AAE -- Wishes Of The Heart

Chapter 116

written by LoveCR2 -- 2005

edited by All-About-AAE -- 2017

 

"Are you intending to give a private show? ... 'The Famous Sun-Mi Jin' in her debut strip performance!" -- PD Alex Marconi

 

 

BRYANT PARK, MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NEW YORK FASHION WEEK ...

 

"Yes, we can do the interview this morning. Just a moment..."

 

With a sparkle of victory in her eyes, Sun-Mi looks over to the remote team's PD, Alex Marconi, a beefy 35-year-old Italian-American with intense eyes under thick brows, abrasive mannerisms, and a short temper when his perfectionist standards aren't met.

 

Having overheard the gist of her phone conversation, he shoots back a glare that coincides with his blunt opinion, "No, we can't!"

 

"But I've been trying to schedule this for two weeks, and I'm not going to miss the opportunity," she overrules his reluctance. "How quickly can we pack?"

 

"We're almost all set up!" he protests sharply, motioning toward where the crew is busily at work. "This'll scratch the entire morning schedule, you know!"

 

"It should only take three hours, tops. We'll be back before noon for the afternoon schedule," Sun-Mi estimates, standing firm despite his resistance. "We have some extra footage from yesterday to fill out the segment if we need it."

 

"All, right," he mutters, checking a roll of his eyes, then calls loudly to the crew as he heads over to personally supervise. "Let's pack 'er all up, guys! We're moving out!"

 

 

"Thanks for waiting, Vice President," Sun-Mi speaks into her mobile again, switching to Korean, "In the interest of time, could we meet outside, on the plaza, instead of in your office? It's a nice morning, and a more picturesque setting."

 

She listens to the response while she watches the crew efficiently strike the temporary setup...

 

"Great! We'll be there in about 45 minutes," she confirms. "Bye..."

 

 

As she puts her phone into her office tote, PD Marconi strides up, his face a barely-controlled mask of irritation, still obviously bothered by the disrupted schedule.

 

"We'll have the van loaded in five minutes," he declares, more brusquely and louder than necessary even with the general hubbub amidst a major show's last minute preparations.

 

"Thanks for accommodating me, Alex. I owe you one," Sun-Mi suggests, flashing a smile at him to sweeten the possibility of an unspecified favor in the future as a reward.

 

He immediately interprets the offer as a capitulation from her usual cool professionalism that, up to this point, had solidly rebuffed every proposal he'd attempted for a more personal relationship with the latest attractive addition to the New York Bureau staff...

 

"I'd settle for drinks at Forlini's later," he suggests, angling for a late-night date, that with enough alcohol in the mix, could lead to something more afterward...

 

"Let me think about it," Sun-Mi replies noncommittally to his invitation, reinforcing her wall of indifference to his unwanted attentions.

 

 

Hoping to persuade her otherwise, he is about to press for a more definitive response, when Sun-Mi's makeup artiste and wardrobe assistant -- Rebecca Lee, a petite ABK (American-born Korean) with a perennially sunny attitude -- appears with a cup of coffee and half a croissant in hand...

 

"What's going on?" she asks, seeing the equipment for the shoot is packed up.

 

"We're relocating," Sun-Mi informs her without going into detail.

 

Rebecca doesn't appear fazed by the sudden change of plans. "Give me a sec' to get my kit," she requests as she does an immediately about-face, trotting back toward where she'd come from.

 

 

As Rebecca disappears, Sun-Mi packs up the morning scripts into her over-stuffed black Fendi leather tote, then hefts the strap over her shoulder.

 

"I'm ready," she tells Alex." Let's go..."

 

He turns a critical eye on her as they start off, "You're doing the standup dressed like this?"

 

Sun-Mi isn't surprised by his question. Her outfit for the first runway show -- courtesy of DKNY -- is a sequined turquoise blue one-shoulder gown with ruffled asymmetrical hem angling up from one knee to the opposite hip, and metallic gold, platform sandals with sky high 140mm spike heels, the antithesis of business-appropriate attire.

 

"I have a backup suit in the van," she informs him. "It'll do in a pinch... I can change on the way."

 

"That'll be some trick," Alex smirks at the idea, "what with the rear crammed full of equipment, and the guys in the back seat," reminding Sun-Mi that she won't have her usual privacy for changing as when the van is unloaded and the crew is out setting up.

 

Then he gibes with a sly wink, "Are you intending to give a private show? ... 'The Famous Sun-Mi Jin' in her debut strip performance!"

 

"Ha, ha..." Sun-Mi's sarcastic laugh shows she's not pleased with his ribald joking.

 

She is about to say more to express her indignation, including her opinion that he'd just cashed in her previously expressed debt, but just then Rebecca catches up with them, huffing in her haste, and Sun-Mi's mind moves on to a more important matter...

 

"You did bring my taupe suit, right?" she hopefully inquires of her assistant.

 

"I just brought out what we needed for today's segments," Rebecca answers innocently, unaware of the pressing reason for Sun-Mi's request. "Why?"

 

Realizing her plan had hit an unexpected snag, Sun-Mi smiles grimly as she explains, "We're on our way to do a business interview."

 

"I'm sorry," Rebecca apologizes, now realizing the critical importance of her lapse. "It's my fault, for forgetting..."

 

"No... I should've checked first, before we left the office," Sun-Mi puts the blame squarely on herself.

 

 

"You still want to do the interview?" Alex questions her plans, given the wardrobe glitch.

 

"I'll figure something out," Sun-Mi replies firmly, outwardly optimistic, while she is racking her mind desperately for a solution.

 

"Suit yourself, Sun-Mi," he replies skeptically, "It's your call."

 

"As they say, there's a silver lining in every dark cloud," she refers to the clich� with a wry smile, "This way, I won't need to change in the van..."