Yuna sat next to her, ordering a cocktail and then her eyes glittered in excitement, turning to her best friend, expecting an interesting gist from her.
"By the way, how did it go with that dreamy handsome man at your door this morning?"
Hearing this, Isabelle's temple ached and her eyes went dark.
This brat... She was the reason she had to go through all that with Elias Yoon in her house.
She didn't even know the full story and had unknowingly left her best friend to a beast. Literally.
Her clenched fists trembled but she couldn't even hit her because that would knock her out for sure.
She let out a breath, giving it up, since a good thing actually came from her conversation with Elias Yoon.
Now, she just has to wait for Monday and see if he holds up to the end of his bargain.
"Come on, aren't you going to tell me?" Yuna nudged her face forward but Isabelle palmed it and then pushed her face away.
"You're not even drunk yet, but you're acting like you're high." She said. "Nothing happened between us. There isn't even a 'us' so forget about it."
"Oh yeah?" Yuna asked, her eyes telling that she did not believe a thing she said while snickering mischievously.
Isabelle could only sigh.
If Yuna was going to keep the conclusion in her head despite what she said, then why ask in the first place?
"Ah, I know what you're thinking." Yuna said, taking the cocktail that the bartender dropped and giving him a big smile with a mouthed 'thanks' before turning back to her with that smile still plastered on her face. "You're thinking why I bother asking, right?"
"Ah, and my best friend becomes a magician who can read minds. Woopie~" Isabelle said while rolling her eyes to the other side. She had a tone that was completely opposite from the expression she was trying to pass across, seeming unimpressed as she sipped from her glass.
This was her best friend they were talking about. So, of course, she knew the kind of tricks she had up her sleeve.
"Come on, stop being boring." She pushed Isabelle by the shoulder gently but Isabelle ignored her, her eyes slanted in disinterest. "You're no fun. Don't you know that lyrics about best friends? What was it again?" She thought for a bit and then snapped her fingers. "It went, 'you'll always laugh at my jokes, even though you've heard them all before'?"
"I get it. I get it. Should I laugh now?"
But Yuna pouted. She didn't like that her friend was uncooperative today.
It looked like there was something on her mind for her to be so distracted.
'It's definitely about that guy earlier.' Yuna thought and then snickered, her hand gently placed over her lips to hide her snicker, but didn't necessarily hide it. "Don't worry. I'll forgive you this time since it seems it's your first shot at romance that's getting to your head."
Isabelle flinched and then looked at her in disbelief.
When was she going to stop this nonsense?
Well, if she doesn't explain clearly who that man at her door was then she would never hear the end of it from Yuna.
"What?! That man was the boss who's been working you to your bones?"
Isabelle nodded, hoping she had finally succeeded in making her best friend drop the topic but... She had completely underestimated her best friend who used to be a helpless romantic in her early twenties.
"My, oh my," she snickered and Isabelle felt things were going in the wrong way.
She didn't like the look in Yuna's eyes. They were too mischievous, like a cat's.
"Yunaaaa, what are you thinking about?" Isabelle asked, her voice dipping at the end as she calmly and silently interrogated her best friend.
"Oh, it's nothing." Yuna shrugged but that was far from nothing. "I was just surprised. To think you had the guts in you. Tell me," she pressed towards, leaning her body into Isabelle's. "When did you have the chance to seduce that handsome hunk and bring him home?" Her eyes glinted, hungry for a spicy gist and Isabelle palmed her face.
She knew it.
"To think you would actually seduce him." She threw her hand around, proudly. "The evil capitalist isn't so evil after all since he was able to easily fall for your charms."
"Why do you say so?"
"Because I already went to a shaman and cast away every evil. Be it man or boss. And I prayed for your love life too and you see, this is the result." She looked so excited, saying all this, but Isabelle simply held an uncomfortable gaze.
'Ah, she should've gone to a shaman to cast away beasts in human disguise as well.' She thought, regretfully. 'It can't be helped.'
But what could she do?
Yuna still held that misunderstanding.
There was actually no better way she could explain why her boss, whom she hates, was at her doorstep on a working day.
She hated that Yuna was making them out to be a couple when she still despised him.
Yes, he was handsome and packed quite the build but... She couldn't see herself dating him. Not to talk of a single fling.
The thought of him suddenly going out of control and ripping her apart made her fingers tremble lightly.
If he wanted her to keep his secret even after they had come to an agreement, fine, she would do just that.
But to date him—?
She had to draw the line there.
Elias Yoon wasn't someone she wanted in her life in the slightest.
What would be between them was strictly work-related and nothing more.
"He was there to pick up some materials I had on me." Isabelle suddenly blurted out, catching the frenzied Yuna's attention. "Remember I didn't go to work today? I called in sick because I was exhausted, and I forgot there was an important report I had to hand in, so he came to pick it up since he was on his way to the meeting location. If not, he'd have sent a regular employee."
Isabelle said all this with a straight face, which made it hard to accuse her of lying or making anything up when she, in fact, made everything up.
The only way to shut Yuna up was to give an excuse like this. At most, she would claim he had an interest in her and that was why he went through the trouble.
"I told you. There's nothing between us. Don't pitch me in the same romance lane with my enemy, please."
Yuna went silent and then sighed.
"Well, I guess I was taking it too far." She said and finally dropped the topic, seeing how seriously Isabelle took it. "But if a spark does fly," she winked, sticking out her tongue. "...make sure to fill me in."
"Not happening."
"You never know." Yuna rolled her eyes away. Isabelle smiled, turned to her, and showed the dark expression on her face despite the smile on her lips.
"I'll put out the spark, so don't worry about sparks flying."