Sun-kissed

Chapter 17

The quiet rumble of the car's engine and increasing warmth of the leather seats registered at the back of Amina's mind as she contemplated her earlier meeting with Mrs. Lee. She replayed the event, going over every detail, hoping that she hadn't acted in a manner that was suspicious or disgraceful. She knew she'd be hearing an earful either way, whether she could control it or not. That lady loved to gossip. Vaguely, she heard her name being called.

She blinked and snapped back to reality. "Neh?" she replied, glancing absent-mindedly towards Youngbae. They were still sitting in his car, inside the mall parking garage. The sound of passing vehicles and slamming doors could be heard in the background.

Youngbae could tell that her mind was somewhere else. He mistakenly thought that maybe being seen with him had been too much for her. "If you're not up to it, we can go eat another time," he quietly said.

Amina could see resignation in his eyes. She shook her head slightly to clear the cobwebs. "Mianhae. I was thinking of something... I had to do tomorrow," she lied. She smiled slightly, "I'm up for it."

He saw the sparkle return to her eyes and could see she was game. "Are you sure?" he asked. "I doubt we'll be able to get a table that will allow us to sit ten meters apart." He grinned.

She returned his smile. "I'm good, I promise."

He continued to smile at her, but it didn't reach his eyes. She tried again. "Besides, I'm hungry!" she said and watched him laugh at her confession. "I probably wouldn't care if I sat in your lap as long as you fed me."

"Alright," he chuckled and blushed slightly at her bold words. "I'll feed you. Where do you want to go?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"I was originally thinking of taking you to hyung's restaurant, Yeolbong." He glanced at her and continued. "But, they're pretty busy as well." He paused, trying to think of another place they could go to.

"Let's just go eat gogigui" suggested Amina, remembering his love of Korean barbecue.

"You sure?" he asked her skeptically.

"Neh."

"Ok." he replied. "I know a place."

They drove through the streets of Seoul, taking several back roads and smaller streets. Sounds of R&B music flowed quietly through the car speakers. Amina stole glances at Youngbae's profile and watched as he concentrated on driving. She looked back out the passenger window and didn't recognize any of the buildings. It was definitely a part of town that she hadn't frequented before.

"So, the lady at the mall. You said that was your mother's friend?" he asked, trying to engage her in conversation.

"Neh," Amina replied. "She's more like an aunt to me. I've known her my whole life."

"And... she has a butler?" Youngbae asked incredulously.

Amina half-laughed. "Neh." She glanced at him and found his gaze on her. She didn't know how to explain it. She knew it was odd to have a butler accompanying someone on their shopping trip. "My aunt is usually left home alone a lot. Her husband goes on frequent business trips and they only have one son."

Youngbae nodded at her encouragingly to continue.

"So, because her husband wasn't at home often, they had people stay with them. Their house is always fully staffed."

"What do you mean?"

Amina bit her top lip. "Like, there is always someone at home. It may be the housekeeper, the cook, or the butler. Someone is always there in the house with my aunt."