Park and Violet (20 page)

Someone suddenly swiped the menu from her hand, making her gasp.

Park stood next to her table, arms crossed against his chest, which somehow looked even broader and sexier in his tux. One eyebrow lifted up. “What are you doing here?”

Violet tried not to squirm at Park’s narrowed gaze, telling herself she had nothing to be ashamed of.

“
Violet
.”

What did he want her to say? That she had come here because she didn’t want other girls to hit on him? Over her dead body! Violet said sweetly instead, “Because I missed you so much?”

Park reacted like she expected he would, recoiling as if her words were contagious. “You’re acting weird again, Violet.”

She suppressed a rueful smile. That was Park, all right. Only he would think something that sweet would be weird. Violet stood up. “Fine,” she said with exaggerated sadness. “I know when I’m not wanted.” She turned to walk away.
One, two, three, four---

“Where are you going?” Park was beside her again. He sounded strange as he said the words, as if they were being forced out of him.

Violet did her best to keep another smile back.
Watch out, Park,
she thought.
I’ve got your number.
Looking up at him under her lashes, she murmured, “Since you seem so busy---”

“Idiot. I didn’t say anything like that.” Park glared, as if she had insulted him with her words. “Just wait for me here. I’m off-duty already. I’ll just go get my stuff.”

When over ten minutes passed without Park turning up, Violet began to feel suspicious. Surely he wouldn’t dare stand her up just to get back at her, would he? She marched towards the back exit of the café and almost tripped at the shocking sight that greeted her.

He was being confessed to. It was a uniquely Japanese thing, with girls commonly expected to make the first move with a guy they liked.

Violet recognized the girl. She was about Violet’s age, a local. The other girl had typically pretty Japanese looks, but she was also uncommonly tall, able to meet Park eye to eye.

Violet slowly inched closer. The sight of Park
this
close to another girl made her feel queasy, and the thought of why they were this close made her want to run to his side and cover his eyes.

“I’ve always liked you,” the girl was saying shyly. “But I was always afraid b-because y-you’re kinda sharp with words. But lately, it seems that you’ve changed so I took the courage to, well, confess.” The girl took a deep breath before saying in a rush, “I like you, Park. Will you go out with me?”

Violet waited for Park to rebuff the girl’s confession. But Park was silent. Violet’s heart started to race. What was this? And then, Park cleared his throat. “I’m, ah, honored---”

Violet didn’t wait to hear the rest.

* * * *

Park was at a loss for words.

What the fuck was wrong with him? Confessions like this happened a lot in his first year in Japan, and he had spurned them all coldly until he had built a reputation for himself. After that first year, girls no longer even glanced at him, terrified as they were.

This girl wasn’t doing anything different from what any of those other girls did, but somehow he couldn’t make himself say anything bad. He cleared his throat one more time. “Like I said, I’m honored.” Frustration bit at him. This was Violet’s fault, without a doubt. She had changed without Park being aware of it. Worse, people around him – even those he didn’t know – had noticed the changes.

When the girl’s eyes lit up, he continued hastily with a slight wince, “But no, I’m sorry. It’s not possible.”

Her face fell, making him feel obliged to add, “It’s not like you’re ugly or anything.”

“Then is it because the rumors are true? That you and Violet York are together?”

Slowly, Park answered, “No. That’s not true.” Somehow, he couldn’t make himself say the actual words – to claim Violet as his in front of someone else. It was just too much too soon. “I’m just not looking for a girlfriend. That’s all.”

When he returned to where he had left Violet, Park found her nowhere in sight. He cursed under his breath. That girl was too spoiled and too impatient for her own good. It wouldn’t have hurt her to wait for a little bit more, would it?

Deciding that she had probably returned to her booth, Park walked towards the flower shop. On the way, he bumped into Akito and Jun-Yee, who both fell into stride next to him.

“This is your first time to check out Vi’s booth?” Jun-Yee asked in obvious surprise after finding out where Park was heading to.

Park struggled not to react at how familiar Jun-Yee sounded when he called Violet by her nickname. It wasn’t right for him to react, not when he had just told another girl he and Violet weren’t together. “I was working.” He tried not to sound defensive.

“Ah, well, you didn’t miss much,” Akito cheerfully informed him. “Business was slow when we were there but maybe it’s picked up now.”

* * * *

Honored?
Violet gritted her teeth at the memory of Park’s words. He had the manners of an Asian Yeti with her and yet he acted so fucking polite with another girl? What the hell did he mean with being ‘honored’? Wasn’t that just a nicer sounding word for I-find-your-interest-in-me-fucking-hot?

Just the thought of Park
looking
at another girl made Violet want to puke.

Fine,
then. If he was honored by other girls’ attentions, then she would like to be honored, too.

The entire afternoon, she had played the good girl’s role, trying to keep a low profile at the back, not wanting to attract any guy’s attention. But this time she was all for action. Violet tapped the club president’s shoulder.

He turned to her, a harassed look on his face since their club was doing the opposite of well in terms of sales. “Yeah?”

“I’d like to switch tasks. Can I sell flowers?”

“Thank God,” he exclaimed in relief. “Maybe when you’re out there, we’ll finally have the cash registrar ringing.”

Violet gave him a smile that left even the club president a little dazed. “Count on it.”

* * * *

      “Business was slow?” Jun-Yee repeated as they stopped just before the flower shop’s entrance. The place was jam-packed with people.

Well, no – if he had to be technical about it, the place was crowded with boys, and he didn’t fucking like that one bit.

“What’s going on?” Akito wondered out loud. “It wasn’t really like this earlier.”

Park didn’t bother waiting for his friends to figure things out. He simply pushed his way all the way to the front, and what he saw had him stopping dead on his tracks.

Violet stood behind the cashier booth, her kimono loosened enough to show more than an eyeful of her cleavage. She was speaking on the microphone as she counted bills with unruffled clam, her voice a sultry seductive force that had everyone straining their ears to hear more of it.

* * * *

Violet was having the time of her life. Maybe – just maybe – Park had truly cured her out of her phobia of getting too close to men. She couldn’t remember having had this much fun flirting again. Sadly, there wasn’t even a bit of spark to make things more exciting – all the guys she had talked to in the past thirty minutes hadn’t even come close to making her feel a fraction of her attraction to Park. But at least this feeling of being admired was enjoyable again and not threatening and sickening like before.

She was really, really
honored
with all the attention.

It was just fucking bad Park was honored with the same kind of attention from girls.

Pushing away the stinging thought of having to share Park with other girls, Violet refocused her attention on the guy outside the cashier booth. “Hello,” she cooed.

The man stammered an answer.

She glanced at the receipt. “You’re buying a bouquet of roses. Who’s it for?”

“My, ah, ah, girlfriend.”

Violet immediately reared back, straightening so that it wouldn’t seem like she was trying to hypnotize him with her cleavage. “That’s sweet. She’s a lucky girl. Thanks.” She hastily got rid of him before someone had enough ammunition to spread rumors about her hitting on another girl’s guy.

      Getting close to the tabletop microphone, she announced, “Hey everyone. Let me tell you right now that I don’t flirt with guys who already have girlfriends or are exclusively dating!”

“I’m single!” the guy next in line piped up in an excitedly loud voice, making everyone laugh.

Or at least everyone did…except for Park.

She sensed him even before seeing him, and when their eyes met Violet wasn’t surprised to see cold fury stamped on his gorgeous face. What had he expected? That she’d take him being “honored” lying down? Ha!
Honored –
did he really think he could get away with flirting with other girls just because he had called it a different name?

She turned her attention back to her next customer, leaning forward once more so that they could get as up close and personal as the one-inch glass top covering half of the booth would allow. Violet flashed him a smile. “You’re really single?”

“Yes,” he squeaked out, so clearly overwhelmed at Violet’s proximity it had the other guys behind him hooting.

“So who are you buying these for?” She glanced up to gauge Park’s reaction at her attempt of flirting with another man, but he was already gone. Was he mad? Had she somehow crossed a line? The thought of it was so disconcerting she faltered for a moment.

“M-my mother?”

Violet forced a smile. “That’s so sweet!” She took his money and began counting the bills. “Okay, this is good.” She blew him a kiss. “Thank you.”

Two hours later and she had helped sell everything out. The club president was still thanking her profusely when she called out her goodbyes on her way to the private dressing room reserved for club members. She had barely opened the door when she was quickly pulled in, the door slamming shut.

Violet suddenly found herself locked between the door and Park’s tense hard body.

She closed her eyes, trying to take control of her wayward senses. All she wanted to do at this moment was breathe in Park’s wonderful scent, kiss him, touch him---and maybe tattoo her name all over his body so that all the other girls would know he belonged to someone else.

When she opened her eyes again, she was ready. “You didn’t buy flowers from me,” Violet told him with a pout.

“I’m sure there wasn’t anything left,” he replied coldly.

Violet smiled. “You’re absolutely right.”

And then he didn’t say anything anymore, just staring at her until she couldn’t help reacting. “What?” She hated how defensive she suddenly sounded when she knew she hadn’t done anything wrong – or if she had then it was only because he had done something wrong
first.

Park growled, and it sounded so feral Violet nearly jumped in fear.

“What’s gotten into you?” The words came out a furious burst from Park’s mouth.

She tried her best to sound flippant. “What are you talking about?”

“Acting like a---”

“Don’t!” she warned him sharply. “Don’t say what you’re going to regret.”

“Then don’t do anything you’ll regret!” Park snapped back. Unable to control his emotions any longer, he tore her loosely tied kimono completely open. Ignoring her shriek of surprise, he threw away the silky robe and grabbed one breast, squeezing hard.

She cried out.

“You showed this to another man.”

“I---” Violet moaned, unable to speak when Park tugged at her nipple, hard. His other hand plumped her breast, and both her nipples were being pulled. It drove the anger away completely, leaving her in an aching state of arousal that only Park could satisfy.

“You fucking showed this to other
men
,” Park snarled and tugged her nipples harder. “Why did you do it?”

She bit back a whimper when Park bent down to take one silk-clad nipple in, teeth clamping hard around it. “B-because I want to!”

He sucked hard then bit her nipple harder, and Violet’s head fell back as her senses swam. “You wanted to? That’s your fucking answer?” he rasped against the silk just before tearing it away.

“Park!” She couldn’t keep herself gasping this time, shocked but more than a little turned on, too, at how he had just destroyed her bra.

Park answered by lifting her up, putting her breasts at eye level. He nuzzled her now-red nipple, as if soothing the fiery sensation before moving to her other nipple, sucking it hard into his mouth so unexpectedly that Violet bucked against him.

“Oh.” She moaned, her legs automatically wrapping around his waist as she sank her fingers into his hair.

He lifted his head, her fingers still gripping his hair hard. “What did you want to happen with that little show, Violet?” This time he didn’t bother to keep his jealousy and bitterness in check as he demanded, “Did you want me jealous?”  

Violet wanted to lash out. But right now, in his arms, she just couldn’t. And when she saw the faintest look of betrayal in Park’s bright eyes, she wilted. “I’m sorry.” She couldn’t meet his gaze as she said the words.