Jessica tapped her foot impatiently and glanced at her diamond-studded Cartier watch.

 

7.45pm. Yul is fifteen minutes late.

 

I shouldn’t have agreed to him picking me up. I could have been sitting comfortably in my Mercedes Benz instead of standing by the roadside like a loser.

 

A Hyundai Tucson pulled up along the road and stopped in front of her. The window unwound and Yul’s head appeared.

 

“Get in.”

 

Jessica crinkled her nose but she got on the car and then they were off.

 

“You’re late.”

 

“I’m sorry. Some co-workers needed my help with a case.”

 

“I don’t care. I don’t like to wait.”

 

“Well, the world doesn’t revolve around you, Jessica.”

 

Jessica stuck her tongue out at him and folded her arms unhappily.

 

~~~~~

 

They stepped into a rather quiet little restaurant that she had neither seen nor heard of. This definitely wasn’t going to be one of those high class places that she was used to frequenting. She crinkled her nose but followed him as he walked to a table and pulled out a chair for her to sit on. That gesture touched her a little.

 

Maybe he’s not so bad after all.

 

She looked through the menu and noticed that it was mostly local food. A waiter walked up to their table, ready to take orders.

 

“I will have mul naengmyeon.”

 

Yul raised an eyebrow. He was surprised that she didn’t kick up a fuss about his choice of restaurant and choice of food.

 

“It will be jjolmyeon for me, thanks.”

 

The waiter nodded and left.

 

“Is naengmyeon your favourite type of noodles?”

 

Jessica nodded curtly and looked out the window. The view was astounding and her eyes grew bigger.

 

Yul frowned at her curt nod but his frown turned into a tiny smile when he saw her expression as she took in the magnificent view of the city night lights.

 

“How did you find a place like that?” she asked softly.

 

Yul smiled. “Do you like it here?”

 

Jessica nodded her head vigorously, all traces of her coldness gone. She rested her chin on her hands and leaned towards the window.

 

“I happened to read about this place in a magazine once. Surprisingly, it’s not too crowded most of the time so it became my favourite place to come to. I’m glad you like it.”

 

Jessica turned and looked at him.

 

“Why did you ask me out to dinner?”

 

“Why did you agree to come?”

 

His question caught her by surprise. She had been asking herself the same question in the car but she didn’t have an answer for it.

 

“Ya, I asked you first.”

 

Yul laughed.

 

“What are you laughing at?” Jessica thought he was behaving weirdly tonight.

 

“You.”

 

“What?”

 

“You’re so childish.”

 

“No I’m not.”

 

Yul cocked an eyebrow in amusement but he did not reply.

 

Jessica was perturbed.

 

“Ya! I’m not childish!”

 

“Okay, you win. You’re not childish.” Yul put his hands up in mock defeat.

 

Jessica pouted indignantly.

 

Their food came at that moment and their little exchange was forgotten as their nostrils were treated to the most heavenly sensations. They dug into their food and ate silently. It wasn’t awkward silence; they were just too engrossed in their food.

 

It wasn’t too long before they had polished off every morsel of food on their plates. Yul leaned back in his chair feeling most satisfied with his meal. Jessica smacked her lips and smiled happily. Yul looked at her and thought she looked so much better when she smiled.

 

She doesn’t look so cold when she smiles like that.

 

“Why don’t you smile more? You look friendlier.”

 

“Why would I want to look friendly?” Jessica barely raised her eyebrows.

 

“Why would you want to look cold and unfriendly?”

 

Jessica looked at him sharply.

 

“Why are you asking so many questions tonight?”

 

Yul sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.

 

“Jessica… How long do we have to keep this act up for your parents?”

 

Jessica looked down at her fingers and fiddled with them.

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“Well…. It can’t be forever, can it?”

 

“Of course not!”

 

Jessica shuddered at the thought of spending forever with Yul. She thought about what Yul said. It did make sense. They couldn’t keep this act going forever. Neither did she want this act to go on for longer than necessary. She’d eventually find someone she likes and wants to marry.

 

“Let’s decide on an expiry date for our act.”

 

Yul nodded. “You decide.”

 

“It’s coming to a month since we first met so… Another three months? Then we can have an awful breakup and I can pretend to be heartbroken for a really long time.”

 

Yul rolled his eyes at her ease in coming up with lies but did not voice his disapproval.

 

“Alright then. It’s your decision to do this for three more months so can we at least come to a truce and make our lives a little easier on us?”

 

“A truce?”

 

“Yes, a truce. We will try to get along at least amicably. We might want to learn a bit more about each other too so that we are more convincing as a couple.”

 

Jessica tapped her fingers on her arm as she thought over what Yul had just said. It all made perfect sense to her.

 

“A truce it is. I agree to that and I’ll try my best not to stab you with my stilettos.”

 

“Great. To a good three months.” Yul raised his glass of orange juice.

 

Jessica giggled a little and raised her glass, clinking against his.

 

“To a good three months.”

 

~~~~~

 

Sunny giggled as she thought about the look that would be on Young’s face when he woke up in the morning to find her gone. It was never her practice to hang around till morning. She didn’t want to allow random guys to see her morning look and she was reminded of how Young got to see her sleepy just-got-up-from-bed look.

 

Stupid Yoong, coming over like that. He should never have seen me like that. Well, at least he’s not random.

 

She looked at the huge stack of files on her desk and sighed.

 

Idiot Yoong! I wonder what he’s going to try today. I thought he’d have given up by now.

 

She sat up and stretched. Her back was aching from her leaning over all the documents she had been reading and analyzing. She arched her back and threw her head all the way to the back. The sight of Yoong behind her shocked her and she tumbled backwards, yelping in shock. Yoong caught her as she flipped and sat her back in her chair safely.

 

“Oh my gawd, YOONG! What are you doing standing behind me like a stalker?! You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

 

“Chill it will you? I was just… thinking.”

 

“Thinking? Please think in your office.”

 

“Sunny...”

 

“What?”

 

“Why won’t you even go out with me?”

 

“I’m working for you, that’s why.”

 

“Nobody ever said that people working together can’t date.”

 

Sunny scoffed.

 

“I want to keep this job. I like it very much despite having to deal with your advances.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Yoong was clueless.

 

Sunny sighed and put her pen down. She turned and looked at him seriously.

 

“I know about the girls who don’t last beyond a month because you eventually get into their pants and dump them.”

 

“But…you’re not the same!”

 

“Yes I am. I’m just another girl to you. Another skirt to get into.”

 

“No you’re not!”

 

“Yes I am.”

 

“Sunny… It’s been a month now and you’re still working here. See? You’re different from all the other girls. I don’t even look at other girls anymore.”

 

Sunny laughed heartily.

 

“Yoong…” said Sunny in between her laughter, “I’m still here because you haven’t gotten into my skirt yet. I think I’ve proven my point.”

 

“Sunny, you don’t understand. I like you!”

 

Sunny shook her head. “No you don’t.”

 

She looked at him pointedly.

 

“I’m just the girl that you didn’t get to shag… The girl who didn’t jump into your bed with you. Once I do…I’ll just be another girl that you played with and it’s time to look for a new job.”

 

“What must I do to make you understand that what you’re saying about me is not how I feel?” said Yoong, wringing his hands in frustration.

 

“Yoong… Go and get another girl. There’s plenty around so it doesn’t have to be me. I’m your account manager and I plan to stay for a really long time but if I ever decide to quit… I’d definitely consider having some fun with you.”

 

Sunny winked at him and giggled.

 

Yoong’s jaw dropped and he could only gape at what she had just said. His shoulders slumped in defeat and he turned to leave the office.

 

Sunny’s smile slipped a notch as she watched him leave.

 

He looks kind of sad… Beyond sad. What is it?

 

~~~~~

 

“YUL! HELP ME!”

 

Taeng’s puppy eyes filled with tears as he clung onto the taller man’s leg yet again—this act of his irritated Yul to no end.

 

“Seriously Taeng… What kind of guy begs like you do? Get a hold on yourself!”

 

“Yul… I can’t screw up again. What if she fires me? I won’t be able to see her again if she does!”

 

Yul groaned and buried his face in his palms. Between Jessica and Taeng, he definitely had his hands full.

 

“You need a distraction. Focus on something else when you’re doing your work. Don’t let yourself fall into her charms so deeply.”

 

“Easier said than done...” Taeng mumbled under his breath.

 

“I heard that.”

 

“Yul… How do you stay so focused at work? HELP ME!!!”

 

“I just told you.”

 

“Don’t you think I’d already have tried that? I’ve tried everything I could think of to keep my mind off her but nothing works! It’s like she has some kind of spell on me.”

 

“Confess to her then.”

 

“WHAT?!”

 

“Tell her why you’re messing up. Just be honest.”

 

Taeng started to laugh like a maniac.

 

“Yul… HAHAHA… You…must…be…crazy… HA…”

 

The younger man shrugged and shook Taeng off his leg. Taeng was laughing too hard to hold on to his friend’s leg anymore.

 

“That’s my advice to you Taeng. The rest is up to you.”

 

Yul walked away shaking his head, leaving Taeng in tears, half from laughing and half from despair.

 

~~~~~

 

“Hyun, have you heard from Yoong? Is he coming?”

 

Hyun shook his head. “He’s not coming. He said that he isn’t in the mood to party tonight.”

 

Young’s eyes opened wide in disbelief. “Yoong…? Not in the mood? Is he sick or something?”

 

The younger man shrugged.

 

“Well… I guess it’s just you and me then… But you’re no fun… You’d rather sit there and cuddle your gogumas than check out the girls with me.”

 

“Ya! Gogumas give me strength. I need my quality time with gogumas.”

 

Young looked at Hyun’s serious-looking face and sighed.

 

Then he saw someone familiar and perked up immediately. That blonde was ordering a drink at the bar. Her friend was right next to her as usual, talking to some regular dancers who frequent Seventh Heaven. He grinned widely. The night had just officially begun.

 

~~~~~

 

Sunny was waiting for her margarita when a pair of arms wrapped around her slim waist.

 

“Sunny… Why did you leave so early?”

 

She grinned and turned in his embrace to face him. She bit him playfully on the side of his neck.

 

“Because I’m actually a vampire and afraid of the sun.”

 

Young laughed at her cheeky reply.

 

He kissed the top of her head. “Yet your name is Sunny? How ironic is that?”

 

She giggled and bit him again but harder this time.

 

“Woah… Woah… Hold your horses you blood-thirsty vampire…” joked Young.

 

He whispered in her ear, “Are you up for another night with me then?”

 

She winked at him and grinned. “Be careful… I bite.”

 

~~~~~

 

The door burst open and the couple locked in a fiery tongue battle stumbled into the penthouse. Young lifted Sunny up and she wrapped her arms and legs around him without breaking the heated kiss. He walked into the bedroom and laid her on the bed, finally breaking the kiss.

 

Hovering over her with his arms on either side of her, he grinned. She reached up and ed his shirt, removing it and tossing it aside. Her fingers ran down his chest lightly, creating delicious sensations across his body but that was nothing compared to the jolt of pleasure that shot through him when she flicked her tongue across his chest.

 

Oh my gawd. This girl is GOOD.

 

Young could hardly think straight as he plunged back down onto her lips, which were curved into a seductive smile. He rained kisses down to her neck where he concentrated on looking for her sweet spot. She gasped and muttered his name in a whisper and he grinned. He had found the spot. He focused on that spot, biting, and till it was well and truly marked. He looked at it in satisfaction.

 

She’s mine tonight. This amazingly cute and y girl is mi—

 

He couldn’t finish his thought and his breath caught in his throat as she arched her back and made contact with his lower torso. Never had he felt this and sensitive to a touch. This was seriously mind-blowing.

 

And then it stopped.

 

She rolled away from him and playfully pounced on his .

 

“Do you have drinks?”

 

“WHAT?!”

 

“A drink. I need one.” She made a hand gesture of drinking from a cup.

 

“Sunny…” groaned Young, “This isn’t the time to be drinking.” He gestured towards the obvious tent in his pants.

 

“Let’s play a game, shall we?” Sunny’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

 

“A game? Are you in your right mind? We’ve got an emergency here…”

 

Sunny giggled and whispered teasingly in Young’s ear, “Let’s play a drinking game. If you win it… I promise you a mind-blowing good time till you beg me to stop.”

 

Young gulped. Her low voice had pushed him even nearer the brink.

 

“What happens if I lose?”

 

“You take care of that by yourself.” She nudged him with her knee.

 

Young couldn’t resist a challenge as seductive as this one. He nodded confidently.

 

“As far as drinking games go… I’m the best out there. Bring it on!” Young smirked.

 

~~~~~

 

“Sunny…” Young mumbled rather intelligibly. He was knocked out and had fallen asleep on his bed with his pants still on.

 

You have grossly underestimated my skills in drinking games Young. Better luck next time.

 

Sunny grinned to herself in the darkness. She leaned over him and studied his features.

 

Hmmm… Undeniably handsome… Fun to hang out with… Should I…?

 

It isn’t her usual practice to leave her number but she somehow couldn’t resist the thought of receiving his text message the next day. The burning desire to know how he’d react overtook her mind and she decided to leave another note for him.

 

~~~~~

 

Young woke up with a groan and a splitting headache. It had been a while since he last got so drunk and hung-over. He wasn’t too surprised to find himself alone in bed this time but he noticed the note that had been stuck in his pants.

 

Dear Shikshin Young,   You knocked out so I went home. Check your phone. Ciao!   Luv, Sunny

 

Check my phone?

 

Headache forgotten, he looked around for his phone, spotting it lying on the bedside table. He grabbed it and saw that he had received a new picture and message from an unknown number.

 

 

 

I had fun tonight.

 

Young’s lips curled into a boyish grin when he saw her picture.

 

UNBELIEVABLE.

 

Sunny is something else. I’ve let her slip from me three times now and she managed to get my number before I got hers!

 

~~~~~