Catch Me if You Can { Lucas Series }

Chapter 1

Cassy stood at the sink in the backroom of the salon washing make-up brushes in hot, soapy water. She hummed to herself contentedly as she rinsed them and left them to dry on a clean towel. She felt so blessed to be able to work as a make-up artist in Korea. It certainly hadn't been her Plan A after graduating from college, but her love for travel and art had led her to this truly unique opportunity to work with some of the biggest stars in Korea.

She was drying her hands when she felt herself being spun around abruptly. Her brown eyes grew wide as she realized it was Lucas from WayV. He pulled her into a corner of the room and drew her close while putting his large index finger over her mouth.

"Shh," he directed as his eyes darted about the room. "I'm hiding from Winwin. I'm playing a prank on him. So, I stole his Air pods and now he's after me," Lucas explained hurriedly.

Cassy tried to control the erratic beating of her heart. Both the shock of moment and his nearness were proving to be very unnerving. She took a deep cleansing breath. Lucas seemed unaware of her distress. He continued to look about the room, his muscles tensed as he watched for any sign that Winwin had discovered his hiding place.

After several moments without a Winwin sighting, Lucas relaxed his grip on Cassy and turned to really look at her for the first time.

"Dang! You have huge eyes!" he said as he fully released her.

"Well, you have huge...hands," she retorted, uncertain if she meant it as a compliment or a burn.

"True enough," he conceded.

Just then, Winwin burst into the room and ran toward them. Lucas grabbed Cassy again and pulled her in front of him, using her as a human shield. Winwin attempted to grab Lucas by reaching around Cassy, but Lucas moved Cassy like a ragdoll in front of him, blocking Winwin at every attempt.

"Fine," Winwin said, winded from the struggle. "You want to steal my Air pods? I'll find a way to get back at you. You just wait. You'll never see it coming," warned Lucas' roommate.

Seeing that he had bested his friend, Lucas planted Cassy in a nearby chair and fished in his pockets for the Air pods. He handed them over to Winwin, proving that the entire episode was merely about winning and had nothing to do with the Air pods themselves. In all this activity, Cassy had been an unwilling participant. While she had to admit, she had enjoyed being close enough to Lucas to smell the mint on his breath, she was not impressed by the cavalier attitude he seemed to have about touching her person. Still, she said nothing, but merely slipped out of the room to attend the team meeting that was surely going on at this moment without her.

As she approached the foyer of the salon, she saw all her co-workers standing in a straight line in front of Ms. Park. Each wore a white shirt and black pencil skirt. All of them had their hair pulled into severe buns. Cassy had her hair in a smooth bun only moments ago, but the events in the backroom had left her bun sagging a bit with loose, chocolate-brown curls hanging around her face. Ms. Park lowered her glasses to the tip of her nose and eyed Cassy critically. Cassy re-did her bun as well as she could without the aid of a mirror and took her place in the line.

Ms. Park held a clipboard and was shouting instructions to the workers who stood stiffly to attention.

"You will address the clients with the utmost professionalism at all times," declared Ms. Park as she walked down the line, inspecting her troops.

"Ne," the workers replied in unison while giving a quick bow.

"I expect that you will use only premium products and will follow the directions concerning the aesthetic the client is looking for. We do not do our own thing. We follow the guidelines of the client," she reiterated.

"Ne," the workers replied again.

"You are not here to flirt or fraternize with the clients. Your job is to do hair and make-up, and nothing else," Ms. Park warned.

"Ne," came the unison chorus yet again.

"OK, let's go out there and do our best!" cheered Ms. Park.

"Ne," was the final reply along with another bow before the group broke up to man their respective stations.

Cassy stood in front of her station, opening her make-up kit to display the different products at her disposal. She assumed that the band members would be assigned to them by Ms. Park. So, she was surprised when they all piled into the room and began calling dibs on their stylists.

"This one's mine," cried Lucas as he grabbed Cassy by the shoulders.

"You can't call dibs on people," scolded Kun, the leader of the group.

Lucas laughed and gave Cassy a squeeze. "But, for real, I saw her first," Lucas protested playfully.

Cassy finally found her voice. "Mr. Wong, I'll have to ask you to please take a seat," she said briskly. "We have a lot to get done in a small window of time," she said, making clear that she meant business.

Properly chastised, Lucas flopped down in the swivel chair. Cassy took a cotton ball and wet it with micellar water and began to gently run it over Lucas' forehead, cheekbones, and finally over his strong jaw. She tried not to look at his large eyes, which seemed intent on catching hers. Then, she sprayed a thin layer of moisturizing spray all over his face and used her fingertips to pat it into his smooth skin. She put a squirt of primer on a clean sponge and covered his face with it to provide a smooth canvas on which to put the foundation.

"Mr. Wong," she addressed him in her most professional voice. "Do you know what color of foundation is typically used on you?"

Lucas gave her a winning grin. "Don't call me Mr. Wong. That's my father's name. Just call me Lucas, or Lucas gēgē, if you prefer," he said with one of his characteristic winks.

"Mr. Wong," Cassy explained, "we are required to speak formally to our clients. I am not permitted to call you 'oppa' or 'gēgē' or anything else, for that matter."

"Wow, I didn't know American girls could be so strict. Dang, girl! Loosen up. It's all good," he replied as he touched several rings on his extraordinarily large hands.

Cassy spread some foundation called "Antique Ivory" on a sponge and held it up to Lucas' face to check the shade. Feeling confident that the light foundation with yellow undertones would suit him well, she began to spread it on his face.

"Let me be clear," she said, sounding calmer than she felt. "I enjoy this job and I would like to keep it. If you have a problem with the rules I have to follow, perhaps you should choose another stylist," Cassy said, secretly hoping he wouldn't do so. It was true that she was supposed to maintain a professional demeanor, but she had to admit that his attention was flattering. However, a part of her was certain that he was always this flirty with girls. With a hard set of her jaw, she decided that she would not allow him to play her.

Be strong, she silently directed herself.

Lucas looked at her like a scolded child and put out his lower lip in the most adorable pouty face. She discovered that her new-found resolve would be tested, so she internally doubled down. Lucas, sensing her inner struggle, blinked his large brown eyes at her. Despite the weakness in her knees, she kept her face firm.

"So, now, Mr. Wong," let's just set this with some powder and we'll move onto your eyes. Oh, no, not the eyes, she lamented silently. Lucas looked at her with a doe-eyed innocence that Cassy was certain was feigned.

God, help me, she prayed silently.

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New series YUP!! ;)