“She’s kinda hot.”  Junho spoke while watching you in your bent over form as you arrange your bags in your corner station.  Your tight denim jeans hugging your thighs, hips and just right that it made him wonder if you enjoyed the sensual feeling of being hugged and encased all day.

“What?”  Wooyoung asked turning to Junho as they sat on their respective makeup chairs.

Junho jutted out his chin, pointing in your direction with his pursed lips.  “The new girl’s kinda hot.”

Wooyoung pushes his sunglasses down his nose slightly to see better who Junho was referring to.  “Is she?”  He replied with gritted teeth when he confirmed that in fact his friend was referring to you.

“Have you gone blind?”  Junho shifted in his seat and looks at him incredulously.

“If you say so.”  Wooyoung pushed his sunglasses back up his nose by the bridge with a finger, trying to sound as nonchalant as he could.  ”Just don’t cause trouble.”

“When have I ever?”  Junho dismissed.  “You know, if you watch her carefully and observe her behavior, you’d know she’s purposely doing it to attract someone’s attention.”  He smirks, his eyes never leaving you, much to Wooyoung’s annoyance.  “She’s managed to attract my attention.”  He flicked his tongue over his lips, caressing your thighs with his eyes.

A few minutes more and you heard your name being called for instructions and you discretely motioned to Wooyoung where you’ll be as you headed for the door.

---

"Well?  Was it you or not?"  You impatiently asked as Wooyoung busied himself with his music sheets and shrugged.  You couldn’t see his face or that playful smirk that he has been hiding from you.  "Woooooyoung!"  You shouted.  "I need to know if you’re the one who requested for me or not!”

He snickered at your exasperation.  He was toying with you again.  For the past few weeks that you have met with him in secret, this is the activity he has found to enjoy the most next to having with you.  He has learned that you were so easy to rile up and moments such as these usually led to playful wrestling.  He keeps his head down, looking at the sheets, pretending not to hear you just to annoy you.  Finally, you poked him on his side.  

The wrestling match is on.

Wooyoung dodged your next poke, skittering off of the couch and down to the floor.  He grabbed your foot and began to mercilessly tickle you.  You were screaming and kicking, trying to wriggle your foot out of his grasp.  Your whole body was practically in convulsions.  He howled with laughter as he continued his onslaught, falling backwards on the floor as you fell off the edge of the couch and when he lost his grip for a second, it gave you the opportunity to take the offensive.  In a flash, you are straddling Wooyoung who is still laughing his head off, going straight for his most ticklish spot, the sides of his torso.  He bucked and writhed under you as he roared with laughter even more.  Finally, you relented, sitting on his lower abdomen and leaning over his face.

"Look…I just need to know..."  You started as you tried to catch your breath, propping yourself up with your hands against his shoulders.  “I just want to know if I’m getting that job because of me or if I’m getting that job because of you.”

He begins to relax against the cold floor, breathing heavily as his hands casually rests on your thighs.  He took a moment to appreciate your positions and smiles.  He could feel the heat coming off of the junction between your thighs sinking into his stomach and from his vantage point, he watched your s heave ever so slightly from the exertion of tickling him.  You knew very well the effect that you have on him as you seat just above the growing he is now sporting through his sweat pants.  He wanted nothing more than to ravish you on the floor where he lay.

“What difference does it make?  You got the job."  He his hands up and down your thighs.

You sighed heavily, trying to sound as put out and resigned as you could.  ”It does make a difference and it matters to me.  It’s huge job from a huge mag and I need to know I got that because I’m good at being a makeup artist and that I didn’t just get the job because I’m good at doing you.”  The smile leaving your face slowly as you spoke.

Wooyoung chuckled and pulls you close to him, tugging the neckline of your shirt down.  “Yes, you got the job on your own…I didn’t do a thing.  Not a damn single thing.  You’re good at what you do and you didn’t need me to help you.”  He reassured you.  “Now smile again for me.”

“Really?”  The brightness of your smile at his reply caused his chest to tighten. 

“Really.”  He slaps your bottom making you squeal.  You planted a quick kiss at the corner of his mouth before hopping off of him only to be pulled back down.  The kiss didn’t do him any favors.  He was more excited for you beyond measure now, his hunger growing by the second.

“But that doesn’t mean you could just get up like that.”  He holds on to you tight.  “I did a good job showcasing your first work, you should still thank me…properly.”

“Thank you.”  You smiled.  This very moment dilated in time like an event horizon, where everything stood still and it was just you and him, just his touch and yours on each other’s skin, your hearts beating together, the scent of warm skin and hot touches insulating you both from the world.  There is no past.  There is no future.  All that could ever be is in that moment.  For you and Wooyoung…it’s just the present.

----

“Is she in charge of you today?”  Junho asked and Wooyoung simply nods to answer.  “Mind if we change?”

He clears his throat before he spoke.  “I specifically requested for her today.” 

Junho looked taken aback.  “You specifically requested for her?”  He cocked an eyebrow in amusement.  “Do you specifically know this girl?”  He tilts his head to the side waiting for a reply holding in the grin.

Wooyoung gives a small cheap laugh at his friend’s insinuations.  “She was in charge of me a few weeks ago for that solo mag shoot.”

“And….?”  Junho asked in a playful tone.

“And nothing.”  Wooyoung scrunches up his nose in a cute way.  “She’s good…so she’s here.”

Junho was obviously not satisfied with the answer.  “Exactly how good?”  He snickered under his breath.

“Come on.”  Wooyoung gave him a look with his mouth twitching at the sides of his face.  “She’s staff.  She’s part of the crew.  Do you think I’d really…”  He stops himself mid-sentence and takes a long look at Junho before shaking his head.

“Good.”  Junho sat back on his chair with a wide grin nodding slowly.  “I don’t mind being with the staff.  So, set us up?”

“Excuse me.”  You interrupted their conversation rather loudly over the blaring music in the studio with another makeup artist in tow.  “We’ll have to start working on you guys right now.”  You smiled at Junho and he returns that with a genial smile of his own.

“Hi.”  Junho asked holding out his hand to shake.  “Will you be working on me today?”  You took his hand and shook it as Wooyoung looks on taking off his sunglasses.

“No, Se-ah will.”  You point to the other artist beside you.  “I’m in charge of this one.”  You pointed to Wooyoung. 

You carefully set your things on the vanity without saying a word, without even glancing at Wooyong.  Silently laying out all the brushes, the tubes and the tints on top of the cold metal.  For Wooyoung, it was like watching you slowly wade into the freezing water of the lake to acclimate yourself and as much as he wished for you to just dive in, he waited for you to come to him at your own time, to look at him, to acknowledge that he was there…and you finally did with a look that seemed more like a blank stare.

You grabbed a large brush from the pile in the counter and began opening the powders that you think would match his skin tone.  “Have you been here long?”  Wooyoung maneuvered in his chair letting his fingers splay out in his thighs, took a deep breath as he stared at the mirror for a moment before closing his eyes.

“A bit.”  You looked at him from below your lashes, trying to take in his entire form.

You saw his fingers beginning to tap against his thighs.  “Did you hear us talking?”  He whispered into your direction.  His voice was so small that you could barely hear it with the music playing in the background.

“I was in earshot, this staff didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”  You whispered close to his ear as you dusted the pads first before spreading it on his skin.  You sounded a bit offended.

He opens his eyes wide to look at you, his face becoming pale.  “Hey, it’s not what I…”

You shrugged and smiled.  “It’s fine.  I understand.  Now stay still.”  You said forcing your words to come out happier than you felt. 

The thing with this setup is you know well enough not to expect anything from what you have with him.  He never pretended like you were everything to him nor did you.  And though you wished for something out of him, though you wished to be someone to him, you know in your heart that if those wishes are voiced out, the game will be over and he will be gone from your life.  You’re not girlfriend, not the friend, not the one he’s dating.  You’re just the girl he occasionally shags, the staff he shared a kiss with and more.

There was an uneasy silence between the both of you as you started to work on him.  He was able to stay motionless for about a few minutes before his hand started moving again and then he began shifting his legs in the chair before he almost bumped into you and you found yourself trying to apply the makeup without knocking translucent powder all over him.  “What’s the matter with you?”  You stopped dusting at his jawline.  “If you keep moving like that, the powder’s going to end up all in your ears and you’ll be digging it all out for days.”

Wooyoung opened his eyes and for a moment the man was replaced by a contrite child.  “Are you mad?”  He asked with a little pout and sad eyes that were tugging at your heartstrings.

“No.”  You said in a hush tone as you grabbed another set of foundation in your hand, twisting the jar you continued.  “There’s really nothing to be mad about.”  You tapped the brush against your arm, blowing the extra dust off.  You leaned down close to his face as you filled in the lines around his eyes.  It afforded you the ability to speak in confidence without being obvious.  “This is just a game between you and me.  I completely understand that.”  The corner of his mouth tipped downwards and a little furrow appeared between his brows.  “It’s just something we both enjoy.”  You instinctually grazed the tips of your fingers underneath his cheekbones and down the sides of his face.  “Now sit still and be quiet.”

You were painting his lips when you suddenly heard Junho calling your name making you turn to face him.  “What are you doing after this?”  Junho smiled brightly at you.

You looked at Wooyoung before you spoke, his face unchanging.  “I’m meeting someone.”

Without missing a beat he asked again.  “Boyfriend?  Husband?  Fiancé?  Date?”

You let out a laugh as you ran your hand on your hair.  “No, just someone I meet with from time to time.”  You looked back at Junho with a wistful smile.

Junho’s eyes never left your face and you could feel them burning into your skin.  Somehow you couldn’t meet them, a part of you was afraid that if you did, you’ll be discovered.  “Then what about tomorrow?  Are you still meeting that someone tomorrow?”

You turned your eyes to Wooyoung again waiting for his expression to change, but it didn’t.  “I don’t know.  Maybe not?”  You spoke brushing a finger on Wooyoung’s lower lip with a smile.

It was that smile on your face that caused a certain feeling to ball into a thorny knot on Wooyoung’s chest as he watched the girl he plays with find a new playmate.