Noah
Chapter twelve
Present Day
"And this must be Yong-rae!" Mom smiles, opening the door wide to let us into the cozy Clinton Hill brownstone.
Yong-rae bows down to a full ninety-degree angle, and Mom blushes.
"Yes, ma'am. Thank you so much for having me, Mrs. Park."
When he straightens, I smirk.
"You don't have to do all that, Yong-rae. We're much more casual here."
"That may be," he answers sternly, "but my mom would kill me if I didn't show the utmost respect to the family hosting me for Thanksgiving."
Mom's cheeks get even redder. To see my normally bubbly, always chatty, and occasionally pushy mother at a loss for words over a bow is tickling me to no end. I hear a throat clear behind Mom.
"Well, don't just stand there letting all the hot air out," Dad booms, a slight edge to his voice. "Come inside!"
Mom giggles—actually giggles!—before stepping aside to let us in and rushing back to the kitchen with a mumbled "make yourselves at home".
As soon as we enter the room, everyone converges on us, introducing themselves and probably scaring the shit out of Yong-rae.
Between Damon; Adam and his wife, Maya; Henry and Camila; Cory and his girlfriend, Denise; and Denise and Maya's friend, Tiffany, Mom and Dad's dining room is practically bursting at the seams.
And that's without Camila's siblings, Rory and Gabe, who decided to stay uptown in the Bronx for their holiday.
It's a good thing, too, considering I hadn't even realized Rory might be here when I invited Yong-rae.
That would've been awkward. I guess with everyone pairing up, it's getting harder and harder to keep track.
Luckily, I'm still just Noah.
I offer Yong-rae a seat between me and Tiffany, giving her a sly wink. She's just as easy on the eyes as my brothers' partners, but since she's single, I won't get smacked for noticing. She rolls her eyes, turns to whisper something to Maya, and then heads into the kitchen.
"What brings you here to celebrate with our family this holiday?" Dad asks. His tone is still a little hard.
"Not that you're not welcome!" I reassure Yong-rae, who shifts uneasily in his chair. I shoot a glare in Dad's direction.
"Thank you," Yong-rae murmurs, eyeing Dad warily. "With the shooting schedule so tight, I didn't have time for a trip home, which is ironic considering this is the first time I've been able to afford a trip home since coming to the US four years ago."
"Four years?!" Maya sputters. "It's been four years since you saw your parents?"
"Technically, I see them every week over KakaoTalk," he replies with a smile, "but yes, it has been over four years since I saw them in person."
Maya looks adorably outraged on my client's behalf.
"I'm so sorry!" Maya reaches a hand to pat the tablecloth next to Yong-rae's place setting. "I can't imagine going that long without seeing my parents."
"I can," Denise mutters under her breath, then takes a generous sip from her wineglass, nearly emptying it.
I don't know the details, but I think she might be no-contact with her parents. She and Cory have been serious for months now, but she still seems shocked by how much we all like each other. How much we support each other, even when we get on each other's nerves.
The Parks are the opposite; we are a full-contact family.
Everyone can't make it to every dinner, but then there's flag football in the park with just the brothers, and the many parties Mom throws to keep the house full.
I don't think I've even gone a week without speaking to at least one of them. In person. At least not since college.
"But this isn't your first official Thanksgiving, is it?" Camila asks to break the tension. I smile gratefully at her.
"No," Yong-rae responds while accepting Adam's offer of white wine. "But it's never been anything this elaborate. I've mainly done Friendsgiving or Sidesgiving."
Tiffany walks back into the crowded dining room carrying a steaming basket of Mom's signature yeast rolls. She sets it down next to Damon and I hear his stomach growl.
"Maya, Denise, and I used to do Friendsgiving," Tiffany says, "but what's Sidesgiving?"
"It's exactly how it sounds," Yong-rae replies with a grin. "It's Thanksgiving dinner with nothing but the sides. Mashed potatoes. Dressing. Green bean casserole." He sighs dreamily. "It was heaven."
"No turkey?" Damon questions. "I gotta have my protein."
Cory snorts.
"You and your protein. You eat like you're still training."
"Damon used to play basketball professionally," I explain to Yong-rae, who perks up immediately.
"Really?" he presses, looking at Damon with curiosity. "For which team?"
"I played overseas. You wouldn't know them," Damon answers, eyeing the candied yams longingly.
"No way!" Yong-rae exclaims, drawing looks from around the table. "My friend from university plays in the Korean Basketball League."
"Uh, well," Damon sputters, surprised. "Most recently, I played in the Liga ACB."
Yong-rae's face lights up.
"I have got to tell my friend! You wouldn't have played each other, but what are the odds I get invited to Thanksgiving and run into another Korean professional basketball player?"
"Small world," Damon says, still awed. Henry nudges him under the table.
"Does having a fan here make up for Kendra not being able to come?" Henry asks.
"A little," Damon grumbles. "I just really wanted to bring her as my girlfriend. Not Denise's friend or your client."
Yong-rae is listening, rapt, and I imagine we must seem like a K-drama, complete with overlapping relationships and celebrities.
"I'm sure she'll call once there's a break in shooting," Mom offers, patting Damon's hand from across the table. He nods, but his expression is closed, almost angry. I'm not sure I even want to know.
"She's shooting…" Yong-rae muses. "Is she an actor too?" Damon shakes his head.
"She's a model."
At this, Yong-rae's eyes go wide.
"Not Kendra Gray?" he utters.
"Yeah, that's her," Damon replies, and I can tell he's doing his best not to preen. She is beautiful…and way too good for my brother. But I can tell from his more relaxed demeanor these past few months that she's good for him.
Behind a stunned Yong-rae, Cory reaches to snatch a roll from the basket, but Mom slaps his hand away.
"C'mon, Mom," Cory whines. Maya coughs into her napkin to cover a laugh. "Those rolls are taunting me! Can't we eat while we talk?"
Dad frowns, and just as he's about to scold Cory for his poor table manners, the kitchen timer goes off.
"You're in luck because the turkey's done," Mom chirps.
"Saved by the bell," Dad mutters before following Mom into the kitchen.
Yong-rae turns to me.
"So, Damon is a professional basketball player—"
"Retired," Damon interrupts, and Adam blows out an annoyed breath.
"His girlfriend is a supermodel," Yong-rae continues. "You're a top talent agent. Is everyone here a big shot?" he asks.
"Kind of?" I say, chagrined. I gesture around the table.
"Adam works for a Fortune 500 telecom company.
Maya makes high-end personalized gifts and art.
Denise is a fashion designer who actually works with Kendra.
Cory used to work in Finance, but now he's doing consulting and helping Denise get her label off the ground.
Henry is the city's most sought-after divorce attorney.
And Camila used to work with Henry, but now she's with me at Luxe. "
"I feel like my CV doesn't measure up to all of you," Yong-rae says, looking around. I pat him on the back.
"Of course it does," I insist. "You're Yong-rae Kim, star of the upcoming hit film directed by Edward Ash!"
"Here, here!" Camila says, raising her glass. It's the second time she's helped clear the air, and I wonder how long before she moves out of contracts and starts working with clients directly. She's a natural.
When Mom and Dad return with a turkey fit for a Food Network special, we dig in with gusto. We're loud and messy, but I'm proud as hell of my brothers and the amazing women they're bringing into the fold.
I wasn't sure about having Yong-rae here; even though he's been my client for a while, I've always kept my personal life very separate from work.
But I couldn't leave him alone to spiral during the holidays.
Not when he's so close to losing what he's worked so hard for. What I have worked so hard for.
I'll be his support system. I'll help him get back on track. And when shooting resumes and everyone sees what I've always known has been there, even Miss Perfect Awa won't be able to find fault with him.