Someone to Love

Twenty-Five

"Would you like a drink?" I said to Lucas as he eyed every corner of my living room.
"It's so...girly." He said
"Yeah, I know but you have to admit, it's not annoyingly pink."
He nodded, "That's true. It's kinda refreshing."
It's not pink per se, the walls were grey and the couch is white, it only has a few touches of pink.
I didn't even wait for his response to my question, I just grabbed two wine glasses and poured out pink moscato for the two of us.
"Here you go." I said as I handed him a long-stemmed glass.
"Pink moscato?"
"It's the only one I have. I'm lessening my red wine intake, because I'm working nowadays." I said
"Thank you."
I sat down next to him.
"Nice place you got here." He said
"Thank you. It's actually a place that I can really call my own, you know."
"Yeah, especially when you own the floor."
"The apartment doesn't occupy the whole floor, okay." I said
"What?"
"My apartment just covers three units. I own the whole floor yes, but as business. People pay rent to me. But they don't know that." I said
"Oh, how much is rent here?" He asked
"Why, you plan on renting a unit?"
"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked that." He said
"No worries, it's $4000-$7000."
"Wow-"
"You have to understand that this is the center of SoHo."
"Yeah, Louis Vuitton is literally your neighbor."
"I know! How cool is that!?" I said
Some people opt to have a bar or a 7-Eleven as their neighbor but I don't, at least my mother doesn't. I have lived here for a month now and let's just say I can shop without any other people.
"Totally beats my 7-Eleven." He said as we laughed.
"To be honest, I kinda miss your place." I said
"Really?"
"Yeah, it kinda sucks to be alone. Wake up alone, sleep alone, have breakfast alone."
"Ara, you don't have breakfast." He said, as a matter of factly.
"Yeah, I know but I would have breakfast if I had it with someone." I said
"You lived with me for a long time and-"
"I have had breakfast with you when you're home in the mornings. And if you're awake."
"Oh right. You could have just said that you'd want to have breakfasts with me." He said
I scoffed.
"What? That's not what I'm saying." I said
"You're totally projecting."
"Don't you do all psychology with me." I said
"So, you agree?" He said
I just shook my head.
"SoHo is just forty-five minutes away."
"Yeah, I know-"
"I'm saying, if I don't have a surgery or anything scheduled in the morning and if you have the time, we could have coffee-"
I smiled.
"Or have coffee near the hospital or near the building." I said
I looked at him.
"You know, this isn't our first date." I said
He looked at me.
"I have to tell you something." He said, looking all so serious and as if he didn't enjoy the night.
"What?" We're not really a thing yet and I looked at his hand and well, he was uneasy. Nervous maybe.
"Uh, I haven't really, uh-" he said
"Really what?" I said
He looked down on his hands, and stared at them.
"Done it." He said, barely said, hell it wasn't even a whisper.
I looked at his hands, well he was a bit shaking, probably embarrassed about this. I held his hand, and it was slightly uh, I don't know if damp is a good word but whatever.
"Lucas." I said, but he was just staring at his hands.
"There's nothing to-" I started to say but then I think he was too fixated with staring at his hands.
"Lee Kyung." I said as I made him look at me by placing my hands on his face and I smiled.
"I am not gonna force you into this, you should know that. I maybe American but I'm not the type to ask for it." I said, letting go of his face.
"And it's sure as hell as nothing to be embarrassed about." I continued and held his hand tighter.
"Really, now-"
I nodded.
"I'm not all about sex you know." I said
"I kinda imagined it-"
I let go of him.
"Imagined it?" I said
"Not that I imagine it-"
"You're saying that it crossed your mind before."
"Lots of times." He said, smiling.
"I'm very flattered. I think."
I looked at him.
"But I have to say, I thought you have done it before."
He made a face.
"I never really made it off first base."
And then I frowned.
"What are you talking about? I think you reached second with me!"
He shook his head.
"What? You didn't even reach second with me?!"
"No."
"Why?" I stood up to the full-length mirror and looked at myself. Oh my god, is there something wrong with me? Ever since I worked in Hayden Industries, well, after getting my Master's degree, I haven't really been out in the dating scene. Oh my god, that's about two years ago. I haven't had sex for two years now, and well, before someone would have been in third base by now.
I frowned at the thought, I never really liked the third base. I would, most of the time, skip to the fourth.
"I don't have the magic anymore." I said as I looked at the mirror.
"If you decide to stay in first base forever, you'll probably grow tired of me and then leave me. I'll die alone. But then I have to work myself to death because I'm gonna be the Chairman and CEO of Hayden Industries. No one to leave my billions to." I said
And then Lucas came to me, hugged me from behind.
"Nothing's wrong with you, yeobo. I'm sorry to have offended you." He said
"Are you sure? I am keeping an eye on my weight, is my drinking habit making me bloated? Oh my god, are my eyes puffy? My body is retaining so much water, I think-" and suddenly he turned me around and I was face to face with him.
"Nothing is wrong with you, Ara. You're perfect." He said, while looking at me straight into the eye.
"But?" I said
"I wanna do it right by you. I don't think that you are that type of person who I can just have sex with. You're not a fling, and I kinda want this relationship to last, like until I die. I'd say until the afterlife but that's too suffocating, you might get used to me-" he smiled and then I smiled.
"I'm waiting for the right timing." He ended with a hug, and I hugged him back.
"Where have you been all my life, Dr. Seo?" I said
"Either in South Korea or in the library." He said
I smiled.
"Hey, uh, there's this gala happening in the hospital next month and I was wondering if uh-"
I looked at him while we were still in each other's arms.
"Gala?" I should have Katherine check that out, why was I not yet informed and if I am going with Lucas, would that be okay?
"Yeah, uh-"
"Is this a charity gala or something?" I asked
"Yeah, uh-"
"Are you asking me out as a date or as a possible benefactor?" I said
"Benefactor? No, as my date!"
"When is this?" I said
"May 16th."
"Okay." I said
"Okay, meaning you'll check your schedule or-"
"Okay, I mean I'm going."
"Really?" He said
"Yeah, dress shopping is easy."
He left the apartment quite late, he didn't drink a lot, we just talked until midnight but then he said he still has to work tomorrow and I have to work tomorrow.
The next two weeks, we were both quite busy and we didn't see each other physically at all. It was mostly texts and I think we FaceTimed for four times. He was busy, I was busy, and we are not that clingy so, space is space.
"Excuse me, Miss Hayden?" Kate said as she peered through the door.
"Yeah?"
"I have MGH on the line and they are having this charity gala next month, and they are wondering if you can come." She said
"What's MGH?"
"Metropolitan General-"
"Oh! Right, I'm guessing that I should?" I said
"Uh, well you are a board member and-"
"It's a room full of doctors, I doubt anyone would want to talk to me. Unless they need money."
Kate just looked at me.
"It's a charity gala-"
"I know, what are the benefactors?"
"Cancer research or something."
"Did we even receive an invitation? Much more an electronic one?" I said
"Not yet."
I frowned.
"Katherine, seriously? They invited us through phone?!"
Kate nodded.
"Are they assuming that just because I am a board member, I'll automatically be there?"
Kate just looked at me.
"It's ether keep them on the line until they send us the invite or hang up. Just don't hang up, Katherine. Let them." I said
"Noted."
"Seriously, send an invite and then phone them. Plus, the event is two weeks away, they should have at least notified us two weeks ago. I am a very busy woman." I said
Kate smiled.
"And don't they dare tell me that I am difficult, because I'd gladly pull out my stocks there." I said
"You want me to say that too?"
"No, not today."
I don't know how Katherine did it and how she said it but by the end of the day, she already forwarded me an email sent by the gala's organizers, containing the event's invitation and program, and of course a detailed e-mail on what the purpose of this event really is.
Apparently, this event would also award some research funds and research grants on certain attendings or researchers, which is great because it is for medical advancement.
I decided to answer the email a little bit later, I mean, I know they would be expecting that I would reply in an instant but I'd like to think that I am a very busy person, and my late reply is expected. I am so sounding like an entitled bitch right now.
"Miss Hayden?" Kate said as she entered my office with her iPad, I think she's fixing up my schedule. When she first started, well, before she started, I told her that I am a woman of schedule and I like to plan everything ahead. I don't like the feeling of getting lost in the middle of it all, and believe it or not, I think she's got me covered until August.
"You asked me to block out May 16th for you."
"Yes, I did. Uh, a few weeks ago."
"Yes, that's the day of the gala MGH is hosting."
"I am attending, as a doctor's girlfriend but I am still debating if I should attend as a board member too."
"You have a boyfriend?"
I frowned, she was obviously shocked by this revelation, and if Lucas heard that I already have labelled myself, he would freak.
"Why, is that so hard to wrap your head around? Kate, I might be the Vice President but I am also a 25-year-old woman." I said, smiling.
"No, I am just amazed that you can even squeeze that into your schedule." She said with a smile.
She went back to the iPad.
"Well, aside from the gala, we are still pending confirmation on the business trip scheduled on May 17th." She said
"Business trip? To where and what again?"
"Shanghai. To check out how the newly opened shopping mall is going." Kate said
"How long would it take?"
"I have pencil booked the Hayden jet to leave at five in the morning of the 17th. And it is a 15 hour flight, we'll arrive at 8 in the evening-"
"Is it possible to have the flight on the 18th?" She just looked at me obviously thinking, but then the e-mail that contains the program of the gala was opened.
Awarding of Research Grants by Hayden Industries Vice President, Amara Hayden.
"Did you give them my full name?" I asked Kate.
"Give who?"
"MGH."
"No, ma'am. I always have used Ara."
"Then why is my full first name used in the program?"
I don't really like the sound of Amara, I mean sure it sounds nice but it's not me. It's like, some kind of Persian princess or something, and it never really stuck to me.
Kate frowned, obviously confused with what I am saying. But then I just showed her my computer screen, and then she said "I will have them fix this right away."
I nodded.
"Now you can threaten them that I will pull out all my stocks and investments in that hospital." I said