《A Special Someone for Christmas》Part 22: A mission of restoration
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"What? Yea said that a special someone was coming for you?"
"Yes, she did Kookie." I'm snuggled in his arm the morning after our beautiful Christmas and loving night together. I am in love and my heart soars. Him confessing his love to me was not required. In being free, I could not have suppressed my feelings if I tried. I have never felt so close, connected, or loved. Needy Tae is practicing a new move on his trampoline as my joy engulfs me.
"Tae babe, how did you know I was the special someone she spoke of?" Kookie places soft gentle kisses on my shoulder.
"At first, I didn't, Kookie. Yea said that my special someone would be so very opposite of me, and that I would deny it. All of those things I did. I was trying to convince myself that I did not like you. The more time I spent with you Kookie, the more I saw your true self. Free and loving. Did Yea share a vision with you also Kookie?"
He pauses for a second to gather his thoughts.
"Yes and no." I furrow my eyebrows, as I am not sure what he means.
"Tae, she told me she had a vision of me, however, it was not clear. As it becomes clearer, she said she'd share it with me."
"I thought all of her visions were absolute."
"What do you mean, Tae?" He adjusts and sits up. He then props two pillows against the headboard as I also sit up next to him settling into a comfortable position for a conversation.
"I was under the impression that her visions are clear and specific. Maybe you were not ready to hear what she saw. Like us being together."
"Yes definitely. I was not ready to hear any of that. I don't date, nor was I interested in a boyfriend." I'm curious. I look at him and he quickly diverts his eyes. There are so many things we do not know about each other, but soon will. He appears uneasy as I start my probe into getting to know my lovely man.
"Kookie you never dated anyone before? Are you reluctant to share this?" He looks up and I search his eyes. He appears self-conscious. I saw this look once before on the plane when Yea asked if he would share a story with us about taking a risk.
"No, Tae, I have not dated anyone before. Does that give you pause about me?" His eyes remain fixed on mine.
"Of course not, Kookie. Can you tell me more about that?" He looks at me and smiles softly but looks down to his hands that are folded into his lap. His gaze then returns to me.
"Tae, I've been with a lot of men sexually over the years. In college, there was quite a bit of exploration and..." He struggles and I just want him to know that I am not judging him.
"Kookie, that is very normal." I can relate although I have not been with a lot of men. "I had experiences with several men throughout college also." His lips part slightly as he exhales a slow breath that he had been holding.
"Really, Tae? You too experimented?" His eyes widen.
"Yes, I did. Kookie, that was your past and we are the present and the future. I could never judge you for being human and your past."
"But Tae there is more." I nod and smile softly, encouraging him to go on.
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"I have had several one-night stands but that was years ago. Now I uh, well..." He is uneasy and I can see how difficult this is as a flushness moves across his cheeks.
"Kookie, you do not need to share more. Let's keep this where it belongs -- in the past.
"Tae, I want you to know everything. I don't want us to hold secrets. I am open to any questions you may have." I take his hand and lightly squeeze it reassuring him I'm available to hear whatever he needs to share.
"I sought the company of men for sex. There was no connection other than physical. I traveled a lot and had regular sex partners in several cities. They were men who also had the same interest. Sex without commitment or complications. We'd have small talk, a few drinks and then sex. They never slept over. It was just sex." Jealous Tae is suddenly awake and seated at the edge of his chair.
"Kookie, was there anyone you saw more frequently than the others? Maybe someone that showed more of an interest in you, and you liked them." Jealous Tae is about to fall off his chair as he waits for Kookie's response.
"No Tae, there was no one and ..." Suddenly he stops in midsentence and Jealous Tae starts to rise as I give him the look he knows to well. It's the sit your ass down look. I wait and listen as Jealous Tae lowers himself back into his chair.
"Well, uh..."
"Well, what Kookie?"
"There was Hwan. He's a business associate and we have been getting together spontaneously in South Korea and when we'd traveled."
"What do you want to share about him Kookie?"
"Hwan was the only one I had seen this year. But it's nothing Tae. I don't know much about him. It's not like we did a lot of talking." I'm not sure if he is trying to convince me or himself.
"Apparently, you like him. You were only seeing him?"
"Tae this was not a relationship. We'd meet up at hotels and fucked. That was it." I sense a slight air of defensiveness as Jealous Tae does an eyeroll.
"Did he sleep over or leave afterward?"
"What? That's not important." His reactivity raises Jealous Tae from his chair as he puts a hand on one hip.
"I thought you said they did not sleep over and that it was just sex." He chews on his lower lip. "For some reason he is different. Kookie if you say it is in the past, I believe you. But we have to be honest with ourselves. I suspect that there was some type of relationship slightly more advanced than sexual." He just looks into the empty space in front of him as he appears to ponder what I said.
"When was the last time you were together?"
"Uh three weeks ago I believe. Tae please don't think it's anything because it wasn't. I-I just never thought of it as anything. But, uh he did say we should do this more and I didn't say anything. I did not realize it, but I think he may have been hinting at a uh...Oh God, a relationship."
"So, you like Hwan." I appreciate Kookie's willingness to be an open book. I know he loves me although Jealous Tae senses a threat and I point him towards his chair. He rolls his eyes again but sits his ass down.
"Tae, I think you were right. I-I found him to be smart and funny. I didn't feel so lonely when we were together. I-I think this is why I did not say anything when he suggested seeing each other more. It was a comfortable arrangement and I guess I did like it. I'm sorry Tae."
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I look at him and place the palm of my hand against his cheek.
"Kookie, my love, why are you sorry? He was your past. Thank you for talking about him. We are exclusive and there is only you for me."
"And only you for me Tae. I want no other." His cheek warms to my palm.
"Kookie, I could not bear it because I would not be able to stop loving you. I'd be a fool in love." My eyes burn as a tear moves down my cheek and he softly wipes it away with his thumb. The thought scares Needy Tae as he grabs his special blanket.
"Tae I'll send Hwan an email today and tell him I have a boyfriend and I will no longer see him." He nods adamantly.
"That's right, you are off the market!" I smile big. "You are my man Kookie, and I am yours." He gives me a soft confirming kiss on my lips.
I tell him about my past boyfriends and the last time I was with another man. It was nearly two years ago. He tells me it makes him angry how my last boyfriend called me at the airport and broke up with me before I got on my flight to visit him.
He asks and I tell him about father. Kookie's response is shocking and so honest.
"Tae I would have said the same thing had you been my son. Everything he said about me was correct, except one thing. I will never use you or leave you. Getting rid of me is impossible." He then chuckles a bit as I softly smile.
"Tae, I will need your help in cleaning up my past."
"Kookie, do you mean your reputation?"
"No Tae. I think that is already set. It's difficult to change minds and hearts. And I have done terrible harms that cannot be reversed. But there are many I can work hard to repair. I will move forward with integrity, benevolence, fairness and good faith." His eyes are filled with sincerity.
"Tae I will show your father that I am a different man over time, and hopefully he can accept me as a suitable mate for his only son. It is important to me that he knows how much I love you and that your safety and happiness is my highest priority." My eyes flood with tears as I turn and wrap my arms around his torso pressing my head into his chest.
"Kookie, I love you. We will work it out together. My father is a good man, and he loves me. It will take time for him to see you as you are today, but he will." He peppers the top of my head with gentle kisses as I giggle.
"Teehee."
"Baby lets go to the sky deck and have breakfast."
"Yay! I want cinnamon sweet rolls and bacon! Teehee!"
The Skydeck Restaurant is across the street from the lodge. There is an underground tunnel that guests use to avoid going out in the freezing temperatures. We walk through the tunnel hand in hand, and I cannot stop smiling. I am unable to recall a time where I have felt this happy. It is utter Euphoria.
The restaurant is in a special tower that is 30 levels high. It is the most beautiful and serene place ever. It very slowly rotates allowing for a 360-degree view of the snowcapped mountains. The chef brings us a delightful, sweet roll platter in the shape of a snowman. Snow Mountain is remarkable and all the better because I am there with my Kookie.
"Tae, I want to restructure my business. I would like your opinion. I would like to see how I can help this company I was buying. I want to find a way to help it survive. I want to invest in it and its employees." His eyes are lit with passion.
"Kookie that would be amazing. You are the CEO, right?"
"Right, babe, I am. Hahaha. It will take work to figure it out. It will be like trying to reach for a star, baby. I think I can do it." His eyes are now fierce with determination.
"Kookie, I believe in you. No star is out of your reach."
"Aww, Tae, thanks." He smiles and lowers his head as if a thought came to him that is painful.
"What is it Kookie?"
"Tae, I've just been horrible." I just wait and give him time to share.
"I have a wonderful assistant name Tami." There's a soft smile but also sadness. "She has been with me for years and I have been distant and indifferent towards her. She is a lovely girl and I think she is going to leave me. I'd be lost without her Tae. Tami's smart and seems to know what I need even before I need it." He chuckles a bit as his face becomes soft and warm.
"Kookie why do you think she is going to leave you? Is it because of her salary?" I query.
"No, Tae. I pay her very well." He then then looks down at an uneaten strip of bacon, picks it up and bites it. I can tell he is again uneasy and finding it hard to share.
"Uh, well a few days before my trip I picked up a phone line by mistake. She was talking on the call to a man. He was a bit harsh with her. I later figured out it was her fiancé. He asked her when she was going to resign her position. I thought that maybe he did not want his future wife working. It was not that Tae." He swallows hard and then continues. "He said that my expectations on her time were unrealistic and that I was a harsh man to work for. I was really angry and then she, uh, defended me. She said I was not a bad man and that there was good in me. Well, her fiancé did not care. He asked her to give me two weeks' notice that day. She refused and said she would do it after I returned from my trip. She also said I was working on a big deal, and I needed her help, and she would not abandon me. Can you believe that Tae? Why would she do that? I was not very good to her. After years working together, I knew nothing about her." His head is lowered, and he slowly shakes his head from side to side. "Everything her fiancé said about me was true, just like your father. But I want to be better Tae."
"Kookie, then you will be better." I reach over and gently massage his forearm.
"But what can I do after so many years Tae?"
"Repair your relationship. Sounds like she is already on your side. Call Tami." He immediately jerks his head up and looks at me.
"What? I-I can't do that! What would I say? She doesn't know I know about her wanting to leave."
"You can just make a connection Kookie. Ask her about her holiday. It will blow her mind in a good way. Teehee!" He halts for a minute and slowly the corners of his lips turn up into a tentative smile.
He also shared about others like his driver who has worked for him for years and how he looked down on him. He said he was a nice guy but had never taken the opportunity to get to know him. To even give him a proper greeting.
What a new man his powerful Awakening has birthed. There is a sparkle and gleam in his eyes as he is now on new footing and ready to set right the wrongs of his past. He is setting out on a mission of restoration of old harms. God, I adore this man.
"Tae, I can work remotely from anywhere. What have you decided?"
"To be with you Kookie. That's what I want." He smiles his big, beautiful bunny smile and the butterflies in my belly go crazy.
"Kookie, I don't have an assignment. When offered an assignment I get to say whether I'll accept it or not. I won't work again until we get settled. As much as I love traveling, I don't want to be anywhere in this world without you Kookie." He squeezes my hand and there is a wetness to his eyes.
"Tae you're a good doctor and that's what you love most of all." I feel a lightness in my limbs as I realize how much he actually sees me.
"Kookie, what I love most of all is helping others. Being a medical doctor is a way I get to help, and I love science."
"Baby, do you remember when Yea talked about how she and Song got their tickets to fly on Choi airlines?" I pull closer to him as I my excitement builds.
"Yes, Tae. The airline had a big contest, and their daughter wrote an amazing letter. It was so beautiful." I smile really big and giggle, "Teehee."
His mouth falls open and he releases a soft gasp. "Tae? Did you have something to do with Yea and Song winning their roundtrip flight to LA?" I nod rapidly as he covers his mouth in shock. Energy surges through me and I start to bounce in my seat.
"Kookie, I created the contest and picked the winning letters. I knew they were going to be on that flight, and I was excited to meet them. Of course, I had no idea that any of this would happen or that I'd fall in love with passenger 2B."
"Or I'd with passenger 2A." He leans over and kisses me on my lips as Needy Tae shows off his new quadruple flip on his trampoline.
"Teehee."
"Tae you are amazing."
"Thanks, Kookie. My father wants me to run this new program for Choi Airlines. We would not only give away flights but scholarships. We'd also create low-income housing, feed the hungry and more." I'm talking a mile a minute as Kookie starts to laugh. I immediately pause hearing his humorous outburst.
"Tae slow down. I think you have found your passion. Look at you, you can't even sit still. I love it and your eyes are wild with joy! My goodness my boyfriend is amazing. I want to help too." He grabs on to both of my hands and gently squeezes them letting me know he is with me. Even Needy Tae is in a fit of giggles.
"But Kookie what about being a doctor? I just don't know."
"My love, you can do both with a lot of support from others and me, of course."
"What? Y-You think so Kookie?" I am vibrating with such excitement I might just fall out of my chair.
"Of course, I do. We go over the cliff together in everything. Right?"
"Right, Kookie! Together in everything."
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