Mrs. Right

Caramel Macchiato

The days turned into weeks. The weeks turned into months. Things were going well at Hybe. My son Aidan was enjoying college but was often too busy studying or hanging out with his new friends to meet up with me. I tried calling my husband a few times, but it kept going to voicemail. I missed his voice. It hurt my heart and also brought me comfort to hear his voice even though it was only a recording saying to leave a message. I also tried texting a few times, hoping I would get a response. I missed him terribly and was hoping he missed me just as much.

Early one Sunday morning in November, my cell phone buzzed. He had responded! I hoped he missed me enough to decide to join me, or at least visit. Instead, he just kept the conversation simple and direct. He wanted to know where I stored the winter quilt. I curled up into a ball and cried myself back to sleep.

My full bladder woke me around 11:00 a.m. I needed to get up. The autumn sun was shining brightly and the air was clear. It was a warmer day. A perfect day to go for a walk and get some much-needed sunshine. Whenever Aidan was feeling down, I always told him he needed to go out and get some sunshine. It was time to take my own advice.

I showered and got dressed, choosing to wear my favorite jeans and weekend sweater. I finger-combed my damp, curly hair and slapped on some sunscreen, mascara, and lip gloss - my three staples for going out in public. My blonde eyelashes were almost invisible when naked and my fair skin burned easily year-round. I had hated my coloring for years, especially when I was the only redhead in the entire school and was teased for being "whiter than a sheet of paper" as many kids were eager to point out. The alternative was sunburns and freckles, which I hated even more. The inability to tan had turned me into a hermit for much of my youth.

I grabbed my leather motorcycle jacket just in case there was a cold breeze outside. After slinging on my crossbody purse and slipping on my sunglasses, I took a deep breath, opened my door, and stepped out into the hallway of my apartment. I slowly walked my way towards civilization, deciding to start by getting a coffee and walking along the Han River.

I walked into the coffee shop to find they weren't too busy. I wasn't in the mood for a long line, so that was good. As I waited for my turn to order, I looked around the coffee shop. There was some interesting artwork on the walls. I lifted up my sunglasses, resting them on my head so I could study the compositions, taking in the colors and patterns.

Out of the corner of my right eye, I saw a man in a ball cap looking at me. He was wearing a mask, which seemed odd. The air quality was pretty good that day, plus the mask had to be an impediment to him drinking his coffee. I turned my face to him, smiled, nodded, and looked back to the line in front of me. It was my turn to order.

"One caramel macchiato, please." I paid and walked my way down to the order pick-up counter, which was closer to the man in the ball cap and mask. I glanced at him again. He looked younger, but I wasn't certain by how much. His eyes were looking down, glued to the cell phone in his hand.

I rocked forward and backward on my feet as I waited for them to finish making my drink. In the reflection of the glass to the left of me, I saw him look up at me, lift up his phone, and . . . . did he seriously just take a picture of me? Creep! No. I was just imagining things. Still, I had better make sure he doesn't follow me out when I leave. When my order was ready, I grabbed my caramel macchiato and walked out, looking over my shoulder every few steps to make sure I wasn't followed. He had stayed behind. Good. It must have been my imagination.

Yoongi POV

I was wearing my mask and a ball cap, hoping to not be recognized. I just had to get an iced americano. I fell off the wagon and started drinking coffee again. When I entered the coffee shop, Dal looked up at me, smiled, and asked, "The usual?" He was a former trainee. He knew the importance of my privacy. I nodded and handed him the money. As soon as my order was ready, I found a quiet space along the wall to sit and drink. I pulled my mask away from my face and slipped the straw between the mask and my mouth.

Suddenly, I noticed a bright flash of copper walk through the door. I looked up to see it was a woman with light red hair. Captivated, I studied her figure, working my way down her body's profile. My eyes stopped at her butt. I chuckled a little to myself when I realized her butt looked a lot like Jimin's in the jeans she was wearing. I had to admit, Jimin's butt looked good on her.

I continued, working my eyes down her shapely legs, then lifted my eyes back up again to look at her face. She was petite and a bit older than me, but still youthful-looking. Her cheeks were rosy from the cool air, but her skin was fair. She looked like a living, breathing porcelain doll. I watched as she studied the artwork on the walls while she waited for her turn to order. Her eyes met mine and she smiled and nodded. Shit! I hope she didn't recognize me. I quickly looked down at my phone.

Her eyes. I couldn't quite place the shade of blue. Were they turquoise? teal? I realized I wouldn't mind having those blue eyes looking up at me as I made her my noona. I overheard her place her order. Caramel Macchiato. Perfect. Just perfect. Now I was hearing the song Coffee run through my head.

She ran her fingers through her soft curls and started to twirl a ringlet in her fingers as she rocked back and forth on her feet. I just had to take a picture. I couldn't help myself. I had to show the guys the picture of the red-headed woman walking around with Jimin's butt.