"Er, thank you."
He accepted the small piece of white paper and turned it around and around between his fingers. The waitress glanced back at the table and then walked away.
Ji-pyeong unfolded the note. He blinked hard upon realizing that it was unexpectedly in his native tongue. The handwriting was precise yet clearly rushed.
"Dear Sir,
I have tried to extricate myself from this drunken fool for an hour to no avail. So I am throwing myself on the kindness of a fellow countryman.
A proposition: I have paid for your tab in full. In exchange, I ask that you pretend to be my boyfriend until he leaves. The risk is low, the reward has already been paid. Thank you in advance for your consideration."
Ji-pyeong cocked his head in disbelief at the bold request. The business-like tone and the brazen proposal were so at odds with one another that he read it over again to ensure his understanding.
That takes some nerve.
He looked again at the woman. Her back was still turned to him but her unwanted companion was now reaching across the table. A bolt of anger coursed through him.
Ji-pyeong stood up swiftly and squared his shoulders. Then he tightened the knot of his tie and buttoned his navy pinstripe suit jacket.
This is going to be fun.
He strode across the room, glass in hand. Ji-pyeong didn't know whether it was the absurd challenge or the bourbon that had served as his silent companion, but he felt alive for the first time in months.
He approached the table in the corner like a shark circling its prey. The woman glanced over her shoulder as he drew close. Her ebony hair curved into a swooping crescent moon. Ji-pyeong could not yet see her face but his eyes followed the curve of her hair all the way to the point of her chin.
He took a deep breath and assumed the role of an imposter.
"Hello darling, sorry I'm late. Did you make a new ... friend?"
He spoke in English at first so as to put an end to this unwanted suitor's hopes. The man stared at him, mouth agape.
Then the woman looked up at him. Ji-pyeong's hand curled around his glass tightly just as his feet simply stopped moving.
My god.
She was stunning — all at once elegant yet striking in her features. Bold eyebrows raised up as if asking a question while her brown eyes widened. Her gaze was intelligent, penetrating even. The woman's face was shaped like an almond; yet her delicate cheekbones were challenged by a defiant nose.
But then he was drawn to her mouth. Her lips were red like an exclamation point; their sharp peaks a stark contrast to the pillowed lower lip below. The bright shade of crimson subverted her crisp professionalism. As if something wild lurked below her exquisitely tailored suit.
"Thank you for your help." She answered him in Korean. Her tone was light but her eyes were filled with gratitude. Those lips curled into a smile so lovely that Ji-pyeong blinked to regain his bearings. Then the woman tucked her hair behind her ear smoothly and turned back to her unwanted companion.
"Oh I'm so pleased you can finally meet my boyfriend," her voice cooed in English. "Teddy, please meet ..."
Ji-pyeong stepped forward but slid his free hand into his pocket.
"Nam Do-san."
It's as good a name as any for an imposter.
It seemed absurdly subversive to reclaim the alias. And that felt good.
Chapter One
Start from the beginning
