Thankfully, my presentation at Hello World is still fresh in my mind, so I breeze through this more easily than anticipated. Lex joins me at some point to show them how the app works. Once we’re done, we wait for their questions.
Mr. Yom bends to talk to our improvised translator, and Ms. Kim asks, “How long will it take to add new languages to the app?”
Lex answers since he’s better with estimations than I am. “We’re still working on the American Sign Language database, with over thirty thousand references so far, and even more to come. Once the app is ready to go and with enough support from local entities, it could take us as little as six months to teach the AI a new language. That includes beta testing and adjustments.”
“Would you consider adding Korean Sign Language?” Ms. Kim translates next.
“We planned on moving on to Mexican Sign Language since Miss Walker is familiar with it. It would facilitate our ability to add new languages. But as a show of gratitude and in honor of our partnership, we would be willing to work on Korean Sign Language as early as possible after that,” Lex explains.
They have a few more questions about technicalities, and then Mr. Yom has to head to a lunch meeting he’s very late for. Instead of exiting the room, though, he walks up to me. I freeze as he wraps my hand inhis and bows to rest his forehead on it. “Thank you,” he says with a thick accent once he straightens up. His eyes are distorted by the thickness of his lenses, but I see gratefulness in them.
Mr. Park follows him and his assistants outside, and I stand there, unsure what just happened. Ms. Kim, who probably senses my confusion, steps closer. “Mr. Yom’s wife has been deaf since birth, and a few months ago, he was told his eyesight would be gone within the year. That means he and his wife will lose their only way of communication. When I was studying the partnership case and saw this app listed, I showed him the Hello World video. It gave him hope for the first time since his diagnosis, so he ensured Injin would sign the partnership with Kelex.”
The reason behind Mr. Yom’s gratitude breaks my heart. Thanks to an app meant to help my brother date, an old man will be able to keep talking to his wife. This is why I wanted to join Kelex. I want to help people and make a difference.
For once, Lex is more loquacious than me, and he answers for me. “You can assure Mr. Yom again that we’ll work on the inclusion of Korean Sign Language as soon as we can.”
“He’ll appreciate it, thank you. Now, we are a little behind schedule, but we need to head to the executives’ canteen for lunch.”
“Let us gather our things, and we’ll be right out,” Lex says.
Ms. Kim steps out, leaving us alone, and as soon as the door is closed, Lex passes a soothing hand between my shoulder blades. “You did amazing, Andrea. I’m so, so proud of you.”
I can tell he is. I see it in his eyes. “That’s because I had you to support me,” I say with a small smile.
“No, that was all you. As much as I’d like to share it, this isyourvictory.Yourwin. You’re fucking incredible, Walker.”
“Are you being this sweet so I’ll forgive you for throwing me under the bus, Coleman?”
His smirk melts my insides. God, I love when he turns all charming like this. “Is it working?”
“Maybe… Now, less talking and more picking up our stuff. I’m starving.”
“Of course you are. You’re like a feral raccoon—always hungry.”
I laugh at that analogy. It’s so good that I can’t even take it poorly. I’mexactlylike a feralraccoon.
Between the visit to Injin HQ and the dinner, we have a few hours to chill in the suite. Or I use it to chill, at least, wearing an oversized tee and yoga shorts. Lex decides to spend it in the hotel’s gym, like the masochist he is.
When I saw him leave wearing his gray sweatpants and loose tank top, I almost suggested that we do cardio together instead—in his bed or mine, I’m not picky like that. But I stayed strong and kept my mouth shut, watching him leave while I sat on the couch with some wacky game show playing on the TV.
I’m in the exact same spot when he comes back almost two hours later, and I admit I feel a little ashamed. He’s even hotter now, with the way his clothes cling to his sweaty skin, the muscles of his arms popping, the flush of his face… I’m mesmerized when he passes by me, and when the salty and familiar smell of his sweat fills my nostrils, I overheat. I miss when he used to get this sweaty for me, fucking me for hours until I tapped out.
I’ve never been more aware of our differences than at that moment. It’s a miracle that we get along so well despite our opposing personalities and ways of life. He’s energetic and disciplined, while I’m lazy and unmotivated. But I was born for the soft life, so it’s not my fault.
Lex takes off his tank top on the way to his room, and I bite my lower lip at the sight of his powerful back. No matter how sweaty he is, I want to follow the outlines of his muscles with the tip of my tongue. I almost stand up to do that when I hear the water from his shower. It’s so loud and clear that I know he kept the door open like he did with the bedroom one. This is clearly an invitation.
But if I answer it, there’s no way we aren’t having sex. And if we do that, I’ll lose sight of what’s important. Right now, sleeping with him means allowing myself to lose control. And I’m not sure I’m ready for that to happen quite yet.
So I stay right where I am, with my eyes on the screen, even though all my attention is on the water running. When it finally stops, I thank God for the end of this torture. I also thank my mom and abuela for raising me to become such a strong woman. I couldn’t have done it without them.
However, I reconsider everything when Lex comes out of the room again, still wet and wearing nothing but a white towel wrapped around his hips. It’s hanging low enough to reveal some of the groomed hair at the base of his dick and the deep V framing it.
Holy fucking fuck …
Is he even more muscular than before? How is that even possible? His extraordinary body makes me actually salivate—like he’s Pavlov andI’m his bitch. Fuck, the things I’d give to be one of the droplets making their way down his torso.
I’d start at his jaw to slowly roll down one of the hard lines of his throat until I reached his collarbone. Then, I’d follow its shape to pool in the hollow spot at the base of his thick neck. After a moment, I’d make my way down in the valley between his pecs, through the light patch of dark hair I love so much. The path between his six-pack will be like a fun slide, with a brief halt at his navel. Then, I’d resume my journey toward my objective, only to die in the towel right before reaching it. Damn, that’s a frustrating ending, but so, so worth it.
