33 You, Stay Away! (1/2)
Jim walked stiffly towards Park.
He still could not recall the entire chain of events, only that they had been drinking a lot, and pulling at each other's leg, of course. Someone had called Miya manly, and he had defended her like a stupid ass in love. And then somehow, the bastards had convinced him to give her a call.
Jim's heart froze even as he recalled the incidents in his brain.
How could he be so damned stupid?!
He had made the call, damn it, and he couldn't recall what exactly it was that he had said to the girl. He hoped to heaven it wasn't what those idiots had suggested. Had he actually told her that he liked her?
Jimmy would have held his head in his hands, when he remembered in a flash. He had lost his guts at the exact moment, and had told her that he was hungry instead. Oh, man.
This was embarrassing!
He shouldn't ever be allowed to drink in the company of those horrendous freaks!
But now that he thought about it, Jim couldn't understand how Park fit into the entire picture. How did he know what had happened? Or that he had told Miya that he was hungry?
Wait a minute.
Unless he had made a drunk call to Park as well?
Jimmy hit his head. He must be a sad person with an even sadder life. To make a drunk call to his butler in the middle of the night. He needed to reconsider his life!
Meanwhile, Mr. Park watched the young master with slight amuse. It was evident that Jim was recalling the events of last night, and from his expression, he didn't look happy with them too. Mr. Park was somewhat satisfied, and his anger dwindled a little.
But that didn't mean he wouldn't tell the guy off.
”Sit down, Jim,” he said quietly, and Jim dragged a chair and sat in front of Park.
”How do you know about the call?” Jim asked as soon as he was seated, his expression beyond worried, for he had no remembrance of the rest of the night.
Mr. Park sighed.
”How do you think?”
”I made a drunk call to you too?”
Park scoffed.
”No. You made one to Miya, that was enough. She figured you were drunk, and then you told her you were hungry. She got worried and gave me a call. She was afraid you were too drunk and were probably lying in some drain. She wanted me to help her rescue you.”
Jim's face darkened.
Even if he were dead drunk, why would he be lying in a drain?
”Turns out,” Mr. Park said with a bit of a chuckle, which immediately pissed off Jimmy, ”Your girl doesn't attribute a lot of class to you, now does she Jim? Anyway, I convinced her that you definitely wouldn't be in a drain, and that I alone could rescue you, she needn't come. When she was satisfied, I went to the Diamond Royale, and well, there you were, drunk and lying on the floor in a heap with all your friends. To be very short, I dragged you home after that.”
”Now Jim,�� Park continued, ”Not that I can't guess, but I still want to ask. When you called Miya last night, what was it that you wanted to say?”
”Erm… She makes excellent food, I-I remembered it –”
”Jim. The truth, please.”
”Don't talk to me in that tone, Park.”
Silence pervaded between the two as they stared at each other.
After a minute though, Park sighed tiredly.
”I wouldn't have to Jim,” he said in a forced, but comforting voice, ”If you were using even half the brain that you usually do, I wouldn't have to.”
Looking at the exhaustion written all over the old man's face, Jim immediately felt guilty. For someone fifty six, Park worked too hard, and was pretty much brilliant at his job. But that didn't mean he wasn't old.
”I'm sorry,” Jim said instantly, and then looked up at the man, ”But really, I don't understand what you're so mad about.”
”Don't you, Jim? It's about your obsession with that girl, of course.”
Jim frowned.
”What of it? And it's not obsession, just –”
”Not obsession?! You called her in the middle of the night to confess! You kept complaining to me, all the way in the car, that she wouldn't hug you voluntarily. And how long have you known her, sir? A day! Not to mention, we both have a pretty good idea of what her history hides. Have you considered the remotest possibility that the woman could be a spy, used by one of your enemies? Or maybe a part of the underworld? Or that the entire list of possible bride candidates that we were given to us, in the first place, was actually a fraud?”
Jim's face lost its colour. He actually had not thought of that as a possibility.
Park grimaced.
”That look of shock…! Jim, normally, you'd take that into consideration yourself, had you not been infatuated with the girl to such an extent. Also, such a shady person is best stayed away from, till you know better. But stay away, my foot! You called to tell her you loved her!”
Jim sat stiffly at each of Park's words, agreeing and accepting all of them. Park was right. He usually didn't underperform. However, once he heard 'loved', his face turned red and he howled disapprovingly, ”Not l-love! I was going to say 'I like you!' But I backed out, so it shouldn't be a problem. And it's not l-love, old man, just a physical thing.” That's what Garret or Hartley or someone from the gang had assured him, anyway.
”Don't even get me started on that,” Park retorted grimly, ”I don't even know why you feel that way. I don't mean to be offending, but what's so attractive about that girl? If you felt considerate, that, I get. But attracted?”
”Why would I feel considerate? I'm 31, not 56.”
Park ignored him.