Lena’s eyes peeled open to the sun shining down on her. She couldn’t have been asleep more than forty minutes. She was still exhausted. After the plane ride, Lena and the boys had headed to their suite, and Lena wasn’t surprised to find that the room was enormous. It had one full and one half bath, a king bedroom and a suite bedroom, a view of the river, a large living room and dining room, and a small kitchenette, which was accessible by a butler, should they call one.

Her grandparents had out done themselves. It had been decided that Lena would sleep in the king bedroom, since both boys were chivalrous, and Wulf would share the bed with Ahren in the suite room. They hadn’t even bothered to unpack before all three had crashed onto their beds, exhausted and jetlagged.

However, Lena had her audition that night at seven thirty. She’d set an alarm for six thirty, and when she looked at her phone, she wasn’t surprised to find that it was only six. She’s hardly slept, but she was too worked up. She knew she wouldn’t get much shut eye.

Slowly, she sat up and stretched her arms over her head, wishing she had closed the blinds so the sun wouldn’t have woken her. She climbed off her bed and stretched once more, bending so she was folded against her legs, and then straightening once again. She took a few steps, and then snapped back into a backbend, straightening again after her back cracked a few times. She yawned, thankful that the stretch had worked, and moved towards her suitcases.

Her dance gear was packed in the first one. She ped it and pulled out her black leotard, light pink tights, a black dance wrap skirt, and a black workout jacket that hugged closely to her body. She changed quickly and slid her feet into black ballet flats. Quickly, she packed a dance bag with a few of the snacks she’d bought on the plane, but she couldn’t find the water bottle she’d bought, so she grabbed her wallet, scribbled a note telling the boys she’d be back before midnight, and then hurried out of the room.

“Good evening Ms. Koehler!” One of the maids smiled and bowed her head. “It’s a pleasure to have you with us.”

Lena smiled and bowed her head as well. “Thank you. I’m, uh, in a hurry. Which way to the elevator?” She asked, looking down both ends of the hall. They were at the very end and to the right, but there were two long halls, one going straight through the hotel, and one running along the side. She figured it was the same on the other side. The maid pointed down the one that ran alongside the hotel and Lena thanked her before hurrying away.

She found the elevator with ease and hurried inside, pressing the lobby button. Her room was on the twenty eighth floor. The elevator descent took a few minutes, but the golden doors opened and she hurried out into the lobby, racing past people waiting in line to book their rooms, and straight through the spinning door out onto the street.

She pulled her phone from her pocket and searched for coffee shops in her area. None pulled up, other than a Starbucks that was already in sight. The line was immense, and Lena didn’t feel like waiting. She hailed a cab, leapt in and gave directions, and then looked for one closer to where she was doing her audition.

Quite a few popped up, so she chose one called Itaewon Bean, which she thought sounded cute. It was a bit of a drive, but she got there quickly enough, and she leapt out, paid the driver, and hurried inside. There was no line, but there were a few people hanging around inside of the shop.

She grabbed two water bottles from one of cooler displays and then stopped in front of the cashier, staring up at the signs above the barista. Crap. She thought. She wasn’t really the best at reading Korean. “Uhm,” She said, biting her lip. “Could I have just a minute?” She asked, moving to the side and staring at the menu. She’d made it this far. She could always ask for help but… she felt like she could do it.

A tall man, taller than Lena, stopped beside her, right in front of the cashier. The cashier smiled, and Lena peered at him from the side. He was looking at her, so she immediately looked back at the menu, and he chuckled. “Just an americano is fine.” The cashier nodded and grabbed a cup, scrawling the order across it. “And could I also get a caramel macchiato? Double up on the caramel. Whipped cream is fine.” The cashier nodded again, and the man turned towards Lena, tapping her arm. “I hope you like that kind,” He said lightly, his deep voice grating at Lena.

She turned, her lips parting, and took him in. He was tall, as she’d noted before, easily six feet, which dwarfed Lena’s five foot three height. He was wearing a beanie, which hid most of his blonde hair, and sunglasses that hid his eyes, but his face had sharper features, a thin nose and large lips, manicured brows and a sharp jaw line. His slender fingers reached out, handing a card to the cashier, though his eyes didn’t leave Lena. One of his eyebrows pulled up questioningly, and Lena nodded. “I-” She nodded again. “Yes.” She said lightly, and he laughed.

It was a deep laugh, and Lena’s eyes widened as she took him in. “Good.”

“You didn’t have to… do that for me.” She said, taking a step back. “How much did it cost?” She asked, directing her question to the cashier.

The cashier opened his mouth to speak, but the man shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. It’s on me. Pretty girls shouldn’t have to pay for their own coffee.” He said, thanking the barista who handed him his americano. He took a sip and then turned to Lena. “Where’s your boyfriend?”

At the hotel, sleeping. But Ahren wasn’t really her boyfriend now, was he? “I don’t have a boyfriend,” She said lightly, holding her hands together behind her back.

Even though she couldn’t see his eyes, she could feel him looking her over. “You’re a dancer?” He asked.