Chapter 43 Aaron
AARON
Riding the elevator up to the fourteenth floor, I find myself thinking about the box hidden in my sock drawer.
Maybe tonight is the night. No big setup, no crowd—just the two of us.
Minji hates anything flashy. If I ever tried to propose to her in front of a huge crowd or even in a restaurant, she’d probably kill me.
When the doors open, Tab is already in the reception area, glancing at her watch and pretending to be impatient.
“You’re late,” she reaches for the coffee before I can even offer it.
“I’m exactly on time. You’re early, considering you told me you were going to be late.”
She rolls her eyes, but a smile slips through. “Traffic wasn’t bad after all. Are you ready? Courtney’s already inside with the marketing team.”
I walk with Tab down the hall toward the conference room, still half-distracted by thoughts of Minji. “Remind me what this meeting’s about again?”
“Your book tour, Aaron. The one I’ve spent the last three months planning? It starts in two weeks. The one you agreed to, even though you said you’d rather walk over hot coals?”
“Right, that one.” I give her my most charming smile. “I’m totally prepared.”
“Liar.” She stops outside the conference room and lowers her voice. “They’ve added six more cities and are going international. You’ll be gone for at least six weeks.”
My stomach drops. “Six weeks?”
“Maybe more.” She studies my face. “Is that going to be a problem?”
Six weeks without Minji. Six weeks of hotel rooms, book signings, and making small talk with strangers. Six weeks of not waking up next to her.
“I can’t do six weeks,” I say before I can stop myself.
Tab’s eyes narrow. “Aaron, this isn’t optional. The publisher is investing serious money in this tour. Your last book hit the list at number three. They want to capitalize on that momentum.”
“I know, I know. It’s just…” I run a hand through my hair, searching for the right words. “Can we change the schedule? Maybe split it up? Two weeks away, then a week at home?”
Tab sighs, but I can tell she’s thinking it over, balancing my request with what the publisher wants. “I’ll try,” she agrees at last. “But I can’t promise anything. The tour’s been planned for months.”
“I appreciate it.” I squeeze her arm. “I’ll make it work either way.”
We walk into the conference room, and I put on my best professional smile.
Selena, my editor, and Courtney, from the publishing house, wave from the end of the table, surrounded by marketing people whose names escape me.
The room is bright with big windows, but all I can think about is how far I’ll be from New York and from Minji when this all kicks off.
“Aaron!” Selena rises to greet me. “Just the man we’ve been waiting for. We were just discussing your international itinerary.”
I shake hands, sit where Tab tells me, and make small talk.
For the next hour, I nod and smile as they go over the schedule: twenty-three cities, four countries, endless bookstores, and morning shows.
I pretend to be excited, but my mind is somewhere else.
Six weeks without Minji. Six weeks of missing her rolling her eyes at my jokes or watching her fall asleep with her legal briefs all over our bed.
“So what do you think?” Courtney asks, and I realize everyone is staring at me expectantly.
“It’s… impressive,” I manage. “Very thorough.”
“We’re particularly excited about the London leg,” one of the marketing guys says. “Your UK sales have been climbing steadily.”
I look at Tab, and she gives me a small shake of her head. Now isn’t the time to argue, her face says. I keep my thoughts to myself and lean in.
“Walk me through the schedule again?”
By the end of the meeting, I’d agreed to everything they asked for—at least on paper. Tab and I get in the elevator together, and she waits until the doors close before turning to me.
“What’s going on with you? You barely said ten words in there.”
I press the lobby button, watching the numbers descend. “Six weeks is a long time, Tab.”
“It’s your job, Aaron. And it’s not like you haven’t done tours before.”
“Not since Minji.”
Understanding dawns on her face. “Ah. Trouble in paradise?”
“Actually, it’s the opposite.” I lean back against the elevator wall. “I’ve been thinking about proposing.”
Tab’s eyes widened. “Holy shit. Are you serious?”
“I bought the ring three months ago.”
“And you’re just telling me this now?” She punches my arm—hard. “I’m your agent and your friend, you jerk!”
“I haven’t told anyone,” I admit as the elevator reaches the lobby. “I’ve been waiting for the right moment.”
We leave the elevator and find a quiet spot near the security desk in the busy atrium.
“Look.” Tab’s voice is gentler now. “I know it’s been a year since the last fiasco with you canceling, and they weren’t happy.
Since you agreed in there, you need to see this through.
If you really can’t be away from your soon-to-be wife in the future, then I think you need to rethink this career path. ”
“Come on, Tab. Plenty of authors don’t do book signings.”
“Those authors aren’t you, Aaron. You’re the face of your brand.
You’re the guy who writes about love finding a way against all odds.
You’re charming and handsome, and readers want to meet you in person.
” Tab gives me that look that means she’s about to deliver the hard truth.
“You can’t sell fantasies if you don’t show up. ”
I sigh, knowing she’s right. “I get it. But what if I brought Minji with me? For parts of it at least?”
Tab’s expression softens. “Does she even want to travel for six weeks? She just started her own firm.”
“I don’t know. I haven’t asked her.” I rub the back of my neck. “She’s been so focused on building her practice. The timing couldn’t be worse.”
“Welcome to adult relationships,” Tab says with a wry smile. “They’re always inconvenient for career people.”
We step outside into the afternoon sun.
“I’ll see what I can do about breaking up the tour,” Tab promises. “Maybe we can get you home for a few days between legs.”
“Thanks, Tab.” I give her a quick hug. “I owe you one.”
“Yeah, so we need to start looking over my pay.”
“You already get twenty percent.” I laugh, starting to walk away.
“Twenty-five if you want me to work miracles with this tour schedule!” she calls after me.
I wave without turning, already pulling out my phone to call Minji. She answers on the second ring.
“That was fast.” Her voice instantly soothes the knot of anxiety in my chest.
“The meeting’s over. I’m heading to the apartment now.” I pause at the corner, waiting for the light to change. “Actually, can we talk about something when I get there?”
“That sounds ominous,” she replies, and I can picture her sitting up straighter, guard instantly raised.
“No, nothing bad. Just… tour stuff.”
“Ah. How long will they have you traveling this time?”
I wince, grateful she can’t see my face. “That’s part of what we need to discuss. I’ll be there in twenty.”
Walking home gives me time to think. Six weeks away from Minji feels impossible now that we’ve found our rhythm. Last year’s two-week tour was hard enough—calling her every night, falling asleep to her voice on the phone, waking up and reaching for someone who wasn’t there.
By the time I reach my building, I’ve cycled through a dozen different scenarios.
Maybe she could join me for the European leg?
Her firm is now more established, with Jasmyn and Eliza able to handle matters in her absence.
Or maybe I could fly back between cities, even if just for forty-eight hours at a time.
When I open the door, I see Minji in my kitchen, wearing my favorite Columbia sweatshirt that hangs down to her thighs, her hair loose. Seeing her so at home in my space makes my chest ache with love.
“Hey.” She pops a grape in her mouth. “I’m attempting that stew Grayson taught me last time we visited. No promises it’s edible.”
I walk over and hug her from behind, pressing my face into her hair. “You look good enough to eat, as always.”
She turns in my embrace. “What happened at the meeting?”
I take a deep breath. “They want me to do a six-week tour. Twenty-three cities, four countries.”
Her expression doesn’t change, but I feel her stiffen slightly. “When?”
“It starts in two weeks.”
She nods slowly, processing this information. “That’s longer than we expected.”
“Tab’s trying to break it up, maybe get me home for a few days between legs of the tour.”
“But I think it’s good. Your international readers deserve to see you, too. You can’t just do local signings,” she voices as I lift her onto the kitchen island.
Her words surprise me. “Wait, you’re not upset about me being gone for that long?”
“Of course I’m upset.” Her hands move to my shoulders. “But this is your career, Aaron. Your readers are important.”
I study her face, searching for any hint of the disappointment I expected. “I thought you’d be more…”
“More what? Clingy? Demanding?” She raises an eyebrow. “I run my own law firm. I understand professional obligations.”
I step between her legs, hands resting on her thighs. “I was thinking of asking if you could come with me. Maybe not for all of it, but parts?”
Something flashes in her eyes, maybe hope or excitement, but then she gets practical. “I don’t know if I can be away that long. We just took on the Robertson case, and Jasmyn is still getting used to the corporate clients.”
“Even for a week? London’s on the itinerary.” I trace small circles on her thigh. “We could revisit that little pub in Notting Hill.”
She bites her lip, considering. “I could potentially do a long weekend somewhere. Maybe arrange some international client meetings to justify the trip.”
“Always the pragmatist,” I tease, leaning in to kiss her.
She meets me halfway, her lips soft against mine. When we part, she’s smiling. “Someone has to be, especially when dating a hopeless romantic.”