Someone to Love

Thirty-Six

Lucas
"Excuse me?" Ara said
Ara and I have been engaged for two months-no, freaking 6 weeks now and sure, it was trending for three days straight for some reason and now we're like the business world's it-couple.
"Wedding21 Magazine. It's South Korea's #1 wedding magazine." I said
"And?"
"Well, apparently, we're big in Korea and they love our story."
"And they want to read our story? Love, it's not the greatest love story ever told."
"You're right, it's not. However, in Korea, we're like a drama came into life."
Ara frowned.
"What?"
"Ah-"
"How did we get the invite anyway?"
"Well,-"
She gasped.
"It came from your mother!"
"No, uh-" I went back to eating my lunch. We decided to have lunch near MGH because, well she's here to attend a board meeting and I was hungry. Plus, everyone in MGH already know that we are a thing, not even a thing, that we're engaged. Everyone is waiting for Ara to have a visit to the OB-GYN, just to see if I knocked her up.
"You don't have to do it." I said
"A wedding is not a wedding if it doesn't have a bride!" She said
"Don't you think I know that?!"
"How much are we getting from this anyway?"
I looked at her.
"Actually, my mother is good at this. The wedding is sponsored. Except for the entourage's-"
She stopped drinking.
"What?"
"I don't know how my mother did it but, it ended up with using the would-be set as the real wedding."
She looked at me as if I was speaking in Korean again.
"Am I speaking in English?" I said and she just nodded.
"When is this?"
"Are you pretty particular with flowers?"
"I want a white wedding. Well no-"
"I thought it would be traditional but it's not exactly magazine worthy."
She blinked.
"It doesn't have to be fully sponsored. I can pay for half of it."
"We can split it."
She smiled.
"What month are they targetting?"
"Next month's issue."
She grabbed her phone and looked at the calendar.
"It's already the first week of July."
"Yeah and?"
"Are you sure they want it released in August? I don't think we can arrange this in just three weeks. Plus, it's too soon. And it's Thursday!"
"Well, they're technically just waiting for the yes."
She glared at me.
"When did your mother tell you about this?" She said
"Last night."
"Are you kidding me? You had to wait for lunch to tell me this?"
"Love, you were in a hurry this morning. Charles was literally out your door at 6:30. You had a meeting at 8. I barely even got you out for lunch."
She sighed.
"Let's say I agree to this, what do I get out of it?"
"Well, me."
She rolled her eyes.
"Besides that."
"I can waive my decisions on flowers, centerpieces and motifs." I said
"What?"
"All I really care is you and I get married at the end of the day and you get the ceremony that you want that's at the same time magazine worthy."
She laughed.
"What, I'm serious!"
"Love, it's one thing that the magazine gets a say in this-"
"Do you really think we can do this in barely three weeks?"
"You pull the strings. I plan the wedding."
I straightened my back.
"Really?"
"I just want it on a specific date."
"And when is this date?"
"27th."
"Why?"
"It's the day I moved in your place."
I smiled.
"I'll see what we can do."
"The interviews could be scheduled next week, at the same time, we could shoot the pre-nup and engagement photos. My lawyers have the pre-nup drafted, and we have money, this is pretty easy."
"So, you're saying yes?"
"I just hope the magazine could do it."
"Any other second date?"
"Why?"
"In case."
"It's either the 27th or the 16th."
"I'll talk to them."
We were walking back to MGH shortly after that.
"You do realize that if they can't do the 27th, we'd be married in about 10 days." She said
I linked my arm on hers and then patted her ringed finger.
"Honestly, I think I have waited too long and is still waiting too long to marry you."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I've been here in the US for what, 10 or 12 years now and not once have I ever been with anyone. And you get cut off and appear in my doorstep, live in my apartment and 11 months later, we're engaged."
"Not to mention fake dating for a few weeks."
"If I didn't go out of Korea then I'd probably be unhappy. Living a life that I don't want, working my ass of for a job I never wanted and probably fucking the stress out of me to the wife I can't really love. Not to mention the two sons I'm supposed to have with her."
"I think I made you crass."
"Yeah, well, I didn't know that people do it your way."
She looked at me.
"What?"
"Movies don't really grasp the whole idea of sex, you know."
She laughed.
"Well, you only know my way." She said
"And I promise you, I want to do it for the rest of my life."
"Even if you're 65 and have ED?"
"I'm pretty sure it will always go up for you."
"Even if I'm 65, saggy, wrinkly and maybe dry?"
I gasped.
"I promise to always get it up for you and you're dry?"
"I thought you're the one with the anatomy knowledge. I think MGH is paying you way too much."
"I'm surprised you know that you're gonna get dry."
She laughed.
"Oh no. You probably have stereotyped me for a blonde, rich girl."
"Well, I'm an Asian that can't do math."
"Seriously?"
"Why the hell do you think my father is so disappointed with me?"
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah, I'm inclined in science. Jae Kyung is inclined with the mathematics. I just made the mistake of being born three years earlier."
"He's what, 25 and he has a daughter on the way."
"He's 26. I'm 29 and I'm getting married in a few days. The world can wait a few more years until I put a prince in your belly."
"You're watching way too much Game of Thrones."
"I know."
"What did your father say about our engagement?"
I blinked.
"Let's just say we are still in the no communication phase. He doesn't really care about it."
"You're marrying the heir to HI. And he doesn't care?"
"It's not like we're having a merger, yeobo. And I mentioned that you were the one who insisted on the pre-nup. And that we both agreed to have one."
"And still nothing?"
"I really don't mind him. I mean, no communication is good between us. We both wanted different things, I didn't turn out to be the perfect son that he wanted and he's really not doing great in the father department."
"How about Jae?"
"Oh! Beyond ecstatic."
"Really?"
"He was really the one who pushed me to propose to you."
"That's great."
"He can't shut up about it."
"Apparently, so does South Korea."
"Yeah, I can't really imagine why the hell are we big there."
"I'm guessing you're pretty big down there." She said
"No, I'm no-" and then I smiled.
"God, can't you wait? It's 1:30 in the afternoon."
"What? I'm not-you're the one to talk. I'm saying that I didn't realize that dethroned heirs are huge in, no pun intended, your country."
"I can't even understand it okay? But yeah, we're making the next cover of the biggest wedding magazine in Korea. And I want it to be perfect. Jae Kyung didn't even get a feature in this magazine."
"It's a competition now?"
"Well, Jae Kyung only got newspaper articles. We're getting a magazine. You don't own it right?"
She frowned.
"No, but I am close to Anna Wintour."
"Really?"
"Yeah. What I really don't understand why they want us to do the cover. I mean, you're not that big in Korea."
"Well, S&C is."
"Then why are you getting a magazine cover when Jae didn't?"
"Maybe I'm still the golden son."
She shook her head.
"I might be able to get the pre nup today." She said as we entered MGH.
"That fast?"
"I had it drafted three days after you proposed."
"Really?"
"I hope that's okay though. I mean, we talked about this."
"Money is money and you have a lot of it."
"No, I don't."
"Why are we getting a pre-nup then?"
She looked at me but then Katherine was waiting for her near the escalators. 
"Gotta go, be out by 6." She said
"Yes, ma'am."
"Don't ma'am me." She said as she walked away.
As soon as I got to my office, I called up my mother.
"Hello, mom." I said
"Oh! Lee Kyung! How are you?"
"Ara said yes."
"Yes, I know that you are engaged now, son-"
"No, mom. Ara said yes to Weddings21."
She gasped.
"When's the target date?"
"July..."
I looked at my calendar and there is no way I'm delaying this.
"Sixteenth."
"But that's eleven or so days away."
"You said the magazine people are gonna work on the whole set thing."
"I'll make some calls. So, I'm guessing you two are coming here soon?"
"Yeah, what did Dad say about all of this?"
"Still nothing."
"Also, Mom, can you send me the pre nup?"
"You guys are having that?"
"Ara insisted. And if she wants her agreement, I'll give it to her. Also, with my edits."
"I'll have Attorney Jung e-mail it."
"Right away, please."
"Okay. So, should I fix up your room here?"
"Mom, no. I don't think Dad would like that. He has yet to grasp that I am marrying Ara. And Mom, you're the only one welcoming me to the house."
"Well, I want my son to be with me. It has been lonely here since Jae Kyung moved out. How did Ara's father take the news?"
I paused.
"I have no idea. Ara never mentioned it. I'll ask later."
"Ara is not pregnant right?"
I frowned.
"Mom, no. That sounds ridiculous."
"Well, you guys are doing it right?"
"Mom-"
"I don't think you're incapable of putting a child in her."
"Mom-"
"I want three grandchildren. Like the triplets in Return of Superman."
"Mo-"
"I have to go. Don't forget to inform me if you are coming home." And then she hung up.
After that, I had four neuro consults, reviewed seven MRI scans, three CTs, and two PETs. Today is a good-ish day because I don't have to do surgery. But I did also have my psych consult and that was draining. I was done with my day at 5:45, just in time to pack up.
Ara was waiting for me in the lobby, which was shocking because she usually waits inside the car. But maybe that's because she's already in the car and today she spent the day in MGH, so might as well-
"Hey!" She said
"Hi. Ready to go?" I said as I offered my arm.
"Yeah."
"I'm surprised you waited for me here in the lobby." I said
"Yeah, well, I figured people already know that we are engaged so why the hell should I wait in the car? You're not ashamed of me, are you?"
"Oh, hell no. You're not ashamed of me, are you?"
"Well, I'll make do."
"That makes sense."
She smiled.
"I'm kidding. You're perfect."
"No, I'm not."
"Come on, let's have dinner."
"You're cooking?"
"What?"
"I kinda miss your pastas."
"Really? They suck?"
"No, babe. They don't."
She rolled her eyes, but then Charles opened up the door and Ara entered and I went around the car to enter. Ara never slides.
"Please?" I said
"Why do you want my pasta all of a sudden?"