𝕤𝕦𝕟𝕤𝕖𝕥 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕤𝕖𝕣

Hopeless romantic famous celebrity (under alias ‘Izzy’) boards crowned hope to escape a scandal that is beginning to gravely dent her otherwise perfect public image, and to maybe distract herself enough to get over a lifelong love she can’t seem to let go. Read More

               "i— did not.” hyunwoo let out a sigh, all the laughter from a moment ago dying in his throat. “i’m telling you, dude. the customers keep getting weirder and weirder every week. what’s next? body shots? sucking toes?” the ideas made him shudder. “if you ever turn into one of them, i will cry.” there are some days that it felt as though ali was his only good customer, which instantly made him hyunwoo’s favorite. and with everything that’s been hanging over his head, it was a relief to find someone who genuinely enjoyed his company. “ooh! i’ve got just the thing.” the bartender popped out for a moment, gathering two shot glasses and three bottles of different alcohol.  “other than a side order of comedic genius, i’ve got something new, you’ll love it!” with lightning focus, hyunwoo layered butterscotch schnapps, melon liqueur, and irish cream into the shot glasses. his work wasn’t perfect with the layering being off and some of the irish cream dropping towards the bottom and making the drink look every bit like a jelly fish floating in a clear green lake. “voila,” he said with pride, serving the grotesque looking drink in front of ali. “some call it buttery nipple, others just alien nipple. but i say we call it both. have a buttery alien nipple on me!” 

               when the bartender swung by, callista almost immediately perked up, giddy over the attention she was getting; all the misery from being abandoned by her earlier companion suddenly out the window. “riley,” she repeated in a voice smothered in honey. “you’re very sweet. thanks for keeping me company! and you’re very cute, too.” to callista, flirting came as easily as singing  — all honeyed words and sweet cadences streaming effortlessly from her mouth. “i’m c—” she cleared her throat, suddenly remembering she was supposed to be izzy for this trip. tossing her hair back and flashing a charming smile in hopes to quickly dismiss her blunder, she leaned an elbow over the counter, resting her chin on her fist. “i’m izzy. i’ve been drinking strawberry daiquiris for three nights now. any suggestions what i could change it up to?”

             “riley!” hyunwoo jumped away from the customer in surprise, dropping the shot glass in his hand but catching it just before it hit the floor, “whoops! i-i mean boss riley, i- i- was just.. keeping this customer company!” he said, voice raised in insisted innocence, as if he was caught in the act, and desperately needed to prove his clear conscience. but then, that was how he has always felt under riley’s watch, fully aware of the stark contrast of their experience in bartending, and the dislike that came with his own inexperience. most days, even breathing felt like a mortal sin against riley’s ancestors, and hyunwoo could only bow his head, apologize profusely, and try his very best to be better next time around. “just doing my job, you know. definitely no hand licking or secret tequila shots have happened!” he let out a nervous laugh. “back so soon?”

               kdrama? callista felt herself freeze, the fortified walls coming up around her at the mention of something she was prominently a part of. the fear of being recognized  — of kind, warm eyes turning into knowing, judging gazes — began to rise in her gut. but alas, she wouldn’t have gotten all those awards if she failed to shine even in uncomfortable situations. “kdramas?” she forced herself to perk up. “have you watched a lot them? do you have any favorites? favorite actresses, maybe?” part of her hoped her companion would mention her name or something of hers, and another part dreaded exactly that. she was very well-aware of what conversations like these do to her but she kept doing it anyway  — like a scab you can’t help but pick. “oh, ali, you very much do!” she reached over to touch his face gingerly, leaving a small pinch on his cheek. “but you are way too cute for me to want to do very bad things to.” 

               now hyunwoo was definitely certain that not even the dim lighting and blue neon lights could hide how flustered he was. looking back, there have been very handsy customers since he took on the job, but he’s always dismissed those instances as normal drunken behavior; never as sexual advances on him. and now the dawning realization was hurtling towards him like a giant train of incomprehensible panic. "sir, this is a decent bar. what’s next? taking shots out of my belly button?” the bartender said, sounding very much like he was going to pass out over the idea. he let out a nervous laugh. “if this was a strip club, i’d have lost my job long ago for dancing the macarena to a needy customer in hopes of getting tips.”

               “well, now it certainly isn’t!” callista called as she emerged from the other room, letting out an exasperated sigh. upon inspecting ian’s closet with the meticulous speed of someone who’s rummaged through hundreds of clothing racks, she felt like she was coming down with a migraine. she respected basic fashion and a monotonous wardrobe, but it was summer, and he was wearing a denim jacket to stroll around greece. “and no, you absolutely won’t. not if you’re going to be seen with me! what if someone recognizes me and thinks you’re my date?” she let out a rather dramatic groan, pressing her fingers against her temple, feigning a headache; only to perk up the very next second to get her companion off his ass and out the door. “come on, we’re going shopping. and we will not stop for anything until i get your cute little butt in a callista-approved ‘summer in greece’ outfit.”

                “oh!” hyunwoo almost immediately jumped out of the way. “i’m sorry. i didn’t see you there. the view’s beautiful, isn’t it? i was going to take some photos, too,” he said, raising his camera to show the stranger and offering a warm smile. “and yes! for the time being, i will be by myself.” he’s been to rhodes town several times before during summers and spontaneous trips with his best friend, and the beauty of the place only seemed to grow with each visit. “and you?” suddenly, a flash of recognition  — far too distant and hazy for him to be certain. “i’m sorry, have we met before?”

               scanning the crowd of beach-goers through her oversized sunglasses, callista carefully surveyed each and every person that fell even remotely within her standards. “ooh! how about that one? guy in the red trunks? wait— can i call dibs? ah — actually, no, you can have him. not enough ass.” tapping her fingernails on the bar, she let her eyes pass through the crowd again, only to meet gazes with a few guys that she actually called dibs on. callista only smirked, tossed her hair back, and pretended not to notice. it was hot. she was thirsty. and she wanted one or two of those cute people to buy her a drink. but she wasn’t going to leave keon alone without someone to have fun with. “seriously, come on. i’ve been at this for a while. there must be someone here you’d want to flirt with? buy a drink for? you’d want to buy you a drink?”

               room 203. all he had done all week was work, socialize, and get very little sleep. everything inside him begged for some peaceful alone time, so he entered the room in a hurry, only for his heart to lurch forward at the sight of someone already inside. in his surprise, he leapt backwards, crashing into his suitcase, falling over, and hitting his back against the hardwood and his head against the door rather heavily, closing it shut in the process. it took him a moment to recover enough from the impact to take a good look at who it was in the room with him, wincing, and rubbing the back of his head  — aera. “what are you doing in my room?” 

              after endlessly making sure she looked perfect and taking hundreds of photos in front of the large bathroom mirror, all the while definitely listening to her companion drone on about their itinerary, callista decided it was time to part with her reflection. she looked every bit ready for the beach in her brightly-colored tie front bandeau and matching pair of shorts, topped off with an oversized button up, sunhat, and sunglasses. she knew she looked great, and that alone was enough to assure her that absolutely nothing could ruin her day. until her eyes landed on ian. “do not tell me that’s what you’re wearing. we’re going to the beach for crying out loud!” her face was one of pure disbelief and unbridled distaste, already charging towards his closet. “i know you’re all about that boring life, but could you at least dress fun?”

               “i think it is! i’ve only been on the job for a little bit but i can confirm that alcohol brings out the worst in some people. on my first day, one older gentleman was smashed enough to offer a two-hundred dollar tip if i sucked his toes. hashtag traumatized. for. life. but i think he was just kidding!” the bartender shrugged, the optimistic expression on his face never once faltering, as if the incident could easily be brushed off as any regular occurrence in a bar. “i’ve been trying to figure that out myself! sand, probably. a used bikini. spongebob? should i just make a diorama?” 

               “oh, well. nothing like another person walking out of my life just like that. no biggie. nothing out of the ordinary!” the words streamed out of her mouth in inebriated disappointment. on a normal day, she’d care about being too dramatic in front of strangers. but having 4 glasses of wine is far from an ordinary day and she was way past the point of giving a shit. callista finished the contents of her wine glass in one go, and let out an exasperated sigh before turning to her new companion. “izzy. you’ve got a nice smile, zion. are you celebrating anything tonight?”

               the bartender burst into a smile, appreciating how she immediately jumped in on the act. “i mean, i am feeling slightly violated, and i could definitely get the bouncers to drag them away, but— ” he cast a quick glance at the sullen-looking customer. “they look like they could really use the drink, or at least the ambiance of the place. and as long as i could tolerate it, and they’re not licking any other part of my body, i’m not really one for turning people away. unless of course they make other people feel uncomfortable. are they making you uncomfortable right now?” 

               “i could definitely try, but I’m a pretty bad actor, so i might still need the support.” hyunwoo thoughtfully considered the question, and after a bit of pondering and convincing himself a milkshake was not, in fact, part of the choices for this question, there were only two drinks he had in mind. “i’d die for an alien nipple right about now or maybe some jesus juice. but seeing as this guest almost licked my hand, i’d guess they might be thinking about tequila shots? what do you think?”

“correction. lesson one, never trust anyone. period.” callista quipped, taking yet another sip from her daiquiri before turning to take a good look at her companion. “izzy. and aren’t you a sight for sore eyes!” she flashed a charming smile and tossed her hair back, suddenly slightly sober and very interested in this duke person. “i’m sorry, have you been there this whole time? because finally, someone prettier than me. are you, perhaps, a model? actor, maybe? you could totally pass for both.” 

               “yeah, missy.” callista felt a small wave of relief washing through her at the name. after everything, she would love to have any other name than her own. “okay, how about this, teddy, be my sober friend tonight and you can get as much of,” she momentarily looked down at her companion’s empty glass, “whatever that was, on me. just one very sad drunk girl for unlimited free drinks for tonight. doesn’t sound like a bad deal, does it?”