December 31, 2023
New York City
"Remind me why we have to go to this again?"
Ji-pyeong tugged at his collar, frowning like a child chafing at dressing up.
He is so damn handsome.
Mi-rae had never seen her husband in a tuxedo before. His classic black suit was threatening to render her incapable of carrying on a conversation.
Did he really have to comb his hair back like that too?
Mi-rae fought a smile as she leaned in the backseat of a cab to straighten his black silk bow tie. Her eyes lingered on his forehead as her fingers soon grew distracted.
"Because Chris goes all out throwing this party every year and would be really hurt if we didn't show up especially after I ghosted the last two years."
She could feel Ji-pyeong watching her as she then smoothed the front of his shirt. Her emerald glinted. And then his hand caught hers just as she was about to pull away.
"Well..."
Mi-rae lifted eyes to meet his gaze.
"It is worth it just to see you in that dress."
A tingle went up Mi-rae's spine.
Mi-rae had ordered five different red dresses in last minute desperation this week for the party. This was the only one that fit an hour before they were due to make their way down the length of Manhattan to Tribeca. The strapless silk faille minidress was cut daringly low in the back before being chastened by a large whimsical bow. She had hastily applied thicker mascara than usual to try to compensate for lack of preparation time. Her husband's Christmas present, diamond teardrop earrings, were the only accessory that she had deemed worthy of such an exclamation point of a dress.
Her fingers flexed against the starched fabric of his shirt.
"I barely even had time to get ready. I can't believe I had to go in today. But at least the deal closed. Time zones were on my side this time."
Ji-pyeong's hand slipped under her cashmere wrap. He glanced at the back of the driver's head and then pulled her closer.
"Well, you're stunning." His fingers fanned across her bare back. "I missed you."
Mi-rae inched a bit closer.
"I missed you too, my love."
Her voice was small. And then she sighed. As always her husband was a refuge from conference rooms and binders. But fleeting moments together as she fought eyes heavy with lack of sleep were not nearly enough.
Mi-rae had spent the last five days at the office closing a deal for a Singapore-based conglomerate. It was the largest closing of her career. And according to everyone it was a triumph. All she wanted was to be home in her pajamas with her husband, her cat, and her incorrigible puppy. But Chris Baxter's New Year's Eve party was legendary; a glittering staple of Wall Street. Her mentor had remained compassionately silent when Mi-rae had stayed home in the years after her divorce.
But this year was different in every way. She was head over heels in love. She had won an award from the New York Bar Association last month for her work on the GenOne matter. And the room would be filled with countless potential Wall Street investors for Ji-pyeong's nascent company. Chris had tailored the guest list to make sure of it. There was no polite choice but to attend.
Mi-rae sighed dramatically as she played with the ends of his bow tie.
"Do you regret marrying a boring lawyer with demanding clients who had to stupidly work over the holidays?"
