Heidi Kim

The silence hung heavy in the air, thick with unspoken words and unresolved emotions. My brain, still reeling from the aftershocks of the previous night and this morning’s revelations, was a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. Vina’s question echoed in my mind: “So… Do you really regret what happened yesterday?” It was a simple question, yet it carried the weight of a thousand unanswered questions and a thousand unspoken desires.

Did I regret last night? Absolutely not. Every touch, every stolen glance, every shared breath had been etched into my memory, a burning brand of longing. But did I have the courage to admit that, to lay my feelings bare and risk rejection? That was the real question.

I opened my mouth, closed it, then tried again, the words catching in my throat. “I—”

Vina, seemingly unfazed by my internal struggle, leaned back against her pillow, stretching her arms languidly above her head. She looked entirely too comfortable, too relaxed about the whole situation. “You’re overthinking again,” she hummed, a playful glint in her eyes.

“I am not overthinking,” I lied, the word feeling flimsy and unconvincing even to my own ears. I forced myself to sit up, pulling the blanket tighter around my chest, a futile attempt to shield myself from her perceptive gaze. I needed to gather my thoughts, to construct some semblance of a coherent response before I completely embarrassed myself.

Vina arched a perfectly sculpted brow. “Really? Because you look like your brain is about to short-circuit.”

I shot her a glare, my cheeks flushing. “That’s because you keep saying weird things.”

She chuckled, a low, melodic sound that sent a shiver down my spine. Tilting her head to the side, she met my gaze, her expression softening slightly. “I asked you a simple question, Heidi. Do you regret everything that happened last night? What does it mean anything for you?”

My heart pounded against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the sudden silence. I looked away, unable to meet her eyes. If I told her the truth, if I admitted that I didn’t regret a single moment, I would be exposing myself, revealing the depth of my feelings. I would be admitting that I wanted her, that I liked her, that last night meant something more to me than just drunken indulgence. But if I lied… if I pretended it was a mistake, I would be denying a part of myself, betraying the genuine connection I felt with her.

“I—” I started again, the word hanging in the air, heavy with indecision.

Vina suddenly sat up, her face inches from mine. The intensity of her gaze made my breath catch in my throat. “You’re really bad at this, you know that?”

I swallowed hard, my pulse quickening. “At what?”

She grinned, a flash of white teeth against her full lips. “At trying to tell the truth.”

I sucked in a breath, ready to defend myself, but before I could utter a word, Vina leaned in, her breath warm against my ear, and whispered, “It’s okay. I already know the answer.”

I stiffened, every nerve ending on high alert. “You—”

“I know you, Heidi.” Her voice was soft, teasing, yet there was an undeniable undercurrent of sincerity in her words. She pulled back slightly, her eyes searching mine. “But fine, since you’re so stubborn, I won’t push.”

I exhaled, a wave of relief washing over me. “I-I don’t regret anything last night,” she stared at me, completely baffled by what I said.

“Really?” she said, not believing what I said. This idiot.

“Yes, really,” I smiled at her.

“Then does this mean we-”

“But,” I cut her off. “I-I don’t know what this means for us…”

Vina leaned closer, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Then, Heidi,” she began, her voice low and husky, “Can I court you?”

I blinked, completely taken aback by her words. “C-court me?”

Vina chuckled, a melodic sound that sent shivers down my spine. “Yes, court you. Properly. Get to know you, spoil you, make you laugh until your sides ache. I want to see what happens, Heidi. I want to see where this goes. I like you, Heidi, even if you don’t like me back, but please let me do this.” My heart pounded against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat echoing in my ears. I had never been courted before, not like this, not with such intensity. It was both terrifying and exhilarating.

“But… what if-” I stammered, unsure of how to respond.

Vina gently placed a finger on my lips, silencing my protests. “No buts, Heidi. Just… let me try.”

I opened my mouth to argue, to protest the casualness of her ‘courting’, but, damn it, I didn’t hold her back. A small, traitorous voice inside me whispered that I didn’t mind at all. The thought of her touch, her presence, her teasing banter, sent a thrill of anticipation through me.

And that was how I, Heidi Kim, serious, no-nonsense chef, found myself in a… whatever this was with Vina Rossi. A nebulous, undefined relationship built on unspoken desires and a shared attraction.

Back at Flavium on a Monday morning, I expected things to return to normal. I was ready to compartmentalize, to shove the events of the past two days into the recesses of my mind and focus on the familiar rhythm of the kitchen. But of course, Vina had other plans.

The moment she saw me, her face lit up with a mischievous grin, the look of a cat that had just cornered its prey. I barely had time to react before she sauntered over, her movements radiating confidence and playful energy, and casually threw her arm around my shoulders.

“Morning, carina (cutie),” she purred, her voice laced with innuendo.

I stiffened, my body instinctively recoiling from her touch. “What are you—”

“Just greeting my favorite person,” she said innocently, her eyes twinkling with amusement. She gave my shoulders a playful squeeze before letting go, leaving a lingering warmth in her wake. “Did you sleep well? Oh wait, never mind—I know you did.”

I nearly choked on my tea. “Vina!”

She laughed, completely unconcerned by the way my face flushed crimson. “What? Can’t a girl compliment her ‘friend’?”

Unfortunately, that was just the beginning of my torment. Throughout the morning, Vina was relentless, a constant presence in my periphery. She found every excuse to invade my personal space, blurring the lines between professional courtesy and playful flirtation. Whether it was reaching over me to grab ingredients, her body brushing against mine, whispering suggestive comments in my ear just to see me flinch, or straight-up hugging me from behind whenever I was focused on plating a dish, she was a master of distraction.

And the worst part? I liked it. I hated it, but I liked it. Her presence, though disruptive, was a constant source of energy, a spark that ignited a fire within me.

I was stirring a delicate hollandaise sauce, my brow furrowed in concentration, when I felt Vina’s presence before I even saw her.

“Need help with that?” she murmured, her voice close to my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.

I jumped slightly, my hand nearly sending the whisk flying. “I can handle it,” I said, my voice a little sharper than I intended.

She hummed in amusement, leaning in closer, her breath warm against my neck. “Are you sure?”

I gripped the whisk tighter, my knuckles turning white. “Vina.”

“Hmm?” she responded, her voice a low rumble.

“You’re distracting me.”

She chuckled, a low, throaty sound, but didn’t move. “Am I?”

“Yes,” I gritted out, trying to maintain my composure.

She let out a satisfied hum, as if she had achieved her objective, then finally stepped away, leaving me to grapple with the lingering scent of her perfume and the erratic beating of my heart.

I exhaled sharply, my hands gripping the edge of the counter for support. This woman was dangerous. She was a force of nature, a whirlwind of chaos and temptation that threatened to unravel my carefully constructed control.

Later, I was washing my hands, trying to regain some semblance of normalcy, when Vina suddenly appeared beside me, her phone in hand.

“Selfie,” she announced, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

I blinked, my mind still reeling from our earlier encounter. “What?”

Before I could protest, she pulled me in close, her arm wrapping around my waist, and snapped a picture. The sudden contact sent a jolt of electricity through me.

I barely had time to react before she grinned at the screen, her expression radiating pure delight. “Perfect.”

I frowned, a mixture of annoyance and amusement swirling within me. “Let me see.”

She turned the phone toward me, and I was immediately greeted by the sight of us. Her smiling mischievously, her arm possessively draped around my shoulders, me looking half-annoyed, half-flustered, my cheeks flushed a delicate shade of pink. The picture captured the dynamic between us perfectly, the playful tension, the unspoken connection, the undeniable chemistry.

I groaned, shaking my head. “Can’t you give me a heads up before taking a pic?”

She winked, her lips curving into a knowing smile. “Maybe, maybe not.”

I sighed, a sound that was more exasperated than genuinely annoyed. But even as I pretended to be put out, I couldn’t ignore the warmth spreading in my chest, the flutter of anticipation that stirred within me.

Damn it. I was falling for her. Hard. By the time lunch service was over, I was exhausted, not from the demands of the kitchen, but from the constant battle to maintain my composure in the face of Vina’s relentless teasing.