Setting a dinner meeting with Leo Jung was unexpected.

He rarely goes with anyone except with his family or friends. But when I invited him for an unplanned dinner-slash-meeting for the company, he accepted immediately.

My co-workers were surprised, too, since they would always try to set up either a lunch or dinner meeting with him to explain the merge of the companies for a project, yet, he always turned them down.

“Huh,” sighed Mae, one of the secretaries of our president, “I wish I could go with you, since I can explain it to him.”

“You just want to be with him alone,” I sarcastically retorted. She laughed because it was the obvious truth. You just cannot resist Leo Jung anyway. Tall height, muscularly fit body, slanted monolid eyes, and a very mysterious aura.

“If the company didn’t need the Jung company, it would be a loss for me…I MEAN, THE COMPANY.”

Mae laughed at how I slipped my inner thoughts out loud, and even banged the table with her hands in delight.

“Finally! Finally, you told the truth!”

“B-but, it’s- it’s just that…he’s… a gentleman, and…and you know, a fine looking guy-”

“Yeah, yeah, we all know,” she said, waving her hand.

-0-

I arrived early.

I think I just made myself a bit too lax about the dinner. Mae even said that “it looks like you’re dating”.

Like, hell, he would date someone like me.

I groaned at my thoughts. Why am I even thinking about this as date? This is a meeting. This is for the company’s sake.

The waiter told me to proceed to the room at the right. My body fidgeted for it was too private. My heart beat rampantly faster when the waiter opened the door.

Leo was there.

“Oh, good,” he stated, “We can finish this earlier, then.”

I nodded and greeted him. I also thanked him but he just stood there with a blank expression. I can’t seem to grasp whatever was on his mind. It’s like he was observing me from head to toe.

He then proceeded to offer the seat for me. Obliging, I sat and he slowly went to his seat in front of me. Pulling out the documents from my suit case, I began discussing the point of view of our company for the project.

“So, as I had said via the phone call two days ago, your company will be providing manpower-”

“When’s your birthday?”

I stopped and quickly looked at him. My first thought was “What?”. My second thought was, “Are you serious?”. My third thought was, “August 1.”

I proceeded with my first thought.

“What?”

“I asked, when’s your birthday?”

“Um,” I sniggered, “why-”

“Isn’t that a vital info when you start to observe someone?”

Straightforward. Too straightforward.

“Well…then, August 1.”

“I see,” he nodded, “Your star sign is my name.”

“Um, yes…”

“Do you live with your family?”

“Um, Mr. Jung, I-”

“Just answer the question.” I then glued my eyes to him. He was definitely serious, and his expression was as the same as before, and it was scary.

“Yes, I do.”

My quick response made him a bit off-guard. He just nodded and stared at the night sky though the window. I didn’t talk for a while and just observed him.

He was, I don’t know, in deep thought. His eyes then looked at me. Afterwards, he smiled.

His smile was…comforting.

“Don’t worry,” he said, still smiling, “I just want to know who I am talking to. All I know is that, you’re the head of the PR department.”

Even if I couldn’t see it, I knew my face went red and I could feel a crazy sensation inside my belly. The door then opened, signaling as that dinner will be served. While eating dinner, he continued to ask about me instead of the company. It was a bit awkward on my part, but he was definitely serious in ‘interviewing’ me.

Then a phone call was all it took to stop the moment.

“I-I have to go,” I said, hinting a bit of sadness, “My mom is looking for me.”

I looked at the time, and it was clear why. It was almost 11.

“I understand,” he nodded. He stood up and helped me up from my seat. I arranged my things as fast as I could.

 “Oh, by the way…”

I then turned to face him, and realized his face was just a few centimeters away from mine. He placed a quick kiss on my lips.

“Is this considered a date?”

“Um, Leo…”

“Don’t tell me you have a boyfriend,” his eyebrows met. I shook my head, saying that I didn’t have anyone.

“Good, then,” he pulled out his phone, “I’m calling your president, Mr. Choi. I’ll tell him that you will be having a whole day meeting with me tomorrow.”

My mouth dropped.

“Don’t retort.”

-0-

The whole day, we just went around his company. Afterwards, we went to his house and met his father, the current president. His mother was there, too, which made the situation worse since the first thing she said when she saw me was, “Oh, are you getting married?”, thinking I was his girlfriend.

Which I am absolutely not.

“But, well, you are,” he said, “Yesterday-”

“Leo, that was a meeting. Even today was supposed to be a meeting. Why are you playing with me?”

His facial expression went gloomy when I asked him. He slumped to the edge of his bed. I didn’t mean it to sound a bit harsh, but it was the truth, especially when he invited me, no, it was more of a commanded me, to go with him to his bedroom. It didn’t seem right. It was only the second day, and bedrooms on the second day are frightening in my experience.

“I just…well, first, I want someone that I can trust inside the company. Then, when I first saw you when I visited your company three weeks ago, I knew that you were the one. That’s the reason I turned down everyone, well except the president, when it came to setting a meeting outside your company. Unless it was you.”

The whole explanation was childish in my point of view, but somehow…it made my heart flutter.

It was funny seeing his surprised reaction when I kissed him.

“Hey,” he pulled my waist, “can you stay here?”

“Um…”

“Please?”

I grabbed my phone and called my parents quickly, telling them that I’m going to stay over for a company business meeting. When they asked me where I will be staying, and heard Leo’s company name, they were thrilled. It was a lie, a bit of it anyway. I just hoped that they won’t mention anything to the company though. It would place Leo in an uncomfortable situation.

“So…”

“Yes, I’m staying,” I said, “But…I have a condition.”

“What is it?”

“No…whatever.”

“Oh,” he smiled, “I understand. I won’t.”

As I lied down beside me, he began singing a song. It was so soothing, a lullaby. I swore, sleep arrived immediately, but I could still feel his hand, brushing my hair.

“I’m falling for you…” he said, as he kissed my forehead gently.

“Me too…”