Minji's POV
The first day was always the most calm, only presentations and meetings. Hyunsuk, who used to be the director, was leaving too quickly, not giving me enough time to see how everything was going. Earlier today he introduced me to the woman who would help me with this hard task. Pham Hanni. Despite her evident nervousness, she seemed to be someone competent and hardworking; from Hyunsuk's recommendations, Hanni was on top of every detail of the company, like a good secretary or right arm. Besides being an extremely attractive woman, Ms. Pham, like I called her, was a beautiful brunette with Asian features; her thin face was beautifully carved, her nose was small and her mouth fleshy, and I could notice that her eyes were brown. She was wearing a tight and modeled turquoise dress, highlighting her beautiful curves. Her hair was dark, straight, mid-back length, and it was partially tied by a delicate bow in the back. Her gaze was fearful, and somewhat scared of me. Do I really scare her that much? What does she know about me? Jesus! I was as gentle as possible, which wasn't in my nature, but the scared young lady deserved kindness since she would practically be my companion there. I explained to her the way I liked to work, and everything that I would need on my day-to-day. Hanni seemed to understand everything perfectly well, she wrote down some things in her small blue notepad and then she left.
For the rest of the day I studied some reports left in my office, and from what I've seen, everything's going well in here. But needed improvement, I thought. Even though I was trying to focus on those papers, something, or rather, someone, was distracting me. Since last night, the dancer hasn't left my head not even for a minute, the image of her dancing so sensually was imprinted in my thoughts. Dammit, Minji! How could I let a woman, who I didn't even exchange a word with, invade my mind so quickly? I shook my head, trying to push away the image of that brunette swaying her hips in a sexy way for me, that's right, for me. But it was impossible, I needed to see her again. At the end of her show I felt somewhat frustrated and happy because she didn't receive customers, if she didn't receive anyone who offered her money, she had a good character, and that was when I felt even more desire to see her, but my desire was turned down.
"Ms. Kim?" I heard someone call me, taking Scarlet off my thoughts. Hanni entered the office shyly.
"I brought the coffee that you asked for, it's quite hot." She said, placing it next to me.
"Thank you, Ms. Pham. Do you know if Hyunsuk is in the company?"
She walked to the front of my desk, with the little tray in her hands.
"He already left, Ms. Kim, most already did."
I looked at her, somewhat confused, everyone was leaving already? What time was it? I grabbed my phone looking at the screen, and it was past 08:00PM.
"Oh my God! It's already past eight, what are you still doing here, Pham?"
"Well, Ms. Kim, I was finishing the reports you asked me to."
"Leave them for tomorrow, you can go home, sometimes I forget the time. I'd ask that you help me with that too, or you'll be working all night."
Hanni nodded quietly, and I stared at the woman standing in front of me, analyzing her surreptitiously. Something about her was familiar, I just didn't know what. Maybe I was going crazy, I was so focused on the dancer that I saw her in every woman that I found attractive. The girl was somewhat uncomfortable under my gaze, so I quickly stopped.
"Can I leave?"
"Of course, see you tomorrow, Ms. Pham."
"Good Night, Ms. Kim."
"Good Night."
I stayed for another hour in the office, battling with myself, whether I should go or not to that club. I couldn't let anyone see me there, what would they say? But the desire to see her again was rampant, Scarlet affected me in such a way that the only thing I could think about was of having her to myself. I thought about calling Ryujin and tell her to meet me at 'Imperium' again, but maybe I should go alone.
I got up, grabbing my purse and my blazer, and then I left that office, going towards the parking lot, where I got into my car and drove through the streets of Gangnam. I drove a few times around the club, fighting with myself to just leave. For years I didn't allow myself to get involved with a woman, maybe because my work took too much of my time, more than it should. I parked the car in front of the club, and from the outside I could already hear the music that was playing inside. I leaned my head against the steering wheel, thinking I should leave, but my body, in pure instinct, resolved to do the opposite. I straightened the thin scarf around my neck and got out of the car, walking towards the entrance. I paid the entrance fee and went in search of that woman.
Today the club was less busy, of course, who the hell frequents clubs on a Monday? I shook my head, still heading to the main bar. I bought a shot of Whiskey and just sat right there. Some women were dancing on the pole, but none of them compared to the brunette from the night before. I stayed there for a few minutes; maybe today was her day off, I thought.
"Good Evening, can you tell me if Scarlet's performing today?" I asked the woman with a well sculpted body.
"Scarlet? Oh, no, she doesn't perform today, her days are Friday and Saturday."
"But I was here yesterday and she was performing." I said politely.
"Yesterday was an exception, Scarlet danced by Lily's request, but usually it's only on the days that I told you."
I was somewhat disappointed, for going there and not seeing her.
"I'm sorry, but what's your name?" I asked.
"My name's Julia." She said in a friendly way.
"Well, thank you, Julia, you saved me from waiting here all night." I said with half a smile, and then I got off the stool I was sitting on.
"Listen, ma'am." I heard the woman call me.
"If you want to see her, you can come tomorrow, she rehearses every Tuesday here in 'Imperium', the club is open, but like today, it's less busy."
I smiled instantly at the woman who gave me the best news. "You most certainly helped me a lot, thank you." I said, more excited than I should.
Julia smiled at me and I did the same, and then I left and headed towards my house.
Hanni's POV
I researched more about that woman, about Soojoo. I wanted to find something about her personal life, but since Minji was such a private person, no one knew anything. I grunted, frustrated, in front of my computer screen where there was only one picture of my boss, she always looked so elegant that it was hard to imagine that when she wakes up, she might be at least a little messy.
"What are you doing so much in that computer?" Karina asked, approaching me with her cute slippers and a cup of hot coffee in her hands.
"Researching some stuff." I answered calmly.
She sat down next to me, but without looking at the computer's screen, taking a sip of her coffee.
"Something about her attracts me..." I let out, and Karina just nodded.
"I'm not saying that I desire her, but that I have this urge to get to know more about her life, you know? She is so mysterious..."
"You've only 'known' her for two days, Han. What excessive desire is that?"
I didn't even know... How could a woman, who I'd never even had an open conversation with, occupy my thoughts so much? I needed to get to know her, know about her life, what she liked to do. It was so strange.
"It's not desire, Rina, just curiosity." I said, getting up from the couch.
"Dani said that you've never danced in such a sensual way before." She looked at me with accusative eyes.
"Dani doesn't know what she's talking about, I danced like I always dance!" I said rapidly.
"I'm going to bed, good night." I said as I went to my room.
I didn't desire that woman, I didn't even know her that well. God! I was only curious about her, about her life.
*****
Why do we always wake up during the best part of our dream? It was so frustrating, I thought as I got up from bed, or rather, as I dragged myself out of it. I did all my morning hygiene, and I spent more time in the shower than I should. Today I was going to wear a white dress with black details, loose, but that still marked my curves. My hair was straight, like Hanni always wore it, which was quite different from Scarlet, who overused the waviness. I put on black high heels, and light makeup.
"Are you all dolled up for Ms. Kim?" I heard Danielle ask as soon as I entered the kitchen.
I gave her a deadly look for saying those things in front of Karina.
"No, and stop saying nonsense, I always dress like this." I said, taking a sip of the juice that was in her glass.
"You're right, but you look even more beautiful today, Phampham!"
"Dani's absolutely right, you look wonderful."
"Do you want something from me?" I asked suspiciously, making Karina and Danielle pretend to be offended.
"See, Dani, Hanni doesn't believe in our compliments."
"I'm feeling hurt."
I laughed at the melodrama those two were making, and I finished eating my breakfast, I was more than late. After a few minutes stuck in the regular traffic, we arrived at Kim Industry. I quickly went to my desk, and felt a slight fear for arriving late. Dammit! I approached her door, taking a deep breath. It was only the second day that I worked with her, I didn't know her mood or quirks, but I was sure that when that woman was angry she turned into a beast.
I entered her office, and she was sitting on her huge chair, the back of the chair turned to me.
"You're late, Ms. Pham." Her voice was deep, cold and rude.
"I'm so sorry, Ms. Kim, the traffic in Gangnam isn't easy." I said uneasily.
"It would be better if you left home earlier, since you live far." She said, turning to face me.
Minji looked at me from head to toe with intensity, and I felt a shiver go through my body at the way she was looking at me. She looked beautiful, as always.
"I will."
She nodded and made a sign for me to come closer. "What do we have for today?"
"Well, at 9 we have a meeting with the company shareholders, about future contracts. After that, a lunch with Hyunsuk, and in the afternoon we will review some balance sheets, like you asked yesterday. In the evening-"
"Cancel any commitment I have in the evening, I already have one, which by the way is more important." She said quickly.
I wondered what she would do in the evening, or with whom she would be with. But quickly suppressed such questions, it wasn't any of my business.
We spent the whole morning in the meeting with the shareholders. And during that time, I could see the imposing Kim Minji. She wasn't sweet and gentle, but authoritative and rude. And as weird as it may sound, that turned me on so much. I closed my eyes, listening to her voice echo in the room. I've had experiences with women before, but none of them turned me on so much. Where was my head at? A woman like Minji would never give me the time of day in that way.
The rest of the morning was calm. It was already mid-afternoon, and I was reviewing some balance sheets beside her in her office. Her perfume flooded my nostrils with a good, strong aroma, it was at least inebriating.
"Can I come in?" I heard the voice of a woman, who entered the office all smiley.
I saw Minji smile. I didn't even know that she could smile, I thought.
"Of course, Ryu, come in."
The brunette walked in, closing the door behind her. She was really pretty. Her hair was brown and long, she had light skin and a thin body. She looked at me with an evaluative gaze, which made me blush.
"We'll finish this later, Ms. Pham."
I nodded and left the room, somewhat bothered for leaving them alone.
Minji's POV
"You bitch, if I don't come after you, you don't even call me." Ryujin said, pretending to be angry.
"Do you have any idea how busy with work I am? Look at this!" I pointed to the huge stack of papers on my desk.
"It doesn't matter, at least one call."
"Shin, I didn't have time, I'm sorry." I said, trying to calm her down.
"Uh hu... You're too busy staring at the beautiful body of your secretary." She said in a mischievous tone, and then burst into laughter, which instantly made me blush.
"Don't speak nonsense!"
"C'mon, Minji-ah! I just arrived and I was instantly very impressed by the volume of that!" She said while making gestures that surely represented Hanni's ass.
I couldn't help but laugh, she could always improve my mood.
"I'm here to work, not to flirt with my employees."
Ryujin nodded, suppressing a smirk.
"So you didn't check it out?"
"What?" I asked, confused.
"I'm asking you if you didn't check her out."
It was obvious that I did, a lot, I thought.
"No! Shin, stop it."
"God! Are you dead by any chance? I'm starting to think you like men!" Her face was one of disgust.
"I think I really am." I joked.
Ryujin got up from the chair, grabbing her purse. "Honestly, have you lost your mind? Someone call the real Kim Minji, please!" She said loudly.
"Ryu! Shut up, we're in my office." I said laughing.
She sat back down.
"Of course I don't like men! I was joking."
"Good! But you didn't check her out, not even once?"
"I did, Ryu, I have been checking her out since I started working here." I admitted.
I saw a big smile appear on her lips. "That's what I like to hear. She's very beautiful, what's her name?"
"Pham Hanni. I don't even know her that well, we've only been working together for two days. But she seems to be very hardworking, and a nice girl."
"Do you know if she's gay?" Her question came out of nowhere.
"No, I don't know anything about my employees' personal lives. I can barely handle my own! But anyways, I don't think she is..."
"Find out. I want her number."
"You're like a lioness, you can't see an innocent prey." I said laughing.
Ryujin laughed in a smug way. "We live in a jungle, Kim."
"I know, but I don't think Hanni is one of those women, Ryu, she's a nice girl." I said, organizing the papers on my desk.
"You just said that you barely know her, how can you know she is a nice girl?"
"I just know it, dammit!"
"You don't want me hooking up with your secretary because you want her all to yourself, I see you, Kim."
I started laughing. "No, I already have my eyes on someone else." I said quickly.
Ryujin widened her eyes, and then inched closer to me, like she was about to tell me a secret.
"What?! Who? Wait, wait. Two days ago you weren't even think about anyone! How do you have someone now?"
"I don't have anyone, I just want to get to know someone. When I make any progress, I'll tell you. I promise." I said, getting up from my chair.
"Tell me now!"
"No." I said calmly.
"Minji!" Her voice came out loudly.
"I'm not telling anything now, Shin, stop being curious." I said, facing her.
"Now I have an important meeting."
"Right, I have to go anyways. But I'm warning you, you owe me an explanation." She said as she walked to the door.
"I will tell you everything, don't worry." I said before she left my office.
Ryujin was a lioness, she was always hooking up with several women and experimenting new things. Maybe she was like that because she never fell in love with someone, or never assumed to like someone. Ryujin has always had feelings for Hwang Yeji, a childhood friend, who knowing about her 'slut' ways, didn't believe she could have such feelings for her. It must've been frustrating for Ryujin, but I didn't blame Yeji, her conception was at least acceptable.
The rest of the day went by quickly, and soon enough Hanni and I finished reviewing the balance sheets. After my conversation with Ryujin, I started looking at my secretary even more, who by the way, looked very beautiful. She kept her head down, bending over her notepad, where she wrote down every commitment that I would have on the next day. I didn't think she was the type of easy woman that would fall for Ryu's flirtation. Hanni seemed to be someone serious, too well behaved for such situation. I couldn't deny that despite her shy way, she was really attractive and beautiful. I thought about the possibility of her being a lesbian, or at least bi, like Ryujin had wondered. I stared at her calm expression as she scribbled down on the piece of paper that had my schedule. She was sitting with her long legs crossed, leaving her thighs slightly showing. I couldn't stop staring at her, from her light tanned smooth skin to her feet covered by thin black high heels. I looked up at her somewhat alluring cleavage, due to the position she was in. If I wasn't mistaken, she was wearing a black bra. I shook my head, trying to remove such type of thoughts. God! It only took Ryujin to show up here with crazy ideas for me to lose myself.
"There you go, everything's already written down for tomorrow." She said, looking up at me
"Alright then, tomorrow you'll tell me everything, okay? You're free to go now, Ms. Pham, have a good night."
Hanni looked at me, and then nodded, getting up from the leather chair in front of me.
"Okay, Ms. Kim, good night." I heard her say as she walked towards the door.
Ryujin was absolutely right, Hanni had a beautiful volume on the back.
I saw the woman disappear through the door. I stayed a few more hours in the office, drinking a bit of Whiskey. I was trying to decide if I should go or not to that club. Thanks to Julia's information, I knew that Scarlet would be rehearsing today, a great opportunity to get closer. Was I really that lonely? Looking for a stripper to satisfy my desires? Even though I knew that Scarlet wasn't a prostitute, I wanted at least one night with her, I needed to touch the body that set me on fire just by dancing for me. I closed my eyes, thinking about the images of that brunette swaying her hips in such a sensual way on that stage. Where was my head at? She danced like that for everyone.
"It doesn't have to mean anything, Minji, it's just flirtation." I whispered to myself.
My thoughts remained in an internal conflict, but there was only one possible outcome.
I saw myself in that club again, it wasn't very busy, just like yesterday. A slow and sensual music was playing, the sound of a piano accompanied by a raspy male voice. In some corners, men were sitting beside semi-naked women who caressed and teased them. I was praying not to see Scarlet with any of them. The place was dimly lit, it was a bit hard to decipher the faces from afar. I passed between some women who stared at me like I was a delicious prey. I straightened up my coat, loosening a little the thin scarf around my neck, and then I spotted the same woman who gave me the information that Scarlet would be here today. Julia.
"Good Evening. Julia?"
The woman turned to face me, and she smiled, probably remembering that I was here last night.
"Can I get you something to drink?" She asked in a friendly way.
"A Whiskey with no ice, please."
Julia grabbed a small glass from the inside of the counter, and then served me a shot of Whiskey.
"Do you remember me? I was here yesterday." I asked before grabbing the glass.
She seemed to think, and then nodded. "You came to see Scarlet, right?"
"Exactly. Is she here?"
"Yes, she's back there, on the main stage. If you want, you can go over there, she's alone." She said, somewhat suggestive.
"Yes, she's back there, on the main stage. If you want, you can go over there, she's alone." She said, somewhat suggestive.
"Thank you." I said, raising my glass to her, who smiled.
I walked down the dark corridor of the club, illuminated only by a red light. With every step I took, I wondered what I expected from there. Why was I even there? My head screamed for me to stop and leave that club, but my body only obeyed my instincts, my desires, and my urge to see her again.
Under a lonely spotlight, I saw her, she was dancing sensually to the sound of a song with a strong and frenetic beat. Scarlet wasn't all dolled up like the last time I saw her, she was wearing light high-waisted denim shorts that left her long, defined legs showing, and a blouse with short sleeves and a defined cleavage that left good part of her smooth abdomen showing. Her hair was loose, tousled with slight waviness. She was so fucking sexy.
I walked towards one of the closest tables to the stage, and I sat down to watch the show that would only be mine. She didn't notice my presence there, and I thanked God for it. I wanted her to dance freely, with confidence.
The frenetic beat of the song and the movements of her body hypnotized me. There was no other explanation for the fact that my eyes couldn't stop staring at her body, at her bold and sexy moves. Scarlet used and abused the power she had, she used her body as a weapon to put any human being at her feet. I saw her body sway sensually a few times, to then stop slowly as she slid her hand down every inch of her body, places I would like to touch. Scarlet, in one move, threw her long hair from one side to the other, and then she strode until stopping in front of a wooden chair, where she sat, crossing her legs in a slow and painful way for those watching. The beat of the music changed to a faster one, and I saw her legs opening quickly in a very sensual way that made me feel my body burning. I took a sip of my Whiskey without taking my eyes off that woman. She got up and swayed her hips faster and provocatively, then going down to the ground in the same speed, but going back up in a slow way.
"Oh God..." I sighed as I imagined extremely forbidden scenes in my head.
I swallowed hard when her hands slid down her now sweaty body. I couldn't explain what I felt when she ran her hand through her tousled hair, she looked like she had just finished having wild sex. Her posture of imposing woman was driving me crazy. She knelt on the floor and quickly tossed her hair back, and then she stopped and looked ahead through her mask. The brunette was provocative with the movements that her body was capable of doing, I could see every detail of her muscles and sweaty skin. How could this woman cause things in me without even touching me?
Her dance lasted a few more pleasant minutes, which I confess left me on fire. When the music finally ended, Scarlet finished, sitting on the wooden chair with her body bent over, she was probably tired.
It was time for her to notice me there. So I clapped my hands in a glorious applause for the woman who made me lose my mind.