Chapter Text
“Will you please stop looking at him like that?” Sam hissed.
Felicity barely spared a glance at her best friend, keeping her eyes on her coveted prize across the backyard. She watched him speak to Sam’s dad and her own father, talking about whatever men talked about. “Like what?”
“Like you want to eat him.” Sam shivered dramatically. “It’s creeping me out.”
Felicity smirked, lowering her sunglasses so she could ogle more. “But I do. I want to eat him alive. Or maybe I’ll let him eat me.”
“You’re disgusting.”
“I’m in love.”
“With my middle-aged neighbor.”
Christopher, Sam’s neighbor, was nowhere near middle aged. If Felicity and Samantha were twenty-five, and Chris was thirty-five, he was at the perfect age to become Felicity’s husband.
She scoffed. “He’s not middle-aged, Samantha Hyunjin Hwang. He is ten years older and you’re being very rude about my future husband and the father of my unborn children.”
Sam rolled her eyes. “Just try to keep it PG, okay? This is a neighborhood party, and there are kids present.”
Felicity flashed an innocent smile, turning her head back towards the man who had become her sole focus.
He’d moved in during the winter, so whenever Felicity came over, she hadn’t even been aware of his existence. She knew someone had moved in next door to the Hwang’s, she just didn’t know who.
The second that spring arrived, though, so did the man of her dreams.
She’d been on the balcony of Sam’s room, sitting with her as they split an edible and painted their nails when they’d heard a sliding door open. Felicity looked up, gasped softly, and nearly came in her panties when she saw the absolute demi-god walk into his backyard, letting out the cutest little King Charles Cavalier Spaniel she’d ever seen in her life and watching the cute little fur baby dart around the grass.
“That’s Chris,” Sam had told Felicity quietly back then. “He moved in back in June.”
June.
Felicity anguished.
It was almost November, at that point. He’d been so close for five entire months, and Felicity had only laid eyes on him for the first time that day? It felt criminal. It felt illegal.
It felt like she’d die if she didn’t get on her knees for him.
But it was summer now, and summer was the season that Felicity thrived.
She’d get on her knees for him soon, she knew it in her soul. If it didn’t happen naturally, Felicity was prepared to take fate into her own hands.
Felicity turned to Sam in the moment; lips wrapped around the straw of her drink. “You said he’s not married?”
Sam shook her head, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “My mum said he’s a bachelor. She said she was going to try to set him up with my cousin, but I don’t think she ever actually brought it up to him.”
“Good,” Felicity sniffed, pushing her sunglasses back up her nose. “Tell her not to. He’s mine.”
+
Felicity’s back at Sam’s house a few days later, using the excuse of her normal baked goods delivery to be able to even have the slightest glance at Chris. At the start of every week, like clockwork, Felicity brings by fresh baked bread loaves for Sam’s mother, croissants for Sam’s father to bring to work, and her signature brownies for Sam. She’d been doing it since she started at the bakery after finishing school.
This time though, she brings by blueberry protein muffins for Chris. A simple half dozen, not too sweet. Felicity had overheard him tell her parents at the neighborhood party that he didn’t have a big sweet tooth, that he liked simple baked goods. She had also heard him talking to Changbin, Sam’s boyfriend, about his gym routine. He was big on increasing his protein intake, and she was the one who had perfected the protein muffin recipes their bakery served, so she’d whipped up extra that morning during her opening shift just for him.
“Where are your parents?” Felicity asked as she headed toward the kitchen.
“Mum’s shopping, dad’s still at work,” Sam said. “I only just got home from Changbin’s myself.”
“Good timing, then.”
Sam eyed the baked goods once Felicity placed them on her kitchen counter, leveling her with a look when she spotted the muffins, packaged and wrapped with a little baby blue ribbon.
“You’re shameless.”
“I’m thoughtful,” Felicity corrected. “He told Changbin he was increasing his protein intake. I’m only trying to be a good wife.”
“You’re not even dating.” Sam shook her head as she took a bite of a brownie.
“Yet,” Felicity chirped. She peered out of Sam’s kitchen window, which had the perfect view of Chris’s driveway and of the windows into his house. His car was there, as it had been when she arrived, but she had to be sure before she headed over.
She adjusted her skirt, pulling it to sit a little higher on her waist so the bottoms of her ass cheeks would hopefully poke out. Felicity looked down at her black crop top, frowning when she noticed spots of flour and cocoa powder. She looked at Sam, then, and pointed.
“Give me your tank top.”
Sam laughed a little in disbelief. “What?”
“Your tank top! Let me wear it while I go over there. My shirt’s dirty and I can’t let him see me like this.”
Sam rolled her eyes, but complied, putting her brownie down and dusting her hands before she peeled the tank top off. Felicity peeled off her own shirt, and they traded, but not before Felicity unclasped her bra, setting it down on the marble countertop.
Her best friend made a disgruntled noise. “People eat here, you know.”
“Well, I need him to eat me,” Felicity said, adjusting the tank top and checking that her nipple piercings could be seen through the fabric.
“Wait,” Sam said, “Come here. Let me put your hair up. It’ll be more pronounced that way.”
Felicity smiled, turning around and nearly bouncing on her heels. “Do you need a scrunchie? Or a claw clip?”
“Clip, probably,” Sam said as she gathered Felicity’s hair in her fingers. “Or maybe that French hair pin, if you have it.”
“Hmmm, check my bag,” Felicity said, dragging her purse on the counter and pushing it behind her towards Sam.
Sam fumbled around in it for a moment, eventually extracting the hair pin. She gathered Felicity’s long blonde hair between her hands once more, running her fingers through it and twisting it before eventually securing it with the hair pin. Sam rounded to her front, pulling out her face framing pieces before smiling.
“There, perfect. Go take a look in the mirror.”
Felicity squealed with excitement, scurrying the few feet till she stood in front of the mirror in the hallway. She looked all parts chic, innocent, and hot. With her hair up, the delicate lines of her shoulders and collarbone were exposed, and the white tank top was the perfect choice. Her freckles and suntan were more pronounced, bikini tan lines more obvious. The tank top was just shy of see through, her dusty pink nipples threatening to peek out in the right lighting. The hem of her skirt was high on her thighs, hopefully high enough for Chris to feel the need to push it higher, to see what she wore underneath.
A plain black lace thong sat underneath. She knew it’d probably be a mess by the time he opened the door, but so what? If anything, he’d see how much she needed him.
“Well?” Sam asked as she sauntered over, “What’s the verdict?”
Felicity smiled in the mirror. “It’s perfect, thank you babe. I’m gonna head over there now.”
Sam shook her head with a fond smile. Felicity picked up the box of muffins and sauntered out the door, resisting the urge to skip like the giddiness in her heart was telling her to. She rang the doorbell and waited patiently, the smile on her face nearly impossible to hide or dismiss.
Chris Bahng in all his Adonis-like glory opened the door only seconds later, and Felicity barely had time to breathe before she was overwhelmed.
The first thing she noticed was how nice his home smelt. Like sandalwood and coconut, something earthy beneath it all. It was well lit, from what she could make out behind him. Black accents, natural wood, white walls. It was a similar layout to Sam’s house, just flipped, it seemed, an open view to his living room on the left and hallway towards the backyard behind him, kitchen off to the left as well.
Felicity spotted a nice, large dining table she hoped he’d bend her over sometime soon.
Preferably today.
The second thing she noticed was Chris himself. He was dressed in a black muscle tee, the sides open enough to see the muscles of his torso ripple just the slightest as he moved, and grey sweatpants slung low on his hips. She could see just the slightest patch of skin there, could see the cut of his muscle that led below the waistline, thinking it’d be the perfect place to bite him, to suck a bruise into the skin.
Oh yeah. If he bent her over today, she’d die happy.
“Felicity,” Chris breathed, surprise written all over his face. “Did you need something?”
She loved the way her name sounds on his lips. She wondered if he would be the kind of person who often calls their partner’s name in bed.
“Hi,” she said sweetly, pasting on the most innocent smile she could manage as she gently held the box out. “I just wanted to drop these off for you. I usually bring baked goods to Sam’s family at the start of every week, and I thought I’d bring some by for you, as well.”
“Aw, you didn’t have to do that for me,” Chris smiled. “Here, come in, it’s pretty hot outside.”
Felicity’s heart soared. Still, too polite for her own good, she asked, “Oh, are you sure?”
“Of course,” he said, stepping to the side and waving his arm as if to say, ‘come on.’
Felicity took her first step across the threshold, all the nervous tension immediately leaving her body when she felt the cool breeze of his air conditioning, the sandalwood and coconut invading her senses.
She walked to his kitchen, setting the box on the counter and turning to him.
“What are they?” Chris asked as he approached, rounding the counter to take a look.
“They’re blueberry protein muffins.” She explained as he undid the ribbon. “Changbin mentioned you were big on going to the gym, so I figured these might help?”
Chris’s eyes landed back on Felicity’s face, fond consideration creeping at the edges of his eyes when his smile widened. “I appreciate it, that’s really thoughtful of you, seriously. These smell really great.”
“You’ll have to tell me if you like them,” Felicity beamed. “I’d be happy to make you more. I have a few kinds that I make at the bakery, and —”
“Wait, you. You make them yourself?” He sounded amazed, like he’s truly tickled pink at the thought.
Felicity smiled shyly, openly blushing. “Yeah, I’m one of the head bakers.”
Chris looked impressed. “I didn’t know that. Your parents just said you worked at a bakery. What’s it called — ‘Blue…something?’”
“Bluejay’s,” Felicity helpfully supplied, leaning against the counter. “It’s over in Waterloo. I started there once I finished culinary school.”
“Bluejay’s,” Chris said softly. “Good to know. Head baker, huh? And culinary school? That’s incredible.”
She shrugged, bashful when she said, “It’s nothing, really.”
“It’s more than I’m capable of for sure,” Chris’ smiled turned a little goofy. “I mean, I can manage cooking. But baking? I’m totally lost.”
“It’s easy,” Felicity smirked a little. “I’d be happy to show you the ropes one day.”
Felicity’s heart shrunk when Chris’ smile dropped the slightest bit, the happy light in his eyes flickering before they were snuffed out — like he forced himself to snuff them out.
“They’re also, um,” Felicity stammered, her confidence wavering. “They’re really great if you toast them in the morning.”
“Thanks,” Chris said as he held up the box. “I appreciate it, Felicity, really. It was nice of you to think of me.”
I only ever think about you.
“Sure,” she plastered her best smile back on her face. “If you like them, or want more, just give me a shout or swing by Bluejay’s. It’ll be on the house.”
Chris’ gave her a soft little grin when he said, “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Felicity took a small step back, only half-pretending to be sheepish this time, her confidence nearly shot, dismissing herself with a tiny wave.
She knew just what to do to bring her confidence back, even if it was just a little.
“I’m sorry,” she said, “I should probably get out of your hair before your wife gets home.”
Chris laughed, like Felicity had said something genuinely funny. “I don’t have one.”
Oh, I know. She thought. Best to hear it from you though, isn’t it?
Felicity let her mouth fall into a pout as she wavered a little on her feet, brows furrowed in slight confusion when she said, “You don’t? But I thought —”
She cut herself off purposefully, looking embarrassed. Chris’s smile faded slightly.
Gotcha.
“Thought what?” He asked, all earnest and transparent.
“Nothing. It’s nothing, I —” She laughed. “You’re just so…handsome. So I figured you had to be married.”
Chris flushed that beautiful shade of red she was quickly becoming obsessed with, the light returning to his eyes. “That’s. Uh. That’s very nice of you to say, Felicity, but I’m not.”
“Oh,” she said, pretending to be embarrassed. “I’m sorry for assuming, I didn’t mean to —”
“No no, it’s okay,” Chris rushed to say. “You’re fine. It was an honest mistake. It’s okay, really.”
Felicity nodded, smiling at him, waiting to see if he would return the sentiment.
Only, the brief light that had returned was snuffed out once more as he nodded, cast his eyes to the muffins.
“Well, um, —”
“I should get back to Sam’s.” Felicity said for him. She didn’t like the idea of him inviting her in and then dismissing her in the same day. “Bye Chris, I hope you like them.”
Felicity turned on her heel, not really wanting to know if he said it back, or if he even waved at her, her heart pounding in her ears with every step. The way his expression had changed unnerved her enough that she felt the smallest amount of embarrassment begin to creep into her veins, and she hated it.
The second she was through the front door of Sam’s house and had it shut behind her, she grabbed the closest coat on the hook and screamed into it until her throat hurt.
She let out a frustrated sigh afterward, throwing the coat back onto the hook. Hyunjin was sitting on the couch, a brow raised in question.
“So…I take it that it didn’t go well?” Sam bit into the brownie slice in her hand.
“It was going fine,” Felicity huffed, flopping to the floor. “Until I offered to teach him how to bake, and he shut down.”
Sam frowned. “He shut down because you…offered to teach him to bake?”
“It was an innuendo. An unintentional one, but he obviously saw it for what it was.”
“Ah,” Sam exhaled through her nose. “Well, at least you got to talk to him, and give him his muffins.”
“I just need one chance.” Felicity whined into the carpet. “Just one golden opportunity and we’ll be married and I’ll be barefoot and pregnant within a year.”
Sam rolled her eyes. “Sure, babe. Whatever you say.”
+
All those hours praying on her knees in church have finally paid off, because Felicity got her golden opportunity two weeks later.
She’s on break from her morning shift at the bakery when Sam called her, and Felicity managed to answer after taking a desperate sip of her coffee.
“Are you available to housesit for us?” Sam cut right to the chase.
Felicity felt excitement rush through her in an instant, but her priorities as a best friend pushed through first. “Of course I am. Why? What’s going on?”
“Mum got a call from my aunt back in the states.” Sam exhaled. “Family emergency stuff. I’m iffy on the details, but we’re leaving tomorrow and we obviously can’t take Kkami with us.”
“You’re all going?” Felicity checked.
“Yeah, me, mum, and dad. Can you do it? I know it’s super last minute, but I was hoping since we’re closer to the bakery, then —”
“Sam,” Felicity said softly. “Of course I can. It’s fine, honestly. How long do you need me there for?”
“I don’t know,” Sam sighed, and Felicity could picture her best friend running her hand through her hair. “Mum didn’t buy our return flight yet. So maybe a month, at most? I can let you know for sure when we get there.”
“Don’t stress,” Felicity soothed. “I’m happy to housesit, you know this.”
Sam breathed a sigh of relief down the line. “Thank you, Lix. Seriously. You can even borrow all of my bathroom stuff, all of my skin care, and all of my clothes while you’re there.”
Felicity giggled. “Even your toys?”
Sam grumbled. “Don’t you dare.”
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding.” Felicity chided. “I’m off of my bakery shift around one. I can come over and help you pack?”
“You’re a goddess, Felicity Lee. I love you.”
“I know you do,” Felicity preened. “I’ll see you then, okay? I’ll bring one of each of all our pastries from today, too.”
Sam squealed in delight. “Perfect! See you then!”
+
Felicity was elbow deep in Sam’s laundry when the doorbell to her house rang.
“Felicity!” Sam’s mum called out from her bedroom. “Could you see who that is please?”
“Yes, Imo!”
Felicity dropped the bundle of Sam’s clothes she was holding into the drum of the washing machine before heading downstairs to the front door.
She is so, so glad Sam’s mum told her to answer.
Chris stood there, in shiny black oxfords, black dress pants, and a black polo shirt, clutching his phone in his hand. He clearly just got back from work, if the way his car is a little crooked in his driveway is any indication.
This is the first time since she gave him those damned muffins that she’d been able to see him up close. He’s the same as always — so handsome her cunt weeps — but like this, with him standing in the sunlight, she could see the details of him much better. His soft eyes, his perfect nose that she couldn’t wait to rub up against, plush, soft looking mauve lips, strong cheekbones, defined jaw, curly hair with barely any dusting of gray. He is every bit of what she wants, because he is who she wants, and it took every bit of her restraint to not fall to his feet, take his cock out of his pants and suck his soul out through his dick right there on Sam’s front steps.
He blinked in surprise when he spotted Felicity, who smiled politely and innocently. “Oh. Uh. Hi. Felicity. Minseo texted me. He said he needed to speak to me about something urgent?”
Felicity turned her head, calling out, “Minseo samchon! Chris is here to see you!” to Sam’s father.
“Thanks,” Chris said, his tone a little surprised. “Do you know what’s going on?”
She turned back to Chris with a sweet smile. “It’s a family emergency. They leave for the states tomorrow, so he probably wanted something in relation to that.”
Chris frowned. “Is everything okay?”
“I’m not sure,” Felicity said honestly. She inhaled deeply before sighing, could see the way Chris kept his eyes on her face and not on the way her chest heaved. Internally, she frowned.
She doesn’t have the biggest tits, but she’d put on her best push up bra and her tightest crop top, and not even a glance?
Sam’s dad arrived a second later, thanking Chris for getting there so quickly and inviting him inside. Felicity stepped away, like she was heading back toward the laundry room, but lingered at the entrance to the hall just out of sight.
“There’s a family emergency,” Minseo explained. “So we’re leaving tomorrow, but Felicity will be house sitting for us while we’re away.”
“Oh,” Chris said. “Okay, that’s good to know.”
“Felicity has housesat for us before, but it’s been a little while since the last time. She works at a bakery in Waterloo, and has her own place nearby. Her parents still live two streets down, so she might not always be here during the day or overnight, depending on how she decides to do things, but in the event she isn’t here, would you be able to watch the house in her absence? You won’t need to do much, as we know she’ll take care of most things and bring Kkami her with her if she’s able, but just keeping an eye out will be appreciated.”
“Of course I can do that,” Chris sounded happy to be asked. “You know I don’t mind. It’s the least I could do for the both of you.”
Minseo chuckled. “Here. This is Felicity’s number, and the number for the bakery she works at. If anything should happen, reach out to her first.”
Felicity felt like she could cry. She was already thinking of ways to thank Sam’s dad in her future wedding speech for doing this for her, even if he didn’t realize what’s going on.
“Could you also…if it’s not too much,” Minseo started, a little hesitant, “Could you look out for her? Felicity, I mean. She’s like a daughter to us too. She’s grown up with Sam, and we’d just appreciate if you had her back.”
Felicity frowned. She takes it back. She won’t be thanking him after all.
She’s twenty-five for fucks sake. She doesn’t need a babysitter. Especially not if it’s Chris, who she’s trying to fuck, marry, and have babies with.
“I’d be happy to,” Chris said earnestly. “It won’t be a problem. She’ll be safe with me.”
Felicity smirked, finally sauntering back toward the laundry room.
Yes, she would be fine with Chris. And she would make sure of it.
+
Her strategy was simple.
She planned to stay at Sam’s the entire time, go to and from work as normal, take care of Kkami as promised, and play girl-next-door as best as she could.
Which meant playing it just a tad bit dirty.
She kept the curtains open, to start, giving him a clear view of her through the windows.
Sam’s street was the last in their neighborhood, tall walls separating their backyards from the rest of the town, and Sam and Chris’ homes were at the end of their street, which assured her the privacy to do what she needed to. Felicity knew that Sam’s bedroom window looked out into Chris’ backyard, and she knew the windows in the kitchen and living room were directly opposite his own. It was easy for her to use that knowledge to her advantage.
The first day, when she got back from her morning shift, she showered and changed and walked around in a matching set — bralette, thong, soft sleep shorts just small enough that her ass cheeks poked out of the bottom — leaving the windows wide open so that when Chris eventually emerged from wherever his office was in his home, he’d be able to see her.
He did, a few times. Felicity pretended not to notice, acted as though nothing was amiss, like he wasn’t there and she wasn’t hoping for his eyes to swallow down the sight of her. When it was time to take Kkami on his afternoon walk, she changed right in front of the window of Sam’s bedroom, could see Chris standing in his backyard but averted her eyes, not wanting to know just yet if he was watching.
But if he was…
She went without underwear beneath her bike shorts, slipped out of her bralette and into her sports bra, tying her hair up into a ponytail before she headed back downstairs and slipped into her socks and running sneakers.
Kkami liked running on his afternoon walks, which suited Felicity just fine. She let Kkami lead them through the loop of the neighborhood, swinging by her parent’s house a few streets up. She stopped in for a quick chat with her mother, assured her things were fine at Sam’s house, and promised to be by for dinner later before she took off once more.
When she made it back to Sam’s house, Chris’ car was gone, which made her frown, and she didn’t see it again until she and Kkami were walking back to Sam’s later that night, after dinner at her parent’s.
The lights in his house were on, as well as the lights in the backyard, so Felicity headed straight up to Sam’s room. Chris was in his backyard playing with his dog, smiling and laughing as he watched Berry run around.
She didn’t think she’d be able to compete with Berry’s cuteness, but she still stripped in front of the windows, just in case, before heading to take a shower.
When she came back into Sam’s room after her shower and saw the lights in Chris’ backyard were still on, she did so stark naked, sitting on the window bench and applying lotion to her skin. She could see Chris still standing out there, could see him moving every now and again, but Felicity didn’t dare look at him, not once, not even when she eventually put on underwear and a tank top with nothing beneath it to sleep in.
She wanted to see just how long he’d let her get away with all of this, wanted to know if he even paid enough attention to her to begin with.
For the rest of that first week, Felicity let it go on like that. She paraded herself in front of windows only when she knew he was on the other side of them. She never looked up, never bothered to check if he was watching her or not, if he could see. She changed, dressed scantily sometimes, remained naked other times, doing her very best to visually advertise to Chris everything that — as far as Felicity was concerned — belonged to him anyway.
+
Felicity’s just finished with putting the lemon bars and brownies on their designated trays in the display case when the bell chimed, signaling the entrance of a customer. She righted herself with a smile to greet them, that smile only growing when she saw who had come in.
Chris looked around the bakery, shock and uncertainty on his features as he took everything in. He looked good in nothing more than a white shirt and light washed jeans, his curls appearing to be softer than usual. She ogled him openly until his gaze landed finally on Felicity, and she schooled her expression as best as she could. He smiled sheepishly, wiggling his fingers in a little wave as he approached the counter.
“Chris,” Felicity breathed, trying and failing to lessen the smile on her face. “What brings you by?”
“You said to swing by if I wanted more of those muffins you brought before,” Chris explained with a slight shrug. “Plus, my sweet tooth has been acting up lately, so here I am.”
Felicity paused. He didn’t have a sweet tooth. She knew that, remembered him mentioning it at the party at Sam’s, which is why she’d brought him the muffins. She wasn’t sure why Chris was lying, or if he’d been lying back then to begin with, but she was willing to give her future husband and father of her children the benefit of the doubt.
“You didn’t have to come all the way here for that,” she said easily, grabbing a box from under the counter and slipping on a pair of gloves. “I know Sam’s dad gave you my number. You could have just texted me or something, I would’ve brought them over myself.”
Chris smiled. “Yeah, well, I also wanted to check in on you, make sure you were doing okay with housesitting, and all.”
“You’re too sweet,” Felicity pasted on her best smile, the one that Sam said made her appear so very innocent, even though she was anything but. “It’s going fine. I hope I’m not being too loud or anything.”
Chris laughed, and there was something in his eyes that told Felicity everything she needed to know.
He had seen her. She hadn’t made a single noise, and they both knew that. Her abject silence would have been enough to draw his attention, considering the amount of noise usually coming from Sam’s house — Sam specifically, who often blasted music while she worked from home — which had been part of her plan from the beginning. It was important to set the scene well before stepping into the light, after all.
“You’ve been perfectly fine.” Chris said, and Felicity resisted the urge to shiver at the tone of his voice.
“Well that’s a relief to hear.” She smiled, gestured her chin toward the display case. “What can I get you? Anything you want, my treat.”
His brow furrowed. “What? No, Felicity, I couldn’t —”
“I insist,” she gave him her best pout. “Besides, Sam and her family never pay. It wouldn’t be fair to make you pay either, considering you’re my new regular. I mean it, genuinely. Anything you want, I’ll box it up for you.”
Chris’ eyes scanned all of the baked goods in the display case, his eyes twinkling at some, skipping over others. Eventually, he looked up at Felicity and smiled shyly. “Why don’t you get me one of each of your favorites? Or better yet — one of each of the ones you made today?”
Felicity nodded, reaching for the pastry tongs. “I can absolutely do that for you. Anything to drink? We’ve got a pretty extensive menu, but I can give you some recommendations there too, if you’d like.”
“How about your favorite?” Chris offered with a slight tilt of his head. “So long as it’s not coffee.”
“It’s not,” Felicity laughed. “We have a really nice passionfruit iced tea, if you’re looking for something to help satisfy your sweet tooth. If that doesn’t sound like something you’d like, I’m sure I can offer up something else just as sweet, if not sweeter.”
There was no mistaking the offer, no question in her tone, or in the expression she wore on her face, an open invitation. She had been content to play the long game, to play chase, but the more she was in his orbit, the more she didn’t know how much more patient she could be. She could only be so obvious before Chris would have to know. She waited, watching his face for a response.
Felicity watched in amazement at the way Chris seemed shocked by her words, the tips of his ears going red before that flush spread to his cheeks, his neck, and he smiled, bashful and shy.
Oh. She thought. Well, that’s wonderful information.
“Let’s start with the tea,” he said eventually. Felicity nearly gasped when his gaze finally met hers head on, and it was like a switch flipped. Gone was the bashfulness, the shy smile. Instead, a slight smirk graced the corner of his mouth, those plush lips looking all the more inviting as he said, “If it’s not sweet enough, I’ll take you up on that offer.”
The way arousal leaked from her cunt and soaked her underwear nearly made her dizzy.
“Any allergies?” She asked, casting her eyes down to the display case.
“None,” she could hear the smile in Chris’ voice. “Do your worst.”
Felicity turned her head and opened the display case, hiding her cheshire smile from him and took out one of everything she’d made that morning — a lemon bar, a corner piece of a brownie, a chocolate croissant, an almond croissant, a cinnamon roll, a sticky bun, a cherry tart, and a chocolate filled donut — boxing them up neatly before heading to the kitchen and grabbing a half dozen of the blueberry protein muffins. They were still warm, so she placed them in a bag instead of the usual box.
When she made it back to the front, Chris was still standing there, hands in his pockets and smiling at Felicity. She could feel his eyes on her as she made his iced tea, making sure to get the measurements exactly right.
A memory surfaced as she was incorporating the homemade passionfruit syrup to the tea, one she would have thought was silly before, but seemed…possible…now.
Back when Sam was desperate to try anything to get Changbin to be her boyfriend, she and Felicity had researched love spells. At the time, she wasn’t quite sure about the validity of some of the spells they’d discovered. Some were simple, only requiring things like candles, love letters written in red pen, or a love note sunk inside of a honey jar. Others were a bit more on the ‘magical’ side, requiring things to be done during a certain moon phase, utilizing rose petals and saffron, or writing a note dabbed with rose oil and stuffing the note in your underwear drawer.
The others were a bit more…daring. There was one that mentioned drooling into food, or liquids for their desired target to ingest. Another that was titled ‘blood spell,’ which essentially just meant having sex on your period. There was one that even included the creation of an altar, utilizing that person’s clothes.
Sam went with the underwear drawer idea. Felicity’s not quite sure that it held much merit, given that Changbin was head over heels for her anyway, but maybe —
—Maybe there was some merit to some of it.
But…Felicity didn’t think she could be capable of spell work. Not right now, and not like this.
She placed a lid on Chris’ drink and turned, setting it down on the counter before placing his pastry box and bag of muffins in a larger bag, and slid that across the counter to him as well.
“All set,” she singsonged, placing her palms on the counter and leaning forward a bit. “You’ll have to let me know which one’s your favorite. And what you think of the tea.”
“Are you sure I can’t pay you for this?” Chris asked, reaching in his pocket for his wallet. “I really don’t mind. This is a lot of stuff.”
“Absolutely not,” she grinned at him. “Your trusted feedback is good enough for me.”
There was a small part of her that felt the compulsion to go back in time and let her drool drop into his drink after all when he took a sip of his tea right there in front of her, maintaining eye contact the entire time. She watched the way that the sip lid showed nothing but the bridge of his gorgeous nose and his dark eyes, watched his throat bob as he swallowed it down.
Her panties were soaked. She could feel it when she squeezed her thighs together, desperate to flock to Sam’s bedroom, sit in the window bench and touch herself in front of the glass while he watched from his back porch. Before she could begin to fantasize about the idea of him taking his cock out, stroking it as he watched her, the Chris in front of her brought the cup down and made a soft ‘ah’ noise. His eyes never left hers as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
Felicity felt her cunt squeeze. If it hadn’t been for the fact she touched herself in the shower that morning, she would’ve come right then and there.
“Well?” She practically choked out, her façade slipping just that small bit.
Chris smiled at her. “It’ll do, for now. Might need something sweeter a little later.”
She could feel heat creeping into her cheeks as she winked at him. “Well, you know where to find me then.”
+
When Felicity gets back from dinner at her parent’s house later that night, she brings Kkami into Sam’s backyard to let him run around and use the bathroom. Her mother had fed Kkami pieces of steak for dinner, and the last thing Felicity needed was to have Kkami deal with a stomach ache indoors.
It’s still light out, and warm out, so she leaves Kkami to his devices in the yard so she can change into a bathing suit. It’s one she brought from home — Sam’s tits are just a tad bigger than Felicity’s — a simple black thong bikini bottom and regular triangle bikini top. She snags a towel and heads back out, finds Kkami chasing after one of his outside balls around the grass.
The pool water is cool against her skin, and she takes her time swimming several laps around. Kkami, used to watching Sam in the pool, runs back and forth from end to end, following Felicity as she swims.
Eventually, Felicity gets tired, so she opts to grab for the lounge floaty, dragging it into the water and climbing on top. The summer air feels much cooler now, and the sun is just beginning to set. Kkami lays in the grass, content to roll around and enjoy being outdoors.
She shut her eyes, content to take a little cat nap. Kkami would inevitably bark when he’s ready to go inside, so she let the sounds of a calm summer evening lull her into a sense of relaxation. Her mind wandered as she laid there, thinking of the same thing that’s plagued her mind for months.
Chris.
Felicity was spoiled, had been since she was little, and anytime she wanted something, she would get it. This was the first time her desires manifested in the form of a person, a person who from the second she laid her eyes on them, she couldn’t imagine being without.
She couldn’t pinpoint what it was about Chris exactly that drew her attention. All she knows is that she took one look at him, and knew she needed him more than anything. As a lover, a husband, the father of her children. There had never been someone she’d been interested in before, and there certainly wouldn’t be from here on out.
Chris was who she wanted. The only one she wanted.
And today had been…confusing.
She’s not quite sure what to make of their interaction from earlier. Part of her is still mulling over the fact that she knew he didn’t have a sweet tooth, but came into Bluejay’s in search of something sweet anyway. He also flirted with her, which she hadn’t really expected, and though the prospect excited her, there was something about the way he’d been so shy, seemed so hesitant and then turned confident in a matter of seconds that made Felicity question just what the fuck was going on.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to sus him out. The first time she went to his doorstep, he seemed unsure, polite to a fault, but had drawn a clear line in the sand. In her time at Sam’s house thus far, he hadn’t made so much as a peep, hadn’t bothered to make his presence known, but seemed content all the same to let Felicity do whatever she wanted.
Him suddenly showing up a Bluejay’s was a pleasant surprise, but now she didn’t know what to do next. Was he genuinely shy? Did he do all of that just to…entertain her? Is it all just a front? Is he genuinely interested? Should she keep up her current strategy? Should she dial it up? Should she stop?
The last thing she wanted to do was stop, just the thought of it pained her, but she would, if Chris wasn’t interested. It would hurt her, break her heart into irreparable pieces, but she would. She’d take Kkami and bring him to stay with her parents, go back to her apartment and drop in to check on Sam’s house once a day until they returned.
The more she dwelled on it, the more she hyper focused on his reactions. The shade of red he turned, the smirk he gave her, the way his throat worked as he swallowed, the way he wiped his mouth.
Had he been…teasing her? Taunting her? Did he mean to provoke some sort of reaction from her? Her gut twisted as a sudden thought occurred — maybe it was neither of those things, maybe he was just mocking her, toying with her obvious affections.
Felicity found herself questioning why that didn’t bother her. Why, if anything, it made her heart ache with want even more.
Chris was different. He was a man who worked hard, who was clearly particular about his likes, his dislikes, his wants. Perhaps he was doing this on purpose? Maybe he was the one who was trying to sus Felicity out, trying to figure out if she fit for him in turn.
Felicity wondered what Chris saw when he looked at her. She wondered if he found her enticing, if the way she’d paraded her body around for him managed to finally click in his head. She wondered if he touched himself when he saw her, wondered if he thought of her the same way she dreamed of him.
Her hand began to wander south before she could think about it, fingers trailing down her body and over the fabric of her bikini bottoms, to where her clit throbbed when she thought of Chris, thought of him stroking his cock as he watched Felicity rub lotion into her skin through the window of Sam’s bedroom.
Slowly, she began to rub circles over the sensitive bud, a soft moan leaving her lips before she could help it. She could only think of Chris — his hands, his mouth, his smile, how red his skin got — and her craving for him worsened. Her fingers sped up, increasing her pace enough to have her shiver, to feel her arousal begin to leak out in earnest, soaking her bikini bottoms even further.
One chance. All Felicity needed was one chance. One chance to have Chris close, one time to let him use her body as he saw fit. He’d know, then, wouldn’t he? How wet she could be? How desperate? How her body had been made for him? How good she could be to keep around, to have babies with, to marry?
“Felicity.”
Her eyes flew open and she quickly drew her hand to her chest, sitting up carefully on the pool floatie and looking around the yard until her eyes landed on Kkami, curled up near one of the lounge chairs, and Chris, leaning against the railing of his elevated back porch, giving him the perfect view into Sam’s backyard, a single brow raised at her in question.
“Chris,” she breathed, embarrassed, shivering at the look in his eyes. “Hi.”
“Hi,” he said, his tone strange. He sounded…angry? Upset. Because she’d been touching herself?
“Chris,” she repeated. “Is something wrong?”
“It’s getting late,” he said, “You should head inside soon.”
Felicity smiled softly. “Oh, yeah. I will, thanks. I just wanted to give Kkami sometime outside.”
Chris’ eyes fell to Kkami’s form, where he peered at Chris curiously. Chris waved at him a little, “Hey bud. You ready to go inside with Felicity?”
Kkami perked up then, barking a hefty, little ‘yip!’ and bolted to his feet. He began running around, barking here and there, and Felicity could hear Berry barking in answer from inside Chris’ house.
Chris watched Kkami for a few moments before his gaze eventually returned to Felicity, gesturing towards the house with his chin. “Get inside.”
There was no mistaking his tone, then. It was a command, and Felicity found herself obeying almost immediately. She climbed off of the floatie as gracefully as possible and back into the pool water, walking herself over to the stairs and getting out. Kkami barked at her in greeting as she grabbed for her towel, wrapping it around herself.
She turned to see if Chris was still watching, and he was. Even through the distance, she could see how his gaze zeroed in on her, how he tracked her every move.
“Good night.” He said to her, ever so politely, and she tipped her chin down.
“Good night, Chris.”
She headed inside and shut the sliding doors behind her as Kkami bolted inside, heading for his food bowl and chowing down. Felicity opted to walk at a leisurely pace through the first floor. The windows were wide open still, lights on, and she had a feeling that this time, Chris was watching her.
She headed to the laundry room that was regrettably out of his eyesight, stripping her bikini off and tossing that and her towel into the drum of the washing machine. She headed back up the stairs, naked, well within his eyesight this time, heading up to Sam’s room where she stood in front of the windows for just a moment, long enough to pick out a pair of underwear from her pile of clothes, and a tank top, before turning to the shower.
She caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye. Chris still in his backyard, his body turned toward Sam’s house, head tipped up to her window.
Felicity smiled.
+
When Felicity left for her morning shift the next day, she was surprised to see Chris returning from an early morning run.
She’d been about to get into her car when she spotted him — shirtless, sweaty, chest red from exertion and heat, in nothing more than black shorts and running shoes — and pretended as though she didn’t, ducking her head as if she was climbing in.
Just as she was about to shut her door, Chris called her name.
She pretended to look around, smiling in faux surprise when she let her eyes land on him, climbing back out.
“Good morning, Chris,” she said sweetly. “You’re up early.”
“I could say the same to you,” he panted as he came to a stop in the little grass patch between his driveway and Sam’s. “Where are you headed?”
“Work,” Felicity gestured to the early morning sky. “Have to go in and start on prep for the day.”
Chris nodded. “I see.”
“Kkami’s been fed,” she said, looking back to the house. “My mum’s going to swing by a little later to pick him up and take him out, as a heads up.”
“Thanks for telling me,” he said. He tilted his head then, considering her. “Is there anything I can do to help, one of these days? I don’t mind taking Kkami, you know. He and Berry get along well enough.”
Felicity smiled. “Maybe. I’ll let you know.”
Chris smiled back. “Sounds good. I might swing by later today for lunch, if you’re still working.”
“I’ll be in till one today.”
“Then I’ll be by around one.”
Felicity waved her fingers at him. “It’s a date.”
She climbed into her car quickly then, not looking at Chris once as she left, too afraid to see what his reaction would be this time.
There was…something starting here, between them. She wasn’t quite sure what it was, but Felicity had a feeling that eventually, it would blossom into everything she wanted.
+
Chris showed up at Bluejay’s five minutes before one, like he promised. He was dressed in black slacks and a matching black button up shirt, the sleeves unbuttoned and rolled up to his elbows, the oxfords on his feet shiny and leather smooth. Felicity couldn’t decide if he stepped right off of the cover of a magazine, arrived from a business meeting, or walked right out of one of her favorite wet dreams.
She couldn’t help the smile that stretched across her face when he finally approached the counter after waiting patiently in line, his eyes on Felicity the entire time.
“Hi,” Chris said, almost shy.
“Hi Chris,” Felicity practically cooed. She reveled in the little expression of shock that took over his face when Jake, one of her co-workers, approached the counter with a fresh passionfruit iced tea, a hot honey chicken sandwich — it was her boss’ idea, a newer addition to the café’s lunch menu, made with focaccia bread Felicity had baked this morning, with their thinly sliced hot honey chicken breast and Caesar salad as the lettuce mix — and box with a mix of the pastries Felicity had made for the day.
“This is yours,” Felicity said with a sweet smile, pushing everything towards him on the counter, handing him his tea last. “On the house.”
“Felicity,” he chastised, even as he accepted them, “You have to at least let me pay for this.”
“Nope,” Felicity insisted with a shake of her head. “But you’re welcome to tip Jake, if you’d like. He did help me box this all up for you.”
Chris took fifty dollars out of his wallet. Felicity levelled him with a look, but he shook his hand, insisting, so she took the bills and turned, handing them to Jake.
The shit-eating grin Jake gave Chris nearly made Felicity roll her eyes. “Thanks man!” He said, then bounded through the kitchen door and toward the back, most likely going to show off to their other coworker, Niki.
“If you won’t let me pay you for this,” Chris began, directing Felicity’s attention back to him. “Then will you at least sit and eat this with me?”
Felicity resisted the urge to squeal with delight, but her shock overrode her confident façade when she all but rushed out, “Oh — me? Oh! Sure, let me just —”
She darted through the kitchen door, Chris’s soft laughter echoing in her ears as she ran to clock out and grab her bag.
“What’s got you in a rush?” Her boss, Rosie, asked as she approached.
Jake snorted. “Probably her sugar daddy boyfriend out there.”
Felicity narrowed her eyes as she all but flung her locker open, stuffing her apron inside and grabbing her purse. “I will take that money back from you, if you’re not careful.”
Ever a pain in her ass, Jake simply sticks his tongue out at her. He’s lucky Felicity loves him like the baby brother she never wanted.
“Well,” Rosie singsonged, grabbing a pair of tongs to pick up a red velvet cinnamon roll from one of their trays, placing it down on one of their plates and handing it to Felicity. “Better bring him one of these, too, then.”
Felicity does squeal, then, keeping it quiet as she carefully takes the plate and plants a kiss on Rosie’s cheek. “You’re the best!”
“Thank me when you’re married,” she teased, and Felicity smirked internally as she headed back out toward the front.
At least someone understood what her end goal was, here.
She finds Chris sitting at one of their four tops in the corner of the café, typing on his phone. He’d gotten water for the both of them from the free infused dispensers, along with cutlery, and had made himself comfortable, sitting low in his chair, muscular legs spread wide in a way that made Felicity want to crawl under the table, take his cock out of his pants, and blow him right there — open dining area, glass windows, and all.
In the seconds it takes for her to cross through the dining area and to his table, she takes him in. The way the muscles and veins move in his arm as he types, the set to his strong, chiseled jaw, the slope of his beautiful nose, his curly hair and the barely there smattering of gray among the tresses. His clothes fit him perfectly, pants stretched just right across his strong thighs, shirt stretched across his thick chest. Maybe she’d climb in his lap instead, and ride his thigh till she left a wet spot on his pants.
Regretfully, all she could do was take the seat across from him like a lady, resting her purse on the open seat beside her and putting the plate on the table.
Chris smiled at her arrival, locking and pocketing his phone. “All set?”
Felicity nodded. “All clocked out.”
“Good,” Chris gestured towards the new pastry with his chin. “What’s this?”
“Red velvet cinnamon roll,” Felicity explained. “A gift from my boss.”
Chris shook his head. “How do you make any money if you keep giving stuff away for free?”
“My smile gets me a lot of tips,” Felicity teased.
Chris blinked, surprised by her joke, but let out a little chuckle of his own. He nodded toward the boxed-up pastries beside the plate. “Which one of these should I dig into first?”
Felicity tilted her head in curiosity. “You don’t want to try the sandwich first?”
Chris paused, looking between the sandwich and Felicity. “Did you make the sandwich, too?”
“I made everything in front of you except the tea,” Felicity gestured her head back toward the kitchen. “Jake made it so I could finish making your sandwich before you got here so it would still be warm.”
It’s not subtle, the way Chris pushed the tea to the side and pulled his chair closer to the table. He picked up one half of the sandwich and held it out to Felicity. “Will you share with me?”
She smiled, scooted her own chair closer before reaching out and taking the sandwich half delicately. Chris picked up the other half and they toasted briefly, and Felicity said a silent prayer in her head before she took a bite, her eyes on Chris the entire time.
This would be the first time she ever actually saw him eat something she made, and she’s curious to see if he actually likes anything she makes, or if he’s just being polite. But not even a second after his first bite, Chris closed his eyes, only to reopen them again with a pleasant expression on his face, eyes on Felicity, staring at her in disbelief.
“This is insanely good,” he praised taking another bite almost immediately.
“I can’t take credit,” she said. “It was my boss’ idea, I just made what she told me to.”
“Well, you did great, it’s really good.”
Felicity can only hide her blush by taking a bite of her sandwich half, keeping her eyes trained on Chris. She’d been craving his praise since she first saw him, but having it, even in little bursts like this, still flustered her. He was handsome, confident, kind, and Felicity yearned to learn more about him.
When she swallowed her first bite, she asked, “What time do you have to be back at work?”
Chris shook his head, making sure he swallowed around his bite before answering. “I’m done for the day, actually.”
“Oh,” Felicity blinked, surprised. “That’s nice. Any plans for the rest of the day?”
“Just this so far,” Chris smiled. He put his sandwich down and grabbed a napkin to wipe his hands. After taking a sip of his tea, he gestured back towards the pastries. “Now, which one of these should we split first?”
“Chris,” Felicity laughed. “You don’t have to share these with me. They’re supposed to be for you.”
“Well if they’re mine, doesn’t mean that I get to decide what to do with it?”
Felicity’s mouth parted, a soft exhale leaving her lips. How unfair. He probably wasn’t even trying to be so fucking sexy about it, but Felicity couldn’t help herself, she’d been dreaming about this man for months and having him in front of her like this — sharing his food, sitting with her, looking like a fucking modern-day prince — was doing horrible things to her sanity.
“You do,” she finally said, voice breathy and slightly strained.
Chris smirked. “Exactly. So which one?”
Felicity nodded toward the red velvet cinnamon roll. “That one, it’s fresh out of the oven.”
Chris reached for the knife he’d grabbed, cutting the roll in half.
“It might be sweet,” Felicity warned him, ever conscious of the sweet tooth he insisted that he had, but she knew didn’t actually exist.
One of these days, she’d have to ask him what he actually did with all of the pastries she gave him. He couldn’t possibly be eating them all.
Chris shrugged with a goofy smile. “It’s okay, I like sweet.”
Liar, she thought. Why are you lying, Daddy?
Felicity let him take his half of the roll first, taking a sip of her water instead. She watched as he took a bite, and her cunt throbbed in her panties when Chris outright moaned.
Well fuck. Maybe Chris wasn’t lying.
“Felicity,” he said, almost dramatically. “This is crazy good.”
“I’m glad you like it. And call me Lix, please.” She smiled shyly. “All my friends do.”
“Are we friends?” Chris laughed, like he was embarrassed.
Felicity tilted her head just right, let her expression go soft when she said, “We can be.”
Chris paused. Felicity felt nerves creep into her veins, suddenly worried that his expression would change like it had when she first brought him muffins, worried that he’d pull himself out of this and put up a wall, reject her once more.
Instead, she was pleasantly surprised — and thoroughly overjoyed — when he said, “I’d like that, Lix.”
He held out his half of the roll he was holding, offering it to her, the side of it he’d bitten from facing her.
Her heart pounded.
It wasn’t a kiss, and she wouldn’t know a single thing about how his mouth tasted, but she took that bite anyway, content to know that they’d made so much wonderful progress.
+
“How are things?”
Sam sighed. In the background, Felicity could hear her family arguing over who would make dinner, insisting that Sam’s aunt rest and not overexert herself. “A mess. This — you know how my family can be. Stubborn. Annoying. Add in the fact that it’s fucking freezing over here, and it’s downright miserable.”
Felicity frowned, balancing the phone between her ear and her shoulder as she made Kkami’s late afternoon snack. “I’m sorry, Sam. Is your aunt alright?”
“She’s fine, probably just as annoyed as I am. Mum says she doesn’t want us to leave until she knows for sure she’ll be alright on her own again. It’s driving dad crazy.”
“So, still no idea on when you’ll be back?”
Sam snorted. “No. I’m sorry, you probably want to be in your own bed.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Felicity hummed. Maybe now was a good time to tell Sam about all the progress she’d been making with Chris? Like their little lunch date they had earlier in the day. “Staying here’s been nice. It’s really helping with the whole ‘get married and have Chris’ babies’ thing.”
Sam laughed. “Oh god, you’re still on that?”
“Sam,” Felicity chastised, her excitement dimming. “I told you. He’s going to be my husband and I’m going to have his babies by next year.”
“Lix,” Sam spoke like Felicity was a silly child. “I love you, you know that. Which is why I’m going to remind you that Chris is too old for you, honey, and —”
“It’s ten years, and I’m twenty-five so it’s not even that bad —”
“—And he’s probably not interested in being with someone so young.” Sam let out a semi-frustrated exhale. “I just don’t think this is a good idea.”
Felicity paused, putting Kkami’s treat bag down on the counter, hurt slicing through her gut. “You…you don’t think he’s interested in me?”
“I think that it’s clear that you like him a lot, but that’s not enough to lead to marriage and babies. I know you’re used to getting what you want, Lix, but I don’t think this is going to be one of those things.”
Felicity fell silent. She knew Sam wasn’t saying any of it to hurt her, but it cut deep all the same. She was used to Sam supporting her, and true, Felicity was used to getting what she wanted, but this was different.
Chris was different.
Felicity had never been very interested in people before, not to the extent that she had become interested in Chris. With Chris, she’d taken one look and practically fell in love. One single glance at him, and Felicity heard wedding bells and vows, the first cry of a baby, and endless ‘I love yous’ whispered between them on soft bedsheets. She thought Sam understood that, that she would know by mentioning that she wanted him as a husband, that Felicity was being a thousand percent serious and support her.
But she thought Felicity was being…greedy? Naïve?
Her silence clearly communicates her level of upset, because Sam sighs down the line once more.
“Lix,” Sam said, guilt seeping into her tone. “I didn’t mean —”
“Hyunjin-ah!”
Felicity barely winced at the loud volume of Sam’s mother’s voice. “You should go, Sam.”
“Lix,” Sam tried again. “I’m—”
“I’ve gotta go.” Felicity rushed to say. “I have to feed Kkami now. Talk to you soon.”
She felt bad for hanging up, but she didn’t like being upset with Sam. She always hated when they fought, and she tried not to do it often, or get upset with Sam when it was clear she was just trying to be a good friend.
But this felt…sore. Like a fresh bruise.
Felicity finished Kkami’s snack bowl and placed it down on his food mat. She took a glance out of the window towards Chris’ house, and found his car in the driveway. Movement in her peripheral tore her gaze over to his kitchen, which looked directly into Sam’s.
Chris was there, in a plain black shirt and grey shorts, putting together what looked like a protein shake.
I know you’re used to getting what you want, Lix, but I don’t think this is going to be one of those things.
As Sam’s words repeated in Felicity’s head, she found herself tearing her eyes away, heading upstairs to Sam’s room, where for the first time since she started house sitting, she shut Sam’s curtains.
An unsettling feeling began to blossom in her gut, and Felicity hoped it wasn’t a precursor to whatever would come next.
+
Felicity found herself in Sam’s backyard a few nights later, out of the pool this time, instead sitting on one of the lounge chairs by the poolside, watching Kkami run around and chase the soccer ball Sam always kept back here for him.
She hadn’t spoken to Sam since that last call. She had been avoiding her texts and her requests to FaceTime, not bothering to listen or watch any of her voicemails. Sam had even sent Changbin to the house to check on her, and Felicity promptly confirmed she was fine and turned him away at the door, not wanting to discuss their friendship disagreements with him, no matter how long he’d been Sam’s boyfriend.
They’d gotten into their fair share of disagreements over the course of their friendship, which was to be expected when you’d been friend with someone since you were three years old, so Felicity knew they’d get through it eventually, but it would still take some time for her to get over the hurt.
It hurt that Sam didn’t think Felicity was serious about Chris, or what she wanted with Chris. Yes, she’d been playing things a bit fast and dirty, but they were adults, and Felicity figured it’d be easier to get through the tension there first before settling down and getting serious. At first, Felicity thought Sam just didn’t like her strategy. She didn’t realize her best friend had been opposed to the whole thing entirely.
It had unsettled Felicity, and as a result, she’d tried to keep her distance from Chris, pull back a little and ease up. She closed curtains now, and if they were open, she made sure she was covered up, no more free shows and no more nights out at the pool, just poolside with Kkami.
Kkami, who snapped her out of her thoughts as he ran over to Felicity, his small tennis ball in his mouth this time, dropping it beside the chair.
Felicity smiled. “Okay, we can play fetch, but we should go in soon. It’s getting close to dinner.”
She picked the ball up and lobbed it across the yard, laughing softly as Kkami went racing after it. He circled the ball a couple of times before finally picking it up and returning it to Felicity, who tossed it again in another direction. They went on and on like that for a few minutes, Kkami content to chase his ball over and over again, until Felicity threw it too close to the fence.
Kkami darted after it, and Felicity stood immediately, rushing over and calling Kkami’s name so he’d stop before he crashed into the fence, when, to Felicity’s surprise, he darted under it.
And straight into Chris’ yard.
“Fuck,” Felicity cursed under her breath. She ran to the fence, bending down to find that there was in fact a hole under a part of it, most likely dug either by Kkami or by Chris’ dog, Berry, and Kkami was now in Chris’ backyard, chasing around one of Berry’s soccer balls instead.
Felicity tore back through Sam’s backyard and ran through the house, stuffing her feet into her house slippers and running out the front door, barely remembering to shut it behind her before she ran straight to Chris’. His car was in his driveway, which gave Felicity a shred of hope as she knocked frantically on his door.
Chris opened it only seconds later, dressed in a plain shirt and sweatpants, concern etched over his face when he took in Felicity’s frantic state. She only just now remembered what she looked like — a ratty old band tee and pinstripe boxer shorts — and internally cringed.
“Lix?” He asked. The nickname brought her happiness and pain all at once. “What’s going on, what’s wrong?”
“Kkami,” Felicity panted, “There’s a hole under the fence. Kkami’s in your yard.”
“Oh,” Chris blinked, and then he laughed. “Oh yeah, that hole’s been there a bit. Berry doesn’t usually use it, but Kkami comes over every now and again.”
Felicity blinked back. “He — he what?! Sam didn’t tell me that!”
Chris shook his head, stepping to the side and letting her in. He shut the door behind him, his arms crossed over his chest in amusement. “Probably because once Kkami gets on this side of the fence, for some reason, he can’t crawl back under it to their side.”
Felicity frowned. “Oh, well that would have been nice to know ahead of time.”
Chris just laughed again, shaking his head. Berry came running down the hall then, beelining straight for Felicity and circling her ankles. She smiled, bending down to say hello and scratch behind her ears.
“Aren’t you just a little sweetheart?” She cooed, laughing when Berry put her front paws on Felicity’s knees, raising up to sniff at her chin.
Chris watched them all the while with a soft smile on his face, waiting until Berry was back on the ground before her guided Felicity to the backyard. The second he opened the sliding door, Berry went dashing through it, and she and Kkami barked happily at one another before engaging in a game of chase.
Felicity shook her head in disbelief, crossing her arms over her chest.
When she did, she nearly froze, remembering only now she had no bra on beneath her shirt. On any other day, she could’ve cared less if Chris saw the outline of her tits or not, but tonight, for some reason, it made her feel overexposed.
“I’m sorry,” she said to him, keeping her arms where they were. “No one told me this was regular thing. I didn’t mean to panic, back there.”
“It’s alright,” he assured her gently. “Kkami’s fine over here. I don’t mind, really, and neither does Berry.”
Felicity shook her head. “Still, we shouldn’t impose. I’ll get him out of your hair.”
“Lix, it’s fine,” Chris smiled at her. “They get along well anyway. Besides, you’re welcome to hang out here, too, till he’s ready to go. Have you eaten dinner yet?”
Felicity shook her head. “No, I was waiting for him to get tired before I brought him inside for dinner.”
“Well you’re in luck then,” Chris smiled. He rested a hand on the top of her back, turning her toward the kitchen. “Dinner’s already ready over here.”
As he guided her to the stove, the smell surrounding them finally registered in her brain. It smelled absolutely divine, and Felicity smiled. “Oh? And what is dinner?”
“Steak, roasted vegetables, and rice pilaf. If you’re interested. I don’t have any desserts in the house except for a couple of the brownies you made me, and I already ate all the other ones you gave me, so —”
“Wait,” Felicity paused, turning to look at him. “You — you ate them all? Already?”
Chris smiled sheepishly. “Yeah?”
“By yourself? You didn’t share them?”
“I thought we already established that since they were mine I got to decide what to do with them.” He raised a brow at her playfully.
Felicity shook her head, laughing in disbelief. “We did, but —”
“Well, when things are mine, I don’t tend to share.” Chris said, making Felicity’s heart race, then turned to the oven, grabbing a couple of mitts and pulling two trays from it, resting them on top of his gas range stove. “But, since you gave me those pastries, it’s only right that I share my dinner with you. And Kkami, if he’s allowed to have a couple of pieces of steak.”
Felicity felt her cheeks heat as she nodded. “Sure, that sounds nice.”
Chris gestured toward his dining area, to the table Felicity saw the first time she came over, the one she wanted to be bent over and fucked on.
She still wanted that. But…
Sam’s words coasted through her head once more, and all she could do was nod at Chris, heading to the table and taking a seat. Chris was quick as he plated their dinner, cutting up extra pieces of steak for both Berry and Kkami and putting them in their own bowls, which he rested on Berry’s food mat for the two of them to eat when they came inside.
He brought both plates over, setting them down before heading back towards his fridge. “Anything to drink? I have wine, beer, water, pineapple juice…” His voice trailed off, turning his head toward Felicity.
Felicity shrugged, a small smile forming at the corner of her mouth. “Wine sounds nice.”
Chris nodded, taking out the bottle of red and a couple of glasses from his cabinet. He poured them both a glass, bringing them over as he finally took a seat. When he handed Felicity her glass, he held his out for a toast.
“To Kkami,” he said, “For his excellent digging skills.”
Felicity snorted, but clinked glasses with Chris all the same.
Her first dinner with Chris was…nice. Really nice. Practically beautiful.
They got to know one another, talking about anything and everything under the sun, barely even noticing once Kkami and Berry came back inside, too wrapped up in their conversation.
Felicity answered all of his questions about her talents in baking. She talked about the decision she made to go to culinary school, wanting to after always loving baking with her mother and her grandparents growing up. He asked her about her other interests, and she talked a little about her time being interested in martial arts, in video game design, fashion design, and even interior design, like her mother, before settling on becoming a baker.
She found out Chris was the head of a production company that had offices near the harbor. He worked from home, mostly, holed up in his home office upstairs, but would go into the office when he had meetings with clients or colleagues overseas. He’d always been interested in music and entertainment, and had decided to go to school for it early on, intent to make it a career. He lived in Seoul, with his family, for a time, and had always been work focused up until he moved in next door to Sam, when he said he’d been ready to just relax and enjoy what life had to offer.
They even talked about the little hobbies they shared, like going running, going to the beach, surfing, and even playing video games, when they both had the time.
Sam’s words echoed in Felicity’s mind the entire time, a painful reminder of the fact that there was still a possibility that Chris didn’t feel the same, but Felicity couldn’t help but push it aside the longer she sat at his dining table with him.
They were so compatible. Wholly alike and complementary to one another. And Chris — he was so attentive to her. Even before this dinner, there were times where Felicity swore he was flirting with her, or saying certain things to be suggestive. The night that he’d practically caught her masturbating, he didn’t seem like was mad at her for it, or upset because he’d caught her doing it, but there was an intense air around him all the same.
And then there was the fact that Felicity knew he had probably seen her naked in the windows several times since she started house sitting for Sam. It had been practically a month, since then, and he never once confronted her about it, or even mentioned it to her in passing.
Even tonight, as they joked and laughed, he’d rested his hand on her thigh — not her knee or her shoulder, a more polite place, but her thigh — and it seemed to creep higher and higher to the hem of her shorts each time.
There had to be something there, right? There was no way Felicity was floating through this on her own.
She needed to know. She needed to find out the truth, and she needed to do it tonight.
Once their plates were clear — steak, vegetable, rice pilaf, and Chris’ remaining brownies all gone — Felicity stood from her chair and grabbed her plate, reaching for his, only to have Chris swipe it out of her reach.
“Um, Lix,” he raised a brow playfully. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“The chef can’t wash their own dishes,” Felicity pointed out, reaching for it again, but Chris held it out of her reach.
“Says who? You probably wash your own dishes all the time at work.”
Felicity raised a playful brow right back at him. “I’m a baker.”
“You’re a chef,” Chris corrected with a smile, standing alongside her. “You earned that title. I’ll compromise with you. I’ll wash, you dry, sound good?”
Felicity rolled her eyes, but nodded. “Alright, that’s fair.”
Together, they stood at the sink, washing their dishes from dinner along with Berry’s and Kkami’s, both of whom were sound asleep on Berry’s doggie bed in the living room, giggling every time Chris tried to flick water or soap suds her way, or when Felicity playfully bumped his hip with hers.
When the dishes were done and dried, Chris turned to her with a smile.
“Thank you for your help, chef.”
Felicity laughed softly. “You’re very welcome. Thank you for dinner. It was sweet of you.”
“Well, consider it payment for all of my free pastries and tea.”
“I can’t believe you actually ate them all,” she said, shaking her head a little. “For some reason I thought you might have given some of them away, or threw them away.”
Chris frowned. “Why would I do that?”
“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “Why would you keep them?”
“Because you made them for me,” he said, like it’s obvious. “And I don’t share, remember?”
“Greedy,” she teased.
Chris said nothing. He just smiled at her, body leaning forward a bit as he laughed.
Felicity felt like her breath was stolen from her.
Carefully, gently, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. His lips tasted like wine and chocolate, and she craved more.
Chris made a small noise of surprise, his body stiffening with shock, and she pressed on, leaving another closed mouth kiss to his lips, letting her mouth linger and remain there until he was ready to kiss her back.
He did, kissing her once, and Felicity just knew.
Sam was right.
Chris…didn’t want her.
It was too soft, unsure, but more than anything, she could feel in the lines of his body, could feel in the way he responded that this wasn’t what he wanted.
She pulled back, keeping her eyes on his face and trying to will away the tears that threatened to form. She swallowed, took in the pain in his face, the regret.
“Lix,” She found she didn’t like the sound of her name from his mouth anymore, especially not like this, the devastation clear in his voice. “We can’t.”
She felt her heart crumble in her chest, felt her entire soul fall to her feet. All she could do was nod, the words she wanted to say stuck in her throat.
Before either of them could do anything about it, Felicity took a step back. She watched the way it deepened the frown on Chris’ face, the way his body leaned forward once more as if to stop her, to take it back, but it was too late.
Felicity turned on her heel, picked Kkami up from his spot on Berry’s bed, and she was gone.