Land of Opportunity, America #2
I spent the day trailing after the Doctor, signaling our interest in purchasing Polymus to various sellers. Most of them were elderly, and they were utterly shocked to learn that Isabella Parsons had taken on an assistant. They were even more stunned when they discovered that her assistant was obscenely wealthy.
The purchasing process went smoothly. Although we only had verbal agreements, there was no real worry. If anyone tried to scam us, we could simply take what we wanted by force. After securing enough Polymus to craft two full sets of suits and weapons, it was already the early hours of the morning.
The Doctor and I sat on the balcony of the mansion, sipping cocktails.
I nodded. "That makes sense. Will you be coming here again tomorrow?"
I turned my gaze toward the people leaving the mansion. Some were drunk out of their minds, belting out songs. Others slumped against their drivers as they stumbled toward their cars. A few clung to people, rambling on about theories they supposedly knew. Pathetic. These ignorant fools with nothing but inflated egos...
As I sat there with a sunken, heavy look in my eyes, the Doctor, who had been sipping her cocktail, came to stand beside me.
That was true. Polymus was a material under active research in the future scientific community. If not for the scientists, it would never have seen the light of day, nor would it have been used in medicine. And the person standing at the very pinnacle of Polymus research was none other than Isabella Parsons—Dr. Jennifer Cash.
That was why the sellers had no choice but to show her the utmost respect.
I looked at the Doctor and grinned slyly.
It was a confession that could easily be misinterpreted depending on how the listener took it. If the Doctor interpreted it as a fellow scientist, it would sound like an offer to continue as her assistant and partner. But if she took it as a woman, her heart would surely flutter with confusion.
The Doctor's reply was calm and composed. So she had taken it as a scientist after all. Still, the slightly puzzled look on her face told me the road ahead wasn't impossibly long. Yes, we've been sharing the same roof for quite a while now. It's about time you started opening your heart to me. You've even seen me naked, haven't you? Though I did show you on purpose.
The Doctor set her cocktail glass down on the floor, leaned her elbows on the railing, and folded her arms. After taking a deep breath of the somewhat cooler evening air, she spoke apologetically.
I loosened my bow tie and stuffed it carelessly into my pants pocket. Then I leaned on the railing just like she was. Looking at the Doctor's profile, a surge of lust rose within me. Those long eyelashes, that straight nose, the sharp jawline—not a single wrinkle in sight. Who would ever believe this woman was a widow turning forty the day after tomorrow?
With a gentle smile, I asked, "Why the sudden apology?"
I'm enjoying myself plenty... Sure, things have been a bit tense lately because of Silvia and Adele, but every single day has been happy.
I looked at the Doctor with a serious expression.
The Doctor turned to face me. After staring into my eyes for a long moment, she spoke.
At that, the Doctor burst out laughing. She covered her mouth with her hand, then reached out and lightly tapped my shoulder with her finger.
Without a word, I jerked my thumb toward the interior of the mansion. Several people inside were staring intently at the Doctor, their eyes filled with certainty that she was Isabella Parsons. The Doctor frowned at the sight.
** The next morning, I ordered room service and brought the food to the Doctor's room, pressing the doorbell. The door opened shortly after, and the Doctor stepped out, squinting. She scratched at her messy hair and asked,
Back in my room, I blocked the gap under the door with my bag and moved the food onto the small dining table. The Doctor arrived soon after. She carefully closed the door behind her, sat down, and smiled brightly.
We ate breakfast in comfortable silence. After quickly polishing off the traditional American breakfast, I decided to press the accelerator just a tiny bit.
I stood up, moved behind the Doctor, and untied her hair tie. She flinched in surprise. Spitting out the toast she'd been eating, she reached back and swatted at my wrist.
The Doctor stared at me with a look that said she couldn't believe what was happening, then let out a sigh and turned back to her food. I gathered the upper part of her hair, brought her bangs forward, and tied it neatly. Then I returned to sit across from her, smiling brightly.
The Doctor's eyes darkened as she trailed off. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but after seeing my innocent expression, she closed it again.
I kept smiling brightly. The Doctor let out a small sigh and scolded me.
I had expected her to say something like, 'You already have Sehwa.' But asking first? I hadn't expected to hear that while she was completely sober. It seemed she was thinking of me more comfortably than I'd anticipated...
I don't want to. Since I now know this much is fine, I plan to keep doing it.
The Doctor shook her head slightly so I wouldn't notice and brought another piece of bacon to her mouth. After finishing breakfast a short while later, she rinsed her mouth with water and stood up from her chair.
The Doctor bit her lower lip. She looked like she was thinking it over.
The Doctor placed her hands on her hips.
With nothing left to say, the Doctor slowly closed her eyes and opened them again. After a brief moment of internal conflict, she spoke.
It was approval. She could have just said yes, but she had to attach an excuse...
It must be because of her husband. I could accept that much.
** "Can you please stop fidgeting? Just stay still."
From a short distance away, the Doctor scolded me while holding up her phone camera. Standing at the entrance of the art museum, I spread my arms forward as if wronged.
Handsome face? She naturally complimented me. I'm very pleased.
She gave the order firmly. With a face full of dissatisfaction, I stood at rigid attention like a soldier. When I snapped my arms to my sides with a loud clap, the Doctor let out a bewildered chuckle.
Just as the Doctor was about to scold me again, a kindly-looking elderly couple approached from the side and politely asked,
The Doctor waved her hands in a panic.
I'd be an idiot to miss this chance. I cut the Doctor off by shouting.
The Doctor flinched at my words, looked back and forth between me and the elderly couple, then let out a long sigh. She handed her phone to the old man and came to stand beside me. I naturally placed my hand on the Doctor's shoulder and pulled her closer. She smiled at the grandfather while moving her lips silently.
Seeing her make such an effort to explain herself, it seemed she felt guilty toward Sehwa.
While we bickered in low voices, the grandfather, who had been adjusting the angle on the phone, raised one hand. It was the signal that he was about to take the shot. The Doctor stopped talking, brought her hands together in front of her, and smiled brightly. The way she switched gears so instantly was so funny that I burst out laughing.
A moment later, there was a faint click, and the grandfather approached to hand the phone back to the Doctor.
With those words, the grandfather walked away with his wife. The Doctor stared blankly at the elderly couple for a moment before glancing at me out of the corner of her eye. She seemed conscious of what the grandfather had said at the end. Pretending to be casual, she looked at the photo and suddenly gasped.
The picture had come out incredibly well. It wasn't just the composition—the expressions on our faces were perfect. The Doctor smiling brightly with a slightly shy pose, and me beaming with a huge grin beside her. It was such a heartwarming image that anyone who saw it would think we were a happily married couple, or at least deeply in love.
The Doctor's eyes wouldn't leave the photo. Was she superimposing her husband's face onto mine? Or remembering old memories? It was clear she was feeling complicated emotions. An unexpected gain. May America be blessed.
I cheered inwardly and made a silent vow that even if I conquered the world, I would make sure that grandfather lived comfortably for the rest of his days.
As I walked toward the art museum entrance, I glanced back. The Doctor was still standing in the same spot, staring at the photo. I called out to her in a loud voice.
Snapping back to her senses, the Doctor shook her head and slipped the phone into her pocket. As she walked over to me, she muttered,
It was obvious she was going to come up with every excuse imaginable to avoid sending it. I nodded and matched my pace with the Doctor's. What should I do when we get back? Since it'll take time for the Polymus to arrive... Maybe we should do something active for a date, something that naturally requires us to touch each other.