When ex-boyfriend Jamie shows up at Baked With Loved with a proposition, Kate is split between protecting her heart and saving her business.
(Extended Summary inside!)
JAMIE TARTT x OC
TED LASSO, SEASON 3
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Darcy muttered under her breath, a smile brewing.
Hwang Minjoon was like sunshine after rain. He'd always been kind and with enough love in him to overwhelm a crowd. He was a children's book illustrator when they first met at a coffee shop a few years ago, and by the time he and Kate split up, he was a published author himself.
"I thought I was imagining things, but it is you. You look great as per usual," he said, looking far more put together and effortless than she.
Like a fish, Kate opened and closed her mouth. With the buzz she had going, she couldn't seem to form a coherent thought that didn't begin with 'Holy' and end with 'shit.'
Minjoon approached the table, taking the time to smile at Darcy and Evan. "Wow, the whole gang's here! Hi guys, it's been a while. How've you been?"
Kate downed the rest of her drink and then Evan's. She would have gotten Darcy's too, but Darcy was just a tad faster.
"You're getting married?" Kate's eyes brightened at Minjoon's engagement pictures.
After three glasses of water and throwing back up Evan's whiskey, Kate had finally sobered up. Minjoon, ever understanding as he was, even held her hair back as she vomited into a trash bin outside. And upon waving them away, saying she was fine, Evan and Darcy went back inside to drink more while Minjoon and Kate took a seat on the curb.
"Yeah, I took her to Paris last month. She loved it, and she loved it even more when I got down on one knee," he said excitedly, swiping his phone to show bits and pieces of the rest of their trip—romantic dinners, tourist traps, and silly selfies.
Kate zoomed in on the ring, and her eyebrows shot up. "Your recent release must be doing pretty well."
Minjoon laughed. "That, and I had some money saved up for this. What can I say? She deserves the best."
"Is that her kid?" She pointed at the young girl sitting between Minjoon and his fiancée, Hana.
He nodded. "That's Julie, her daughter from her first marriage. Maybe one day you can all come around and meet them?"
"Yeah, that sounds nice."
She could see the way he warmed even at the sight of Hana and Julie, and her heart tugged (with happiness for him). He was so in love, and it was clear now that in his life, she was just a stop that had to be taken before he found 'The One.'
So what the hell was the deal with Jamie?
Minjoon slipped his phone back into his jacket pocket. "So what's going on with you? All good in the world of Baked With Love?"
She scoffed. "God, I wish. Everything is so complicated right now. My world is in absolute disarray."
"Does it have to do with that guy?"
"What do you mean?"
Minjoon nudged her. "Come on, you know . . . the guy. The one you clearly weren't over when we got together."
For the second time tonight, she was left speechless, and he was quick to continue. "I'm not upset about it. Not anymore at least because God knows I was a grouch for weeks after we split. I mean, why do you think we broke up?"
"Because our personalities didn't match," Kate answered, reciting what he'd told her when he dumped her all those years ago.
She remembered it vividly.
"Jiyoon, I think we should stop seeing each other. I . . . Our personalities just don't match. We should stop while we're ahead."
Minjoon was shocked. "Jiyoon, I broke up with you because even though I really liked you then, I could see your heart belonged to someone else. And I had the tact to take a step back."
"Oh . . ." Kate wondered if the ground would open up and swallow her right then.
Before she could apologize or trip over her words to cut the silence with something anything, Minjoon began to laugh. "Don't get all in your head. I said I'm not upset. I'm just curious now. Tell me about him."
"He's a football player," she started. She took out her phone and scrolled until she found a half-decent photo of the both of them—from one of their late-night ice cream runs. "But honestly, his title should be Professional Dipshit with the way he's pulling around my emotions."
"So you like him?" He asked
"He doesn't like me," she answered.
Minjoon shook his head, a knowing glint in his eyes shining already. "That's not what I asked, but judging by your answer, I take it that you do?"
Kate sighed. "I'm pathetic, aren't I?"
"Absolutely, but who hasn't been hung up on an ex?" He dodged her hand chasing him for a smack. "You know, I never did get to hear the entire story between you and this guy. What happened?"
"It's . . . a lot."
"I've got time."
🧁 ━━━━ END OF CHAPTER NOTE
Long ass chapter I know . . . Surprise, shawty! I know adding an ex to the plot is cringey and over-done, but I was reading a webtoon, and honestly, it's the perfect plot device. Also, I wrote Minjoon with Kang Tae-oh in mind. He's literally a sunshine baby!! Feel free to imagine whoever you please, but I've included a mini moodboard below ↓
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