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Chapter 5: Two Suitors?

The bell jingled again, and for the umpteenth time today, Minsu glanced up expectantly.  Only to be disappointed once more.  Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome had yet to appear, and it was almost noon.  Was he not coming in today then?

She’d never even gotten his name.  He’d paid with cash.  Not a credit card.  

How disappointing.

Hobi could feel her dissatisfaction.  He’d observed her watching the door all day long.  She was expecting that guy again.  The one with the brooding expression.

But, thankfully, he had not returned.  Hobi fervently hoped that the guy had decided to kick his coffee habit.  Heavenly Ground didn’t have anything that guy needed.  Particularly, not a certain girl with long, dark hair and great, big hazel eyes.  Eyes that were sometimes sad.  Hobi wondered why…

—

Three weeks later, Minsu dragged herself to work.  She was opening the cafe this morning, so she’d had to get here extra early.  But she wasn’t feeling good.  She hadn’t slept well last night.  What with all the weeping.

Her eomma had called her yesterday evening to ask when she was going to come get her dog.  Her appa wanted to get rid of it.  They’d been babysitting it for six months, and he was apparently tired of it.  But Minsu was going to have to let her beloved pup go because she couldn’t bring her home with her.

As she stumbled into the door and fit her key into the lock, she turned it to the right.  But it didn’t budge.  Frustrated, she glared at it.

“Do you need some help?” came a deep voice from behind her.

She turned to see him.  Mr. Gorgeous.

Flustered, she stammered, “Th-this lock is giving me trouble.”

“May I?” he asked as he reached out his hand for the key.

“Th-thank you.”  

She silently cursed her stuttering as she slid the key chain into his palm.  Tears were threatening to invade her eyes.  All she’d wanted was to talk to him again.  But any time she was overcome by nerves, she stuttered.

“My pleasure,” he smiled and tried the key.

But it didn’t work for him either.  So he tried a different key.  This one slid easily to the right.

“Oh, you were just using the wrong key.  They look identical.  Easy mistake to make, I suppose.”  He smiled and handed the keys back to her.

“Th-Thank you,” she mumbled, pocketing them.

This pretty girl looked worn out.  Her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy.  Had she been crying all night long?

“Are you all right?” he asked quietly.

Mortified that he had picked up on her distress, she turned away from him as she opened the door.  She nodded.

“Listen, I know you don’t open for a few more minutes, but I have an early meeting.  Could I get a cup of coffee a few minutes early?  Just an espresso today.  I don’t need the latte.”

She glanced back at him.  Had the golden boy’s girlfriend broken up with him?

“Why not?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m sorry.  It’s none of my business,” she mumbled.  “I just wondered why you didn’t need the latte.”

“Oh.  It was for my secretary.  I’m going to a meeting on the other side of town, so I won’t be seeing her.”

“You buy your secretary a latte every day?”

Any guy would.  She was an absolute babe.  He’d been trying to get a date with her for six months.  But she just kept putting him off.  For some frustrating reason he had yet to decipher.

“Most days,” he shrugged.

“What a nice boss you are.  I hope she knows how blessed she is to have you,” she murmured without a trace of stutter.  But she didn’t notice.  “Please come in.  I’ll make you your espresso now.”

She walked behind the counter and turned on the machine.  She worked quietly and efficiently while he watched her.  She was really cute.  She kept nibbling on her lower lip.  And furrowing her brow.  Her delicate eyebrows seemed to be competing to see which one could touch her nose first.

Was she nervous?  Because of him?

He rather enjoyed the idea that he might make her nervous.  That meant she liked him.  He liked her too.  His eyes surveyed her countenance.  Wide brow, framed by long, midnight locks that flowed in gentle waves down to her waist.  He could get lost in all that hair.  

Her nose was a straight slope that softened at the end as it suddenly curved towards her face.  Her lips were wide and full.  Perfect for kissing.  But it was her eyes that attracted his notice as they suddenly flashed at him.  

He peered down at her.  What color were they?  He caught the hint of brown as he glanced at them.  But there was something else.  Something unusual.  But he wasn’t close enough to her to figure it out.

She pushed a cup towards him a few moments later.

“What do I owe you?”

“It’s on th-the house,” she asserted nervously.

He glanced at her sharply.  “Are you sure?  I mean, you opened early for me.”

“Technically, you opened early for me,” she laughed breathlessly.

He enjoyed that chuckle.

“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have made it in to work today.”

Her eyes were caressing his.  This girl really liked him.  He smiled, flashing those pearly whites at her.

“Would you go out with me Friday night?  I know it’s not a lot of notice, but I’d really like to take you to dinner.”

She couldn’t breathe.  She simply stared at him for a moment.  She’d had a practically sleepless night of weeping.  She hadn’t even been able to unlock the front door.  And then her knight in shining armor had appeared.  And saved the day.  And now, while she looked a mess and felt a mess, he was making her dreams come true?

“Y-yes!”

His eyes smiled.  “Great.  Where should I pick you up?  And when?”

“Any time after seven.  Where did you want to go?”

“There’s this new restaurant a friend of mine opened.  Fusion Five.  It’s supposed to be really good.”

Her eyes widened.  “It’s supposed to be amazing!  And impossible to get into!  Y-you can get a reservation?”

He nodded.  

“Wanna pick me up at seven-thirty?  I live just a couple blocks that way.” She gestured.  “Um, here’s my number.  I’ll text you my address.”  

When he was ready, she rattled off her phone number as he typed it into his phone.

“Great.”  Another flash of those beautiful teeth.  “Thanks for the coffee.  I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”  

Then, he was gone.  But he’d left something behind.  Ten thousand won.  She gazed down at it.  Shocked.  That was the price of three coffees.  She pocketed it.

A few minutes later, the bell over the door jingled again, and Hobi came whistling in.  His face lit up when he saw her, but when their eyes met, his heart dipped.  He rushed over to her.

“Minsu!  What’s wrong?”

“Wrong?”

He’d asked her out!  Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome had asked her out!  What could possibly be wrong?

“You look like you’ve been crying,” Hobi pointed out quietly.

Ohhhh.  

She’d managed to forget for a few wonderful minutes.  Her eyes wide and sad, she gazed up at him.  

“You remember Minnie, my Shih Tzu?”

He nodded.  “Is something wrong with Minnie?”  His brow furrowed in concern.

“Only that…I’m going to have to give her away!” she wailed.

“What?” he gasped.  “Why?”

“Appa doesn’t want her in their house anymore, and you know I can’t have pets at my apartment.”

Hobi stood considering her for a few moments.  “I’ll take her.”

She gasped and glanced up at him.  “What?”

“I’ll keep her for you until you can move into an apartment that allows dogs.”

Her eyes grew wide.  “You would do that?  For me?”

I would do anything for you.

What an absurd thought!  He barely knew this girl.  But she pulled on his heartstrings all the time.  In fact, he was pretty sure her smile was playing a melody on them right now.

He nodded. “Happily.”

“Thank you, Hobi.”  She would have thrown herself into his arms, but the counter separated them.  “I’ll pay for her food.  And we can walk them together!”  She frowned.  “When I’m not babysitting.”

“It’s okay, Minsu.  I’m a professional dog walker, remember?  I think I can handle two little dogs.”

“As long as there isn’t a gigantic English sheepdog in the mix, eh?”

He smiled crookedly.  “You’re not worried I won’t take good care of her, are you?  I mean, because of the accident that injured the pup?”

She frowned.  “No, Hobi!  An accident could happen to anyone.  Don’t I know it?  They happen to me all the time.”  She drew her brows down.  “But I don’t know how to thank you.  Really!  You’re doing me the biggest favor ever.”

“Go out with me Friday night.”  

Did he actually just say that?  His hand flew to his mouth as his eyes widened.  Then they floated towards her face.  She looked decidedly uncomfortable.

“I mean, just a dinner between friends!” he rushed to add.  “Then we could go pick up your dog.”

She winced.  “I can’t.  I’m sorry.”  Her smile had disappeared.  “I have a date that night.”

She had a date?!

“Oh.”

He looked crestfallen.  

Oh, no!  He does have a crush on me!  How did this happen?  Guys don’t usually pay any attention to me.  And this week, two completely different guys both asked me out.

She was floored.  Was there a full moon or something?

She glanced up like she could see through both ceiling and sunlight to ascertain the moon’s shape.  But she could not.

“Can we do it Saturday instead?  Make it lunch and then go get Minnie?” she asked him hesitantly.

“Sure.”  

But his smile was gone.  She had chased it away.  Was working with Hobi going to be awkward now?