No Love Allowed

Ten

After checking in with Kyungsoo, who gave him strict instructions from Suho to mingle, Sehun decided to head for the elderly women. He figured they were the safest group to hang around while waiting for Chanyeol to arrive with his fake girlfriend, hopefully made over into a bran-new Suzy on the outside. Knowing his cousin's talents, he was confident she would fit right in with Seoul elite once Chanyeol was done with her.

Unfortunately, on his way to the grandmothers of the richest, he was intercepted by one of the mothers. She pushed a plate into his hands that contained the traditional trays of appetizers into his hands with a side order of not-mentioning that her daughter is single.

Aish. Sharks. It was like they smelled him and every unattached male within the party's perimeter.

As soon as he had politely declined the mother's offering of a bride and entered the garden, he had been invited to no less then ten events outside the ones he already had to attend for the firm - several birthday parties, dinners, and a few of Fourth of July lunches, barbecues, and even parties - some of which were scheduled on the same day.

It took him thirty minutes to make it to the elderly women group. Mind-numbing, but the mothers didn't dare interrupt the elders when they gathered, so he endured. His brain collapsed the moment the conversation switched into the idea of him being available for their granddaughters, who were somewhere, and if he could wait just a moment they would arrived.  It sickened him that they - the elderly women - were all seen as matchmakers to create "love." Bleh.

Checking his watch for the hundredth time, he cursed his cousin for being late and leaving him to look after himself. Normally he would have been Baekhyun's side, but the swimmer from the Byun clique was just as much of a shark magnet as he was. Without Kai to act as their shield - there was always safety in numbers - sticking together wasn't in their best interest at these parties.

Where were they?

"Who is that pretty flower with Chanyeol? Don't tell me he's off the market. My Jinah has eyes for him." Mrs. Im craned her neck toward the ice sculpture by the entrance to the garden. Her companions followed her gaze. Murmurs of speculation hummed between all of them.

With his height, Sehun looked over their heads toward his cousin and . . . his throat tightened. There, in a teal dress that emphasized the elegant line of her shoulders and a new haircut that framed her face, stood the most beautiful girl to have ever graced the Seoul elite with her presence. His expectations had been met and more. Chanyeol was a miracle worker.

Then ugly jealousy made his jaw pop when Chanyeol took Suzy's hand so she could wrap her arm around his. His cousin was just doing the gentlemanly thing by showing those who noticed Suzy was off limits. But damn if it wasn't his role to do that.

Clearing his throat to catch the attention of Mrs. Im and company, he said with a pride and something else he dared not to explore right then, "That's Sooji Bae. My girlfriend."

"Well," Mrs. Im exhaled, hand to her chest.

"If you will excuse me." He treated them all to a friendly smile and handed his plate to a passing waiter before walking away from the elders toward Chanyeol and . . . Suzy. Just thinking her name made his feet to move faster.

"I should punch you in the face for taking so long," he said when he reached them, but the urge to wound his cousin quickly disappeared the moment Suzy looked up at him. Barely - there makeup suited her. Just a soft blush and a light lip. Simplicity at its finest.

"You can't rush perfection," Chanyeol replied, addressing Sehun's previous hostility. "And from the looks of everyone here and the way your eyes are devouring her, my job is done. Play your role, sweetie," he said to Suzy. "Play it well."