“You are so gorgeous.” Kern said.
She was stunned by his words.
Now she still held his hand.
Kern quite enjoyed this moment so he would like to be held hands by Grace longer time. Her hands were soft enough to spread his joy to all over the body. He even felt much better than being done a Thai massage.
Grace said, “Pardon me? Mr. Lo.”
Kern repeated it with great pleasure, “You are so gorgeous.”
Grace looked annoyed with his answer and said, “Get off the car.”
“Ah?”
She ignored it and extended her hand to open the door at Kern’s side of the car. “Get off.” she said calmly.
Kern was confused with her response; he supposed all women should be excited with appreciation.
Or at least be a little bit shy?
Hum…
Grace asked again, “Will you get off or not?”
Kern kept shaking his head…get off? Impossible.
Grace did not talk more, just said, “Ok. I am getting off.”
Kern looked at her opening the door to get off the car… “Hey! You really do it?” He tried to hold on her hands to keep her in.
Yet when he saw her eyes, he knew she would do it for sure.
Grace watched Kern to say, without any emotion, “Mr. Lo. Let me go.”
At the beginning, Kern was some of heartbroken by her unconcerned look. Soon later, he turned to be angry with her. At last, he pulled her back to the seat instead of letting her go.
Grace did not expect it and hit on Kern’s chest by such a strong force. Now she was so close to him that could felt his breath.
Kern asked, “Boss, I don’t know what you are angry with? Definitely, I think you are beautiful. It annoys you? That doesn’t make sense.”
Grace refuted, “Are you kidding me? Mr. Lo. You like to date with lots of different women? I already forgot what happened before. But now what are you doing?”
He was the weird one.
She was beautiful?
What kind of beauty?
She knew very well about her appearance.
Grace had fringe in the early years to block her wound on the forehead. After she opened Memory Inn, her fringe grew longer which she combed in the back. There was a long wound…beautiful?
He should be a born play boy who got used to dating every woman he met.
Otherwise, he was not serious with her at all. She hated either way.
Kern said, “Who says? Who says I like to date a lot of women?” He believed Grace only loved Caden Shaw so that any other man admiring her would be a lecher to her.
Just now, he truly considered she was extremely charming.
In fact, he did not realize he started to be envious.
Grace kept trying to leave Kern’s arms, but he pushed her back to the seat and said, “If you think I am not serious with you, now listen, Grace, I am in love with you. Don’t you know?”
“…” Grace did not say anything but froze for a while.
Kern was badly envious about Caden but could not mention the name to her, “I would like to stay with you; I think you are really beautiful. Am I wrong?”
He rushed to tell Grace he loved her because he saw how she was indifferent to him. This was his first time to do this. He did it in this way for the first time in all of his life, but she would not like to accept him…she could not fall in love with anyone else in the future?
Kern took out of breath and stared at Grace, “You are not aware of danger? Call a stranger driver. You never read the news about illegal drivers? You did not check his license, just let him get on the car. You are nothing to yourself?”
Speakers talked about something by accident, but listeners paid great attention.
Grace had a look at Kern standing here.
Then she saw his hairs which some sweat flew through to the neck…she asked, “You…ran here?”
Grace should know it, still asked such a silly question. Kern could not do anything but get his wallet to pay the driver. Unluckily, there was no money left. It occurred to him that he spent all of his money in the tea set shops just a moment ago.
He was so generous that took off his watch to give to the driver, “Keep the tips. No need to drive for us.”
Then he got on the car and closed the door.
“Grace…” Kern turned back to say, “Grace, my fault.”
Grace thought twice and nodded with seeing him like this, “Ok. No more.”
“Yes.”
It was true that he should not be in a rush; he should make it step by step.
Grace said, “Don’t amuse me anymore. This is a not funny joke to me.”
Kern loved to admit his mistake now and said, “Yes. I see. It’s not funny at all.”
Of course, not funny. This was not his joke at all…
Grace did not think more since Kern asked for her forgiveness with great sincerity…Let it be. He was just a guest of Memory Inn who was not different from all the other guests there. He would stop temporarily and surely left her life soon.
Who would remember her or be remembered by her after leaving the Memory Inn?
Who would care about the happenings on those days?
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: I've Been There Before (Grace and Caden)
How can a woman suffer so much? How can a man be too cruel initially robbing her of dignity and all, then deceiving her after he knows he loves her? How can they not remarry, making their offspring illegitimate? The line between love and hatred is truly fine indeed! Thank you for this story....