My Perfect Lady 31 I Like You

He was still glaring at Hartley, when he heard Garret click his tongue in mock-remorse

"Tch, tch," Garret sighed, drinking down his gla.s.s, "You went ahead and did it now, didn't you, you lowly pervert."

At once, Jim's expression stiffened.

Somehow, being called a 'lowly pervert' brought forth memories of his much-too recent encounter with his bride. He swallowed two gla.s.ses at once as memories of him being hit with a broom and having a mop all over his face flashed before him.

"He looks like he's out for murder," one of them commented.

"Well, he won't murder her. Kidnap the chicka, maybe."

Jim's face turned filthier.

Miya had also referred to him as a kidnapper, while hitting him.

He wolfed down another two gla.s.ses.

The group suddenly fell silent as they watched their friend shoot down drink after drink, without really reacting to their bullying. Obviously, he was lost in thought.

Shekhar coughed nervously, while Bolin chuckled.

"And now he acts all serious," he said provocatively, "Afraid of all the honest censure, eh big guy?"

Jimmy turned around at once and shot Bolin a dirty glare. Bolin shrugged nonchalantly.

"She's my wife," Jimmy spat after a second, "Legally wedded wife. I have a right –"

"To molest her? No you don't."

Jim looked so darkly at Bolin, the other guy couldn't help but laugh out loud. He was positively drunk by now.

"A right to privacy," Jimmy hissed, and then looked at Hart, "Why don't you teach this a.s.sh*le some of the law regarding breaching someone's privacy, eh?"

Garret snickered.

"Now that's true," he said, backing Jimmy up. He was the birthday boy after all, "What were you doing Hartley Greene, watching the husband kiss his wife?"

Hartley rolled his eyes.

"And which one of you freaks would have missed watching Jimmy Hunter kiss a girl?"

The folks laughed again.

In the next half hour, the five men barely talked and concentrated only on eating. Alcohol on an empty stomach had its disadvantage after all. Besides, Garret's food was top-cla.s.s, so they couldn't help but gobble down most of it.

After all of the food had disappeared, Bolin was the first one to talk again. Even though he was curious about Jimmy's new wife, he didn't question the man directly. He turned towards their spy and gossip-king, Hartley.

"Say Hart," he said in a low voice, slurring slightly in his speech, "How is this new sister-in-law of ours? To have our brother forcefully kiss her in a day, that's something, hm? Small, and cute, like the ones he always dates?"

Hartley, who was intoxicated too, tried to focus, "No, Bol. Not cute. Small, aye, eh, very small to be honest, but not cute at all. She did shoot me a scary glare when I tried greeting her. I almost cried."

"Hm," Bolin said thoughtfully, "Maybe that's why Jimmy likes her. They can both stare each other to death now. Anything else you want to share?"

"Well, not really. Her name's Miya. Mud-brown hair, black eyes. Below middle-cla.s.s, if I might add."

"That was your plan, wasn't it?" Bolin confirmed, frowning now, "So she must be a pauper?"

"Yeah. Sweeper of sorts, I'm not sure. I couldn't get Mr. Park to talk a lot."

Bolin began to refill his gla.s.s again.

"Hm. That old man has a stick up his big a.s.s. So hard to deal with. Why does Jim like her?"

"I don't know. Maybe because she seems so manly. We've doubted it since before. Maybe he is actually gay. Would explain the attraction then."

Jimmy, who was still somewhat in his senses, scowled. Then turning towards Bolin and Hartley, who were whispering in not-too-soft voices, he hissed, "b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. She's not manly at all! And the only one who has a stick up his a.s.s, is you Bolin."

Bolin smiled deviously.

"Not manly, eh? So you'd admit she's pretty?"

Jim frowned.

"Pretty? Not really… she's just kind of cute, behaviourally speaking. And h.e.l.lishly strong. She'd beat us all with a single hand."

"That makes her manly, Hunter. I'll ask you this one last time over the past ten years. Are you, or are you not gay?"

Jimmy was annoyed.

"You know what, I am, Bolin! And the only man I've never felt a thing for is the hideously unattractive you."

Jim drank his champagne.

Bolin looked at him gravely.

"And I would like it to stay that way, mate," he said.

Jim almost hit the guy's head.

"You…! Why the f*** are you so annoying? Look, she's not manly, she's just a good fighter. And it's just that… I don't know! It's her eyes for sure. They're just so d.a.m.n pretty. The most striking black you'll ever see –"

"They are not!" Hartley declared, to which Jim shot a deathly glare.

"You do know I'll kill you after this right?" he threatened Hart, while gulping down his drink once more.

Hartley didn't dare to speak again.

Jimmy continued, "And she was so cute when she knelt down and apologized like a hundred times. She's like a mouse really, and then there's –"

"Shut up, for Lord's sake," Garret said now, having a positively horrified expression on his face, "My ears will bleed. Jimmy Hunter, you brainless moron, you have a crush on her, don't you? We should warn the lady!"

Bolin only shook his head.

"It's physical attraction, is all. Maybe she feels the same way. If that is true – "

Jimmy looked solemnly at his gla.s.s.

"She doesn't. In fact, I swore to her we won't have to sleep together."

"Well, you never know. Maybe if you talked to her –"

"That kiss you were talking about," Jimmy said, irritated now, "Just a peck on the cheek. And she looked like she'd make me jump up my own a.s.s and die."

Shekhar, who had been listening carefully till now, laughed out loud.

"Jim, bro, I did not see this coming. There is one woman that you want, but who doesn't give a f*** about you. And you married her!"

"It's a f***ing contract!" Jim spat.

"What're you gonna do, mate?" Garret said a bit worriedly, "If the attraction is that heated in just knowing her in one day, how do you plan to survive a year?"

Jim drank another gla.s.s unhappily.

The group fell into silence once again.

After a few minutes had pa.s.sed, though, Bolin was the first one to speak, of course.

"If the attraction is strong enough to make you look displeased," he said philosophically, "you got to work on it man. And considering it's you, who likes a girl only once in a blue moon, you owe it to yourself. Shekhar, you're the b.l.o.o.d.y romantic type. Tell this a.s.sh*le how to make the girl want him too."

Shekhar, who by now was the most sober of them all, took a small sip from his gla.s.s. He watched Jim carefully, and then said in a low voice, "Call her."

Jim immediately started coughing.

"Wh-What?!" he howled, at which Shekhar rolled his eyes.

"Call her, put it on speaker, and keep it short. Tell her, I like you."

Jimmy threw up his drink.

"Wh-What?!" he howled again, but the group seemed so fired up by the idea, they instantly started cheering. They called for him to be a man, which somehow made him want to throw up, and then they asked him to remember Miya and say it.

Now or never, as they put it.

Jimmy wasn't too sure if they were right. His brain wasn't functioning normally. He had had too much to drink. But then he remembered how happy he had felt after kissing the girl. And the thought that she might hug him voluntarily someday…

Heck, who cared. It was Miya after all. He had saved her life. She wouldn't kill him for liking her, would she?

Grinning, and with a goofy expression on his face, he dialled her number.

Then entire gang fell silent. Jim put the phone on speaker.

She picked up after one ring.

"h.e.l.lo?"

Jim almost sighed. He couldn't really focus, but her voice sounded nice.

"Um, h-hey. T-This is – "

"Oh, Mr. Hunter. How are you? And how come you're calling this late?"

Jimmy could have done a happy dance. She recognized his voice!

"Eh… I… Party. I was at a party. I mean, I am at a party."

There was silence at the other end. Then a few seconds later, Miya's voice came again.

"You're drunk. Sure, you're okay?"

Hm. She knew everything.

"I'm okay," he told her.

"Okay. Then, can you tell me why you had to call?"

"I wanted… have to say something."

"Yes?"

The entire gang looked expectantly at Jim. Five pairs of eyes nailed him to his seat and made his throat go dry. Those eyes were sparkling unnaturally as they silently shouted to him, "Say it!"

Jimmy gulped.

"I… um. I. Yes, I.."

"Yes, Mr. Hunter?"

"I –"

"Hm?"

"I lik –"

"Yes?"

"M-Miya."

"I'm here, Mr. Hunter."

"I… I'm hungry."

With that he cut the phone. And he banged his head on the table too.

Those were just three simple words! I. Like. You!

Now she would never hug him on her own!

The gang sighed in defeat. The man was hopeless.