Chapter 42 – Tension at Lunch (2)
“I did a little research on Roy Jean’s career and found out he fell into a slump for quite some time after his wife’s passing. And he happened to reinitiate his work three years ago.”
“Excuse me, but I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”
“What are assistants usually responsible for?”
“We assist with creation of work, or whatever needed.”
“Does it include something personal and private? For example, if he needs someone in his bed…”
“Tae-jun!” Si-yeon exclaimed indignantly, slamming her water glass back on the table at his audacity to suggest such a thing, and shot him a scathing look. “You are being rude. That’s such an indelicate question to ask.”
He did not reply to Si-yeon, in fact he ignored her as if she did not exist.
Yuri was the only person worth laying his eyes upon. His eyes were prodding for her to offer an answer. His eyes roamed all over her.
His glances were burning, cold and passionate at the same time. Yuri could sense one thing – whatever relationship they had in the past; it definitely did not end well.
Tae-jun did not try to veil his curious glances towards Yuri in front of his own fiancé, nonetheless. He did not even care if anyone saw him.
The question itself did not surprise Yuri. Roy Jean had a reputation for not hiring a female assistant in the industry.
After he separated from his wife by death at a young age, he had pursued his own celibacy for a long time, mourning for his loss. In order to avoid any kind of women-related rumors, he was reluctant to hire any female assistant.
When Yuri was hired as an assistant to Roy Jean as the first female assistant in over ten years, they became a hot topic for gossip. As a result, Yuri had to repeat the same answer over and over again like a parrot.
“I and Mr. Jean do not share such a personal and intimate relationship. He is simply my boss and teacher.”
“A boss and a teacher. I apologize. I was ignorant.” Despite the apology, his tone suggested otherwise.
Thankfully, the lunch was served before further conversation. The star chef appeared in front of them, as if on a cooking show, explaining the menu of the day next to the table.
House-made cheese, top graded beef, and abalones freshly delivered from the seaside every morning could not impress Yuri. She could not taste anything, and it seemed the same to the man seated before her. He seemed like he would rather cut, chew, and swallow Yuri instead of the food.
To cut the tension in the air, Si-yeon started speaking.
“Yuri, other than assisting Roy Jean, do you work on your personal pieces?”
Yuri was thankful for the change in topic.
“For the moment, I don’t have anything that I am working on my own.”
“Why? Actually, the agency told me that there was a piece that inspired the Heart of Apollo, and I heard it was created by you. I was dying to see it, but it was not open to the public.”
At that instant, Yuri dropped her fork.
Clink!
The clashing noise of the fork hitting on the ground rang through the air.
“Are you okay?”
“Oh, I am sorry.”
When Yuri tried to pick up the fork, Si-yeon called up a waiter.
“You seem dizzy. You’re pale as a sheet!”
Si-yeon’s voice was muffled like a drop of paint in water before Yuri’s ears. She was panicking.
She did not expect to hear anyone mentioning Apollo. The piece that her hands obsessively created, the only piece Yuri had ever created – it had the shape of the man in front of her.
Apollo was Tae-jun.
She clenched her fists tightly beneath the table, feeling the blood circulation begin to get cut off, and they eventually resumed to eat their meal.
After a long and tense lunch, Si-yeon whispered at Yuri while Tae-jun paid for the meal.
“Yuri, I am sorry for what my fiancé said. He’s not a rude person, but he’s been in a bad mood nowadays because of work. I whole-heartily apologize for him. I am sorry.”
Glaring at Si-yeon’s glistening diamond ring on her ring finger, Yuri nodded. It was not Si-yeon’s fault.
“It’s ok. I was not angry. I should leave now, thank you for inviting me.”
“Of course! Thank you for your work. I hope to see you again. Please say hi to Mr. Jean for me.”
“Sure. Thank you for hosting me.”
When Tae-jun finally came out of the restaurant, Yuri said her parting words to him as well.
“Thank you for inviting me. It was a pleasure to meet you.” she rewarded him with another faux smile.
Of course, it was a lie.
However, one more lie should not be problematic to a conversation which was already covered with rampant lies.
Keeping his straight face, Tae-jun nodded back at Yuri.
Yuri turned to the elevator. As soon as her entrance, Yuri pressed the lobby and frantically pushed the close button over and over again. She wanted to escape from the place as soon as possible.
I need to get out of here.
Warning bells rang in the back of her mind.
The man with the penetrating eyes, looked at Yuri like a fierce beast right before biting the neck of its prey. She needed to escape to somewhere safe. She could not think any further.
However, fate betrayed her desperation.
A big hand slid between closing doors. The high-performing elevator’s luxurious doors smoothly opened again, revealing the owner of the hand.
The man standing before Yuri, was Tae-jun.
It was him.