“Go ahead, laugh it up, I haven’t stopped laughing since we got back last night. I mean—this is the type of thing that could only happen to me. Only me.”
“But how could they have made such an outrageous mistake?”
“Stupidity has no bounds. Let’s not waste our day on that,” Paul said, grabbing the newspaper from Mia’s hands and tossing it to the other end of the room. “Finish your breakfast and let’s head out for a walk.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Oh, I’m fine. I only made a complete fool of myself in front of hundreds of thousands of viewers. Somebody must have told the TV channel about their screwup, which is presumably what that article is all about. So if anyone on the street bursts into laughter when they see me, let’s try to pretend we can’t hear them.”
“I’m so sorry, Paul.”
“Don’t be. Let’s move on. You said it yourself: no one cares about that TV show. And look what a beautiful day it is outside!”
Paul persuaded Mia to leave the hotel through the back parking lot, in case Ms. Bak was waiting for him in the lobby. He planned to spend the day alone with Mia, and the last thing he wanted was the added encumbrance of a guide.
They spent the morning visiting Changgyeonggung Palace. Walking through Honghwa Gate, Paul attempted to pronounce all the names he saw, and his guttural exaggerations had Mia in stitches. Standing on Okcheongyo Bridge, she admired the ornamental pond and the beauty of the historical surroundings.
“That’s Myeongjeongjeon, the throne hall,” said Paul, pointing to a small single-story building. “It was opened in 1484. All the houses you see are facing south, because the ancestral shrines of the royal family are located in the south, but Myeongjeongjeon faces east, going against Confucian tradition.”
“Did Kyong teach you all that?”
“What? Who’s this Kyong? No, I picked up a brochure when I was buying the tickets. It was my attempt at impressing you. Would you like to see the botanical garden?”
They left the palace and visited the Insa-dong district. They wandered into art galleries, stopped to sample traditional pancakes, and spent the rest of the afternoon rummaging through antique stores. Mia wanted to get a present for Daisy. She was hesitating between an old spice box and a beautiful necklace. Paul advised Mia to go for the necklace, while he discreetly signaled the antique dealer to wrap up the spice box. He presented it to Mia and said: “Give this to Daisy from me.”
They got back to the hotel just in time to prepare for the evening. Catching sight of Ms. Bak standing vigil in the lobby, Mia pushed Paul behind a pillar. They crept from one pillar to the next, finally taking advantage of a passing bellboy and his luggage cart to reach the elevators without being spotted.
At seven p.m., Mia put on her dress.
“If you say I look ‘not bad’ one more time, we’ll see how good you look showing up stag to the ambassador’s!” Mia announced, admiring herself in the mirror.
“All right, I’ll keep my mouth shut, then.” Paul allowed himself a smile of pride at having bought the dress for her.
“Paul!”
“What can I say? You look—”
“Don’t you dare!” Mia interrupted.
“Beautiful. You look beautiful.”
“Well, in that case, thank you for the compliment.”
Half an hour later, the limousine dropped them in front of the American ambassador’s residence.
The ambassador was waiting for his guests in the entrance hall. Paul and Mia were the first to arrive.
“Mr. Barton. It’s an honor and a pleasure to welcome you to my home,” the ambassador began.
“The honor is all mine,” Paul replied, introducing Mia.
The ambassador bent to kiss her hand.
“Tell me a little about yourself, Ms. Grinberg,” he said.
“Mia has a restaurant in Paris,” Paul replied on her behalf.
The ambassador led them into a large drawing room.
