He nods as he slips on his jacket and shoves his tie in his pocket. “I had issues with hand-eye coordination, along with poor motor skills. I saw a physical therapist, who advised me to try a ball sport to help. I wasn’t into team sports, so I asked Kev to help me, and we started our one-on-ones.”
“I see …”
For some reason, I always thought he won the genetic lottery, but I’m starting to understand he had to work hard to reach this level of perfection. And in a way, it makes it even better. Life didn’t hand him everything; he fought for it.
Once we’re back on our way to the car, surrounded by people, the reality of our departure hits me once more. I don’t want to return to reality. Not because I’ll miss Seoul, but because I’ll miss him.
Since we left Seattle, we’ve spent almost every waking minute together, and I’m not looking forward to only seeing him a few hours a week. But however short our trip was, I know I’ve made memories that’ll last me a lifetime.
No matter what happens once we get home, no matter what the future holds for us, we’ll always have this.
We’ll always have Seoul.
Chapter 15
“And what about my favorite computer engineer?” Kevin asks, leaning back on the couch in my office.
“Am I not your favorite?”
“After the way she barged into your place and metaphorically kicked your ass into realizing what a moron you were, I think it’s fair to give that title to Andrea.”
I clench my teeth, regretting my candor about what happened that day. I shouldn’t have told Shelly how things unfolded after her talk with Andrea. I knew what kind of unwanted comments it would bring. But it’s too late now, and here we are…
“I believe Andrea enjoyed the trip,” I answer.
“You know that’s not what I’m asking.”
Here we go …
After we arrived at the Seattle airport yesterday, I drove Andrea to her place and evaluated my options. With the time difference, I had all of Thursday afternoon ahead of me, which meant I could head to work and catch up on a few things. But I knew perfectly well that the moment I stepped foot into my office, Kevin would come in and drill me with questions. That’s why I decided against it and drove home instead. I got some work done while avoiding my best friend’s intrusive queries.
But Kevin didn’t miss a beat this morning before barging in and settling down on the couch, ready to hear it all. Now that I’ve recounted the professional side of the Seoul trip, he wants to hear about the rest.
“Go on, don’t be shy, Lexi,” he insists. “Shelly asked for a full report, so don’t make me be a bad husband to my amazing wife.”
I sigh, knowing he won’t let go until I give him a bone to chew on. “Things with Andrea were… incredible.Sheis incredible.”
“Oh, so you guys are all patched up?” he asks withevident delight.
“No, not yet. I’m still on probation. We kept our distance most of the time.”
“‘Most’of the time?”
“Don’t push it, Kev.”
He raises his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright. Keep going.”
“I already knew she was one of the most remarkable women I’ve ever met, but this trip… She has this strength at her core, a relentless drive that is so inspiring to watch. I’ve never wanted to be in someone’s head as much as I do with her. Seeing how her mind works, hearing her thoughts, understanding her decision process… it would be the most thrilling experience.”
“We mortals feel that way about you a lot. Shelly would give me away if it means she can spend an hour in your head.”
“What happens in here isn’t very interesting,” I counter. “But Andrea… You should have seen her with the Injin executives. If either of us has to step down, we found a replacement.”
“Good to know,” he laughs.
“And she drove me crazy the whole time, but in the best way. I don’t know if that makes sense.”
“It makes perfect sense,” Kev reassures me. “She’s got you wrapped around her finger.”
