26 | TENDER KNOB

Baekhyun

It’s still a surreal feeling to realize that I finally get to call her mine. It’s been only a day but I feel like I’ve been doing this for so many years. It feels very instinctive to be her man. I am a certified Choi Soobin fanboy.

My life has seemed to be in the worst kind of limbo until last night. Everything turned crystal clear in such a short unexpected moment when she told me that she loved me back.

A feeling I never thought I could have gushed over me. Hope. Maybe I could have somebody to love and love me back. Maybe I could, for once, focus on myself and my feelings. And maybe someday … I could create my own family. With her.

I am way too ahead of the game but that’s all I could think of at the moment. And honestly, I don’t give a damn.

I shake the thought off for a moment as I shift my attention back to the cocktail I am mixing. I pour an ounce of lime juice into the shaker tin. Another ounce of cranberry juice, pour that in as well. Then, I grab my bottle of Cointreau—

Feel me, Baekhyun.

Feel me and don’t stop.

And there goes a not-so-one-ounce of Cointreau. It spilled over the ing jigger but I am quick to grab my towel to wipe the counter down. If Kyungsoo sees how much I wasted just now, he’s gonna go ape on me.

I shake my arms and close my eyes. Let’s try this again. I frown at my jigger and pour a perfect amount of Cointreau this time. Pour that in the tin before proceeding to pour Absolut Citrus, two ounces this time. “Yes.” I grin in success when I properly did that without getting distracted by the memories of Soobin my name.

I seize the ice scoop next and shovel a fair amount of ice. I toss them in the tin before covering them with another tin. Shoving it sealed, I then start my shake-shake dance. Okay, I don’t dance but I shake it so hard in a very particular rhythm that I know amazes people for some reason? Every time I do this, people start looking at me as if I’m performing ballet or something extravagant. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it feels good to be watched sometimes. If you know what I mean.

Once I am satisfied with the consistency I am hearing, I give the tins a hard tap to pop them open. Then, I grab my strainer to pour the drink into a flute glass. I press the tip of the tin onto the edge of the strainer and slowly lift it as I pour. I might want to do a double strain just beca—

“Baekhyun?” I hear Soobin’s soft voice calling my name.

And I ing kid you not, I turned my whole body away from my work just to see her like there’s nobody’s business and poured the foamy cocktail all over the counter and onto me. And this time, I was not so lucky because Kyungsoo saw me as he was passing by. He stops by the bar counter and taps his hand on it. “ that clean off the floor or you’re fired.” He says before walking away to go to the front desk. “ you, man. you.” I muffled under my breath, picking up his dickness pretty quickly.

Soobin looks at me with an apologetic frown. “Sorry, did I distract you? Do—don’t it, it’s not sanitary. I will talk to him.” She grimaced while lifting the counter door to get in. Ugh, what did I do in my past life to deserve such a pure ball of joy like her?

I wave a hand coolly. “Don’t worry about it, Kyungsoo’s just being an to me but I’m also an to him a lot more times so it’s just fair. He doesn’t actually mean I need to it.” I assure her, knowing that she didn’t pick up Kyungsoo’s sarcasm on that one.

I mean, if he actually meant it, that would be a different story. But nah, he ain’t that bad. So many years of working together and she still doesn’t get the dynamics of Kyungsoo and me.

“Uhm, so—” As I clean after my mess, I try to look at her as much as I can while she stands there, seemingly timider than lately. “Sorry, keep talking. I just need to do this all over again. The table’s waiting.” So once again, I restart my Cosmopolitan. I put aside the remainder of the drink I was able to pour on the glass and I grab a fresh one.

As I am pouring the lime juice into the jigger, Soobin spoke. “Tonight, we’re all going to be working overtime until maybe past twelve. There’s going to be a wrap-up party for a film production crew and cast. They reserved the whole place from eight o’clock.” The announcement makes my face lit up. Ooh, film production.

Influential people.

Rich people.

M-O-N-E-Y.

“Ooh-hoo, really? That’s awesome. Looks like I’m gonna be busy tonight.” I grin back while looking at her but I quickly lose my smile when I see her persistent frown. Is she not happy about staying later? I guess it makes sense, she’s not used to being here on late nights.

“You know what movie it is?” I ask to try and lighten up the mood, or her mood for that matter.

Soobin scratches her neck and looks away, anxiously nibbling on her bottom lip. “I think it’s called uh, The Good Villain.” She replies. Why does she seem on edge all of a sudden? She was doing perfectly fine the last time I saw her in the office like two hours ago. I’m sure if she tells Kyungsoo she couldn’t stay, he’d understand.

I just don’t want her to be uncomfortable like this.

My eyes fall to the yarned button around her wrist and it makes me smile again. I’m happy she didn’t take it off. I mean … it’s not pretty at all. It looks atrocious. But from now on, every time that I see her wear it, it just inspires me more and more to work harder so I can replace it with a better one. One that would suit her beauty. One that she deserves more.

But right now, unfortunately, the only thing I can offer is myself.

I don’t have a lot of things to give her but one thing’s for sure, I am hers. All hers.

“Oh, haven’t heard of that one. I assume they’ve released a trailer at least? Did you watch it? What’s it about?” I ask, throwing a look over my shoulders whilst being careful with my work this time.

The brief silence that she gives makes me stop from shaking the tin. “Are you okay?” I lean closer, touching her sides to turn her face to me.

She takes a step back and looks down. “Uhm, I’m just concerned, maybe it’s better—I don’t know, we might have to talk to Kyungsoo because your old client is one of the casts and I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. We do—we don’t want to experience what we did back in SCORCH again, you know.” She finally reveals to me what I assume was making her anxious.

Client? I never had a client who’s an actress. I don’t even know anyone who’s in the showbiz industry aside from my—

Recollection clumps in my system, tightening all muscles. For a long moment, I just stood there looking down at her. As if a bucket of ice was poured over me, I lose all mobility. Choi Soobin, the woman I love, thinks Lee Mooyeon was a client of mine. I made her think that and I don’t even know how to change what she thinks about her now.

I don’t know if I can tell her.

But then, if I don’t …

“Baekhyun, I’m only thinking about your safety and I don’t want you to lose your job again over this so I’m going to handle it, I’m sure Kyungsoo would greatly appreciate it too. We might just have to close the cocktail and shooter menu and keep the simple alcohol available for one of the staff to make and serve to our guests.” She explains to me, her chin up more confidently this time.

She wants me … leave? To hide?

I guess it makes sense. Again, she doesn’t know the truth.

“Come, let’s talk to Kyungsoo so he could send you home later.” Soobin finally gives me her comforting smile. Even though I know that I don’t deserve it, I take it. She signals me to follow her out of the bar.

We get to the front desk where Kyungsoo is talking to two servers. I don’t know how this would play out but I assume it would be okay if Kyungsoo would also think that the actress Lee Mooyeon was the infamous stalker client I had in the past that got me fired in SCORCH after her husband found out about me and threatened Ra Wonsuk of spreading the rumours of ion within the ing restaurant.

“Chef? Can we have a word with you?” Soobin calls for him.

Kyungsoo gives us a dirty look before nodding. “About?” He asks, leading the way to the office. Soobin doesn’t say anything until we are inside. I let the two walk-in while I stay by the closed door, leaning on it.

For some reason, I find it necessary to keep my distance from them. And for the conversation that’s about to happen.

“Chef, if you could remember, the thing that happened in SCORCH Steakhouse & Bar? Regarding Baekhyun’s old client?” Soobin spoke.

Kyungsoo throws me another look before nodding. He spreads his fingers across his chin, his eyebrows deepening the creases on his forehead as he nods. “Okay.”

Soobin looks over her shoulders and meets my gaze as if asking for approval. I give her a faint nod before looking down. It’s just way too