{Wattys Shortlist 2022}
A one night stand is turned inside out when two strangers discover their shared past.
After a skydiving excursion that ends in a whirlwind one night stand, Camilla writes off ever seeing her handsome instructor again. That...
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After both Mr. and Mrs. Tenney had taken their seats at the head of the table, South pulled out my chair, and I sat nervously across from Connor.
Delicate porcelain plates detailed with whimsical flowers and ribbons of gold sat in front of me, along with neatly folded napkins and thick goblets of etched crystal.
Connor poured me a glass of red wine while South and West took their seats across from one another. I noticed Connor poured himself white—clearly, the red wine incident at the wedding was still fresh in his mind.
I was glad to have him smiling back at me. We were both outsiders at this table, and I thought nothing truly horrible could happen between West and his father if there were witnesses.
How wrong I was.
Polite conversation about my job at the Newport Yacht Club quickly evolved into scathing comments about West's decision not to participate in the Sailing Regatta because he was acting in a local production of Beauty and the Beast.
"I've always loved going to the theatre," I said mildly after Les had made yet another joke about Broadway. Taking a sip of wine and smiling over at West. "You must have a lot of courage to get on stage and perform. I couldn't do it. I'd be too embarrassed."
West gave me a lopsided grin that only lasted for a moment.
"Well, of course, you'd be embarrassed, Camilla," his father replied. Everyone at the table drew a collective breath. "You understand that acting is for lowlifes who take drugs and waste their lives pretending to do great things. You'd be debasing yourself in front of real, honest consumers."
Was that what he really thought of actors? That they were drug addicts? It was such a random and disgusting stereotype.
Not everyone lived in a house the size of a small French castle.
I opened my mouth to tell the admiral that's not what I meant, when West stood angrily out of his chair. Hands clenched in fists. The boy that had tasted chili inside my parents cluttered kitchen was gone.
"What is your problem?" West shouted.
Les didn't answer. He merely took another sip of whiskey. It was disgusting to watch how much pleasure he took from making his son upset.
"Ha Joon. Sit back down," Ji Woo snapped. "Your father is just expressing his opinion. There will be no arguments at my table. You know the rules."
West lingered behind his chair but didn't sit. His chin tucked to his chest—angry red patches sitting in his cheeks and blossoming down his neck.
