All Bets Are Off

Chapter 22

She drank her coffee, ignoring it's hotness, wishing Suzy could be here so she could ask her what she would do. As it happens, she's in a long 2 weeks vacation with her boyfriend and she probably wouldn't ask her if she's here anyway. Discarding the empty cup in the trash bin wishing she could discard her confusing brain as well, she proceeded to go back up to her desk again.

And saw Kim Jaejoong walking toward her coming out of the elevator. She smiled as she neared.

"Sup boss?" She greeted.

But he didn't greet back. He was staring at her face and as he comes closer, he's beginning to look between being mad and concerned. His hand lifted as if to touch her face but it stilled halfway and it dropped to his side.

Dara just looked up at him wondering what's up with him. The odd behaviour is not only hers today.

"Are you okay?" Jaejoong asked studying her face.

Dara snorted. "Of course. I know my face looks like it doesn't, but believe me, I've had worse."

Jaejoong just nodded but there was a tick in his jaw. They stood there for an awkward moment before Dara finally spoke. "Well, I gotta go back now. Cafeteria's all yours."

Dara started to walk past him but Jaejoong grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, enveloping her in his arms. Dara hadn't had time to even breathed out, her head not even coming up past Jaejoong's shoulder as he hugged her. It wasn't a tight hug but it was firm. Dara was blank for a second until she felt a stinging pain.

"Uh... you kinda pulled on my injured arm," she said her voice muffled.

Jaejoong let her go smiling wanly. "I'm sorry," he apologized looking embarassed.

Dara gently massaged her tender shoulder trying not to scowl. She should've known she would again encounter another one of the family who's main point of their life at the moment is to blame themselves on others's misfortunes. She sighed as she tried to rotate her shoulders."Okay, let it out." She swing her hand in a circular motion urging him to go on with it. Jaejoong looked at her, puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

"All those crap like it was your fault, you should've known and all those stuff. Just spit it out so you would feel better and then I could go and tell you it's not and it's my own stupid fault... Seriously. I've heard it from Donghae and I heard it from your grandmother. It's becoming a little tiresome but if you picked that hobby for your own enjoyment of despair, then by all means."

Jaejoong just looked at her as if she had two heads then he laughed. She just raise her eyebrows at her as he cracked up.

"Sorry," Jaejoong said as he got over whatever is making making him laugh. "I just... I was expecting a girl who's traumatized or..." He shrugged as he chuckled. "But of course, I should've known you weren't. I mean, when I spoke with you on the phone I though you were just trying to be brave and... I guess you really are and..." He chuckled again.

Dara just watched him drivel. Then she narrowed her eyes. "Are you high on something?"

Jaejoong shook his head again. "You are... incredible."

"Well, I try not to be but it just oozes out of my skin like sweat." She proceeded to the elevator and pressed the button. She bit her lip trying to keep herself from asking but her mouth opened on its own accord.

"SodDonghaemenshundbeback?" Her voice came out in a rush that it tumbled all together and she closed her eyes in consternation on how idiotic she sounds.

"What?" Jaejoong asked, obviously not understanding what she just said.

"Uh... i mean... did Donghae mentioned when... he would be.... Back?" She tried to sound nonchalant as possible but her mind is already reprimanding her. Donghae said the convention was for a week.Why the hell is she still asking that? Is she stupid?