She woke up to find the car pulling into a small café along the coast. Her stomach grumbled, and she realized she'd like something to eat. She yawned and stretched. "Where are we?" Staying up late watching all those videos had made it hard to stay awake with the gentle rocking of the car around turns.

"Almost to Santa Barbara." He grinned at her and she suddenly hoped she hadn't been snoring. She stretched one more time as In-ho found a parking space.

She was working after all, right? It had to be okay to feel relaxed with him. Even if it was just being a companion up the coast for someone obviously that might know the way. She felt she could fall asleep next to him. A smile crossed her face as they got out of the car and walked into the café. She liked that she could fall asleep next to him, but left the other thought hanging. Thoughts like that could get her in trouble.

She ordered a turkey sandwich and ice tea, watching him as he got the same thing. "You like turkey?" she asked.

"Sometimes." He did a little shrug. They walked over and filled their drink cups.

She talked over the clink of the ice filling her cup. "Well, it's my typical travel food, unless you count In and Out Burger. If we see one later, we'll get some of that. Unless you're watching your weight. It will ruin any diet." She popped a straw into her cup and followed him to an empty booth.

He laughed as he sat down in a booth. "It's funny to hear you talk about watching your weight."

"Are you saying I'm fat?" She slipped onto her side of the cushioned booth, sipping her tea.

"No. I meant it as a compliment. You're the furthest from needing to watch your weight. It's all I meant." He touched the top of her hand lightly. "I'm sorry."

She raised her eyebrow as she watched his hand hold the top of hers. She felt a shot of lightening go up her arm. She pulled it away, and put her hand in her lap, trying to ignore the feeling that had zinged through her. She cleared her throat. "So, if you lived here, you must know this route a little."

There was only a slight pause before he continued with their conversation. "I only made it out of San Francisco to the East Bay once. Never this far south. I kind of regretted that. Kind of why I wanted to do this trip." He took off his sunglasses and placed them on his head. She could see he had some dark circles and his face looked pale without the make-up from yesterday. In fact, he looked more human, unlike the Kpop superstar from yesterday. Whether he noticed the same connection she'd felt from his touch, she wasn't sure. Then he said, "I was deciding on whether to do this trip or not. But then I found the right person."

Damn. Maybe the touch was deliberate. She decided to just move on. It was safer. He was off limits. "Well, thanks for that. Glad I could help." She tried to not show more from her comment. Stay friendly. "If you've never been down this road so far south, it's worth going once, and I know some cool places." She warmed up to her tour guide role. "Like Big Sur and the Carmel Highlands. All the coast from here up is breathtaking. You might even call it super inspiring. It might stir your soul."

"To write another song, maybe." Hurt crossed his eyes.

Now, she had to say something. She quickly said, "Is there something going on In-ho?"

He paused for a moment, as if he were thinking about his answer, and said, "I really needed to just get away. I do need to study the script for my next role. I'm shooting it between the album release and the tour starting." He shrugged. "I don't get to visit with anyone much. I was looking forward to being in California again." He looked away with that. She loved hearing his sexy Korean accent to his English. It was bringing the spark back up inside her. Down, girl. 

She took a sip, slurping as she hit an empty spot in the cup. She stopped, embarrassed by the slurping sound. She stirred the cup and said, "You sound lonely."

That drew him back to her. He looked away from the window and outside. Wrapping his hand around his glass, he said, "I guess I am. I'm so busy, I don't have a personal life. And then you came along." He licked his lips. "I just didn't want to be alone."

She watched him staring at the table, afraid to look at him too directly. She said, "That sounds like the start of another song."

"Maybe it is." With his words, she did look at him. Right into the gaze of his amazing smile. He could hold you with that smile. How many girls looked at him and only saw the Kpop Idol? She felt he was showing the real In-ho to her. That was pretty brave. "I think you're really opening up to me. I like that. I can be here to listen too, if you want.

This got his attention. He looked at her a long while. "I would like that. You are a good listener." He went on. "I don't know much about you, except you're a production assistant. What did you do before?"

"I just finished college a few months ago. This is my first job."

He perked up with that. "Which college?"

"University of California, Santa Cruz."

"Where was that creek you talked about? Where did you grow up?"

"In the valley. The Silicon Valley." She started to feel a little more at ease talking about something as easy as home. "And it's not like a whole thing of Silicon. It all used to be orchards, and then changed to computer companies. You can drive down some streets and see most brands straight off the internet."

"That must have been a weird place to grow up."

"Maybe." Trish shook her head. "I just remember the world coming to see me most of the time. There's always lots to do, and knowing about computers is second nature. Everyone's parents are involved somehow in computing."

"How come you didn't want to go into computing?"

She mumbled quickly. "I guess I wanted to be different."

He laughed when she mentioned that. "You are. I don't think I would have come out of that trailer without you."

Trish felt stunned. "Why?"

He looked away at the diner. The place was full for the lunch hour, packed with tourists and travelers. It was near the beginning of a warm, sunny day, and there were a couple families scattered around, even a couple or two. Like them. Though, they weren't a couple. Another dangerous thought. They were not a couple. The large pause grew awkward so she added, "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"No, I do." He turned back to her. "I was lost. You're so easy for me to talk to sometimes. Whenever I'm around you, I feel grounded. And I needed some kind of muse to draw me back. To inspire me when I need it the most. You really helped me out in that dressing room back in LA. You know, I was never going to come out."

She shook her head. "You just seemed like you needed someone to calm you down."

"You did. That's why I think of you as my muse now. You talk me down."

"I'm not a muse." She looked down, feeling awkward by the compliment.

"You are to me. You inspire me. Your energy and talking to you. It helps. I was so frustrated in that trailer. All the reasons I was in Kpop, my Dad, and being back in California triggered a lot. You pulled me out of it. You see, I need you." He reached out to her again. This time, she put out her hand for him to grab. "I need someone to hang onto sometimes, just to get by and keep me sane. Kpop is a very lonely world sometimes."

She snorted. "Doesn't everybody."

"And you came at the right time." He kept hold of her hand, gripping it as if she would keep him afloat.

This time, she squeezed back. "All right. I can be a muse for you." She was feeling that he wasn't being totally honest. Like there was something he was holding back, but she couldn't figure what it exactly was. But then, she still had only met him. She would have to just try to get to know him more. "A muse. Is it like a friend?"

"Something like that. We'll start there." He smiled at her, and she couldn't help but smile back. He seemed like the sort of guy that had everything. Looks, talent, thousands of fans that loved him. But he seemed lost. Like missing a piece of himself. She couldn't put her finger on what that was.

Maybe it was that everyone saw a pop star, like she had at first. This seemed to be more like what the real In-ho was like. A guy sitting in a deli café, having a sandwich. When could he have real relationships? When could he connect with anyone? No wonder he needed someone assigned to be a companion, a handler. Someone to be there just so he could talk to someone. She could do that. She could be someone's friend. But she had to just stay his friend. Only a friend. She hoped she could keep that boundary. But she noticed him looking at her again. Those eyes. Those lips. This was going to be harder than she thought.