Siwon pressed the phone to his ear and waited, he hears a click as the other line picks up. He frowns when he hears her voice,

“Hullo?”

Her voice was slightly slurred and she answered in English.

“Hello! Is anybody there?!” a bit louder this time.

He hears her muttering before he answers,

“Miranda, it’s me.” He pauses to wait for her reply; he hears a muffled sound before her voice came back up.

“Who?” a pause, “I think you got the wrong number. Please try again. Goodbye.” She hangs up.

Siwon hurriedly dialed her number again, he was getting worried.

“Hullo?”

“Miranda, it’s me, Siwon. Where are you?”

“Siwon?” a pause.

He hears her laugh,

“Ah! If it isn’t my wonderful husband!” she giggles but suddenly gasps,

”Oh no! Did I forget something?! Was I supposed to meet you or something?!”

He hears more muffled sounds and then he hears a deep sigh.

“I did didn’t I? I forgot that we were supposed to meet or something to that effect.” She giggles again.

He realized that she is inebriated but asked to confirm anyway,

“Hon, are you drunk?” he asks her.

“Nooo, I am not!” she says shrilly.

“Miranda!” he threatens,

“Okay! Okay!” sighs “I may have consumed a considerable amount of alcohol. Happy now!” she laughs again.

“Where are you?” he asks worriedly.

“I’m where I’m supposed to be, silly!” she giggles.

Siwon closed his eyes and prayed for patience,

“Honey, where are you?” he asks again, soothingly this time.

“I can’t talk right now, I’m busy. I will call you next time okay?” she slurred.

He hurriedly interrupted her, “Miranda, where are you right now!”

He could just imagine her rolling her eyes right now and trying hard not to get angry, he couldn’t help but smile at the image he conjured in his mind.

“I’m at home, alright! I wanted to be alone and get numb and the only place I can do that is at home, okay! Because I can’t be seen in public like this! No sirree! Because it’s very unbecoming! What would the people say!” her voice getting shrill and louder at every statement, he hears her take a deep breath and then silence.

“I’m coming over.” Siwon said simply.

“Noooo! No! I, I hmm, I-“  she stammers, “I am not in the mood to take in guests! There! I said it!” she yelled, her slurring becoming more obvious.

Siwon was now more than ever determined to be with her.

“I’m coming over. Don’t go anywhere. I will see you in a few minutes.” He said to her, silence.

“Miranda? Are you listening to me?” his voice went up.

“I am not deaf! I can hear you fine!” annoyance was evident in her voice. “I told you I can’t see you now! Maybe tomorrow, okay?” she said patiently.

“No, I will be there in a few minutes, Stay there, do you hear me!” he hangs up before she can answer him back.

He hurriedly went to his car and drove for her home. He called her assistant Carol for her address; the woman was hesitant to give him the information. She told him that Miranda dismissed her earlier than usual and was told not to bother her for the night.

Carol only conceded when Siwon told her of Miranda’s situation, when he asked if there was something bothering the actress, she only said that Miranda only received a call earlier in the day, after her drama filming wrapped up, she asked to be driven straight home.

“She was unusually quiet in the car and she didn’t make her usual calls on the girls. She usually calls to check how they were but she didn’t earlier. I wanted to ask her about it, but she closed up and it wasn’t up for negotiations.” Carol reports to him.

“Thank you, Noona. I will go and check on her. I am on my way right now.” Siwon bid goodbye to her after she instructed him on how to get into the house.

He concentrated on his driving, whenever it was safe he would speed up. They were supposed to meet for dinner tonight; he called to tell her that he was able to get reservations in one of his favorite restaurants and to meet there.

He was not expecting any of this to happen, not to her. He already knows that Miranda is not one to turn to alcohol for comfort, she’s told him once that she does not enjoy drinking, it clouds your judgment and causes you to do things that you were not supposed to, making you vulnerable, especially in their kind of work where reputation is everything.

He stepped on the gas pedal; he needs to get to her as soon as possible.

Hang in there, hon. I’m coming.

Miranda threw her phone at the couch, annoyed and poured herself another glass of wine. She drinks in gulps and then decided she wants music so she grabbed a remote and pointed it towards her entertainment center.

“Let’s see, I think Vivaldi!” her voice sounded funny to her, she frowns but a bit later shrugs her shoulders and it was forgotten. When the music filled the air, she pours more wine, she makes a face when the bottle let out a tiny stream and then stopped.

“Oh no! You’re out!” she whines, she pouts at the now empty bottle, she sets it down, she frowns again when the bottle toppled in the table top.

“Opps! Sorry!” she picks up the empty bottle and slowly set it on the table top. She pats it, “Stay there. Hmm.”

She unfurls herself from her couch; she puts her arms out when she feels the floor shift.

“Whoa!” her eyes wide.

She closes and opens them slowly; her brows came together as she winced. She waited for the room to stop spinning, when it did she nods. She walks toward the kitchen straight to her huge pantry, she stops in front of the wine fridge, she picks up a bottle and turns back to the family room. She struggled with the cork, grunting as she fights with it. It wasn’t helping that the floor was suddenly uneven.

She smiles widely as the cork pops out with a satisfying pop. Her tongue peeks out the corner of as she concentrates in pouring the liquid into her empty wine glass. She takes a sip; she nods then starts drinking in big gulps. She sets her glass down as she sits back in her couch; she stretches her length on it and takes deep breath as she listens to the music. She closes her eyes, a contented smile on her face as she feels her skin tingle all over. She wanted to feel numb and she is just about there. She takes deep breaths and feels herself sinking into the couch more. She sighs.

When Miranda opened her eyes, the room was quiet and she was looking into a pair of very familiar eyes. She frowns; she raises her hand and pokes the man hovering on top of her. When her finger touched his arm, her frown got deeper.

“Man, you’re real.” She whines, she saw how his face broke into a grin.

“Hi, honey.”

She smiles, “Hi honey!” she giggles and launches herself at him.

He laughs as he wraps his arms around her, he settles into the couch to get comfortable.

When he arrived he was able to get passed her front gate and door. He followed where the music was coming from and saw her sleeping in the linen sectional. He turned off the stereo. He sat next to her lying form and moved his eyes around the space and saw two empty wine bottles and a half empty one next to it. The place was not in chaos, everything was neatly arranged including the wine bottles and her wine glass was set on top of a coaster. A plate of fruit was also set right next her glass.

He gazed at her, she looked so peaceful in her sleep, no hard planes, no guarded expressions. He brushes stray hair off her face. He held his breath when she smiled in her sleep, he grins and moves closer and nuzzled her cheek and planted a kiss on it. He moved away when she moved and opened her eyes.

He felt her move in his arms so he loosened his hold on her. She pushes at his chest as she eyes him.

“What are you doing here? Did I tell you to come??” she frowns, she suddenly smiles, “Man, I am buzzed!” she giggles. She moves away from him and leans back into the couch. She smiles at him brightly.

Siwon moves closer to her, “How are you?”

She shrugs, “I’m finnnee!” her voice high pitched. She looks at him intently,

“Ha-how are you here? How did you get in?” she suddenly looks startled, “Did I leave the door open?!” her brows knit together as she furiously thinks.

He chuckled, “Your assistant helped me.”

“Oh, did she now? Does she still know that she works for me?”

“Come on Miranda, I was the one who made her do it. If you are going to get mad, then get mad at me.” He says to her as he moves to grab her hand.

“Who says I am mad, I am not mad!” she says to him defensively, her voice going up a notch.

She sits up to grab her glass and tries to bring it to when Siwon intercepted it and takes it away from her.

“Hey!” she glares at him.

“That’s enough, hon. you’ve already had more than you can handle.” He takes the glass and the bottle away from her reach.

“Noooo.” She whines, she grabs for her glass but Siwon used his other arm to hold her. She pushes it away.

“Stop, Miranda. I’m serious!”  he grabs her shoulders and pushes her back into the couch. He sighs when she starts pushing at him.

“Miranda! Look at me! Please honey.” He begs and waits for her to stop struggling.

“Let go of me! I did not ask you