If anyone had told Taeyong this morning that today would turn out this good, he would have told them they needed to fix their crystal ball. But he'd forgotten that wherever Kim Nari was, he was bound to have a good time. She cracked him up. She stood there with no expression on her face, but he knew she was laughing inside. He also knew he really would get a bill from her if anybody said balls to her. He just hoped it wouldn't cost him too much.
And God knew he shouldn't have patted her behind but it was right there, and when would he ever get the chance again? He hoped she was joking about that lawsuit because any lawyer could chew him up and spit him out for the remarks and touching. Not to mention the continued jokes from everybody else. She could probably retire a wealthy woman if she had a mind to.
And he'd never have as much fun coming to Seoul if she left.
She eyed him warily as she walked up to bat and he couldn't help his chuckle. He asked over his shoulder, "Hey, Jae. You got any money on this game?"
Nari glanced at Jaehyun, an accountant from the fourth floor, and said, "Of course not. That would go against rule number one for referees. Thou shalt not upset the players by placing money on a game you're refereeing."
Jaehyun crouched down and said, "I would never do anything to make either you or Nari mad at me. Especially when there are balls flying around everywhere. A man could get hurt."
Nari stepped into the box. "That was the easiest thousand I ever made. Got any more balls jokes?"
The pitcher lobbed the ball way outside, into Taeyong's waiting hand, and Jaehyun yelled as loud as he could, "Ball one!"
The crowd hooted and laughed and Taeyong smiled. Nari pointed at the ball with her bat. "You have got to be kidding."
He threw it back to the pitcher. "Honey, the bases are loaded again. You know I can't let you hit that ball."
"So you're just going to walk me? There's a man on third who'll score."
"Better one than four."
Ball two came sailing way outside and Taeyong didn't even bother to crouch.
"Ball two!"
A few people in the crowd booed and Nari was pretty sure one of them was Taeyong's grandmother.
Nari said, "I might strike out."
"You couldn't strike out if you tried. That first hit was a thing of beauty."
Nari smiled. "Thank you. You do know that this little escapade is going to cost you four thousand dollars, right? Jaehyun is having a little too much fun yelling ball."
"He's just doing his job, you can't charge me for that."
Jaehyun yelled in a sing-song voice, "Baaaaaaaaaalllllll three," and Nari raised an eyebrow.
She said, "That one's going to cost you two thousand."
Ball four came sailing over her head and Taeyong had to jump to catch it.
Nari lightly threw her bat toward the dugout, gave Taeyong a disgusted look, and took her base. He could hear his grandmother complaining loudly but a man had to do what a man had to do. He wasn't letting Miss Home Run near the ball again. He smiled at the glare Nari gave him when the next batter struck out and the teams switched.
When he slid into third, he said, "I was sure you were going to walk me but I guess you don't believe in playing dirty."
"I thought about it, but then realized there wasn't any point. You're not that much of a threat."
He wiped dirt from his sweats. "I'm on third base."
"And that's as far as you're getting."
Shortstop sniggered, and Nari whipped her head around to glare at Taeyong.
He chuckled. "I never realized how many ual innuendos can be made with a game of softball."
"If I lose after this, you better find someone else to fill my position. And I hope she keeps carrot sticks in her drawer and kisses your ."
"That would be a novelty."
The batter hit the ball straight to Nari, who caught it midair and then tagged Taeyong out before he could make it back to base.
"Jeez, Nari. Good thing I'm meaner than you or I don't think I'd be winning today."
"You won't be winning today. Your grandmother is counting on me."
But he was meaner than her, and he'd had years of practice charming resistance out of men and women alike. The women were distracted, the men laughing too hard (and Nari knew they were laughing about her even if she couldn't hear what Taeyong was saying), and the only person immune to him never got close enough to the ball to hit it.
She got one more run in, sliding and spraying dust everywhere and getting wiped down by Taeyong to a lot of whistles and catcalls- and a glare by one unhappy mother. But in the end, she wasn't a match against him and his mouth and her team lost by two.
Taeyong slung a sweaty, dusty arm around her. "You do realize this is your fault. You could have won but you chose to leave the shorts at home and wear these instead." He pinched her yoga pants and pulled.
"If I'd have known you were susceptible to that sort of thing, I would have worn a thong. But I was sure you were immune after all those models."
He choked and stopped, his arm falling off her shoulders. She grinned and kept walking. His grandmother was waiting for her behind the dugout and they nodded to each other.
"I don't blame you, girlie. I think you were the only one on that team who really wanted to win."
Nari said, "Taeyong could make the pope play for Allah. I think half the people who work for him came from a competitor."
"Did you?"
"No. I was hired right out of college." She swung her bag up. "And if I could find anyone who paid as well, I'd switch."
Ellen glanced toward the other dugout. "I'm sure he knows that."
Nari smiled. "That's why I can't find anyone who will pay as much. Taeyong gets what he wants and he usually doesn't care what it costs as long as it's worth it."
"He gets that from his father. . . Join us for dinner tonight."
Nari's eyebrows shot up and she shook her head. "Thank you, but I can only take so much of him a day."
His grandmother chuckled. "I think you could take a lot more than you're willing to admit. But I'm asking you to join Christine and me. And before you say no again, remember that I just lost a bet because of you."
Nari shook her head again, amused. "You forget I'm immune to Lee ploys. You lost that bet because of your grandson. I didn't think any Lee would bet against their own."
"I didn't bet against him. It would have done the boy good to get walloped by you. We'll be at Melisse at seven. I'll make the reservation for three."
Nari glanced behind her, catching the gaze of his mother. She was talking to Taeyong but looking at her. Christine Lee didn't look like she would enjoy