Devil on a Harley (2018) - Chapter 2
"GAYsica"
Arriving home after a long day, there was Sooyoung lounging on the couch in front of the telly, engrossed in watching some sappy drama series, a huge tub of popcorn perched on her lap.
Plonking herself down next to her roommate, Jessica grabbed a handful of popcorn. "Lucky you. Do you even work? Seems to me all you do is sit, stuff your face, watch TV, and stuff your face some more."
"That's so not true." Sooyoung disagreed. "I do work for my living like everyone else, and you know it."
"For real, all you do is type about food on your laptop and go for gourmet food tasting sessions, while the rest of us are out there in the real world, scrounging for our living."
Sooyoung wrote for a culinary magazine from the cushy confines of home.
"Well, some of us are lucky like that. There's nothing I can do if you're envious." Sooyoung stuffed another handful of popcorn into her mouth, eyes still glued to the TV. "How did your day go?"
Once again reminded of Kwon Yuri, Jessica blushed. Usually, she had plenty to say, but at that moment, she was strangely reserved, as observed by her keenly perceptive roommate.
"This is quite unlike you. Usually, you would be bitching and ranting about everything and anything the moment you walk in that door. Something bothering you?" Sooyoung and Jessica had come a long way together, having been best friends since elementary school.
"Well...yes...no...I-I dunno..." Jessica hesitated to come clean with her thoughts. Would Sooyoung understand? Sure, they were the best of friends, only at times, Sooyoung could be a tad dense in the head. Should she let on to her BFF about the She-Devil who was occupying every nook and cranny of her befuddled mind since their near-collision in the rain?
"Is that even an answer? Yes...no...I dunno..." Sooyoung mimicked, and peering into Jessica's face, said, "And why is your face red? Yo, you're blushing. I bet it's a man...the type you like...tall, dark and devilishly-handsome, am I right? Jessica Jung, you're a female pooch in heat."
Yeah, right, tell me about it...only it's a tall, dark, devilishly-handsome WO-man, a certain Kwon Yuri. And thanks so much for not applying the 'B' word on me.
"All right, spill the tea." True to her inquisitive nature, Sooyoung continued to probe.
"I didn't meet a man, so there's zero tea to spill."
"Then why are you red in the face? I know you like I know the back of my hand, Jess. It's a man. It's most definitely a man."
"It's NOT a man." Then very softly, "It's a woman."
Not quite getting Jessica, Sooyoung peered into the blonde's face. "Come again?"
This time, Jessica was really peeved. "Damn it, Sooyoung, it's a woman-as in...BOOBS...P.M.S...W-O-M-A-N, WOMAN? LADY, FEMALE, LASS, GIRL?"
"Oh wow, pipe down. I got you...I think? Whoa....really?" Sooyoung looked at her friend with an incredulous expression.
Jessica could only nod, staring down at the floor.
"Rad, you're into girls?" Sooyoung began to make mental notes to never again undress in front of her best friend and to always remember to lock her door at night.
"See? I know I shouldn't have told you. I'm not into girls per se but I don't know why this one girl has such an effect over me that I can't take shake her off of my mind. She's like a drug...I'm hooked."
"Gosh, Jess, this is such a revelation. My best friend is gay-or at least, bi- and I never knew till now."
'I'm NOT gay. Didn't I say I don't know what came over me? I can't stop thinking about her. My brains are...pshhhh...fried."
"You're bi, then?"
"Don't even go there, Sooyoung."
"Are you having weird thoughts about this here girl?"
"Well, she's devilishly handsome for a woman and- "
"I mean, like, you wanna make out with her kind of deviant thoughts?" Sooyoung cut her BFF off.
"Dang, you're crazy." Jessica was not about to confess to anything.
"Not half as crazy as you. Congratulations, Jess, you can count yourself as officially gay."
*
Somewhere in another part of Seoul, a tanned, young woman standing in the shower turned on the faucet, letting the cool jets of water pelting down massage and soothe her weary body.
Kwon Yuri's thoughts drifted to her chance encounter with the feisty blonde owner of the Mini Cooper. With the car window wound down, the moment she first laid eyes on Jessica Jung, her heartbeat had quickened. Attractive face. Bright, intelligent eyes that didn't seem to miss a thing, and Yuri was almost instantly smitten. However, it was indeed a pity that their first meeting hadn't been under the best of circumstances. She had almost collided into her car. And that second meeting right there in her studio?
She never did before, but Yuri decided there and then that she believed in Fate after all. And Fate often had a hand in such matters.
They were destined to meet, cheesy as it may sound.
But was Jessica Jung into girls?
*
Sooyoung was just changing out of her pyjamas when Jessica suddenly opened the door to her room, popping her head in.
"Hey, girl, just wanted to say- "
"Don't people knock anymore?" Sooyoung shrieked as she made a mad rush to cover her half-naked body with her arms.
"Why are you being paranoid? I've seen you buck naked before, Choi Sooyoung."
"But you're gay now."
"Girl, I swear, you've gotta stop with all that shit about me being gay."
"Ever heard of being 'in denial'? Welp, that's precisely what's happening to you right now."
"Okayyy, so I'm in denial. Big deal." Jessica shrugged. Entering the room, she picked up the shirt that Sooyong had been about to change into and flung it at her friend. "Oh, just put on your shirt already. I'm really not interested in that skinny rack of yours. Only wanted to say that I'll be late tonight. Don't wait up?"
*
Stepping into the studio, Jessica caught sight of the She-Devil a.k.a Kwon Yuri busy setting up her equipment, with help from her assistants, oblivious to the entourage from Trends and Fashion that had just arrived for the photo shoot.
Casually clad in a boyfriend tee, vintage jeans cinched at the waist with an ethnic leather belt, and trainers, her dark mane pulled back in a pony tail, the photographer looked all set to work.
"Cool, isn't she?" A voice sounded behind Jessica. Turning around, there was Hyoyeon with a twinkle in her eye.
"I'll say." Jessica reluctantly agreed. Eager to find out more about Yuri, she asked, "So, what's your boss like?"
"Da. Best." Hyoyeon held up both thumbs. "Professional and dedicated to her craft. A bit of a perfectionist, I might add. She's just starting out, but she'll go far."
"I'm sure she will."
"Not forgetting charming, good-looking and sexy to boot. There have been guys-even girls-throwing themselves at her. But anyhow, she's just not interested."
"Even girls, huh?" Jessica raised an eyebrow. "But why am I not surprised?"
Hyoyeon laughed. "Wouldn't you like to know? She has this strange effect even over me, and I'm already spoken for?" The assistant photographer proudly held up her left hand to show off her wedding band. "There's this weird, tingly feeling when she looks at me with those eyes of hers. Feels like she's flirting with me, but then, it's probably just a figment of my imagination."
Great, so it happens to even married ladies. Does that mean there's nothing wrong with me after all?
Jessica had never felt so relieved in her whole life.
YES, Jessica, you're normal!
And she was happy again.
However, her happiness was short-lived when Sunny, their stylist, reported that one of the two models they had hired for the photo shoot, was in ER for acute appendicitis.
"Oh, crap. Why today of all days? Where the hell are we getting a replacement at such short notice?" Frantic, Jessica looked Sunny over from head to toe. The stylist had quite a stunning figure, and after make-up, she would be perfect. "Sunny, love, get changed."
"What? You can't be serious? Hey, I'm flattered, but no way." Sunny was not in the least bit amused by Jessica's crass decision. A drowning man would clutch at a straw but this was ridiculous.
"Why ever not?"
"Sweetheart, in case you haven't noticed, I'm only 155cm. In other words, I'm, like, short? You're the art director here and I would expect you to have better judgement." To put her point across, Sunny stepped out of her heels and, in stockinged feet, was instantly 8cm shorter.
Jessica looked Sunny over again. The stylist really was short. Besides, Sunny was also a little too busty for the bikini tops to fit decently without looking obscene.
For the love of all things decent, we're legit shooting for a summer fashion spread here, not porno...darn it.
A tap on her shoulder and Jessica swung around to see Yuri standing behind her.
"Sorry, I couldn't help overhearing, but I think Sunny's right. It wouldn't be advisable even though she's really pretty. She lacks height, stature. Visually, I think you would be a better choice. Being half a head taller makes all the difference," the photographer offered her professional point of view.
"You're kidding."
Yuri and Sunny shook their heads in unison, with the latter dumping a pile of bikinis into Jessica's arms.
"Get changed, sweetie," Sunny said.
"I can't do this." Jessica looked in apprehension at the bikinis. Then, pointing to non-existent hairs on her legs, said, "I haven't shaved."
"They're smooth as a baby's bottom," Sunny remarked, stooping down to inspect Jessica's legs.
"I have a zit on my face." Excuses and yet more excuses.
"I can always do some touching up after that. We have some great photo touch-up software," Yuri reassured.
"Right, there's nothing that good ol' photoshop can't fix," Sunny said matter-of-factly. "Get changed, Jessica."
"All right, I hear you." Jessica stormed off, grumbling, "Remind Taeyeon she needs to pay me for this additional task that's way outside my normal scope of work."
*
By the time the shoot wrapped, it was almost 9pm. Everyone had gone home except for Jessica. She had stayed on to look through the shots, so she could select the best for the spread.
The studio was pin-dropping quiet.
The two young women sat next to each other, huddled in front of a monitor, going through the shots, occasionally speaking in low voices when the need arose.
Jessica could hardly breathe, knowing that she was sitting at such close proximity to Yuri. Her pulse was going at twice its normal rate. Each time either one of them moved, their shoulders would be nudging against the other's. And each time that happened, Jessica would feel as if she had been electrocuted. It didn't help that the airconditioning had, in the height of summer, suddenly decided to go kaput and die on them. There were beads of perspiration forming on the photographer's forehead and Jessica had to fight back the urge to reach over and wipe them off for her.
"Sorry about the A/C fucking up," Yuri said, swiping at her forehead with the back of her hand.
"No sweat." And realising what she'd just said, Jessica added, "Pun not intended."
But what Yuri did next was totally unexpected, when she suddenly stood up.
And right in her presence, Jessica witnessed the tantalising sight of the photographer peeling off her tee, unveiling the black sports bra that she wore underneath.
"Damn this weather." Yuri tossed the piece of sweat-soaked cotton aside. "You don't mind, since there's only the two of us here?"
Gulp.
The blonde tried not to gawk when she saw a drop of perspiration trickling down the photographer's throat, down her chest, and then disappearing between her cleavage. Her shoulders were also covered in a faint sheen of perspiration. It was absurd how mere sweat could turn Jessica on so much at that moment, when before, it used to completely turn her off.
Pray tell...how even could perspiration ever be something for one to perv over?
"I-I'm cool with that. Hey, it's just the two of us, like you said." Trying her utmost to disregard the gratifying sight of the photographer in her sports bra, tanned midriff with its taut abs bared for the whole world to see-but of course, for the time being, it was only lucky her-Jessica diverted her gaze to the monitor, red-faced, thankful for the studio's dim lighting.
FML...did she have to do that? Granted it's only a sports bra that girls at the gym wear all the time, and you, Jessica Jung, wear them, too. Oh, snap. Do I really have gay tendencies? Or am I bi-curious? Now I'm really having difficulty breathing. Someone please get me an oxygen tank, pronto.
"Oh, look. That's a good one." Yuri stood hunched behind Jessica, looking over her shoulder, chin almost touching her, while pointing at an image on the monitor.
Jessica felt spurts of warm breaths down her neck. The photographer was way too close for comfort.
Stop, Jessica. Okay...enough's enough. I'm going home before I do something really dumb.
*
Upon realising that Jessica had come in the company van with the rest of her crew earlier in the day, meaning that she didn't have the car with her, Yuri offered to give the art director a ride home.
"I'll just take a cab. You've worked hard all day and must be tired. I couldn't bother you." Jessica politely declined the offer. Sitting so close behind Yuri on her Harley, inhaling the odour of her perspiration-and getting turned on by it- was absolutely the last thing she needed.
"No bother at all. I need to take in some fresh air, anyway. You'll be doing me a favour, really." Yuri insisted, slipping on a clean shirt.
As the Harley sped across the bridge spanning the Han River, Yuri pulled Jessica's arms tighter around her waist, drawing her closer, lest she should fall off, while the blonde resisted with all her might, the urge to rest her head on the She-Devil's back.
I wonder if she feels my heart pumping like crazy-mad against her back?
*tbc