by Nia Arthurs
Given he wanted to tear her clothes off and she was currently unconscious, Joon decided not to test his limits and ran, locking her bedroom door behind him.
He took a shower and did some exercises in his room.
Nothing helped.
He was too keyed up. How could Sky fall asleep at a time like this?
Desperate to clear his head, but too afraid to leave Sky home alone in case she needed his help, Joon grabbed his cell phone and called Tyler.
His friend picked up groggily. “Hello?”
“How are things going with the Health Department? Have you called the Minister of Health yet?”
“Joon?”
“Yeah.”
He heard a groan and bed sheets shuffling on Tyler’s end. “Do you know what time it is?”
“No.”
“Way too late to ask for progress reports.”
“Babe, what’s all that noise?”
A woman’s voice.
Joon Gi straightened. “Are you with someone right now?”
“Who me? No. I’m completely alone. Totally alone.” A door opened and closed. Tyler returned on the line. “What were you saying again?”
Joon whirled around and faced the wall. “No, I heard a woman.”
“Me? A woman?” Tyler snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m always falling asleep in front of the TV. You must have heard the commercial or something.”
Joon nodded. Maybe he had misheard. Tyler would tell him if he was seeing someone.
“So back to your question,” Tyler said quickly. “I contacted the Minister since you asked me to look into this last week, but I haven’t heard anything back from him. Maybe being friends with his son doesn’t hold much weight.”
“Could you try again?”
“I’m doing all I can, Joon.”
He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I know it’s just… I can’t stay here much longer and before I leave, I need to make sure that Sky is okay.”
“Whoa, what’s the rush? I thought you were happy living with your boss.”
“Happy? No, I’m embarrassed. This isn’t the life I dreamed of living when I was younger. Revenge is the only thing keeping me going.”
“That’s… depressing.”
“I’m serious.” Joon paced. “I was focused on getting back at Sun Gi and Hanna. Then I met Sky and—I don’t know. My priorities changed.”
“You love her,” Tyler said simply.
“I care about her.”
“What’s the difference?”
“I’m not playing word games with you this late at night, Tyler.”
“Fine. Fine.” Tyler chuckled. “I’m still not seeing the problem here. Revenge isn’t good for your health anyway. Why don’t you just let it all go and be happy with Sky?”
“I can’t.”
“Why? Because of your pride? Because she’s your boss and you work for her?”
“Maybe.”
“I know you, Joon. You caught a bad break, but you’re too good to stay down for long. You can build another business from the ground up if you wanted to.”
“This isn’t about money.”
“Then what’s the issue?”
“We’re too different.”
“You mean because she’s black and you’re Asian?”
He remained silent.
“Come on, Joon. It’s the twenty-first century. Nobody cares about interracial couples anymore. Besides, your mom’s already written you off so you don’t have any family obligations keeping you from doing what you want.”
“Is that supposed to be encouraging?”
“Not really.”
He leaned against the dresser. “You don’t get it Tyler. It’s not just about our race or my situation. We’re fundamentally different people. Sky’s the type that would give the clothes off her back if she thought someone was in need. She’s so trusting and pure.”
“Ah, and you’re a heartless monster who’s only interested in the bottom line. Is that what you’re saying?”
He pulled the phone away. “I shouldn’t have called.”
“No!” Tyler laughed. “I’m just messing with you. Maybe you’re right. Maybe you’re not good enough for Sky, but you know what? She likes you anyway. Who knows? You both can learn from each other.”
“I’m losing my mind over here. Just get Sky out of this mess with Director Grayson.”
“Yes, sir.”
Joon hung up and flung himself into bed. With nothing but the darkness and the silence as company, he turned on his side and tried not to think about the woman sleeping in the next room.
Joon Gi wasn’t sure when he’d started falling for his boss. If he was honest, he knew his intentions had changed early on.
The reason he’d stayed on Sweet Treats, it wasn’t just for revenge. Sky was kind, but she was also strong. She would have found a way to defeat Hanna on her own.
No, Joon should have abandoned Sweet Treats and found a way to take Sun Gi down instead of barking up a tree that already had a guardian. Instead, he’d lingered around Sky, finding more and more reasons to be close to her.
He’d dug this hole himself and then complained when he fell into it.
Idiot.
SOMEHOW, Joon fell asleep.
His alarm blared what felt like minutes later.
He forced himself up and headed to the bathroom. When he passed the mirror, he was stunned by his reflection. Dark circles hung beneath his eyes and his skin was unusually pale.
He wet his fingers and fixed his hair but save wearing makeup, he couldn’t hide the signs of his fitful sleep.
When he opened the bathroom door, Sky was standing right outside. Shocked, he stood there, staring at her. She clutched an arm around her stomach and streaked past him. Joon Gi felt her hand on his back.
She shoved.
He stumbled out just as the door slammed.
Sounds of vomiting wafted through the door. Concerned, he knocked. “Sky? You okay?”
More hurling.
Joon Gi shook his head and went to the kitchen to prepare some ginger tea to help settle her stomach. A few minutes later, Sky shuffled out of the corridor and took a seat around the small dining table.
She’d changed out of the red dress from last night and now wore an oversized T-shirt and shorts. Her hair was shoved into a sloppy bun that leaned to the right. Her skin was darker than his so the half-moon shadows beneath her eyes were slightly hidden, but he could still sense her exhaustion.
“Remind me to never drink during a work week,” Sky said on a rolling groan.
Joon set the tea in front of her. “Try this.”
“What is it?” She bent over and sniffed, making a face. “Smells like ginger.”
“It’ll help settle your stomach.”
Sky obediently sipped the tea, continuing to make faces as if it was poison. Joon Gi leaned against the counter and waited until she had finished to ask, “How’d you sleep?”
“Like a baby. Until I woke up this morning needing to empty everything in my stomach.” Her brown eyes found his. “Did you help me into bed yesterday?”
He straightened, his eyebrows slanting over his eyes. “Yeah.”
She blew out a breath. “Good.”
“Don’t you remember?”
“The last thing I remember was asking you to do karaoke with me at Toucan Isle. After that, it’s all kind of blurry.” Sky leaned her elbows on the table. “I didn’t… do anything too embarrassing yesterday, did I?”
His mouth opened and closed.
No sound escaped.
Sky chuckled self-consciously. “I’m not much of a singer. Did I embarrass you?”
“No, you sang great. The crowd loved it.”
“They did?” She scrunched her nose. “What did they like?”
“Um… your dancing.” He eyed her closely, looking for any signs that she was pulling his leg.
There were none.
She blinked innocently, as stunned b
y his revelation of their night as he was by her amnesia.
“Dancing. I danced?” When he nodded, Sky ducked. “I’m usually shy in front of crowds. That’s weird. Did I do anything else I should know about?”
His mind tripped back to their fervent kiss. His hands bunching in her short skirt. Her fingers tugging at his hair. Their tongues…
“Joon.” Sky cocked her head. “You’re blushing.”
He swooped away from her and squeezed his eyes shut. Maybe Sky’s memory loss was a divine gift. It would’ve been better if it never happened in the first place, but this would do.
Sucking in a deep breath, he faced her. “No, there’s nothing else you should know.”
“Good.” Sky popped out of her seat and smiled. “Then let’s get to work.”
26
THE CRAMPED OFFICE carried the scent of mothballs and old paperwork. Sunlight struggled past the windows to her left. Cabinets stood in neat rows to her right.
“I’m afraid the school doesn’t have that much in its budget,” Mr. Wayne Tillet, manager of the Trade School of Belize City, rubbed his moustache. “Can’t you knock off a bit of the price? You understand we’re taking a risk. I’ve heard about the rumors surrounding your bakery…”
Sky’s heart banged against her chest.
I’m already selling it at a steep discount. I really can’t afford to do that.
Joon stood behind her, his jaw twitching. She could feel the intensity of his stare on her back, but she refused to look at him. This contract was a desperate grab at a solution for her bakery. If she got Mr. Tillet on board, maybe other schools would trust her and forget Sweet Treats’ bad press.
“Okay.” The word physically hurt and she cringed.
“Amazing. So we’ll adjust the price.” Mr. Tillet’s brown fingers clutched a pencil and he scribbled on a notepad. “I’ll ask Sandra, my secretary, to make the order.”
Relief ballooned in her chest. “Thank you so much for taking a chance on us. We won’t let you down, Mr. Tillet.”
He grinned. “I know you won’t, Sky. I’ve seen so many students with your pastries in hand it isn’t funny. Working with you is an honor.”
She beamed and shook his hand. “I really appreciate you saying that.”
“Stop it.” Tillet chuckled and adjusted his glasses. “I should be the one thanking you two.”
Joon stood, cutting off Sky and Tillet’s compliment swap. “We look forward to doing business with you.”
“Yes, sir.” Tillet smiled expectantly.
Sky nudged Joon in the side.
He looked at her, annoyance burning through his eyes.
She jutted her chin toward Tillet and stared pointedly at the hand that remained at Joon’s side.
“What?” he whispered.
She frowned at him. Was he intentionally acting obtuse? Couldn’t he tell what Mr. Tillet wanted? When Joon continued to look at her as if confused, she mouthed, “Shake his hand.”
Joon sighed hard as if she’d asked him to saw off a limb. She didn’t care and waited patiently until he extended his arm toward Mr. Tillet. The jovial man clasped his palm and shook it, body wracking with booming laughter.
Joon pulled back first. “Well, then. We should go.”
“Of course. Of course. I’ll get Sandra to show you out.” Mr. Tillet pressed a buzzer and his secretary appeared in the doorway.
Sandra escorted them out of the office.
Sky smiled politely and held her irritation in until they were out of the woman’s earshot. The moment they were alone, she whirled on Joon Gi.
“What was that about?” Sky hissed.
He looked down at her, his eyes colder than she could imagine. “What?”
“Mr. Tillet is taking a chance on Sweet Treats. You were so rude to him!”
“I was being polite and to the point. You’re the one who was gushing about his office and acting like he was a friend rather than a client.”
“Exactly. And that’s why he gave us the contract.”
Joon pursed his lips. “He gave us the contract because we have a service that his school needs. Not because of anything else.”
“You think you’re so cool? You think people respect you when you’re mean to them?”
“Why do you keep calling it mean?” He glared at her. “It’s called acting professionally. You should try it sometime.”
Sky let out a disbelieving breath. “What did you just say?”
“Nothing.” He strode away.
Sky stalked after him. The courtyard was empty since most of the students were in class, but she knew their voices could carry. It was the only thing keeping her temper in check.
“Something’s going on with you.” She stalked ahead of Joon Gi and threw her arms wide so he couldn’t sidestep her. “Ever since that night we went to Toucan Isle with Jo and Sun Gi, you’ve been acting weird.”
He clenched his jaw.
She didn’t care. “It’s like you’re intentionally picking fights with me. Did I do something wrong that night? Did you lie when you said everything was fine?”
“We should get back to the store in case a customer—”
“I don’t care about the freakin’ store!” She hauled on his arm and jerked him toward her. “Let’s talk about it. Right here. Right now.”
Anger flashed in Joon’s eyes and Sky knew she’d pushed him over the line.
Too bad she didn’t care.
“Fine.” He wrenched his arm away from hers. “Do you know why I’ve been challenging you these past few days?”
She tilted her chin up. “Why?”
“Because I won’t be around forever, Sky.”
His words took her off-guard and she blinked up at him.
Joon Gi’s brows lowered. “I’m going back to Korea. Soon. And I can’t live in peace if I leave without teaching you that not everyone in the world has your best interest at heart. You can’t be afraid to push for more or stand your ground because it will hurt someone’s feelings.”
“W-what do you mean?”
“Back in the office, the manager was playing hardball. Trying to intimidate you to lower your price because of the rumors about the bakery. You gave in even though we’d gone as low as possible. We’re basically giving the stuffed jacks away for free—”
“You think I don’t know that? I’ll adjust the amount of ingredients I use for his order so I can make a profit.”
He blinked. “Oh.”
Sky paused. Studied him. “What do you mean you’re going back to Korea soon? What about your revenge?”
“I haven’t given up on that, but let’s be real. What power do I have here in Belize? My name, my reputation, my money. It’s all gone. I can’t touch my brother and he knows it. He was bold enough to invite us to his table at Toucan Isle. He laughed in my face knowing what he’d done to me.”
“So you’re just gonna leave? You’ll give up?”
“You’re acting like you’re hearing this for the first time.”
“No, I—” She pulled back and blinked, struggling past the storm of emotions swirling in her chest. “It feels so sudden. How will you pay for the ticket?”
“Tyler’s giving me a loan.”
“I see.”
He placed a hand on her shoulder but quickly pulled it back only to rake it through his hair. “More than anything, I want to see Sweet Treats back on its feet before I leave.”
Sky licked her lips, unable to think of something to say. Joon’s words were bittersweet. She’d seen how attentive he was to her business, how much he’d encouraged her to grow, but she never thought it was so he could leave without guilt.
“Come on.” Joon walked ahead. “We should get back.”
She followed him, dragging her heart behind her.
When they drew nearer to Sweet Treats, Sky noticed someone lurking in front of the store. He was dressed in a starched long-sleeved shirt and khakis. The stranger kept pulling at the front of his shirt and pacing.<
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Joon quickened his steps and got the man’s attention first. “Can I help you?”
He spun and locked eyes with Joon before darting his gaze to Sky. She felt an inkling of familiarity, but couldn’t quite place his face. When she noticed the logo on his shirt pocket, it hit her.
He’d been one of the guys that ransacked her store with Director Grayson two weeks ago.
“Ms. Johnson?”
“Yes?” She walked forward, her tennis shoes hitting the concrete and echoing in the quiet neighborhood.
“I’m from the Public Health Department. We’ve got your grade right here.”
Joon arched an eyebrow. “Grayson couldn’t bring it in person after the scene he made?”
“Mr. Grayson is very busy, but he extends his sincere apologies for the long wait.”
Sky frowned and tugged Joon aside to whisper, “Did you try to bribe him again?”
“No. I didn’t.”
She gave him a stern look.
“I swear.”
Sky chose to believe him. Turning back to the Public Health employee, she jutted her hand out. “Can I ask who made a complaint about my business?”
“I’m sorry, ma’am. All tips made to the department are anonymous.”
Joon Gi grunted. “I’ll show you anonymous—”
Sky put out a hand to hold him back. “I’ll handle this.”
He nodded and stepped away, but she knew that every muscle was coiled and prepared. Joon had seemed on edge since last week, and Sky didn’t want this poor guy who was just doing his job to be caught in the crossfires.
Not until she tried it her way first.
“That’s fine.” She smiled welcomingly. “Would you like to step inside and have a brownie?”
His eyes darted back and forth. “I’m not supposed to accept bribes, ma’am.”
Joon snorted.
Sky ignored him and stepped forward, forcing the man’s attention to her. “It’s just a brownie, sir. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t bribe you with much.” She glanced around and fanned her face. “It’s hot out and you look like you’ve been waiting a long time.”
“Alright. I guess I could sit down for a minute.”
She smiled victoriously and led the way into the store. Joon hung back like a gruff bodyguard. Sky pretended he wasn’t there and gestured to the stranger. “What’s your name?”