Page 155 of Force Play
“Well, yellow is your favorite color.” He closes the clasp on the chain, and I let my hair fall back around my shoulders. “And that is a jade pendant.”
“Is there something significant about jade?”
“Jade is meaningful in Korean culture.” Ari leans closer now, whispering against my ear, “Green also happens to bemyfavorite color.”
“It’s beautiful,” I state, running my fingers over the smooth stone hanging around my neck.
He softly kisses my temple. “Yes, you are beautiful, Lucia.”
Forget what I said about being doomed.
I’m well and truly fucked.
After the surprisingly romantic visit to the souvenir shop, Ari and I walk around the block to see the other shops. K-town is small; it really only encompasses a single block of 32nd Street.
He then brings me to one of his favorite Korean BBQ restaurants. According to him, it’s the most authentic one he’s found and tastes like what you would find in Seoul.
And the entire day, he’s just been buzzing with excitement. He’s shown me so many things and talked so much about his Korean culture. Ari is cute when he’s passionate about something.
Now, we’re sitting along the edge of a cement tree planter in Greeley Square Park, a box of Korean desserts sitting between us. We ended up eating all of the hotteok before we even sat down, but we do still have all of the chapssal-tteok—Korean mochi.
“Try this one,” Ari says, holding up one of the desserts.
I lean over and take a bite out of it, trying to figure out what flavor this is. “What is this one?”
“Sweet red bean paste,” he answers. “Most common filling for these.”
“It’s… interesting,” I say. “I don’t hate it, but I’m not sure I love it either.” I grab another one from the box. “What’s this one?” I ask.
“Mango,” he answers.
“Ooh, that’s good,” I say, swallowing down the mango mochi in just two bites.
“You’ll like this one, too.” He holds another one up for me, and I take a bite out of it just like I did the first.
“Mmm,” I hum, swallowing down the rich chocolate inside the rice cake. “This is delicious.”
“Ganache. One of my favorites.”
I go to take another bite, but Ari pops the rest of it into his mouth instead.
“Dick,” I chide playfully.
“I know you’re a big fan of my dick, sweetheart.” He winks, and I can’t help but smile.
“We’ve been out here all day. How did you go unrecognized?”
Ari laughs. “I’m not even kidding when I say it’s the glasses. I don’t wear them on the field. I’ve had a lot of people squinting today, trying to see if IamAri Morgan, but it’s not nearly as obvious when I’m wearing glasses.”
“Oh my God, you’re like a real-life Clark Kent right now.”
He cocks his eyebrow. “You my Lois Lane then?”
The breath has been stolen from my lungs, and I can’t form a reply even if I wanted to.
I’m saved from that, though, by the vibration of my phone.
Ari looks down between us to where my phone sits on the cement, and Matt’s name lights up the screen. His jaw ticks.
