Sung-heon was mortified to find an erotic story included in the collection he sent Ludmilla. It was a dream-like account of distant cousins engaging in mutual masturbation in a sweltering Bisang-Dong apartment shower after a walk in nearby DaiSung Park. To his further chagrin, Ryang was as singularly committed to being a lawyer as Ludmilla was to being a film maker. Ludmilla was the only woman with whom Sung-heon had a sense of parity since the semester started and the previous 2 months concluded with her asking him to collaborate after several badminton matches.
Ludmilla was at their usual table at Joe and Joe's, sipping tea and sketching in her notebook when he was struck with the moment, the first he'd seen her shoulders. Sung-heon steeled himself for the worst and walked directly to her. She regarded him nonchalantly, "Hello, Sung-heon."
Sung-heon took a deep breath and waited for the pause between his heart's rapid-fire thwacks before he blurted, "I'm sorry about the story I sent you -"
"Don't be. I knew it was there by accident. It didn't have a title, and we're adults." Ludmilla assured him, the tingling between her legs causing her to cross them. "It was very good." Her words straightened his posture, genuinely surprised at her reaction before her appearance registered. He averted his eyes from the rising and falling outlines of her petite, up-jutting breasts under her off the shoulder blouse. She gestured for him to sit, "Can I ask you a personal question?"
"Yes, of course." Sung-heon obliged, she offered him half of a bagel topped with pesto and cream cheese that he nibbled politely. Ludmilla cataloged places on her body for him to do the same, less politely.
"Was it from personal experience?" Ludmilla perceived Sung-heon had no idea how badly she wanted him, distracted by the thin crimson streak across her lips.
"Yes." Sung-heon blushed and Ludmilla regretted not wearing underwear briefly, squeezing her thighs on a warm, sticky splotch. "You look very nice today."
"Thank you. I have to go now but we'll meet after class as usual?" Ludmilla brushed bagel crumbs from her pencil skirt and stockings before shouldering her messenger bag after standing up.
"Yes, that will be very good." Ludmilla tousled his hair playfully with a hand, also the first she had done that, surprising Sung-heon with her exit. Their destination was a long, black metal bench on a brick patio under a veranda that overlooked a canyon in the garden of a historic home in the park, a California afternoon in warm light.
"What do you think?" Ludmilla asked, removing drinks from her bag as they sat. "I want to use this for a scene in a movie."