She stepped out of the darkness and onto the porch. "You and I have an appointment." Her smile was wide and bright as she offered a handshake. "Jung So Min. Sugar and Spice, Incorporated."

Hyun Joong stared at her, his mind a total blank. "I'm sorry, it's been a really long day." Belatedly, he closed his palm against her warm one. "Come on in, please."

He led her through the dark family room to the adjoining kitchen, where there was light, a table, and chairs. "Have a seat." Setting the pickle jar on the table, he crossed his arms and leaned his hips back against the counter to take some of the weight off his tired feet. "Now, Ms. Jung, I hate to admit it, but I don't have a clue as to why you're here. What are we meeting about?"

"Food."

"Food." Hyun Joong scoured his brain. "Dinner?" Yes, he worked hard. Some nights he got home so tired he could hardly spell his own name correctly. But surely he would remember having asked this very attractive woman for a date.

She nodded, her big brown eyes sparkling with laughter. "Chuseok dinner."

"Chuseok??" He snapped his fingers as the pieces clicked into place. "Right. I remember?? I asked my office manager to find somebody to make dinner for my family."

"And she called me. Sugar and Spice is a catering firm." She definitely fit the description, with her shiny, cinnamon brown hair, creamy skin, and those deep chocolate brown eyes. "I'm here to discuss the menu with you." She'd pulled her hair back from her face with an orange velvet band and wore black cats dangling from her earlobes.

The touch of whimsy made him realize he hadn't thought about how much fun Chuseok could be for fifteen years? Twenty? "That's great." He heard his stomach growl and, from the quirk of Jung So Min's full lips, knew she'd heard, too. "Would you mind if I made a sandwich? I haven't eaten since?" The memory escaped him and he shrugged. "Whenever."

She opened her hands in a generous gesture. "Be my guest. But since I'm in the business of feeding people, I'd be glad to make a sandwich for you, if you'd like."

He turned from the pantry with bread and peanut butter in his arms. "No, that's," Then again, the idea of someone else making him a simple meal seemed close to heaven. "Will you join me? If you get the sandwiches, I could change clothes."

"Sounds like a plan." She came to the counter as he set down the supplies. "I'll find what I need. Come back in ten minutes."

"Right."

So Min watched the gorgeous Dr. Kim disappear into the shadows beyond the kitchen. Rita, his new office manager and So Min's best friend since high school, had warned her. Now, she believed, believed in the broad, rangy shoulders, the athletic build, the hair cut close to his beautifully shaped head. And the sleepy brown eyes, looking warily out on the world as if he hoped for friendship but didn't expect it.

The house was nearly as magnificent as the man. As a kitchen aficionado, So Min definitely approved of the granite countertops and professional-grade appliances, although she wasn't sure the room had ever been used for meaningful cooking. A peek inside the spotless double ovens pretty much confirmed that guess.

She put together four neat peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwiches, moved the pickle jar to the counter and set the glass-topped table with plates and two glasses of milk. Then, since Dr. Kim hadn't yet reappeared, she the one lamp in the family room. Twice as large as the huge kitchen, this space offered a fireplace framed in black marble surrounded by exquisite paneling and built-in bookcases. Two long brown leather couches faced each other across the hearth, complemented by two tapestry armchairs and the lamp table between them.

Otherwise, the room was empty. No curtains or drapes, no pictures on the walls, no rugs on the floor. Not a single accessory, not even a poker with which to stir a fire, should one ever be lit in that pristine space. Altogether, Dr. Kim's house looked like a cold, heartless place.

So Min was still standing in the center of the room when Dr. Kim returned. He stopped short by the fireplace wall. "Something wrong?"

"Not at all. Let's eat." They sat at the table and spent a couple of silent moments inhaling their food. Finally, So Min sighed. "This is good. I haven't had a bite since dawn."

He raised a straight eyebrow. "A caterer doesn't get to eat?"

"Too busy cooking." She reached into her purse for her notebook. "Now, do you have an idea of what kind of food you'd like for Chuseok dinner?"

"Just the usual, Songpyeon and japchae, bulgogi. Boiled vegetables, Sweet potato, fruits and the likes.

Making notes, she shook her head. "You don't really need a caterer for this. Every grocery store will have all these dishes prepared and available the day before."

"Yeah, I know." He put a hand on the back of his neck and rolled his head, obviously trying to loosen kinks. "But, see, this is a big deal. I just moved to Icheon to start my CT surgery practice."

"CT?"

"Cardiothoracic heart surgery. Coronary artery bypasses, that kind of work. Anyway, my whole family wants to drive over from Seoul and celebrate the holiday. They weren't happy about my coming here, so my plan is to demonstrate that I'm doing fine and they don't need to worry anymore. I'd like everything to be really special, including the food. That's where you come in."

"I understand." So Min added a couple of notes to her list. "But I have to tell you, Dr. Kim" "Hyun Joong." He finished the last of his milk and looked at her with an endearing white mustache above his firm and very kissable mouth. "Call me Hyun Joong."

So Min repressed her smile. "I have to tell you, Hyun Joong, that your grand plan doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell of working out."

To be continued...