Now and for the Last Time

39 장

I KNOW YOU WANT NO PART OF THIS, BUT I NEED A PUNCHBOWL.

This was the third text I had gotten from Sehun, and it was only 9:00 a.m. So much for my bonus, unexpected non-working Saturday. I picked up my coffee, taking a sip, and reminded myself that Gayeon and I had an entire day planned at the pool together. It wouldn't be relaxing - nothing was with Jae, Kai, Katleen, and Yuri, as they would be - but at least I'd be off the clock. If I turned off my phone.

NOBODY LIKES PUNCH, I texted back. DO PITCHERS OF SOMETHING INSTEAD. LESSY MESSY/GERMY.

In response, he sent me thumbs-up, the same response I'd gotten when called earlier to advise on one of those plastic aisles you roll out for everyone to proceed down (they stay put and look awful) and food appetizers opinions. It was clear that in the last 14 hours or so this unplanned, easy backyard wedding had morphed into something more complicated. And who needed that?

Not me, I thought as I found my bathing suit and put it on, then tied my hair up in a ponytail. I was looking for the sunscreen when my phone rang. I sighed, not in the mood for more questions, but then I saw it was Eomma.

"Hey," I answered, "how's life in the tropics?"

"Wonderful," she replied. I blinked, surprised, then looked at the screen again, making sure it was her I was talking to. "It's just so relaxing and gorgeous. I should've done this years ago."

This time, I looked at the clock. With the small time difference, it was just after ten, which meant it's almost noon for them, and knowing Wooyoung might've dragged her to drink. "Wow," I said. "I have to say I'm surprised, with how much you resisted."

"Oh, that," she said, batting away days of complaints and stress. "Classic workholeic behavior. I'm textbook, according to Minhyuk."

Okay, she seemed drunk. "Do you mean workaholic? And who's Minhyuk?"

"Oh, sorry." She laughed, the sound surprisingly . . . light and giggle. Which would never associated with Eomma. "Kang Minyuk. He's a former CEO and author we met on the plane. Wrote an entire book about the overworked business. Workholes. Like assholes, but worse."

"Riiight," I said. "So you know this guy now?"

Another light laugh. "Well, we ended up chatting the entire flight, and then he invited us to dinner at this place. He keeps a second home here, to recharge and get away from the O Nothing Olympics."

"What?"

"It's another one of his terms in his book. The competition we're all in daily, so fiercely, to climb ahead of each other. And what's the prize? Nothing."

Now I was getting worried. "Is Wooyoung around?"

"Sure. He's right here."

Something muffled sounded in my ear. Then Wooyoung came on, sounding perfectly normal. Thank goodness. "Hey, Suzy. Everything okay back home?"

"Yeaah," I said slowly. "How it's going there?"

"Oh, great," he replied. "I mean, everyone thinks I'm a employee. But at least the tips are good."

They both laughed at this. Normally, I would've too. But I was distracted. "Eomma sounds kind of crazy."

He laughed. "I know, right? She's a smitten kitten. You should see her when she's actually with this guy. It's like the cartoons, hearts in her eyes."

"Are you serious?"

"Totally." I heard Eomma say something, to which he replied, "Oh, please, it's totally true and you know it. If I didn't love you so much I'd be jealous to the point of depression. Also, all the drinks are included."