Graveyard Shift

Mi Yeon was a freelancer not because she wanted to be, but because she’d been pushed out of the last adult establishment that had hired her. While she understood why she’d been fired, it was still unfair that she was the only one facing consequences. The married man who had gotten her in trouble, Jae Hyuk Lim, was still showing up three times a week, according to her friend and ex-coworker.

“I don’t understand. His wife almost set the place on fire when she caught him with me. Why is she allowing him to go and meet new girls?” Mi Yeon asked.

“Well, you didn’t hear this from me, but according to Su Mi – his new favorite – Director Lim was in love with you, and the wife could forgive the sex, but not the attachment.”

Mi Yeon usually played loud K-Pop while getting ready for work, but she painted her face silently, deep in thought. Jae Hyuk was physically more attractive than the other middle-aged men who visited her. He was tall for someone his age and had a slim frame due to being an avid runner. Mi Yeon had appreciated their conversations, and he always used to ask how she was first before talking about his day. But fondness wasn’t love and good manners were just something instilled in him from his upbringing.

Her doorbell pulled Mi Yeon out of her thoughts. It was 9pm and she hadn’t ordered anything.

“Who is it?”

“Quick Service!”

It was a pot of marigolds, butter yellow with fringes of red. A dark red ribbon wrapped around the white porcelain planter. There was no card or any indication of where or who it came from.

Mi Yeon reached out and touched the velvety petals. There was a specific feel to live flowers that she loved, but she’d only bought flowers for herself. She’d never received flowers from anybody before.

“Oh my god,” Mi Yeon said, suddenly remembering the last conversation she had with Jae Hyuk before his wife burst into their private room.

“There’s no way you look the way you do and you’ve never gotten flowers from anybody before,” Jae Hyuk had said, his soft hand brushing back her hair to curl behind her ear. They were both on their fourth glass of Johnnie Walker Blue, and Mi Yeon was feeling needy.

“Promise me you’ll bring me flowers the next time you see me,” she said. Jae Hyuk leaned in and gently touched her lips with his. He smelled of Creed Aventus and tasted of smoke and pineapple slices.

“He’s going to get me killed,” Mi Yeon muttered. She called the private taxi company that worked for people in her business and told them to pick her up in front of her building in ten minutes. She then texted Su Mi and asked if Jae Hyuk was at Havana.

He arrived five minutes ago. What’s wrong?

Can you bring him out in like twenty minutes? He sent me something. I swear his wife is going to kill me.

I’m loving this drama.

Just bring him out, Su Mi.

_____

“What’s with the flowers?” the driver asked.

“It’s a long story. I’m not in the mood.”

“You got flowers and you’re not in the mood? Women,” he said, shaking his head. Mi Yeon secured the planter with a seatbelt and kept her hand on the porcelain as the driver made his way down her street and into the main Gangnam road. There were no stars out due to light pollution, but Mi Yeon liked the bright lights coming from the signs, buildings, and hundreds of cars. It made the graveyard shift much more bearable.

The Mercedes Benz private taxi pulled up in front of Havana, and Mi Yeon asked the driver to wait with the meter on. She texted Su Mi and stared at the entrance of the basement club until she saw Jae Hyuk, familiar and already drunk, coming up the stairs.

“I’ll be right back.”

Jae Hyuk swayed on the balls of his feet as Mi Yeon approached with the planter in her hands.

“You got it,” he said, his words slurred and his eyes relaxed.

“Yes, but I can’t keep it, so I’m here to return it to you,” Mi Yeon said.

“Mi Yeon ah –”

“Do you love me? Because that’s what I heard. That you were silly enough to fall in love with a room salon girl,” Mi Yeon said. She’d never used this tone with him before. She couldn’t tell if she was angry at him or scared for whatever they had.

“They’re fall flowers. You said fall was your favorite season. And red and yellow are your favorite colors. Don’t put too much into it. They’re just flowers, Mi Yeon,” Jae Hyuk said.

“Stop,” Mi Yeon said.

Jae Hyuk looked like he was in pain. “I’m trying,” he said.

“Try harder.”

Mi Yeon placed the planter by his feet and turned to walk away. Jae Hyuk called out her name. The parking valets were probably all staring as well as the Havana girls who were coming into work.

Jae Hyuk was married. His wife knew about her and hated her. He wasn’t going to leave his wife. Mi Yeon did not want to go back to making fifteen hundred dollars a month working 60-hour weeks. She could pay for a private taxi. She was wearing luxury brands from head to toe. She was sending money home to her parents.

Mi Yeon didn’t turn around and walked back to the taxi. She didn’t look at Jae Hyuk as the driver pulled away, taking her to her club for the night.