Jae got out of the helicopter first and held his hand for her to grab. As she took it a tingling sensation ran through her fingers. 

The moment she stepped out, she saw a trail of flowers leading to a candlelit balcony with a table set for two.

“Jae-Yong,” she breathed. “You didn’t have to—”

“I wanted to,” he interrupted, leading her to her seat.

The dishes were exquisite, every course perfectly prepared. 

Over dinner they talked and laughed, sharing childhood stories, simply enjoying eachothers company. The candles flickered in the gentle breeze and Alexandra felt her nerves calm the more they talked. She forgot everything, even her past dating mistakes. It was just the two of them and the glimmering city below.

As they finished dinner they were served a chocolate souffle dessert topped with raspberries and strawberries. It practically melted in one's mouth. 

Jae-Yong poured another glass of wine for each of them. He savored the night and wanted it to last forever. 

He took another sip, his eyes found hers over the rim. They could feel the warmth from the wine.

“I have to admit,” he said softly, “I was surprised you agreed to this. I thought you might cancel.”

Alexandra said with a light hearted chuckle, “I always keep my word.”

“You sure do,” he said thinking how he got so lucky.

“Truthfully, I wasn’t expecting you to go this far,” she said shyly. 

He simply smiled. This was the smile that made his fans go crazy. However, it was directed at her. 

His gaze held hers for a moment longer than necessary, and she felt her heart beating faster. 

I should really go see a doctor. 

The night stretched on, and Alexandra watched him with growing fascination. She never expected to like him this much. The way he listened to her, it made her feel like she was the only person in the world who mattered. 

They finished their desserts and before the staff came back, he reached into his jacket.

“That’s not all,” he said. 

“Wear this,” he pulled out two face masks. 

She questioned, “What for?”

“We’re ditching the bodyguards,” he said with a grin. “I have other plans.”

Other plans?!

They ended up at an arcade in the city. The two of them alone with no bodyguards. The masks were to avoid the invasive paparazzi that reported on Jae-yong’s every waking moment. However, they ignored that desire and their effort to blend in, they still looked slightly out of place in their elegant attire.

Jae-Yong was like a kid himself. He was shockingly competitive, beating her at almost everything. She had never experienced this before. He also wasn’t the type to let her win.

The only thing that seemed to get the best of him was the claw machine. He refused to give up. 

After eleven tries, he finally pulled out a stuffed rabbit and handed it to her proudly.

“Kind of looks like you!” he beamed.

Alexandra smiled as she took it. She admired all the effort he put into the evening. For a second she forgot about her past and why she had even stopped dating. He was a kind soul and any girl that held his attention was lucky.

His smile was absolutely infectious. It drew her in and made her almost forget people in the arcade were looking at them.

I wish I could stop time at this moment. She was lost in her daydream, causing her to stumble over something, scraping her ankle. 

Before she could even brush it off, Jae-Yong was crouching beside her, concern spread across his face. He reached into his inside pocket and pulled out a bandaid.

“You just carry those around?”

“I make sure that I’m always prepared,” he said with a gentle smile, gently placing it on her barely-there scrape. “Idol life. Constant injuries.”

A bandaid?

No one had taken this much care of her before. 

“That must be a hard life. No privacy and long hours,” she said, trying to console him. 

“The fans make it all worthwhile.”

“It sounds lonely,” she said almost as if she could relate.

“It can be, but that's for a different day. We have one more stop before I take you back home.”

He stood up and grabbed her hand pulling her to their final stop, a private karaoke room.

Jae-Yong handed her the mic, “Pick a song.”

She scoffed, “I don’t sing.”

“You do tonight,” he said firmly. He didn’t seem like he would be giving up either. 

She finally caved, laughing as they sang horribly off-key together. The night filled with pure innocence and joy. They pushed down the expectations of others and just allowed themselves to live freely in the moment.

Badump. His voice truly was like honey. 

Walking back to the building, the evening came to a regrettable end. She secretly wanted to spend more time with him but it was well past the early hours. She knew Matteo would be waiting for her. Back at her penthouse, Jae-Yong walked her to the door.

He leaned in slightly, too close, too warm, too charming.

Alexandra’s heart raced.

“Goodnight, Lexi,” his voice was soft. 

She closed her eyes as if expecting a kiss. Before she could react, he pressed a kiss to her cheek.

Alexandra froze. 

The cheek? Her thoughts screamed. What was I thinking? This is crazy.

Jae-Yong stepped back, his gaze twinkling, “You’ve gotta come to my concert next week.”

She exhaled slowly, slightly embarrassed, “I’d love that.”

As she stepped inside the door, a sudden flash went off, as if someone were photographing them.

She turned sharply, “Who’s there?”

Silence.

Matteo appeared behind her. 

His voice low and serious, “Let’s get you inside, ma’am.”

She nodded, stepping inside. Something was wrong. And she had a feeling this wasn’t just about a date anymore.