“So are you going to go see them?” she questioned after a beat of silence.
“Jin Yung thinks that I need some kind of closure, but I don't. My father has some other reason for coming here, I know it. He only knows how to make people unhappy."
Leila bit her lip, while G.K. seemed pretty sure of his father’s intent...but people could change. She told him as much, "G.K. maybe he's had a change of heart, and is really coming to patch things up with the both of you."
There seemed to be a sliver of doubt in G.K.'s eyes, but he slid closer and put his arm around her shoulder. There they sat, hearts aligned but lost in thought until he turned his lips to hers.
Chapter Twelve
G.K. was awoken later that evening by an insistent knocking upon his hotel room door. Drowsily he got up from the warm haven under the sheets as Leila moaned and then mumbled something before rolling over and slipping back into slumber.
He rubbed his eyes, stumbled to the door, the knocks louder and impatient. "I'm coming, I'm coming."
Opening the door slightly, the sight of his mother and father standing in the hallway instantly wiped away any lingering traces of tiredness from his body. "
Umma, appa
, what are you doing here? I thought you both were arriving tomorrow night?"
Minsoo, his mother couldn't keep the joy from her light airy voice. "Ye, yes, Gi Kwang we were supposed to. But we decided to catch an earlier flight."
G.K. flinched mentally, as he eyed his parents. His mother looked the same, dark hair resting on her shoulders in a short, elegant bob. Her warm smile made him feel a little less anxious. He'd always been closer to the soft-spoken woman, even though she had never had much of a voice in their household.
G.K. let his eyes drift to his father. While he also looked the same, salt and pepper hair, and slight stubble covering his face, there also seemed to be a new set of dark circles under his already darkly rimmed eyes. His father's gruff voice interrupted his reverie.
"Are you not going to invite us inside," his father demanded brusquely.
G.K. thought of Leila sleeping in the next room. "Now's not a good time. I'm not dressed." His father's eyes narrowed. "It has been a very tiring day with the interview and rehearsals."
"We understand. Why not have dinner with us later?" his mother suggested. "It would be nice to catch up with my son."
"Um, sure, give me a few hours," G.K. replied, eyeing his father suspiciously. "You both should be exhausted from that flight as well."
His mother nodded. "Wonderful. Oh and invite Kai as well. I haven't seen him in ages."
G.K. shook his head. "Noel's here visiting, so I doubt he'll be able to make it."
His father's jaw tightened at hearing Noel mentioned, proving there had been no change of heart where that was concerned.
His mother looked hopeful, “Do you think she would like to come?”
G.K’s eyes must have reflected his skepticism because Minsoo’s expression saddened. "Well we can see him another day while we're here."
"Exactly how long are you going to be here?" G.K. didn't mean for it to sound rude or rushed, but his father's presence made him uneasy.
"Are you in such a hurry to be rid of us," his father challenged. "We left our return tickets open ended. We will leave when we decide the time is right."
That didn't bode well at all.
"Get dressed, be downstairs in an hour," His father commanded, before ushering his mother down the hall.
G.K. shook his head, at his father's harshly delivered order. He hadn't changed at all. G.K. moved back into the room. Going back to the bed, he sat down on the mattress.
Leila stirred before turning over to look at him. "Was that one of the guys?" She asked drowsily.
"It was my mother and father."
Her eyes widened."So soon? I thought you said they would be here tomorrow"
G.K. nodded, “I did say that. Apparently they decided to come early.”
Leila nodded in understanding, sitting up, pulling the sheet with her to cover her exposed chest.
G.K. smiled at her modesty, before continuing. "They invited me to dinner."
Leila tapped him on his nose. "You needn't sound so thrilled. Maybe it won't be as bad as you think."
"It's my
father
. I can tell he hasn't changed. I mentioned the fact that Noel was here with Kai and he looked as if he swallowed a lemon."
She gently took his hand. "Are you going to be alright?"
He would be. He was a grown man and living his own life. His father may not have changed, but he most definitely had.
G.K. brushed a light kiss on her lips. "I will. My father knows he can't control me anymore. I just don't want him trying the same thing with you and me.”
Leila gave him a reassuring caress on the cheek. “He won’t. We’re stronger than that.” He looked over at her with worried eyes, "Trust me, try and be positive, and good things will happen."
G.K. gave her a small grin, before leaning over to brush a light kiss on her lips. "You're so good for me, I worry, and you always help me relax."
She grinned, running her hand up his chest and around his shoulders, "It’s what I'm here for." G.K. sighed at the gentle touch. Before letting his own hand, settle on her thigh, rubbing his fingers up and down the soft flesh.
Oh lord, he's trying to start something.
Leila thought, as a moan escaped her. "G.K. stop, don’t you have to get ready soon?”
He smiled, leaning in kissing her sensuously. "What am I doing? I'm just sitting here..." he teased, as he let his hand slide higher up, only a breath away from her womanhood.
"Uh huh, don't start something you can't finish." Leila taunted. G.K. looked her in the eye, running his tongue over his bottom lip, "Trust me, I can make sure we both finish."
Leila beamed, as a rush of heat swirled through her body, the warmth of it settling in her center. G.K.'s body was hard as a rock, as he watched Leila fight against her desire.
When she opened her mouth to speak, G.K. settled his mouth over hers, as he ran his fingers over her nether lips before sliding between the now glistening folds. Leila released a low groan, in response, involuntarily scooting closer to his wicked hand. "G.K." she protested.
G.K. smiled, at the weak words.
I'm getting good at this,
he thought triumphantly. Removing his mouth from hers, he let his lips drift to her neck, nipping and kissing it playfully.
"Honey I only need 15 minutes..."
Leila let out a small chuckle, "That's not something people usually brag about..."
G.K’s laughter rumbled up from where his head rested in the curve of her neck.
"I was talking about to get dressed..." he said, gently biting her skin in punishment for her teasing. Leila smiled, her own hand moving to grip and then run a hand over the fabric of his shorts.
G.K. growled, pushing Leila onto her back. Her smile quickly faded into a pleasure filled moan ad G.K. rid himself of his gym shorts before quickly donning a condom and sliding into her to the hilt.
"If you insist..." Leila whispered, as G.K. moved deep inside of her.
***
G.K. rushed through the hotel lobby, still pulling his sweater over his head.
He and Leila had ended up making love another time, when he had insisted she take a shower with him. He smiled widely, remembering her questing fingers as she had slid them over his flesh as she washed him. He had killed 2 birds with one stone, checking 2 things off his list of things he wanted to try with her, making love in the shower and standing up.
He bit his lip, thinking of how sexy Leila had looked naked, dripping wet in the shower. He felt his body beginning to respond, as his memory relived the moments in graphic detail.
His mind screamed at him to quell his thoughts, as he entered the restaurant.
Taking a deep breath, he tugged at an invisible wrinkle in his gray sweater as he waited for the maître'd to escort him to where his parents sat.
His mother saw him first and happiness shone on her face as she rose to greet him.
His mother had changed from her previous light colored slacks and white satin blouse, into a becoming floral knee length dress. His father had also changed, into a dark suit complete with tie. Feeling slightly under dressed in his grey sweater and jeans, G.K. ran a hand down his front, as he approached the table.
He hugged his mother, and gave his father an awkward hand shake, before taking his place at the table across from them.
"My son you look wonderful! You even look like you have been eating properly," she said, inspecting him the way mothers all over the world have done since forever. "But denim, Gi Kwang?"
"They're nice jeans,
umma,
" he teased, doing everything in his power to avoid his father's probing eyes. "And very expensive."
She released a small laugh as his father loudly cleared his throat.
You can wait old man,
G.K. thought rebelliously but turned his attention to the stern figure in a perfectly tailored dark suit that was obviously handmade.
"Hello father."
"Gi Kwang." His name dripped with disapproval.
In an instant, G.K. knew this was going to be the dinner from hell.
Once their orders had been taken, a silence fell over the table. His mother was the first to speak.
"Are you working hard, Gi Kwang? How do you like America?"
"Yes. The choreographer the company hired works us to death," he grinned jokingly. His mother chuckled. "And America is great. You'd be amazed how many fans the group has here."
"So how are things working out with Jin Yung?"
G.K. looked at his father warily. "Everything is just fine father."
You were hoping for things to be a mess, weren't you,
G.K. thought to himself wryly. I
bet it makes you angry that T4L has thrived without you.
His thoughts were halted by Minsoo speaking up, "Will you be back home soon?"
G.K. nodded. "We've got a couple of shows here and one in London, but we'll be back in a few weeks to record our next album."
The woman's eyes lit up with joy. "That's wonderful. Now we shall be able to see more of you. You haven't been very good at keeping in touch with us,” she scolded him gently.
G.K. looked at her, confused by her words.
Bad at keeping in touch?
I thought that was the whole point of being disowned
, he thought sarcastically, raising an eyebrow at his father who sat stone-faced.
"Enough of that Minsoo," he dismissed her. "How have your American promotions been going?"
G.K’s eyes narrowed at the interruption but he didn’t comment. "Things have been going fine. As I said before, we've got a large fan base here. Jin Yung has been thinking of having us do an album in English."
"Oh that would be so lo..." his mother began, but once more his father interrupted. “So that means the group would be returning to America?"
G.K. held himself in check, tired of the man treating his wife like a child. His answer was terse. "Yes. We would have to."
"Well as long as you actually call once in a while," his mother chided with a smile. "You and Kai move to Seoul and we never hear from you."
G.K. was missing something here. His mother
expected
him to call? Then it all made perfect and ugly sense.
His father had never told his mother what had happened.
G.K.'s eyes slowly rested on his father who was sipping on a glass of wine confidently as if nothing was wrong. So if his mother hadn't known about him being disowned, what else had the man kept from her?
He had to find out.
"
Umma,
why did you come all the way to America to see me?"
His mother looked at him strangely. "Is it so wrong for a mother to want to see her child?"
"Of course not
umma,
" G.K. answered gently. "I am happy to see you."
"And your father said it would be in our best interest to co..."
"That is quite enough Minsoo," his father's tone was harsh. "We do not owe him any explanations. He is our son after all. He should be very happy to see us."
G.K. was tired of his father treating his mother so disrespectfully. He had never noticed how much he did it before, or the accepting, docile way his mother obeyed. He knew part of it was cultural, but it suddenly agitated him immensely.