AAE -- For Better For Worse

Part 3 -- Chapter 19

by LoveCR2

edited by All-About-AAE

 

 

Holding her breath in anticipation, Sun-Mi waits a moment, then raps again.

 

"Enter," a muffled voice responds.

 

She pushes the door in just enough to slip through. Manager Chin is seated in his chair, cigarette in hand, looking through some papers on his desk.

 

A Korean expat with a middle-aged spread and receding hairline, Chin Byung-Ho had no distinctive features worthy of mention, except a thin mustache on his upper lip and the reputation for a vicious disposition when crossed. Sun-Mi had seen other hostesses leave his office in tears, but fortunately, she had yet to run afoul of that side of his personality. To his credit, he had always treated her fairly, looking out for her with an almost fatherly attitude.

 

 

Byung-Ho looks up at Sun-Mi, waving her on.

 

"Close the door, and have a seat, Nicole," he requests, using the pseudonym she had chosen. For their anonymity and protection, real names were never used on the premises with either customers or staff.

 

He points to the only chair, placed in the center of the room facing his desk. She breaths easier. Perhaps it won't be as bad as she had feared.

 

Sun-Mi sinks onto the chair with a low sigh, glad for a moment off her feet, sore after four hours in the 100mm stiletto heel, thin-sole, pointed-toe pumps that are required wear specified in the hostesses dress code. Conscious of the short skirt of her figure-clinging red cheongsam, she tugs on the hem as it rides up, the high side slit exposing a satin suspender strap clipped to her sheer black stocking.

 

"You wanted to see me, Sir?"

 

"I heard there was a disturbance," he goes right to the matter at hand. "What's going on?"

 

"That punter was way over the line!" Sun-Mi defends herself. "I'm not going to let some filthy animal paw me!"

 

"Then deal with it appropriately, not by making a scene!" Byung-Ho admonishes her. "Your job is to keep our patrons satisfied and coming back. Not acting like some Primary schoolmarm keeping her charges in line with a rap on the knuckles!"

 

Though annoyed by the condescending putdown, Sun-Mi holds her tongue, hoping the reprimand is the limit of her punishment. "I overreacted. I'm sorry, Sir," she replies contritely, "It won't happen again."

 

"You're right, it won't," he agrees, "It's clear our arrangement isn't working. You're not bringing in as much as the other girls, and now this. I gave you a chance, but you're not keeping up your end of the contract."

 

 

Sun-Mi is taken aback. Prepared for an angry dressing down, instead she has just been calmly fired on the spot!

 

"I need this job! How else can I pay you back?" she pleads her case.

 

"Is that my problem?" he refuses to bend. "You knew the terms when you took the money. I even gave you a break when you've missed your payments, but no more! I'm not running a charity house here."

 

"Give me more time! I'll put in extra hours, work harder!" Sun-Mi begs, instant tears rolling in her eyes. "I'll do whatever it takes," she promises desperately. "Please!"

 

 

Byung-Ho regards Sun-Mi sympathetically. "I must have a soft heart for a drop of tear," he jokes with a toothy grin. "All right. One more chance."

 

"Thank you, Sir!" she accepts enthusiastically. "I won't disappoint you!"

 

"After you leave here, report to Judith. She'll set you up with your new position."

 

"Judith?"

 

"She's House Mum in the VIP Lounge," Manager Chin explains briefly. "I'll tell her I sent you over."

 

 

Sun-Mi had only once entered through the door marked "VIP LOUNGE" out of curiosity. She had seen signs in both Seoul and London advertising exotic dancers and strippers, and knew in general what they did, but had never seen a performance in person until that moment.

 

In shock -- before she quickly fled the lounge in revulsion -- she had watched as the 'dancers', elevated on tables encircled by lecherously ogling men, sensuously gyrated in various states of undress to loud, pulsating music and flashing lights.

 

 

Sun-Mi stares at Manager Chin in disbelief. "What? You can't expect me to ... to do that!" she protests.

 

"You said whatever it takes!" he snaps. "What's the big deal with taking some clothes off? You don't have to go full nude unless you want to."

 

"But, Sir..."

 

 

"Or you can start paying me back with some 'personal favors' ..."

 

Abandoning any pretense of fatherliness, Byung-Ho lewdly eyes her, making Sun-Mi squirm at the thought of what he was expecting.

 

He grins salaciously, "It's your choice."

 

 

Mortified, Sun-Mi reluctantly gives in, standing shakily. "In that case, I'll go to see Judith."

 

Byung-Ho sends her off with a vulgar laugh, "I'll look forward to watching your debut, Nicole. Don't disappoint me!"

 

 

After Sun-Mi leaves, he picks up his desk phone and taps in a number.

 

A woman answers, "VIP Lounge."

 

"Judith, I'm sending over another girl, Nicole," he informs her. "Have Ericka get her oriented."

 

"Ericka? This one must be special."

 

"Yeah. If she works out, I might have other plans for her."

 

"I'll let Ericka know."

 

"Good. Buzz me when she's on. I want to check her out."

 

"Will do," Judith confirms. "I gotta go. Time for the next shows."

 

"Later," Byung-Ho rings off the call, hanging up the handset.

 

 

Opening the folder, he picks up an old newspaper and scans the headline...

 

MBS Announcer Jin Sun-Mi Named New London Correspondent

 

 

Byung-Ho chuckles to himself as he muses, "Of all the clubs, in all of London, how did Fate send you into mine?"