I sigh and stretch my body while my eyes are still closed. It's so soft and even though I hear the birds chirping outside, I don't want to get out of bed. I love staying in the comfort of my sheets for another half hour in the morning because it gives me energy for the day.
I turn to my other side and I know for sure that the pillow under my head has left a mark on my face from how well I slept through the night.
Very slowly I open my eyes and let the brightness of the morning pull me from my sleep. I blink away the blurriness and that's when my eyes almost fall out of their sockets.
This doesn't look like my room. And my bed definitely wasn't this big. And I didn't have a person in my room dressed in all black with broad shoulders and a strong back standing in front of my window.
I fall out of bed with a thud.
"No big deal. I'm fine." I say in panic and try to get out of the tangled blanket, but I fail to see an escape. I kick my legs and then come into view with Mr. Jeon hovering over me, a worried look in his eyes as he stares down at me.
I stand up quickly, probably too quickly, making me dizzy again for a few seconds. Mr. Jeon stretches out his arms, ready to catch me, but I regain my balance and laugh comically.
I brush my hair out of my face. "I just blacked out for a second. Don't worry."
Mr. Jeon clears his throat. "You should get checked for iron deficiency."
"Yeah, maybe I should," I shrug.
And then we stare at each other. Until I realize what situation we're actually in, and then my eyes widen. I don't remember going back to my room last night and that explains why I'm here right now.
The last thing I remember is that Mr. Jeon went to the lobby to check on the desk clerk for me so I could get into my room because I forgot my key card in there. And then I probably fell asleep while I was waiting.
I cringe internally and heat runs into my cheeks. Why do I always fall asleep in his presence? This isn't the first time, but I swear it will be the last. And the way he's looking at me right now only makes me think I look like a mess. Probably with dried drool on the side of my mouth.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Jeon. I must have fallen asleep." I try to explain. "Why didn't you wake me up?"
"I tried," he says, looking away for a brief moment. "You were already in a deep sleep."
"God, this is so embarrassing," I mutter, more to myself actually, but he seems to have heard it too. He presses his lips into a straight line and looks around the room.
I tie the robe I still have on tighter in the front and pick up the comforter from the floor. I don't know how I tucked myself in while I slept, but I make his bed, making sure I do it nicely, though his eyes on me make me nervous.
I look up at him, the height difference forcing my head back. "Sorry again for the inconvenience." I shake my head. "I literally kicked you out of your bed. Where did you sleep?"
I wait for an answer but after a few seconds he just holds out a card to me. It looks like my key card and I wonder where he got it. Taking it from his hand, I look back up at him and notice that his hair is out of his face today. Not as neat as it usually is in the office but not as fluffy as it was yesterday either.
He's wearing a black turtleneck sweater and his eyes look tired. I feel bad but quietly thank him for the card.
"I asked the desk clerk if he could open the door to your room for me. I hope that was okay," he says.
"Yes, of course." I nod with a smile. I invaded his room so it's only fair that he does the same. It's not like I had underwear lying around anywhere. Or maybe I did? I don't know. "You should have just thrown me out. Thank you."
"No problem," he mumbles.
I take the hint, he probably wants his peace now that I've been bugging him all night. I thank him again to which he nods and then head for the door. I clutch the card like I'm carrying my life in my hand so I don't lose it.
When I step out into the hallway and close the door behind me, I get startled when I see someone standing behind me. "Oh my God!" I almost scream. Looks like people are having fun scaring me. "Mr. Park, good morning."
"Good...morning?" he says slowly, one eyebrow almost reaching his hairline as he looks first at me and then at the door behind me.
Oh.
My eyes widen as I realize what the deal is. He's probably wondering why I came out of Mr. Jeon's room in the morning.
"Is everything okay?" he asks in a laugh as he catches sight of my panicked demeanor.
"Yes, everything's fine. I was just—I wanted to um—" I quickly turn to the door. "I wanted to check the doors. To get an idea. I am replacing the doors in my apartment, you know."
"Uh-huh." He nods, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "And?"
"Really nice doors!" I praise with a laugh. I run my hand over its surface and nod, impressed. "Very sturdy and great quality material."
"Well, then you should ask the hotel staff where they got their doors from if you like them so much." he laughs.
I think I'm doing a good job.
"I will." I smile back, starting to walk back towards my room. I thrust my thumb up and almost trip over my own feet. "I'll see you later, Mr. Park."
I hurry the last few steps to my door after Mr. Park nods at me and swipe the card through the reader. The door opens and I almost fall into my room. Walking past the mirror, I see how red my cheeks are and I curse inwardly.
The morning couldn't have started any worse, but I take a deep breath and decide instead of complaining about it to take a shower. I need it so desperately just like I need a good breakfast because I can hear my stomach growling.
Last night I should have chosen the mini buns filled with cheese instead of the muffin because the muffin was not good. I ended up dreaming about a giant blueberry muffin which tasted so much better in my dream.
After I finish my shower, I blow-dry my hair and get dressed. It's a little after eight in the morning, which means I can make it to breakfast with Josh and the others in time.
When I get down to the dining area, I greet everyone sitting at the table. We have a good breakfast, allowing my stomach to finally settle. And for the rest of the time, I don't run into Mr. Jeon or Mr. Park.
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Since it's our last day here, Josh, me, and three others are headed out on a tour around the resort. When I drove here with Mr. Jeon, I only got small glimpses of the area, but what I saw from the car was already beautiful.
We don't go too far, though, because neither of us knows the way and we don't want to get lost. We pass a small waterfall and I imagine how cool it would be to stand under it and enjoy the freshness of the water.
But it's too cold now that we're in mid-October and I make a mental note to try this in the summer. Maybe I could set aside some of my pay each month and then bring my parents here.
A few people are doing their morning exercise in the little park that's located behind the resort, and I pout a bit because I'll probably have to skip my Sunday yoga today. But I shrug because I got a whole weekend of relaxation instead.
The other three have returned to their rooms because they want to hit the pool one last time, leaving just me walking around with Josh. Josh tucks his arm into mine and we walk down the path together until we pass a fountain.
"Oh, a squirrel." I smile as the cute thing scurries past us. "It's stuffing its cheeks."
Josh nods. "It's probably getting ready to hibernate. I don't know how animals manage to sleep that long but it could be me."
"Squirrels don't actually sleep all the way through. They get up in between to eat," I say, looking up at him because he's almost a whole foot taller than me.
"Girl, how do you always know random shit like that?" he laughs. "It looks like you when you eat, though."
"I like reading things on the internet. And no it doesn't look like me," I shrug. I watch the squirrel stuff seeds and nuts into its cheek. It reminds me of that one picture Megan took of me eating cheesecake. "Okay, maybe just a little."
Josh and I laugh as we continue walking. The sun is beaming over our heads and we are getting sweaty which is why we decide to go back to our rooms and start packing. We only have a few hours until we have to check out and that's enough to get lunch first and then pack.
After lunch, which Lizzie has joined us for, we are on our way to the elevators when Mr. Park runs into us. He is wearing a sleeveless shirt and shorts, probably coming back from a run. He brushes his wet hair out of his face and I can hear Josh gulping next to me.
"I'm going to make him pay for my funeral," he whispers and I almost snort. I punch him in the arm and he lifts his shoulders and drops them again.
I giggle under my breath as he gets closer and Josh stares at him. "Well, guys? You good?" he asks, stopping in front of us.
"Yeah, everything was great, Mr. Park. Thanks again for the trip," Lizzie says, swooning over him the same way Josh does. I can count myself among them, too, honestly.
"I'm glad you guys enjoyed it." he winks. He knows how to talk to people. "By the way, Mikayla? I have an extra seat for the drive back if you want to ride with me. Maybe I can make it up to you because I couldn't on the way here."
"Oh, thank you so much. I'd appreciate that, Mr. Park." I smile. He waves and then walks away, grabbing a water bottle from the counter and gulping it down.
I ignore my red cheeks and the teasing looks from Lizzie and Josh before we ride the elevator up. Lizzie and Josh get off on the second floor and I get off on the third. Once in my room, I get my suitcase out from under the bed and start packing.
After packing everything, watching some TV, grabbing snacks from downstairs for the ride, and playing billiards with Dominic, even though I was so bad at it, it's time to check out.
I roll my suitcase behind me and on to the door. As I open the door, I almost trip and fall because my suitcase is in the way and when I look up I see Mr. Jeon come to a stop a few steps from my door.
He has his suitcase with him as well and he presses his lips into a straight line when he sees me. He has a comfy outfit on and his sunglasses hanging from the collar of his shirt.
"Hi." I smile and he nods.
"Are you ready to go?" he asks.
"I am. Hope I didn't forget anything though." I laugh. "I can get a little paranoid."
He stares at me, probably thinking about the fact that I did, in fact, forget my key card last night. But I was hungry, and that's a valid reason to think of nothing else. I laugh sheepishly, scrunch up my face and look away.
"I'll go check out and then I'll get the car," he says and I nod. "You can check the room if you want."
With that, he already starts walking to the elevators. I consider his words and slide the card through the reader to check the room again. Making sure I really haven't forgotten anything, I then take the elevator down to the lobby.
At the front desk is a young lady this time, who kindly checks me out and wishes me a nice day. Josh and Lizzie have already left, as they let me know earlier in a text message.
I come to a stop in front of the resort and look around for Mr. Park. He told me beforehand that he would meet me here with the others and that I should wait for him. After a few minutes of waiting, a black car rolls closer and comes to a stop in front of me.
Mr. Park gets out and comes to my side. "Ready?" he asks with a smile. I notice through the black foiled window two people sitting in the back seat and Noah sitting in the front.
Just as I'm about to reply that I'm ready to go, something catches my attention. Or rather, someone. I turn to my left and indeed I find Mr. Jeon looking in our direction some distance away.
He is standing in front of his car and although I can't make out his facial expression, I know his eyes are on me. I wonder why he hasn't left yet, but then it hits me.
He said he was going to get the car and asked if I was ready to go. He probably thought I was going to drive back with him because I drove here with him and I start to feel bad. He would have to ride alone if I joined Mr. Park.
"Actually, Mr. Park," I say, slowly averting my gaze from Mr. Jeon. "I already have a ride. Besides, there are already two people in the back seat and I don't want to squeeze them or anything. But thank you for your offer."
He looks around before his eyes find mine again. "Alright, no problem. You're missing out on a fun ride with us though."
I laugh when he winks. "I'm sure I am."
He smiles and I wish him a safe trip before he jogs around his car and gets in. The engine howls loudly as I look after them until they disappear into the distance. I quickly walk with my suitcase to where Mr. Jeon is standing.
"Did I keep you waiting?" I ask worriedly as I stand in front of the trunk waiting for him to open it because I still don't know how to do that. I see him shake his head and that makes me smile.
I place my suitcase in the trunk with a bit of a struggle and then run to the passenger side. We both get in and then drive off.
Maybe Mr. Park was right when he said I will be missing out on the fun in his car because I can so easily picture them listening to music, talking, and just being in a good mood. Probably the exact opposite of what's going on with us right now.
It's quiet, but unlike the other times, it's not awkward this time. We had a whole weekend of fun and a two-hour car ride without noise is then again not as bad as you make it out to be.
Sure, I get a little fidgety if I don't talk for more than half an hour and that eventually leads me to really start talking, but that's okay I guess. Mr. Jeon doesn't seem annoyed by my occasional observations about random things.
Sometimes I feel weird when I am talking and he doesn't respond. Normally that would stop a normal person - not me though - from carrying on but I continue.
Even though I believe he ignores me on purpose, his short responses to some of the things I say prove that he is indeed listening, or rather hearing what I say. I mean he is not deaf after all.
His face remains neutral most of the time though, but I can't make out much anyway because he has his sunglasses on. The evening sun is setting right in front of us, creating all sorts of colors in the sky as I babble on about my favorite show.
But then a ringing tone of a message makes me shut up and I realize it's my phone. I fish it out of the deepest corner of my purse and see a message from my dad, which immediately makes me feel happy.
Dad:
What are you doing, honey?
Me:
Just driving back home
You know, from that spa resort I was telling you about
Dad:
How was it?
Wait, don't tell
Me:
Why? :(
Dad:
Your mom made your favorite food
Come over and have dinner with us
My dad knows me so well that he just knows I can't resist when he mentions that my mom cooked. Especially my favorite meal. I always get happy when she cooks because I appreciate how much work she puts into it.
I remember that I am in Mr. Jeon's car right now and look over at him for a brief moment. He's focused on the road, which makes me take a breath thinking he doesn't see it as rude that I'm on my phone.
I stare down at the message from my dad and chew on my inner cheek because I already told Mr. Jeon I was going home. Would he be pissed if he had to change directions now?
But it's not like we're almost there. We still have at least half an hour to go and he wouldn't really have to change his route.
And then another idea pops into my head.
I turn to look at him. "Mr. Jeon, are you hungry?"
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A/N: every authors nightmare is writing a filler chapter💀