VIII

Wendy always notices things people don’t. Like how Irene sleeps on her side in a fetal position, like how her dark brown hair is splayed all over the pillow, like how the skin of her bare shoulder glows in the morning light. Wendy only pulls the blanket up to Irene’s neck, covering her up even more.

She doesn’t do anything else other than that.

She simply showers and gets dressed. She leaves a message, telling Sooyoung to meet her at the hotel café in thirty minutes, wanting to discuss some matters with her. The board meeting is just tomorrow and she needs to get certain things settled.

Yesterday was a roller coaster. She really needs to keep her emotions in check. She thinks she might have made a mistake by letting Irene stay over, but she didn’t have the heart to send away a woman who had not company. It would have been too dangerous.

Irene’s words echo in her mind repeatedly like a broken record.

I think I feel more for you than I should.

You mess me up too.

To say that Wendy was affected by her words is a huge understatement. Her words wrap around Wendy’s heart, squeezing it tightly, never letting go.

Wendy cannot forget the other woman’s expression when Irene had asked her to stay. There was a mixture of desperation, anxiety and sadness on her face that made Wendy’s heart clench. Irene looked like she lost something precious. Wendy felt like a hotel guest who lost her card key – she couldn’t leave.

She has tried so hard to give Irene less meaning, tells herself Irene is merely nothing but a distraction. But Irene comes knocking on her door and everything crumbles. Every single time she sees Irene, she feels herself falling harder and it hurts. But Irene is so painfully beautiful, it’s getting so hard to stay away. Wendy knows it’ll be hard on Irene if they become friends (or something more). She doesn’t want to place that burden on Irene. It’s unfair and Wendy doesn’t want to see Irene suffer. People will talk and Wendy doesn’t want Irene hearing horrible things from her colleagues.

Wendy glances at the sleeping figure on the bed before opening a drawer. She retrieves a slightly larger box and leaves it on the bedside table. Taking a notepad, she scrawls a message for the girl.

Miss Bae,

I will keep the bracelet as a memory. In return, please accept this gift. I’ve been wanting to give this to you but could never find the right opportunity. I hope you like it.

I have matters to settle. I apologize for having to leave you like this. If you require anything, you can reach me at xx-xxxx-xx.

Miss Son.

Wendy leaves the note and box there and leaves the room for the hotel café.

///

Irene’s eyes flutter open. She squints, eyes not yet adjusted to the morning light. She gets up, yawning and rubbing her eyes. The space beside her is empty and she realizes that Wendy is gone. She expected it, but she cannot help the disappointment that floods her from within. Despite it, she lies back down, relishing in Wendy’s scent. It might seem a little creepy, but Irene doesn’t care. It’s comforting and clean and it feels a bit like home.

She kind of wants to go back to sleep but thinks it’ll be inappropriate to do so. She sits up, noticing a hot pink post-it on the bedside table. There’s also a box beside it. She peels off the post-it, reading it.

The corners of her lips lift into a smile and she cannot help her pounding heart. Her eyes shift towards the dark red box, unsure of what’s inside. Irene reaches for the box and opens it.

A silver necklace resides in the box. The pendant is shaped like a crescent moon and Irene flushes. It’s somehow a very romantic gift. She slaps her own cheeks lightly afterward, not liking the thought. It’s very obvious that Wendy is drawing a line despite the gift. The way she addresses Irene in the note and how formal she sounds are enough to show the distance Wendy wishes to put between the two of them. But Irene is unable to stop the warm feeling from growing in her chest.

It feels a little like happiness.

Irene honestly doesn’t know what’s wrong with her. She tried so hard to deliberately distance herself away from Wendy, but here she is, in Wendy’s hotel room. She doesn’t know what’s right and what’s wrong anymore. All she knows is that she wants to be closer to Wendy.

She isn’t really thinking straight now.

She takes the necklace out and hooks it round her neck. She moves to stand in front of a mirror and she sees the necklace positioned round her neck. It looks beautiful. She really needs to thank Wendy for this. Irene stares at her reflection – the necklace looks beautiful but out of place, as if it doesn’t match the rest of her clothes.

Her head is spinning with thoughts and she’s torn between what her heart wants and what her brain says. She unhooks the necklace and places it back in the box, closing it and making sure it’s out of her sight. Burying her face in her hands, she exhales loudly.

What is the right thing to do?

“What am I doing?” Irene murmurs to herself.

It’s not right to be here. It’s wrong. It’s so very wrong.

She needs to get away – away from this hotel, away from Wendy, away from everything. Irene needs time to think. Yes, that’s what she needs – time.

She strips off Wendy’s clothes and puts on her own, washing up and leaving the hotel room. She purposefully leaves the box containing the necklace in the hotel room.

She dials Manager Park’s number swiftly, bringing her phone to her ear.

“Hello?”

“Manager, this is Irene.”

“Oh, Irene, is everything alright?”

“Is it alright for me to take a few days off from work?”

“Are you sick?” Manager Park sounds concerned.

“No, I just think I need a break.”

“I see. Give me a second.”

Irene sighs, hoping she’ll get approval.

“Yeah, you can have a break. You have 8 days of annual leave.”

“I’ll just need a day.”

“Alright. I’m assuming it’s today because it’s 7.50am and you usually come in earlier than that.”

“Yes. Today. I’m sorry for the short notice, Manager. I ju