Prank Date [✔]

Part 1

Elbow-deep in financial reports, I nearly bit off the rubber eraser on the end of my pencil when the phone rang.

The ringing sounded overly loud in the otherwise silent office. Everyone else had gone home hours before.

One eye still on my reports, I snatched up the receiver. "Chua&Jung. Jennie Kim speaking."

"Jennie, you've got to come!" my brother, Jin's breathless voice came through the other end of the line.

I threw down my pencil. "What are you talking about? I'm still at work and can't— "

"Please," Jin said. "It's really urgent. I need you here."

My heart started racing. The last time he had sounded so desperate, he had called me after crashing our father's car. I shut down the computer and locked my notes in my desk.

"What happened?" I asked. "Are you hurt? In trouble? Did you— ?"

"Please, just get here as quick as you can."

"Where are you?"

"At home."

"I'm on my way." I hung up the phone, grabbed my keys, and rushed out of the door to find my car.

For the first time in my life, I broke the speed limit in my hurry to get to Jin. In front of his house, I brought my car to a screeching halt and jumped out.

The building wasn't on fire. No ambulance in the driveway either. Instead, a few sports cars and SUVs were parked out front. Not sure whether that was a good sign or if something even worse awaited me.

I raced to the front door. Blood rushed in my ears.

I rang the doorbell several times in succession, hoping Jin was well enough to open the door since I had left his spare key in my apartment.

When the door swung open, I froze.

Rob stood before me, with two ample-busted women hanging on to his muscular arms. Music and laughter came from inside the house.

"R-Rob?" I stared at my brother's best friend and business partner.

"Where's Jin?" I asked.

After letting go of one woman, Rob pointed over his shoulder. "In the living room." He stepped forward and wrapped one arm around me. "Come on in and celebrate with us. There are a lot of guys here who'd love to meet you."

Celebrate?

I dug in my heels and shook off Rob's grip. He tricked me. Again. My heart hammered against my ribs, this time in anger—anger not just at Jin, but at myself too.

I should have known better. The last time he'd tricked me, I had sworn I would never fall for one of my brother's pranks again. But how was I supposed to know that he would stoop so low as to imply there was an emergency and scare me half to death? I whirled around to stride back to my car.