Ebony walked into the room, her face showing disbelief. “So you’re going to do it?”

Keeping her eyes on the frying pan in front of her. Bea nodded, “Yep, it seems to be the easiest way.”

“Easiest?! By what standards?” Walking passed the couch, Ebony plopped down in the seat at the dinner table. “You’re the first black girlfriend, of a Korean star! If you are not feeling the stress from that title, I sure as hell am.”

Rolling her eyes Bea carefully removed the frying pan from the top stove, and placed it on the marbled kitchen counter. Picking up a flat spatula she started to remove the small green circles from the pan  onto a baking sheet.

“You shouldn’t be. They haven’t called me for a week, and since they crashed at my place they haven’t even called for their usual lunches to be delivered.” She placed the pan in the sink, and patted her hands on her apron. Letting the items on the baking paper cool, “And since it’s technically your fault…” “What?!”

Ebony stared at her incredulous, “What, do you mean? My fault? Hah!”

Bea placed her hands on her hips, giving Ebony an annoyed look, “If you hadn’t set me up, with the walking Asian-man stereotype, I wouldn’t have felt the need to get drunker than a sailor.”

Wincing, Ebony lost her defiant stance, “okay, I’ll give you that one. But I didn’t know he’d be such a—jerk!”

Shrugging, Bea took a seat at the dinner table, and crossed her legs. “Well, it wasn’t all bad—he at least knew what he wanted out of life.”

“Let me guess…A broad-mare, a pretty, skinny, Korean broad-mare?” Ebony asked sarcastically. “And he may have even added that his parents wouldn’t approve of him marrying a successful business owner.”

They bother started laughing.  Bea sighed, wiping a tear from her eye, “Ha-ha, I never do understand the way this side of world thinks about those things. I find that the Koreans can be the most giving people, yet at the same time self-serving and selfish. Still isn’t that just man-kind.”

Ebony nodded, her eyes wide, “So you can think deeper things, tsk,tsk. And here I thought you were dumb.”

She flinched from the glare Bea sent her way, quickly she turned her attention to the green cookies cooling on the counter. “What are those over there?”

Bea, gave her look, before she answered, “The green-tea and honey cookies. It’s a new recipe I’m working on. I’m going to take them over to YG and make the reporters go wild over being my experimental piggies.”

Ebony shuddered, she’d been a guinea pig before, for something that had oozed and tasted strangely of peanut butter. “Well, that’s my que.”

Standing, she quickly waved bye and left the upstairs apartment.

Seeing the gates of the YG headquarters blocked by what looked like hundreds of fans. Visually explained why none of the BigBang members had come by.

Bea didn’t bother lowering her head, so the young—apparently angry—fans wouldn’t see her. She alighted from the cab, and waved to the security guard walking further into the parking lot.

Walking inside, she made her way up stairs to where she knew the group were practicing.

Turning the corner she paused when she saw Taeyang with his arms wrapped around a crying women.

20 minutes before.

Taeyang felt his body growing tired as he went through his fourth number. The other dancers were breathing heavily behind him. The number ended, and the dance coach finally allowed everyone to rest. Instead of joining the others where they gathered in the back of the room.

He walked over to where he’d tossed his jacket, and picked up the bottle of water he’d left there. Rummaging in the pocket of his coat he pulled out his phone to see if he’d gotten any text messages. Just then his phone started ringing.

Seeing an unrecognizable number, he pressed the green button. “Yeoboseyo?”

“Oppa, its Ho-kyung, I—are you busy?” The trembling voice, caused Taeyang’s heart to freeze. Memories flashed before his eyes.  He dropped his phone down to his side, his hand clenching it.

The dancers were getting back into position, Taeyang noticing this waved over the coach. Letting the coach know he had to go the bathroom for a minute he left.

Walking into the hallway he lifted the phone, “Where are you?”

“Behind you, Oppa.”  A soft voice spoke, tension surged up Taeyangs spine.

Slowly he turned, the pain of seeing Ho-kyung nearly undid him. Gathering his faculties, he shoved his hands in his pockets. “What brings you here?”

Ho-kyung, as usual looked beautiful, her figure long and elegant. While she still maintained a cheerful expression, today her light pink lips were pressed together in a troubled expression. “I-I didn’t see you at the engagement party…”

She left off. He wondered at why it mattered, “I dropped by but, my schedule was busy that day.”

She nodded, “Ah, um Taeyang, ah the news says you’re dating a cook…is it true?”

Taeyang paused from saying no, he didn’t know who could be listening. Tossing a look over his shoulder, her grabbed her hand, “Let’s go farther down, and talk about it.”

They walked farther down the hallway, before Ho-kyung jerked her hand out of his. Causing Taeyang to turn around and look her confused, “What is it?”

“Why didn’t you come?” She asked, her bangs hiding her eyes.

“Come, come where?” He asked, even though he was pretty sure he knew what she was talking about.

She lifted her head, her eyes slowly turning red from holding back tears. “That’s night, in japan. I asked you to meet me at the bar downstairs if you wanted us to be serious. You didn’t come, why? I waited all night, hoping you’d come. Knowing you loved me.”

Taeyang, felt like his mouth was filling with cotton. “I—I didn’t want you to get hurt because of me. You’d –I couldn’t do that to you again.”

She glared at him, “W-What right did you have to make that choice?! I wasn’t scared so why were you?”

He couldn’t tell her, he couldn’t tell her how he’d felt seeing her lying on the hospital bed when some fans’ had sent her some draino laced chocolates.

Instead as he watched the tears fall, he pulled her into his arms. “Bae, I don’t want to be the reason you get hurt, and the Ilbon guy isn’t bad. Forget about me and go forward.”

Bea watched as Taeyang awkwardly pulled back from the young woman. She noticed the girl wipe tears from her eyes. Not wanting to make the situation anymore awkward she boldly walked forward.

“Taeyang.” She said brightly, smiling she lifted the box, “I wanted to give these to the guys. Do you know where they are right now?”

Taeyang seeming flustered by her bright response, nodded, “They are on the third floor in the studio.”

She nodded, before turning her glance to the young woman, “Hi, I’m Bea I hope everything’s okay.” Digging into the box, she pulled out a little bag with three of the cookies inside. “Here, this should for a moment make you feel better.”

The woman reached forward and took them, bowing her head she murmured her thanks. Bea nodded, and excusing herself she headed upstairs.

Making her way upstairs, she chided herself for the slight sting she’d felt in her chest. It wasn’t like she was really into Taeyang anyway. ing those thoughts to the bottom of her mind she headed upstairs.

“BEA!” Came the excited shout from, Seungri who launched himself at her, it was surprisingly Ji-young who grabbed him midway by the collar and shoved him back into his seat.

“Stop that.” He turned his eyes from the pouting Seungri and smiled at Bea who was setting her box on the table that was covered with music sheets. “What brings you here so early?” He asked.

Taking a seat next to T.O.P who seemed distracted, she shrugged, “I haven’t heard anything since you guys ran from my apartment a week ago. So I figured I’d be proactive in the fake dating, and bring some cookies.”

Daesung who had just came out of the singing booth paused, his eyes intent on Bea, “Cookie?! Where?”

Bea was silently amused at his urgency, she pointed at the box. “There some over there.”
 

She laughed aloud, when all the man jumped up and ran over to the box rummaging through it. “ha-ha, calm down, there’s plenty enough.”

They ignored her, and glared at each other over the last bag. Ji-young grabbed it, and shoved it in his pocket. Daesung lifted his chest, and glared at him. “What does a little kid like you need the last batch for, Hmmm?”

Ji-young gave him a look, his eyes narrowed, “This little kid, has more dates than you hyung. I need more energy.”

Daesungs face surged with red, before he turned away muttering as he opened the bag and shoved one in his mouth.

Bea covered her trembling lips, when Top and Seungri plopped down next to her.

Top, took a bite, and hummed at the sweet honey flavor that caressed his tongue, “These are great.” He exclaimed.

Bea smiled, “thanks, so how was the dinner for your guest?”

Top froze, and his hand felt to his side. Curios, Bea noticed the others giving each other furtive looks.

Seungri leaned over, and whispered, “He lit her dress on fire.”

Bea jerked her head towards him, her expression shocked, “What? How?”

Sengri shook his head, “Tsk, tsk, he got nervous and jumped up when the flambé was being brought in. Tsk, poor shmuck.”

Bea sent a sympathetic look over to Top. Who was currently pretending he couldn’t hear anything, his back was turned to them as he looked over the music score in his lap.

The other members hid their smiles behind their hands. The door opened in the middle of their amusement allowing in Taeyang. He looked them over and asked, curiosity coloring his voice, “What are you guys laughing about?”

After about an hour Bea, checked her wrist-watch. Standing she walked over to the table and grabbed her purse. “Well, I’ve enjoyed myself, but it’s time for me to check on my little restaurant.”

Everyone cried out in disappointment, Seungri jumped up and wrapped his arms around hers and pouted down at her. “Awe!  Bea, can’t you stay longer—?”

Faintly amused at his whining, she shook her head and slowly removed his arms from hers. “Nope. Sorry. Got to get back, and make sure everything’s prepped for tomorrow.”

Taeyang just then came out of the singing booth, seeing that Bea was about to leave. He quickly walked over to her and volunteered to walk her out.

The silence between them was tense, as they walked down the stair well. “Ah.” “Um.”

They both attempted to talk at the same time. They both stopped short, staring at each other. Bea cleared , “Hrm, Is there something you want to say?” She asked, she didn’t want to push him in to explaining what she’d seen earlier.

Taeyang nodded, bringing a nervous hand to the back of his head, “I-I. That girl earlier, she’s was a friend from Japan. She recently just came back and…”

He was cut off by Bea laughter, confused he brought his hand down.

“Ha-ha, you don’t need to explain,” She cheerfully smiled, “This is pretend. This dating we’re doing doesn’t mean I expect anything from you.” She patted his shoulder, “It’s cool, Ah.” She saw the time on her watch. 

Bringing her hand back to her side, “I have to go,” She started to run down the stairs, she paused and glanced back up, “Don’t worry, tell the others I said bye.” With that she raced the rest of the way on her own.

Taeyang watch the cheerful cook make her way down, and didn’t understand why he felt anger at the idea that she didn’t care about him being with another girl. Turning away he headed back upstairs, he would have to assess his emotions later, right now he had work to do.

Kim watched as Bea made her way inside, she waved at the waiters and tossed her coat in her office. Deciding couldn’t hold back his curiosity he walked over the opening of her office. She had toed off her high-heels and was currently looking over a folder.

“Hrm, Bea?” He called her name softly.

She turned, he held back his smile as his noticed the crumbs on the corner of . “Yeah, what’s up?”

He walked in closing the door behind him, “I wanted to ask how the Big-Bang situation was going.”

“Ahhh.” She said allowed, tossing the folder back on the desk, she turned—still seated—fully towards him, “We’ve decided to date.”

“What?!” Kim winced right after he yelled, Bea stared up at him, her eyes wide. He cleared his throat, “Uhrm, Why are you dating him?” He asked, hoping his voice hadn’t come out like a hiss.

She shrugged, her lip slightly pouting, “It’s not really or anything. Its pretend until to the scandal wears down, it doesn’t affect us aside from the annoying reporters.”

Kim shook his head in an effort to clean it. “Ar-Are you interested in him?” Kim could feel everything in him tense.

Bea stared at him blankly, before she started laughing. “ahaha! What? Me, like Taeyang. No way, that would be a headache. I don’t want to date a star that would be too much work.” She continued laughing.

Kim nodded, joining in her laughter. He felt relief a course through his veins at her humor.