New Beginnings

24 - See You Again

I slept better for those few hours that Changkyun held me than I had in weeks. I still didn't sleep as well as I would have liked, but it was better than it had been. We hadn't gotten home from the hospital until after 5 AM, so we slept in Saturday morning. I woke up to find him sitting on the edge of the bed with a fresh cup of coffee, made just the way I like it. I sat up and took the hot mug from him and sipped. It tasted good. I smiled.

"Thank you," I rasped. "Coffee hasn't tasted good in weeks. This does." I pulled my legs up against my body and wrapped my arms around my knees, carefully holding the cup so it didn't spill.

"That's because it is made with extra love," he smiled and stroked my hair. "We are not doing anything today. We are just going to hang out and rest. If you have any appointments, you are canceling them or letting Heidi take care of them." His voice was soft yet stern.

"I actually do not have any today. Business has been slower than usual lately. I've not been at the top of my game."

"Well I am sorry about that, but I am glad you can relax today. I am going to pamper you and spoil you."

"Why are you so good to me, Kyunnie?"

"Because you are the most special girl in the world to me. And you deserve to be spoiled." He smiled and kissed the top of my head. "How about we start off with a swim. It will wake you up and make you feel refreshed."

"Sounds good, but after this coffee. And maybe another cup." I winked at him.

He held true to his word. He pampered and spoiled me. After our swim he went into the bathroom, turned on the shower, pushed me inside the room, and shut the door. When I came out, he had made a late lunch for us. After we ate, he gave me a massage, and then I took a nap. I woke up feeling refreshed, as he predicted.

We went to a comedy show that night. He said I needed to laugh, and he was right. It wasn't easy at first, but after 10 minutes I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. I needed that release. I felt more like myself than I had in months when we left the comedy club.

He took me to dinner at The Prince in Koreatown. I had never been even though I had lived there for a few years. The red booths and faded elegance transported me back in time. The restaurant had been the backdrop for many famous Hollywood movies and Kyun knew old Hollywood was my thing. It hadn't always been Korean cuisine, but it was now. I ate more that night than I had probably eaten in total since Min left.

Kathy called me on Monday. It was an interesting conversation, and 2 full days had passed since that night at the club.

"So how was he?"

"He who? What are you talking about?"

"The guy you went home with. Who else?"

"Oh. You mean the guy who was dancing beside me, and you all must have thought I would let him have his way with me. THAT guy?"

"Yes?" she said hesitantly.

"Well, the short version is this. He put his hands on me, and I ended up in the hospital when I tripped trying to defend myself."

"What? Hospital? What happened?"

"Well, you might actually know the full story if you guys hadn't abandoned me. I told you all I didn't want to go and that I wasn't interested in getting laid."

"Hannah, I'm..."

"Let me finish. You are actually the first one to even call me after the fact. When he touched me, I was going to take him out, but my heel caught on his foot and I ended up hitting my head instead. Fast forward a few hours, my real friend, my best friend, flew here from Atlanta. He is still with me. And I am OK, in case you were wondering."