now?"
She pushed herself away from him, and righted her dress.
"Because Yoona, I really have completely misjudged you."
"Pabo."
She reached up and he inadvertently ducked, thinking she was going to hit him. But instead she reached up behind his head, running her fingers into his hair, and gently tugged on the black hair rubber that held his ponytail in place.
As his hair fell loose, she turned her head from side to side, her fingers combing through the long, silky locks. It felt heavenly.
"That's much better, Changmin."
Oppa... he corrected silently.
"What's it going to take to get you to call me Oppa?"
The top floor of the hotel was reserved for the star-studded event, and glittered with golden balloons, ice carvings, and sparkly white tiny lights. A small orchestra played, near the ballroom floor, and there were long white linen covered tables, filled with every delicacy imaginable.
Yuri watched as the handsome male models openly ogled her, and even straightened taller, flexing her shoulders back, pushing her breasts forward, proud to be the most beautiful, and definitely the most sexy woman in the room. Of course her boss, Hyori could be considered beautiful... but that was back in the day. She was over 30 now. And even Yuri knew that models had a shelf life of 29, at the very longest.
After that, they either got married, or retired, and worked as consultants or something just as boring.
Well that wouldn't be her. She would make sure to make her millions while she was on top, and secure her own future. Men loved her. Women wanted to be her. Everyone envied her.
She caught sight of Taec, across the floor, surrounded by just as many young models as she was, but they were no where near as voluptuous as she was, and that gave her supreme confidence.
She knew they were not officially an exclusive couple. But Taecyeon was 'it.' He was on top, and only he could compete with her in both popularity and finances. Actually, he beat her in both areas. He was from a very wealthy family, his father, a finance tycoon, and a billionaire. That only added to the charisma that he oozed.
She noticed his tuxedo shirt was sheer black, and transparent. How he loved to flaunt that magnificent body of his.
She waved three fingers at him when he glanced over in her direction and he winked in return.
He must have said something funny, because all of the young female models giggled in unison.
That toothy smile, the chiseled, angular face, the dark, gleamy eyes... and that body that Adonis would envy, made him perfect for her. She knew he had it all... she even knew how incredible he was in bed. Taec had slept with her several times, and was a very generous lover. He always gave more than he received.
Her gaze lowered down to his groin, and she snickered. All he was doing was standing there, probably chatting about something inane, and she could still see the generous bulge that was impossible to hide. The man was hung like a horse, and she knew that from personal experience.
Thank you, God, for Ok Taecyeon, she playfully thought. I must have done something right in my past life.
Taecyeon looked around the large, packed ballroom and stifled a yawn. God he was so freaking bored! This was another one of those events that he was mandated to attend.
Make a good showing, shake hands... meet... greet... flatter... flirt.
Champagne was being served but he preferred vodka tonight.
She wasn't here yet. He noticed that Jihoon hyung was alone, when he wasn't accompanied by Hyori, and there was no sign of his assistant anywhere.
Not that he was waiting for her arrival, because he wasn't. But maybe, just maybe, she could offer something fresh to this too stale, too familiar affair.
Every female smelled the same to him. They all wanted to bed him. They slipped keys in his pockets, grabbed his ass, or made blatant propositions to him. Same old thing.
He excused himself from the crowd of ladies that buzzed around him, light moths to a light, and went to freshen up his vodka.
The bar closest to him was out in the foyer, which is where the elevators opened up to.
He waited for the bartender and didn't bother to make idle conversation. He watched the the numbers rise, above one of the elevator doors, when it came to a stop. Someone probably getting off, or on, he thought.
How bored off my ass must I be, to be paying attention to this crap?
At the same time, he really didn't want to re-enter the ballroom either.
Mundane was the word he was looking for... so damn mundane.
He saw her striding toward him, not unlike how a cat glides across the floor, preening, taking it's time, luxuriously swaying her hips, making sure every male eye was on her.
"Let's say you and I cut out of this gig early, and get a room," she reached up and brushed an imaginary lint off his shoulder. It was a pretext to touch him.
Taec watch the digital green number, 17 ... it was still stuck on 17.
"Hyori won't like that, princess. You know that. You're the life of the party. This is all about you, isn't it?"
"Are you turning me down?" she asked, almost in disbelief. Taecyeon never turned down an opportunity to bed her. Or anyone else for that matter... at least if the rumors were true, he had bed all the top females models.
She glanced back in the ballroom and then slightly turned her head, but did not face the bartender.
"Martini... and make it dirty."
Her hand slipped under his tuxedo jacket and roamed the expansion of his chest, until she found a nipple to toy with... pinching it slightly, and then rubbing her thumb over it, confirming it had peaked.
"Then again," she lowered her voice, but the bartender could still hear her, "There's always Jaejoong or Siwon... they're always game."
"Whatever," Taec noted that either the elevator had jammed or someone had purposely stopped it on the 17th floor, because it hadn't moved for several minutes.
"Aren't you even going to pretend to be jealous?" she huffed.
"Yuri," he said, looking down at her for the first time, "you can probably get any man here to have sex with you. Go find someone that wants it... we even have a new batch of trainees in there... you might possibly find one that you've not slept with yet."
His boredom had rotted his mood, and he couldn't be bothered to placate her whims. He usually wasn't this blunt with her, but damn, tonight was not going well. And why wasn't that stupid elevator moving?
"OPPAAAA..." she feigned offense.
Finally the number jumped from 17 to 18... and when it reached 20, the doors opened.
The cameraman led her out, her arm hooked in his, as he leaned down to her ear, whispered something that made her laugh and smack his arm.
He noticed her dress, simple but stunning. She was as tall as Yuri, and her shoulders were covered with a sheer sparkling gauze wrap.
The night had just become interesting.