Linger - Part 4
A/N: I felt bad for days - devastated - when someone commented that my fic sucks because of Taeyeon. I'm sad that I can't write to please everyone.
Part 4
Save for the dim, orange glow of the standing lamp, providing just enough illumination for her to work on, the rest of the living room was cloaked in shadowy darkness. Stubbing out her cigarette in the ashtray, Jessica removed her glasses, kneading her nose as she looked away from the screen. Stretching her arms above her head, she stared out of the French windows into pitch-dark oblivion. All she could make out was her own ghost of a reflection in the glass panes. That entire day, except for bathroom breaks and the quick trip to the convenience store a 15-minute walk away for staples, she had literally glued herself to the desk where Yuri had set up her laptop. She was there at the house, first and foremost, to write, so she sternly reminded herself.
Just sit your butt down and activate those goddamn gears in your head, woman. Lubricate them, if you have to. Make those fingers fly, even if you're the world's slowest typist!
There was a deadline to meet and, by hook or by crook, she would ensure she delivered. She had wasted enough time, moping, recovering from the trauma and heartache of having to initiate the break up with Taeyeon, and getting used to not having her in her life anymore.
She was way off schedule, having only 6 months left to fulfill her 4-novels-in-3-years contract with the publishing house. The first 3, fortunately, had sold remarkably well and had made it to the country's list of bestsellers. Yes, Jessica Jung, at age 28, had arrived, joining the ranks of South Korea's prolific new-age writers. Negotiations were underway for paperback reprints but that would be Tiffany's area of expertise, so, she would safely leave her to it.
Her fourth and last, however, hadn't yet made much headway when all those problems with Taeyeon began to surface. The book was slated for 20 chapters, according to her meticulous planning, but to date, she was far from reaching the half-way mark. And then, there were all those drafts to be made- first, second, third drafts, fourth...only because Jessica was a perfectionist. So many factors to be taken into consideration before the editors could do their job, followed by rounds of proofreading, so on and so forth, before it could finally make it to the printers. A lengthy process, indeed, and certainly no mean feat.
6 months...6 months...6 months, she reminded herself over and over again, akin to chanting a mantra.
A call from Tiffany Hwang, however, broke Jessica's mantra chanting reverie.
"How's the going, biiitchhh?" Tiffany's husky voice boomed loud into her ear.
"Don't people greet each other nicely anymore?" Jessica slouched back into the leather swivel, putting her feet up on the desk. "Whatever happened to 'hello, have you been well'?"
"You, me, we go too far back together to bother with that kind of crappy formality."
"Sounds more like familiarity breeding contempt to me. I bet you're glad I'm out of your face."
"Pssshhh. I'll have you know that even when your princess-esque self is not in its physical form over here, you continue to stress me out. I still pick up your shit, wipe your pretty ass, cover said ass, just like you're never gone at all."
"How so?"
"Kim Taeyeon- "
The mere mention of that name made Jessica sit up straight and had her anxiously gripping the swivel's armrest. "Tiff, you didn't tell her-?"
"I didn't but I don't know how much longer I can keep her away. Obviously, she's been to your place and found you gone. And who's the leading authority on all things pertaining to Jessica Jung? "
"Hell nooo."
"Hell yesss. She's been in my office, breathing down my neck-yes, the whole effing day- ever since she came back from Timbuktu. It's just as well you have the foresight of changing your number. That's just evil, bitch, but have you thought about changing your email address, too?"
"Now that's an idea, but really, she won't have much time to hound you before her father sends her off on another trip, so stop getting all flustered already."
"Whatever happened to 'sorry for the inconvenience caused'?"
"You, me, we go too far back for that kind of crappy formality, Tiff."
"Your comeback is low on originality, Jessi. So much for being a literary genius."
Their conversation then continued along the lines of Jessica updating Tiffany with the progress on her writing and Tiffany entrusting Jessica with the task of finding someone to mow the lawn and trim the hedges. The elderly gentleman who used to come by to do so had gone to the happy hunting grounds.
"It's such a small place. Just ask around. Any of the locals. My best bet would be the restaurant. They might know someone who'd be more than willing to take on the job since work is scarce," Tiffany rattled on.
"It's out of my normal scope of work but yeah, I can do that."
"You're a dear," Tiffany cooed, hanging up with the parting shot, "Hey, cut down on the fags, all right? Chew gum or something?"
Gum? GUMMM?
The harmless reference to that chewy, sticky, elasticky- confectionary-for want of a better word, immediately had Jessica thinking not of annoying, pimply-faced teenaged boys she used to link gum with, but of a certain tanned, cocky young girl. It had, in turn, led to her recalling the previous night's hand-trapped-in-laptop misadventure and that wallpaper of shame.
Jessica wasn't sure if she could ever live it down, especially when she had yet to collect her car from Kwon's Auto Repairs, which of course meant there was the great likelihood of meeting Kwon Yuri again. And as Tiffany had said, it really was a small place. The chances of running into each other ran high especially when she would be in town for a while.
When the doorbell chimed, she remembered she had called to order in dinner from the House of Choi.
Please don't let it be her again.... I know I'll just die!
*
Jessica was almost afraid to open the door. She braced herself, half-expecting to find Kwon Yuri, but she need not have worried for in the doorway, stood a tall, gangly girl with a bored expression, wearing a helmet that looked ridiculously big for her head.
Following Jessica into the kitchen, and not knowing any better, Sooyoung thought the lady of the house actually looked mighty relieved to see her.
"Where's the tanned kid?" Jessica queried.
"Uh, tanned kid?" Sooyoung was baffled.
"The one who made the delivery last night?"
"OHHHH, you mean Yuri?"
"Yes, I think that's her name. Is she all right?"
"I'm not sure I get you?"
"See, there was a tiiiny bit of an accident here last night. I just want to know if her hand is okay?"
"Accident? Hand?" Sooyoung's head was having trouble processing the information.
"I guess she didn't tell you, huh? Never mind." Jessica was doubly relieved. If her friend didn't know, chances were the kid probably didn't tell anyone what she'd seen, IF she'd seen anything at all. Then, remembering the task entrusted to her, "Say, girl, do you happen to know anyone who might be interested in doing some gardening work?"
*
"Look, do you want to go to that concert in Seoul or not?" Sooyoung persisted in asking, leaning back against a white car that Yuri was busy waxing-Jessica Jung's BMW.
"Move. I only need to buff that part and I'm done." Yuri side-bumped her hip against her friend to get her out of the way.
"I just provided you with the perfect opportunity to earn some money for the trip and you're all like," Sooyoung mimicked," 'I'm not sure...I don't know... '. Dang. It's only gardening, Yuri."
"But it's that Jung woman's place."
"Why? Is the place haunted?"
"Don't be an idiot."
"Are you scared of her?"
"No! "
"Then why- did something happen that night that you're not telling me?" Sooyoung narrowed her eyes questioningly at Yuri. "You know, she asked about you?"
Letting this new bit of information sink in, Yuri tried not to look surprised. Oh wow...Did she really? Hm...Wonder why? "Why shouldn't she be asking about me? After all, I'm only the nicest person she's met since hitting town." Yuri shrugged, applying a little more wax onto the surface of the car and then painstakingly buffing it over.
Sooyoung clamped a hand over her mouth, making barfing noises before mournfully saying, "I'm only sad that my best friend is withholding info from me when I tell her all my deepest, darkest secrets. Honestly, Yul. You're getting awfully secretive of late."
"Dumbass, your deepest, darkest secrets will always be safe with me whereas I can't say mine will always be safe with you," Yuri scoffed, remembering that Sooyoung's deepest, darkest secret could only be the one where a 7-year-old Sooyoung had taken money from the restaurant's cash register to buy gummy worms for her friends so that they would like her. But her mother had found out anyway, and had given her a thrashing. As for Yuri being secretive- well, there were things that she couldn't quite share with Sooyoung, feeling that she wouldn't understand.
"So now I'm sad my best friend thinks I'm both a dumbass and a blabbermouth."
"Will you just stop? I haven't time to listen to how sad you are. We're handing this car back to its owner soon and I've got tons of other stuff to see to." Which was true since Yuri's older brother was away in the military and her Dad couldn't afford to hire extra help.
"You think about it now. You know you'll never have enough for the trip the pittance your Dad pays you," Sooyoung reiterated before taking leave of the garage, bowing politely to Yuri's dad and an irresistibly good-looking Jessica Jung; they had just walked in together.
Jessica had on her signature designer shades and although casually attired in sweats and trainers, there was an aura about her that Yuri couldn't quite put a finger on. With the morning sun streaming into the garage, its rays hitting upon her golden-brown hair, seemingly creating a halo of sorts around her head, Yuri couldn't take her eyes off of that image of perfection before her.
She put a hand over her rapidly pulsating heart, as if to ensure that it wouldn't just burst out of her rib cage.
Perhaps it hadn't occurred to her that while she was busy admiring the woman, Jessica Jung hadn't even once glanced her way.
*
"Well, we certainly do appreciate your patience and understanding that we had to order in the parts from Seoul and have them couriered to us, Miss Jung. A small establishment like ours just do not stock them. It's not everyday that we get foreign import cars in a small town like YulSoo." K.S. Kwon signalled for his daughter to pop the hood for Jessica's inspection.
"Oh, that's quite all right." Jessica nodded, forcing a smile when all she wanted to do was to get into her car and drive off. She couldn't quite look at Yuri, for obvious reasons. "I understand."
"What we've done is change the faulty hose," K.S. explained, pointing at the confusing array of car parts. Not that Jessica understood a single thing about car mechanics, but she listened out of politeness anyway. "And we've done the routine checks and servicing that you requested. Everything's in order. We threw in a free wash and wax, courtesy of my daughter here."
"Ah, I see. If you'll just let me have the invoice?" Jessica prompted, quite anxious to go. It was simply unnerving that the girl was there, and possibly judging her for what she'd seen that night. If there was one thing Jessica hated, that would be people judging her when they didn't know her at all.
"Of course. If you'll be so good as to come with me to our office, Miss Jung?"
Watching Jessica sashaying after her dad, following him into the small room at the back that was their office, Yuri had made up her mind.
Fishing her phone out of her pocket, she called Sooyoung, "Hey, I'm keen on that concert after all. Fix me up? Just let the Jung woman know that someone will be coming to mow her lawn this Sunday?"
*
Choi Sooyoung had only informed her that someone would be coming to do the lawn on Sunday but she didn't exactly specify who that someone was....
I'll be damned if this isn't bad karma screwing me over.
It was awkward, to say the least, but Jessica couldn't possibly send the kid home after she'd come all the way to earn some extra cash. Tiffany had mentioned that the people of YulSoo weren't very well-off. The town's economy depended largely on holidaymakers from the big cities during the summer, where they tried to make the most out of the season, but it was pretty much a ghost town once summer was over.
They both stood staring into the little wooden shed behind the house where Tiffany had said the gardening tools were stored.
"There's the lawn mower. I hope you know how it works?" Jessica asked, just for something to say.
"I'll figure it out, unnie." Ever the confident Kwon Yuri.
Jessica cleared her throat. "If you need the bathroom or a drink of water, just come on in. No need to ask for permission." That was about the nicest thing Yuri had heard from the woman thus far. "I'll be busy with my work and I do not want to be disturbed. Got that?"
*
The noise produced by the gasoline-powered lawn mower was horrendous. It bothered her immensely and it threw her off of her concentration completely. Not being able to work anymore, she clapped her hands over her ears as she made her way over to the French windows to check on Yuri's progress.
Yuri was diligently going about mowing the grass down, oblivious that less than 10 meters away, the lady of the house was spying on her. When she squatted down to pick away some stones that were in the way, unknowingly, a tan expanse of skin was exposed where her shirt and low-rise cutoffs didn't quite cover her lower back.
From her vantage point, Jessica could clearly make out the dimples in the small of Yuri's back, among other things.
Oops. There's the waistband of your knickers. So you have a preference for boy briefs, huh? Adorable. Wait. What's that? Butt crack? Freakin' obscene but cute as hell. Wrong choice of attire, kid. You're exposing way too much. But thanks for the laughs.
For a while, Jessica forgot all about the wallpaper incident that had been driving her insane as she revelled in her newly found, but surely dubious, amusement- innocent Kwon Yuri's indecent exposure of her behind.
Ohmygosh. Why do I suddenly feel like a pervert?
Unbeknownst to her, that was only the beginning of her penchant for young, olive skin.
*
When Yuri resumed mowing the grass, Jessica decided that continuing with her work would be futile, the noise being too much for her to bear.
Feeling bored, she wondered if she should go for a swim instead. It was the early days of autumn, not too cold, and the sun was out shining for all it was worth. The advantage of having the ocean right at one's backyard was that one could go swimming anytime one so wished, provided the water was warm enough, of course.
*
There was a wooden deck right behind the house with a rickety flight of stairs that led to a short stretch of beach that was almost exclusive to the Hwangs' property. When Yuri came around to the back to retrieve the shears from the shed, she gazed, with mouth agape, to the wondrous sight of Jessica Jung bouncing up the wooden stairs in a skimpy red bikini, a towel draped loosely about her shoulders. She was dripping wet, her hair plastered to her head, droplets of water trickling down her face, continuing in rivulets down her neck and cleavage. She was shivering, her chest heaving as she had just asserted herself running up those stairs.
Jessica Jung was almost like the illustration of a sea nymph Yuri had once seen in a book about Greek mythology-curvaceous, pale and very beautiful.
Yuri almost dropped the shears she was holding but recovered quickly enough to avert her gaze lest she should once again be accused of ogling.
Suddenly feeling tired of it all, Jessica stood still before the girl. She knew exactly where Yuri's eyes had been focused before she pretended to look elsewhere but it didn't matter to her anymore. At that moment, she only needed to know what had been bothering her. It was also her writer's temperament-neurotic, volatile and over-sensitive-driving her along. Finding her voice, she spoke, lips trembling, "This is driving me fucking crazy but I just need to know, all right? Did you or did you not see what was on the desktop that night?"
Yuri's 18-year-old mind drew a blank, trying to weigh the pros and cons of telling the truth. Should she be honest and answer in the affirmative? Also, what did it matter if she told a white lie?
When Yuri took too long to reply, Jessica sighed, the answer quite clear to her. "Never mind, kid. I shouldn't ask what I already know."
"Unnie, I - I won't tell anyone." The answer was really clear now.
"You won't tell anyone but I bet you're still curious about me?"
"Well, yeah. I - I find you fascinating enough to be curious about you." It was almost a confession.
"When you're not being annoying, you're actually cute," Jessica said, patting Yuri's bottom as she brushed past her, but just before she entered the house, she turned around and asked, looking thoughtful, "Has it ever occurred to you that you could possibly be gay, too?"
Jessica didn't wait for an answer, leaving a shocked and confused Kwon Yuri staring after her.
WAIT. WHAT?
Apparently, Jessica Jung had just asked her the very question she had recently been pondering a fair bit over.
*tbc
Part 4
Save for the dim, orange glow of the standing lamp, providing just enough illumination for her to work on, the rest of the living room was cloaked in shadowy darkness. Stubbing out her cigarette in the ashtray, Jessica removed her glasses, kneading her nose as she looked away from the screen. Stretching her arms above her head, she stared out of the French windows into pitch-dark oblivion. All she could make out was her own ghost of a reflection in the glass panes. That entire day, except for bathroom breaks and the quick trip to the convenience store a 15-minute walk away for staples, she had literally glued herself to the desk where Yuri had set up her laptop. She was there at the house, first and foremost, to write, so she sternly reminded herself.
Just sit your butt down and activate those goddamn gears in your head, woman. Lubricate them, if you have to. Make those fingers fly, even if you're the world's slowest typist!
There was a deadline to meet and, by hook or by crook, she would ensure she delivered. She had wasted enough time, moping, recovering from the trauma and heartache of having to initiate the break up with Taeyeon, and getting used to not having her in her life anymore.
She was way off schedule, having only 6 months left to fulfill her 4-novels-in-3-years contract with the publishing house. The first 3, fortunately, had sold remarkably well and had made it to the country's list of bestsellers. Yes, Jessica Jung, at age 28, had arrived, joining the ranks of South Korea's prolific new-age writers. Negotiations were underway for paperback reprints but that would be Tiffany's area of expertise, so, she would safely leave her to it.
Her fourth and last, however, hadn't yet made much headway when all those problems with Taeyeon began to surface. The book was slated for 20 chapters, according to her meticulous planning, but to date, she was far from reaching the half-way mark. And then, there were all those drafts to be made- first, second, third drafts, fourth...only because Jessica was a perfectionist. So many factors to be taken into consideration before the editors could do their job, followed by rounds of proofreading, so on and so forth, before it could finally make it to the printers. A lengthy process, indeed, and certainly no mean feat.
6 months...6 months...6 months, she reminded herself over and over again, akin to chanting a mantra.
A call from Tiffany Hwang, however, broke Jessica's mantra chanting reverie.
"How's the going, biiitchhh?" Tiffany's husky voice boomed loud into her ear.
"Don't people greet each other nicely anymore?" Jessica slouched back into the leather swivel, putting her feet up on the desk. "Whatever happened to 'hello, have you been well'?"
"You, me, we go too far back together to bother with that kind of crappy formality."
"Sounds more like familiarity breeding contempt to me. I bet you're glad I'm out of your face."
"Pssshhh. I'll have you know that even when your princess-esque self is not in its physical form over here, you continue to stress me out. I still pick up your shit, wipe your pretty ass, cover said ass, just like you're never gone at all."
"How so?"
"Kim Taeyeon- "
The mere mention of that name made Jessica sit up straight and had her anxiously gripping the swivel's armrest. "Tiff, you didn't tell her-?"
"I didn't but I don't know how much longer I can keep her away. Obviously, she's been to your place and found you gone. And who's the leading authority on all things pertaining to Jessica Jung? "
"Hell nooo."
"Hell yesss. She's been in my office, breathing down my neck-yes, the whole effing day- ever since she came back from Timbuktu. It's just as well you have the foresight of changing your number. That's just evil, bitch, but have you thought about changing your email address, too?"
"Now that's an idea, but really, she won't have much time to hound you before her father sends her off on another trip, so stop getting all flustered already."
"Whatever happened to 'sorry for the inconvenience caused'?"
"You, me, we go too far back for that kind of crappy formality, Tiff."
"Your comeback is low on originality, Jessi. So much for being a literary genius."
Their conversation then continued along the lines of Jessica updating Tiffany with the progress on her writing and Tiffany entrusting Jessica with the task of finding someone to mow the lawn and trim the hedges. The elderly gentleman who used to come by to do so had gone to the happy hunting grounds.
"It's such a small place. Just ask around. Any of the locals. My best bet would be the restaurant. They might know someone who'd be more than willing to take on the job since work is scarce," Tiffany rattled on.
"It's out of my normal scope of work but yeah, I can do that."
"You're a dear," Tiffany cooed, hanging up with the parting shot, "Hey, cut down on the fags, all right? Chew gum or something?"
Gum? GUMMM?
The harmless reference to that chewy, sticky, elasticky- confectionary-for want of a better word, immediately had Jessica thinking not of annoying, pimply-faced teenaged boys she used to link gum with, but of a certain tanned, cocky young girl. It had, in turn, led to her recalling the previous night's hand-trapped-in-laptop misadventure and that wallpaper of shame.
Jessica wasn't sure if she could ever live it down, especially when she had yet to collect her car from Kwon's Auto Repairs, which of course meant there was the great likelihood of meeting Kwon Yuri again. And as Tiffany had said, it really was a small place. The chances of running into each other ran high especially when she would be in town for a while.
When the doorbell chimed, she remembered she had called to order in dinner from the House of Choi.
Please don't let it be her again.... I know I'll just die!
*
Jessica was almost afraid to open the door. She braced herself, half-expecting to find Kwon Yuri, but she need not have worried for in the doorway, stood a tall, gangly girl with a bored expression, wearing a helmet that looked ridiculously big for her head.
Following Jessica into the kitchen, and not knowing any better, Sooyoung thought the lady of the house actually looked mighty relieved to see her.
"Where's the tanned kid?" Jessica queried.
"Uh, tanned kid?" Sooyoung was baffled.
"The one who made the delivery last night?"
"OHHHH, you mean Yuri?"
"Yes, I think that's her name. Is she all right?"
"I'm not sure I get you?"
"See, there was a tiiiny bit of an accident here last night. I just want to know if her hand is okay?"
"Accident? Hand?" Sooyoung's head was having trouble processing the information.
"I guess she didn't tell you, huh? Never mind." Jessica was doubly relieved. If her friend didn't know, chances were the kid probably didn't tell anyone what she'd seen, IF she'd seen anything at all. Then, remembering the task entrusted to her, "Say, girl, do you happen to know anyone who might be interested in doing some gardening work?"
*
"Look, do you want to go to that concert in Seoul or not?" Sooyoung persisted in asking, leaning back against a white car that Yuri was busy waxing-Jessica Jung's BMW.
"Move. I only need to buff that part and I'm done." Yuri side-bumped her hip against her friend to get her out of the way.
"I just provided you with the perfect opportunity to earn some money for the trip and you're all like," Sooyoung mimicked," 'I'm not sure...I don't know... '. Dang. It's only gardening, Yuri."
"But it's that Jung woman's place."
"Why? Is the place haunted?"
"Don't be an idiot."
"Are you scared of her?"
"No! "
"Then why- did something happen that night that you're not telling me?" Sooyoung narrowed her eyes questioningly at Yuri. "You know, she asked about you?"
Letting this new bit of information sink in, Yuri tried not to look surprised. Oh wow...Did she really? Hm...Wonder why? "Why shouldn't she be asking about me? After all, I'm only the nicest person she's met since hitting town." Yuri shrugged, applying a little more wax onto the surface of the car and then painstakingly buffing it over.
Sooyoung clamped a hand over her mouth, making barfing noises before mournfully saying, "I'm only sad that my best friend is withholding info from me when I tell her all my deepest, darkest secrets. Honestly, Yul. You're getting awfully secretive of late."
"Dumbass, your deepest, darkest secrets will always be safe with me whereas I can't say mine will always be safe with you," Yuri scoffed, remembering that Sooyoung's deepest, darkest secret could only be the one where a 7-year-old Sooyoung had taken money from the restaurant's cash register to buy gummy worms for her friends so that they would like her. But her mother had found out anyway, and had given her a thrashing. As for Yuri being secretive- well, there were things that she couldn't quite share with Sooyoung, feeling that she wouldn't understand.
"So now I'm sad my best friend thinks I'm both a dumbass and a blabbermouth."
"Will you just stop? I haven't time to listen to how sad you are. We're handing this car back to its owner soon and I've got tons of other stuff to see to." Which was true since Yuri's older brother was away in the military and her Dad couldn't afford to hire extra help.
"You think about it now. You know you'll never have enough for the trip the pittance your Dad pays you," Sooyoung reiterated before taking leave of the garage, bowing politely to Yuri's dad and an irresistibly good-looking Jessica Jung; they had just walked in together.
Jessica had on her signature designer shades and although casually attired in sweats and trainers, there was an aura about her that Yuri couldn't quite put a finger on. With the morning sun streaming into the garage, its rays hitting upon her golden-brown hair, seemingly creating a halo of sorts around her head, Yuri couldn't take her eyes off of that image of perfection before her.
She put a hand over her rapidly pulsating heart, as if to ensure that it wouldn't just burst out of her rib cage.
Perhaps it hadn't occurred to her that while she was busy admiring the woman, Jessica Jung hadn't even once glanced her way.
*
"Well, we certainly do appreciate your patience and understanding that we had to order in the parts from Seoul and have them couriered to us, Miss Jung. A small establishment like ours just do not stock them. It's not everyday that we get foreign import cars in a small town like YulSoo." K.S. Kwon signalled for his daughter to pop the hood for Jessica's inspection.
"Oh, that's quite all right." Jessica nodded, forcing a smile when all she wanted to do was to get into her car and drive off. She couldn't quite look at Yuri, for obvious reasons. "I understand."
"What we've done is change the faulty hose," K.S. explained, pointing at the confusing array of car parts. Not that Jessica understood a single thing about car mechanics, but she listened out of politeness anyway. "And we've done the routine checks and servicing that you requested. Everything's in order. We threw in a free wash and wax, courtesy of my daughter here."
"Ah, I see. If you'll just let me have the invoice?" Jessica prompted, quite anxious to go. It was simply unnerving that the girl was there, and possibly judging her for what she'd seen that night. If there was one thing Jessica hated, that would be people judging her when they didn't know her at all.
"Of course. If you'll be so good as to come with me to our office, Miss Jung?"
Watching Jessica sashaying after her dad, following him into the small room at the back that was their office, Yuri had made up her mind.
Fishing her phone out of her pocket, she called Sooyoung, "Hey, I'm keen on that concert after all. Fix me up? Just let the Jung woman know that someone will be coming to mow her lawn this Sunday?"
*
Choi Sooyoung had only informed her that someone would be coming to do the lawn on Sunday but she didn't exactly specify who that someone was....
I'll be damned if this isn't bad karma screwing me over.
It was awkward, to say the least, but Jessica couldn't possibly send the kid home after she'd come all the way to earn some extra cash. Tiffany had mentioned that the people of YulSoo weren't very well-off. The town's economy depended largely on holidaymakers from the big cities during the summer, where they tried to make the most out of the season, but it was pretty much a ghost town once summer was over.
They both stood staring into the little wooden shed behind the house where Tiffany had said the gardening tools were stored.
"There's the lawn mower. I hope you know how it works?" Jessica asked, just for something to say.
"I'll figure it out, unnie." Ever the confident Kwon Yuri.
Jessica cleared her throat. "If you need the bathroom or a drink of water, just come on in. No need to ask for permission." That was about the nicest thing Yuri had heard from the woman thus far. "I'll be busy with my work and I do not want to be disturbed. Got that?"
*
The noise produced by the gasoline-powered lawn mower was horrendous. It bothered her immensely and it threw her off of her concentration completely. Not being able to work anymore, she clapped her hands over her ears as she made her way over to the French windows to check on Yuri's progress.
Yuri was diligently going about mowing the grass down, oblivious that less than 10 meters away, the lady of the house was spying on her. When she squatted down to pick away some stones that were in the way, unknowingly, a tan expanse of skin was exposed where her shirt and low-rise cutoffs didn't quite cover her lower back.
From her vantage point, Jessica could clearly make out the dimples in the small of Yuri's back, among other things.
Oops. There's the waistband of your knickers. So you have a preference for boy briefs, huh? Adorable. Wait. What's that? Butt crack? Freakin' obscene but cute as hell. Wrong choice of attire, kid. You're exposing way too much. But thanks for the laughs.
For a while, Jessica forgot all about the wallpaper incident that had been driving her insane as she revelled in her newly found, but surely dubious, amusement- innocent Kwon Yuri's indecent exposure of her behind.
Ohmygosh. Why do I suddenly feel like a pervert?
Unbeknownst to her, that was only the beginning of her penchant for young, olive skin.
*
When Yuri resumed mowing the grass, Jessica decided that continuing with her work would be futile, the noise being too much for her to bear.
Feeling bored, she wondered if she should go for a swim instead. It was the early days of autumn, not too cold, and the sun was out shining for all it was worth. The advantage of having the ocean right at one's backyard was that one could go swimming anytime one so wished, provided the water was warm enough, of course.
*
There was a wooden deck right behind the house with a rickety flight of stairs that led to a short stretch of beach that was almost exclusive to the Hwangs' property. When Yuri came around to the back to retrieve the shears from the shed, she gazed, with mouth agape, to the wondrous sight of Jessica Jung bouncing up the wooden stairs in a skimpy red bikini, a towel draped loosely about her shoulders. She was dripping wet, her hair plastered to her head, droplets of water trickling down her face, continuing in rivulets down her neck and cleavage. She was shivering, her chest heaving as she had just asserted herself running up those stairs.
Jessica Jung was almost like the illustration of a sea nymph Yuri had once seen in a book about Greek mythology-curvaceous, pale and very beautiful.
Yuri almost dropped the shears she was holding but recovered quickly enough to avert her gaze lest she should once again be accused of ogling.
Suddenly feeling tired of it all, Jessica stood still before the girl. She knew exactly where Yuri's eyes had been focused before she pretended to look elsewhere but it didn't matter to her anymore. At that moment, she only needed to know what had been bothering her. It was also her writer's temperament-neurotic, volatile and over-sensitive-driving her along. Finding her voice, she spoke, lips trembling, "This is driving me fucking crazy but I just need to know, all right? Did you or did you not see what was on the desktop that night?"
Yuri's 18-year-old mind drew a blank, trying to weigh the pros and cons of telling the truth. Should she be honest and answer in the affirmative? Also, what did it matter if she told a white lie?
When Yuri took too long to reply, Jessica sighed, the answer quite clear to her. "Never mind, kid. I shouldn't ask what I already know."
"Unnie, I - I won't tell anyone." The answer was really clear now.
"You won't tell anyone but I bet you're still curious about me?"
"Well, yeah. I - I find you fascinating enough to be curious about you." It was almost a confession.
"When you're not being annoying, you're actually cute," Jessica said, patting Yuri's bottom as she brushed past her, but just before she entered the house, she turned around and asked, looking thoughtful, "Has it ever occurred to you that you could possibly be gay, too?"
Jessica didn't wait for an answer, leaving a shocked and confused Kwon Yuri staring after her.
WAIT. WHAT?
Apparently, Jessica Jung had just asked her the very question she had recently been pondering a fair bit over.
*tbc