Where are all the saints

 

"Do you have a bed?" Liv was serious. OK, maybe she'd drunk more soju than she thought. Really, it didn't hit her so hard until she stood up. Of course, Woojin caught her.

"Um," he'd winced like he wasn't comprehending. So she acted it out for him at the bar with all his buds on Halloween night. Yeah, they were such idiots, but he watched her as if she was going to pray but then put her hands still like a steeple, leaned her cheek, and she closed her eyes.

Of course, he laughed. She was awake. She wasn't going to crash and she stumbled into him and he caught her again.

Would he ever understand how much she hated that air mattress at Nic's?

"We should get coffee," He grinned. It was like an automatic response. Not that she thought he was a robot, but there were just some things he understood. She nodded. Although, she felt a little childish. At least they got out of the hot and steamy place just to be hit with cold air.

That woke her up. The wind was so cold. She didn't know it was like this. Certainly refreshing, but Woojin held her so close it was as if they were dancing in the street.

"Woo, are you wooing me," she looked up at him in practically a smirk.

He jolted a laugh and held her close. She held on to him too.

"Can't we just go back to your place?" She mumbled into his chest. Yes, it felt good to be practically inside his sophisticated coat. She hugged him. She would not let go. Actually, her sneakers were on top of his black leather shoes. He walked on as if he could do this. They managed to get on the bus together.

"You are saying?" He took his time saying it. "You want to come home with me?"

She nodded very sleepy. She leaned on his shoulder and it felt so right. She knew she couldn't be wrong about him.

He did make it sound like he could get her a job at the language school. Only, it was complicated. Something, how there were computers that graded the papers now. Everything was online now. Of course, she said she understood. That would have been a fantasy, anyway. They'd laughed about it hours ago. It was no big deal. No, she knew her days were numbered here. Wasn't it on every girl's bucket list, spend the night with someone who could have been a K-pop idol?

Yeah, she'd laughed even more a couple of hours ago because he wasn't that great at karaoke and his dance moves were pretty stiff at that club they went to. After all, he was completely academic. But she knew he was just as thrilled at the possibility of meeting an American girl. 

Woo really did have a nice laugh. He made everything so giddy and she felt she had more treats this Halloween than ever before. Yeah, she would remember this. She wanted this to be what she remembered. 

But they didn't go out for coffee. They did go back to his place. He went to the kitchen and turned on the kettle. She sat on the couch in the thin livingroom wondering what was next. She was hot of course, She tore the layers off and she was in her tank and black leggings as if maybe he'd brought home hoodlem.

Nobody was there but the two of them. He did mention he lived at his sister's. But she was abroad.

"I see," Woo brought her the mug of instant coffee. It was creamy and sweet. She breathed in the coffee and smiled. Perhaps she was a little drunk, but not a lot. She took a couple of sips. He sipped his coffee too. "So do you have your own bed?"

He almost spewed his coffee. He went to put it on the kitchen counter.

"I just want a place to sleep. And, we can sleep together. Just sleep." Her eyes lit. 

Woo remained even-lipped. He was like talking to the wall, she thought. But she finished her coffee and let him think on it for a while.

He didn't say much but took her cup and washed it out as he did his own and left it in the sink. Finally, he dried his hands, came back to her and took her hand. They walked down the hall. He showed her the bathroom, where the fresh towels were and the soap and shampoo. 

Liv nodded as if she understood. She knew he wanted to speak in Korean, but he didn't. There was his room at the end of the hall. Perhaps not the master bedroom. But there was a mattress on the floor in the corner. It was big enough for the two of them. It was a lot like at Nic's. A bed on the floor, but bigger. Oh, she hoped it wasn't an air mattress. 

She really didn't understand why everything was on the floor. even a little table (something one might use if you were sick in bed or for a Mother's Day bed breakfast) with his laptop was nearby. It was a little strange. Especially, when the lamp was more like a candlelight.

"What?" He looked at her as if she should go ahead first. Of course, she went straight to the bathroom. She washed up as if this was just a test of some kind. Just one night. It wasn't the end of the world. She and Woo did have some animated conversations.

But now she wasn't sleepy at all as she washed her face and studied herself in the mirror. Did she really want him to see her boy's short undies? Well, maybe he thought American women were all wayward.  Although, she was from the  mid-west where you wore your pajamas night and day at any given chance. Maybe it wasn't that much difference here. 

She pulled off her leggings and came right back to his room. He was in his sleep pants and tank. He held up an extra pair. "It'll be cold."

"Oh." she nodded. She struggled to get into them and he went to the bathroom as if he would not watch. She flopped on the mattress, kicking her feet into the legs of the sleep pants. He brought back thick gray socks as if it was a necessity.

"I think of my grandmother," he smiled. "Sometimes, she would wear her coat to bed. She slept on a mat. It was like she was ready to go. She lived in...bad times She would sleep in her shoes. It's not like that anymore."

He asked if she would feel comfortable against the wall? She nodded. And finally found a spot where she wasn't in the middle of the bed. There were plenty of pillows and blankets. 

So here they were lying in bed with the lamp still on. 

"Don't you sleep in the dark?" Liv asked.

He nodded and reached for the lamp. "I thought you might feel more at ease if it was on."

"No, I like it dark." She wanted to tell him, don't you try anything, but she didn't. Before she knew it she was hugging him. Really, it felt to her she was in the right place. And the bed felt cozy too.