I was standing in a huge conference room that was empty save for a tall, lean person. He looked at me with his brilliant brown eyes, and I made a conscious effort to stop my hands from shaking at my sides. ‘So Miss Alvarez, what would you like me to do for you today?’ I let out a small gasp and awoke with a start, all tangled in my bedding. ‘Relax Jess it was a dream!’ I willed my heart to stop beating so loudly. ‘That’s weird, I haven’t thought about Heechul for a while.’ I shook myself out of my stupor and got ready for my morning workout.

After my daily dose of yoga, I weighed myself on the scales. I had dropped two whole pounds in the last two weeks! I was glad my diet was going well. I waged a constant battle with myself to lose those few extra pounds. I didn’t care what people thought about my looks. I didn’t aspire to be as skinny as a model, but just wanted to adhere to my standards of what a healthy and fit body looks like. Plus with my short, curvy build, it wasn’t possible for me to even dream of getting that skinny. I only wanted to avoid a relapse into my childhood days of being that chubby little kid. Sometimes shaking off the fat kid label from your own mind was quite the task.

I attended my morning classes and was waiting outside the library for my friend Michelle when my phone rang, signaling a new email. Curious, I scanned the title, only to see that it was from Global Technology Services. I didn’t have the courage to open it myself and waited with bated breath for Michelle to come. As soon as she neared the library I the phone in her hands- ‘Read the mail for me!’ ‘What are you talking about- Oh my God it’s GTS! Let’s see what it says.’ She scrolled through the email, and her face took on a grim expression. ‘I knew it!’ I burst out dejectedly. ‘There was no way they were going to accept someone like me.’ Slowly her features morphed into a grin and she said ‘You got the job Jess! You made it!’ I let out a squeal of delight and hugged her. ‘I can’t believe it Mich. I really didn’t think they’d like me.’ ‘Well of course they would! Only a fool would pass up the opportunity to hire someone as talented and y as you’ she grinned. ‘Now the both of us have jobs.’ Michelle was going to work on a research project with her professor during the summer break.

After the disbelief and excitement died down, I casually remarked ‘Well, now that we are employed let’s focus on our finals.’ ‘Yes mother’ came the sarcastic reply. With a scowl I pushed her toward the library doors.

The end of our final examinations saw us celebrating with a night out at a club. Michelle had me convinced that I earned the right to let my hair down, and I was being forced to give up my precious hours of sleep to go clubbing with my friends. Michelle and Gina, a redhead classmate of mine, had made a bet about whether or not I would be kissed by someone by the end of the night. To my surprise, Michelle had bet that I would be kissed. Hence, despite my many protests, she took it upon herself to be my fairy godmother and dress me in the most provocative way possible. Upon seeing one tiny black dress that she had laid out for me to try, I finally snapped- ‘I can’t believe that you want me to wear that tube thing. I’m sure that it won’t be able to hold up.’ ‘Oh don’t be such a prude Jess’ came the amused reply. ‘I’m sure your ample bust will be able to hold it up. Besides, we’ve earned a good night out and I want to make sure that I get my twenty dollars from Gina.’ ‘Fine. Whatever. Let’s just get tonight over with,’ I gave up. ‘Now that’s like a good girl’ she gave a devious smile and lobbed a pair of silver pumps at my face.

Despite my earlier misgivings, the dress held in place, albeit the length was a bit shorter than I would have liked. I found myself getting excited when I heard the trendy music blasting through the club. I busted a few moves with Gina on the dance floor. We ground our hips in tune with the rhythm, earning a few appreciative glances from the people around us. It felt good to give in to the music, and let go of the tight leash I always kept myself on. Dancing always brought out my wild side and helped me de-stress. Gina left the dance floor to get herself a drink, and I stayed put, unaware, swaying my hips side to side until I felt a tap on my shoulder. I swiveled around and found myself staring into a familiar pair of beautiful brown orbs. ‘Fancy seeing you here Miss Alvarez’ drawled the low voice of Kim Heechul.

I thought that Heechul had looked amazing in his formal suit on the day of the interview, but it paled in comparison to his appearance tonight. He was wearing a y red leather jacket with a black shirt and pants, and had a scarf tied around his neck. I wanted nothing more than to rip the scarf from his neck and expose his gorgeous milky skin. Surprised at my own inappropriate thoughts, I extended a hand to him, suddenly feeling ugly in light of his ethereal beauty. ‘This is a nice surprise Mr. Kim.’ ‘Oh please call me Heechul. Mr. Kim makes me feel like an old geezer.’ He smiled then, the sort of heart-warming smile that made you believe in miracles and bright, pink-tailed unicorns. My lips automatically curved upward and in a bold move I smirked ‘Hello Heechul. Fancy seeing you here.’ Suddenly I saw his smile freeze for a split second and I mentally admonished myself. ‘Dumb move Jess! What were you thinking?’ He recovered quickly and gave me a playful smirk that rivaled my own. ‘So what brings you here? Is this your regular kind of scene?’ ‘Not really’ I replied. ‘My finals just got over so I came to unwind with a few friends. What about you?’ ‘Me too. Trying to relax after a hectic week at work. By the way, congratulations on your internship. I hope you have a good summer at GTS.’ came his response. I thanked him and then went over to the bar to find Michelle and Gina. Both were conspicuously absent. Sighing, I sat down on one of the bar stools. Staring dejectedly at the drink in my hand, I downed it in one gulp. I felt someone take a seat next to me, and somehow, without looking, I knew it was him. Heechul. ‘A drink for the lady?’ he held out a drink while talking in a funny imitation of a British accent. I laughed and accepted the glass. ‘Thank you.’

A comfortable silence settled between us. I didn’t even notice when I had finished my entire drink. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant and tasted like cranberries, my favourite. ‘Looks like you’re a light drinker Miss Alvarez’ Heechul noted. By this point, me being a lightweight, I got high and kicking my shoes against the counter. I jerked my head towards Heechul and found him looking at me amusedly. Suddenly, I was seized with the impulse to run my finger along his well-defined jawline. He gasped when I trailed a finger across his cheekbone, and my eyes clouded over. That was the last thing I remembered before I out.

Lame chapter, I know. But just put it out there anyway.