Page 96 of When Worlds Collide
I watched her eyes tighten as she said his name, a pinch forming between her brows.
“Oh?”
“He might have been expecting a kiss at midnight,” she said, looking off to the side and tapping a finger on her chin. “But he ended up feeding me hot soup and massaging my feet.”
“And how was ‘the soup’?” I wagged my eyebrows at her.
“Chicken noodle soup,” she said drolly, “and absolutely tasteless. This damn flu.” She blew her nose again.
“At least you don’t have to be back at work for another week.”
“Yeah, I get to spend my vacation sick, in bed, and not out in the bars, like any other sane single woman in her twenties.”
“Even single women in their twenties get the flu, babes.”
“Knowing my luck, it’s probably that new one everyone keeps talking about.” She wiped at her already bright red nose.
“Not likely,” I scoffed, “have you been to China recently?”
“Um, hello? Do you have any idea how many international visitors come to LA every year?”
I rolled my eyes. “No. Do you?”
“No, but it’s probably a metric fuck ton.” She coughed into her tissue.
“Is that the scientific measurement?”
“It should be.”
Just then, Jihoon came out of the bathroom, curls of steam wafting out behind him as he emerged wrapped in a towel that hung entirely too low, and not low enough on his narrow hips, his damp hair sticking to his face and neck. I eyed him appreciatively as he leaned against the door frame, watching me right back.
“Becka, I gotta go,” I said, already reaching forward to close the laptop lid.
“Yeah, yeah,” she groused. “Happy fucking New Year to-”
Her voice cut off with the click of the closed lid, and I bit my lip as I watched Jihoon cross the room.
Chapter 29
January 2nd
Iwas so used to the slow, almost sleepy return to the work cycle I’d experienced in the UK, that it came as quite a rude shock when people were already headed back to work by the second day in January.
It came as an even greater shock when I received an email notification from the human resources department at ENT, extending a probationary offer of employment for the role of junior assistant in the Creative Development Team – CDT.
My eyebrows finally halted their progressive ascent as I read the words, “to commence 08:30 am, January 3rd. If this is acceptable to you, please respond at your earliest convenience.”
“They do not fuck around,” I exclaimed in begrudging awe to Jihoon, who had rushed over to see what I was shouting about. He leaned in to read the email over my shoulder.
“They want you!” He cheered. “I knew they would. Anyone would be lucky to have my brilliant girlfriend on their team.”
While I had glowed under his praise, I simultaneously couldn’t help but mentally add that they had probably agreed because I was dating one of their biggest ‘assets’.
The next day - January 3rd.
We parked up in a space in the basement car park of ENT. Rows and rows of shiny, expensive cars surrounded us as we parked in a numbered spot reserved for group managers. Jihoon had driven us in this morning.
“If you’re going to work, I’m going to work,” he’d said, pecking me on the lips with a grin.
