Pretend Love

Chapter 6: Lucky

"Not even Mark?"

"Mark? No. Why do you ask?"

"I just... I saw you dancing with him at the wedding."

"He apologized for the way he acted. He said he could tell you cared about me."

"I do, you know," Vincent said with sincerity in his voice.

"What?"

"Care."

"Snacks?" a blonde flight attendant offered, interrupting what had quickly become a serious conversation.

When the flight attendant moved on to the next row, Suzy seized the opportunity to quickly change the subject.

"So, tell me about your grandmother."

"Well, she's a great cook. She raised five children, practically on her own. I'm sure she'll tell you all kinds of scandalous stories about her youth, so I won't spoil your fun."

"Does she speak English?"

"Fluently. I'm sure she'll tell you that story as well," Vincent smiled.

"You're being awfully cryptic. How can you be so sure she'll even want to talk to me?"

"She'll love you, I know she will. I can't make the same promise regarding my father, though. He's a hard man, and he's always favored my younger brother. As I am an heir to the estate, he'll have concerns you're marrying me for money. He couldn't imagine anyone wanting to marry me for me."

"He said that to you?" Suzy frowned.

Vincent shrugged. "It's nothing I haven't heard before."

"That's awful, Vincent," she said sympathetic and squeezed his arm.

"I just want you to be prepared. He won't be rude to you if I'm around or he'll make the acquaintance of my fist."

"Vincent! You wouldn't!"

"Oh, I would. Abeoji and I have a lot of unresolved issues. I won't bore you with the details, but I promise you, as long as you're by my side, he won't be saying anything to hurt you."

"I guess I won't be leaving your side, then..." Suzy gave him a weak smile. "At least not during the day."

"What do you mean?"

"You told me your family was traditionalists. My family isn't, but mom still insisted we stay in separate rooms, so at least we won't be expected to share a bedroom at your house."

"Uh... yeah... about that..."

"Vincent?"

"Well, my mother was a traditionalist. Like I told you, she wanted me to marry and have children. My father is traditional in the sense that he wanted me to take over the family business. They all agree that divorce is not an option once you're married. But they're also passionate people, halmeoni especially. I told you she taught me to romance a woman. She won't be expecting us to stay in separate rooms. In fact, I think she'd insist we don't."

"Well... since we would be staying in your house this time, and you were supposed to make me sleep on the floor back in my home, I guess you've got dibs on the couch."

"That's only fair." Vincent shrugged.

Suzy nodded, got out her book and leaned back in her seat.

"For the record..." Vincent whispered in her ear, "I wasn't gonna make you sleep on the floor ... alone."

Suzy tried to ignore the way her whole body reacted just by feeling his breath on her neck, and focus on her reading. It took her a few moments to cool down and be able to answer him in a steady voice.

"You're still sleeping on the couch."

×××××××

"Annyeonghaseyo, Dolyeonnim!" A middle-aged man with graying hair and a mustache greeted them in the arrivals hall.

Vincent shook the man's hand vigorously. "Annyeonghaseyo, Ahjussi," he said, smiling. Then he turned back to Suzy and Richard, who were waiting a few steps behind. "Suzy," Vincent reached for her hand. "I'd like you to meet Im Ahjussi. He is my father's driver, and he would sneak me and Sungjay cookies from the kitchen when halmeoni wasn't looking."

"Of course, Dolyeonnim. Sajangnim was always looking."

Vincent laughed. "Halmeoni. Figures."

"Nice to meet you, Ahjussi," Suzy said and extended her hand.

Instead of taking it, Im Ji-pyo politely bowed. "Yeppeuda. Naui jeulgeoum."

Suzy looked over at Vincent with a puzzled look. He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "He said the pleasure was all his. And that you're pretty."

"Oh. Kamsahamnida." Suzy smiled and bowed at the man, who proceeded to take their luggage out to the car.

When they got outside, Vincent frowned. Im Ji-pyo was loading their luggage into the trunk of a small Fiat.

"Ahjussi, this car does not fit four people and our luggage."

"Hoejangnim was very clear about which car to take," Im Ji-pyo said apologetically. "I took the liberty of bringing another car for you." He nodded towards a black Ferrari parked behind the Fiat. "I thought perhaps you would wish to show Suzyssi the countryside."

"You thought right, Ahjussi," Vincent said, a wide grin on his face. "Don't worry, I'll make sure Aboeji never knows it was your idea."

"Gomapseumnida." The butler inclined his head.

Richard frowned as Im Ji-pyo gestured for the Fiat, where he got to share the backseat with the majority of their luggage and couldn't stretch his legs for the whole two hour ride.

Meanwhile, Vincent got comfortable behind the wheel of the Ferrari, with Suzy by his side, and gunned the engine.

"You know," Suzy got out, "I'm not exactly getting to experience the countryside with you driving this fast."

"I'll slow down soon, we're still in Seoul anyway. We'll be entering a hillier region, so I can't drive as fast there, anyways."

"Oh, okay..."

××××××××

Suzy gazed out the window at the spectacular view of mountains, vineyards and green pastures as Vincent decreased the speed. "It's breathtaking."

"It is, isn't it? I forgot how beautiful it is here."

"How far is your family's estate?"

"It's about a two hour drive from the airport."

"But haven't we been..."

"Driving for longer than that? Yeah... I'm not really ready to go there yet. I wanted to show you something first."

"What?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?"

"Vincent..."

"You showed me yours, I'm going to show you mine."

"Excuse me?" Suzy chuckled.

"Oh, get your mind out of the gutter, Suzy Bae." He rolled his eyes and looked over at her with a smirk on his lips. "I'm talking about that amazingly beautiful garden that symbolizes hope. Now this is what symbolizes luck." he said and gestured out the window.

Suzy turned her head to look and gasped at the sight of never-ending clover. "Wow. It really look peaceful here."

"I heard you love four-leaf clover so I thought you might like to experience a close encounter with them here after such a long flight."

"Kamsahamnida." Suzy opened the window and smiled as a four-leaf clover landed on her hand.

Vincent caught Suzy's breathtaking beauty in his peripheral vision and smiled to himself, thinking of how lucky he was to be with Suzy now.