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XOXO,
LOSALINI
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The car ride to the beach was much more than I had expected really, filled with of course my favorite Kpop songs, after all, Douglas did say he wanted to branch out.
I had played songs by Big Bang, EXO, BTS, VIXX and even Monsta X, the rookie group that had just debuted two months ago in May. The thing that made it even more exciting was the expressions and reactions that Douglas had when a song began.
It gave me a reason to study him without coming off as a weirdo. When Love Me Right began, his face was skeptical but then towards the end of the song he was trying his best to sing along to the chorus with a carefree expression like he had no other care in the world but to lip sync along perfectly to a language he didn't even know.
"So?" I asked him as he turned into the car-park that opened up to the sandy edges of the glistening beach.
He didn't say a word as he found an empty spot a few spaces away from Will and Dylan's cars. Finally he pulled the car to a stop and turned off the ignition.
"So... how was branching out today?" I asked him, genuinely curious as to what he thought of the type of music that flooded my library.
He shrugged absentmindedly before he smiled slowly. "I liked it. It's quite...invigorating actually. Not having to read into the lyrics and guess what he songwriter was thinking or feeling when he wrote the song. But then again, I like the song, but I won't really go out of my way trying to purchase the album. It's to the point that when I hear a song playing that is in another language, I'd stop and just listen to it."
I couldn't hide the smile that appeared on my face at his words. Granted, as I started this job, I pictured Douglas much more differently then what I was now discovering. He seemed to think over things with a perspective that couldn't help but incite a feeling of respect within me towards him.
He wasn't someone who made rash decisions, at least I concluded that from what I'd seen so far. He hadn't told on me to his father when he discovered I'd skipped out on work that Saturday with Will. But then again, he did know that his father wouldn't fire me, given the misplaced guilt he had towards my parent's accident.
He was decisive and thought of things to the point that the outcome would benefit him. Just like how he'd made me think I'd gotten away with it on the flight to New York, before he coolly made me give up my name and reasons for visit which then led me to getting fired.
"Krystal..."
I finally focused back on Douglas as he lightly tapped my hand. "What?"
"Are you okay?" He arched a brow curiously at me. "You kinda zoned out on me."
"Just thinking..."
"About how cool I was for being open to new things?" He smirked at me.
I shook my head, a playful scowl on my face. "No. I was actually thinking of how we first met and how that led to me being fired from my dream job. Without actually getting past the final interview of course."
His smirk disappeared. "About that... I never did apologize properly for that day." A ghost of a smile remained as he looked at me with obvious regret on his face. "I wasn't thinking properly that day. To be honest... I never really do that."
"You never really do that?" I asked.
He nodded. "I actually hate it when people throw their name or connections around to get places. And what I hated even more is that I did that that day. I've never had to use it though. After all people know this handsome face everywhere they go, right?" He chuckled nervously as he tried to get a smile out of me. "Truthfully, the Burns name is something I wish I could take off just like it was a piece of clothing. But that day, I guess I just didn't want that plane to reach New York."
For the first time since that incident that occurred the first time we met, I wondered what it was that had made someone actually want to turn the plane around mid-flight. After all, turning the plane around mid-flight no matter who you were or whether or not you owned the airline itself, warranted criminal prosecution on the suspicion of a possible terrorist threat.
What would incite someone into facing certain criminal prosecution? Especially someone like Douglas who did not like to use the Burns name?
"What was in New York?"
Suddenly the mask of humor that has settled on his face disappeared and his eyes drifted towards the window on my side and gazed out. "Looks like everyone's waiting for us," he commented just as someone tapped on the window on my side.
Georgia stared back at me when I looked out, a smile on her face as she motioned for me to get out with her hands saying, "What's taking you two too long?"
I nodded despite my slight dismay at not finding out what made Douglas want to turn a plane around. I turned back around to face Douglas but what met me was the shadow of his back disappearing out of the car. I guess our road trip ended here.
I followed soon after, exiting the car only to find Georgia firmly glued to my side, her arms joining mine in a tight interlocked embrace.
"What was taking you two too long?" she asked again like she was being paid to ask that singular question. "It seemed like it was getting serious in there."
"Uh-huh..." I just muttered, not really listening to her, my eyes finding Douglas who was already across the parking lot, in quick chatter with everyone else, not a glance back. But then again, I understood that I was kind of prying into his personal affairs.
"So..." Georgia continued to pester as we walked over to join everyone else.
"So what?" I asked. "It was just nothing Georgia. We were just burying some misunderstandings and all."
"Misunderstandings?" she asked.
I nodded, my eyes drifted to the redhead that had been riding with Dylan. She was not at Dylan's side anymore. This time she was pulling Douglas into a tight embrace before he lifted her up and twirled her around in a Cinderella twirl.
Cinderella twirl? Why did I suddenly sound like one of those typical jealous girls?
"That's Alex," Georgia supplied the name once she noticed me staring at the redhead that was literally hyper and talking to Douglas like he was someone she'd met after a century.
I turned to face Georgia who had on a natural smile that slowly lingered towards a Cheshire cat smile.
Her smile widened as she leaned in. "...Dylan's girlfriend."
I nodded. "I know. Douglas explained everything before, remember?"
She nodded. "I just thought I should remind you, that's all." She removed her arm from mine. "Time to play nice, Sanders. You'll like Hunt. Trust me." Then she ran over to join everyone, leaving me to dawdle over seconds later, trying not interrupt anything.
"Finally," Will came over to meet me, placing a hand around my shoulders as he pulled me along behind him. A genuine smile spread across his handsome features as he tightened his grip on me. "Thought you were thinking of ditching everyone and go rent a cabana by yourself."
I chuckled softly at the one person I'd truly believed to be my friend. "Like I'd ever think about ditching Douglas again after what happened last time."
A shade of a scowl crossed his face before it was replaced again with a smiled that wasn't as bright as before. "Of course... Douglas. He's rea-"
"Krys!"
I looked up to see Dylan Rush walking towards me with the redhead in tow, looking genuinely curious.
"Hey Dylan," I greeted just as they joined us.
"See, Hunt. Another person that knows who Dylan Rush is," Dylan said to the redhead which elicited a small giggle from her.
"You know, I already gathered how famous my boyfriend is a long time ago," she said, before throwing me a shy smile. "And it appears Krys knows too." She pulled out of her boyfriend's grasp and stopped just a few feet in front of me. "Nice to meet you Krystal. Alexandra Hunt, but everyone calls me Alex, which I prefer to go by. And as you might have heard, the girl that didn't know who this conceited idiot was when I first met him."
I chuckled at her somewhat callous yet hilarious introduction. I, myself was skeptical of that when Douglas had said so. How can no one know who Dylan Rush was? He was Dylan Rush! "I thought that was just Hollywood gossip."
She visibly relaxed as she shook her head. "Nope. I just saw a handsome guy in need of an attitude adjustment."
"Which you gave me," Dylan added, before giving her the same look you saw in the movie rendition of any of Nicholas Sparks novels.
Alex also had the same look on her face as she stared back at him giving me the idea that they were deeply in love with one another. I envied them, truly, just as I always did when I saw two people in love.
"Okay guys. Tone it down please," Will interceded with a chuckle as he tried to pry me away from them. "We're in public, remember?"
"Let's go," Douglas called out as he grabbed a surfboard from the twin cab, "before all the cabana's rented out." Then without so much as another word, he lifted the surfboard, placed it in one hand and disappeared down the path that led down to the sandy golden land below.
"You're teaching me how to surf, right Gregory?" Alex asked pulling my attention away from dwelling on Douglas. Her eyes were on Dylan when she asked her question which left me confused.
Who's Gregory? Why would she be calling Dylan 'Gregory'?
"Seriously, Hunt?" Dylan mock glared at her as if the lapse in name made sense to him. She giggled loudly at his reaction. Then he closed the distance between them, grabbed her and threw her over his shoulders. "Time for a dip, babe."
"Nooooo!" was the last words I heard from Alex before they were out of earshot.
"Dibs on teaching Krys how to surf!" Will suddenly called out to no one in particular, before casting me another genuine smile, which made the smile on my face falter.
Maybe Douglas was right and Will thought of me differently.
And it was up to me to tell him the truth.