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Hobi was still overwhelmed that Sandra was carrying his photo card in her purse.  He sat in the overstuffed chair, a steaming cup of tea in his hand, and gazed at the beautiful woman before him.  His eyes traveled her long, midnight hair down to where it tapered off nearly at her waist.  She was quite tall, only about three inches shorter than him.  He had noticed when she’d been standing up next to him that she was a convenient height to kiss.  He blushed a little at the thought.  He hadn’t spent much time in the company of a single woman for quite a long while.  

As he sat now gazing at her, he couldn’t help but notice that her dark, Filipino skin was glowing in the lamplight tonight.  It was beautiful.  Somehow it highlighted her big, brown eyes.  They kept drawing him in.  Every so often, she’d glance up sheepishly at him before staring back down into her teacup.  He wanted to stare into those fascinating eyes for a good, long while.  He wished she’d stop hiding them from him.  She had kind eyes.  And the most gorgeous, curly, kohl black eyelashes.  They fanned out against her cheeks as she closed her eyes and sipped her tea a moment later.   

How had he been so blessed to find this sweet woman?  And why had she chosen him of all the Bangtan Boys to be her bias?  What qualities did he possess that had attracted the attention of one so special as she?

At dinner he had discovered that she loved to sing.  And as they’d sat waiting for their pizza, she had picked up a pencil and begun drawing random sketches on her paper placemat.  She was talented.  Hobi had bent his dark head to study them.  She rivaled Jungkook in her artistic ability.  In truth, she was much better at sketching than Kookie was.  Though, when Hobi had complimented her, she had simply blushed and ducked her head to continue sketching cute, little creatures.  By the time the pizza had arrived, she had decorated every blank space on her placemat.  Hobi had turned to her before serving her a slice of pizza and asked, “Sandra, can I have your placemat?”

Surprised, she had glanced up into Hobi’s obsidian eyes.  “What?  You want my placemat?  Didn’t you get one?”  She had peered pointedly down at his regretfully unadorned paper mat.

“Yes, I have one, but I don’t have one like yours.  It’s beautiful.  They’re just going to throw it away.  I’d like to keep it, if you don’t mind.”  

Genuinely touched, Sandra had stared at him as a tear invaded her eye.  Hobi wanted to keep her sketches?  No man had ever paid any attention to her talent before.  

“Why?” The question had escaped her lips without volition.  She hadn’t meant to speak it aloud.

Hobi’s dark eyes had grown wide.  “Because they’re beautiful!  Your little creatures are so cute!  They deserve a place of honor.  I think I’ll hang them over my bed at home.  When I can’t sleep, I’ll count them like sheep!”  Hobi was laughing at himself.

Sandra had smiled shyly at him before pulling the placemat out from under her plate and handing her sketches to him.  “They’re all yours,” she had whispered.

Hobi’s fingers had brushed her own as he had received the paper from her.  As fire had cascaded through them both, stemming from that magical touch of their fingertips, Sandra’s eyes had met Hobi’s, and they had both blushed before hastily looking away from each other.

Sandra hadn’t understood why she was reacting this way.  She was no high school student to be easily infatuated with a pretty face.  In fact, she was nearly twice the age she’d been when she’d graduated!  Surely, a woman of her years and wisdom wouldn’t react like a schoolgirl to a simple touch from a good-looking man!  Yet here she was flushing like a child.  Her cheeks were on fire!  She had felt embarrassed.  And oddly alive.  And completely wide awake for the first time in a very long while.

For his part, Hobi had felt like he’d just been burned.  He’d been playing with fire, and it had bitten him.  He had stared in wonder at the woman seated next to him.  He hadn’t realized a girl could make him feel like that.  This was different somehow from anything he had ever felt before.  She was special.  Her touch unique.  He was mystified.

As he had sat staring at her, a cheesy poem had begun to intertwine with his thoughts.

“Sandra, you’re so divine

I’d like to make you truly mine.

I’ll take your sketches home with me 

And display them for all to see.

When I can’t sleep,

I’ll count them like sheep.”

He had laughed.  It was silly.  But he didn’t care.  She made him feel younger and light-headed.  And sort of drunk.

Now as he sat watching her blow on her tea to cool it down, he wanted to hear her soft voice washing over him once more.

“Sandra?”

Her eyes lifted to meet his own.

“Do you have any other interests besides sketching and singing?”

She nodded as she lowered her teacup.  Which was, in actuality, a paper cup full of herbal tea.

“I like to cook.”

Hobi’s eyes grew wide.  “You do?!  That’s great!”

Surprised, she raised her eyebrows.  “It is?  Why?”

“Because I love to eat!”

She laughed.

“I’ve always wanted a girl who could teach me to cook.”

She smiled faintly at him.  “I would love to teach you to cook.  Not that I’ll get much chance to.”  She looked around.  “We’re both living in hotels at the moment, and you have two concerts to prepare for and perform over the next two days.”  She took another sip of tea.  “But it’s a nice dream.”

Hobi considered her.  It was a dream which he was determined to make happen.