I’ve never in my life been so overwhelmed by the beauty of another human being. From the top of his raven head to his long, aquiline nose and strong jawline, the man looked like something out of a comic or a manga; perfectly crafted, finessed, forged by the hands of God himself to steal the hearts of every living soul who laid eyes on him. His hair was worn a bit longer than usual, escaping a perfect queue to brush his broad shoulders, framing a face that was neither masculine nor feminine, but a perfect blend that was uniquely him. His eyes, smiling and smoldering, flitted around the room, taking in his surroundings, almost as if he were committing them to memory. And each time they came my way, each time they passed, it felt like a long, sinuous caress. I could sit and stare at him for hours if only they’d let me. Although, I was perfectly aware that in a few short moments he would be gone as if he'd never existed at all. But I wished, with every single fiber of my being, that I could stay lost in that moment forever, merely watching his lips move as he smiled.

    “This meeting went on longer than we expected. We’re simply ecstatic you’re considering the role, Mr. Lee,” the producer’s eager voice cut through the mental fog he caused, bringing me out of my thoughts and landing me back into the reality of the situation. I sat around a table filled with executives, producers, writers and personal staff as my production studio negotiated a film deal with him. The man who haunted my every waking dream and nightmare. He sat back in his seat, a taunting smirk tugging at the corners of his sensual mouth, his arms folded over his broad chest as he spoke.

    “It was my pleasure. In all honesty, I optioned this role because I’ve heard great things about your company. But especially, your lead writer, Miss Park.” My head shot up as all eyes landed on me. I felt my face flush, my fingers clasping nervously at my clipboard as I tried my hardest to look at anyone, anything but him. 

    “I…Well…I’m sure it was just internet chatter,” I said with a nervous chuckle that sounded more akin to a hiccup than anything else, mentally kicking myself for being such a dork in front of what had to be the most beautiful man the universe had ever created. 

    “She’s modest,” the producer said, reaching to clap a clammy hand to my bare shoulder. He was nervous that the deal would fall through. And he should be. Lee Soo Hyuk was growing extremely popular in South Korea, bringing him to the west and casting him as Victor Kang, vampire vigilante and main character of my latest film script would be exponential. Not only financially but for riding the Hallyu wave and growing foreign interest in the company. We needed Soo Hyuk. I needed Soo Hyuk. But that was for other reasons entirely. “She’s an excellent writer. Her last four films have been huge hits. With Anna on our team, we simply can’t fail!” the producer added and I heaved an uneasy sigh. Soo Hyuk’s eyes were once again on me and I instantly felt like ducking under the table until I was safe from that intense gaze of his. 

    “I don’t doubt it. I enjoy reading everything Miss Park writes.” Now that got my attention. He liked my work? Couldn’t be. Something like that just wasn’t possible. 

    “And I’m sure you’ll like working directly with her if you take on the role of Victor Kang,” the producer threw in with a raise of his brows. Much to our mutual surprise, Soo Hyuk chuckled. 

    “Yes, of that I’m sure. I’ll let my manager go over the details with you, but I’m happy to say I’d be delighted to take this role,” he said, his eyes yet again searching out mine. The producer was the first to leap to his feet and shake his hand, clapping him on the back and drawing a laugh out of the enigmatic actor. In the chaos of cheers, handshakes and congratulations, I managed to slip away, hurrying from the room with my clipboard pressed to my chest. I took the stairs leading to the basement of the studio two at a time and ran into the nearest ladies restroom. What the hell was I thinking? I’d worked too long and hard for this position. I’d beaten out countless other writers with my superior wit, professionalism and no-nonsense attitude, and yet here I was, fawning over an actor like a prepubescent fan girl. This wasn’t me. The swooning, blushing, starstruck idiot wasn’t me!

    I dropped my clipboard on the marble counter and stared at my flushed reflection in the floor to ceiling mirrors. I looked like a moron. My eyes were still glazed over and my dark curls stuck to my ruddy cheeks, bringing out the caramel tones in my skin. No, at that moment, I looked like my mother; a dark-eyed sparrow from Barbados, ready to throw away her entire career for a good looking Korean man with bad intentions. 

    “But, Soo Hyuk doesn’t have any intentions, good or bad. He’s an actor, you’re a script-writer. You both contractually work for Saga Film Productions. Nothing more, nothing less,” I said, aiming an accusing finger at my reflection, “and I’m not allowed to fangirl either!” 

    “Fangirl?” The bathroom door swung open and I twirled to face my assistant Doreen. She held an oversized smartphone in one hand and a Starbucks mug in the other, her eyes wide as she stared at me. “You okay? Who’s a fan girl?”

    “D-Don’t worry about it,” I said, trying to calm my racing heart. For a moment I almost thought… “I need to get back to work.” I picked up my clipboard and headed for the door. Doreen stopped me by holding up a hand. 

    “Not so fast,” she flicked her wrist, checking her expensive wristwatch for the time, “it’s currently after six PM, which means your work day has officially ended.” 

    “But I have—"

    “To go home. You spend way too much time here and the boss man wants me to make sure you don’t work yourself to death.” She pulled my clipboard from my hands and stepped aside. “Go home, workaholic. The studio will be here for you when you get here in the morning.” I did my best not to glare at the bossy personal assistant and simply did as she asked. Who knows, perhaps it was for the best? The last thing I needed was to walk into the object of my desires and blow what could be a million-dollar movie deal because I couldn’t keep my hands to myself. 

    As fate would have it, I didn’t make it twenty feet outside the front of the building before I ran into the potentially life-ruining man himself. He was just climbing into the back of a stretch limousine as I headed to my sedan. The moment he spotted me, he smiled politely. And I panicked. With Doreen right behind me, making sure I actually left the building, I made a run for it, bolting for my car with my keys in my hand like I was about to be caught in the rain. He raised his eyebrows at my behavior, I noticed as I dove into the drivers seat and started the vehicle, before climbing into his limousine and disappearing into the heated interior. I heaved a sigh of relief as the car pulled away. Doreen, ever observant, tapped on my passenger window. I reluctantly rolled it down.

    “Fangirl.”

    “Shut up, Doreen.”

 

    “You’re going to drown in your own saliva if you keep staring like that.” I sat up straight, scrubbing at my mouth with the back of my fist, only to find that I wasn’t drooling and Doreen was just being annoying. Two months had passed since we started production on Vampire Vigilante and every day I spent around the studio or on set made me want to lock myself in a closet and hide. 

    “I wasn’t staring. I was lost in thought,” I said, my voice trailing off as I risked another glance over at Soo Hyuk. He was standing with the costume designer, exchanging ideas over an array of costumes fit for the very first scene of the film, in which Victor Kang is bitten by his sire and transformed into a member of the walking undead. He was so engrossed in his conversation that I almost leaped out of my skin when his eyes traveled across the room and met mine. I was quick to avert my gaze, staring back down at the laptop in my hand and the blinking cursor on the screen that hadn’t moved since he’d entered the room. I felt guilty for staring, and even more so for being unable to work while he was around. I hadn’t written a single word since that morning. 

    “You were so staring. Here, drink your coffee so you don’t completely die of thirst.” I glared at Doreen outright as she shoved a latte in my face. I pushed it way. 

    “I’m not thirsty.”

    “You sure? Because the way you’re looking at actor boy is turning this entire section of the studio into a desert and a sauna,” she picked up a folder and fanned me with it, “please drink something before we die.” I shoved her hand away. 

    “Will you stop teasing me? I can’t work like this.” I got to my feet, closed my laptop and moved to leave the room, only to be stopped by Susan, the costume designer.

    “Hey Anna, could you come here for a sec, doll?” I glanced up at the sound of her voice, mentally cursing myself as Doreen laughed behind me.

    “Yeah, sure,” I called back with a grimace before making my way to her side. As exuberant and full of life as always, she threw an arm around my shoulders and pulled me between them. I avoided looking at Soo Hyuk as if he had laser vision and I was afraid of being burned to a crisp.

    “You know the character better than anyone. Which costume do you think would work best for scene one?” she asked. I risked a glance down at the costumes in question, all of them composed entirely of black. “Mr. Lee here doesn’t think that any of the ones we’ve designed so far would work for Victor. Thoughts?” I chewed my lip as I grazed a hand over the dark fabric, fully aware of his eyes on me as I stood just inches away from the warmth of his body. 

    “He’s right,” I said simply, turning my head to glance at the rack of rejected costumes. I moved to thumb through them, easily picking out a silk button down the color of sapphires and a pair of dark gray slacks. “In this scene, Victor is still human. He’s a wealthy District Attorney with an affinity for expensive clothing, shoes, and cars. He wouldn’t be wearing all black, he’d be wearing something that shows off his wealth.” I risked a glance up at Soo Hyuk and immediately regretted it. “And his eyes. His wealth and his eyes. I have to go now.” I placed the costume on the table between them and booked it out of the room as fast as I could. His gaze had been one of approval. And, despite how much I told myself I was wrong, it felt oddly…intimate. By then, it was obvious he’d read my script. He had to, it was his job after all. But if what he said about enjoying my writing was true, there was a very good chance that he knew the story had a deeper meaning. And that my beloved character Victor was really based entirely on him. 

 

    Four more months had blown past and I still couldn’t stand to be in the same room as my star actor. The star actor of a film I’d spent the last two years of my life writing, editing and polishing, only to risk all my hard work because the twelve-year-old girl inside my head simply wouldn’t shut up when he was around. Sure, there were the occasional moments when I was forced to interact with him. He made it a habit to clarify meaning, motivation and lines with me whenever he had a chance and, since I was the only other person in the studio who spoke Korean, if he ever needed something translated to better understand it, I was who he went to. But, other than that, anytime he entered a room, I made a beeline for the exit. So often that the producer actually stopped me and asked me if Soo Hyuk was harassing me. 

    “Of course not!” I exclaimed, so taken aback I’d dropped my laptop and had to scramble to pick it up and make sure it wasn’t damaged. 

    “Are you sure? Because you sure don’t seem to like the guy. He’s been nothing but polite to everyone else, but I have to ask these things, Anna. I have to make sure everyone is comfortable. If he’s said anything to offend you—” 

    “Absolutely not. Lee Soo Hyuk is the kindest, gentlest most well-behaved man I’ve ever met in my life and it would absolutely kill me if he were labeled anything but,” I said, hoping to get my point across. The producer just looked at me like I’d sprouted a second head. 

    “Al..right. If you’re sure.”

    “I’m positive.” 

    “So, you’re okay?”

    “Dandy. I’m so okay I could sing,” I chuckled nervously. He didn’t say anything else, but I was sure he was going to order HR to send me to get my head checked out. I waited until he disappeared from sight entirely before heaving a sigh. Something had to give. I had to stick to my plan of staying away from Soo Hyuk without everyone thinking the man was being inappropriate towards me. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something bad happened to him, just because I couldn’t control myself. I ruffled my curls and headed downstairs to the basement which also doubled as the studio lounge area. It was well after hours, the majority of the studio having emptied out an hour or two ago, leaving only the cleaning staff and the workaholics like me straggling behind. I made sure to send Doreen home before shooting wrapped and, much to my surprise, she was happy to leave early on a Friday. I was left on my own to get some much-needed writing done. Or, so I thought. 

    “Miss Park? Good evening,” Soo Hyuk said as I entered the lounge. He sat on one of the oversized, half circle, gray couches, his head bent as he read from his script. I stood plastered against the door like someone who’d just walked in on a murder.

    “Uh…Hi. Good evening. Sorry to bother you. I’ll just—” 

    “No, it’s alright. You’re not bothering me,” he said in that rolling thunder voice of his. It took every ounce of strength I possessed not to smile like an idiot just at the sound of it. That voice, one I’d dreamt of for months on end as I plotted my script. I was so lost in thought that I nearly missed him motioning to a spot on the couch next to him. “Feel free to join me, if you like.”

    “I…I really should be getting home. It’s late and I forgot to feed my cat—”  

    “Miss Park, if I’ve done something to offend you, I’m sorry,” he said, flipping his script closed and getting to his feet. He looked genuinely apologetic and that made my stomach ache. Did he really believe, all this time, that he’d offended me?

    “You…you haven’t offended me,” I said, dropping my gaze to my feet. “Far from it, actually. Lord knows there isn’t much you could do to offend me. Short of punching my mother, I’m pretty sure I’d forgive you for just about anything, too,” I muttered. 

    “Then, what is it? I took this role specifically because of you, and you’ve barely said two words to me since I got here. If I’m not meeting your standards for Victor—” 

    “No!” I cut him off. “You are Victor in every way possible. The way you play his role is extraordinary and I couldn’t have wished for a more talented, more driven actor to play him.”

    “Then, I ask again, what is it?” he asked and I looked up to see that he’d crossed the room, coming to stand directly in front of me. My heart thud against my ribcage like a trapped bird trying to beat its way out of its cage. To look at this man was to know beauty. To stand next to him…God, I couldn’t describe what it was like to be in his presence. To feel trapped by a lion or a panther, with no escape, just waiting to be devoured whole. And then his words hit me.

    “You took the role…because of me?” I asked and to my complete and utter delight his cheeks reddened as if he hadn’t meant to share that bit of information with me. He chuckled nervously, a dark, heady sound that went straight to the pit of my stomach like liquor. He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and pulled his cellphone out of his pocket with the other. 

    “I guess I have a confession to make,” he said, unlocking his phone and navigating to a specific folder. It was filled with movies. My movies. And not just the videos either, but entire scripts I’d never released to the public. 

    “How did…Why?” I asked. 

    “I found them online. I know pirating is wrong but, I had to have them. I love your films. Your writing is…amazing. There’s soul in every line you write, in every word you choose and place. It’s like watching a chess match at times you’re so meticulous,” he said, his face growing redder as he gave me a sheepish smile. 

    “You’re…Wait, so this means you’re…”

    “A fanboy. Yeah. Go ahead laugh,” he chuckled while I sighed in relief. I clapped a hand over my heart and exhaled. 

    “Oh thank god.”

    “What?”

    “Nothing. I just…I…guess I have a confession to make too,” I told him, shyly lifting my gaze to meet his. He stood waiting, listening attentively as I spoke. “I'm…your biggest fan. In all honesty, the entire Vampire Vigilante story and Victor Kang were based on you. From his favorite food to his favorite color and even the car he drives. I tried my best to stay away from you because I didn’t want…my fangirly feelings to get in the way of our jobs here,” I explained and he arched a brow at me. 

    “So, for the last six months, you’ve avoided me because you’re my fan, and I’ve done everything to be close to you, short of kidnapping you, because…I’m your fan?”

    “…Yes,” I said and he laughed outright. Before I knew it, he reached forward and pulled me into his embrace. 

    “I got to meet my favorite writer, only to find that she’s my fan. This is quite possibly the greatest experience of my life,” he said as I melted against him. I couldn’t believe what was happening. He was so warm, so full and solid against me I felt like I would spontaneously combust at any moment. Could this really be happening? Was the man of my dreams really holding me in his arms? I wanted to laugh. I wanted to dance and sing, I wanted— 

    “Does this mean I can finally ask you for your autograph?”

    “Honestly? I was just going to ask you the same thing.”