"All right," Suzy said, bracing herself. "What's he offering you? Huge bonuses?"

"No," Joohyuk said quickly.

"Cash? I want to know exactly how much."

"He didn't offer me money."

Suzy frowned. "What then?"

"I think we should meet and talk about it."

If her grandfather had openly approached Joohyuk with the arranged-marriage idea, Suzy knew damn well that Halabeoji would've made it worth Joohyuk's while. Despite his claims to the contrary, it wouldn't have surprised Suzy to discover that the newly appointed chairman of the board of Bae-Nam Business Supply had taken the bait.

"You want us to meet?" she repeated in a faltering voice.

"There's a restaurant on University Avenue—Tuk Tuk Thai. Have you heard of it?"

"No, but I'll find it."

"Meet me there at seven." Joohyuk paused, then added, "And listen, it might not be a good idea to tell your grandfather that we're getting together. He might misunderstand."

"I won't say anything," she promised.

Joohyuk hesitated once more. "We have a lot to discuss."

Suzy's heartbeat accelerated, and she felt the perspiration break out on her forehead. "Joohyuk," she began, "you haven't change your mind, have you? I mean, you're not actually considering this ridiculous idea of his? You can't... We agreed, remember?" She swiped at her forehead with the back of her free hand as she waited for him to answer.

"There's nothing to worry about," he finally said.

Hanging up, Suzy had the sudden horrible sensation of being completely at her grandfather's mercy. He was an unshakably stubborn man who almost always got what he wanted. Faced with a mountain, Woohyun Bae either climbed it, tunneled through it or forged a path around it; failing such active alternatives, he settled down in the foothills and waited for the mountain to dissolve. He claimed he won a majority of his battles by simply displaying patience. Suzy called it not knowing when to pack up and go home.

She knew her grandfather's methods, but then so did Joohyuk. She hoped Woohyun's candidate for her husband would at least be able to withstand a few bribes, however tempting. Apparently he did, because he'd told her she had nothing to worry about. On the other hand, he sounded downright eager to discuss the subject with her.

"He says he never wants to get married," she muttered aloud in an effort to reassure herself. Indeed, Joohyuk Nam was the last man who'd be humming "The Wedding March"—especially when someone else was directing the band.

Suzy was waiting in the library, coat draped over her arm, when her grandfather got home at six-thirty. He kissed her gently on the cheek and reached for the evening paper, scanning the headlines as he settled into his big leather chair.

"Joohyuk called," she said without thinking. She hadn't intended to mention that to Halabeoji.

Woohyun nodded. "I thought he might. You meeting him for dinner?"

"Dinner? Joohyuk and me?" she squeaked. "No, of course not! Why would you even think I'd agree to a dinner date with... him?" , she'd nearly forgotten her promise to keep their meeting a secret. She detested lying to her grandfather, but there was no help for it.

"But you're dining out?"

"Yes." She couldn't very well deny that, dressed as she was and carrying her coat.

"Then you're seeing Edwin Goldberg again?"

"No. Not exactly," Suzy said uncomfortably, "I'm meeting a... friend."

"I see." The corners of Halabeoji's mouth quirked into a knowing smile.

Suzy could feel the telltale heat saturating her face. She was a terrible liar  and always had been. Halabeoji knew as surely as if she'd spelled it out that she was meeting Joohyuk. And when she told Joohyuk she'd let it slip, he'd be furious with her, and rightly so.

"What did Joohyuk want?"

"What makes you think he wanted something?" Suzy asked fervently. Her heart was thundering as she edged toward the door. The sooner she escaped, the better.

"You just said Joohyuk called."

"Oh. Yes, he did, earlier, but it wasn't important. Something about... something." Brilliant! She rushed out of the house before Halabeoji could question her further. What a fool she was. She'd blurted out the very thing she'd wanted to keep secret.

By the time Suzy located the Thai restaurant in the University district and found a parking place, she was ten minutes late.

Joohyuk was sitting in a booth in the farthest corner of the room. He frowned when he saw her and glanced at his watch, just so she'd know she'd kept him waiting.

Ignoring his disgruntled look, Suzy slid onto the polished wooden bench, removed her coat and casually announced, "Halabeoji knows."

Joohyuk frown deepened. "What are you talking about?"

"He knows I'm having dinner with you," she explained. "The minute he walked in the door, I told him you'd called—I just wasn't thinking—and when he asked why, I told him it had to do with something. I'm sure you'll be able to make up an excuse when he asks you later."

"I thought we agreed not to say anything about our meeting."

"I know," she said, feeling guiltier than ever. "But Halabeoji asked if I was going out with Edwin and he just looked so smug when I told him I wasn't." At Joohyuk's sudden movement, she burst out. "Well, what was I supposed to do?"

He grunted, which wasn't much of an answer.

"If I wasn't going out with Edwin, I've have to come up with another man on the spot, and although I'm clever, I don't think that fast." She was breathless with frustration when she'd finished.

"Who's Edwin?"

"This guy I've been seeing off and on for the past few months."

"And you're in love with him?"

"No, I'm not." Doubtless Joohyuk would suggest she simply marry Edwin and put an end to all of this annoyance.

Joohyuk reached abruptly for the menu. "Let's order, and while we're eating we can go over what we need to discuss."

"All right," Suzy said, grateful to leave the topic of her blunder. Besides, seven was later than she normally dined, and she was hungry.

The waitress appeared then, and even as she filled Suzy's water glass, her appreciative gaze never strayed from Joohyuk. Once more Suzy was struck by the knowledge that although he wasn't handsome in the traditional sense, he seemed to generate a good deal of female interest.

"I'll have the guay teow," Suzy said loudly, eyeing the attractive waitress, who seemed to be forgetting why she was there. The woman was obviously far more interested in studying Joohyuk than in taking their order.

"I'll have the same," Joohyuk said, smiling briefly at the waitress as he handed her his menu. "Now, what were you saying?" he asked, returning his attention to Suzy.

"As I recall, you were the one who insisted we meet. Just tell me what my grandfather said and be done with it." No doubt the offer had been generous; otherwise Joohyuk wouldn't have suggested this dinner.

Joohyuk's hand closed around the water glass. "Woohyun called me into his office to aske me a series of leading questions."

"Such as?"

Joohyuk shrugged. "What I thought of you and—"

"How'd you answer him?"

Joohyuk took a deep breath. "I said I found you attractive, energetic, witty, a bit eccentric—"

"A curtain dress and a string of Christmas-tree lights doesn't make me eccentric," Suzy said, her voice rising despite herself.

"If the Christmas-tree lights are draped around your neck it does."

They were attracting attention, and after a few curious stares, Joohyuk leaned closer and said, "If you're going to argue with everything I say, we'll be here all night."

"I'm sure our waitress would enjoy that," Suzy snapped, then immediately regretted it. She sounded downright jealous—which, of course, was ridiculous.

"What are you talking about?"

"Never mind."

"Shall we return to the conversation between your grandfather and me?"

"Please," she said, properly reprimanded.

"Woohyun spent quite a long time telling me about your volunteer work at the Friendship Club and your various other community activities."

"And I'll bet his report was so glowing, I rank right up there with Joan of Arc and Florence Nightingale."

Joohyuk grinned. "Something like that, but then he added that although you were constantly busy, he felt your life lacked contentment and purpose."

Suzy could see it coming, as clearly as if she were standing on a track and a freight train was heading toward her. "Let me guess. He probably said I needed something meaningful in my life—like a husband and children."

"Exactly." Joohyuk nodded, his grin barely restrained. "In his opinion, marriage is the only thing that will fulfill you as a woman."

Suzy groaned and sagged against the back of her seat. It was worse than she thought. And to her distress, Joohyuk actually seemed amused.

"You wouldn't look so smug if he said marriage was the only thing that would fulfill you as a man," she muttered. "Honestly, Joohyuk, so I look like I'm wasting away from lack of purpose?" She gestured dramatically with her hands. "I'm happy, I'm busy... in fact I'm completely delighted with my life." It wasn't until she'd finished that she realized she was clenching her teeth.

"Don't take it so personally."

Suzy rolled her eyes, wondering what his reaction would be if he was on the receiving end of his discussion.

"In case you didn't know it, Woohyun's a terrible chauvinist," he remarked, still smiling. "An old-fashioned word, perhaps, for an old-fashioned man."

"That's true, but he is my grandfather," she said. "And he's so charming, it's easy to forgive him."

Joohyuk picked up his wineglass and looked at it thoughtfully. "What I can't figure out is why he's so keen on marrying you off now. Why not last year? Or next year?"

"Heavens, I don't know. I supposed he think it's time. My biological clock's ticking away and the noise is probably keeping him awake at night. By age twenty-four, most of the women from the old country had four or five children."

"He certainly seems intent on the idea of seeing you married soon."

"Tell me about it!" Suzy cried. "I'd bet cold cash  that when he brought up the subject he said you were the only suitable man he'd found for me."

"Woohyun said you have a generous heart, and that he feared some fast-talker would show up one day and you'd fall for him."

"Really?" she asked weakly. Her heart stopped, then jolted to life again. Woohyun's scenario sounded exactly like her disastrous romance with Eric. She sighed deeply. "So then he told you he wants me to marry someone he respects, someone he loves like a son. A man of discretion and wisdom and honor. A man he trusts enough to merge companies with."

Joohyuk arched his brows. "You know your grandfather well."

"I can just imagine what came next," Suzy added scathingly and her stomach tensed at her grandfather's insidious cleverness. Joohyuk wasn't someone who could be bought, at least not with offers of money or prestige. Instead, Halabeoji had used a far more subtle form of inducement. He'd addressed Joohyuk's pride, complimented his achievements, flattered him. To hear Halabeoji tell it, Joohyuk Nam was the only man alive capable of taking on the task of becoming Suzy's husband.

"What did you tell him?" she asked, her voice low.

"I told him no way."

Suzy blinked back surprise mingled with a fair amount of indignation. "Just like that? Couldn't you at least have mulled over it?" Joohyuk was staring at her as though he thought someone should rushed over and take her temperature. "Forget I said that," she mumbled, fussing with her napkin in order to avoid meeting his eyes.

"I didn't want to encourage him."

"That was wise." Suzy picked up her water glass and down half the contents.

"To your grandfather's credit, he seemed to accept my answer."

"Don't count it," Suzy warned.

"Don't worry, I know him, too. He isn't going to give up easily. That's the reason I suggested you and I meet to talk about this. If we keep in touch, we can anticipate Woohyun's strategy."

"Good idea."

Their salads arrived and Suzy frowned when the waitress tossed Joohyuk another suggestive glance. "So," she began in a conversational tone once the woman had left, "Halabeoji was smart enough not to offer you a large incentive if you went along with his scheme."

"I didn't say that."

She stabbed viciously at her salad. "I hadn't expected him to stoop that low. Exactly what tactics did he use?"

"He said something about family members having use of the limousine."

Suzy's fork made a clanging sound as it hit the side of her salad bowl. "He offered you the limousine if you married me? That's all?"

"Not even that," Joohyuk explained, not bothering to disguise his amusement, "only the use of it."

"Why... why, that's insulting." She crammed some salad into and chewed the crisp lettuce as though it were leather.

"I considered it a step above the cow and ten chickens you suggested the first time we discussed this."

"Where he came from, a cow and ten chickens were worth a lot more than you seem to realize," Suzy exclaimed, and immediately regretted raising her voice, because half the patrons in the restaurant turned to stare. She smiled blandly at those around her, then slouched forward over her salad.

She reached for a bread stick, broke it in half and glared at it. "The use of the limo," she repeated, indignant.

"Don't look so upset." He grinned. "I might have accepted."

Joohyuk was deriving far too much pleasure from this to suit her. "Your attitude isn't helping either," she pouted.

"I apologize."

But he didn't act the least bit apologetic. When she'd first met Joohyuk, Suzy had assumed he was a man who rarely smiled, yet in the short time they'd spent together today, he'd practically been laughing outright.

The waitress brought their entrees, but when Suzy took her first bite, she realized that even the pretense of eating was more than she could manage. She felt too wretched. Tears sprang to her eyes, which embarrassed her even more, although she struggled to hide them.

"What's wrong?" Joohyuk surprised her by asking.

Eyes averted, Suzy shook her head, while she attempted to swallow. "Halabeoji believes I'm a poor judge of character," she finally said. And she was. Eric had proved it to her, but Halabeoji didn't know about Eric. "I feel like a failure."

"He didn't mean any of it," Joohyuk said gently.

"But couldn't he have come up with something a little more flattering?"

"He needed an excuse to marry you off, otherwise his suggestion would have sounded crazy." Joohyuk hesitated. "You know, the more we discuss this, the more ludicrous the whole thing seems." He chuckled softly and leaned forward to set his elbows on the table. "Who would've believed he'd come up with the idea of the two of us marrying."

"Thank you you very much," Suzy muttered. He sat there shredding her ego and apparently found the process just short of hilarious.

"Don't let it get to you. You're not interested in me as a husband, anyway."

"You're right about that—you're the last person I'd ever consider marrying," she lashed out, then regretted her reaction when she saw his face tighten.

"That's what I thought." He attacked his noodles as though the chicken were scampering around his plate.

The tension between them mounted. When the waitress arrived to removed their plates, Suzy had barely touched her meal. Joohyuk hadn't eaten much, either.

After paying for their dinner, Joohyuk walked her to her car, offering no further comment. As far as Suzy was concerned, their meeting hadn't been at all productive. She felt certain that Joohyuk was everything Halabeoji claimed—incisive, intelligent, intuitive. But that was at the office. As a potential husband and wife, they were completely ill-suited.

"Do you still want me to keep in touch?" she asked when she'd unlocked her car door. They stood awkwardly together in the street, and Suzy realized they hardly knew what to say to each other.

"I supposed we should, since neither of us is interested in falling in love with this plan of his," Joohyuk said. "We need to set out differences aside and work together, otherwise we might unknowingly play into his hands."

"I won't be swayed and you won't, either." Suzy found the thought oddly disappointing.

"If and when I do marry," Joohyuk informed her, "which I sincerely doubt, I'll choose my own bride."

It went without saying that Suzy was nothing like the woman he'd want to spend his life with.

"If and when I marry, I'll choose my own husband," she said, sounding equally firm. And certainly wouldn't be a man her grandfather had chosen.

☆*: .｡. o(≧_≦)o .｡.:*☆

"I don't know if I like boys or not," the thirteen-year-old Jenny Hudson admitted over a cheeseburger and French fries. "They can be so dumb."

It's been a week since Suzy's dinner with Joohyuk, and she was surprised that the teenager's assessment of the opposite should so closely match her own.

"I'm not even sure I like Philip anymore," Jenny said as she stirred her ketchup with a French fry. Idly she smeared it around the edges of her plate in a haphazard pattern. "I used be to so crazy about him, remember?"

Suzy smiled indulgently. "Every other word was Philip this and Philip that."

"He can be okay, though. Remember when he brought me that long-stemmed rose and left it on my porch?"

"I remember." Suzy's mind flashed to the afternoon she'd met Joohyuk. As they left the restaurant, he'd smiled at her. It wasn't much as smiles went, but for some reason, she couldn't seem to forget how he'd held her gaze, his dark eyes gentle, as he murmured polite nonsense. Funny how little things about this man tended to pup up in her mind at the strangest moments.

"But last week," Jenny continued, "Philip was playing basketball with the guys, and when I walked by, he pretended he didn't even know me."

"That hurt, didn't it?"

"Yeah, it did," Jenny confessed. "And after I bought a T-shirt for him, too."

"Does he wear it?"

A gratified smile lit the girl's eyes. "All the time."

"By the way, I like how you're doing your hair."

Jenny beams. "I want it to look more like yours."

Actually, the style suited Jenny far better than it did on her, Suzy thought. The sides were cut layered, but long curtain bangs flopped with a life of their own—at least on Suzy they did. Lately she'd taken to pinning them back.

"How are things at home?" Suzy asked, watching the girl carefully. Jenny's father, Jerry Hudson, was divorced and had custody of his daughter. Jenny's mother worked on the West Coast. With no family in the area, Jerry felt that his daughter needed a woman's influence. He'd contacted the Friendship Club about the same time Suzy had applied to be a volunteer. Since Jerry worked odd hours as a short-order cook, she'd met him only once. He seemed a decent sort, working hard to make a good life for himself and his daughter.

Jenny was a marvelous kid, Suzy mused, and she possess exceptional creative talent. Even before her father could afford to buy her a sewing machine, Jenny had been designing and making clothes for her Barbie dolls. Suzy's curtain dress was one of the first projects she'd completed on her new machine. Jenny had made several others since; they were popular with her friends, and she was ecstatic about the success of her ideas.

"I think I might forgive Philip," she went on to say, her look contemplative. "I mean, he was with the guys and everything."

"It's not cool to let his friends know he's got a girlfriend, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess..."

Suzy wasn't feeling nearly as forgiving toward Joohyuk. He'd talked about their keeping in touch, but hadn't called her since. She didn't believe for an instant that Halabeoji had given up on his marriage campaign, but he'd apparently decided to let the matter rest. The pressure was off, yet Suzy kept expecting some word from Joohyuk. The least he could do was call, she grumbled to herself, although she made no attempt to analyze the reasons for her disappointment.

"Maybe Philip isn't so bad, after all," Jenny murmured, then added wisely, "This is an awkward age for boys, especially in their relationships with girls."

"Say," Suzy teased, "who's supposed to be the adult here, anyway? That's my line."

"Oh, sorry."

Smiling, Suzy stole a French fry from Jenny's plate and popped it into .

"So when are you leaving for Scotland?" Jenny asked.

"Next week."

"How long are you going to be gone?"

"Ten days." The trip was an unexpected gift from her grandfather. One night shortly after she'd met Joohyuk for dinner, Halabeoji had handed her a packet with airline tickets and hotel reservations. When she'd asked why, his reply had been vague, even cryptic—something about her needing to get away. Since she'd always dreamed of visiting Scotland, she'd leapt at the chance.

It wasn't until she'd driven Jenny home that Suzy thought she should let Joohyuk know she was going to be out of the country. It probably wasn't important, but he'd made such a point of saying they should keep in touch...

☆*: .｡. o(≧ _ ≦)o .｡.:*☆

Suzy planned her visit to the office carefully, making sure Halabeoji would be occupied elsewhere. Since she'd  been shopping for her trip, she was carrying several department and clothing store bags. She was doing this for a reason. She wanted her visit to appear unplanned, as if in the course of a busy day, she'd suddenly remembered their agreement. She felt that dropping in would seem more spontaneous than simply calling.

"Hello," she said to Joohyuk's efficient secretary, smiling cheerfully. "Is Mr. Nam available? I'll only need a moment of his time."

The older woman clearly disapproved of this intrusion but although she pursed her lips, she didn't verbalize her objection. She pushed the intercom button and Suzy felt a tingle of awareness at the sound of Joohyuk's strong masculine voice.

"This is a pleasant surprise," he said, standing as Suzy breezed into the room.

She set her bags on the floor and with an exaggerated sigh, eased herself into the chair opposite his desk and crossed her legs. "I'm sorry to drop in unannounced," she said casually, "but I have some news."

"No problem." His gaze feel to the bags heaped on the floor. "Looks like you had a busy afternoon."

"I was shopping."

"So I see. Any special reason?"

"It's my trousseau." Melodramatically, she pressed the back of her against her forehead. "I can't the pressure anymore. I've come to tell you I told my grandfather to go ahead and arrange the wedding. Someday, somehow, we'll learn to love each other."

"This isn't amusing. Now what's so important that it can't—"

"Mr. Nam," his secretary said crisply over the intercom, "Mr. Bae is here to see you."

Suzy's eyes widened in panic as her startled gaze flew to Joohyuk, who looked equally alarmed. It would be the worst possible thing for Halabeoji to discover Suzy alone with Joohyuk in his office. She hated to think how he'd interpret that.

"Just a minute," Joohyuk said, reading hysteria in her eyes. She marveled at how composed he sounded. He pointed toward a closed door and ushered her into a small room—or a large closet—that was practically a home away from home. A bar, refrigerator, microwave, sink and other conveniences were neatly arranged inside. No sooner was the door slammed shut behind her than it was jerked open again and three large shopping bags were tossed in.

Suzy felt utterly ridiculous. She kept as still as she could, afraid to turn on the light and almost afraid to breathe for fear of being discovered.

With her ear against the door, she tried to listen to the conversation, hoping to discover just how long Halabeoji intended to plant himself in Joohyuk's office.

Unfortunately, she could barely hear a thing. She risked opening the door a crack; a quick glance revealed that both men were facing away from her. That explained why she couldn't understand their conversation.

It was then that Suzy spotted her purse. Strangling a gasp, she eased the door shut and staggered away from it. She covered as she took deep breaths. When she found the courage to edge open the door and peek again, she saw that her grandfather had to do was glance downward.

If he shuffled his feet, his shoe would catch on the strap and he'd drag it out the office with him.

Joohyuk turned away from the window, and for the first time Suzy could hear and see him clearly.

"I'll take care of that right away," he said evenly. He was so calm, so composed, as though he often kept women hidden in his closet. He must have notice Suzy's purse because he frowned and his gaze flew accusingly toward her.

Well, for heaven's sake, she hadn't purposely left it there for Halabeoji to trip over! He wasn't even supposed to be in the building. That very morning, he'd told her he was lunching at the Athletic Club with his longtime friend Ben Coleman. Whenever Halabeoji ate lunch with his friends, she spent the afternoon playing pinochle. Apparently he'd changed his habits, just so her hair would turn prematurely gray.

Several tortured minutes passed before Joohyuk escorted Halabeoji to the door. The instant it was shut, Suzy stepped into the office, blinking against the brightness after her wait in the dark, "My purse," she said in a strangled voice. "Do you think he saw it?"

"It would be a miracle if he didn't. Of all the stupid things to do!"

"I didn't purposely leave it out there!"

"I'm not talking about that," Joohyuk growled. "I'm referring to you coming here in the first place. Are you crazy? You couldn't have called?"

"I... had something to tell you and I was in the neighborhood." So much for her suave, sophisticated façade. Joohyuk was right, of course; she could have told him just as easily by phone.

He looked furious. "For the life of me I can't think of a solitary thing that's so important you'd do anything this foolish. if your grandfather saw the two of us together, he'd immediately jump to the wrong conclusion. Until this afternoon, everything's been peaceful. Woohyun hasn't mentioned your name once and, frankly, I appreciated that."

His words stung. "I... I won't the mistake of coming again—ever," she vowed, trying to sound dignified and aloof. She gathered her purse and her bags as quickly as possible and hurried out of the office, not caring who saw her leave, including Halabeoji.

"Suzy, you never did say why you came." Joohyuk had followed her to the elevator,

Suzy stared at the light above the elevator that indicated the floor number, as though it was a message of the utmost importance. Her hold on the bags was precarious and something was dragging against her feet, but she couldn't have cared less. "I'm sorry to have imposed on your valuable time. Now that I think about it, it wasn't even important."

"Suzy," he coaxed, apparently regretting his earlier outburst. "I shouldn't have yelled."

"Yes, I know," she said smoothly. The elevator opened and with as little ceremony as possible, she slipped inside. It wasn't until she was over the threshold that she realized her purse strap was tangled around her feet.

So much for a dignified exit.