by Nia Arthurs
“Impossible.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do. Nightingale is inside you. That’s not an act. The mask frees you to be yourself.” Carrie squeezed her shoulder. “And who cares what anyone thinks? Jo, you’re too talented to let fear get in your way.”
She lifted her head. “You’re right.”
“Good.”
Jo glanced down at her half-naked body and smiled sheepishly. “You mind? I need to finish getting ready.”
Carrie scrambled to her feet and left while Jo stood and tugged on the gown.
Even if she sucked, the most the crowd could do was boo her off the stage. Throwing rotten tomatoes wasn’t a thing anymore, right?
And Sun Gi…
As long as he never found out, she’d be golden.
“You said you were about to call me earlier,” Carrie mused from the other side of the screen. “Was something going on?”
“I got a new job,” Jo said, fixing her hair. “And I already made some enemies.”
“You’re kidding.”
Jo told her about Rhia and the other girls.
“Just shake it off, honey. Better yet, channel that anger into your performance tonight.”
“That’s your advice?” Jo snorted.
“Hey, I want you to do your best. There’s no guarantee that Sun Gi will be there for you to eye-flirt with on stage so just sing for the haters instead.”
“I was not flirting.”
“So you say.” Carrie chuckled. “Are you finished yet?”
Jo stepped out from behind the changing screen. The gown clung to her curves and shimmered to the floor, reflecting the lone bulb glowing in the room.
Carrie sucked in a breath. “I’m so jealous.”
“There’s no need to be. You know you’re gorgeous.”
Carrie grabbed her wrist and dragged her forward, a sparkle in her eyes and a smirk on her dark face. “Come on. I have a feeling that tonight is going to be epic.”
Jo would never admit it but… so did she.
10
Quiet piano music murmured from the raised platform. Servers in long-sleeved white shirts, black vests and trousers moved around soundlessly, sober and grim.
Sun Gi paused at the door and did a cursory skim of the tables. There were only six in the entire hall, generously spread apart so it gave the illusion of privacy. In the dimness, he caught the back of a woman’s head.
She wore a sparkling silver gown and her hair was swept up in a bun to reveal the length of her slender neck.
Looks like Hanna.
She turned slightly, allowing him an unobstructed view of the side of her face. Slender cheeks. Slim nose. Shimmering earrings. That was definitely his fiancé.
Sun Gi straightened his blazer and strode forward. His footsteps thudded against the floor and drew the attention of a silver-haired man.
Park Bong Chul.
Hanna’s father.
He nodded at Mr. Park and surveyed his unwelcoming expression. Tiny eyes hovered beneath thick black brows. He had a large nose. Thin lips. Non-existent smile.
“Dad, what are you looking at?” Sun Gi heard Hanna murmur. She hooked her elbow over the back of the chair and twisted around.
Their gazes locked.
Her eyes lost all warmth. “Sun Gi. You’re here.”
“Hello, darling.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her cheek. One she returned stiffly. Moving away from Hanna, he clutched the rim of the chair beside her and pulled it out.
“Sun Gi!” Yura Park clasped her slender hands. She was a small, slim woman with near flawless skin.
It was clear that Hanna had gotten all of her good looks from her mother.
Sun Gi bowed deeply at the waist and then sat. “I apologize for keeping you waiting. There was a situation at the office.”
“I hope it wasn’t too serious,” Yura said, leaning forward.
“No. Thankfully, we got it settled in the end.”
“You could have delegated the matter to someone else so you could be on time,” Mr. Park grumbled. “We were waiting so long we thought you wouldn’t show.”
Sun Gi said nothing.
Yura clutched her husband’s arm. “Yobo, be nice.” Turning to Sun Gi, she explained, “He’s getting older and grumpier. Please don’t mind him.”
“I’m just fine.” Mr. Park glared across the table. “It’s my daughter I’m worried about.”
Hanna smiled woodenly. “I’m happy, Dad.”
“You better be. It was enough that you tossed one brother aside to go and marry the other one. The least you could do is settle down now.”
“Yobo!”
“What? It’s true.”
Hanna’s jaw worked.
Sun Gi redirected the conversation. “Shall we order?”
Mr. Park grunted his agreement.
Sun Gi waved the server over. Everyone gave their orders. After requesting the coconut shrimp with rice and beans, Sun Gi leaned back and snaked his arm over the back of Hanna’s chair.
She shot him a glare.
Is she still upset because I didn’t want her as my secretary?
“Sun Gi,” Yura’s voice called his attention away from Hanna, “how are you feeling now that the wedding is so close?”
He hesitated, searching for an answer that would ring sincere. He was signing his life away to someone he didn’t love for reasons that were becoming more and more obscure. How was he supposed to feel?
He cleared his throat. “All I have to do is show up. Hana’s the one with the nerves.” He smiled at Yura. “I hear it would have been overwhelming if you weren’t there to help with the preparations. Thank you, omonim.”
“O-omonim?” Yura pressed a hand to her chest.
Sun Gi ducked his head, knowing he’d earned some points by using the formal Korean title of ‘mother’.
“Is that okay?”
Yura’s eyes bugged. “How sweet. Isn’t he sweet, Hanna?”
“What about you, Mr. Park?” Sun Gi smoothly ignored his fiancée’s cold stare and focused on winning over her father. “Are you nervous about giving your youngest daughter away?”
Mr. Park just grunted.
Which was fine because Yura had plenty to say. “Nervous? No. We’ve been waiting for Hanna to get married since she was born.”
“All you talk about day and night is that blasted wedding,” Mr. Park murmured. “Two brothers exchanging one woman doesn’t deserve a celebration.”
“Dad!” Hanna hissed. “Stop.”
“Not until someone gives me a blasted answer that makes sense.”
“Park Bong Chul!”
“What?” Mr. Park threw his hands high and turned to his wife. “Are you telling me that you’re okay with this?”
“It’s over and done. Why put up a fuss?”
“Dad, please,” Hanna whispered. “You’re embarrassing me.”
“What do you think you’ve done? You pranced into our home after Joon’s arrest and told us you’d broken off the engagement. A few days later, you’re engaged to Sun Gi. It’s too messy. I don’t like messy.”
“I assure you, Mr. Park. Hanna and I know what we’re doing.”
“Do you love her?”
Hanna sucked in a breath.
Yura blinked.
Sun Gi’s mind raced. “I—”
Before he could speak, the server returned with their platters. She took her time setting their food and drinks down, oblivious to the tension.
Yura chuckled nervously when the waitress left. “This looks delicious.”
“Don’t they serve kimchi?” Hanna’s father barked.
“Why would a Belizean restaurant serve a Korean side dish, yobo? Seriously?”
“What’s wrong with kimchi? The world should know the greatness of fermented cabbage!”
“Dad…” Hanna sunk into her chair.
Sun Gi nodded to Mr. Park “I know a place that serves great kimchi. I’ll take you there f
or drinks one day. If you’d like.”
“Really?” he softened. “You like Korean food?”
“Love it.”
“That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day.” Mr. Park nodded.
Sun Gi glanced over and caught Hanna smiling. When she saw him looking, she quickly wiped the grin and focused on her food.
Sun Gi smirked to himself.
They managed to get through dinner without anyone bursting into tears or arguing.
At the end of the night, Sun Gi paid the bill and their group slowly traveled to the lobby of the restaurant.
Yura beamed at him. “Thank you for the meal, Sun Gi. I must say, you’re very different from your brother, but I can see why Hanna fell for you.”
Mr. Park grunted.
“Can we go?” Hanna hunched her shoulders. “It’s getting chilly.”
Sun Gi glanced at the dancing coconut tree leaves. The lawn in front of the driveway glistened with dew. Belize didn’t get cold very often, but the temperatures were dipping tonight.
“Why don’t you go with Sun Gi?” Yura looked expectantly at him. “You don’t mind right?”
“Not at all.”
Mr. Park clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and pretended to knock back a shot. “Call me this week. We can go drinking.”
“Yes, sir.”
His thin lips tilted up in a shadow of a smile and Sun Gi knew that he’d won the man over completely.
As he escorted Hanna to the car, he sighed in satisfaction. “That should hold them over until the wedding, right?”
“You’re scary good,” she murmured.
“Is that a compliment? Did I make your heart flutter?”
“You wish.” Hanna dove into her seat and yanked the door so he stumbled. Sun Gi caught his balance quickly and shot her a charming smile before rounding the hood and climbing in on the other side.
“We’re really doing this, aren’t we?” Hanna asked as he drove.
“Huh?”
Hanna twisted to look properly at him. “We’re getting married. Do you know what that means?”
“We exchange the rings, say the vows. It seems pretty straight forward.”
“We’re planning to spend our lives together. Don’t you want to at least…I don’t know—see if there’s a chance that you could like me?”
“Where is this coming from?”
Hanna plucked her fingers into her lap and played around with the ring he’d bought her. “Tyler was a mistake.”
“A mistake usually happens once. As far as I heard, you and Tyler made plenty of ‘mistakes’.”
“Look, could you just…” Hanna closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “Sun Gi, lately, my feelings have—”
His phone rang, jarring in the quiet.
Hanna froze.
“Give me a minute.” Sun Gi fished into his pocket to take the phone out.
“Do you have to answer right now?” Hanna grumbled. “We’re in the middle of a conversation.”
“It could be an emergency,” he said.
She huffed and turned to stare out the window.
Luis’s name appeared on his phone.
Why’s he calling me? I thought he was with Stacie?
Sun Gi answered anyway and set the phone on speaker. “What’s up?”
Reggae music played in the background. Luis’s voice clamored over the line. “Sun Gi! I’m at Stacie’s bar. You won’t believe who showed up again.”
Singing floated from the phone’s speakers.
That voice.
The one from his dreams.
His fingers clamped around the steering wheel as the sweet melody filled the car. It tickled his eardrums and sent his pulse through the roof.
“She’s here, man,” Luis yelled. “Your mystery girl is here! They call her Nightingale now.”
Sun Gi shot a guilty look Hanna’s way. Her cheeks were a mottled red and her manicured fingernails dug into the seatbelt taunt over her chest.
Regret for answering Luis’s call in front of her slammed into him.
But it’s not like you could have predicted he would mention that woman.
“Hello? You there, Sun Gi?” Luis squawked.
“I’m here.” He slowed to a stop in front of Hanna’s place. “I’ll have to call you back.”
“Are you coming? I know how obsessed you are with her and—”
Click.
Sun Gi ended the call and stuffed his phone back into his pocket.
“Who was Luis talking about?” Hanna asked quietly.
“Just… someone.”
Hanna turned fully to him. The streetlamp overhead cast her oval face into shadows, but he could feel the ire in her eyes when she hissed, “Are you seeing someone else?”
“No.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what I plan to do with her yet.”
Hanna chuckled darkly. “Are you kidding me?”
“Isn’t this a part of our agreement? We stay out of each other’s personal lives. Or did that rule only apply to you and Tyler?”
“Stop bringing him up!” Hanna screeched. “I already told you it didn’t mean anything.”
Sun Gi wiped a finger over his eyebrow and bit back his growing frustration. If this emotional breakdown with Hanna kept him from meeting Nightingale… “You were the one who agreed to a marriage without love. You promised not to make it complicated.”
“But it is complicated.”
He sighed. “What do you want from me?”
Hanna looked up with glistening eyes and reached for his hand. Her manicured fingers curled over his. “I don’t want to live a life without love.”
“That I can’t give you.”
“Then I’ll take it.” She grew a determined look. “From this moment, Sun Gi Kim, I’m taking your heart.”
11
“Are you disappointed?” Carrie asked.
“What?” Jo handed over the mask and stepped toward the Chinese folding screen.
“Mr. Tall, Dark and Asian didn’t make it tonight.”
“So?”
Carrie’s smile grew brighter. She wiggled a finger and said teasingly, “You’re disappointed. I can tell.”
“Carrie, I love you, but you’re crazy.” Jo stepped behind the screen.
“I wonder why he didn’t show. Should I have called him? Given him a heads-up?”
“No.” Jo poked her head out and glared at her friend. “Absolutely not.”
Carrie shrugged.
Jo ducked behind the screen and finished changing. Her hands stilled and she sighed, glad that Carrie couldn’t see her.
Even though she was excited about her performance tonight, her heart was heavy. But that could be because she was hungry. It didn’t mean that she cared whether Sun Gi was there.
Absolutely not.
After getting dressed, Jo returned to Carrie’s side and handed over the gown. “I had a lot of fun tonight. Thanks for calling me.”
“Thanks for showing up.” Carrie handed over the envelope with her pay. “Although I’m sorry your boo wasn’t here. I know you vibe better when you stare at him.”
“He’s not my boo.”
“Eye-candy then.”
“Is this your way of saying my performance was better the last time?”
Carrie’s guilty expression gave her away.
Jo’s jaw dropped. “Okay. That was harsh.”
“There was just something extra when you connected with Sun Gi that I didn’t see today.” Carrie placed a finger to her dark chin and tapped. “You were singing to someone else tonight, weren’t you?”
Jo hung her head. “I tried.”
“But it wasn’t the same.”
No, it wasn’t.
Earlier on stage, she’d locked eyes with a cute Shemar Moore-type sitting alone at the bar. His honey-brown skin seemed to glisten and she’d pretended that they were alone as she strutted and sang about loving him.
Not him him, of course.
But
still…
“Maybe I’m the problem.” Jo thrust a hand to her chest. “Maybe I should learn to make my performances feel genuine without having to pick a hot guy out of the crowd and pretend we’re dating.”
“Or maybe, your body is telling you something.”
“Telling me what?”
“You’re into that Sun Gi guy.”
“Carrie,” Jo linked arms with her friend and tilted her head, “have you been drinking?”
Carrie pushed her away. “I have not.”
“Here, breathe on my face and let me check.”
Carrie laughed. “Why is this so hard to believe? You said you’ve known Sun Gi for a while.”
I’ve liked Sun Gi for a while. Jo kept that truth to herself and lied instead. “He’s not my type.”
“What about him isn’t your type? The piercing black eyes. The height. The cold charisma.” Carrie bit on her bottom lip. “Not to mention he owns a bunch of stores, doesn’t have any kids, and he tips. If you don’t want him, I’ll take him off your hands.”
“Then you can have him.” Jo laughed. “As long as you don’t mind that he’s engaged.”
Carrie went still. “He’s taken?”
“Yup.”
“That… makes how you feel hella complicated, girl.”
“It’s not complicated at all. I don’t like Sun Gi.” Say it three times, then it might become true. Jo checked her watch. “Is your shift over?”
“Nah. I’m pulling extra hours since Stacie’s MIA. She disappeared with her boy toy and I’ve been managing the place alone.”
“I’ll head out then.” Jo brandished her keys and swung them around her pointer finger.
“Do you want me to walk you out?”
“It’s fine.” Jo saluted and strutted out the door.
The night was chilly. A cool breeze caressed her skin and sent goosebumps skittering over her flesh. The light in the parking lot of Hidden Reef flickered, casting shadows over the concrete.
Uncomfortable, Jo wrapped her arms around herself and fast-walked to her car.
She heard the answering sound of footsteps.
Her eyes widened. Nostrils flared. Instinctively, her muscles tried to coil, but she forced her legs forward and started jogging.
The pounding footsteps matched her pace.
Oh, God. What’s going on?