Open Book {Mark Lee Series}

Chapter 9 {Finale}

When Clara was released from the hospital, she began an outpatient program for PTSD, combining medication and therapy. She was able to return to her ESL teaching job and found that she got better and better at identifying triggers and preventing serious episodes. She had even reached out to her cousin, Courtney, in the hopes of repairing their relationship. She found that Courtney was more resentful about Clara's long silence than she was about the accident itself. She, rightfully, placed more blame on her brother for being the one to pull the trigger. Courtney's wound with Clara had more to do with feeling abandoned by her when she needed her most.

Throughout the entire process, Mark had been her support and constant companion. For her part, Clara had also stood by Mark during the fallout from the nude pictures scandal. As she had predicted, the internet finally decided to focus on a new victim and had moved on from the whole lamentable affair.

Today, Clara found herself rushing down a busy Seoul street peering at the number on each building, looking for an address Mark had texted her. She wasn't sure what he was up to, but he seemed to have some mysterious surprise in the works. Clara had a surprise of her own, but she was unsure of how it would go over with Mark.

When she finally found the address in question, she walked through the front door of the bustling restaurant. She gave Mark's name at the front desk and was taken to a private dining room. It was decorated with candles and an assortment of various colors of roses. Clara liked the yellow ones best. She always thought red roses got too much press. She preferred something more unique.

There was a small stage in the room where a baby grand piano stood. Mark was seated at the piano. He waved at Clara as the waiter pulled out a chair for her. She sat down and smoothed her gray pencil skirt. She wore a light blue off-the-shoulder blouse that popped against her tan skin. Her signature red lip had seen a resurgence as she began to regain her confidence in recent weeks.

As the first notes of Mark's sound rang out from the baby grand, Clara looked up, the candlelight reflecting off her face. Mark struggled to focus on the song and not on the stunning beauty before him. For her part, Clara wiped tears from her cheeks. Mark was fulfilling a lifelong dream of hers to get a "serenata" from the boy she liked. She was still wiping tears away as Mark descended from the stage and sat across from her at the candlelit table.

"I guess you liked it?" Mark asked awkwardly.

"Of course, I liked it," Clara replied, taking a handkerchief that Mark handed her, one he had plucked from his lapel pocket.

Mark coughed nervously as he rubbed his hands together. "I mean, 'cause you know I really like you, right?"

"Yeah," Clara answered as an invitation to go on.

"Yeah, so, I think you're, like, the best girl I've ever met. I think, like, we really have something here, you know?"

"Yeah," Clara again encouraged.

"Right, so, I was thinking I really wanna lock this down, you know?"

"Lock this down?" she questioned. "What does that mean?"

"Well, like, you know, I want us to be exclusive," he clarified.

"Aren't we already exclusive?" Clara asked with a laugh. "Because, if not, you got some 'splainin' to do," she said, quoting the famous Ricky Ricardo.

"No, yeah, we are exclusive. I just meant that I wanted to formalize it, you know?" he proceeded anxiously. He reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a small box.