When Jessie walked through the swinging doors into the dining area, the man was facing the picture window. From the back, she could tell he was tall, well built. His suit looked tailor, expensive. His hair was thick, black, cut short on the sides and back and fuller on top.
At the sound of the doors swinging closed behind her, he turned.
"Min Jun. What are you doing here?"
Jessie didn't know whether to be shocked, honored, or angry. If she were being totally honest with herself, there was a little bit of relief mixed in with her emotional turmoil. How dare he continue to invade her personal space, but at the same time, Jessie was relieved she hadn't run him off. Even though she logically knew she had nothing to give him. No time. No energy. No nothing. She couldn't even talk about current events because she seldom read or listened to the news. She had a high school education. She never went dancing. The last time she had gone to a nice restaurant, she had dumped pasta down her dress, then bumped into a waiter on the way to the bathroom. The waiter had dumped a tray of drinks in a loud clatter that had brought the entire restaurant's attention to her.
Min Jun's smile warmed her to the core, but just as quickly, she cooled as she noticed Steph watching her with curiosity.
He had no right to come here disrupt her workplace. Her eyes widened as she considered the repercussions if Min Jun were to kiss her in front of her daughter—a daughter who had never seen Jessie affectionate with any man other than David. That could not happen. Not that there was anything wrong with kissing or dating, for that matter. She was single, after all. But if or when she decided to inform her kids was her decision to make.
Min Jun took a step toward Jessie. "Jessie, so nice to see you again. I was hoping to discuss a business proposition with you.
As he walked toward her, she veered away, leading him to a table near the picture window and as far away from prying ears as she could get without dragging him outside. "Let's talk over here."
Jessie closed her eyes as Min Jun sat down across from her. His scent was an intoxicating mix of sandalwood and earthy spice. This was a bad idea. She should have sent Betty out to help him. Alternately, she should have stayed in the kitchen and spoken with him through the passthrough, had she only dreamt for one second the hot customer was him.
Instead, she opened her eyes to the realization that he was better looking in daylight than under cover of night. His black button-down was open at the collar—a gold medallion hug from a chain around his neck. The rich lips were curled into a confident grin as if he were accustomed to women checking him out, and he knew me measured up to even the most discerning woman's expectations.
The thick black hair he had previously worn styled to fall over his forehead was combed back today. Every strand looked professionally placed to catch the sunlight and give the man an ethereal presence. He had three piercings in each ear, and a small stud pierced his left ear cuff. The eyes she had thought were dark portals to the abyss proved to be a rich chestnut brown instead.
She could get lost in those eyes—would have if Steph hadn't chosen that moment to deliver coffee and blueberry scones.
"Thank you, Steph," Jessie said, thinking her daughter would take the hint and go away. Instead, the girl shifted her weight from one foot to the other, obviously curious how Jessie knew the hot customer's name.
Jessie tried again. "Betty could use your help in the back, Steph."
"Uh-huh." Steph held out a hand to Min Jun. "I'm Steph. Jessie's daughter. And you are?"
When had her daughter grown up?
Min looked from the girl's hand to her face and smiled. Taking her hand in his, he said, "I'm Min Jun. Your mother and I are. . .friends."
"He's not my friend," Jessie interjected.
"No? But I want to be."
"Friends call before they show up."
"I don't have your number."
"And yet you found my bakery? I could have sworn a Google search of The Flour Pot would pull up our phone number."
He gave Steph a nod and let go of her hand, turning his full attention back to Jessie. "You got me. I wanted to see you."
"And now you've seen me. You should go."
"I was serious when I said I have a business proposition."
Jessie waggled a finger from Steph to the counter and nodded her head in that direction. This time the younger woman paid attention and walked off, looking over her shoulder at Jessie and Min Jun with a smile on her face and a spring in her step.
Jessie leaned forward and practically whispered, "I thought I told you to leave me alone. I don't have the time or interest in dating."
"Seriously, this is business. I have a grand opening to plan, and then I plan to serve a limited menu or snacks to club patrons."
"So, what is your proposition?"
"I'd like you to provide the desserts."
"Me? You've never tasted my food."
Min Jun nodded. "True. That is why I would like you to prepare a tasting for me. If I like what I see and taste, I'll place a standing order."
"We don't deliver."
"I will pick up the order personally."
Jessie thought for a moment. "Or we could hire a delivery service."
"I will pick them up." He leaned forward conspiratorially. "It will give me an excuse to see you again."
"You don't need to do that."
"Ah, so you will go out on a date with me?"
"No. I didn't say that. I meant you don't have a reason to see me again. There's nothing between us."
"I disagree, but regardless of my personal reasons, I would like to do business with you, Jessie. You do want my business, yes?"
Jessie weighed her options. Min Jun was friends with Jackson. If she turned down his business, they would probably still cross paths at the bar. A steady source of income from a standing order would ease some of her money worries. Still, she couldn't help but feel she was making a deal with the devil, not because she thought Min Jun was dangerous. It was more like he was the apple in the Garden of Eden. Seeing him every day would be more temptation than she could bear.
"What kind of desserts were you thinking about?"
"Specifically, I'll leave it up to you. But I was thinking small bite-sized portions. Maybe miniature cupcakes or cake pops on a stick?"
Jessie nodded. She visualized cake pops in exciting flavors, decorated as disco balls. Martini glasses filled with petit fours and snack packs of cookies, homemade caramel corn, and liquor-rich jellied fruit slices.
"I have a few ideas. When would you like to hold the tasting?"
"Can you be ready in two weeks?" Min's voice was silk. "I'd love to see you sooner, but I can wait two weeks."
Jessie pulled her phone out. "Let me check my calendar."
She was so focused on the screen that she failed to notice when Min Jun reached over and ran a finger along her hairline until she felt the whisper-soft touch graze her skin. Jessie cringed and threw up an arm to block his touch instinctually.
Min Jun pulled back his hand, he looked hurt that she would spurn his touch, but he schooled his features quickly. "Sorry. You had something on your face." He showed her the glitter-covered fingertip.
"Oh, sorry." Jessie wiped at her face, embarrassed at her carelessness. "Glitter cakes are our best sellers. I was decorating a batch when you arrived."
"Edible glitter?" Min Jun asked.
"Yes. All of our decorations are edible."
Min Jun raised the finger that had so recently touched her to his lips. With the tip of his tongue, he transferred the minuscule granules to his mouth and moaned in appreciation.
Jessie blushed when he said, "Good but not nearly as good as what I tasted last night. Do you agree?"
She fought to keep from glancing toward Steph to see if she had noticed the exchange, but Min Jun held her gaze until something more fascinating pulled her attention from his eyes to his bottom lip. A flick of glitter had escaped his finger and glistened against the plush landscape. Min scraped his teeth over his bottom lip and slowly released it. The glitter was gone, but that lip—one of her favorite parts of this man—now appeared fuller, flushed as if freshly kissed.
It brought back memories of how they met of the heated kisses and how good his arms had felt around her. She wondered if she would find him such a turn on after ten kisses, fifty. She wondered what it would feel like to ride him to the edge of sanity. And beyond.
"Jessie."
How would she measure up to the other women in his life? She was a little wider in the hips than she had been at twenty, and her breasts had softened with age, but she was fit. Would Min Jun care? Would he see the faint remains of her pregnancy stretch marks and be turned off? Would he expect her to be worldly, imaginative in bed? She had only been with David. She didn't watch porn. She had nothing to compare their experience to. She had enjoyed it, but would it be better with Min Jun?
"Jessie?"
She would never know because she had no intention of developing anything but a business relationship with this man.
But what if she did?
* * * *
MJ hummed as he opened the door. He dropped his keys in the silver dish by the door and dropped a few dance steps. You could take the man out of the band, but you couldn't take the music out of the man.
Battle sounds from further in his home brought him up short. He cocked his head to listen and then headed to his bedroom. The background music was straight out of Call of Duty. How many burglars broke in to play video games?
He let his ears lead him to his bedroom. Cross-legged and eating Cheetos with one hand while holding the game console remote with the other, an all-to-familiar South Korean citizen was making himself at home.
The young man had platinum blonde hair with black roots. His slight frame was bowed as he focused on the game. Had MJ not known better, he might have thought the man lived here, but MJ lived alone, and this guy was no stranger, although he was a bit strange.
Hong Gi was the group's maknae. As the baby of the group, they all had a hand in his development, but Hong Gi and his brother Luke held a special place in MJ's heart. The boys had a special connection that meant they were never lonely even when alone, although that was seldom. You could put each brother on opposite sides of a maze and blindfold them. Their innate ability to seek each other would help them find one another. And the brothers invited MJ into their inner circle. Only with them was he able to put aside his loneliness, at least before Jessie.
MJ stopped in the doorway and watched as the big screen cast tinted illumination over the darkened room.
"What are you doing here?"
"Visiting my hyung."
"How did you get in?"
That at least earned him a glance. "I've known you for eight years. In all that time, you've never changed your passcodes once. How do you think I got in?"
MJ nodded. "Good point. Now, why are you here, Hong? You didn't travel halfway around the world to hang out with me and play video games."
You wound me, Hyung."
"Speaking of hyungs, Hong Gi, where is your brother?"
Hong shrugged. "No idea."
MJ flopped down on the bed next to his ex-bandmate. He didn't believe Hong for a minute. The brothers never went anywhere alone. If Hong was on his bed, Luke was within a ten-mile radius.
"So you're sleeping alone tonight?"
"Why should I? You're here, and the bed is big."
"Then don't get that orange shit all over the comforter."
Luke grinned and wipe Cheetos residue down his pants leg. "You've got clean pants, right? I didn't pack a bag."
"Seriously?"
"Eh, not like it's the first time we've shared clothes."
MJ grabbed up the other controller as he rolled onto his stomach. "Start a new game."
"Order pizza first."