The Love Contract (Sizzle & Burn Book 3)

by Linda Verji

“Okay, she’s a little young,” Yoon-ah admitted. “But all age-appropriate Tigers are nineteen right now.”

  Orion laughed. “All the reasons I gave and that’s the only one you heard?”

  “If you want I can look for a thirty-one year-old,” his mother offered helpfully. “But many of them are already taken, and if they’re not I don’t think they’d be interested in a man who’s two years younger.”

  “Eomma!” he exclaimed, frustrated by how thick she was pretending to be.

  “Don’t be so stubborn, Ri-on,” Yoon-ah cajoled, using his Korean name. Her expression somber, she grabbed his arm and squeezed. “You know how important this is for our family.”

  “Important according to who? That shaman you visited?” Orion arched his eyebrows. “He’s a con-artist.”

  “No, he isn’t.” Yoon-ah’s gave him and offended look. “Master Yoon predicted that your business would do well and it did. He even predicted that Donald Trump would win. He’s the genuine thing.”

  “What about all the things he’s been wrong about?” Orion countered. “He said Julian wouldn’t get into college – and he did. He said you would be fired after you slapped that student who was hitting on you – and you weren’t. And he said that my business would go belly up in one year – I’m still hanging in there.”

  “The only reason those bad things didn’t happen is because of Master Yoon and the talismans he gave us,” Yoon-ah doggedly insisted. “He helped us change our fate.”

  “Ah. Of course, he did.” It took everything in Orion to keep from rolling his eyes. He didn’t understand why his mother believed in these things. In all other things, she was quite the modern woman. But when it came to shamans and superstitions, one would think that she was still living in the Joseon era.

  “Ri-on, just do this one thing for me, eh?” She shook his arm. “You know how important you and Ri-jun are to me. I don’t want you to die early like your father and grandfather.”

  “Eomma, stop listening to that charlatan,” Orion protested. “Marrying a tiger isn’t going to make me live longer than dad or grandpa.”

  But his protests fell on deaf years. “You don’t even have to marry her immediately. I just want you to go and see her and then make a decision when you’re there. Please.”

  “I don’t want to,” Orion protested.

  “Please. For me,” his mother wheedled. “Ri-on-a.”

  “No. I won’t do it.”

  “Just one date.”

  “No,” he refused.

  Despite his ardent protests, Tuesday afternoon found him parking his car in front of the Landa-Hotel just fifteen minutes before his date with Robin. Before getting out of the car, he called, “Hi, Robin?”

  “Yes,” his date answered. “Who’s calling?”

  “Orion Lee.” He explained, “I just got to the restaurant. Where are you?”

  The girl gasped. “You’re there already?” There was a commotion on her end of the line as if she’d just discovered that she was supposed to be meeting someone. “I’m on my way there,” she said on a rushed breath. “Just give me ten… um… fifteen minutes.”

  Orion pulled in a tired sigh. As if this whole blind-date thing wasn’t annoying enough now he’d have to deal with a date who was unable to keep time. To his date, he said, “Fine. I’ll be waiting for you in the restaurant.”

  He was just about to exit his car when a cab pulled up beside him. It wasn’t the cab itself that drew Orion’s attention but rather the woman who was in its backseat. Though it had been exactly a week since he’d last seen her and there were two layers of glass between them, he recognized her immediately. How could he not?

  Vina the Scammer.

  Immediate annoyance bubbled inside Orion. As if his day wasn’t bad enough, now the universe was throwing that crazy woman at him again? Unconsciously, he started to slide lower down in his seat so she couldn’t see him. But when he realized what he was doing, he quickly sat up. Why the hell was he hiding? So what if she saw him? He wasn’t the crook in this equation. She should be the one hiding.

  As it turned out all his mental gymnastics were for nothing. Vina didn’t even look his way as she got out of the cab then paid her fare. Without a sideways or backwards glance, she started towards the hotel entrance.

  Orion watched her as she walked away. Despite himself, he had to admit that she was one sexy lady. Even though all he had was the back view, what he saw was enough to stir him. Her long hair had been pulled up into a artful chignon that showed off her delicate neck. Gone were the jeans and sneakers. Today she was wearing a sleeveless white dress that clung to her delicate curves, showed off her toned arms and stopped an inch or so above her knees to show off her splendid legs. The pink heels she’d paired the dress with made her look much taller and even sexier.

  Orion frowned. If all crooks were as sexy as this one, it was no wonder that the world was going to hell in a hand basket. Judging by Vina’s outfit and presence at a restaurant, there was every chance she was meeting another sucker. Perhaps it was annoyance, perhaps it was curiosity… he found himself opening his door and following in her wake.

  What if she was really going on another date? Should he pull the guy aside and warn him that he was swimming in a shark tank? Or did that count as sticking his nose into things that didn’t involve him?

  Fine, maybe he was being nosy. However, he couldn’t just let Miss Scammer continue wreaking havoc. The best thing to do in this situation was to confront her. Yes, tell her that he knew what she was up to, make her feel a little embarrassed. Oh, who was he kidding? Petite Miss Scammer was incapable of shame. Still, if he confronted her, she might end up afraid of him spilling her secrets to her potential victim and call a halt to her scam. Yes, that was what he’d do.

  Orion entered the hotel’s lobby. Vina must’ve been a speed walker in her past life because she wasn’t in the lobby.

  Orion approached the concierge. “Where did the lady go?”

  “What lady?”

  “The lady in the white dress,” Orion explained. When the concierge gave him a blank look, he described, “Short, slender, pink heels, kind of pretty.”

  The concierge shook his head. “Sorry, I haven’t seen her.”

  “She just passed by here a few minutes ago.” Orion huffed impatiently.

  “I just got here just a few minutes ago too so maybe I missed her.” The concierge helpfully suggested, “Maybe she went to the restaurant?”

  The man was probably right. If Vina was here for another date, then the restaurant would be her logical destination. After thanking the concierge, Orion made his way to the restaurant. A cursory glance at the sparsely populated dining room revealed that Vina wasn’t there either. Where was she? Frustration bit at Orion. He wasn’t exactly sure why, but some perverse part of him didn’t want to leave without her seeing him. Unfortunately, this was a hotel. You didn’t just start searching for someone.

  He was about to leave the restaurant when he remembered that he was scheduled for a date here himself. With an annoyed huff, he settled at one of the tables. Immediately, a server rushed over to take his order. The young server was just setting Orion’s juice on the table when the restaurant suddenly went quiet. Even the server stilled in his actions as his eyes flew to the door where everyone else seemed to be looking.

  Curious, Orion turned in his seat to see what had captivated everyone. Everyone was staring at the woman who’d just entered the dining room. Ghostly was the only word that could accurately describe her. It wasn’t just the ankle-length, shapeless, white dress she was wearing that made her look ‘otherworldly’. Her long auburn hair was a shaggy mess that fell forward almost obscuring her face from view. What little skin they could see was pale – as if caked with powder.

  What the hell? Orion thought as he stared at the woman.

  “What the hell?” A deep male voice cut into the silence. For a moment Orion thought that he’d spoken aloud until he saw the suit-clad Asian man who
sat at the next table, also gaping at the scary woman. The two men watched the woman start towards their side of the restaurant.

  Orion snatched a glance at the man at the other table, wondering if he, like him, was praying for the woman not to come closer. The man glanced towards Orion. Yup! He was praying too. But they were out of luck. The woman kept moving towards them. Closer, closer, closer-Good God! Shock shot through Orion as he recognized the face behind that pale make-up. Was that Vina? He sat forward in his seat to get a better look. It couldn’t be. But the resemblance was too much. Was it her? He brushed his palm over his face then stared at her. There was no denying it. It was her.

  CHAPTER 3

  For a moment, Orion thought that he was seeing things. He blinked then blinked again. When he opened his eyes Vina was still at the entrance of the restaurant looking as ghostly as ever. What the hell had happened to the neat hairstyle? The sexy white dress? The pink heels? Instinctively, he picked up the menu and held it in front of his face. He did not want her recognizing him when she was looking like that, lest the other diners think that they knew each other.

  Please don’t come closer, he prayed. But she kept coming. Through the side of his eye he caught the flutter of her white dress right beside his table. She must have seen him. Hell! Sighing in resignation, Orion started to lower the menu. Bu that’s when he noticed that even though Vina was beside his table, she wasn’t facing him. Her attention was on the guy at the next table.

  “Daniel, right?” Good God! Even her voice sounded a little spooky.

  “Do – do-“ The poor man gulped as he took Vina in, spookiness and all. “Do I know you?”

  “I’m Vina. Alvina Song,” She held out her hand. “Your blind date.”

  “Al-Al-” Daniel looked at her hand then back up at her like he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing. “Alvina?”

  “Yes. Sorry I’m late,” she said as she pulled out a seat opposite the man. “I was accosted by a ghost on my way here and she insisted that I let her daughter know what her bank account number was.”

  Even if Orion wasn’t still holding the menu in front of his face, he doubted that Vina would’ve noticed him. She was too engrossed in scaring the living daylight out of her date. And it was working. Daniel’s fear and shock were obvious in his wide-eyed gaze and pale face. Not that Orion blamed him. Even though he’d seen Vina coming into the hotel looking as normal as any woman, her transformation into ghost-whisperer was spine-chilingly realistic.

  Daniel swallowed hard before stammering, “A – a g-ghost?”

  “Didn’t the matchmaker tell you?” Vina leaned forward towards the guy and lowered her voice to a loud whisper. “I see dead people.”

  Daniel looked like he was about to have a heart attack. His mouth opened and closed like that of a fish before he finally managed to find his voice. “What-what?”

  “I see dead people,” Vina repeated. “Speaking of have you lost someone recently? There’s a woman standing beside you.”

  “What-” Daniel jumped in his seat, his head turning this way and that way as he searched for the alleged ghost. He was so busy looking for the ghost that he didn’t even see Vina’s lips twitching in a smile.

  And that’s when it hit Orion. Vina was deliberately sabotaging her date.

  Why? Was this man not up to her usual standards. Not rich enough.

  Daniel suddenly pushed his chair back roughly and jerked to his feet. “Um… um… could you give me a minute? My phone is ringing.”

  “I don’t hear it ringing,” Vina offered helpfully.

  “It’s – It’s on silent.” Daniel pushed his seat back roughly and jerked to his feet. “I-um- excuse me.”

  Orion could’ve sworn that he saw smoke rise from the sole of the man’s shoes as he fled the table. Something told Orion that Daniel wasn’t coming back to this freak show of a date. Despite himself, Orion smiled. He had to give it to Vina, she was a pro at sabotage. She must’ve found the situation funny too because she chuckled as she reached for her menu.

  Orion chose that moment to lower his menu. But Vina didn’t notice him. Her eyes were on the menu, perusing it. She was still engrossed in the menu when the server came. To his credit the young man didn’t even blink at her strange appearance. His voice was completely even as he asked, “What can I get you ma’am?”

  “What’s today’s special?” Vina asked, now sounding completely normal.

  The server gave her his recommendations then once she’d ordered, he pointed to the still empty seat opposite her, “What about him? Do you want to order for him or should we wait?”

  “Neither.” Vina grinned up at the server. “I don’t think he’s coming back.”

  Once the server was gone, Orion shuffled his feet beneath the table to draw her attention to him. It worked must’ve worked because Vina glanced in his direction. He expected recognition, maybe annoyance, or shock, but he got… nothing. She held his glance for less than five seconds before she turned to her purse to extract her phone. Soon, that phone had her full attention.

  Maybe she hadn’t seen him properly. Orion cleared his throat loudly.

  Vina didn’t look up from that darn phone. Orion frowned. Did she really not recognize him or was she pretending? Despite her scammer ways, Vina intrigued him. He wanted to know more. He wanted to know why she’d sabotaged her date. He wanted to know whether the word shame was missing in her dictionary. Still, he didn’t want to be the first to approach her because that would give her the upper hand. But he also didn’t want her leaving before they talked or argued.

  He cleared his throat again and again, got nothing from her.

  As if on cue, her phone rang. Without missing a beat, she picked it and answered in Korean, “Yes, I’m at the restaurant with the lawyer.” She paused to listen to whoever was on the other end of the phone. “No, he’s not here right now.” When she spoke next, her tone held a note of wariness. “Yes, Halmeoni, he looks just as rich as you said he was.”

  Ah! She was talking to her grandmother – the Commander-In-Chief of the Gold-digger Brigade.

  Orion glared at Vina, practically burning a hole into the side of her face. But his stare didn’t seem to affect her. In fact her lips twitched in a smile as she spoke to her grandmother. “Of course I’m doing everything to hook him.”

  Was she talking about Daniel? Orion frowned. From what he’d gathered, she’d been doing everything not to hook him.

  Vina’s voice took on a sorrowful note as she said, “But I don’t he likes me as much. When I told him I was thirty-one, he didn’t look happy. ”

  Though Orion couldn’t clearly hear what was being said, the older woman’s yell was so loud, he heard it from where he was seated.

  Wincing, Vina held the phone away from her ear. It was only once her grandmother was done ranting, that she put the phone back to her ear. “It just slipped out. I’m sorry.”

  Even to Orion, the apology sounded fake as hell. It didn’t help matters that Vina was grinning as she added, “Of course I won’t do anything more to ruin his opinion of me. Trust me, I promise.”

  The more Orion listened to the conversation, the more his annoyance faded. It was obvious that he’d completely misread Vina. She wasn’t a gold-digger. From what he could tell, she was in the same position as him, being forced to go on blind-dates by her family. But unlike him, she was only pretending to go with the flow. She’d figured out a genius way to thwart their efforts; make herself completely unlikeable so that potential dates were turned off on sight. He was almost tempted to take a page out of her book. Then again, he wasn’t sure he’d look quite as good in ghost-gear as she did.

  His initial attraction to her came flooding back in. His lips kicked up in a smile as he watched her speak on the phone. This had to be fate’s way of giving him another chance to get her number. And this time he wasn’t leaving without it.

  OF COURSE VINA had recognized Mr. Mannerless from the moment their eyes had met. How could she no
t? It wasn’t every day that she met bold eavesdroppers like this one. And yes, she’d pretended not to. Why? Because she wasn’t interested in rehashing their last meeting or starting another argument.

  She’d hoped that if she ignored him, he’d follow her cue and pretend that he didn’t know her either. Unfortunately, the man was dumber than he looked. It was obvious that the blatant eavesdropping and staring was his attempt at getting her attention. Well, she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. Turning slightly in her seat to avoid his eyes, she listened to her grandmother.

  “When he comes back tell him that your father is a works for the consulate,” Dooshim advised. “That should help him get over the age thing.”

  “Okay, I will,” Vina agreed obediently even though she knew full well that her date wasn’t coming back.

  “Good. Good. We really have to catch this one,” Dooshim continued. “The matchmaker says that this is one of her top-tier matches. Everyone wants him. We probably won’t find a good one like this one again anytime soon, so make sure you catch him.”

  “Don’t worry,” Vina assured her. Injecting some pep and determination in her voice, she added, “I’ll make sure to catch him.”

  With that Dooshim ended the call. Poor woman, Vina shook her head. If only she knew what I’m really up to. Did she worry that one day her parents and grandmother would realize what she was doing during her dates? Not really. They’d never believe that she was doing anything to sabotage her chances at marriage.

  Vina was living a double-life. She had one Vina for her family, and another one for the rest of the world. Her family’s Vina was an obedient daughter who did everything she was asked to do without even a word of protest. To everyone else, she was a free spirit who lived exactly as she wanted and took no bullshit. Some might call her two-faced, she preferred to be called a survivor.

  She was just tucking her phone back into her purse when Mr. Mannerless suddenly stood up. Her hopes that that meant he was leaving were dashed when he suddenly crossed the short distance between their tables and settled in the seat opposite her.