I stared at Charles, long and hard.
"Mr. Kosonen, you've been to one of my gigs?"
"I have," he confirmed. "And you were sensational."
Oh dear God. No way.
So, the thing was, during my college years, to cover my living expenses, I'd taken up singing gigs at local bars.
The gigs were never fixed. Whoever booked me, I'd come running. But I'd stopped doing that since I got this flight attendant job.
Still, all those places were just tourist hotspots and hidden bars, not the kind of spots a billionaire like him would ever visit!
Besides, everybody knew artists from Kosonen Entertainment were world famous superstars. They were all scouted and groomed from their teenage years. Some random bar singer like me couldn't possibly fit into that level!?
What had gotten into him? Did the boba got him so high he couldn't think straight anymore?
My mom had always told me my singing was average at best. I'd rather know my place and hold on to the job I knew for sure would fit me better, pay off my college debt, and spare me the drama of competing against all those insanely gorgeous, talented people in the entertainment industry.
"I appreciate your high regard for me," I replied, "but I'm afraid I must decline your offer, Mr. Kosonen."
Charles didn't seem pleased with my response. His smile faded and his brow furrowed faintly.
"Why don't we forget about it for now and just enjoy the food, and this amazing boba tea?" he said, lifting his glass again.
"Ah, yes, of course," I nodded stiffly.
So, the rest of that dinner continued in a somewhat awkward air, with me quietly chewing the duck and him enthusiastically chewing the boba.
When we finished, Charles walked me outside and had the same limousine drive me home.
As we stood in front of the hotel waiting for the chauffeur, he lit a cigarette and took a deep draw, exhaling slowly. As for me, by then, my brain was still dizzy from trying to process the whole strange experience.
Usually I didn't mind someone smoking in front of me—Niklas was smoking all the time.
But at that very moment, the tobacco scent from the smoke curling from his lips—woven with his exotic cologne—strangely became more intoxicating at such close distance.
I found myself stealing glances at him. His face, half-lit by the dim golden light, was sharper from this angle, though the silver of his eyes and hair became much softer.
All of a sudden he reminded me of some cute snow leopard cub I'd seen on nature documentaries.
After a long, white exhale into the night air, Charles turned to me and asked, "Kaija, will you be on flight STAR420 on Monday next week?"
I pulled out my phone and checked the schedule. "Yes, Mr. Kosonen, I am. Why?"
He took a step closer. His tone, which had been steely all day, suddenly turned into a soft murmur.
"When I see you on that flight, I hope you'll change your mind."
Thank God the limousine arrived just as he finished his words. I gave Charles no reply—just a slight bow and another thanks for the dinner—then quickly got inside.
I could already feel myself shaking from learning I'd see him again very soon.
Did that mean he wouldn't fill a complaint about my flight anymore, or had I just secured myself two lengthy complaints now?
The limousine drove away.
When I woke up the next morning, Niklas had finally texted back.
Whether he'd been too busy smooching or spooning with Marja or what, I didn't know. I just knew my cheating boyfriend still hadn't realized he'd wrongly sent the text meant for Marja to me instead.
"Sounds good, baby. See you there!" he texted, followed by a bunch of kissy emojis.
I just rolled my eyes and tossed the phone aside and started getting ready for work.
While I had already graduated and gotten a job, Niklas was still a medical student, so his days were filled with either classes or studying. Or at least those were his excuses for being late on our dates.
That evening, I knew my diligent future doctor boyfriend was gonna be late again as usual, so I deliberately decided to have him wait for me, for once.
I arrived at 6:30 PM.
Needless to say, Niklas didn't seem happy about that. His face was already scowling when I walked in.
"Baby, you're alright? You're ... delayed today," he said.
"I'm good, babe," I replied coolly. "Just another delayed flight. You look like you had a sleepless night."
His shoulders lifted in a small shrug. "It's the upcoming exams. I've been staying up late studying, you know."
"Right, I'm sorry for taking up your precious time," I said lightly, smirking. I supposed studying Marja's body could also be considered studying.
"But how did you know this place, babe?" he asked, his tone cautious.
I gave him my brightest smile. "Oh? Weren't you the one who told me about this café?"
He drew his brow together, his voice turning anxious. "Did I?"
"Of course you did! Check your messages, babe. You texted me just yesterday."
Niklas shot me a confused look. Then he pulled out his phone, swiping.
It didn't take long for his brows to go from furrowing to shooting upward.
"Kaija, this... this is..." he stammered, leaning toward me with a sorry face. "Yes, yesterday I wanted to invite you to this place. I probably mistyped, or maybe my mind was on something else—or maybe it was just autocorrect."
I couldn't help but find clumsy his effort to cover up his crime amusing. I kept my smile on. "Did you? Well, why don't you check your email, babe? There's something else I'd like you to see."
I swiped through the photos and hit send from my phone. There was no way I'd give Niklas my phone to see them. He might've slammed my poor phone on the table or thrown it away.
A 'ding' came from Niklas' phone.
He lowered his gaze to the screen again, opened his mail box, and his eyes widened at once.
He looked at me and then at his phone with the most terrified expression I'd ever seen of him, his fingers frantically swiping up and down the screen.
"Kaija... this... How did you...?" he stuttered.
"The photos look great, don't you think? Maybe the two of you should consider hiring me as the photographer for your wedding album."
His face contorted further. "You fucking stalked us?"
"How else was I supposed to find out you were cheating on me with my dear best friend, babe?" I retorted, my smile turning into a smirk. "I only wanted to see how good the two of you look together with my own eyes. So, how long has it been now? One year? Two years? Or all four?"
He slammed the table, his voice rising. "Since I found out you're the kind of bitch who would kneel and bend for money, Kaija."
I gave him a bored look. I'd already heard those insulting words enough times by then.
Still, his volume was so high that all eyes in the café immediately landed our way. Murmurs started filling the room.
Niklas went on. "And it's more than just that, I mean, have you ever looked at yourself? Compared to Marja? Marja's a supermodel. She's successful. She's working with prestigious brands. She's on magazine covers. She's rich, she's hot, and she has class. She does her makeup, wears her best clothes whenever she goes out with me—unlike you, who's always stuck in the same jeans and sweaters!"