Astrid felt like she had walked into an 80s movie when she saw Baekhyun. He sported a yellow, Hawaiian-like shirt with tribal print and high-waist jeans with a thick black belt. Suddenly, Astrid remembered who had taught her everything about taste, style and taking risks. Baekhyun was all about risks, his hair was the unique evidence of playing with fire, a mullet and red highlights on black hair, it gave him such a vintage vibe, and at the same time made him look like a powerful rockstar. Astrid loved it, unlike the others in the room. 

Baekhyun summed up, looked like a struggling rockstar on vacations, and Astrid wondered what had brought him to her shores. 

"Baekhyun?" Astrid was still incredulous. 

Baekhyun smiled and waved once he saw her, coming to where she was. He had such an infectious smile that Astrid found herself smiling as well. 

"W-What are you doing here? Oh my gosh--" she pulled him into a hug, realizing that it wasn't a dream. 

Baekhyun was in the building, charming as ever. 

"Hey...I mean, wow..." Baekhyun said as he scanned her from head to toe, his mouth hanging open. "You look beautiful." 

Astrid blushed, lightly slapping his arm as a response. 

Baekhyun couldn't take his eyes off her, and Astrid suddenly became shy. They hadn't met in years but Baekhyun always seemed to rob her of words. 

"H-How's work? I heard you got promoted..." Baekhyun snapped out of his daze, breaking the silence between them. 

"Who told you that?" she chuckled, brows furrowed. "I guess our classmates are still keeping that gossip website up to date?"

Baekhyun chuckled. "Yeah, something like that." 

Astrid excused herself for a moment and gave her assistant a few guidelines before taking Baekhyun to the nearest cafe to enjoy a little privacy--because she knew that both Soyoung and the employees were ogling them. 

They sat outside in the esplanade of a parian-like cafe and drank lattes with cream and cinnamon on top. Baekhyun looked so fashionable and attractive from the angle he was sitting that Astrid almost dropped her coffee on the floor. She told herself to get it together because she was engaged and Baekhyun was off-limits. At least that's what she wanted to believe. 

"So... tell me, what brings you to New York?" Astrid asked as she stirred her latte. 

Baekhyun looked away, pondering her questions before taking a small sip of his drink, and bringing his attention back to her. 

"I heard you're getting married..." he said in the softest way possible. 

Astrid looked down to her cup, drawing circles on the brim. She didn't want to talk about her marriage with Baekhyun. It made her feel somewhat guilty because she remembered making the exact same plans with him when they were younger. 

"I guess you're still good at avoiding questions, huh?" she said, chuckling quietly. 

Baekhyun had to agree. He was that good. 

"Don't get married..." he said. 

Astrid looked up with a puzzled expression. Did Baekhyun really ask her that?

"Baekhyun... look, if you've come all the way from South Korea to say that...then--" 

"I'm not here to stop you from marrying this dude, Astrid..." 

The words that came from Baekhyun's mouth made her feel disappointed for a second but relieved in the next. 

"Then why would you say that?" 

"I wanted to see the string of hope in your eyes..." he said which made Astrid understand him less. 

"Look, what I'm gonna say is absurd and you're probably gonna hit me but I need you," he began, making Astrid alert. "I've been in and out of relationships like a plug and I haven't managed to feel a damn thing, and then you came to my mind, and I remembered that with you, I felt something and I'm scared that I might never feel anything again so I came to you, and I want you to be with me and make me feel something again, no strings attached, keep it on the low from your fiancé... just until I feel something, can you do this for me?" 

By the end of his sentence, he had warm latte dripping from his hair as Astrid had splashed the drink on him, her eyes blazing with fury. 

"How dare you make such indecent proposal?" she groaned. "What the hell do you think I am? Emotional support for the emotionally crippled? Who do you think I am? Your love saviour?" 

Baekhyun wiped his eyes with a handkerchief, exhaling and looking at Astrid with a blank stare. 

Astrid got even more nervous, glaring at him. "Don't you ever appear on my face again, are we clear? ert," 

Baekhyun watched as she stormed off the cafe, and disappeared. Everyone in the coffee shop was staring at him with looks of disapproval. This time, Baekhyun dropped a five dollar bill on the table, grabbed some tissues and left quietly. 

---

Astrid was in a bad mood. She kept yelling at every single person that crossed her way, and glaring at those who talked too much. She was fuming because of Baekhyun's indecent proposal. How dare he ask her to cheat on her husband with him? For the freaking time being? Just until he felt something? 

That wasn't the Baekhyun she knew. The Baekhyun she knew could've been a party beast, hooked up with tons of girls and gotten drunk or even high in college but he never had asked someone to do something so wrong. 

To cheat. 

Cheat for his own benefit, to be exact. 

Astrid found his audacity triggering and on a higher level of utmost disrespect. He had dropped so low with that one. 

"Ms. Young?" her assistant cautiously kept a distance. 

"What?" Astrid frowned. 

"Your husband is here!" she announced. 

At least something good happened. 

"Thank you," she said, smiling, before she went to see her husband who was chatting with Soyoung. 

Her good mood was fleeting as she scowled at both, talking and chuckling like they were close. 

Astrid kept her head up and flashed the sweetest smile as she approached them. Her fiancé gave her the iest grin as Astrid wrapped her arms around him, glaring at Soyoung. Soyoung excused herself and left. 

"I missed you," she said as she kissed him. "I thought you were not coming,"

Henry chuckled as she pouted, looking innocent but attractive at the same time. 

"Why wouldn't I come?" he said as he s his hands around her waist. Astrid felt shivers race down her spine. 

"You're always busy with meetings, looks like you don't have time for me," she kept pouting. 

Henry rolled his eyes with endearment before letting go. "You know I do this for us, right?" 

Astrid nodded. "And that makes me love you more." 

The couple shared a kiss before Astrid returned to the venue and gave a few last indications. Then, they headed back to their luxurious two-story house in a more reserved and suburban neighborhood. Astrid was strained from the day and she still had a project to submit to work, so she knew that sleeping was only a wish. 

She took a shower, and changed into her satin night dress, brewing some coffee and heading to her private office on the upper floor. Henry went to sleep early because he had a meeting the following day, and he didn't want to distract her. 

As she walked into her office, she her computer and headed to the floor-to-ceiling windows to close the curtains.

She spat her coffee on the windows, not believing what she was seeing. 

Baekhyun was downstairs.