Love Drunk

A Bet & A Handicap

Seoul, South Korea

"Wow! I can't believe Big Bro was finally able to get married hours before the deadline!" Kim crowed cheerfully as she sat by the table and reached for a sandwich which she bit almost instantly. “He really is a very lucky guy. No wonder he didn’t look so worried when I saw him last.”

She happily prattled on as she continued to eat. "Attorney Choi told my mom that he married a looker. I'm so excited to see his wife now. At long last, I finally get to have a female cousin," she continued as she eyed the quiet young man in front of her.

"Yah, why are you so quiet and tense? Big Bro's saved now. Cheer up," Kim reprimanded Charles with a saccharine-sweet smile which the other countered with a wolfish sneer, his teeth flashing more like he was about to bite than he would smile.

"Kim Cole…" Charles growled and she stared at him.

His eyes were glaring like daggers but as usual, Kim ignored the hostility and blinked as if she was waiting for him to continue speaking which Charles did.

"Why are you here at my house at this time of day, again— and why are you eating my food, again?"

"Oh," Kim muttered as she blinked once more. "Don't worry, I'll just make you a new one," she said, indicating the sandwich as she placed the half-eaten one back on the plate and crossed the kitchen to the refrigerator.

Charles' irritation decreased as he watched his cousin take the ingredients out of the appliance, set them out on the table, and started making a new sandwich.

He’s upset as each time Kim barged in his house; she would raid his refrigerator and kitchen as well. In case he already had food ready, she wouldn’t hesitate to help herself with it.

His food, his precious food— if there’s one thing Charles could confess as his pet peeve, it’s when someone tried to take his grub. 

“Don’t forget to add pickles.”

==

"When is Brother Jack coming home?" Kim asked him as she worked, and he felt calm enough to have a conversation with her.

"He said he booked the earliest flight back, so they will probably be here the day after tomorrow," he answered as he reached out for an envelope behind him and handed it to Kim.

"What's this?" she asked as she placed the bread back on the plate and wiped her hands on her jeans before taking it and inspecting its contents. Inside were glossies and her eyes widened in interest upon seeing them. "Oooooh where did you get these?" she asked as she eagerly scanned the pictures.

"Big Bro emailed those last night after faxing his marriage certificate. Attorney Choi had them printed," Charles answered as he watched the other look at the photos.

The pictures were all from their cousin's wedding ceremony, which showed their beaming cousin with his equally blooming bride.

"Brother looked very pleased with his new wife," Kim commented and Charles readily agreed.

"Well, if you have a wife as gorgeous as that, who wouldn't be pleased?" he countered but she shook her head.

"That's not what I was talking about," Kim told her cousin, and the other raised a brow as he waited for an explanation. "What I meant was that Big Bro looks like he's in love with his wife," she announced.

"What?" Charles snorted.

Of all the blasphemies he'd heard, this one was by far the funniest. Saying their hard-ass cousin fell in love was like saying Kim was a closet genius, and that Charles was Mr. Congeniality. Love and Jack just didn't match. Didn't his cousin say that he hated marriage?

"Kim Cole, you never cease to amaze me. Your imagination sometimes is just too hilarious, it makes me tear up," he said as he shook his head.

For the first time in the history of forever, Kim Cole looked offended. "Yah! Charles Cole, I'm not imagining things. I'm stating a fact! They may not be in love now but soon they will," she stated with conviction as she put the glossies down on the table and placed her arms across her chest. "Tell you what? Why don't we make a bet?"

"What kind of bet?" Charles was suspicious.

To be honest, he was very curious as to why their usually cheerful cousin suddenly exhibited stubbornness. It was just so…un-Kim-like.

"A bet over these two," Kim stated, indicating the couple in the picture. "I say they will fall in love— and every time Brother Jack shows signs of affection or when he gives in to his wife, you have to make me breakfast," she announced smugly, making the other raise his brow.

"And if he doesn't?" Charles countered; his interest flickered in his eyes.

"Then I'll make you breakfast. How's that?" Kim challenged, and Charles looked thoughtful.

"You'll make me breakfast every time Big Brother wins?" the latter asked and she nodded. "Call," he accepted with a devilish grin.

"Why are you smiling as if you've won already?" Kim asked curiously then.

"It's because I'm sure Jacques Cole, the poker-faced prince won't fail me," Charles answered readily, his lazy grin becoming permanent on his face. "Not only our cousin's very stubborn about marriage. There's something about his wife that's going to make their relationship a little difficult," he added as he indicated for Kim to pick the photos up again.

"Look at Big Brother's wife carefully," he commanded, which his cousin followed. "That new Mrs. Cole isn't an ordinary missus. Look at her and see if she looks familiar to you."

Kim studied the photos and her eyes widened as she realized something. "This is…Alexandra Lee?" she asked, finally recognizing the top model from her agency’s rival company.

"That's right," Charles confirmed conceitedly. "Not only is she a model from your agency’s rival company, she's also the only child of the owner of the rival real estate company under JC Corp, RIO."

Charles' words hung in the air as Kim absorbed this information.

"Well cousin, since I'm very nice, I'll let you off our bet," he said afterwards. He didn't really like cheating. But, instead of accepting his way out, Kim shook her head, making the young man frown. "What? You're not backing out?"

"No," Kim announced happily. "Little Charles, insignificant things such as birth circumstances, age, gender, and status in life have nothing to do with falling in love."

"You sound like an expert," Charles commented sarcastically; his frown deepened but she just grinned at him.

"No, not an expert," she denied with a laugh. "But I'd like to think love is like that. So that information on our brother's wife? Consider it my handicap," she said with confidence before she looked thoughtful.

"There's just one thing I'd like to know, though. I wonder if Big Bro knew about that when he married his wife," she pondered out loud as she picked up the sandwich she made and bit on it.

"I don't know, and I don't care, honestly. What's important is that Big Bro's saved for now," Charles answered grumpily. "There's an entirely different thing I'd like to know right now, though," he announced as he pointed at the sandwich Kim was eating. "Why the heck are you eating that again? I thought that's mine?"