“Thank God for that,” I say appreciatively.
She frowns, skeptical. “You’re telling me you wouldn’t want any of this to migrate up?” she asks, resting her hands over her wide hips.
“I wouldn’t want to displace a single ounce of you, Andrea. You’re perfect exactly this way.”
I can tell how much she enjoys hearing that, and something tells me she’s been waiting for it since puberty worked its magic on her. But shehides it behind a frown and a contained smile. “I’m going to think you missed my ass more than you missed me.”
“I missed everything about you,” I counter. “I missed your voice, every freckle on your face, your messy hair when you wake up, and your crooked smiles when you try to stay serious—like right now. I missed your laugh and how it resonates within me. It brings me joy to know you’re happy, and when I’m responsible for it, I feel whole. I missed how you always challenge me, even for the smallest things. I hate it when others do it, but I’d debate over the stupidest topics for hours with you.”
The lightness of the moment we were sharing is gone now. She stands there, tired and disheveled, staring at me like she’s discovering me all over again.
“So, you didn’t just miss the sex?”
“I missedeverything. But I also missed being close to you. Those moments when you gave yourself to me entirely felt like you were mine.”
“Iwasyours, Lex. All the time—not just during those moments.”
“I realized that too late.”
She looks sad now, and I scold myself for ruining the moment. Her hands come together in front of her, and she distractedly stares at them while following the lines of her palm with a nervous finger.
“Have you… Have you seen other women since…” she asks, still fidgeting.
After all this talk, she still doesn’t see the whole picture? But she has her own insecurities, after all, so I can’t blame her for doubting.
“I haven’t been with another woman since the day I met you,” I reassure her.
She clearly didn’t expect this answer since she looks up in surprise. “Why?”
“Work was intense. I hardly had time for myself, let alone time for sex.”
“Don’t you have dozens of women lining up at your door?” she skeptically wonders with a touch of jealousy.
“I do, actually. I have a ticket dispenser so they can each get a number and—”
She shoves my chest with a weak hand, disliking the teasing. “Andrea, I didn’t sleep with anyone else for the same reason you couldn’t date Oliver.”
“You were obsessed with an asshole?”
I chuckle. Alright, joking about past sex partners puts her in a bad mood. Noted. “I was obsessed with a temperamental Latina who likes to insult me a little too much.”
That wins her back again, and her lips twist as she tries to hide how much she enjoys hearing it. “Well, the temperamental Latina is off to bedalone,” she explains.
“We should actually stay awake. Beating jet lag is easy in this direction. We stay up until four or five in the morning for Seattle, then get a good night’s sleep, and we’re good.”
She crosses her arms and offers me a dubious pout and a quirked eyebrow. “And how do you suggest we stay awake, Alexander?”
Oh, I have ideas. I’ve been working on them forweeks. But we’re not ready for them yet. So instead, I suggest, “Let’s go out and explore Seoul.”
“Yes, just like that!” I proudly say.
Lex makes a few attempts at pinching his chopsticks together, so focused it’s endearing. “This is very impractical,” he complains, still not sold.
“Over a billion people use chopsticks, Lex. I’m sure you can, too.”
He quirks an eyebrow at me but doesn’t say anything. I watch as he successfully grabs a tteokbokki, but before it arrives at his mouth, the chopsticks twist, and the rice cake falls on the table. Not wanting to offend him, I hold back a laugh as he picks it up in a paper towel and wraps it into it. He’s already making progress, and I don’t want to discourage him. When he struggles to take another one, I take pity and do it for him. He complies and opens his mouth for it, but I can tell he isn’t thrilled to be getting the child treatment.
“Korean food is better than I thought,” he approves with a nod.
