Laura froze. Luke continued to stare at her, while pulling out a black velvet ring box from his breast pocket. He opened it and pushed it in front of her. Laura stared at it like she was hallucinating. She had not expected anything like this and she was shocked beyond words. She was also angry at Luke for being so presumptuous asking her such a question during their first date!
When she found her tongue, she made choking noises to get the words out.
"Luke I - I can't. I'm sorry." Luke stared at her like he misheard her.
"Come again gorgeous?" he crooned. She raised her head and hardened her jaw line.
"I cannot marry you. This is too much." She got up from her chair and blindly headed for the exit. She had to get out of there.
"Wait!" Luke half-shouted and ran after her. He grabbed her arm and spun her around.
"Did you just reject me? This is a joke right?" he asked half-chuckling. She pulled her arm out of his.
"No, it's not. I can't accept a marriage proposal from you Luke. I thought we were just friends. I never had feelings for you like this."
"Laura, don't be so unreasonable. Do you need time to process things before you say yes? If so, take a week. Heck, take a month. I can plan the wedding myself." Laura staggered back.
"Wedding?! I never even agreed to this! What makes you think there'll be wedding?! I don't need time for anything! I've made myself clear. I won't marry you." she ranted back. Luke's expression darkened and Laura felt a twinge of fear.
"You're pushing my limits princess. Nobody rejects me. What do you have against us marrying? You'll be well taken care of and I can manage the company that you don't want! There's nothing but your stubbornness that's getting in the way." He growled. Laura clenched her teeth before replying.
"For your information, that is not how you propose to someone! And I refuse to continue this conversation because of your despicable attitude!" she said turning to leave. Luke grabbed her again but she wrenched away. A waiting who had been passing by with a tray full of chowder got knocked in the process, toppling the entire tray all over Luke. He let out a yell of rage as hot chowder splashed all over him. He swore strong profanities as the hot soup scalded his skin.
"My Armani! You little wretch, look what you've done!" he screeched at Laura. She turned and fled out, leaving him to shout a string of foul language. She hurried outside, looking for her car. Not seeing it, she pulled out her phone and called the chauffeur.
"Felix, where are you? I want to go home." She said. She got a shock when he said he had left because he thought Mr. Wetmore would take her home. Laura cried out in irritation. How deep was this proposal plot?
She hailed the first cab she saw and got in. she told the driver her address between her panting.
"And floor it." she added. The taxi sped out of the lot just as Luke appeared at the doorway shouting. She watched him from the back of the car, glad that she escaped in time. Luke was still in a rage as he watched her go away. He pulled out his phone and dialed his father's number.
"Dad? That wretch rejected me. She blew me off. What are you going to do about it?" He waited for his father's reply and slowly a sneer appeared on his face at his answer.
"Whatever it takes. Good. Make her pay for this."
The cab sped through the winding roads of the city. Laura pulled out her phone and called a friend of hers.
"Addison? Yeah it's me. No, I'm free tonight. You wanna go do something? I -" she stopped as twenty car horns blared in front of her. A large truck was speeding out of control towards the cab and the driver in a panic swerved left to avoid it. Laura gasped as the truck turned towards them, her heart stopping as she knew it would crash into her. The next moment, there was a terrific crash with shards of metal and glass flying everywhere, the entire road getting blocked because of the two disfigured vehicles. Laura felt several knocks and suddenly a sharp shooting pain shot through her body. She heard the wail of sirens before her vision blurred and the next moment, everything went black. The sounds grew muffled until it all finally faded to silence.
9 hours ago...
Andrew opened his eyes after a quick nap. He was seated in the backseat of the office-provided car driven by a chauffeur. The car glided along at a comfortably smooth speed through open fields and grassy farmlands, not a house or sign of life in sight aside from a few jersey cows. The warm morning sun unhindered by city smog blazed through the glass and Andrew put on his sunglasses.
"Ah, that punk sure picked a peaceful place to hide away." He said to himself. He checked his watch. It showed five minutes past ten in the morning.
"Oswald, how long till we get there?" he asked the driver.
"About fifteen minutes sir. But I should warn you the trip back to New York will be much longer. The traffic hadn't kicked in so we were able to make it in three hours."
"That means I'll have to convince him to come back with me before the day is up." Andrew said, biting his lip. "I hope he's not as stubborn as I remember."
In a few short minutes, the car pulled up in front of a rundown old farm house. Next to the house stood a large garage with a paint peeled sign above it saying 'One-stop Repairs'. A few bikes were parked in front of it and inside the open garage was a young man sitting in the midst of a ton of machinery parts and wires. He wore dusty overalls tied at the waist, a white grease stained vest and goggles. Apart from his shabby appearance, he had dark hair and sharply attractive features distinct of Asian roots, not unlike Andrew. His body bespoke military training with its heavily toned muscles and slender waist.
"Yah, Kim Ji Hoon!" Andrew called as he got out of the car. The man raised his head to see his visitor, not having heard the car come up since he was too absorbed in his work.
"You idiot, I told you not to call me that in public." He said with a slight grin. Andrew chuckled and went and gave him a bro hug.
"It's been a while." He said in Korean.
"Not long enough to miss your ugly face." Ji Hoon replied lightly. Andrew gave him a fake pout.
"My girlfriend says I'm the most handsome guy she's ever dated." He said. Ji Hoon gave a snort of disbelief.
"Poor girl, she hasn't dated much." He said. Andrew laughed.
"Same old Ji Hoon."
"Since you're sticking to our patriotic names, what have you been up to, Tae Wook?"
"It's good to hear you call me that. Only my parents still use my Korean name."
"What do the white collars call you?" Ji Hoon asked, eyeing Andrew's stiff white and blue suit.
"Andrew, what else?"
"Uh-oh, you've switched to three worded answers. Sounds like this is getting serious." Ji Hoon said, narrowing his eyes. Andrew cleared his throat.
"Sharp as ever I see. You're right by the way, I'm here to offer you a proposal. Is there somewhere private we can talk?"
"There's no one but us around here for miles, my kitchen is pretty roomy. But you should know, you're not my type and I have no intention of -"
"I don't mean that you, idiot!" Andrew said, smacking him off the back. He withdrew his hand massaging it.
"Ow, you still work out? What do you do, carry twenty gallon water tanks?" he asked.
"You could say that. Follow me. All I have is coffee so I hope you had a good breakfast."
"Yeah, the white collars pay for three course meals so I'm good." Andrew said following him in. When they had sat down with mismatched coffee cups in hand, Andrew spoke, this time on a serious note.
"I have a job proposal for you - with good pay." Andrew said, getting to the point.
"First things first. I need to know how you found me and who else knows my location." Ji Hoon said, leaning back with his arms folded.
"Hired three detectives and besides them, only me." Andrew replied. His voice became gentler. "Are you still on the run from them?"
"What does it look like?"
"I suppose I should've expected that. have you had any trouble since coming here?"
"Not in six months. I have no passport and no ID so I can get away with anything around here."
"How long have you lived like that?"
Close to a year." Andrew paused, thinking about Ji Hoon's answer.
"So what's the job?" He asked. Andrew met his gaze as he spoke a single word.
"Bodyguard." Ji Hoon snickered.
"You're considering a dangerous ex-spy for the job of babysitting some rich American you work for?" he asked.
"Yes." Andrew's short answer made the smile fade from Ji Hoon's face.
"You're serious." He stated.
"Dead, yeah."
"Then forget it. You know I can't be in the public eye. I'm already wanted in one country. I don't want another target on my back here."
"You'll be well provided for. Not just the basics, I'm talking passport and ID. The FBI won't look twice at your record because there won't be one. You'll be a free citizen in this country working a high paying job with no questions asked." Ji Hoon's foot shook with nonchalance.
"You wasted your time if you came for that. I'm not interested."
"Ji Hoon." Andrew said sharply. Ji Hoon let out a loud breath.
"Why? Why the interest in me?" he asked.
"Because you're my best friend. You're like a brother to me. and I can't sit back and let you flounder through life dodging those people like some hunted criminal. Because you're not. You saved my life once; now let me pay back that debt."
"Everybody sticks their necks out for each other in the military, Tae Wook. It's nothing special."
"It is to me. When I lost touch with you last year I was afraid to contact you for fear of endangering you. but now that's changed. You have a chance at a normal life."
"I am living a normal life. I have a roof over my head and food on the table. Local folks pay me to fix their appliances. Tourists pay me double to fix their phones and laptops. I don't need anything more." Andrew looked at him with something like pity.
"Is that all you want out of life? Throwing all your skills and training away at twenty eight?"
"I'm retired."
"Come out of retirement." Andrew said as he stood up slamming his palms on the table. He sighed.
"Please. Consider." He said. Ji Hoon stared long and hard at Andrew's face.
"Who is this VIP that's got you begging at my door?" he asked finally. Andrew's face broke into a smile. He pulled out a newspaper sheet and an envelope from his breast pocket. He pushed it to Ji Hoon. Ji Hoon read it silently.
"It really is a bodyguard job... you didn't find anyone else for it?" he asked.
"Not anyone I can trust. And the VIP needs someone who exceeds expectations." Andrew replied.
"So you came to someone who falls far below them."
"Nothing you do can make me underestimate you. I've seen you in action. Plus, you'll look good in a black suit." Ji Hoon leaned back and closed his eyes letting out a groan.
"You're a pain in the neck when it comes to persistence." He said.
"Not half as much as you are." Andrew replied carelessly brushing his suit sleeve of stray dust. Ji Hoon snorted. He took the envelope and opened it.
"Upfront payment is eight thousand. You'll get two sixty a day and ninety nine thousand a year if you sign the contract. You'll also be provided free room and board, a company credit card and job security." Andrew said as Ji Hoon read the papers.
"That's a lot of money."
"He's desperate." Andrew replied. Ji Hoon took out the last sheet from the envelope and was surprised to find it was a photo.
"That's the VIP." Andrew said. Ji Hoon halted, studying the photo with interest. It was a picture of a young woman with brown hair and soft delicate features making her look almost fragile. But her smile caught his attention. It wasn't like the ones he saw on models in billboards or magazines. It was a comforting smile that made him think of his lost family.
"Laura Talavera. Maiden name Hale." Andrew explained.
"She's married?" Ji Hoon asked.
"No, adopted. She's twenty one, currently working as an intern but her stepfather intends to set her up at the company. She is the heiress to a massive fortune. She's also a target."
"For what?"
"Murder." Andrew's answer made Ji Hoon clench his fist.
"And the one employing you?"
"Her stepfather - Jason Talevera. Second richest billionaire in New York."
"Talavera. I've heard the name. Real estate, right?"
"Yes."
"And he's willing to hire a bodyguard for his adopted daughter? Lotta trouble to go through."
"He cares about her. She's his only successor. He's divorced and wants someone to take over his empire."
"She doesn't look like the empire ruling type."
"That's for her to decide. But until certain deals go through, which should be within the year, she's in danger."
"You trust me with all this information?" Ji Hoon asked with a skeptical smile.
"I trust you with my life." Andrew said fervently. Ji Hoon combed his fingers through the bangs on his forehead.
"Alright, I don't see anything stopping me from taking the job. When do I start?" he asked at last. Andrew smiled widely.
"Tomorrow. You drive back with me today." He said, looking thrilled.
"Whoa, today? I gotta close up shop and -"
"I'll take care of that. Just pack your personal belongings and take a shower. I'll make some calls and arrange everything else."
Shower?" Ji Hoon asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah punk, you're gonna be working with the big guys. Besides, you don't want to disappoint the lady smelling like sour milk." Andrew said with a smirk. He hopped to the side as Ji Hoon took off his vest and threw it at him.