3

Days working at the cafe dragged on with the only highlights being having Taehyung as a customer. After a string of boring boyfriends since my first year in college, I found this guy who frequented my work place...intriguing to say the least.

Jisung had told me how Taehyung asked about me when I wasn't working. And another time when he came in on a Saturday morning to try breakfast at the cafe but I happened to go on a spur-of-the-moment bungee jumping excursion with an old classmate.

Sure, I was flattered. The long looks, the stolen glances, the flirty banter...it seemed any day now Taehyung would ask for my phone number and invite me on a date. But as I pointed out to Jisung, who made the same observation, the teasing and playful conversations could have been just that - teasing and playful for fun. Taehyung had admitted he was joking when he ordered like a foodie, which led me to believe his flirting was all a joke too.

Yet, when he showed up at the cafe after another long work week, I hurried to his table with a spring in my step, my heartbeat matching the pace.

"Well, hello, Big Guy," I greeted Taehyung, plopping down a menu on the table.

His flushed cheeks and twinkling eyes gave away that he liked my new nickname for him. "No need for a menu today." He pushed the plastic-coated paper toward me with his long index finger. "Surprise me, Jennie."

My face creased into a smile and I began to laugh. "I've always wanted to do that for a customer. I'll be right back," I said excitedly, turning on my heels with a subtle squeal.

Back in the kitchen, I relaxed into the process of making a main entrée and dessert for Taehyung. The only tension in my body caused by the thrill of excitement, a silly grin on my face the whole time.

"What are you so happy about?" Auntie asked as she plodded through the small area. "Why are you cooking? Where's Yijin?"

I fumbled with the plating of the food, her cutting tone working on my nerves. "Maybe this is a sneak peak of what it would be like to run my own restaurant," I answered optimistically.

Auntie stopped in her tracks, hands full of clean plates piled precariously high. "Jennie, I wouldn't trust you running a bath let alone a restaurant."

Her remark was met with some snickering from the other employees as Auntie waddled out of the kitchen. I jutted out my chin and rolled my eyes. But I wouldn't let her kill my good mood and went back to preparing the food, taking joy in doing something kind for Taehyung.

"Delicious! The bread is crispy and golden. And the béchamel sauce is perfect," he said, eyes bright after he took a bite of the croque monsieur sandwich.

"Thank you," I said with a bow.

"And..." He dug into the ham and cheese again, eyelids fluttering for a second, and licked his lips. The living-his-best-life energy was very attractive. "Did you use Gruyere?"

"I did!" I revealed. "I remembered how much you liked that cheese in your other sandwich."

Many minutes later, I reappeared with a small plate and started speaking in a serious way as if I was on "Top Chef." "What I have prepared for you today is a chocolate éclair with homemade cream and my signature chocolate fondant icing."

My mouth watered as I watched him unbutton the cuffs of his button down shirt, slowly rolling the sleeves up his forearms, baring his delightfully toned and vein-filled arms to the world as if he was getting ready for some hard labor.

After the first taste, he had more compliments for the choux pastry, taking his time to savor the flavors in his mouth before taking another hearty bite. I crinkled my nose, beaming from the praise, lingering by his table way too long for any customer.

The sight of him enjoying the food I personally made for him, not to mention the way he looked sharp in his well-fitted work shirt, took my breath away. He was a snack and I wanted to devour him. When he licked some cream from the corner of his mouth, I couldn't help but imagine how he'd take me to heaven with that sinfully long tongue of his.

With his meal done, I presented to him a teacup on a small saucer. Taehyung's eyes lit up in surprise. "And to end the night, how 'bout a cuppa?" I recommended with a British accent on the last phrase.

"Yes, I quite fancy a cuppa," he responded, matching my accent, followed by a shared chuckle.

Raising the teacup to his lips, the first sip was followed by a moment of silence, his eyes round. He lingered with the taste in his mouth, his gaze resting on an empty spot of the table. At first I thought he hated the tea and I moved to take the teacup back. Finally his dark chocolate orbs were on me in an intense stare, as if the taste of the tea was firing up his senses.

"I've always liked Citron tea since a long time ago," he spoke in a hushed tone.

"Tell me more," I encouraged, noticing how he seemed comforted by the hot beverage. Against restaurant protocol, I took the seat across from him and leaned forward with my elbows on the bistro table.

"Growing up, my parents brought me and my brother to the countryside to visit my grandparents every summer." Taehyung took another sip enthusiastically before continuing. "My fondest memory of my grandmother was going to the park and watching the sunrise together while having Citron Tea. I've always remembered the delicious and fragrant flavor...but I haven't had it in years. I'm suddenly stepping back in time. And you..."

He looked at me so warmly and a sense of awe transformed his face. "Jennie, you made this tea for me," his voice almost a whisper.

The bumpity-bump of my heart gave me pause and I cherished the fact that I could give him an experience of food-related nostalgia. "You just had a 'Ratatouille moment,'" I pointed out. He scrunched up his face in confusion so I explained. "Have you seen the Pixar movie 'Ratatouille'?"

"The one about the rat that cooks?" he grimaced. "Rats are filthy, disease-carrying rodents and don't belong in a kitchen. How were they not shut down for health code violations?"

"Anyways..." I said with an exaggerated lilt in my voice to get my point across "...the tea triggered an emotional memory and transported you back to a specific time and place in your childhood. I experience this once in a while when Auntie cooks a dish my mom and dad used to make."

Speak of the devil...

"Jennie, are you comfortable?" Auntie approached the table and eyed me up and down, the way I was sitting so casually with a customer. Immediately, I shot up from my chair. "Oh, no, please sit. Take a break. Let me take your order," she said sarcastically, even pretending to hold an imaginary pen over the open palm of her hand acting as the notepad. "What can I get you while all of us bust our butts working around here?"

"Sorry, Auntie," I said sheepishly as I bounced away to start cleaning up a nearby table.

~~~~~~~

The flirty friendship with Taehyung continued. One week I served him coq au vin, chicken braised in red wine, and a tarte tartin, caramelized apples with butter and sugar, for dessert, while we made small talk about the happenings in our lives and shared funny stories about work. Another week I prepared streak frites for him, paired with a raspberry tart, and finished it off with a cup of Citron tea while we shared a list of our top three favorite dishes and desserts.

One day I greeted him with a sullen, "Hey, Big Guy," sadness clouding my features.

"What's wrong?" he asked, studying the forced smile on my face.

I shook my head, trying to clear it of any negative thoughts. "Nothing. Are you ready to order?"

My eyes watched in disbelief as Taehyung's hand, his long elegant fingers, reached over to touch mine. The warmth and the way he dwarfed my small hand made my breath hitch. "Talk to me. I don't like seeing you sad."

"Umm...it's nothing really. It's stupid actually."

"I really want to know, Jennie."

I sighed. "Fine. I just checked the score of the Twins game. They lost."

Taehyung's jaw dropped causing me to cover my face with my notepad, ready for the onslaught of how baseball doesn't matter. He pulled his hand away and I instantly missed his touch.

"Oh...I thought your dog died. Something important," he said with a raise of his eyebrows.

I playfully hit him with my pad of paper making him flinch. "This is important to me."

"I know...I know. So...what are you gonna do? Go home and curl up in the fetal position until the next game?"

"I'm not that pathetic," I scoffed.

Acknowledgment and compassion dawned on his face. "Let's say I want to cheer you up. Where would we go? What would we do?"

My ears perked up at the idea of doing something, anything with Taehyung. My eyes also perked up when I sensed Auntie walking by, her glare showing she was counting the minutes of how long I had been taking his order.

"Our specials today are a beef bourguignon and the soup of the day is a cassoulet," I said loud enough to let the manager know I was doing my job.

Back to Taehyung, I responded in a quieter voice, "Really good sushi followed by a few hours of karaoke. A private room, not a bar. So I can sing as many songs as I want." I pulled my lips between my teeth with a nod. "Though...sometimes I don't like to plan the day. We would just play it by ear and do things on the spur of the moment."

"Ah...so you're a spontaneous kind of girl."

"Sort of. I had plans to start my career after I graduated but that all changed when my parents passed away," I shared with a shrug. Why was I so comfortable bringing up that tragedy to a customer?

"Tell me more," he encouraged.

I shifted my weight from my left to right leg. "Uh...cancer. It was cancer that took them both ironically. First my mom, then a year later my dad." His hand on mine again, my eyes glossy as I noticed the honey-golden color of his smooth skin. "How about you?" I asked quickly. "What kind of day would cheer you up?"

He flicked his eyes to the window, turned his lean body towards it, and pondered the question. "Camping. Setting up a tent along a river. Spending the day reading, sleeping, biking, fishing, hiking." He returned his gaze on me, sizing me up. "Are you an outdoorsy person, Jennie?"

"Fer sure no. But I'm an 'outsidey' person. I want to see beautiful mountains, but from a roadside view point. I want to take a walk through a forest, but for less than a mile and nice and flat."

"So you wouldn't lie with me by a campfire?" with an inviting smile. "Staying warm, side by side?"

I imagined the hypothetical scenario and my mind buzzed with excited energy. "Of course I would! But then I'd want to go to sleep at a hotel."

We shared a laugh, and the way his eyes crinkled and turned into crescent shapes was endearing. I hoped to see that and hear that sound again very soon.

On his way out of the cafe, he found me refilling the menu holder by the door. "Jennie!" I whipped my head up, his baritone voice always alluring. "Did you add honey to my tea this time?"

"Yeah," I answered. Did he not like honey? How did I miss that? "I remembered how you said your grandma drank it that way," with a half-smile.

His face lit up. "This is why you're my favorite waitress."

This time, he chose not to leave the tip on the table. Instead, blessedly and gratefully, he decided to take my hand with his left and I noticed the way his right reached up just a tad too far to slide his fingers down the sensitive skin of my forearm as he placed a small wad of bills into my palm.

For a moment we stilled, eyes locked on each other just a tad bit shy of lustful, soaking in the intimate, flirty way he didn't let go, grazing my skin oh so softly when he did pull his hand back. Before he exited through the wood and glass door, he shot me a wink that melted my heart.

"And this is why I love you," I mumbled, the signature look of a hopeless romantic on my face.

Jisung happened to be watching the whole thing and quickly patted my cheek forcefully three times to get my attention. Startled, I snapped out of my daydreaming.

"Oh...yeah...you're right. I needed that."

~~~~~~~

It had been a day. It had been quite a week actually. While the customers at the cafe were lacking, we were busy getting the place ready for the food inspector. Auntie had already been complaining that our profit margin was low, the business soaking up the money to comply with government regulations. I grunted my frustration at how a few seemed necessary but most were excessive. When it came to the Food and Drug Administration, I didn't understand why the government had to be involved in every tiny aspect of a small business.

During the inspection, the FDA man found a code violation with the door that separated the dining area with the kitchen because it swung out, breaking the rule that the door must swing in. The curtain Auntie had hanging in the doorway also wasn't sufficient and we were told if we didn't fix it within thirty days we would be fined one million won. We also had to send a sample of each of our dishes to the lab for testing. Without any compensation for this, us employees at Cafe Selmarie watched our profit margins dwindle.

And then that Saturday night work dragged me back with its greedy claws when Jisung, Minji, and I obliged Auntie's request by working a catering event her fellow restauranteur had been hired for. As I placed some small hors d'oeuvres on a platter in the fancy hotel kitchen, I thought about the extra money I was making and it helped get me out of my funk.

When I walked out into the humongous ballroom, I took in the sight of the special event for the Kakao Bank company's yearly quarterly meeting. Observing the black and white balloons, lights, streamers and huge chandeliers that cast shadows over the entire room, I wondered if one day running a catering service could be in my future. It was uplifting to think about how it would feel to be the organizer of the food and not just another server.

The place was packed with business suits, male and female, milling around before the start of the program. My boss for the night asked me to help Jisung at the bar so I made my way over there.

"Thanks, Jennie," he said, filling a glass of whiskey for a patron. "These guys sure can drink."

"They seem so serious," I observed. When Jisung and I turned away from the bar to grab two different bottles of liquor, I did my best impression of the guests. "Merger...merger...blah, blah, blah."

My friend chuckled and joined in. "Networking. Networking. Here take my business card," in a robotic voice.

Back to the customers in line, I glimpsed at the large glass jar on the counter and was reminded that we were working for tips as well. So I turned on the charm.

"Hey, sweetheart. The usual?" I asked an older man, grin on my face. "Just kidding. I've never seen you before."

After serving his drink and watching him place a large bill in the jar, I caught the next person in line move up and my eyes met dark chocolate, soulful ones. I was shocked...and stunned.

"Well, hello there, Big Guy."

Gorgeous. It was all my mind could conjure, my eyes roaming over Taehyung hungrily as I drank him in. He looked good. Really good. His hairstyle impeccable, his strong jawline and high cheekbones more prominent in this formal setting, his slim fit trousers that hugged his toned thighs and his signature Chelsea boots finishing the outfit. Among the hundreds of business people in the room, he was exuding a whole different aura in his suit.

"Hello, yourself," he said with his signature boxy smile. "I'll take a Sprite."

"Kakao bank?" I asked as I prepared his drink.

"Bibigo has an account with them so we were invited," Taehyung replied stoically, hands in his pocket.

A silent beat passed as I expected him to ask a follow up question about me. "And I was asked to help cater this event. This party is so fancy, I expect a Batman villain to come crashing through the skylight," I joked.

Handing him his glass, my lips started turning down from the way he gave a half-hearted hollow laugh before turning to join a huddle of business suits in the corner. Where was the banter? Where was the light touch as he took his drink from me? Where was the Taehyung I knew?

Seeing him in this light, I suddenly realized it was apparent that I was, once again, just a server and he was a successful, powerful business man in a 1,000,000 won suit. How stupid of me to think we could easily pick up our flirty friendship of waitress/customer outside the cafe!

Get a grip, Jennie, and focus on work.

"Um, excuse me, miss, no littering."

I looked up to find Hyunjin and a perky, petite young lady on his arm as I picked up some empty champagne flutes and dirty napkins.

"Oh, hi, Hyunjin. Enjoying the party?" I asked, plastering a smile on my face.

"Yeah. How's it going? This is my girlfriend, Seungwan." The two of us nodded at each other politely. "This is Jennie from that cafe."

"Oh, I've heard so much about you! From Taehyung. He raves about your French desserts," the young lady said, her face brightening. "He's got me convinced that I should check out your apple tarts."

My face lit up too as she spoke, the truth now out that Taehyung had talked about me to his friends. Shoulders puffed up, I was about to agree with her when Hyunjin spoke first.

"Hey, I got a bone to pick with you," he started, facing me. "Both of us can't be wearing black and white suits tonight."

As he and Seungwan snickered, I glanced down at my worn out waitstaff uniform, an off-white blouse paired with black pants and a black vest, and noticed how it reflected his expensive-looking black pinstriped blazer, matching pants and crisp white shirt - in color only. The difference was obvious. The gap in social classes as clear as the crystal in the chandelier hanging overhead.

When Jisung noticed the scowl on my face and asked what happened, he convinced our boss to let us take a break and tried to pull me onto the dance floor to cheer me up. It worked. Always grateful for my friend, we boogied off to the side, stepping, bouncing, and popping to the DJ's mix of retro and pop music. Away from the business suits, Minji joined us too in our much deserved free time before the dreaded final clean up as the event dwindled to a close.

Catching a glimpse of Taehyung approaching the parquet floor with his associates, I stumbled in my dance steps and gave Jisung a look. With understanding, he placed himself in front of me to block my view. But my eyes betrayed me.

Craning my neck, I was mesmerized as I watched Taehyung do goofy dance moves, making everyone in his small circle laugh. As the song mashed up with a hip-hop beat, I couldn't help being entranced by the way his moves switched to flowing and graceful transitions, his facial expressions conveying the sexy emotions of the song, his grooves punctuated with sharp, impactful, provocative steps. He stood out on the dance floor and definitely had the attention of this young waitress with a crush on him.

The song changed to the "Cupid Shuffle" forcing everyone to form multiple lines, and as luck would have had it, Taehyung and I ended up next to each other. With a tap on my shoulder from him and a cute little wave, I suddenly felt self-conscious.

"To the right, to the right, to the right..." he sang next to me. I was doing my best to keep up, heart racing from how different it felt to be near him in this fun setting. No orders being taken, no food being served. Just a playful, general sense of pleasure. "Now kick, Jennie!"

"I am kicking, Big Guy!" I yelled over the music with a gleeful giggle.

Song after song, we danced as a large group, a mix of line dances and bangers that had us jumping in enjoyment. Copying Taehyung's moves, I rolled my fists in front of me and punched the air down to the slick beats, my shoulders popping, his hips thrusting, our bodies rolling facing each other. His sensuality gave me an image of how suggestive and enticing his movements would be in other areas of his life. It made me lick my lips involuntarily. I always said if a guy had rhythm, he had it in bed too.

I could have danced all night, a huge smile never leaving my face. With his goofy dancing and funny faces, I was glad Taehyung could feel comfortable being his authentic self with me.

But alas, the DJ announced last call and I could see my boss giving me the five minute warning for cleanup time. So when the song changed to a slow one, "Die with a Smile" by Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga, I froze on the spot - as did Taehyung. For three sexually tension-filled beats, we stood in place wondering what to do. I swallowed hard, darting my eyes from side to side noting how the dance floor was only half filled now.

"Dance with me?" Taehyung asked, his voice low yet uncertain.

I wondered where Jisung was. If he had asked me to dance, I would do it without thinking. No problem. But slow dance with Big Guy to a romantic song?

This would mean something to me.

I hesitantly let him take my hand with a nod, and felt his other hand pull me close by the small of my waist. He felt nice under my touch, soft, but also solid, the luxurious fabric of his collar brushing against my fingertips as I rested my hand on the nape of his neck. Our bodies weren't flushed together but his warmth was seeping through his suit nonetheless. Round and round we went, swaying back and forth in circles. We moved in tandem, bodies flowing together as one.

My body started tensing as the melody played on, I couldn't seem to relax nor make eye contact with him. Yet I savored every second and he seemed to be enjoying himself.

In his tall frame and lean physique, it felt good to be in his arms, thankful that as far as I knew he didn't have a plus one tonight. So he was available...but also, it hurt that he was available. Someone as handsome and charming as him shouldn't have been alone. Ever.

At the end of the song, I finally mustered a "You're a good dancer."

He seemed to blush from my compliment. "We must do this again, M'lady." He did his best Mr. Darcy impression and twirled me out before bending at the waist with my hand held up in the air by his.

"Yeah, sure," I responded, flustered, liking the idea of him mentioning a next time. It made me feel like I still stood a chance with him, that we would dance together again one day. Letting go from his hold, I added an appreciative look and said, "I gotta go back to work, M'lord."

Time with Taehyung certainly lifted my spirits, but like Cinderella, it was midnight and my carriage was about to turn into a pumpkin, yanking me out of my fantasy that this could be us someday.

He straightened up and tilted his head at me. "I'll be seeing you again, Jennie."

"Where?" I asked quickly.

"Huh?"

Still high from all the dancing, I decided to play with him. "Where will you be seeing me again?"

"Like...in general...I'll see you...the next time I go to the cafe, I guess," he stuttered, running a hand through his hair, slightly disheveled from dancing.

"Oh, the cafe. I thought you meant you were inviting me somewhere," I said, playing coy.

He furrowed his brows. "Like an after party? Or something?"

"I don't know. I thought you were planning...but never mind. You meant the cafe."

With a slight bow, I gestured my exit and left it at that. Planted a seed, if you will, that I hoped for a possible future plan. When Jisung joined me in clearing a table, I let him know what was said between me and Taehyung.

"And he didn't bite? You practically put the bait in his mouth," he sneered.

"If Taehyung wants me, he better catch me while he can. I'm too busy living life and I'm not waiting around for him," I said, the glasses clinking together on my tray.

Up ahead I noticed Taehyung take one last swig from his drink and set it down before walking away and out the ballroom. Hurriedly, I moved to that table and picked up the tall glass and put it to my lips, drinking the remnants at the bottom.

"Now it's like we've kissed," I muttered like a hopeless romantic.

Unfortunately, Jisung was right behind me and witnessed the whole thing. I felt the slap across my cheek before I could register what was happening.

Startled, I snapped out of my daydreaming. "Oh...yeah...you're right. I needed that."