I'm a lightweight when it comes to booze, and even though I spaced them out, my stomach is like a washing machine, and my head's foggy. I feel like if I go on one more ride, I might throw up, and I'm seriously regretting the four drinks I consumed in the past two hours. I'm so not myself and very aware of that warm cozy feeling when alcohol takes the sensible part of your brain and throws it in a dumpster full of feathers. I'm beyond tipsy, and my ability to reason and be logical is dancing on pink fluffy clouds.
"Come on, one more…. for me." Bryant tugs Greta along by the sleeve and tries to coax her to get on a massively high ride that throws you into the sky. It's a hard limit for me, and I know Jyeon hates heights, so he has no chance. Greta, my little daredevil, has been keeping Bryant company on most of his choices, and I stuck to the moderate ones that don't scare me half to death. He's bossing her around and coaxing her, and yet her fierce is tamed since she downed way too many beers.
They have been hilarious together for the last couple of hours. Bickering relentlessly and then cozying up and acting like a couple for a while before bickering again. Flirting then fighting. Holding hands, then Greta batting him over the shoulder for no reason, and he's even piggybacked her twice. Bryant is doing his utmost to act like a gentleman, and Greta is doing her utmost to sass him and cause wars at every turn. She's putting him through his paces for sure, but as they have been side by side all evening, I feel like Greta is not really against him at all. She's smiling way more than usual and even laughs at his lame dad jokes.
Her attitude to Jyeon is softer too. When I'm removed as just cause from the equation, and she spends real one-on-one time with him, I think she likes who he is. She's had a couple of chances to stand alone with him while Bryant took me on my ride choices, and they seem comfortable in one another's company now. Unlike before. Greta has even been smiling and joking with him and stopped warning me to keep my distance.
"I'm close to throwing up, you know?" Greta protests but allows him to pull her along for the umpteenth time, and I shake my head, watching her leave with him. Unable to conceal my genuine smile and knowing look. They don't even acknowledge us as he kidnaps her and drags her off towards the entrance for their next ride. Leaving us standing here like spare parts in a semi-quiet part of the park.
"They like each other. I think Bryant finally found the woman of his dreams." Jyeon cuts into my line of view by stepping in front of me to face me. All soft-focused and handsome in the cool, dim night air, lit up by the strung fairy lights overhead. He's rosy-cheeked, and his nose is a little pink-tipped, making him adorably cute while trussed up in his leather jacket. It takes the ruggedness out and puts the pretty boy in front of me.
"I think so too. They have a weird dynamic, though. Greta seriously doesn't want to let her guard down and see the good in him. She can't let him get too close."
"Sounds like someone I know." Jyeon nudges my foot with his in a playful manner and has me blushing as I click on what I said. Giggling at the irony. I can't argue with it.
"I have reason…." I turn with a raised brow and mischievous smirk and wander back along the open path and know immediately by the warmth behind me that he's close on my heels. Shadowing me and never more than a foot away at any given time. Although much like Bryant, he's been on his best behavior. He's paid for every ride, held my bag and jacket several times, and bought me an endless amount of candy floss, ice cream, and popcorn while walking this infinite place.
"Then tell me how to start making up for it. What I can do, say….. I'm serious. I need pointers. I want to know what it will take to get you to give me a chance." Jyeon catches my wrist from behind and steps up beside me, sliding his grip down until he finds my fingers and properly takes my hand in his. Interlacing our digits, so they are snugly held, and I frown up at him. Goosebumps all over at something so simple, but I have given up denying that he makes me react like this with a single touch.
"We progressed to hand-holding now? Is that where we're at? I wasn't aware we are so cozy together." I jest, shaking it lightly as though to dislodge him, but he only squeezes tighter. Not letting go, smiling cheekily, he shrugs before falling in step with me.
"I mean…. We could do something else if you prefer." Jyeon leans in with a grin as though swooping in for a kiss, and I turn my head fast and cover his mouth with the palm of my free hand. Stopping us dead where we are and bashing his shoulder with a light slap when I free his face.
"Behave. You're drunk. We're enjoying a night of friendship and fun, remember?" I scold him, but it's without seriousness. Mellowed tonight and enjoying his company.
Jyeon is on the worse side of tipsy due to way more beer than us, but he's still lucid, just braver with it. His flirting has upped a gear, although he has kept his hands to himself until now. Probably because Greta would castrate him if she saw him getting touchy-feely with me. My rottweiler is not present, and he has no fear of being bitten.
"If I divorce you, can we date? Start over. Put the past to bed and make it new. Cleanse us of our mistakes and get remarried when we're ready?" He winks at me and leans in, trying to get me to look him in the eye now we're alone, and I dodge it. Turning to put my chin down and tug him onwards again to keep walking. Aware we're still holding hands, and yet I don't mind the soft warmth of his skin on mine. It makes me feel gooey and weird, and I'm experiencing teen butterflies. It's like being back then when even his mere presence turned me into a useless blob of a girl who could only sigh whenever he graced me with his presence. Only now, he's the one chasing me.
"Are you really doing this? I thought this was a casual night with no motive. You know why I'm resisting you." My tone is far from stern, and I am stupidly smiling.
"Resisting, huh? That sounds like there's hope for me and that deep down, you're not against us." Jyeon tugs me back to him, stopping us in the middle of the path again as some late-night park stragglers slide by. He steps into me to minimize our bulk so they don't struggle and watches them wander off quickly. The park is open until midnight in the summer, but it's not crowded at this late hour. We're creating an obstruction, but he doesn't seem to care and only turns back to face me with a slight mischievous furrow to his brow, eyes honing in on me, and it makes me suspicious.
"Jyeon…it's not that…."
My words are cut short by Jyeon darting down unexpectedly, catching me by the back of my neck with a firm hand and tugging me in, so our lips meet fast. I inhale so sharply because of his swift maneuver that I make a muffled gasp against his mouth. I'm shocked by the suddenness of it and bat him away, tugging my hand out of his to use both palms on his chest to separate us, but he holds tight. Gasping for breath because it feels like he sucker-punched me.