AAE -- Wishes Of The Heart

Chapter 25

written by LoveCR2 -- 2005

edited by All-About-AAE -- 2016

 

"There's only one kind of 'business' a woman dresses like that to negotiate... a play for a man!" -- Jo Cho-Jeh

 

 

"Sun-Mi! Wait!" Cho-Jeh yells as she runs toward the elevator, waving her arm wildly.

 

Sun-Mi presses the DOOR OPEN button, and the elevator doors, almost closed, slide open again.

 

"Thanks," Cho-Jeh gasps as she steps into the cab. "I'm glad I caught you."

 

Sun-Mi pushes " LL" for the lower level lobby. The doors close and the elevator starts down.

 

"What is it, Cho-Jeh?"

 

"Choi Jin-Soo stood me up again, He'd rather watch the DG game from the press box," she complains, lamenting, "If only he were half as interested in me as baseball! ... Wanna go together for lunch?" she suggests.

 

"Sorry," Sun-Mi replies sympathetically, "But Senior and I already have a lunch date."

 

"I thought you didn't want to be seen together at the station?"

 

"What difference does it make, since someone ‘let the cat out of the bag'?" Sun-Mi reminds her friend of the scandal she'd carelessly initiated, that had cost Sun-Mi her chance to anchor the MBS News At Nine.

 

Cho-Jeh looks down guiltily. "Hey … when are you going to stop blaming me for that?"

 

"Maybe if you bought lunch for once," Sun-Mi hints. "I'm always treating!"

 

"I'd treat too if I had as good a job – and as rich a boyfriend – as you!" Cho-Jeh grumbles.

 

 

Sun-Mi is about to chastise Cho-Jeh for unnecessary jealousy, when her cell phone rings. Taking the phone from her bag, she flips it open and checks the caller ID number. Her face lights up with a smile at seeing Hyung-Chul's office number.

 

"It's Senior," she informs Cho-Jeh happily.

 

Cho-Jeh returns a look of envious disgust.

 

Sun-Mi puts the phone to her ear and says excitedly, "Yes, Senior?"

 

A moment later, her smile fades to a disappointed frown.

 

"Of course ... I understand …Thank you, Miss Lee."

 

Sun-Mi slowly closes her phone, muttering, "Since when does he have his secretary call me to cancel plans?"

 

Cho-Jeh is curious: "What did she say?"

 

Sun-Mi gives Cho-Jeh a resigned smile. "Looks like I've been stood up, too. Senior has a sudden business meeting. So where do you want to eat?"

 

Before Cho-Jeh can answer, Sun-Mi's cell phone rings again. She quickly picks up. "Hello? … Sure, I'm with Cho-Jeh right now … Okay, see you there in a few minutes."

 

Sun-Mi returns the phone to her purse, then presses the "ML" button for the main floor. "That was Young-Mi," she explains. "She'll meet us in the main lobby."

 

"I heard a rumor Young-Mi came in today," Cho-Jeh divulges. "Do you think she's angling to get her job back?"

 

"She only came in to settle things before she moves on," Sun-Mi corrects the misinformation. "Why listen to such..."

 

Sun-Mi stops talking as the elevator doors open at the main lobby level. They step out and walk to the front lobby.

 

Young-Mi is waiting by the side entrance leading to the outdoor patio, and waves when she sees them.

 

"Sun-Mi! Cho-Jeh! Over here," Young-Mi calls out.

 

Sun-Mi smiles when she sees Young-Mi, and waves back. A few steps later, and the three women are together.

 

"I'm so glad we could meet up," Young-Mi enthuses.

 

"Yes, where should we go to eat?" Sun-Mi asks. "Cho-Jeh?"

 

But when she looks up, she sees that Cho-Jeh isn't listening, but staring back toward the elevators.

 

"That... that's Park So-Won!" Cho-Jeh exclaims, pointing.

 

Sun-Mi, knowing how star-struck Cho-Jeh can be, reacts indifferently. "Stop staring! It's embarrassing," she chides her friend.

 

"But, Sun-Mi, look! You gotta see this!" Cho-Jeh insists.

 

Sun-Mi turns around to look... and her mouth drops open in astonishment... Just as Cho-Jeh had claimed, It is Park So-Won... on the arm of the Director of Planning and Programming!

 

They aren't the only ones who notice. Everyone in the lobby is staring as the pair, engaged in conversation, crosses the lobby toward the revolving doors.

 

Puzzled, Cho-Jeh wonders aloud:  "Why's Park So-Won with Director Yoon? And why is she holding his arm like that? Didn't you say Director Yoon cancelled lunch for a business meeting?"

 

Sun-Mi immediately comes to his defense. "Can't Senior have a business lunch with a woman?"

 

"Yes, that's right," Young-Mi speaks up. "I was just leaving Director Yoon's office, when Park So-Won arrived. She mentioned something about a proposal they had to discuss with her uncle and his father."

 

"A proposal?" Cho-Jeh gasps. "For marriage?"

 

"I don't know. Although she brought it up, Director Yoon wouldn't say anything in front of me."

 

"It's probably a casting contract they're negotiating, that's why it's a secret," Sun-Mi tries to justify the situation to her friends, and to herself. "Just routine business."

 

As Hyung-Chul and So-Won bypass the revolving door, using the side entrance, with her curiosity piqued, Cho-Jeh moves closer to see better, and Young-Mi and Sun-Mi follow. Parked outside is a Porche 911 convertible, as bright red as So-Won's dress. They watch as Hyung-Chul opens the passenger-side door for So-Won to get in.

 

Seeing So-Won take full advantage of the opportunity to draw Hyung-Chul's attention to her long, shapely legs before the car door closes, Cho-Jeh is unconvinced. "Humph!... There's only one kind of 'business' a woman dresses like that to negotiate... a play for a man," she concludes accusingly. "Sun-Mi, what are you going to do?"

 

Sun-Mi had watched So-Won's blatant flirting with quiet seething, but her anger is not directed towards Hyung-Chul. "Nothing... I'd go crazy being jealous over every woman that Senior meets... I know I can trust him," she replies confidently.

 

"This is not just any woman, it's Park So-Won!" Cho-Jeh argues. "And she's definitely after Director Yoon!"

 

Sun-Mi is resolute: "Senior is not that kind of person. He won't go behind my back..."

 

"Right," Young-Mi concurs. "Let's just drop this. Aren't you hungry, Cho-Jeh?"

 

"Oh... I almost forgot," Cho-Jeh laughs. "I'm famished! Sun-Mi...?"

 

But Sun-Mi is focused on the scene outside. Cho-Jeh has raised a doubt in Sun-Mi's self-confidence, and as Hyung-Chul drives off to have lunch with Park So-Won -- instead of with her -- for a moment Sun-Mi's heart falters, and she feels as if she can't breathe...