Hye-jae: Book 4

West Coast Wonders Part 45

As the plane broke through the cloud cover on its descent to land, Hye-won's view - the sky-scrapers of downtown San Francisco huddling at the base of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, the wider bay area stretching to the bright, blue horizon - was truly spectacular.  I've seen pictures but it's even more stunning in real life.  

It was hard to believe that she had taken this flight to the west coast.  Leaving the children had been a wrench - both slightly tearful but also very excited to spend the weekend with Ciara.  The plans they had hatched seemed endless but the highlight was definitely the plan to visit the zoo, with Ciara's special friend, Julie - as she described her to the kids, to Hye-won's indulgent smiles.  The children's pets' names both meant friend - Hye-jae's brown and white female now called Cara, which Ciara had told them meant friend in Irish, while Seon-won's black and white male was called Chingu - friend in Korean.  Ciara had helped them to write the names on tags to hang around their necks and it was Seon-won - with his cleverness with words - who had seen that both names began with the letter C and coined their collective name as CC, which quickly morphed into Cici, though privately, Ciara and Hye-won had laughingly decided that CC could just as easily stand for Cuties with Cuties. The kids had so much fun trying to teach the pups to recognise their names, the house ringing with calls of Cara...Chingu...Cici, all monikers equally ignored.  Looking now at her 2 slightly doleful cuties with their arms full of their licking, squirming friends - Ciara between them, an arm around each - Hye-won had again been so glad that Ciara and the puppies too had found their way into the children's lives and hearts, becoming so loved so quickly.  Like what happened me with Seon-jae, I suppose.  That thought had her smiling to herself as they glided lower and golden sunlight flooded the plane.  Appropriate, considering we are landing in the Golden City.

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As Hye-won walked through the arrivals door, her mind was recalling the wonderful reunion that she had shared with her love in New Orleans just a few weeks before and her eyes scanned for Seon-jae's distinctive looks, her tummy feeling the fluttering effects of excitement keenly now.  There were so many people awaiting loved ones that she didn't see Seon-jae's tall presence immediately but when she did, she paused a moment - the flow of passengers progressing forward without her - as she tried to process what she was seeing - Seon-jae's handsome face in profile - that one-in-a-million smile, eye-catching, even at an angle - directed, not at her - but towards a beautiful, young woman, obviously Korean.  Hye-won took in her love's shockingly attractive smile and more importantly, its effect on this slim, model-like woman, as a lively, fun conversation was obviously in progress.  The young woman was laughing prettily at something he had said and Seon-jae's answering chuckles made them appear the perfect image of a young couple in love.  Hye-won felt a bitter sting kill the butterflies of expectation in her tummy.  It was an unfamiliar emotion and such a contrast to how her spirit warmed to Seon-jae's hypnotic eyes, as they fixed on her - his beaming smiles all for her, his words eagerly seeking her responses.  She felt queasy with unease.  She couldn't move, she hardly breathed, just looked and felt the shock as a volt of physical pain through her.  Then, as though in slow motion, Seon-jae's head turned, his eyes found hers and his immediate smile lit his face, as he lifted his hand in easy greeting and the pain disappeared instantly, his look flooding through her like liquid fire and her own, answering smile all the brighter, for the darkness from which it had sprung. 

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After the taxi dropped them downtown, Seon-jae had queried whether Hye-won needed a rest after her early morning flight but she was buzzing with excitement to see the city: 'my travel guide tells me that New York and San Francisco tie for the city with the greatest number of coffee houses in the states, so how about we try one out, hmm?'  

Sitting now in a sheltered courtyard on comfortable, cushioned couches, shaded from the bright sunshine by large, canopied parasols, sipping her usual flat white coffee with oat milk, Hye-won was slightly star-struck by how truly beautiful her love appeared to her eyes, up close.  And he was very close.  Though many couches were free, he had chosen to sit - thigh against thigh - beside her, his arm already around her shoulders before the smartly dressed waiter even stopped by to take their coffee order.  Now, with coffees served and first sips taken, he settled himself visibly and allowed his eyes to rest upon his love's features and then to travel a little lower along the beautiful, shapely curves that he tortured himself imagining when they were apart.  With a smile that would melt ice-caps, he fixed her in his sights: 'so, my lovely, tell me everything.'

She paused and the faintest hint of the bitterness she had felt when she had seen that smile sweep over another woman's features made her hold back her stories and savour this moment - his body close to hers, his arm around her back - warmth spreading from his lightly pressing finger-tips through her shoulder blade, his eyes holding hers, his smile filling her vision.  This beautiful man - he is all I could ever want.  Seon-jae saw and understood.  He leaned towards Hye-won and pressed the briefest of grazing kisses to his love, before pulling back a little to gaze on her.  She sighed and surrendered to her aching need.  She leaned closer and imprinted her lips on his, her blazing kiss wiping out everything but this imperious need for each other, that over-rode all cogent thought.  It sent shivers through both of them and when they finally pulled apart, though no-one seemed to have even noticed, both felt the fizz of knowing that this was a taster for later.  A starter for the night.

'God, that was...wow...you missed me.'

'How could you tell?'

She smirked at him, as his ready grin broke through again.

'Maybe I didn't realise how much I missed you, until I saw you smiling so warmly at your school friend at the airport.'

His grin showed that he took the jibe: 'it was funny to meet Ye-jun so far from home.  She seems to be doing well - the modelling, the acting.'

'Well, she is very beautiful.'

He leaned closer, those gorgeous eyes upon her so lively and warm: 'is she?  Maybe, though I didn't really notice...the only beauty I see is here...and here...and here.'

He gently kissed both brows and then the centre of her forehead: 'though it was nice to hear that she is doing ok.'

She could see in his eyes and hear in his tone that he was totally genuine and it filled her with happiness that he really only had eyes for her: 'and was she disappointed that you left as soon as you saw me?'

As soon as Seon-jae's eyes had fallen on Hye-won - easy to pick out, as the only person stationary in a flow of people - she had seen him say something briefly, lift a hand and give a quick wave and, without a backward glance, walk directly to her, to enfold her in his arms for a long, heart-felt hug.  

'Gosh, she was fine.  She was waiting to meet her boyfriend coming in from home so we just said take care and that was it.'

Hye-won leaned and matched his brow kisses and the central point of his forehead: 'well, I'm glad that you enjoyed your reunion.'  And even gladder that that's the end of it.  

'Nothing like our reunions, my love, those blow me away every time.'

He rested his kissed forehead against hers and they both stilled - eyes closed - to rest in this sweet moment after weeks of longing for each other and that was the most beautiful feeling of all.