Not too far up the road, they found a small motel, similar to what would be straight out of a horror movie. Trish looked the motel up and down. "It looks like something that Norman Bates would be running."

"Norman Bates?"

"The crazy guy in the movie 'Psycho'."

"Well, if you have any problems, just rush over to my room." He grinned slyly as he pulled into the office parking spot. She gave him a swat on the arm. After a relaxing day together up the coast, he was starting to feel more like a friend than some guy to take on a tour like Felicia had implied.

He went into the office, and she watched from the car. She felt some of the sand that had gotten between her toes and had stuck to her legs. She brushed it off, watching the grains drop to the bottom of the footwell. It seemed a shame to get the Ferrari sandy, but it seemed to make the car more livable seeing sand at her feet. It would be nice to just relax and try to sort all this out in her mind. Sometimes she wasn't sure if she was doing the right thing, but the best she could do was be herself. She opened and closed her hand. Trish felt the tension in her body. A break would be welcomed. A bath or shower. The warm water would relax her.

In-ho came back with the key cards, handing one to her.

"Boy, do I need a shower," she said brushing off more of the sand.

"Are you trying to suggest something, dear tour guide?" His eyebrow flexed up.

She chuckled. "Not really. Though, it has been a nice day, don't you think?"

"You are getting my mind off of things." He put his hand under her chin, like he had done during the kissing scene yesterday. "You might need a shower though."

"What is that supposed to mean?" She frowned.

"It's been a long day. Besides, I could use one too. And some sleep. Getting ready for the tour has worn me out. This is such a nice break for me." He smiled, as if he had some secret. "Why don't I help with your bag."

"No, I'm good." She moved to the back of the car, and grabbed her duffel from the back seat. She waved her key card at him. "You want to knock on my door when you're ready in the morning?" We can go get a coffee together?"

"Sounds good." He held her gaze, making her look away first.

She stood holding her bag with two hands, only just glancing up. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow." She waved. "Have a good night."

He smiled. "You too." He waved back. 

With that, Trish turned her back on In-ho. She had to walk away quickly before her job turned into more than what was bargained for. Using her key card to get into her room, and she tossed the duffel onto the floor. Trish collapsed on the bed, arms to her side. Mumbling into the mattress gave her an audience of one. "What am I going to do?" Thoughts turned to a shower and a change of clothes. It motivated her to get up from the mattress which was becoming a welcomed friend.

But her head was swimming with so many questions punctuated with confusion. What had she gotten herself into? Was this normal for a starting promotional assistant? To take off up the coast with a hot pop star? And could it really just be a coincidence that he wanted her to go with him after kissing her the way he did on-set?

That kiss. Kissing him. It didn't just feel like acting. Trish rolled onto her back, feeling his lips on hers again. Was it all acting? She just wasn't sure anymore. Because acting didn't have feelings linger like this. You weren't supposed to have him linger in your mind, on and on, until you just had to do other things to distract yourself.

Maybe that was the ticket. She had to distract herself. Get herself focused. She was just along for the ride, helping him out. After all, they had separate rooms. That was professional. Trish sat up, feeling a little more determined. Some of those pesky feelings were starting to run out of her head. "Shower. That's what I need. Then some TV and bed."

A plan. Something to move forward. That helped. After all, she needed to be ready to start off tomorrow and tour Hearst Castle. She was going to give him a good tour of the coast, and it was going to be the best tour ever.

She unpacked the essentials to get settled into the room enough to make it homey. She showered, brushed her teeth, and got ready to dull her mind for bed with some TV. But her thoughts kept flicking back to him.

His eyes, his smile. His smell and divine jawline that sent shivers up her spine. She had to stop it. She couldn't let herself turn into a jabbering fangirl. Or was it that? He was good looking. There was no denying that. Being around good-looking guys hadn't been easy for her. She'd only had one boyfriend, and they'd drifted apart over the years. The years with Brian seemed to be over now. A chapter behind her. Maybe it was that he didn't support her dreams. Brian had his own, going a different direction. In-ho had been right. She needed someone that was supportive of her dreams, not just his own.

But of course, that was college. She didn't expect the real world to be like that. She was an experienced adult now at twenty-two, and she could handle herself. It was probably going to take decades to pay off her student debt, but as long as she had a job, she'd keep making payments. Her parents were helping a little, but the mountains of debt she owed was her problem. This job was going to help with that. It made the whole adulting problem seem solvable if she had a job. She just wouldn't let her feelings for In-ho distract her. She was single now. Free. She didn't need a guy. In-ho was her job after all. She couldn't let her feelings get in the way. She had to pay off her debt.

Trish watched some more TV, feeling her eyes closing. As she started to drift off, she remembered the songs from his album, with the one from the video sticking in her head. What would the final video look like? Would it be shown in the States?

Probably not. A frown crossed her face. It was for a Korean audience, but of course, he'd mentioned that they were trying to cross over to the US market with the new album. Shaking her shoulders, she tried to dislodge her train of thought. No more work, marketing, and especially, HIM. A yawn snuck up on her. Fluffing her pillow, she turned over, holding the pillow under her head.

As she drifted asleep, she heard the waves crashing on the shore and remembered their walk earlier on the beach. In-ho looked so different while he was walking. Like he was at peace. Maybe he just needed to get away from the celebrity lifestyle.

That was it. She could help him forget for a while the pressures of a pop star. A getaway is always good to unwind. He seemed to need that. What had he called her? His muse. Maybe he was starting to think of her as a real friend.

She snorted. Well, that was a first. But she'd never dated a musician. She just knew guys from theater, and none of them were straight either. Maybe this was a new adventure. She took a deep breath, and her thoughts slowly drifted to the sands on the beach. Her last thought was near him and walking to the sound of the waves. But she added in her imagination that they were holding hands.