Decoupled • KTH : Book 1✔

Chapter 32

Maya

I get dressed in a pair of jeans and an off-the-shoulder blouse on which I spent a disgraceful amount of money on one of my stress-relief shopping fits a few months ago. I know I should have worn something like this when I was younger. Nevertheless, I go ahead with it tonight because I just feel like wearing it today.

My hair is tied up in a ponytail, and I don't bother with wearing any makeup since it would be just Jae-Eun and I, and I don't care if he likes my face bare or not.

The bar is situated at the third level of the hotel, and I walk in carrying my small shoulder bag with just my phone, the keycard to my room, my credit cards and some cash.

"Miss. Harris, thank you for coming," Jae-Eun's voice sounds from my right, and I see him dressed in crisp formal wear, and approaching me with a big smile.

He looks as if he is ready to participate in some international peace convention of some sort.

"Just call me Maya, Jae-Eun. You're older than me, and we're off working hours now. So don't bother with calling me Miss. Harris. Plus, it sounds so odd at a bar," I laugh a little, and he nods, pointing towards a table in a corner.

"So, Maya, what would you like to have?" Jae-Eun checks with me, dragging his chair closer to the table while I flip through the drinks menu.

After oscillating between various choices on the menu, I decide to drink something alcoholic, and not just some fruit juice or mocktail.

"I'll have just one long island iced tea," I shut the menu and slide it aside.

"Okay. I'll have whiskey," he speaks under his breath and places the order for our drinks and a few snacks to one of the waiters who arrives at our table.

"Jae-Eun, the drinks are on me. I owe you one for Mr. Kim's recruitment," I send him a smile as I take a small sip of water, placing my shoulder bag in a corner of the table thereafter.

"Oh, come on. I had to fix what I screwed up. It really isn't a big deal," he smiles, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table.

"But still," I shrug a little.

"Is Mr. Kim related to you? I'm just curious," his shoulders lift in a small shrug.

"We've known each other from high school," I keep my details minimal and crisp.

"Oh, wow! So was he a crush from high school or something?" He suddenly turns curious.

But I smile and nod, not wanting to be too uptight and acting as if I'm made up of a wall of granite. 

"Yeah, a major crush from high school. He never knew about it though," my cheeks heat up when I begin talking about Taehyung.

"Maya, you're blushing," Jae-Eun makes fun of me and laughs as the waiter sets down our drinks and snacks on the table.

I cup my cheeks in my hands, trying in vain to hide the blush, but end up laughing along with him.

"Tell me about you, Jae-Eun. Do you have a special someone? Are you married already?" A few sips of the cocktail flowing through my bloodstream bring out the extrovert hidden within me.

"I was married, not anymore. We divorced two years ago," he says, taking a sip of his whiskey and pressing his lips into a thin line, nodding his head in appreciation of the punch offered by the drink.

"Oh!" My eyebrows lift in shock, and my eyes mirror the same. "I'm sorry to hear that," my voice lowers.

"Don't worry, Maya. It's nothing. It was a hard decision, but I'm a happy man now. She's happy too," he comments casually with a smile that seems a bit sad, at least to me.