AAE -- Wishes Of The Heart

Chapter 64

written by LoveCR2 -- 2005

edited by All-About-AAE -- 2017

 

"A toast, to the loveliest, most charming graduate of the Atwater Academy of Advanced Language Acquisition..." -- Min-Cho Atwater

 

 

OXO TOWER RESTAURANT, LONDON...

 

"You promised, that on my graduation day, you'd answer me..."

 

Min-Cho recalls Sun-Mi's question ... 'Is the only reason you like me because I remind you of someone from five years ago?' ... as he takes in the view of London all the way to Big Ben and the London Eye, through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows of the eighth floor restaurant.

 

Instead of answering, he redirects the conversation by asking, "How was your entrée?"

 

"The halibut was amazing," she gushes enthusiastically, leaning forward toward him. Her eyes sparkle with delight, shining as brightly as the circle of rhinestones on the silver beaded chain that parallels the simple scoop neckline of her black, stretch knit cocktail dress.

 

"Then we have to come back, soon," he promises. "Now that you coursework is finished, we'll have more time to go exploring. There's a new place that just opened in Mayfair that I think you'll like. What do you say?"

 

Tired of his repeated dodges, she knits her brow and demands, "I say... stop avoiding the question, and answer me..."

 

"Okay, but first we have one more thing to do," he replies, ignoring her frustrated expression, as he glances over her shoulder and lifts an eyebrow, then informs her... "Champagne for the occasion?"

 

"Mmm..." she expresses her agreement with his decision.

 

 

A sommelier promptly arrives at the table with a bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket, and a pair of tall crystal flutes. He shows the label to Min-Cho, who approves. The sommelier pops the cork and fills the flutes nearly to the brim, and with a curt nod, walks off.

 

Min-Cho raises his flute to Sun-Mi. She raises hers, and they lightly bring them together.

 

"I'll go first," she claims the lead, and makes a toast: "May this new year be better than the last! ... Cheers!"

 

They smile together and together sip their champagne.

 

"Now it's my turn." He waits for Sun-Mi to raise her flute to his. "A toast, to the loveliest, most charming graduate of the Atwater Academy of Advanced Language Acquisition," he fêtes her.

 

She blushes at the compliment and remarks modestly, "That's because I'm the ONLY graduate so far..."

 

"Who's counting?" he quips, and tips his glass up for a swallow.

 

Sun-Mi smiles and takes another sip from hers, too.

 

Min-Cho hands her a large ivory envelope embossed with her name in gold leaf, in both Hangul and English letters. The flap on the reverse side is sealed by an impressive-looking crest.

 

"Open it," he tells her.

 

"What is this?" she asks as she breaks the seal.

 

"My family's traditional crest," he informs her. "It goes way back in history to Anglo-Saxon England, before 1066."

 

 

Sun-Mi takes out a folded card. Inside she finds an official-looking certificate written in elaborate calligraphy.

 

"Isn't this a bit too much, for a three-month course?" she say slightly, both impressed and amused at the formality he has put into the occasion.

 

"Not at all," he tells her. "It's a big accomplishment, for both of us."

 

"Oh, yes... did I tell you?" she says excitedly. Chief Kim gave me my first big field assignment... I'm covering the Big Four as the MBS Special Correspondent!"

 

"Umm... what's the Big Four?" he asks.

 

"The four biggest fashion shows of the women's ready-to-wear Spring/Summer season," she expounds on the details. "They are held sequentially in New York, London, Milan, and Paris, during February and early March. All the major fashion labels and designer personalities will be there... If I do well, it's my chance to show Chief Kim that I can handle more serious news, too."

 

"Okay, I'm not so clear about the fashion part, but I understand how this can be your big chance," he agrees.

 

"And it's only possible, because of what you did for me, Min-Cho," she thanks him with a bright smile. "Without you, and DORIS, I'd never have gained the confidence and ability so quickly, to handle something of this magnitude in both English and Korean."

 

"Well, that's something to celebrate then, too!" he exclaims, raising his flute again.

 

When Sun-Mi raises hers, he toasts, "MBS Special Correspondent Jin Sun-Mi, the loveliest flower of the English and Korean airwaves."

 

Sun-Mi glares at him with feigned annoyance. "Can't you ever be serious?"

 

"Not when I'm with the most beautiful woman I know... that I've ever known," he raves effusively.

 

Sun-Mi's mouth opens, as if she means to say something, and then closes as she blushes again...

 

Then she takes a small, red envelope from her clutch and passes it across the table to him with a mysterious smile. "I have something for you, too. It's just a token of my appreciation for all you've done. Go ahead, open it," she urges eagerly.

 

 

He does, and inside finds a handwritten card, which he reads aloud: "Good for one official date with Jin Sun-Mi."

 

Min-Cho turns the card over, studying it curiously.

 

"What is it now?" she asks, wondering what he is looking for.

 

His brow wrinkles as he answers with mock puzzlement, "Are you sure this is meant for me? I don't see my name anywhere on it."

 

"Oh... I wanted to be sure that first, you still agreed with our arrangement," she teases, flicking her eyes at him. "In case you changed your mind, then I could give it to someone else instead."

 

"I have a pen," he quickly says as he takes one from his suit jacket, handing it to Sun-Mi along with the card.

 

With a flourish, she writes on the card, and gives it back to him with the pen. "Is that better?" she asks impishly.

 

He looks down, to see she has written, and laughs:

 

... Redeemable by Mr. Min-Cho Atwater, but only after he answers my question! ...

 

"Okay, you win," he surrenders with a grin, "But let's finish our champagne first, over desserts."

 

"I'd like that," she concurs, conceding not so reluctantly to this particular delay...

 

 

Their waiter materializes and presents the dessert menu, looking to Sun-Mi first. "Miss?"

 

"Your OXO chocolate plate, of course," she orders, anticipating the array of savory flavored morsels.

 

'I'll have the raspberry parfait," Min-Cho chooses.

 

 

LATER...

 

After the champagne is consumed and the dessert plates cleared, Min-Cho and Sun-Mi sip coffee in the almost empty dining room.

 

Feeling a buzz from the bubbly, Sun-Mi rests her chin in her hand as she contentedly gazes out the window. A flurry of white flakes is falling from the low-hanging cloud cover, immediately melting on the outside terrace floor as soon as they touch.

 

"The view is fantastic from here, and the snow is so pretty," she muses languidly. "Isn't falling snow romantic?"

 

As much as Sun-Mi is entranced with the scene outside, Min-Cho is focused on Sun-Mi, studying her face with a contented expression of his own.

 

"I find the 'view' pretty fantastic in here, even without snow," he lightheartedly expresses his appreciation.

 

Sun-Mi knows his meaning, and turns with an air of irritation to remind him: "It's getting late, and you haven't answered my question... After making me wait so long, your answer had better be pretty good!"

 

"You can judge whether it's good, or not," he replies, turning serious. "You see, I have a confession to make -- the first time we met wasn't the night I picked you up at the hotel. Actually, it was over five years ago..."