Someone to Love

Thirty-Eight

Lucas
Charles was driving us into the tarmac, Ara was giving last minute instructions to Kate, as this trip was all so sudden. Charles is coming with us to Seoul to well, drive us around and Kate was to stay here as she is still Ara's executive assistant.
The hospital was quick enough to give me permission to take a 2-week break because I still have a lot of unclaimed leaves, I'm getting married and I am getting married to the half-owner of the hospital. It was also a good thing that it's the resident's big exam so I'm not leaving them teacher-less.
"Also, have IT check my email filters again. There are still a few death threats that come through my main company email."
I frowned and looked at Ara.
"Got it."
"If possible, have that email blocked and tracked. Thank you."
Before I could even comment, we reached the Hayden jet.
"Is this a new one?" I said
"Which one? That?" I nodded.
"We flew using commercial flights the first time we were going to Seoul." I said
"Yeah, I was banished before. Basically, meet Petunia." She said as Charles opened her door for her.
"Who's Petunia?" I said
"My jet." She said as she approached who I think is the pilot.
"Her jet?" I whispered to Charles as I helped him unload the trunk.
"Yeah, she didn't want to book a flight like a normal person. Or at least have me book a flight like a normal person." Kate said
"This is hers?" I said
"Yeah, it was easier actually. I was able to secure a permit from Mr. Hayden in less than 6 hours."
"You get it from her dad?"
"He manages the Hayden Jets."
"Babe! You coming or what?" Ara shouted at the foot of the stairs.
The jets interiors are sweet af, I mean, I flew private before and as growing up but this is modern.
"Sweet, huh?" She said as she sat down.
"Oh god, I miss flying private." I said as I sat down across her.
"Much better than flying business or first class right?" She said
Then a stewardess came in.
"Good morning, Miss Hayden, Dr. Seo. My name is Anne and-" Ara cut her off.
"We'll have two glasses of champagne please." She said
"Right away."
"Love, it's 5am."
"You should taste it." It tasted divine but I am not the type to drink at 5am.
We fell asleep shortly after that, it wasn't the alcohol we were just plain tired. Last night, we were able to go home at 7, and we did pack everything in a hurry because the jet was only available at in the morning and it's a 14 hour flight. We would arrive at around 7pm, and Kate was assigned to book us a hotel. And it was a good thing that she was able to get us a room in the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul. Ara is very particular with where she stays and she doesn't exactly mind how much she spends.
I woke up at about 8am, of course, New York time and there was a message from Jae Kyung. He was more than happy to hear that we'd be flying to Seoul. And also that I was getting married to Ara. He isn't in Korea now as he needed to address some business in London but he said that he made sure that he will be here on the 15th. Then there was also a message from Mom, who says that she was overly excited to hear that we are on our way to Seoul and is already scheduling a lunch with us.
I sighed and found myself staring at my sleeping fiancée. She wasn't able to sleep last night as she was  fixing out some instructions for Katherine, and packing up for the trip and also, somehow preparing the wedding.
I logged in the hospital account and checked my patients' chart, but before I could even reach a patient's name, the flight stewardess came in and started speaking to me in Korean.
"Excuse me, Dr. Seo?" She said in Korean.
"Ye?" I said
"Would you need anything? Drinks? Breakfast?" Seriously, this woman is showing off her skills and why the hell she was hired by the Haydens.
"Uh, I appreciate your effort, truly. But there is no need to talk to me in Korean. I understand and talk English very well." I said in English and she looked absolutely dumb-founded.
"I uh-"
"I'll just wait for Ara to wake up and we'll eat together." I said
"Very well." She said as she walked away.
Patients are doing well, nobody is dying and there is nothing to do on the plane, so I went back to sleep.
I woke up with Ara staring at me intently.
"Good morning." I said
"Hi." She replied
"What time is it?"
"2pm."
I sat up.
"What?"
She just nodded.
"I haven't slept that long since, what, high school? To be fair, I woke up at 8." I said but then she was handing me a small bottle of Listerine.
"Do I need it?" I said
She just smiled.
"I was on the way anyway."
Ara was standing near the restroom when I got out.
"What?" And then she hugged me.
"What happened?" I said
"I realized that we are getting married in a few days."
"That just hit you?" I said
"And that I have to adjust to your slight snoring when you're tired."
"I don't snore."
"I don't think it's as bad as an actual sleep apnea but when you're tired, you're tired." She said as she let go of me.
"And what makes you think that you don't snore?"
"I always sleep in a beautiful way."
And she frowned as she looked at me.
"Since when did you start wearing glasses?"
"I wear glasses every time I'm home. Reading."
"Why?"
"What do you mean why?"
"Aren't like, brain doctors supposed to have good eyesight?"
"Well, yeah. I wear it because my eyes get a bit irritated in sudden light exposure. And I accidentally looked out the window a while ago."
"Oh."
"And that I was staring at you for too long."
"What? My hair is too blonde?"
"No, but you gave a significant amount of sunshine in my life so much so that-" and then she threw a pillow on me.
"No cheesy lines."
Just then, Anne came in and asked if we wanted to eat. Apparently, Ara doesn't eat especially when she's x-thousand feet above the ground so she just had Anne bring me some food.
"You're not eating?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Because I feel like I left my guts on the ground."
"You're not planning on poisoning me, right?"
"Why would I? I'm not getting anything from you." She said, with a smile.
"So, who did you invite to the wedding?" I asked her.
"We're supposed to invite people?" She said
I almost choked on the baked salmon that I was eating, seriously, private jet food?
"Duh! It might be for a magazine but we are still actually getting married! You didn't invite anyone?"
She rolled her eyes.
"Katherine would be handing out the invitations later or now, I don't know. We just received it early this morning."
"But that doesn't answer my question." I said
She sighed.
"Okay, I may be a rich socialite bitch, but I don't have that much of friends. The Andersen twins are coming, um, I think Kendall is coming too, uh-"
"Kendall?"
"Uh, oh! Ed-" and just started to ramble on names that are pretty known.
"They're really coming? That trumps my guest list!"
"Why, who's on your list?"
"Every big name in Korea."
"What?"
"They are endorsers for some company brands. And I knew some of them growing up."
"Oy, why do I feel like this is not just going to be on a wedding magazine?"
And then I looked at her.
"I don't think it's already limited to that."
"Fuck it, we're gonna be featured in a gossip column. Oh my god."
"What? I don't think-"
"Babe, celebrities are gonna be there. For sure, they'll prepare for this. Oy." She said
But then all of a sudden, my mother is asking for a FaceTime.
"Work?" Ara said
"Uh, no. Eomma." I said, as I answered it.
"O! Lee Kyung-ah!" She said. She was home, sitting in our living—her living room, probably having her tea.
"Annyeong, eomma." I said, obviously greeting her in Korean. But then Ara sat next to me and looked at my phone.
"O! Hello, Ara!" Mom said in English.
"Oh! Hi, uh,-" she suddenly looked at me, "What do I call her? She's not a Mrs. Seo, right?" I smiled.
"Eomma, Ara is asking what would she call you?" I said in Korean.
My mother laughed and said-"Ara, call me eomma." She said
"That's actually better than calling you Miss Choi." I said to Ara in English.
"Okay then, annyeonghaseyo, eomma." She said but then before my mother could follow up, Ara's phone rang and she had to answer it.
"How are you getting to the hotel? Do you need me to have someone to pick you up?" Mom said in Korean.
"No need, Ara brought her chauffeur along. And her secretary made arrangements for a rent-a-car or something." I said
"Ah, when are you landing?"
"About four hours from now."
Ara was lying down on my leg for the next two hours.
"We're getting married in a few days." She said
"Yeah, you don't need to take my name though."
"Ara Seo-"
"It means alright in Korean."
"Yeah, it doesn't have a good ring to it though. We could take each other's names though. Amara Hayden-Seo and-"
"Hayden-Seo Lee Kyung?" I said
She laughed.
"Lucas Hayden-Seo. Babe, I don't know if I'm taking your name-"
"You don't have to. Koreans don't do that."
"You don't need to and have to use Hayden though, it's weird."
We were so bored on the last hour, that we really contemplated on just having sex in the bathroom.
The ground felt great the moment we set foot on it, but it was raining and I can't help but notice Ara's shoes getting wet.
"Love, aren't those expensive?" I whispered as we walked.
"Which?" She said
"Shoes." And she just patted my back.
"I sure hope your legs work, Charles." Ara said as we bucked up.
"I have to say, Miss Hayden, your jet is one fine aircraft." He said
"Do you have an international license?" I asked Charles.
"Lucas-" she said with a face as if I just asked the most absurd question ever.
"Yes, Dr. Seo. Miss Hayden travels a lot and she needs someone to drive her around."
As soon as we were able to check in the hotel, we have decided that we are gonna rest first. But then, when we arrived in the room, Ara was just on the balcony, looking at Seoul. Luckily it stopped raining. I just proceeded with my unpacking.
But then, I stopped unpacking when I noticed that Ara is standing outside for 45 minutes now and went to the balcony, back hugging her.
"You okay?" I said, placing my head on her shoulder
"Yeah, I'm just tired." As she rested her head on my head.
"It's a bit cold out, you might catch a cold." I said
"I don't believe in that actually. But thanks." She said
At least I'm keeping her back warm.
Then I realized she hasn't eaten anything for at least 18 hours now:
"Are you not hungry?"
"What?"
"You didn't eat on the plane, on both airports, did not stop for food, are you not hungry? It's been 18 hours."
"Really? I haven't noticed actually."
"Well, I noticed and I am kinda hungry."
"Go get some room service."
"Are you kidding me?! Those cost a fortune."
"Not that that's a problem, if you are hungry, then eat."
"I'll just have food delivered, authentic ones." I said
She smiled as she walked back in.
"Order whatever, I'm just gonna lie down for a while."