Boyfriend for Hire [minsung]

Chapter 4

HAN POV

As I awaited Lee Know's arrival, the nerves set in. Had I really accepted an offer to allow a man who abandoned me mid-date to whisk me away for an extraordinary amount of money? It felt surreal. It was one stumble into his arms away from feeling like a scripted movie scene.

But I needed the money. The uncomfortable truth was that I was one late payment away from being evicted. I'd already sold my gaming consoles and it still hadn't been enough to dig me out of this hole.

My phone dinged, and I already knew who it was before I even read the screen. Lee Know was on his way over to pick me up. My stomach was in knots, and I felt anxious. I'd basically allowed him to buy me for the time being. Even though he made it clear it wasn't for sex, I still felt a little dirty about it.

He'd also made it clear that he didn't like my sweaters. I wanted to be good for him, so I dressed in a white t-shirt and blue checkered jacket today. Maybe he'd like this look more. I guess it really didn't matter, but if he was buying my time, I wanted to make myself worthy of the price he was paying. I also found him extremely attractive despite the fact that I knew he didn't view me that way, so I wanted to look my best in the hopes I could change his mind.

I heard a knock at my door and jumped to open it. Lee Know was standing there in a sweater vest with cute teddy bears on them. He smiled politely at me and then his gaze moved beyond me to my apartment. I was glad I'd cleaned up a bit in case I decided to invite him in.

"Are your roommates not home?" he asked, noticing how quiet it was.

"I don't have any," I told him, "My roommates started dating a got a place of their own."

It had been pretty sad actually. We'd all been really close, but they stopped talking to me as much once they got together. Maybe I'd grown too depressing to be around, but they'd moved out and left me in an apartment that I couldn't afford. I struggled to find new people to live with, so the burden of rent was mine alone to bear.

"Can I see your place?"  he asked. He seemed to lack understanding of normal social standards because he always crossed lines. Asking how much I owed, my salary, and now inviting himself inside...

"Maybe later, it's a mess right now," I offered. Pushing myself out the door and closing it behind me. He didn't step back, and I could feel his chest against my back as I locked the door. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears as I fumbled with my key trying to get it in the lock properly.

"Here, allow me," he offered in a low voice. I could feel the words on my neck and shivered. His arm reached around me, his hand brushing mine, and he plucked the key from my shaky fingers.