Technicality

Chapter 1

You inhaled deeply as a warm breeze swept across the terrace and tickled your skin. It was a cool August evening, so the warmth was welcoming. The rooftop space was vibrant with the sound of chatting patrons, the clinking of glass from their drinks, and a light, soulful R&B track playing in the background. You had gathered at this chic cocktail lounge with your colleagues to celebrate the wrap up of a few days of interviews and photo shoots for a full-length feature about your start-up business's success. It will be published in next months issue of one of the nation's most read magazines. Just in time for the end of summer break and the beginning of a new season. You all looked fabulous, still rocking the hair and makeup treatment from the shoot, but even luckier for you, they let you keep one of the dresses. It was a black boat necked, long sleeved asymmetrical cocktail dress that cut perfectly a few inches above the knee and was subtly patterned with an array of black sequins giving it the occasional eye-catching sparkle. It wasn't body hugging, but it was tailored perfectly to give you a curvy, hourglass shape. However, the highlight was the open back which creeped dangerously low. Its understated sexiness fitted perfectly into the lounges sophisticated ambiance – it also made you feel like a million bucks.

After sharing some cheer and appetizers, your party began to disband; it had been a long few days after all. But you weren't quite ready to go home. It was just one of those nights. You decided instead to take a seat inside at the bar and text a friend if she wanted to meet you for a few more and maybe see where the night would take you.

You climbed up on the bar stool and set your clutch down on the counter and composed and sent your message. When the bartender arrived, he presented you with a fresh beverage.

"Someone bought this for you." he said.

"Oh? Thank-you. Who?" You looked around the lounge for the culprit. There weren't many people in there.

"Uhhh... I don't see him anymore..." he furrowed his brow, but ultimately he was indifferent to the mystery. Surely, he's asked to play cupid to patrons often. You looked down at the glass and took a sniff. Old-fashioned... Your go to drink when you were feeling fancy. You took a sip and exhaled a sigh of satisfaction. Whoever bought this for you had good taste.

"You look amazing," a voice spoke from behind you. You knew exactly who it belonged to without even looking. It was a voice that instantly brought with it a diverse array of emotions, from bitterness to excitement.

Damn.

He slid up next to you and leaned against the bar. You didn't look up immediately, but you could feel his gaze on you and, not-unexpectedly, the tension and heat between you rising. Hoseok.

Hoseok and you had met at a party of a mutual friends just under a year ago. It was instant chemistry in the way that you didn't spend much time connecting "emotionally" in those first few weeks. But, eventually, what began as a fling turned into movie nights and dinners and you really started to enjoy each other's company... with your clothes on.

You had begun to develop feelings for him and had expected that all this time spent together would eventually have turned into something official. The bump in the road came after you discovered he had still been seeing other women. Technically, you were never officially dating, nor discussed inclusivity (a point he referenced several times once you confronted him) - but, technically... you didn't give a shit about his technicality... at that point he obviously wasn't interested in pursuing a real relationship with you if he was still looking elsewhere. So, you decided it was best you cut ties and end your "arrangement" before any serious feelings began to develop.

You were still a little bitter, or maybe just embarrassed by your miscalculation, but you hadn't spent the last few months pining over him... Fantasizing about him, however, was another story. Really, who could blame you? Your escapades together led you down several inconspicuous alleys, parks, and coat rooms. The two of you were insatiable together and the city was a constant reminder of that. He was someone who at times knew your body and libido better than you did - he could turn you on and play you like a fiddle at a moment's notice. In conclusion, no love was lost, but great sex died that night, and you hadn't seen him since... until now. You knew this day would come, luckily it was on an evening when you were looking amazing.

"Thanks for the drink." Determined to hide any regrets you may have had, you straightened your posture and turned on your stool to greet him with a smile. Seeing him, however, made your heart skip and instantly reincarnated all the carnal desires you had for him when you were together. Not only was he looking unbelievably fine in a stylish, tailored, casual two-piece suit, but his lower lip was drawn between his teeth and he was giving you a full scan from bottom to top until his eyes locked with yours. The look on his face was one that you had seen many times before - and it usually ended well for both of you.

"My pleasure. I'm just glad your tastes haven't changed." His tone made it seem as if he was implying more than just your taste in liquor.

"It's been months and you're already trying to turn on the charm, are you?" you cocked your eyebrow to tell him to take it down a notch.

"I can't help myself when I'm around you."

"If only you could've remembered that when I wasn't around," you mocked him with a smile. Something flashed across his eyes. You weren't sure what emotion it was, but for a moment his flirtatious persona seemed to be replaced. Only for a moment though.

"Do you remember that time when we came here?" he asked. Of course, you remembered; in fact, you spent a good portion of the evening trying your best to not remember. But his words instantly flooded your thoughts and body with the memory of that night. Your skin began to tingle the way it did when he pulled your panties off in the darkened corner of the coat room located just beneath where you stood now. You remembered the feeling of his breath on your face and the sounds of the delicate moans he made each time he thrusted into you. Although it was months ago, his presence made you feel as if it had happened only moments ago.

You instinctively crossed your knees and squeezed your thighs together as the memory and its phantoms washed over you. He watched you as you did and his expression brightened as he got the validation he had been looking for - he wanted to know if you were still turned on by him. Unfortunately, your body had betrayed you and showed him that you still were.

"I remember," you replied casually.

"If only we were still together..."

"We were never together. Remember?" you cut him off. "We had an arrangement."

He was clearly caught off guard by having his own words thrown back at him. That emotion which you caught a glimpse of moments ago was back. Was he hurt? Regretful? Or, just angry? "I may have said that then but you and I both know that wasn't the truth."

"Really? What was our truth, then?" you were being slightly patronizing - that bitterness you were trying to hide had begun to show. Regardless, it finally silenced Mr. Charisma. He clenched his jaw and look down at his drink which he swirled around on the bars surface. A long pause ensued. He either didn't have an answer or wasn't sure if he should give one. Maybe he was just intimidated by your candor. You turned away from him and took a sip of your drink to calm yourself. "Don't answer that. It doesn't matter now anyways."

He nodded slightly but remained silent. The silence between you two was becoming uncomfortable but as luck would have it, the bartender reappeared and offered to refresh your drinks. Perhaps on top of playing cupid, the bartender also knew when to call a timeout in the middle of lovers quarrels. You could have used that moment to leave, but something kept you cemented to your seat and ordering another Old-Fashioned. When you were alone again, Hoseok finally broke the silence.

"It does matter," he looked back up and met your gaze. "I'm sorry for how I treated you."

It wasn't so much the apology that gave you pause, but the way he said it. It felt genuine, not apart of a game. For a moment you felt vindicated.