“Read this,” Jaejoong commanded, tossing her something. His voice sounded like a clap of thunder and his face was like stone. All of it sent a shiver down Jessica’s back. There was no trace of the friendliness from yesterday night, though that hadn’t really counted as friendliness anyway.

 

Jessica reached out from her spot on the couch and managed to catch it, fumbling to set it upright when she realized that it was a magazine. It was some sort of a celebrity gossip magazine and a pretty girl in a pink dress posed on the cover.

 

It had only been around five minutes since she had run into him at the elevator. After the strange encounter with the man (not to mention Jaejoong calling her his fiancée), Jaejoong had dragged her over to his office, much to the shock and confusion of both his female secretary and Jessica herself. In fact, the whole situation itself was shocking and confusing.

 

Now Jessica sat there and felt her brows furrow in confusion, wondering what was going on, when her gaze landed on a section in the bottom right corner that proclaimed in big red letters, “Kim Jaejoong, CEO of COEX Mall, has a one night stand after an evening of clubbing? Go to page 72 for more details!”

 

Eyes widening, Jessica quickly flipped through the magazine until she landed on the right page. She skimmed through it and winced as several key words jumped out at her: Kim Jaejoong, CEO, COEX Mall, unknown female, seen eating dinner together, Gold Suites.

 

The page right next to the article was filled with pictures from last night, including one of the two of them in the fancy restaurant. Jessica had her head tilted back slightly with open mid-laugh while Jaejoong was leaning forward slightly, a smile on his face. Warm, golden light from the lamp above their heads enveloped them. Directly under that was a photo taken in the lobby of Gold Suites of Jaejoong carrying Jessica inside.

 

She closed the magazine quickly and set it down on a nearby coffee table, her mind whirling with a million thoughts. No wonder why everyone was staring and whispering. Jessica fumed silently. Soojin, Sohee, Jihyun, and all those others must be having a field day with this one.

 

The door to Jaejoong’s office suddenly opened and a tall young man stepped inside. He was wearing a suit as well and his leather shoes were so shiny that Jessica could almost see her reflection in them. His hair was short and brown and he had a boyish jaw-line that emphasized the rest of his handsome face.

 

“Mr. Kim, you called for me?” he asked, his eyes going straight to Jaejoong, who was standing by his desk with his arms crossed and his hair disheveled. His perfect lips were pressed into a harsh, unforgiving line.

 

Jaejoong looked up and nodded, indicating for him to sit down on the couch. The man took a seat next to Jessica, who was still cursing in her mind at the reporter who wrote the article in the first place.

 

“Jessica,” Jaejoong said, shaking her out of her thoughts, “this is Changmin, my personal assistant and friend. Changmin, this is Jessica. Now, Changmin, would you please explain to Jessica what’s going on?”

 

Changmin nodded. “Jaejoong is one of the youngest and most successful businessmen in all of South Korea right now. This means that he has to keep up his image. He’s actually quite popular – he even has his own fan club, as if he’s an idol or something. You must’ve heard of him before, right? Maybe seen him on tv or in a magazine?” He turned to Jessica expectantly, waiting to hear her answer.

 

“No,” Jessica said. She felt her cheeks involuntarily flame pink when she saw Changmin look at her incredulously. “Am I supposed to have?”

 

“Well, I mean, Jaejoong’s really popular with girls in their twenties so I just assumed but, you know what, it doesn’t matter,” Changmin said. “Anyway, this article – “ he picked up the magazine and waved it around for emphasis “ – is a huge problem. As Jaejoong’s personal assistant, I’m in charge of many things, and his image is one of them.”

 

Jessica nodded. “I’m really sorry, I never meant for this to happen,” she apologized. She hated being a burden to anyone else. Then Jessica looked at the magazine again and groaned. This has also affected my image! she wanted to shout.

 

“Being sorry doesn’t change anything,” Jaejoong cut in.

 

“Ignore him, he has anger issues.” Changmin gave him a warning look. “He’s not usually like this, so please excuse him. Anyway, Jessica-sshi, the two of us talked about it this morning and came up with a brilliant plan.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Well,” started Changmin, a look of proud confidence entering his face, “this magazine and several online articles have accused you two of having a one night stand, which may or may not have happened.” He gave Jaejoong and Jessica knowing looks which in turn caused Jessica’s cheeks to flame. It also earned him an incredulous look from Jaejoong.

 

“Get to the point already,” Jaejoong snapped.

 

“Anyway,” Changmin continued, “since the evidence here is pretty solid, with the pictures of him carrying you into a hotel and all – “

 

“I was carrying her because she was sleeping! Changmin, we’ve been over this,” Jaejoong interrupted, glowering.

 

“Ahem, as I was saying, the evidence would definitely be hard to discredit, especially since the two of you did in fact sleep in the same hotel room.” Changmin clasped his hands together and turned to Jessica. “This is where you come in, Jessica-sshi. You see, any attempts to deny the rumors would just fan the flames. Once people find out who you are, his fan club members will track you down. Reporters will camp out in front of your house. We don’t want that, right?”

 

She nodded silently, not really sure where this whole thing was going.

 

“So, what we want to do is nip this whole thing right in the bud. And in order to do that, we have to come out with something that will completely overshadow the rumors while justifying them at the same time.”

 

“Wait…what do you mean?” Jessica asked cautiously, suddenly a bit scared about what his ‘brilliant plan’ was.

 

“We’re going to pretend that you two are engaged!” he answered with a huge grin.

 

Jessica’s jaw dropped. “Excuse me?” Jessica exclaimed. “Engaged?” She turned to Jaejoong, sure that he would oppose it just as much as her. He stood stiffly, not looking at either of them.

 

“Well, that’s obviously the most ideal solution to this problem. A marriage wouldn’t work, especially on such short notice; too many papers to sign and all that legal stuff. But an engagement? Easy as pie, right?” Changmin flashed her a charming smile.

 

“But still…pretend to be engaged…” Jessica trailed off. Pretend to be engaged to that jerk? I’ll be damned if I agree! she shouted in her mind.

 

Changmin sighed heavily. “We hate to have to involve you in this, Jessica, but we have no choice. Of course, the decision is completely up to you – you can refuse and watch Jaejoong’s career spiral downwards by the second if you want.”

 

That sounds good to me, Jessica thought, though she did feel guilty. This whole scandal happened in the first place solely because Jaejoong brought her to dinner due to her condition. But pretend to be engaged? Jessica felt her guilt vanish at the very thought of it. Even if I feel bad for him, there’s no way I can agree.

 

“I believe you ran into Mr. Park today at the elevator? That’s just one example. He’s a big investor in COEX Mall and he represents many of them with what he came to say. This is unacceptable behavior for a CEO and all the evidence is stacked against Jaejoong. Come on, Jessica-sshi. Our future rests in your hands.” Changmin looked at her earnestly.

 

“I – “ Jessica squeezed her eyes shut. She was absolutely terrible at saying no to others. It was one of her major weaknesses. “I just – I need to think about it.”

 

“That’s completely understandable,” he said. “Do you think you’d be able to give us an answer by the end of the day?”

 

Jessica nodded. Changmin leaned forward and held out a slip of paper to her.

 

“My business card,” he explained. “Once you reach a decision, call me.”

 

She nodded again and reached for her purse. Tucking the business card into her wallet, Jessica stood and slung her bag over her shoulder. Just as he was about to turn and walk away, she felt a hand grab hold of her wrist.

 

“Just a second.”

 

Jessica turned around slowly, coming face to face with Jaejoong. She had to tilt her head up to look him in the eye and did it with slight reluctance, unwilling to sink into the shadowed depths of those eyes, the mesmerizing harsh beauty of his face.

 

“Let me offer you a deal.”

 

“A deal?” Jessica echoed, tilting her head casually to the right. She arched her brows. What, does he think I’ll do anything for money? Do I look that poor? “I’m not someone that can be bought.”

 

“Actually,” he drawled, his grip on her wrist loosening slightly, “I think you are. What if I say that in exchange for you to become my fiancée, you won’t have to pay for the damages to my car, the hospital fee, the dinner, and the hotel?”

 

“I can afford to pay for them all,” she replied, her voice inching up a few decibels. Who does this guy think he is? She felt her face flush with anger and took a step back, ready to leave the office and forget everything.

 

The corners of Jaejoong’s lips turned up in an infuriating smirk. “The cost for repairs for my car is fifty grand. The hospital fee is three hundred and sixty dollars, the dinner was fifty dollars, and one night at Gold Suites costs three hundred dollars.”

 

“I can afford it,” she bit out through clenched teeth, though she felt her face pale at the prices. “I might not be able to give it to you all at once, but I can pay you back. And I will.”

 

“Think of your job,” Jaejoong continued. “What did your boss say when you went to work today? What did your colleagues say?” There was a hint of a challenge in his voice, and his eyes glittered with something that made Jessica’s knees feel weak. “In fact, are you confident that you won’t get fired? I don’t think your company would want someone who showed up on the news for having a one night stand to continue working there.”

 

“But we didn’t have one,” was the only thing she could think to say. Everything he said made sense. “People will find out the truth.”

 

“The truth?” He let out a bitter laugh and pointed at the magazine. “What truth? Just think about it. And don’t forget to call Changmin with your answer.”

 

Jaejoong stepped back and let go of her wrist. Jessica stared at him for a few seconds, noticing the confident gleam in his eyes. He thinks he’s already won. She turned around and rolled her eyes. We’ll see about that.

 

--------

Jessica arrived back at work at about 12:48, which was almost perfect. She knew that at this time most of the people in the building would still be at lunch, meaning she would have a significantly lower chance of running into people from her section as she made her way up to her floor. But, just in case, Jessica opted for the stairs instead of taking the elevator.

 

Unfortunately, just as she was about to go up the flight of stairs leading to the third floor, Jessica heard footsteps and looked up to see none other than Lee Donghae walking towards her. She immediately lowered her head and continued walking.

 

“Wait, Jessica-sshi,” Donghae called after her.

 

Aish, I should’ve taken the elevator. What if he asks me about the articles? Jessica turned around slowly and shot him the brightest smile she could muster. “Yes, Donghae?” she asked cheerfully, hoping he would just say a quick greeting and move on.

 

“I know you must be really busy and everything,” he started, looking apologetic, “but I just wanted to ask if you were going to Eric’s birthday party tomorrow.”

 

The elevator ride with him and Soojin earlier in the week flashed in Jessica’s mind. I mean, it’s not like she usually comes to any parties anyway. It’d actually be kinda weird if she actually came to this one, Soojin’s voice taunted. “Oh,” Jessica said. She bit her lip. “I did promise Eric that I would go, but I’m not really sure.”

 

“I see. Please consider going, Jessica-sshi.” Donghae coughed. “I mean, I know you mean a lot to Eric so…”

 

Jessica laughed. “I guess. He did threaten to cut my salary if I didn’t go.”

 

Donghae nodded, breaking into a smile. “Then I’ll go eat my lunch now. Have a nice day, Jessica-sshi.”

 

She nodded back at him and turned to go. Five minutes later, Jessica reached her own floor and headed over to her office. Luckily, her whole section was deserted. Jessica felt as if a physical weight had been lifted from her shoulders as she walked past all the empty cubicles and offices.

 

Jessica started to hurry to her office but paused as the coffee room came into view. There’s no one around anyway, I might as well, she decided, and walked forward cautiously. Then she stood up straight. Jessica, you’re being ridiculous, she told herself. It’s not like people are out to get you or something. Walk normally, for God’s sake.

 

Jessica stepped pulled open the door and stepped inside, only to run smack into someone else. But before she could apologize, the other person spoke.

 

“Unnie, I finally found you!” exclaimed Yoona’s familiar voice.

 

Jessica let out a huge sigh of relief. “Oh, Yoona, thank god it’s you.”

 

“Aish, Sica, I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Where were you?”

 

“I was just taking care of a few things,” Jessica said absently, hoping Yoona wouldn’t question any further.

 

 “Well, have you seen this?” Yoona whispered urgently, taking a magazine out of her bag. She opened it quickly and flipped to a page. “This girl looks exactly like you! Everyone on this floor – well, actually, everyone in the entire building – is talking about it and wondering whether it really is you or not. They’re even making bets! But don’t worry, I told anyone I caught talking about you that you are definitely not the type of person to do this.”

 

Jessica groaned and pushed her hair out of her face in frustration. This was exactly what she was afraid of. “It is me.”

 

“What?” Yoona gaped at her.

 

“Except the reporter who wrote that clearly had way too much time on his hands and is probably out to get Kim Jaejoong because we definitely did not have a one night stand.”

 

“Wait, what happened then?!” asked Yoona, placing a hand on Jessica’s shoulder.

 

“It’s complicated,” she said slowly, thinking back to the deal that Jaejoong had offered her. It was too good to give up. It was also kind of him to even offer her it because now all she wanted to do was crawl back to his office and beg to pretend to be engaged. “I can’t really explain it all right now, Yoona, I’m sorry.”

 

“Well, you better go straight to Eric and explain it because he was looking for you earlier.”

 

“What?!” Jessica screeched. “Did he say anything about what he wanted to see me for? Do you think it’s because of the article? Did he look mad? Disgusted? Annoyed?”

 

Yoona let out a giggle. “Actually, I think he was more confused, because you’re always here when he needs you.”

 

“Do you think he’ll bring up the article directly?” asked Jessica.

 

“I don’t think so,” she replied with a thoughtful crease between her eyes. “No details have been confirmed yet and you’re obviously not that kind of person, so…” Then she sat up a bit straighter as something else occurred to her. “Besides, he wouldn’t risk it because what if he’s wrong and it’s not you? He’d be too embarrassed to ever face you again.”

 

Jessica let out a sigh. “I feel a bit more reassured now. Thanks so much Yoona. I better go see what Eric wants.”

 

“Good luck! Hwaiting!” Yoona cheered her on, making fists with her hands. Jessica couldn’t help but laugh at her best friend’s antics and left with a quick wave.

 

First, she headed back down the hall to her own office to set down her purse, put on her name tag, and get her computer running. Then Jessica hurried over to Eric’s office on the other side of the floor. When she reached his door, she knocked twice and pushed it open without waiting for a response, only to realize belatedly that she should’ve waited instead.

 

Eric was seated in one of the couches in his office. Another person – a male – sat across from him, with his back to Jessica. Eric looked up as Jessica barged in but she immediately blushed and stepped back outside, giving him a bow in apology for interrupting his meeting.

 

“Wait!” he called out to her just as she was about to pull the door back closed. “You came just in time, come inside.”

 

Jessica looked up at him in confusion but did as she was told, closing the door gently behind her. She walked forward and took a seat next to Eric, her stomach filled with nervous butterflies. Then she looked up and realized that the other person in the room was none other than Jay, the guy that she had bumped into twice yesterday. The butterflies in her stomach tripled in speed and she quickly looked back down, embarrassed.

 

Eric looked between them and grinned, apparently not noticing Jessica’s discomfort. “Jay, meet Jessica, my favorite employee. Jessica, this is Jay Park. He’s a new photographer.”

 

“Hello,” Jay said, his eyes creasing in a pleasant smile. He held out his hand.

 

Jessica forced herself to return the smile and reached over to shake his outstretched hand.

 

“He was originally supposed to work in the sports section, especially since he had such an outstanding resume. We talked it over yesterday and he told me he wanted to try out something new,” said Eric.

 

She nodded along to his words, her eyes trained on Eric as if giving him her undivided attention, though she was inwardly wondering what any of this had to do with her. At least it’s not about the article, she thought with a small sigh of relief.

 

“So,” continued her boss, “I decided to switch him to the politics and economy section and have him work with you for your next few articles.”

 

Jessica’s eyes widened in slight panic. You want me to work with the guy who’s seen me embarrass myself multiple times?

 

“I’m really glad that Jay applied for a job here,” he said. “It’s a pity that your wonderful articles had to get stuck with those mediocre photos taken by Saehee and Jihyun ever since Yoona got switched to the sports section.”

 

How am I supposed to oppose this without looking ungrateful? Jessica forced herself to smile. “This means a lot to me Eric, but…” she trailed off, trying to find the right words. “But, I’m just – “

 

“But you’re just so happy that you can’t even find the words to express your gratitude?” Eric grinned. He knew just how much Jessica disliked both Saehee and Jihyun, who never really took their work seriously and used most of their time at work to flirt and gossip.

 

“Uh, well,” Jessica mumbled, “not exactly.”

 

“What was that?” Eric asked.

 

“Nothing,” Jessica said, forcing a cheerful laugh. “Thanks, Eric.”

 

He nudged her playfully. “Don’t mention it, what are friends for? Anyway, I’ve arranged for Jay to move into the empty office across from yours. It’ll make it easier for you two to communicate.”

 

“How convenient,” Jessica forced out through gritted teeth.

 

“In fact, why don’t you and Jay head over there right now? You can give him a brief overview on your current article.” Eric turned to Jay. “Has anyone given you a tour of the building yet?”

 

“Lily gave me a tour of this floor,” replied Jay. His voice was warm and kind, which struck Jessica as the complete opposite of Jaejoong’s cold, authoritative tone.

 

“That won’t do.” Eric ran a hand through his hair and turned to Jessica. Don’t tell me he’s going to make me give Jay a tour of the building. I swear to god, I’m going to kill him – “Jessica, why don’t you give Jay a tour of the rest of the building?”

 

She had an urge to throw up her hands and groan, but restrained herself and replaced the growing frown on her face with a grin. “All right,” Jessica agreed, standing up. She forced herself to look at Jay. “Do you want to go to your office or mine?”

 

“Let’s go to yours, since I’m still setting mine up and it’s pretty messy,” he replied. He stood as well, and Jessica bid Eric goodbye. She strode out into the hallway, hoping to keep walking in front of him so they wouldn’t have to talk, but he quickly shattered her plan as he kept up easily with his long legs.

 

“So, how long have you been working here, Jessica?” Jay asked casually to break the silence between them.

 

“Three years,” she replied in the same casual tone. Jessica had wanted to keep her answer short and simple, but suddenly felt a need to elaborate. “I mean, technically two years, but I was an intern here for a year while I was still in college.”

 

Jay smiled, seeming surprised at how much she had said. “So you must have a lot of experience, huh?”

 

This time Jessica kept shut firmly and just nodded in reply. She led the rest of the way to her office in silence, deflecting every question he asked with a simple nod or shake of the head. When Jessica reached her familiar oak door, she pushed it open and stepped inside.

 

She heard Jay’s heavy footsteps as they retraced her own. Without looking back, Jessica reached into a drawer on the left side of her desk and took out a folder. It was a portfolio that she kept of all her work – every time she wrote a new article, she printed out an extra copy and slid it into that folder. Jessica reached inside and pulled out her latest article and handed it to Jay.

 

“This is my latest article. It’s on the tax raises that Mayor Yoo has put in place,” she explained, watching as he skimmed over most of it. “The one I’m working on now is about why he decided to do it. I’m trying to get an interview with him.”

 

“And are you having any luck with that?” Jay asked.

 

Jessica looked up sharply, ready to glare and give him an earful, when she realized that he was grinning good-naturedly. Her grip on her folder loosened and her tense shoulders relaxed, but the comment still stung, especially since it echoed her own doubts and what everyone else was thinking.

 

She turned away from him and the two of them stood in silence as he finished reading the article. When he returned it to her, Jessica pretended to be fascinated by something going on outside her window and indicated for him to place it on her desk, her eyes never leaving what she was supposedly looking at.

 

“So,” Jay drawled slowly, sounding as if a mischievous grin had made its way on to his face, “how about that tour?”

 

Jessica pursed her lips, having forgotten about that part of Eric’s instructions. She turned and plastered a smile on. “All you really need to know is where the cafeteria, the bathroom, and your office is.”

 

“But I don’t know where the cafeteria or the bathroom is,” Jay replied.

 

“You – “ Jessica quickly cut herself off before she could call him a name that she knew she would regret later. “Are you kidding me?”

 

“To be honest, it’s pretty fun to annoy you.” He flashed an amused grin at her, all friendliness and charm. “And I actually don’t know where the cafeteria is; I’ve been eating in my office since I started working here about two days ago.”

 

It’s fun to annoy me? Is there something wrong with his head? Jessica rolled her eyes before turning to face him.

 

“And come on, wouldn’t it be more fun to give me a tour than to just sit in your office for the next half hour?” He shot her a winning smile.

 

“Not really,” Jessica muttered under her breath. Raising her voice, she answered, “Sure.”

 

Jay’s smile grew bigger. “Lead the way, Miss Jung.”

 

That’s more like it. What was with him casually calling me ‘Jessica’ earlier, as if we’re friends or something? Jessica brushed past him, pulling open the door and stepping back out into the hallway.

 

This time, Jay stayed behind her and didn’t attempt to start any conversations, which was good for his health because Jessica was only a breath away from fully yelling at him. There was something about talkative, friendly boys – well, talkative and friendly people in general – that irked her. They’re personalities clashed, simple as that. What was worse was that she had already embarrassed herself in front of him, not only once, but twice.

 

She rounded the corner and the two of them arrived in front of the elevator. Unfortunately, Jay chose this time to open his mouth and start talking.

 

“So, Jessica – “ There he goes again with calling me Jessica. “ – is the food in the cafeteria any good?”  

 

She shrugged, not turning to look at him. “There’s a pretty big selection and I haven’t tried everything so I can’t vouch for it all, but from what I’ve eaten, it’s pretty good. The food in the café across the street is better though.”

 

Ugh, I’ve talked too much again. I should’ve just kept it simple with a ‘yes,’ Jessica groaned to herself.

 

“You know – “ Jay started.

 

“How old are you?” she interrupted.

 

“Twenty-three.”

 

Jessica frowned. Damn it. She had been hoping that he would be younger than her so she could force him to call her Miss Jung.

 

“How old are you?” Jay said.

 

“Twenty-three.”

 

“So we’re the same age?” He grinned. “Let’s talk informally to each other then, okay Jessica? Let’s be friends.”

 

“You’ve already been talking to me informally,” she retorted, sticking firmly to her jondaemal. “And we’re coworkers.”

 

“Coworkers can be friends,” Jay replied, raising his eyebrows as if challenging her to disagree.

 

The elevator in front of them suddenly beeped. Its doors slid open. Jessica took this moment to ignore what he had just said and stepped inside.

 

Five minutes later, the two of them arrived at the café. Jay had wanted to go to the cafeteria to take a look at the menus but Jessica’s stomach suddenly craved some chocolate cake and she had dragged him across the street instead.

 

“Do you have anything to recommend from here?” he asked, staring up at all the selections available. “I’m actually pretty hungry, but I have no idea what to get.”

 

“For your first time, definitely a scone,” Jessica replied. Somehow, the thought of eating chocolate cake in just a few minutes made her feel friendlier than usual. “Or maybe a piece of pie. Do you generally like pies or scones more?”

 

Jay tapped his lips with his fingers, looking deep in thought. “What are you planning on getting?”

 

“Chocolate cake,” she answered immediately. When she saw the funny look he shot her, Jessica added defensively, “It’s my favorite.”

 

“Okay, okay,” he said, laughing. He turned back to the glass display. “I think I’ll get a blueberry muffin. They’ve always been my favorite.”

 

Jessica nodded and was about to reply when she was distracted by a quick flash of black entering the café. She saw that it was a tall man wearing a black suit and glanced up at his face, only to feel her jaw drop when she realized that it was none other than Kim Jaejoong.

 

Kim Jaejoong. In the flesh. Walking inside and due to see her at any moment.

 

He was with three other people, probably a business meeting of some kind. Then again, the four of them all looked pretty friendly, so maybe they were close friends of his.

 

Jay followed her gaze. “Do you know him?”

 

Jessica didn’t answer, too busy wondering what he was doing here. Her eyes darted around the café, looking for a hiding spot, before she looked back at Jaejoong. She felt a surge of panic course through her body as she watched Jaejoong smile at something his companion said. One of the men with him pointed up at the menu that she and Jay were standing directly under and Jaejoong looked up as well, his smile turning into a laugh as he listened to a joke unknown to Jessica.

 

She needed to escape. Now.

 

Jessica was about to wrench her gaze from him when, right on cue, his own eyes finished scanning the menu and locked on hers.