Son Yejin POV
I pushed the clinic door out, followed by Bin behind me. My cheeks were still burning from his question to the doctor. How dare he. It was a simple, maybe even normal question someone would ask to any doctor, any obstetrician, but somehow I was so embarrassed. Blushed uncontrollably.
As promised, I introduced him as my husband. After the doctor performed ultrasonography on my belly and said everything was good, Bin popped the question.
"So it's a go for sex, it isn't?"
"Yes, normally, I would strongly suggest that nothing should be placed in the vagina at least for 2 weeks post-dilation and curette."
"Meaning..we can resume our sexual intercourse?"
"Yes, vaginal sexual intercourse is allowed. The pelvic rest was needed to allow the cervix to close to avoid infection. The menstrual cycle should be started within 2 weeks."
"What if we want to try to get pregnant again?"
"Wait for at least 3 cycles of menstruation, so 3 months from now, just to avoid health risk."
"Thanks, good to know that."
I cut him before he can pop another question.
"I am sorry, doc."
"It's fine, you should ask for this eventually, it's an important matter for couples. I will remind every of my patient from now, without being asked."
I nodded and hid my embarrassment by staring at my shoes. The doctor's facial expression was totally calm, and so was Bin. No, he looked curious. Oh, God.
Later inside the car, I stared mostly at the window, avoiding his gaze, but still stole a glance or two once in a while. He drove and hummed a song, any song the radio was playing at the moment. I played with the hem of my skirt and wished that there would be no traffic jams for today. Aside from worried about being late, I wanted to disappear for a while, worried that I would be unable to respond if Bin brings up the sex topic from the doctor's explanation. He had not asked me anything related to that though.
"So, you really can't get a day off?" he asked.
"No, at least until a month from now. I am a trainee."
"I really want to take you to Cambridge. It's really pretty there, and not far from here. An hour by train, 90 minutes by car. I personally choose the car, so we can be more flexible to take a look around the city. You like city sightseeing, don't you?"
"Yes, well if you want to spend a whole day then go without me."
"I said I don't want to go alone."
"You can ask your friends to go with you. You have a lot of friends here."
"Ah, I see. Callie, Clara, Annie, Brittany...hmm maybe Audrey, or Bella? Any of these girls should be able to go with me," he scrolled his phonebook on his phone.
Really?? He's going to ask his female friends??
"Is there anyone named James, Landon, or Luke on your phone?" Annoyed, I randomly picked up male names to allude him.
"Nope. I only have Rachel, Charlotte, and Ashley left here. Oh, and Charlene. I'll ask them one by one later. No worries."
What the hell??
"Oh, well, have fun then!" I folded my hands in front of my chest.
He chuckled. "Why? You look unhappy."
"I am happy."
"No. Not unhappy, but totally jealous."
"Jealous? Oh come on, why would I be?"
"I don't know. Just guessing. I can't read minds, so of course, I'm wrong, I never not wrong. I like doing the wrong things anyway."
The moment he said his favorite line, I like doing the wrong things, reminded me of our conversation when he seduced me in his study, one day before we get married. He was still a playboy back then, and apparently at this moment, still a playboy.
The car pulled over in front of the store where I work.
"Well, I will take my workmate's offer to replace her tomorrow, so I would double shift. No need to pick me up in the middle of the day or later at night. Go have fun with Rachel, Charlene, or anyone from your bloody phone!" I spat, then got out of the car.
I could hear him shouting my name but pretended not to hear that. From the storefront's reflection, I saw his car quickly took the parking spot nearby and he got out of the car. I quickly got inside, and a half run entering the stockroom hiding from him.
I took off my coat and kept my handbag in the locker. I was fixing up my make up when suddenly the stockroom door was opened.
"Yejin, I need you to be quick, the store is crowded. Some guests just came and unassisted," my store manager.
"Yes, Ma'am."
Good, the store was crowded so I can divert my attention to work. I was helping a teenager looking for her first bra when I overhear a conversation between two behind me. One of them was the new trainee girl on her second-day work, and the other was a man with a voice I was very familiar with.
"Ma'am, I'm looking for something like this, what do you call this? Lingeries? But with more laces, and maybe you have one with less fabric? It's too long."
"Oh, we call it nightie, Sir. Does your woman have a slightly small figure?"
"Yes, hmmm...I don't mean to be impolite, but, exactly like her, yeah, the shopkeeper with the brunette hair."
"Oh, please wait for a moment, Sir."
That day, I was the only shopkeeper with brunette hair, and my store manager was brunette too, but she didn't wear a uniform and didn't look like a shopkeeper.
"Yejin, can you help me, please take over that customer, I still don't know much about our nightie collections in the stockroom, and he is going to buy one for his partner who has a similar figure as you! Let me take over yours the teenage girl," the trainee girl came to me and begged to switch customers.
"Ugh, wouldn't that be offensive? He will picture his partner's body by looking at me."
"I don't think so. Don't take it that way! He is just a customer who happens to be a man. Please, Yejin..."
"No."
"Come on, the store manager is looking at us now. This is my second day and I can't lose this job!"
"Such a troublesome you are!"
"I will cover one of your shift, any day!"
Oh, tempting.
"Okay."
I put on my poker face and walked approaching that male customer after selecting some nighties on my size.
"These are our nightie collections, Sir," I avoided his gaze and focused on the articles displayed on the table.
"Hmm...do you have something with less fabric? Skimpier one."
"Unfortunately, no. These are our best sellers."
"Which one is the best seller?"
"This one," I pointed at the red one.
"But which one do you like the most?"
"Hmm.. this one, classic," I pointed at the black lace nightie.
"I'll take the black one then."
"In what size?"
"I don't know about the size but, I don't mean to be impolite here, she has a similar figure as yours."
"Noted, it's S, then. Do you need anything else?"
"No. That's all I need. The lesser the better."
Oh, dear. I just hope that this customer won't ever have a similar conversation with this in any other store. His last line was very seducing.
"I will take this to the cashier, and please proceed to the cashier for payment. Thank you."
I quickly put the item down on the cashier desk and disappeared in the crowd of guests. Ten minutes after, my store manager passed me by and grinned at me.
"Well, well, well, someone's going to have a sexy night," she teased me.
"Oh please."
"Your boyfriend just dropped you the biggest hint in the century. He came here, playing as a customer and bought you lingerie, girl. Oh-my-God, I can't," she laughed.
"If that's really for me. What if he gives me a hint that he is going to see another girl?"
"Impossible! The size is yours! No one gives hints for breakup by buying a nightie. Silly girl. Like I said, go ring him soon!"
"I want to, but even you refused to give me a day off, I'd never had the perfect time to get away and take care of that."
"Ah. Unless someone is going to cover for you then I will pretend that it's you. Just give me head ups."
"Really? Thank you!"
That trainee girl, better covers for me soon. I rejected my workmate's offer to take a double shift for tomorrow and asked the trainee girl to cover for me for my own shift.
As usual, Bin was already waiting for me in front of the store when I stepped out of the store after my shift was done.
"Hey.." he was leaning on his car, waved, and smiled at me.
I slightly smiled back but then walked down the street heading to the tube station instead of his car.
"Yejin, where are you going? I parked over there," I heard him chasing me down from behind me.
"Home. Why? I'm taking the tube."
"I'm driving a car here to pick you up, don't need to take the tube."
"I feel like taking the tube for today. I never asked you to pick me, anyway. Maybe Bella or Clara, one of your girls need a ride home. Just try to call one, you've dressed up this handsome, anyway, don't waste it."
He gripped my hand.
"Yes, you never did, but I want to, to make sure you get home safely."
"No need to, you already put a bodyguard on me," I turned my head and waved at his bodyguard from afar, slightly smile at him.
"I'll dismiss him now," he waved at the bodyguard and made a gesture to dismiss him.
"No problem. London is safe. Sorry, this is rush hour so I have to rush back. Goodbye!"
"Yejin! I don't go out just to pick up a random girl. I'm picking my girl. My wife. Please go home with me, and if you love taking the tube very much, I will pick you up tomorrow without my car so we can take the tube together."
"Don't you have somewhere else to be, tomorrow? Cambridge, or somewhere, I forget."
"No. I will only go there with you since you can't take a day off this month then we will go next month. I will pick you up after work."
"What about Rachel and the whole gang?"
"Come on, you know I was just kidding about going with my friends. I like seeing you jealous. I want you, only you. The things I want to do there require you, and only you."
"See? You still enjoy hurting me!"
"I am sorry, I was just kidding...I love seeing you jealous, you've been so cold to me since I move here and I need to know whether you still want me or not. I've got a clear answer today," he rubbed my hand and kissed my finger where our wedding ring was.
"Baby, please...there is no other female name in my phone book except you and my Mom."
"How could?"
"It's a new number. I bought it here. Take a look for yourself," he handed me his phone.
I didn't take it but still upset with his joke.
"What do you want to do in Cambridge, anyway?" I asked.
"Definitely not applying for uni, but punting, and city sightseeing."
"Punting?"
"Yeah, taking a punt ride. You'll love it, baby. And if you want too, we can taste some wine in the wine school there at night."
"Aren't we going to drive there? We can't taste too much wine then drive."
"We can spend the night there and go back to London in the morning if you want to. I'll book a room, or make it two rooms, no problem."
"Okay, but make it two-room. What time are you going to pick me tomorrow?"
"Seriously, tomorrow? Doesn't it have to wait for another month?"
"I already have someone to cover for me and my store manager has approved. But it's fine if you already have plans. I'll just do something else, maybe laundry or other boring things, or I can call and invite James, Landon, or Luke to my flat and spend the day with me."
"Who the hell are James, Landon, and Luke? You go with me tomorrow. It's fixed. We'll spend the night there, punting and wine tasting, and I'll book two rooms."
I couldn't help my smile and mumbled, "thanks."
"You haven't answered me, who are James, Landon, and Luke? And why invite another guy to your flat, that I have to wait almost a month before you invite me back into your flat the second time."
"I just randomly picked up names. I don't know anyone named James, Landon, or Luke here. I only know Hyun Bin here, and he is the only man who ever stepped in my flat, and has its key too."
"You got me there."
"I know. You're a playboy but easily get jealous."
"How could I not when I have a wife that looks this pretty?"
He took my hand and led me back to his car. Opened the door for me like a gentleman and closed it. I spotted the La Senza paper bag in my seat's legroom that he just got this noon after shopping a black lace nightie of my selection.
"Just curious by the way, what should I pack for tomorrow?" I asked.
"Pack lightly, bring a spare in case you slipped off the punt."
"Will the punt be very slippery?"
"No, if you hold my hands tightly. I will book a private tour for us."
"That sounds nice. Thank you," I smiled.
"Don't forget to bring this too, hmm where is it? Ah sorry, the paper bag next to your leg, please. The shopwoman was sure that it will fit you."
"Is this for me?"
"Of course. I just want to buy a gift for you. No pressure, it's just a gift. Since you work there I have waited for the day to do that, being a customer and buy a sexy thing for you. But I was too afraid that you will be mad or else. Today after granting a clearance from your doctor, I can't help it."
"A clearance from my doctor, oh please."
"Remember, no pressure here, but I really need to know that. As much as I want it my ultimate concern is always about you."
"Thank you, Bin."
"Anyway, come with me to Seoul next month, will you? I need to be there for my Dad's last days in the Blue House. We'll stay for two or three days there."
"I don't think that's a good idea, I have a deal with President Hyun."
"I will talk to him personally. You are important to me. Don't you want to meet your parents as well? We can go to Daegu if you want."
"Just give me head ups a few days before, so I can arrange my shifts at work."
"About that...could you please open the dashboard compartment?"
I opened it and found two passports, mine and his. Our real passport as Son Yejin and Hyun Bin.
"Check the visa page," he said.
Tier 1 visa. Working visa. It means that I can apply to another job that fits my education.
"Wow! Thank you! Oh God, I'm so happy!"
"If you want to, I can get ILR for us. I just need your sign and you come to the immigration office for ID photo, but we will still hold South Korea citizenship. Just tell me if you want to because normally we have to live at least five years here for eligibility."
"It's up to you. I'm fine with this visa but to have ILR would be nice. That depends entirely on where you are going to live."
"Do you mean that you will follow me wherever I am?"
"That's what wives do."
"If you really mean it, I'd be very happy. I don't dare to ask you that much."
"Let's see where we go from here, Bin, but you should know why when I left you in Madrid, from all of the places in the world, I chose to live just across the street from your apartment. I wanted to be found, but I needed space before we can go back together."
He took my hand and kissed it.
"I know, I do. I'm aware of who I was and I'm done making promises, just see how much I love you."