Giving up on you

XVIII

Leo arrived at the hotel and immediately spotted the woman dressed in high-couture sitting on the lobby. As if she had felt his gaze she turned around to him.

- Oh, so you actually came. – she mocked with a wide grin on her face. – take a sit.

Leo just glared at her and remained on his feet.

- What do you want? – Leo said in a faked calm tone

- Of course you know what I want – she raised an eyebrow in a suggestive way.

Leo rolled his eyes back making her giggle and reach out to him. He hesitated but ended up taking her hand and she leaded him to the elevator.

- I'm sorry I couldn't catch her – Hyuk apologized clenching a tight fist.

- No, you don't have to apologize, but what about her? Did she found out? – the now black haired guy say rolling the coffee cup in his hand.

- I don't think so, but I am pretty sure she suspects something. After all, she is pretty smart. – Hyuk replied leaning back his chair maintaining the balance to not fall – Well! At least she had reappeared after all this years; it's going to be easier now.

- Uhm – Hongbin nodded – but I am worried about her, now that I don't have my father, she most likely will try to blackmail me using her.

- She is not alone, she is living with that funny guy Hakyeon, remember?.

You had left Hongbin house with your thought running wild: why was Hyuk chasing after Hongbin's mother?... Hongbin didn't have the best relationship with his mom but his reaction was too much. And when you asked what happened, he immediately changed the subject and his expression.

- This is weird – you whispered, but in the middle of your thought-rush you remembered you had promised Hakyeon that you will cook for him tonight. And he refused to have Leo or Hongbin as guests if Hyuk wasn't there because it'd be too awkward to have them there battling over you while had no one to talk to.

You called him.

- Hakyeonieee – you sweet- talked – Don't think I forgot...

- Yeah sure – he frowned on the other side of the line – I want pasta! Or lasagna... that's all!!! I'm hanging up!

And he did, you smiled and sighed at the same time and headed to the nearest supermarket to buy the ingredients.

- You just wait, Cha Hakyeon, I'll make the best pasta you ever tasted in your whole life.

Shopping was a good way to distract your mind from all the dilemmas that were in it at the moment, you chose the best quality ravioli they had and also buy a bottle of wine because Hakyeon loved it and he absolutely would forgive you with that.

Your phone rang several times before you could hear it and find it in your purse; you saw the call ID was Hongbin.

- Hey, what's up – you said still choosing the ingredients with your unoccupied hand.

- Nothing, I just wanted to hear your voice – you could tell he was smiling as he talked – are you busy?.

- Not really just buying some stuff to make dinner...oh! Want to join me and Hakyeon? You can also invite Hyuk. – you asked enthusiastically.

- sounds good, where are you? I'll go pick you up.

- Thanks but I'm really near home so I'll be there really quick.

He grumbled a little but agreed to meet you in an hour. You smiled without thinking and hurried up to pay. The waiting lane was long so you took one magazine and started scrolling through the pages until you found something that caught up your attention: a bob haircut; you admired it for a few seconds.

You left the supermarket with the hairstyle in mind and as if it was destiny telling you to do it you happened to pass by a salon that looked pretty fancy and professional. Minutes later, you entered and decided to get your hair short.

"I've never had my hair short; I wonder what will be Hongbin's reaction... well, even if it doesn't suit me he'll tell me it does" – you thought while looking at yourself on the mirror while the stylist was getting everything ready.

- are you sure? – she asked looking at you beautiful hair that reached the middle of your back.

- yeah, changes are good, right? – you sighed.

Then the girl took a long strand of hair and cut it, you closed your eyes during all the process, you heard the sharp sound of the scissors and after that the heat of the hair iron near your face. A senior stylist approached you two from time to time to tell her how to make it look greater.

- viola! – she exclaimed – it's finished.

You slowly opened your eyes, looking at your shoulders and then your face: you were unrecognizable your head looked a lot more smaller and your eyes bigger because of the bangs.

- wow! – you grinned at the stylist. – is this really me?

She just nodded.

After you left you checked the hour and there was 10 minutes before Hongbin arrived, so you walked at a fast pace.

But something make you stop in your tracks, almost stumbling. The familiar pale face framed by long black hair leaving an hotel in front of you following the woman that had been your neighbor for several couple of years. You couldn't believe the scene: Leo and Hongbin's mother together.

"I shouldn't jump to conclusions... I must not... " you started thinking when somebody passed next to you as swift breeze. Her heels pitter-patting the adobe of the side walk. You could catch a glimpse of her face and recognized as the girl who was with Leo the day you met outside the club.

- yah! – she yelled making both Leo and Mrs. Lee turn to her – who is her? You really turned me down for this old hag?!

Leo sighed annoyed and looked at her.

- who are you? – asked Mrs. Lee in a irked manner.

- that's why I should ask?! – the girl stepped to her with a fierce look.

"and he said they were nothing?" – you scoffed in your mind looking from a few meters away.

- I already paid you in advance! – the younger woman talked.

- How much did she pay you? – The other woman asked to Leo.

He mumbled the quantity so you couldn't hear it, but Hongbin's mom took a wad of cash out of her purse and throw it to the girl.

- It's twice what you paid – she looked with a arrogant eyes - so I hope you don't disturb my Leo anymore. He won't be doing errands for a long looong time.

She dragged Leo with her leaving the girl speechless.

Everything fell in the right place. You felt your blood boiling up inside you as you watched them both walking away and you feet started moving before you could think a reasonable choice.

- Hey Leo! – you shouted and he immediately recognized our voice. He looked at you with his pupils running wild behind an perplexed expression. He muttered your name – So these are the "errands"

- I... - he tried to talk but the words got stuck in his throat. After all, his worst fear had become true.

- Disgusting – you growled applying all the poison you could into that word.