A/N: As a romance story this will be a bit of a slow burn. Later parts will include sex but it tends to be less graphic than stories I post in other categories.
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The only phone number I had for Ji was the one provided by the cleaning service. I couldn't use that for anything personal as I knew it was monitored to prevent cleaners and clients from making side deals and circumventing the service's fees. She had my number, however, so she could text me with updates. I kept my fingers crossed that she would text or call from her personal phone number but the next day dragged on even though I was doing my weekly volunteer day at Habitat.
I got home about three thirty, hot and sweaty from a long day working construction outside in the Georgia heat. I stripped down and jumped into the shower, soaping thoroughly. I keep my pubic hair trimmed from navel down and shave my shaft and scrotum completely with a blade razor. I grazed my hand over that area and decided it could stand a shave so I lathered up with soap and grabbed the razor from the shelf.
If you've never done it, there are some tricks to shaving like a male porn star. While not necessary, it can be easier to do the shaft if you get hard. The downside is that it will then get in the way when you try to do your scrotum. So if you go that route, do the sac first. There's no real good way to shave the sac. It's floppy and wrinkled. Pull it taut and take your time. Plan on doing it several times. And if you're right-handed the left side will be toughest. I assume the opposite is true for lefties. The best advice I can offer is to shave often.
Finished, I rinsed off one last time then shut off the water. I used my hands to brush off as much water from my body as I could, a holdover from high school when the worn out thin towels we got to use in gym never managed to absorb enough to keep us from feeling clammy the rest of the day. Then I squeegeed the glass and grabbed my towel to dry off, still inside the shower stall so I don't drip on the floor outside. Finally I sprayed the tiles will a solution that does a pretty good job of keeping them clean without my having to scrub every week.
After dressing I turned on the tv and sat to read the mail I'd retrieved from my box as I drove by earlier. Nothing critical but a few pieces I needed to file away for tax purposes and the like. About four thirty my phone beeped the text message notification. Expecting either another unwelcome political fundraising text in this election year or an auction alert on the classic car website I follow, I was pleasantly surprised to see this:
'Hi Tate, it's Ji. This is my personal number. I would like you to have it."
Despite growing up from infancy in the U.S., Ji had inherited the innate politeness typical of many Asians. Many Westerners mistake this for subservience, sadly propagated by inaccurate movie depictions. While Korea, and some other Asian countries, remain staunchly patriarchal, Asians like Ji who grew up in Western countries typically reflect the beliefs and actions of their Western peers. The challenges of raising her son as a single mother strengthened her resolve to be independent and accepted as an equal.
'Hi Ji. Thank you for giving me your personal number. Please feel free to text or call me whenever you wish. Did you enjoy dinner?" I responded.
I waited until I saw the three little dots blinking, indicating she was typing. It went on for a bit then stopped. Shortly later it started again. I wondered if she had started to say something then changed her mind and erased it. Once again the dots stopped and a minute later my phone rang.
I hadn't had time to save Ji's number to my contacts but I recognized it. I usually don't answer numbers I don't recognize but I was confident I knew this was her.
"Hi Ji."
"Hello Tate. I wanted you to know how much I enjoyed our dinner together. I like you very much. And the meal was very, very good. I look forward to reheating the filet tomorrow night. Thank you again for being so generous."
"It was just dinner, Ji. Not like I bought you a new car or something," I said chuckling.
