Chapter 4

Ji Won handed her passport to the airline employee behind the check-in counter. "It's an electronic ticket," she informed the heavily lipsticked lady.

The lady took it from her then typed the information in as Ji Won placed her luggage on the scale to be weighed. The lady read the information on the screen and looked up at her. "It looks like you've already chosen your seats. Is that your companion?" she asked, pointing at the next person in line.


She turned to look before she realized who her supposed companion was. She took a deep breath in and said, "No."

"Na Joon Young. Will he be checking in shortly?" the lady asked, oblivious of the expression on her customer's face.

"No. I'm traveling alone."

"Oh, I see," the lady said, before typing some more on her computer. "I see you bought a flexible ticket. Do you want to change the other ticket's date so you don't lose the first half of it? We can only refund tickets if you make changes before the confirmed flight date. Let me see," she said, hitting the keys with zeal. She'd always been very careful with money and loved helping passengers use the system to avoid getting taken advantage of by her greedy employer. "I can just switch it to another day. Let me—"

Was this woman kidding her? she wondered as she balled her hand into a fist. Couldn't she take a damn hint? "It's fine. Just check me—"

"Yes!" the lady exclaimed with pride. "I can move it to next weekend but you have to be sure to call the airline before then to switch it to your preferred date. I'll print—"

"Miss!" Ji Won yelled. "Just check me in, okay?" She pointed at herself. "I already told you that I am traveling alone so just check me in so I can go to the gate and not miss my flight!"

"Yes, Ma'am." The lady maintained a smile on her face even though she was boiling on the inside. So much for kindness. A childhood friend had hooked her up with the job, telling her that working there would be a piece of cake but day after day, she had to deal with irate passengers. What was so wrong with what she had done? She picked up the baggage tag from the printer and placed it on the bag then hit the button for the conveyor belt. "Fu.ck this place," she said under her breath. Maybe it was time to get back to waitressing.





***



"Enjoy your meal," the air stewardess said after handing Ji Won a tray of food. Since she was flying business class, she got to use real silverware and drink from a real glass so as she looked at her plate of lasagna, she hoped it tasted half as good as the salmon looked sitting on the plate a few seats from her. She turned back to look at the browned cheese on her plate and promised herself to take a better look at the menu on her return flight.

She'd planned on enjoying her flight but it had been quite bumpy so far and the 'fasten seat belt' sign was permanently on. Plus it certainly didn't help that the empty seat next to hers was a constant reminder that she really was all alone in the world. Like really.

The trip had been a wedding present from his family and Joon Young had taken charge of planning it. He'd found a honeymoon package that he'd promised would be the most romantic trip of their lives.

She picked up her fork and grazed the top of her dinner. Maybe she should have listened to her mother and not come on the trip, she thought. She'd left the pleading woman to clean up the mess she'd left behind which included sending Joon Young's bag back to him and getting rid of the wedding gifts that had managed to find their way there. And for what? To spend six days by herself in a foreign country? But what the hell? she thought as she forked a piece of lasagna into her mouth. She deserved the break after all the months of planning that had gone into the wedding. Plus she'd already taken the week off so what else could she do? Walk into work on Monday and pretend that nothing had happened?

"Hmm." The lasagna was better than she expected. Business class passengers really did get better service. For the second time since she'd gotten on the plane, she felt guilty about not giving Joon Young's parents the chance to get a refund on their gift. His father, especially, had always been good to her so she bore no ill will towards him, after all, it wasn't his fault that his son was a jackass. But if she and her family had to lose the money they'd spent on the wedding, so did his, she decided as she cut a huge chunk off her lasagna.



***



"Does it taste good?" the man sitting about two seats away, asked. He was a handsome man in his thirties and from his crisp white shirt and pants, Ji Won decided that he was a business traveler. They were seated on the same row although Ji Won was on the right side by the window while the gentleman was in the middle section. They'd exchanged a few words since the flight had taken off but nothing of real significance.

He was talking to her because he was bored and so was she, so there was no harm in talking to a stranger, she mused. She smiled at him to confirm that she was welcome to some conversation then glanced at her plate and nodded. She covered her mouth as she quickly chewed the food left then took a sip of white wine to clean her teeth. She coughed and beat her chest. "Yes, it's not bad."

"Are you okay?" he asked, stretching his hand out in aid.

She nodded then pointed at her plate. "It's pretty good."

"Good. I had it the last time I took this flight so I wanted to try something different today."

"And was that a good decision?" she asked, glancing at his half-eaten fish.

He nodded. "Yeah. And next time, you can also try the chicken -it's good too." He cut off a piece and held it out to her. "Why don't you taste it?"

Was the guy crazy? She'd seen people offer strangers food in American movies but did it actually happen in real life? He wanted to feed her off his fork? She certainly didn't know where that mouth had been! She laughed. "No, thanks. You said you've been on this flight before – do you travel to Aruba often?" she asked, changing the subject so as to prevent him from insisting on sharing his food.

He shrugged. "Here and there. Is this your first time?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "I hear it's a beautiful place."

"It is. But are you visiting by yourself?"

She nodded again but this time with much less enthusiasm. And once again, she wondered if she'd made a mistake about the trip. Would she have to spend the entire time fielding questions about her solo vacation?

"Do you know anyone there?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

She shook her head. "Not really. But the package we- er… I got is pretty great. I think we get to snorkel, do some horseback riding, gamble and a whole bunch of other things."

"Well, there's nothing to worry about anyway," he said cheerfully. "And now you know someone." He pointed to himself and laughed and for some reason, she laughed too.



***



"You were right," the man said, taking his headphones off. "This movie is boring."

He'd since switched seats and was sitting next to Ji Won. She laughed in response and tilted her screen towards him. "You should try this one – it's much better."

As the man searched for the movie, she studied him closely. It had been such a long time since she'd flirted with a man. Joon Young was incredibly jealous so she'd been banned from engaging in harmless flirtations with any members of the other sex. Heck, if Joon Young was around, she couldn't even smile too broadly at another man without him blowing up. Kyung Ho was the only exception because Joon Young really was convinced that he was gay.

But there she was on a plane to Aruba with a handsome, charming man sitting in Joon Young's seat and having a great time. Not the throw-your-bra-at-the-stage kind of fun, but it was pleasant and the first time she'd really laughed in the past two days. She enjoyed listening to his funny anecdotes of his different travels and it helped her forget her troubles from time to time.

She and Joon Young were over – that was a given. She was not insane and she was determined not to be the type of girl who pined away for a man who didn't deserve her.

Although she still loved him. Yes, she definitely still loved the bast.ard. Hating him didn't make it easier to forget how she felt at their happiest moments. Or how it felt to feel his lips graze her neck. Or the things his fingers could do to her. And it annoyed her to no end that love wasn't the kind of emotion you could switch off in a split second. Her head had accepted that she could never be with him again but all she had to do was wait for her heart to get its act together. But in the mean time, maybe this dashing guy sitting in her ex-fiance's seat could help her ease the pain; help her forget about him. It had been a while since she'd even thought of being attracted to another man but she could see it happening with him even though the two men looked nothing alike.

She shut her eyes and let her mind wander to the most fabulous holiday she could ever envision. She saw herself in a sundress and straw hat, sitting in the passenger side of drop-top as they rode along the sides of some tall hills. He'd smile and his pearly white teeth would gleam in the sun and mesmerized by the sparkle, she wouldn't realize that her scarf had unwound from her neck till it was floating in the air. But because it was new one he'd only just bought at the Fendi store across the street from the hotel, they'd stop to chase after it.

Then they'd run and run against the wind, chasing the red, silk scarf till they were spent then he'd turn her around and kiss her so thoroughly she'd forget how to spell Joon Young's name.



***



Ji Won dragged her luggage as she walked alongside the man from the plane. They'd just gone through Customs and were heading towards the arrivals pick up area.

"We've spent so many hours together and I still don't know your name," he said, smiling and titling his head in such a way that she could still see the profile of his nose.

If the myth about men and their noses was true, Ji Won could already guess what he'd look like with his pants off. It wasn't her style to zero in on guys just to seduce them but weren't people expected to have sex on their honeymoons? And after what she'd been through, she needed a fling. No, she deserved one.

Sex with Joon Young had been great on their good days but now she was determined to have the best sex of her life. In fact, she'd already planned on getting online the first chance she had so could get ideas then try the most ridiculous positions with this gentleman standing next to her.

Then when she eventually returned to Seoul, she'd be a different Kang Ji Won and Joon Young wouldn't be the last person she'd slept with. The best way to get over an ex-man was to get a new one and the man standing next to her looked like he was willing and able.

"My name's Alex," she said seductively. As they walked, she began to formulate her story. She was Alex from Seoul. Her mother was Korean but her father was American. She was a top chef and the trip was a gift from the other employees at her restaurant.

She was about to ask him what his name was when she heard someone yell, "Daddy."

The man ran over and scooped the little girl up and twirled her around. Ji Won's chest tightened as she saw a beautiful local woman laughing as she stood back and waited for her turn to hug the man that was most probably her husband.

Ji Won's eyes moistened as she watched the scene she and Joon Young had planned to re-enact a few years later. They would be the J&J team and whenever he went on a business trip, she'd wait for him with their son or daughter and when he showed up, they'd hug and kiss like their time apart couldn't have been more painful.


She shook her head in disgust and looked away. Instead of starting her own family, there she was, pathetic and alone on her honeymoon, fantasizing about another woman's husband. What an idiot.