Wearing the most abominable face that anyone could ever think of, Ailee sat in front of the mirror while the hairdresser did her hair. They’ve sent her a hair dresser, someone to do shopping with her though she could’ve done it herself, a make-up artist and a driver. So much of commitment for one night, and Ailee wasn’t even happy with it.

                The whole idea was her mother’s; to which her sister added her opinion and made it even worse. It was a good thing to be concerned about her, since she was convinced living isolated was the answer for everything, but being concerned doesn’t mean they have to set her up with something she didn’t like. It had been almost a year since her break-up with the PR millionaire who owned the newspaper she worked for, for almost two years. She worked as a reporter, a very good one which some people-especially the famous ones who had issues which could appear on the paper-hated, but most of the editors loved to recruit her for their papers. She was rapid, once something happened, she was there, and the next thing they knew was it was soon on her paper. But her big break-up with her boss made a huge issue that she quit the paper, said no to all the other papers which wanted her, which were also owned by her former boyfriend and ran away from Seoul to Cheongju, to where her mother and sister lived, and worked for a small town paper, doing the matrimonial page. They said they were almost sick of seeing her that way, her eyes sad and lonely, now hardly wearing make-up, and staying indoors reading when she had no work, it only showed she was lonely, and that all she needed was a companion. That was when they had heard a TV station holding a competition for those single-loners. Ailee didn’t know that they have put her name on it until she received a call saying she was one of the six winners and that she had won a blind date. Not that her date was blind, but she won’t be seeing him until the date night, and in a way, it was good. Maybe she won’t see him again after then.

                After she got dressed, she stared at her reflection longingly. She wore a black lace dress, a few inches above her knee which she didn’t really like, her thick dark long hair fell down on the curves of her shoulder, and she hated it. She would’ve chopped it off and bold her head like a Buddhist monk if she had to. A horn sounded outside and her mother hugged her and ushered her towards the front door. And soon she was on the way to a five star restaurant to meet her fate.

                As soon as she was there, a girl wearing a hideous red dress sprinted towards her. The cameraman who followed her all the way from home, who also recorded everything of her night from the start except while she was in the bath, was after the red dressed girl. She flinched and made a few feet back as she charged towards her with a microphone held out like a sword.

                “So, Miss Ailee, how are you feeling now?” Asked the red dressed TV host. “Fine. I feel great, thank you” She didn’t mean a word of it. “What do you think about the competition Miss? Tell our spectators your opinion on our attempt” Ailee wanted to er punch her. “I think it’s very helpful for people like us, you know, the lone-lonely-loners…” the TV host cracked into laughter, but she was sure she didn’t mean sarcasm. “Anyway, so, I think your date is waiting inside. So why don’t we go in!” Ailee agreed with a fake smile and entered through the restaurant doors.

                The inside was bright with candle light, and French waiters walked around talking in their French accent which sounded weird with Korean, the place was filled with all those aristocratic people and foreigners tasting different kinds of vines and champagne. Most of the people had their attention to the young lady who stood in the door way with a cameraman and a Fake-smiling TV host. “I think he’s waiting” whispered the TV girl into her ear. “Table fifteen”

                Table fifteen was already occupied. It was a young man, nearly her age or two or three years older than her, with straight dark hair-side parted and neatly combed- and wore a dark blue tie and coat suit. He had a pleasant face, and a smile as equally as pleasant and he smiled brightly as she approached and soon was on his feet to greet her. “Nam Woo Hyun” He said, in a voice deep for his face. “Ailee” Answered Ailee and shook his hand. And it sounded like some sort of a business meeting than a date. His name sounded familiar and she wondered if she had seen it on matrimonial or if she had done a report on him, but worse of all, he recognized her first before she did. “Ailee? The reporter? I’ve seen your articles, but not lately, aren’t you working anymore?”

                “That’s me” She said with a smile. “But I’m not working for the Seoul Observer anymore, I’m doing the Matrimonial page of the Dongyang Ilbo” He nodded, as if it was such an interesting story. “And you? Your name sounds very familiar to me” She said politely. “I’m a partner of Bae, Kim & Lee. The second biggest law firm of the Seoul city, I guess that’s why my name sounds so familiar” Ailee had heard of the firm, and was aware of their habit of suing the papers, they once tried to sue the paper she worked for, and she didn’t like it, she didn’t like his boasting either.

                A waiter approached and took their orders; Woo Hyun ordered champagne as if it was such a special occasion, maybe it was for him, but not for her. It had been half an hour since she arrived and she couldn’t still decide whether she liked him or not.

                “So why did you quit the Seoul Observer?” he asked, as the waiter approached with the champagne. “It’s a wonder that you did, plus, your articles were really good”

                She didn’t think her long gone affair with its PR should stay secret anymore; it doesn’t even exist, so why keep secret?

                “You know Kim Sung Gyu …the owner of the Kim & Ko communications?” Ailee said, watching nothing but the golden liquid splashing into the glass. “Well he was the Seoul Observer PR” Woo Hyun nodded and took a sip of wine. “Yeah I’ve heard of him”

                Ailee’s answer was only a stutter. “Well- I-I used to date…” and she paused. Her stomach fell down through the floor “…him…”

                Behind Woo Hyun’s chair was a very familiar figure. Tall, well-built and dark haired and wore the same smile that he did a year before. It suddenly became hard for Ailee to catch her breath. She didn’t breathe at all. Her eyes stared straight at the figure. A dark gray suit, his favorite, his hair combed to a side, and was shaking his hand with another girl, a fake Blondie who looked hundred times better than Ailee herself. Her heart sank. It was him who wanted out; he said he had no space in his life for an affair, then how come he had now? Ailee stared at the girl with an arousing urgency of giving a good helping of a slap across her perfect face. So that was what he had meant. Who needs a reporter nerd when there’s a fake Blondie bimbo?

                “And you broke up so you quit?” Asked Woo Hyun, and took a sip of his champagne. Ailee nodded still staring at Sung Gyu who now sat on a chair behind Woo Hyun. “Why? I think the job you were doing is far more important than the man” Woo Hyun has figured out most of her story with his lawyerly mind, which was impressive, but it suddenly became hard for her to concentrate on whatever he was saying, but what he said next just simply caught her off guard. “Maybe you dropped out thinking he didn’t need you anymore…but others surely do need you, in fact, it’s a coincidence, but I really did like the one who did those articles, they really did catch me”.  

“What?” She demanded, turning her eyes back to Woo Hyun.

 “There are people who need you back there…and I think it’s not too late yet…” She sipped her own champagne now having her eyes focused on him.

“Well, I know it’s not as easy as it sounds like…but why not give it a try”

 She stared at him, unable to find words to say. Maybe he was right. It was time for her to move on. It had been a year, and she can’t keep on suffering the loss for the rest of her life doing something she hated. Sung Gyu didn’t want her. That’s why he wanted out. But there are plenty of fish in the sea, so why shouldn’t she move on? He has moved on, the proof was right in front of her, so could she. She had her chance sitting there with her, so take it. It worth than every second she’d spent crying and remembering all her good times. Ailee smiled with a nod. “I think you’re right”

                And now was the time to show Sung Gyu what Ailee was capable of.

                During the courses the two ate, discussing their jobs and families and as it happened, she thought she sort of liked him and wondered if he felt the same about her. He was pleasant to be with and she actually was sort of grateful of her mother’s decision, and now, just maybe, things could change.

                But it was still so hard keep her eyes off Sung Gyu.

                Sung Gyu sat direc