Someone to Love

Five

Lucas
"Ara?" I said as I entered the apartment.
It was seven in the evening, the first time that I have been home for two weeks and the apartment was dark.
But the Maserati was safely parked in the garage, so either Ara is asleep, drinking herself to sleep, drinking or taking a shower.
"What?" She replied from somewhere.
I hit the lights.
"Where are you?" I said
She opened her door and looked at me.
"Wow, look who decided to go home today." She said
"There you are!" I said
"I didn't know you looked for me when you got home." She said
"Well, I can-"
"Your brother left four hours ago."
I sighed.
"Oh thank god. I was so used to finding you sprawled out the couch either drunk or half-drunk." I said
"And then he's back to his mean old self."
"I am not mean."
"What, you're just stating a fact?"
"Yeah."
"Then, I'm just stating a fact."
I rolled my eyes.
"You know what I realized?" She said
"Huh?" I said as I removed my socks.
"Yeah, while watching you and your brother probably bicker in Korean."
"Ah, you caught that huh?"
She nodded.
"Sorry about that." I said
"It was no problem, I just realized that I am missing a lot." She said
"How so?" I said
"Well, for starters, you have a brother to talk to." She said
I frowned.
"Why, you and your brother are not the talking type?" I said
She scoffed.
"I wish it was that way, honestly. But that is not the case." She said
"What, not that close enough to talk about feelings?"
"No, he can't talk." She said
"He's mute? Surely, sign language is a way of communication." I said
"No, he died."
"Oh, sorry to hear that. If I may ask, how did he die?" I said
She stood up and got something from the cupboards and came back with a bottle of tequila, and two drinking glasses.
"Can you drink with me?" She said
"Huh?"
"I don't know if you drink, or even drink tequila,but please?" She said
I'm betting she's not thinking of doing some shots.
I shrugged.
"I may need a drink or two." I said
"Thanks." She said as she poured some on the glass.
"So, my question. How did he-" I asked
"Brain aneurysm." She replied
"Oh, wow. Instantaneous?"
"One moment he's just taking a nap, next thing you know you're fucking driving like a maniac with a learner's permit with your unconscious brother strapped to the seat. Drink up. " She replied as she handed me the glass.
"Aneurysms are pretty deadly." I said as I drank up.
"Yeah, the bad thing about it is that, he died and it wasn't my fault. My parents are not close to us, and probably the reason why I came to exist is that they needed someone to have their surname and be the ones to hold on to their wealths when they die. So, Arthur was the only one that I had. We basically supported each other, emotionally." She said
I drank up.
"How old was he?"
"He was about 16, I think."
My, I think this is the first time that I'd drink a drink like this, but I think I might end up drunk.
"It's his death anniversary today. And we're really not in to celebrating those stuff, but I just want to remember him. Because if he were here, I won't be stuck here." She said as she drank, bottoms up.
"Stuck here?" I said, she looked at me and noticed that I was just holding the glass.
"Okay, Lucas-" she said as she poured herself another glassful, "-you don't just get to listen, you drink with me. So, why don't we drink, if I finish this glass first, you and I will finish the whole bottle and if you finish first, we go to bed." She said
"I kinda like it that you are talking." I said
She frowned.
"Okay, if you finish first, what do you want to do?" She said
"Uh-"
"I got it! If I finish first, we get finish two bottles, and if you finish first, we'll just finish this one." She said
"I don't think I can finish two-"
"Then try your best to finish first."
"Fine."
She smiled.
"On three. Meaning we drink after three." She said
I nodded.
"Hana.. dool..set!" I said
We drank, and I finished first.
"Damn you and your man throat." She said
"What?"
"Well, I guess we have to finish the bottle."
"Yeah, at least we don't have to go down and buy another one."
I'm feeling a bit hot.
Ara laughed
"Is this your first time drinking Tequila?" I said
"No-"
"No way! What did you do in Stanford?"
"Ara-"
"Oh no! You spent your four years of college in your dorm room?!" Ara said
"Well-"
"Holy shit!" She said
"Okay Ara, to be fair, I am Korean, was new to this country and spoke broken English, who the hell has the patience to even talk to me?" I said
It was true.  It was a miracle that I fixed my English when for about four years, I didn't talk that much.
Up to now, I don't talk much.
Who knew that one full glass of tequila would make me talk? I guess Ara did, and so does others.
"Well, if we came from the same class, I probably would." She said
"What, you? Outgoing, noisy, always seen and probably popular, talk to me? A guy who speaks in broken English, new to the country, quiet, tends to keep to himself, stays in the shadows?" I said
"I'm doing it right now, aren't I?"
"Well, not now. Back in college, surely you've grown mature."
"Okay, the thing is, you'd be the one that couldn't resist talking to me. I might even be the one to approach you."
"Then maybe we should have met back then." I said
"You really did keep to yourself?" She said
"Still doing it." I said
"What was your college roommate like?" She asked
"Oh that. He was a hardcore, frat guy, who couldn't afford to live inside the fraternity house, who also kept bringing new girls and having sex with them in our bunk bed. It was a mess." I said
"Oh my god, that's horrible."
"Get this, I was bottom bunk."
She made a face.
"So, you didn't sleep around in college?"
I shook my head.
"I found it boring."
She frowned.
"I don't think I have ever met a guy who found sex boring." She said
"What? No! That's not what I meant. And I believe I used the wrong words. I meant, that it wasn't in my priorities back then. And with the amount of sex that my roommate had, with me sleeping in the shaking, moaning, screaming bed, I swear, it made me rethink taking up medicine." I said
She laughed.
"Okay, let's drink to that." She said as she poured me another one.
I think I haven't had a drink or two in years. The last drink that I had was back in Seoul, my last night there, and it was pretty wild.
"So, how was your college like?" I said
"Well, I think I pretty much balanced school and parties." She said
"Looks like it." I said
"Lucas, can I ask you something?" She said
I nodded as I poured myself a drink, I think I am getting a hang of this tequila thing.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" She asked
"Me? Yeah, you. I have you."
She laughed.
"No! I mean, an actual real girlfriend. Not the one you take in her Maserati and plead to ask her to have a fake relationship."
"Ah! Well, in that case, no. I'm pretty single."
"Me too. Not that it's an issue or that we should even talk about it."
"So, are we actually planning on finishing the whole bottle?" I asked
"Don't tell me you didn't drink in Korea."
"I did."
"How did it go?"
"It ended up weird."
"How so? Like weird, because of the hang over or weird because you got laid and got hang over?"
"Ha! It was weird for me because of the hang over, but my friends got laid and got hang over."
"So, the soju wasn't enough for you-"
"It's just that I probably didn't feel like I'd get it drunk."
"Get what?" She said
"More like, didn't feel like having sex with a girl, drunk."
"You'd feel dirty?"
"Maybe."
"I think drunk sex is the dirty kind of sex. Next to kinky or something."
"I don't know if you're drunk or just showing your true colors. I don't know-"
"I'm just saying-"
"I sure hope this doesn't change in the morning."
"What does?"
"You're now talking to me."
"It's because you're home."
"Yeah. Well, you're okay." I said as I drank again.
Holy fuck, I think I'm getting dizzy.
Or the world is suddenly spinning or maybe I'm spinning.
"I'm not that bad, once you get to know me." She said
"Not that bad either."
"I don't have a chance to prove that." She said
"Then I'd be home more regularly." I said
"Like that would help."
I settled the glass on the table and looked at her.
"Oh, it would." I said
And then for some reason, I kissed her.
I kissed her and she kissed back. I think she's really drunk.
Or maybe I am drunk.
"Ara-" I whispered
"Shh." She said
I am feeling a little bit lightheaded.
And I think she is too.
Otherwise, we won't be technically touching each other's throats with our tongues.
It's a miracle that I am still thinking clear thoughts while I am overstepping my boundaries with my drunk, hot, good looking, overly dramatic, roommate.
"I think we should get a bigger couch." She whispered as she playfully bit my lip.
"Tomorrow." And now I am on top of her.
"No, no. I really mean it's so narrow and-"
I sighed.
I don't want to stop.
"I don't want to stop."
"You're not gonna. I need-"
I stood up.
"Sorry. This wasn-" I shook my head and started to walk away. I mean, what the hell, I'm making out with my roommate.
And then I felt her hand grasp my wrist.
"Wait." She said
"Ara-"
"The uh, bottle is not yet finished. Or are you too drunk to finish it?" She said
I shook my head, and then she let go.
"I have work tomorrow. And I'm drunk." I said
"Boo." She said
And then I walked away.
..
I woke up feeling like I have been hit with a bottle on the head.
And I haven't been home for a while to realize that I left the curtains drawn back. It doesn't help with the fact that I was up drinking with my roommate last night.
I sat up ever so slowly and looked at the clock.
8:59am.
Oh wow.
I don't think I am ever gonna drink again.
When I finally managed to stand up and see things in their usual way, I stepped outside my room. And as expected, and as were experienced, Ara was not in the couch, she's on the floor, sprawled out and I think she just slept there, next to a bag of chips and an empty bottle of tequila.
Whatever happened last night, I have to admit, it is a bit fuzzy.
I went to the fridge and got a bottle of water, after all the drinking, I may or may not be dehydrated. Chances are, I am.
I looked at the clock again, 9:05.
Oh my god! 9:05!
I have to get to work!
When I got to work, I think every doctor, nurse and person that I passed by looked at me.
I'm pretty sure I took a shower, combed my hair and zipped up my pants when I left the apartment.
Hell, I even cleaned up the mess.
And all the attendings were in the attending's lounge when I entered.
"What's going on?" I said
"You're late, Seo." Aldrich said.
"I know, sorry-"
"Seo is late for the first time in what, since he started here." Karen said
"Sorry for-"
And then the whole room cheered.
"Huh?" I said
Okay, the thing about these work 'friends' is that, we rarely see each other, when we do, we just share occasional nods and how are yous, fight about patients, occasionally, and we really don't know much about each other, hence we are not really obliged to talk about personal life.
"And, he has a girlfriend! A very hot one, I have to say." Bill said
"Thank you, I guess?" I said
"And I guess she kept you up all night."  Mary said
"Uh,-"
"Dr. Seo, patient with-" a resident suddenly said.
"Right, coming." I said as I settled my bag on the table, and left.
I walked with the resident to wherever the patient was.
"What's your name again?" I asked her.
"Uh, Bernadette." She said
"Right, and you're assigned to me since when?"
"Three months ago." I said
I nodded.
"Right, I really..sorry! Dette, my head is a mess." I said
"Up drinking with your girlfriend?"
"Uhm, y-how did you know?" I said
"Dr. Seo, you have never been late to work since like ever, well ever since I started here. And then, the day that your alleged girlfriend kisses you on the elevator lobby, you rush home and then came back the day after, three hours late and with a busted lip."
"A busted what?"
"Either you two engage in real rough play or you bit your lip too heard."
I grabbed my phone and checked, and yep, my lip is busted.
"Wow." I said
Not that busted, but compared to the state that my lip has been for the past years, this is pretty busted.
Anyway.
"I think I'm the one who did this. I don't think Ara did this."
"So, if some people teeth grind, you bite your lip while sleeping? You sir, need to see a sleep specialist."
"Dette, can we focus now?" I said
After a little long day, I decided to head home. I don't usually do that, but I do anyway.
I don't know if it's because I'm tired or maybe because I'm looking forward to seeing my roommate.
And then she was there, sitting down on the couch, watching some Netflix.
"You're home?" She said, facing me.
And then I can't help but look at her lips.
And then it dawned to me.
Oh my god, I kissed my roommate last night.
"Um-"
"You're rarely home, and now you're here. And I haven't had dinner yet so,-" she said
I just looked at her.
"Uh, let's just order something." I said
"Great. What are you in the mood for?" She said
"I really don't know. Up to you, Chinese or pizza, I don't care."
I kept looking at her.
"Would you like to go to Korea with me?" I said