Chapter 12: Naked Truths and Unfortunate Goodbyes
Clara opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. A warm, blissful glow radiated from her core. I'm in heaven, she thought dizzily. I must have died last night and this is the afterlife. It smelled of musk, expensive aftershave, and pure safety. But then, she felt the heavy, muscular warmth of the body pressed right against her, and the memory hit her brain like a freight train.
The beach. The kiss. The sound of the door clicking shut. The night of her wildest dreams.
Oh, for heaven's sake. Or rather... oh, hell.
The "I-m-in-heaven" feeling vanished instantly, replaced by: I hope I'm actually dead and never have to wake up again. The Ariadne lie weighed on her like a ton of bricks, just as heavy as the shadows of the past she was still running from. Min-ho would despise her if he knew the truth.
The only logical solution? Act like nothing happened. But for that, she had simply been too sober last night. Note to self: Never, ever go to bed sober again. It would finally have paid off to be a drunk, but no, not last night of all nights. God, I'm so stupid. Clara pressed her fingertips to her temples. Note to self, part two: Alcohol is now a mandatory sleep aid.
Clara tried to sneak out of bed like a ninja, until she remembered: Wait, this is my room! He came to me! She needed to get to the bathroom to think. Piece by piece, she inched toward the edge of the bed. Millimeter by millimeter... but just before she could taste freedom, disaster struck.
Her nightgown had tangled itself hopelessly in the heavy sheets. With a clumsy jerk, she tried to free herself, but instead of sliding out, she lost her balance so violently that she slipped right out of her nightgown, leaving the silk fabric behind in the bed.
Clara stood there, stark naked in the morning light. "Fuck, merde, I'm so stupid!" she hissed in two languages. She panicked, tugging at the sheets to get her clothes back—and in that exact moment, Min-ho woke up.
He didn't say a word. He looked her in the eyes, and then his gaze traveled slowly—excruciatingly slowly—down her entire body and back up again. It felt like he was stroking her with his eyes. Clara felt an instant shiver, her skin flushed, and her body betrayed her so clearly that there was no hiding it anymore.
Min-ho's face began to glow. He looked at her with such radiance, such pure love and longing, that it almost hurt. "Good morning," he rasped, his voice deep and gravelly from sleep. "So... are you ready for round two?"
Clara wanted to dissolve into the floorboards. She lunged for the duvet to find her nightgown, but she pulled so hard that she ended up yanking the entire blanket off the bed. Now Min-ho was lying there completely exposed and naked too. He clearly took her action as a bold invitation and started to reach out for her, his eyes dark with hope.
Clara flipped her internal "Panic Switch." She spun around, yanked her nightgown over her head, and stammered, "I—I have to get ready! I have so much work today, I really have to hurry, otherwise... otherwise we'll go over budget!"
Min-ho froze. "What? You want to work? Right now? While we're both... you know... naked?"
"Time is money!" she cried, grabbing random clothes from the floor. "And oh, I totally forgot I have to pick something up! I'll just do that real quick. You stay here and make yourself comfortable. See ya later, alligator!"
Before he could even say her name, she had bolted out of the door. In the hallway, she leaned against the cold wall, gasping for air, her heart in her throat. Just then, her phone buzzed.
Lukas:"EMERGENCY! Clara, I saw Tiffany! My baby is sick! That toxic ex of mine posted a picture with his new fling. The guy looks like he cuts his own hair—like one of those pretentious organic-kale-vapers from uni, remember? Those total losers? Anyway, you have to help me rescue Tiffany! We need a counter-strike. Get your rosy-pink butt over here, I need you!"
A hysterical giggle escaped Clara's throat. At least she could always count on Lukas to bring the chaos.