Talia nodded. She wasn’t looking at him anymore, but she could vividly feel his gaze on her.
“I didn’t move because of work. But I have an interview when I return. It’s for a secretary post.”
“And, are you prepared?”
“Well, I’m hoping for the best.”
“So, we’ve shared Soju together and lots and lots of street food. Does that qualify me for knowing why you left your home town?” Hyung asked. Talia looked at him, she inspected his deep brown eyes, and then looked away.
“I know it’s typical, but a bad break-up and the need to get away from routine is enough to make you wanna pack your bags and leave.”
“So, that’s why you came here? Heartbreak?” Talia could tell that Hyung wasn’t just asking questions out of curiosity, he was truly trying to understand her. It had been so long since someone had tried to understand her. Even James, her useless ex-boyfriend, never tried to. Everyone either critiqued her or praised her, no one ever tried to get to know the reason behind everything she did.
“He moved abroad a year ago. We tried to make it work—or at least, I did. All he’d been doing was cheating.” Talia gulped down the remaining bit of coffee, wishing that the liquid would miraculously metamorphose into something bitter and strong. “I didn’t come here because I was trying to get away. I just realized that all this time I’ve been holding back for people that didn’t deserve it. His stupidity made me realize that I deserved better. A better job, a better vacation, a better life.” Talia looked at the river, she studied the water as she spoke, afraid to meet the deep eyes staring at her. “I know it’ll be hard, but I'm willing to give it my best shot.” She smiled, but her smile wasn’t cheerful or happy. It was simply hopeful, filled with her wishes and dreams, with the faith in a better tomorrow.
“It’s hard out there. The world is filled with nasty people. It's harsh and often uses our own fears against us. But, it is made for people like you.” Hyung made a short pause, during which she turned to look at him. “For people who are willing to bleed for what they believe in.”
Talia was suddenly aware of every centimeter between them. She’d mentally measured the space that kept them apart. She hadn’t done it consciously, but under the pressure of the tension that had suddenly grown between them. His words vanished into the silence of the night, their effect, however, remained. Her heart continued to beat fast. She knew that if she kept looking at him, if she allowed herself to get lost further in those brown pools, she wouldn't be able to come back. So she turned, breaking the trance into which she'd fallen.
“What about you? What’s your story?” Talia asked.
“I don’t have much of a story,” Hyung said after clearing his throat.
“Everyone has a story.” He was silent for a second. He always hesitated when it came to saying something about himself. He was restraining himself and she wondered why, he was open about everything else.
“I was adopted when I was six. My parents were in Korea, on a business trip. We stayed here for a few months after my adoption but eventually moved back to America,” Hyung said, his voice was low and serious. “You’re right. There is more to my story, but how about I continue it tomorrow?”
Talia’s breath hitched. She looked at him through her lashes, her only response a nod.
“Great. Then we’ll meet here? How about at twelve? We can have lunch together and I can show you around.”
“Okay. Let’s do that.”
Chapter 2
The day was still early, the early hours of morning were just beginning. The newly born rays of light cascaded into her small hotel room, caressing the little pieces of furniture that were scattered around the room. Talia moved around the room hectically. Her phone was on the bed, between the two piles of clothes. The screen was blazing with life, her mother’s caller ID flashing across the screen.
“So, what are your plans for today? Please tell me you have something fun planned! All you’ve been doing is walking around all day!”
“That’s what you’re supposed to do, mom. I’m here to see the country. What else can I do?” Talia asked as she picked up the yellow dress. Talia looked at it, then studied it in the mirror before she finally threw it on the bed.
“I don’t know. Meet some new people? I’m sure there are some cute guys over there.” She could imagine her mom gushing over the idea of a new boyfriend. She was always far more excited about Talia’s love life. Not in a bad way, though. She wasn’t pushy or anything. She just wanted Talia to be happy.
Talia thought about what her mother said. She wondered if she should tell her about Hyung, about the cute guy that she'd met in a restaurant. That happened to live in New York, of all places. But she decided against it. She didn’t want to ruin things with too many expectations. She liked the way things were. Everything was so spontaneous, and Talia barely ever did spontaneous. There were absolutely no strings attached, they were just two people who enjoyed each other's company. They haven’t even exchanged phone numbers, but Talia had made a mental note to ask about it that day.
“Mom, I’m here to have some fun before I start work. I’m not here to find you a son-in-law.” Talia sighed as she undressed.
“Can’t you do both? Ugh, you’re wasting your beauty and youth.” Talia didn’t need to see her mom in order to know that she was rolling her eyes, something she often did while disapproving of Talia.
“Just leave the girl alone!” Talia heard her father say. His voice was distant, he was probably talking from the end of the room. She smiled. She missed her parents already. The worst part about moving away was that she wouldn’t see them anymore.
“Fine, fine! At least wear something pretty and take a lot of pictures. I’ll show them to our neighbors. Let them know how my little girl is enjoying herself.” Talia smiled and shook her head in amusement.
“Speaking about cute stuff. Should I wear the yellow or the blue dress?”
“The blue one,” her mother answered almost instantly. “Finally, you agreed on something,” her mother continued, thinking that this was all about her previous request.
“Okay! Thank you, mom. I have to go now. Take care, and kiss dad.” Talia didn’t wait for her mom to reply, partially because she knew that her mom would prolong the call a few good minutes. The moment the line died, Talia sighed and turned to search for the blue dress. It was a miracle she brought two dresses along. Her suitcase was usually nothing more than a few shirts and two pairs of jeans.
For the next hour Talia got ready. She tried her best to look good but effortless. It had been a while since she’d put so much effort into how she looked. She wore her blue dress, pinned up her hair in a messy bun. She even took her time to throw on a bit of makeup. Once she was ready, she looked in the mirror and smiled. Her mother had been right, a trip shouldn’t just be about walking around aimlessly. She’d learned it the hard way, by walking for hours around town. But, thanks to Hyung, she was now enjoying those aimless walks.
She wondered what he was doing. Was he as excited as her? Did he feel those butterflies too?
“Don’t be stupid,” She muttered under her breath. “He probably has a girlfriend. He’s just being nice to you.”
It was a harsh thought. But it was probably the truth. He was so good-looking, and charming and funny. There was no way he was single. She shook her head and banished those thoughts from her head. She’d decided she won’t overthink things. She wasn’t going to break her own promise now.
“Maybe I should walk there. That will probably clear my head,” Talia eventually said as she reached for her purse.
She’d finished early, so taking a cab would probably mean she’d have to wait a lot. The distance from her hotel to the river wasn’t too long. So, walking there was probably a good idea. She didn’t allow herself any time to hesitate. By the time she ended that trail of thought she was already out the door and heading towards the hotel’s exit.
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Pretty much like Talia, Hyung was in his room. He looked over the the clothes he’d brought and tapped a finger against his chin. He wondered if he should trade his usual button-up shirts for a normal T-shirt. It wasn’t his usual style, but it was probably the best outfit for a day out. After finally settling on a blue shirt and a pair of jeans, he went and took a shower. He took his time there, mainly because he used it as a means to escape his bothersome thoughts. He’d been thinking about Talia non-stop ever since they'd parted ways the night before. He'd constantly wondered what she was doing and if she was thinking of him, too. But, most of all, he was wondering why he was so attracted to her. What was so special about those hazel eyes and that enchanting smile? He didn’t have any intentions with her. His plan had never been to cheat on Kristel and make a wrong move towards her—not because he wasn’t attracted, and definitely not because he was madly in love with his girlfriend—but because he had this theory that he could only date a Korean girl that was from a similar background as him. It had always been his principle. Ever since high school. Ever since he’d decided that it would be the only way to stop feeling like an outcast.
“You're just hanging out with her because she doesn’t know anyone else,”he told himself for the hundredth time. “She doesn’t know the language, she may get lost, she may get in trouble.”
Of course, there was a rational part of him that scoffed at those thoughts; it was well aware of the fact that Talia wasn’t the only girl to ever be alone on a trip abroad. But, Hyung made sure to shush that voice. If he listened to it for too long, he would complicate things. He was happy with how things were.
Hyung sighed and reached for his cologne, but before he got to reach it, his phone started ringing. His hand stopped mid-way, his head turned towards the nightstand where it was. He sighed and moved to answer. He was expecting it to be Mia. She was probably calling to inform him about the date for the meeting with the Germans. However, Mia’s name wasn’t the one to flash across the screen. It was his grandmother. She rarely called, she often expected him to. He frowned as a sudden wave of dread washed over him. It was like his body already sensed the danger heading his way. In a heartbeat Hyung answered. Everything else vanished from his head, all his attention lay on the other end of the line, where he heard sobbing and a lot of noise.
“Hello?” His voice was anxious. “Grandma, are you okay? Did something happen?” He silently prayed that he was overreacting. That he was mistaken about the sounds on the other end of the line. But what where the odds of that happening?
“It’s your mother. She got into a car accident this morning,” she said between sobs. “You should hurry back.”
Hyung’s heart dropped. All he saw was his mother's face. However, it wasn’t her usual cheerful and elegant face. She was bloody and bruised. He tried to shake his head, to banish those thoughts, but how could he, when all he could hear was the sound of uncontrollable sobs.
“How did it happen? Is she okay?” There were millions of other questions in his mind. But for now, he settled on those.
“I don’t know. I got the call now. I’ll be heading to the hospital. In any case, hurry back home.” The line went dead before he could ask anything else. Hyung ran a hand through his hair and tried to think. He needed to know more about his mother’s condition. He thought about calling Talia and Alec, but he quickly shook his head. They were both so busy with the baby’s preparation, he didn’t want to spoil their day.
“Damon,” he finally said. His hand was already around his phone, dialing his friend’s number. He answered almost immediately.
“Hyung. Do you miss me already?”
“Hey. I know you’re tired and busy, but I need you to do me a huge favor,” Hyung said as he struggled to slip the shirt over his head.
“Sure, man. Are you alright?”
“My mom. She got into an accident. I don’t know a lot of details. You know how my grandma is when she panics.” Hyung was already packing up his stuff, his only hope was to find an early flight to America.
“Okay. Don’t worry. I’ll go there and see how things are. Don’t you worry.”
“Thanks. I’m on my way to the airport. I’ll be taking the earliest flight back.” After thanking Damon a few more times, Hyung finally hung up and headed out the door with his suitcase in hand. It wasn’t until he was in his car that he remembered about Talia.
He sat there for a minute as the sudden realization hit him. There were two more hours until they were supposed to meet. He didn’t have her number, and he wasn’t really sure where she was staying. He was cornered, without much means of escape. He wasn’t sure on who to focus, on his injured mother or the girl that he had no way to contact. He had no choice, he had to go to the airport, he had to leave. But how would he let her know that?
“You should have gotten her number,” Hyung cursed under his breath, as he sped down the road. “Spontaneous, my ass,” he mumbled as he hit the stirring wheel.
He drove past the spot they were supposed to meet. He passed by it slowly. His eyes lingered over the spot, wondering if she would wait long. He silently bid the girl goodbye. She’d given his short visit a flavor it usually lacked; his usual trip hadn’t been empty as usual. His meeting with Talia had been like a short summer breeze. It came and passed by fast, but it left a warm feeling behind. It was probably better that they didn’t get further involved. That way, their short time together was sweeter, a memory he would cherish forever. He knew, however, that he would remain a jerk to her. The bastard that stood her up.
Hyung shook his head and sighed. There was no point in thinking about that now. He needed to focus on more important things, like his mom.
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Not more and not less than two weeks had passed since Hyung’s return to America. His body was still accommodating, however. The past two weeks had been hectic on his body. They’d worn him out to extents he couldn’t describe. He worked overtime to make up for the few days he’d taken off and whatever was left of his time was spent with his mom. She was fine, her accident had never been a major one. The shock had been greater than any of her bruises. Still, he made sure to give her the attention and care she needed. She was still recovering from his father’s death, she was emotionally fragile. She needed his support. Kristel was also returning soon from her vacation in Hawaii. He wasn’t ready to hear more stories about how warm her cocktail had been or how cheap her friend’s clothes were. Her stories were always that shallow, always about trivial things that no one but her cared about.
He’d been with her for a year, but he’d never had a single deep conversation with her. Kristel had never bothered to get to know him, to see him past his suit and Rolex watch.
Suddenly, a knock interrupted his train of thought. Hyung shook his head and looked at the door just as
Mia, his secretary, walked in. She was carrying a stash of papers, her loose yellow dress hugged her baby bump. She smiled as she came to stand in front of his desk.
“So, this is your last day, huh?” Hyung asked as he reached for the files. A sad smile played on his lips. He’d gotten so used to Mia, she was by far the best secretary he'd ever had. He’d known, however, that their collaboration wouldn’t last long. She’d gotten married to one of his competitors shortly after she began working for him. So, it was only a matter of time before she stopped working for the competition. Hyung respected her. She continued to work hard and earn a living even after she'd grasped the heart of one of the richest men in New York. He loved it when women were that independent, when they didn't care about someone else’s money. It meant they were real. He’d always hoped to find someone like that. Someone to see him past his wallet and status. But, his other criteria made him stick to Kristel.
“I’ll miss you, but I have to admit, I’m more than happy to get a break. You won’t believe how hard it is to carry this little guy all day,” she said as she placed a hand over her belly. “He kicks a lot too. I can barely sleep.”
“He’s a fighter, like his parents.” Hyung chuckled, referring to Mia and Alec’s days in the underground fights.
“Speaking of fighting. Alec made me put him on your agenda. You two are going boxing Saturday at two.”
“He’s really taking advantage of you being my secretary, huh,” Hyung chuckled.
“Stop complaining. You’re getting rid of me.”
Mia reminded him of Talia. It wasn’t just because they were both beautiful African-American women, it was her personality all-together. But, then again, didn’t everything remind him of her? She hadn’t left his mind since his return. Not even for a second. It might have been because they hadn't ended things properly, that they’d parted ways in such a drastic and sudden manner. Hyung hoped it was all just temporary. He wasn’t used to feeling like that.
The Asian One: BWAM, Asian Man, Billionaire Romance (Relatives From Money Book 5) Page 2