Tempted by the Boss

By then, she’d already been tall, close to her current five foot eight. They couldn’t work the lovely, delicate-flower image on her, so the team decided she would be presented to the world as the picture of aloof elegance. Other than when she was home, Princess Jihae always wore her hair up in chignons, buns or elaborate updos befitting the occasion. And her entire wardrobe consisted of finely cut clothes in various shades of white—all selected by her stylist during the private shows that fashion designers hosted for her family. She’d fought tooth and nail for her right to choose her own shoes as long as they were appropriately upscale.

People probably thought she wore a billowy white nightgown with a chignon to bed. Ha! She plopped down on the

couch in her French terry joggers and a baggy T-shirt, and draped one leg over the arm of the sofa. Tonight, she was dressed from head to toe in pink. Unsurprisingly, her home-alone clothes were the colors of the rainbow. And her hair was falling freely over her shoulders, brushed but damp.

She grabbed the remote and raised it toward the TV when a familiar “British” voice said from the hallway, “Your dinner, miss.”

“Please leave it outside the door. I’ll serve myself when I’m ready. Good night, Timothy,” she said in rapid succession. He couldn’t see her out of character.

After a slight pause, he replied in a slightly miffed tone, “Very well, miss. Please let me know if you need anything else. Anything at all.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

When she heard his receding footsteps, she scrambled off the sofa and rushed to the door to listen for the ring of the elevator. She waited ten more seconds before opening the door a sliver to check the hallway. All clear. There were only three other suites on the floor, but she couldn’t be too careful.

Once she grabbed the cart, she headed straight for the couch and TV, and opened her first bottle of beer. She closed her eyes and took a long swig of beer. Heaven. With one hand, she clicked until she found the channel showing The Bachelor, and grabbed the burger with her other hand. The first sloppy bite of the juicy, oozing cheeseburger was probably the best thing that happened to her all day.

By some miracle, she finished her burger without getting any of it on her clothes, and leaned back on the sofa with her second bottle of beer. Her favorite part of watching The Bachelor was the commercials. American commercials were so different from the Korean ones. She loved the outrageous humor in many of them.

“Tomorrow on Hollywood Insiders,” the voice-over bellowed from the speakers, “does Sandy Lim have a new suitor? The mystery man with his arm full of Sandy has been identified as an up-and-coming film producer, Colin Song. We’ll tell all...tomorrow.”

Jihae set down her bottle on a coaster and lowered the volume. She reached for her laptop and powered it up. A film producer dating an actress always made her a little wary, but she didn’t jump to any conclusions. After all, love conquers all.

Oddly, her heart was doing an intense HIIT workout behind her ribs, and she couldn’t figure out why. Maybe it was the film producer. He was by far the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. But that was nonsense. She’d only had a passing glimpse of him on the screen. She was just excited about getting back to Rotelle Entertainment business.

They had been making connections in Hollywood and getting a decent lay of the land, but there was still so much to learn. Rotelle Entertainment had some clout in the international film industry through Cannes and other international film festivals, but she was the first to admit that they were newbies in Hollywood.

They’d been searching to partner with a US-based production company to even out the handicap. Ego had no place in business, so she’d asked for help where help was needed. Producing and distributing a successful Hollywood film was not child’s play, and Jihae was determined to do a damn good job, which meant she had to find a damn good partner.

Could Colin Song be a potential candidate? Just thinking about the handsome producer made soft trembles course through her body. He was so gorgeous. Gah. If a glance at him on TV did this to her, she might spontaneously combust if she met him in person. She would never be able to work professionally with him. He would be too big of a distraction.

But what if his production company was exactly what she was looking for? She should look him up. It would all be for business, of course. She couldn’t discount him just because of his good looks. That wouldn’t be fair.

* * *

Springtime in Los Angeles was a ridiculous streak of one beautiful day after another, and today was no exception. It set the perfect scene for the conversation Colin Song was having with the author Jeannie Choi at a cozy little coffee shop filled with fresh flower arrangements.

“I know you could option your manuscript to another production company or even a studio for much more money, but I believe in your story and your vision,” Colin said, his voice rising with excitement. He always got this way when he spoke with Jeannie about her book. “I want you to have maximum creative control of the script and you will benefit from a higher percentage of revenue from the box office, DVD, TV, merchandise and the works. You just have to trust CS Productions and be a little patient for the payout.”

“Colin, we’ve chatted a few times now, and I know we’re on the same wavelength,” Jeannie said with laughter in her voice. “Honestly, you had me at ‘maximum creative control.’”

“You won’t regret this.” He held her hand in both of his and shook it vigorously. “Thank you for trusting CS Productions.”

“I’m taking a chance on you personally. I don’t want anyone else leading this production. I want you to remain my main contact person until the end. Are we clear on that?”

“Crystal.” Colin grinned broadly. He liked Jeannie. She was funny, fair and sharp, and she also had that no-nonsense-mom thing going on. She had three little boys, so she probably couldn’t help it. The woman laid down the law and accepted no half-assed crap. He was delighted to work with her. “We’ll need to partner with a studio for the film’s theatrical release, but I will always be your point person.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” she said with a wink.

They walked out onto the sidewalk and said their goodbyes. It wasn’t even noon yet; they’d had to meet before Jeannie’s kids got out of school. Talk about starting the day off on the right foot. This was a huge win for CS Productions, a company he’d been dreaming of starting since he was a high-school kid. With this option, more opportunities would open up for the company, and the momentum could move CS Productions out of obscurity.

Founding CS Productions hadn’t been an easy road for Colin Song. His first business had been a nightclub in LA called Pendulum. He’d started out working there as a server during college. Soon after graduating with an economics degree, he went on to become a manager. When the owner decided it was time for him to retire, he decided to become a silent partner and gave Colin a chance to buy out a small share of the business.

Colin had sold off most of his belongings and emptied his savings account to buy in to the business. He worked his ass off to grow the business, and bought Pendulum outright by the time he was twenty-three.

His grandmother, the formidable Grace Song of Hansol Corporation, had allowed him to become a nightclub owner without censure—not because she approved of his plan, but because she always stood by family. She didn’t approve of his choice, but she’d understood why he wanted to branch out on his own, and succeed through hard work, not through his name and connections. He wanted to be a self-made man who never needed to depend on anyone but himself and prove that he was nothing like his father.

His father was the proverbial trust-fund baby who’d never done an honest day’s work. He was too busy burning money on expensive cars and women, and jetting all over the globe. His grandmother, and his uncle and aunt—before she’d passed away from cancer—had raised Colin. He had grown up with his cousins, Garrett and Adelaide, who were more like an older brother and a little sister to him.