THEY spent three days in Paris, and the remaining days in Italy. They went to visit Venice, Milan, Verona and Rome, and now they were back in Seoul. Ah Young had to say that was the amazing vacation she ever had in her life because she felt like she went for honeymoon with her husband.

          Jong Hyun had been such an amazing lover which Ah Young had to admit that sometimes she needed the time to adjust with the new Jong Hyun. Ah Young always knew that Jong Hyun was sweet in his own ways, but this vacation gave her big opportunity to discover more about his romantic side. He actually was a man who showed his affection in subtle ways.

          Other than holding hands and kissing, she noticed that he liked to play with her hair. Sometimes when she was talking to him, he played with her earlobe or his hand would caress her arm or thighs. He made she smiled bashfully when he winked at her whenever he caught her staring at him or when he surprised her with pecks.

          Ah Young definitely loved the ways he touched her especially when they were alone inside the hotel room. They made love passionately and spent the rest of night cuddling while sleeping. There was one morning when she woke up from the sleep and saw Jong Hyun came in with a stalk of red rose between his teeth and tray of breakfast in his hands.  

          Then she did not know where he got the idea to entertain her with strip dance, but she almost die in laughter because of that. Instead of saying that he looked y while stripping in front of her, she found that his stiff comical dance was too hilarious to watch. Jong Hyun had to shut her up by kissing her, but it led to another passionate love making after that.

          The romance did not end in Paris and Italy. It continued in Korea, and currently they were making out on the couch. If not because she had to go to work later, Ah Young would not stop Jong Hyun who was getting aggressive as their kiss became intense. He groaned in protest when she pulled away from him.

          “Jong Hyun, I have to get ready now,” she said and trying to get off from his lap.

          “I’ll call Jae Rim. You are not going anywhere today,” Jong Hyun pulled Ah Young and tried to kiss her again, but she immediately covered his mouth with her hand.

          “No, Jong Hyun. What Jae Rim would say if I took another day off? Please don’t make me looks bad in his eyes,” Ah Young replied, and she gave him one last peck before moved away from him. Jong Hyun whined with pouted face because Ah Young had the point. He should not take granted on Jae Rim just because Jae Rim was the only person who knew about this secret.

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

JAE RIM noticed that Ah Young looked more cheerful after she returned from romantic vacation with Jong Hyun. He knew that something good must have happened but whatever they had in Paris and Italy, it would not change the fact that they would separate when the time comes. Honestly to say, he wanted Ah Young for Jong Hyun, but heaven had written their fates.

          Just like Jae Rim, Ah Young knew this happiness would not last. So she decided to just live the moment. Whatever Jong Hyun offered to her in their remaining days, she would accept all of them with gratitude. He had shared his affection with her, and she would not dare to ask for more especially his heart.

          When Ah Young finished her work, she was surprised to see Sung Joon was waiting outside the building. Was he here to see someone other than her? Ah Young looked at her back when Sung Joon waved his hand and apparently she was the only one person that was standing there. Sung Joon straightened his body when Ah Young approached him.

          “What are you doing here?” she asked in confuse.

          “I’m waiting for you,” he replied with cool face while Ah Young responded with frowning. She did check her phone just now, and she only received message from Jong Hyun, telling her that he would not coming home tonight. She did not receive any message from Sung Joon about wanting to see her tonight.

          “Me? For what?” this time she asked with surprised face. Sung Joon covered his mouth while chuckling as he found her reaction was cute and amusing.

          “Don’t you remember that before you left the town for seminar, you said that you will have dinner with me after you come back? So here am I today, to treat you to dinner,” Sung Joon reminded her, and guilty was evident on her face when she finally remembered it.

         The day after she had to leave Sung Joon alone in the restaurant, he had texted her several times and asked if she was free to have lunch or dinner with him. Ah Young lied to him about leaving the town for seminar, and she told him that they would meet after she returned to Seoul.

        However she did not expect him to suddenly show up at her work place and asked her out without notifying her. Luckily Jong Hyun was not coming home tonight, so Ah Young agreed to have dinner with him and hoped he would stop bothering her after this. Sung Joon helped to open the door for her.

        Actually she was being pretty careless as she did not think that Jae Rim or other co-workers might see her entering Sung Joon’s car and they would spread false rumors later. Soon after they arrived at destination, Ah Young regretted her decision. Instead of treating her with simple dinner, Sung Joon brought her to expensive restaurant.

        “Erm Mr. Sung Joon, can we go to other place?” Ah Young said carefully to avoid from offending him.

        “Why? Don’t you like this place?” he looked around before throwing at her quizzical look.

        “This place is expensive. I don’t want you to waste money on me,” Ah Young said almost in protest. She did not want to feel that she would owe him anything if she received this treat, but Sung Joon quickly dismissed that thought by bringing out vouchers from his wallet.

        “I know that you will act this way. So I bring these along with me. So don’t worry because we will get everything in half prices,” he explained and quickly tugged her inside before she could protest again. The staff assisted them to the second floor because there were a number of tables still available there.  

        After they found the table, Ah Young requested to look at the vouchers. Her eyes instantly widened as she realized all the vouchers were only applied for full course meal. Sung Joon only laughed when she glared at him because she actually planned of going home after she finished a plate of pasta.

        “I should check beforehand,” she muttered in annoyance as she handed them back to him. Then her hand flipped the pages of menu book to choose the set of dinner meal for them. Ah Young had enough of western foods, so she was thinking of having Japanese foods tonight. Surprisingly that Sung Joon preferred Japanese foods, so they did not have so many problems in choosing the menu.    

        Soon after the waiter left, two women suddenly approached their table. Surprisingly both Ah Young and Sung Joon recognized one of these women. Ah Young stood up to greet that woman while Sung Joon just watching them from his seat. He just smiled and said ‘Hi’ when that woman looked at him with meaningful smile.

        “Miss Arissa, did you just arrive here?”

      “No. I just finished dinner and we are about to leave,” Arissa pointed at her friend before she introduced herself at Ah Young and Sung Joon as Suzzane.

        “Arissa, I’ll just wait for you inside the car,”

        “Okay, I promise I’ll be quick,” Suzzane just nodded and politely said goodbye to Ah Young and Sung Joon before she left the restaurant.

       “So what are you guys doing here?” Arissa asked with teasing smile on her lips, and Ah Young just realized the reason behind that smile after noticed Arissa’s gaze shifted to Sung Joon. Did Arissa think she had some sort of special relationship with Sung Joon?

       “Miss Arissa, do you still remember about Mr. Sung Joon had asked me the favor to try the clothes in boutique last time? He insists to buy me a meal for helping him,” she explained to dismiss any wrong idea that Arissa had about them.

       “Yes Miss Arissa. I’m treating her the dinner because I feel that I owe her since my mother really likes the dress that Ah Young had suggested to me last time. Basically she had helped me to make my mother happy,” Sung Joon added which Ah Young silently thanked him for explaining everything to Arissa.

         Arissa just smiled as she thought that Ah Young was quite naïve because Ah Young could not see that Sung Joon actually was interested in her. It was Ah Young’s job to assist the customers, but Sung Joon brought her to eat at expensive place with the reason that Ah Young had made his mother happy after she received that dress, Arissa partly believed him.

       She believed that Sung Joon actually used that reason as the excuse to get know Ah Young better, but Arissa did not want to interfere with their personal lives. So she just wished them to enjoy the dinner and left afterwards because Suzzane was waiting for her inside the car.

        “How did you know her?” Sung Joon asked after Arissa left. Ah Young told him that Arissa was regular customer at her workplace. His mouth formed ‘O’ shape when Ah Young said Arissa was nice to her but they were not friends although Arissa sometimes told her problems to Ah Young.

        “Oh about your brother, how is he doing now?” Sung Joon suddenly asked while they were eating food.

        “He is doing fine,” she replied with small smile on her face. They had met once, so Sung Joon probably just being nice for asking about Woo Bin’s well being.

         “So do you guys live in Regalia Residence?” suddenly Ah Young had difficulty to swallow the food when he mentioned the residence where she lived at. He probably asked that since they bumped onto each other in front of elevator last time, but Ah Young could not admit it because she clearly could not afford to live there based on her salary.

        “No, we don’t live there. I went there last time to meet someone,” Ah Young said without looking at him.

        “Oh, is that so? Then let me send you to home after this,”

        “No, it’s okay. I can take taxi,” she immediately declined using firm tone.

        “But..,”

       “Mr. Sung Joon, please? I don’t want to feel like owing you something if you send me to home later. Let’s end everything here, okay” Ah Young did not want to be rude, but she had to decline him this time. He did not have to be so nice to her because they were not friends. They were strangers who accidentally crossed each other path, and Ah Young had no intention to let him came any closer to her.

        Sung Joon reluctantly agreed and after dinner, Ah