향기 {Scent}

045

Wheein's leg bounced up and down anxiously waiting for Vante to return from the restroom. She sipped on her cold drink in hopes of calming her nerves down only for her nervousness to increase again hearing someone's footsteps slowly getting closer to their table.

"It isn't too late to run away now, Jung Wheein." She muttered to herself biting gently down on her lower lip.

"Mr. Kim!" She almost screamed at the man approaching her table, doing a double take when she realised it was just the waiter doing his rounds asking customers if there was anything else they needed. "Sorry.. I thought you were-"

"Did you think that was me?" His voice sounded a few feet away from the table. Hearing his voice made her jump in her seat, silently cursing that charming voice of his.

"What...? Pfftt no.." She said avoiding making eye contact with him like the plague.

"What are you so anxious about?" He asked taking a seat opposite her, drying his hand with a handkerchief in the process too.

That question alone hitched Wheein on the spot, wondering how he'd figured out how she was feeling at that exact moment. Her eyes wondered around the whole cafe studying the interior, the customers and even how the baristas made the coffee before she could make eye contact with Vante Kim. That was how burdensome she felt and in a sense a little apologetic too.

Wheein gulped and made up her mind up to tell him the honest truth; how the price she had to pay for such a small item she accidentally broke was so expensive and that it was out of her pockets to afford such a payment. She'd have to sell at least two paintings to be able to afford that and frankly, business hadn't been doing well that season for Wheein who had dreamed of opening an art gallery of her own.

"To tell you the truth Mr. Kim..."

Vante took a sip from his beverage and gave his full attention to the lady in front of him dressed in all black, from head to toe.

"Go ahead." He nodded.

"Thepriceistooexpensiveformetoafford." She spat out without taking a breather and making the man listening to her feel out of breath in her stead.

"I'm sorry." He chuckled softly, finding this situation a bit humorous as this type of situation was probably the first experience for the both of them. "Could you repeat that again? I didn't quite catch that."

Wheein sighed in defeat. "I said... the price is too expensive for me to afford to pay, Mr.Kim." She repeated taking a quick glance at Vante's face to see what expression he was wearing, worried he would be a little angry to say the least.

His left eyebrow raised into an arch as the tip of his thumb gently rubbed his chin, thinking carefully about this situation.

"Ah~ so that was the case." He muttered crossing his leg over the other and adjusting his suit jacket, leaning back on the sofa.

"Is there an alternative way of paying you back?" Wheein looked up to him giving him her best apologetic puppy eyes. "I'll do anything you need me to do."

He titled his head and made a slurp sounding, an indication that he was thinking this through thoroughly for an alternative idea. "Anything you say?" He asked suddenly remembering the secretary position that still needed to be filled.

Wheein stiffened in her position meeting eyes with him in a panic, countless ridiculous, unimaginable ideas running through her head to the point her own conscious had come to the conclusion she had watched way too many dramas and movies for her own well-being.

She gave it a second thought on the statement she had blurted out in the spur of the moment and answered him with a faint laugh. "Anything that isn't weird ha..ha."

"Did you just think of some ridiculous scenarios?"

"What!? No! I'm a child of god, sir!" Wheein exasperated, waving her hands in denial and somewhat scared thinking about how he was able to read her so easily in the little time they had spent together. She sipped away the embarrassment with her cold drink, silently praying this was just another one of those "nightmares" she'd often have of embarrassing herself in front of the celebrities she liked and she wanted to wake up from it so badly.

"I'm just messing with you." He chuckled after watching and enjoying the reaction that came out of her. "You're fun to tease."

"I'm sorry what?"

"Never mind." Vante shook his head and gave her a small smile, changing the subject quickly. "So about that alternative payment method. I have an idea."

"As long as it's something doable..." She peeked at him. As easy as it was for Vante to read Wheein's expressions, Wheein wasn't quite capable of doing so just yet.

"Secretary."

"Secretary?"