The Situation in Her Bed - Chapter 3.3

3.3

Sunghee didn’t know what to say to Seungju. She and Yura often talked about what they could do to  be noticed by their manager, but when he finally showed an interest in her, Sunghee couldn’t stop herself from feeling suspicious. But then… who cares? She should just say yes! Right now! This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to catch a good man!

Say yes already!

Nonchalantly, she asked,

“Umm, okay. What time?”

“We’ll just leave work together. It’s going to get even busier starting next week, but we’re fine this week. You remember we’re starting that new apartment ad next week, right?”

Sunghee blinked and nodded. She did hear the rumors that her company was pursuing a large contract with a construction company, and it seemed that they got the deal. Seungju added,

“We should relax while we can. Anyway, I will meet you at the underground parking lot after work, okay?”

He nodded to her and left the break room. Feeling dazed, Sunghee sat down on the sofa again. So… did this really happen just now? Manager Min asked her out on a date? But why? He was such a good looking man with a bright future, so there was no way he liked her, right? After all, she was just an ordinary girl…

“Gosh, I don’t know…”

She grabbed her head and groaned. Sunghee knew she could contemplate and worry about this all day, but it wasn’t going to solve anything. All she could do was face whatever was going to happen and be smart about it.

And if things work out, well… It would be like she won a lottery.

***

The date with Min Seungju wasn’t bad. Other than the fact that he yawned a few times while they chatted, Sunghee learned that he was a kind and funny man just as she suspected. They ate at a famous French restaurant and enjoyed a cocktail afterward. It has been such a long time since she had a fancy date like this, so Sunghee felt excited.

“Do you live alone, Sunghee?”

After parking his car in front of her apartment, Seungju asked. Sunghee, who was sitting in the passenger seat, smiled and nodded.

“Yes, I used to live with my younger brother, but he left to serve in the military.”

“He must be much younger than you then? So… I don’t know if I’m allowed to ask women their ages, but how old are you?”

Sunghee giggled.

“I’m 28. My brother just turned 23.”

“I’m 35, so I guess I’m quite a bit older than you, right?”

When Seungju smiled and glanced at her, she shrugged and replied lightly,

“Of course not. Besides, you look really young for your age. I thought you were in your late 20s at most. I mean… they say men age slower, right? For women, a wrinkle or two is enough to make us look so much older.”

When she grumbled, Seungju laughed quietly and nodded.

“Thanks for the kind words.”

“Well, we’re here, so I gotta go now.”

Sunghee wondered if she should invite him to her place for coffee, but decided against the idea. She lived alone, so inviting him could be a little dangerous. She didn’t want to look too forward or eager.

“Umm, Sunghee…”

She was walking towards the building entrance when Seungju called her name. She  turned around and saw him with the car window down. He smiled and said to her,

“Let’s have dinner again some time, okay?”

“Umm, okay.”

He nodded with a smile and closed the window. His car slowly left the apartment parking lot and Sunghee watched him leave for a long time before going home.

***

“Hmm… I think I would give Manager Min 95 out of 100.”

Yura said to Sunghee during lunch. Sunghee tilted her head and looked up at her friend.

“Why not 100?”

“Because no man is perfect. Besides, the last 5 points will depend on how much he loves me.”

Yura raised her fingers and spoke as if she was an expert in the field of appraising man. Sunghee grinned and ate a spoonful of her stew.

“You’re hilarious.”

“I’m serious. But maybe dating someone from your own department isn’t the best idea. Should I target the hot manager in the strategic planning department instead?”

“And you think you can get him?”

“Being optimistic doesn’t hurt.”

Yura grumbled and ate her fried rice. Amazed at how elegantly Yura ate, Sunghee stared at her for a full five seconds. Then, she looked down at her own bowl of rice and stew. Her white rice was smeared with red stew, making her feel like a country bumpkin who couldn’t even eat like a lady.

But who cares? After all, this bumpkin had a date with Manager Min, right?! Sunghee smiled in secret. This had to mean that Min Seungju was interested in her. He even asked her to have dinner with him again later. All morning, Sunghee glimpsed at the manager secretly. To her delight, whenever their eyes met, Seungju gave her a pretty smile. She still couldn’t tell what kind of interest he had in her, but she didn’t think it was a bad one. It was definitely worth exploring the idea. If things worked out, her life was going to change forever.

Sunghee sighed happily. Noticing this, Yura put her spoon down and narrowed her eyes.

“Something’s going on with you this week. Did something good happen? You seemed so tired yesterday, but today, you look so excited and happy. Did you find yourself a man?”

“A man?”

Sunghee sneered and laughed, but her heart began to pound wildly. If Yura knew about her date with Manager Min, she wouldn’t have looked this relaxed. Sunghee decided that the best thing was to keep quiet about the whole thing until something more solid happened.

Then suddenly, Sunghee remembered Sejin and her smile disappeared from her face. She began to worry… What if Sejin tells the other men in their office about their night together? Do men usually gossip while they drink together? If they do, then all the men in the office are going to think she’s easy… The manager was going to lose interest in her.

So should she talk to Sejin and make sure he keeps his promise of not telling about their affair?

***