I am too excited for today. I don’t since when I have become such a person, to assign my work to someone else and travel. Yet, I am here now. As I was blushing like an idiot in the bedroom packing my suitcase, I hear my phone ring. I immediately knew it is Siwon on the other side of te line.

“Hello?”

“ Hey baby..all ready?”

“yup….im zipping up my case now.”

“ Ok cool, I’ll be at your place in say another 15 minutes.”

“Sure, I’ll be ready.”

As I ‘End’ my call, I whisk off to the shower room, refresh myself and touch up with some light make up. I’m so excited that I did not even bother calling Mark to thank him, not ask Siwon on which flight we will be flying to the island. Ah, I’m just being in my girly element.

Exactly 15 minutes later, I see a black BMW pull up by my apartment and Siwon getting off of the passengers. I immediately, head out with a bright smile that even I have not seen in a while. I’m just too happy.

As I walk towards the car, I notice Siwon trying frantically call someone.

“So who are you calling?”

“Ah! Dara, I was trying for your phone.”

“I saw you pull up, so I left immediately. May be you called me when I was in the elevator. I don’t have much reception in there.”

“aaaa, ok. By the way, you look pretty.”

“Pretty?”

“Yup, like a little girls doll.” He said making me blush.

I was wearing my mini, sleeveless summer dress, which is of course in pink and has white flowers. To accompany it, I wore my white flats and my all time favorite, my aviators.

Siwon, was dressed casually as well, in dark blue jeans and a V necked pastel green tee shirt.

“I have been so excited that I even forgot to ask you which flight we will be taking. So which flight is it?”

“ Well, baby, you will know.”

“You know something Siwon, the times you say baby, it always makes me suspicious of your action.”

“ Well, I have my tricks.”

Gosh this guy, I thought to myself. After about 20 minutes drive on the trafficked roads of Seoul, we reach the airport. A very dolled up Korean airport authority lady, welcomes us and escorts us to a private part of the airport. “May be we are taking the first class?!” I thought to myself.

“ You flight is ready to depart sir.”

“Thank you.”

“ Come on, you’ve got to tell me which flight we are taking.”

“So persistent you are. Just cant stand any surprise.”

“Surprise?”

“ Well baby, we will be taking the Choi International Group’s jet.”

“eerrmmm….you mean a private jet……of the company.”

“Well, im a Choi and hold equal rights to the company, do yes, the private jet.”

“ That’s insane.”

“ From now on starts our trip.”

We head towards the gates and a golf car comes to pick us p and drops us at the shining private jet that stands right in front of us. As soon as I get down, I take a minute to look at the beautiful bird. In all this fantastic glory, she stands proud and has the Choi International Group’s logo embedded on its tail.

“Its new…..we bought just a couple of months back.”

“ Wow, she looks lovely.”

Siwon smiles and escorts me in. I am welcomed by yet another dolled up Korean lady with a ravishing smile. I look inside the cabin and I am just amazed. The furniture inside is decorated completely in plush, dark leather and to go with it, the panels and others are decorated in high quality white fiber. It just looks amazing. I slowly take my seat still looking around the small cabin.

“ You know what Siwon, I would one day love to look into your financials.”

He laughs and asks me, “why would you wanna do that?”

“ Because I want to see how much you spent on stuff like this. This surely is your toy.”

“Well, my toy…..not really. But its my vehicle that takes me away from the chaos of the world and gives  me a few hours of peace.”

Suddenly he seems serious. I did not want to ask him further question. I knew our conversation would further on to a much serious one. To distract him I started a much lighter conversation.

About 4 hours later, the dolled up airhostess comes to wake me up from my deep sleep. Right across me, Siwon is sleeping like a baby. It was then I realized that this is the first time, I see him sleeping. I stop the airhostess from waking him. She gives me a slight smile and leaves. I slowly lean over the table to him. I make sure that no one is watching us and I peck his soft lips. He immediately wakes up. “ hey hey.” I wish him.

We are served tea before landing. I sip into the most amazing tea I have ever had. We smoothly land and within minutes we are out the Boracay island airport door. We find a very friendly Pilipino man dressed in a chauffer suit welcomes us with a bight smile.

“Mr. Choi, Ms. Day. I welcome you to the Boracay Island.”

“Thanks!” we say in unison, which surprises the man.

“ Our trip to Mr. Carlo’s estate will be approximately an hour and I am at your disposal. Mr. Carlo’s orders. By the way my name is Alex Lenard.”

“Thank you Alex.” Siwon says.

“Thanks to my friend.” I say with pride.

“ But I bet he did it for me.” Siwon teases.

The hour-long drive was beautiful. The Philippines countryside was just amazing and I could not take my eyes of the window. We finally arrive at eh estate and I have to say Carlos has some good business.

It is like a paradise. The crystal clear blue ocean welcomes us with its hushing voice and on it stands a magnificent wooden cottage over looking the tantalizing blue ocean.  My feet is sinking into The white beach sand and my body is just being taken away in the breeze. We enter the stilted cottage and I cursed Mark for buying the most beautiful thing on earth.

The wooden cottage is decorated in a very modern way. All furniture’s wooden, yet with a modern twist. The kitchen is equipped with up to date or rather futuristic equipment’s that I did not even know existed. I head towards the bedroom and wow, I’m amazed. The four posted large bed, sits there like a king over looking the wide blue ocean. The doors of the bedroom balcony open up widely to the ocean and its simply beautiful. My eye widens and my legs freeze at the amazing sight.

Suddenly, I feel Siwon’s hands slither his hands around my waist and holding me tight from the back. “I have to so thank your friend.”

“ I have to, too.”

He turns me around and kisses me. No pressure, no wildness, yet so passionate and soft.

“So what do you want to do today?” he asks me breaking away from the kiss.

“ I don’t know……I just…..i just….want to be here.” I say hugging him tightly and resting my head on his warm chest.

“ So how about we go out for lunch? You hungry?”

“ Sure.”

“ What shall we eat?”

“May be something very Pilipino?”

“ Sure sounds good. I’ll ask Alex for a good restaurant.”

After a while we were sitting in a small bistro. Not very modern, yet very classy.

“Alex tells me this is the best restaurant in the Island.”

“it seems so……its so very cozy.”

“ Hello, welcome to Blue Ocean.” A very friendly Pilipino girl waitress comes to welcomes us and hand us our menu card.

“ Hello. What are our specials today?” I ask

“ We have fresh calamari, steamed Haddok, fried Sultan Ibrahim and backed Pomphret. All are served with vegetables or fries and rice.”

“wow, that sounds good.” Siwon says.

“I think I will go for the steamed Haddok with veges.” I place my order.

“Sure madam and you sir?” she turns to Siwon, giving him an extra smile

“ I think I’ll go for the Fried Sultan Ibrahim with Fries.”

“ Do you want something to drink?” Siwon asks me.

“ Hmmmm…not sure…may be I’ll have a ginger ale? Do you have ginger ale?” I ask the friendly waitress.

“ Sure. And sir?” she gives him an extra attention.

“ Well make that two and can you give mine without ice?”

“ Sure sir. Anything else?”

“no that’s all.” I hand over the menu.

We see the waitress rush off to the kitchen to place our order.

“ Do you like this place?”

“ I love it. It so serene and peaceful. I just want to jump into the blue waters and live there.”

“ Like a mermaid?”

“Sure why not?”

We both laugh at my silly comment.

“ Wow she is absolutely gorgeous.” I think to myself.

“Dara, you look beautiful.” I say making her blush and turn pink as she takes a sip of  her ginger ale.

“ Why the sudden compliment?”

“Well, I just realized that I have not been complimenting you much. So…..”

“ Well thank you! You’re not bad yourself. I like you in your casual clothes.”

“Thanks.” Just then, our food arrives.

“That looks amazing.” I compliment the food to waitress and she smiles at me. I look opposite and I find Dara giving me a What-the-hell-do-you-think-your-doing look.

“ Yes, we’ll be fine.” She snaps and for some reason I find it cute. I have known her for acting like. This is what made her fall for me and me for her.

We have our lunch in silence enjoying our Pilipino cuisine. After our hearty meal, we head out to the estate.

I notice Dara, going out to the balcony and sitting out with her legs getting dipped in the blue scene ocean. I join.

“ so how do you know Mark?” I ask her

“ Well, me and Mark go a along way actually. We started together as rookies at this fashion firm in London. Fresh out of University, we were flourishing with ideas. But who would give the recognition to a rookie even if you had the best idea? My ideas were constantly out down my senior and finally I spoke up and got a chance to show who I really was.” She looked at me with sad eyes.

“ It was London Fashion Week soon, so I had to come up with a strategy to pull in all possible designers and sponsor them under the firm I worked in. now the problem is designers don’t accept sponsorship or don’t want to be under the same company as their rival, so they just say no even before they hear the whole story. However, the genius I am,” she gives me a childish smile, “ I came up with a strategy and I was very sure, that the designers we wanted would accept the proposal. Accepted by my head, we head to the office of Laura Calude, a very unique designer and we wanted to sponsor her. That’s where I met Mark. He was her intern. I presented the strategy and he was present for the meeting as well. I poured in all my effort and did the presentation. But in the end she just walked away- without a word. I was flabbergasted. I did not know what to do or say. I froze and insulted. After about 5 minutes, her mark comes and tell my boss that she would be happy to accept the sponsorship. Immediately, my boss went up to her and started owning the presentation. I was like what the hell. I poured in everything into that presentation and then he just strolls in and takes credit for it. I just…just could not take it.” I see the frustration in her voice and face.

“ Then Mark came up to me and said, ‘ I know it was you who did the whole show, but looks like your boss tookt he credit. It’s the same with me.’ From then on we became really good friends. I resigned my job and so did Mark. But by the grace of god, I got good opportunities and Mark started his own line, which was picked up internationally. I cant speak for him, but I had to go through a lot…….shrewd business men, crooks,  molesters and sleazebags and douchebags to succeed. These harsh experiences made me realize my worth and thought me a lot and made me strong.  We kept in touch, but as profession took us places, we could only meet each other during shows or parties and stuff like that. But you know, the single line Mark told me, I can still hear it echo in my ears and I have this feeling fro him. A brotherly one……..a friendly one.” She says. I know her heart is heavy and all she now needs is a shoulder. I put my right hand around her and immediate she rests her head on my chest. We just sit quietly, looking at the bright blue ocean.

I can feel little drop of water in my chest. I knew Dara was tearing up on my chest.

“My family has not been that supportive of my decisions as well. I mean I do love them and they do as well. More than anything in the world. But when it came to making decisions, they always wanted to do what the other kids did. Engineering, Business, architecture, whereas my strength lied in fashion. So after high school, I put my foot down and started my course on fashion strategy. I worked throughout to support myself. I did not see them for almost three years and then I went home after I got my first job, my father asked me, why I had come there. I saw my mother in tears looking at me from he kitchen. She was helpless and so was i. I never went back. I have been very alone since then. That’s why I always protect myself, I always had my guards up and if I find myself in any situation, I drown myself in work. Fashion has been my life. But after you things have changed Swion. I have let my guards down, I smile, I am happy, I want to be happy.”

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Dara has finally revelied herself and feels safe in his arms.......

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Thank you very much for your support.

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To Be

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Continued