Hye-jae: Book 2 - New Loves

Happy Days Part 42

The rain had paused - though the skies were still heavy - and over a short stop for drinks in a corner cafe, she checked her phone and saw 3 missed texts - 1 from Ciara, 1 from In-seo and the last from Dieter.  Each one said much the same thing - don't attend the concert, rest, relax, let's meet at the hotel afterwards.  She turned with a laugh to Seon-jae: 'Lee Seon-jae, what have you been up to?'

His lips twitched but he gave nothing away.

'There's no way these 3 all texted me independently with the same suggestion.  I smell a...conspiracy.'

Still, he played dumb.

'Fine, I'll play along but I will have my revenge for such...treachery.'

She narrowed her eyes and stared at him, imperiously.

'Yes, my lady,' was his only response and his wicked grin told her, her revenge would be his delight.

Later - changed into a towelling robe in advance of having a long soak in the tub - seeing Seon-jae resplendent in performance clothes - all black again - almost made her break her agreement to take the evening to rest.  I feel fine.  Then her mind flashed an image of the pain on Seon-jae's face, as he recounted how her fainting had worried him and she held her tongue.   Just this once.

She contented herself with beckoning him to her where she sat, with an exaggeratedly slow finger curl and the hottest look he thought he might have ever seen in her eyes.  He bit his lip and slowly followed the inward curl of her finger, bending to almost double, leaning his arms on the chair on either side of her.  She held his eye - not moving - and just the look alone brought him back to their garden in the rain kiss.  He almost didn't breathe.

'Now, my love, before you leave me and another audience falls for your sexy charms, I want to leave you with an image to...inspire your playing.'

She let her summoning finger drop slowly on to her lower lip and rest there, suggestively: 'what is it tonight - as yes, the gorgeous Spanish Rhapsody - which we know has massive seductive powers?'

The memory of that hug hung in the air between them. 

'Perhaps you should give the audience the brilliance of Liszt, with just a little taste of your woman in the mix, ok, babyboy?'

He exhaled for what felt like the first time in an age and closed his eyes, slowly dropping his head to his chest in complete surrender as she finished gilding the lily: 'just don't take too long to come home to your woman.'

His groan made her laugh and that made him groan even more.

---

Hye-won felt a little silly dressing so carefully for a casual night in the hotel bar but somehow she was as excited as a kitten thinking of meeting Seon-jae and the others after their show.  And though she hated to admit it - even to herself - she enjoyed her long soak and time alone to get ready.  So much talk of jazz had her listening to the luscious tones of Diana Krall, as she got creative with her make-up, so that her eyes were backed with a sexy blend of light and dark greys and her lips were shining with a clear gloss.  She stood to take a full-length view and imagined Seon-jae speaking to her from the mirror - looking hot, baby.  She huffed at her silliness as - regretfully - she paused the music and made her way downstairs.

The bar was styled like an old-world library, with oak wood panelling and leather-covered couches and a grand piano hogging the centre of the room, like a grande dame at an elegant musical soirée.  Hye-won gave a little laugh to herself when she saw that the player that night was a man in his 60s, wearing full suit and dickie bow, a luxuriant, fully-waxed moustache and a trilby hat perched at a jaunty angle.  When - moments later - he began to play and then sing and his talents were not inconsiderable, she gave herself a mental ticking off for judging by appearances.