We sat facing each other at the dining table back at the house. The lights illuminated the pools creating an inviting air which made me wonder why I hadn't yet gone for a swim. Maybe later but now, there were more pressing issues.
'Icheon and Seoul.'
Lee Chul, at the meeting had offered to us a contract extension and we had until Friday to give our answer. That was ample time to come to a decision. They'd given us three days.
My issue wasn't whether or not I wanted to stay in South Korea, I wanted to. The chance to go to Incheon and Gangham to consult the other branches there was a great opportunity I didn't want to refuse. The issue here was, were we ready. The offices in those two cities were much bigger and neither Keziah and I had planned to stay longer than the allotted time.
'It's going to be a whole two months in South Korea.' Keziah mentioned.
Not counting the time we'd already spent here.
'Do we stay or do we go?' She asked.
My decision was already made. I was simply waiting on hers because her decision would largely affect mine although it wasn't supposed to. Lee Chul stated that they'd be perfectly fine with either one of us however boy of us would be better.
After the three days were up, we would join the team in a company retreat to someplace in the mountains to get to meet some of the other workers from the other branches. I thought it was an interesting way to get Keziah and Myself acquainted the team before having to work with them. Mr. Chul must have really given this some thought.
'I need to think about it some more. Make a few calls.'
'And I need to call my parents as well. Maybe Donnie.'
She was right, maybe they'd help make coming to a decision easier.
My conversations were short, naturally. At the end of talk three, I was still at the same conclusion. It would be better if we stayed.
Hartfield and Gold, our company according to Mr. Lee Chul's secretary have already been informed about the offer and are leaving the decision solely to us.
I stepped into the hall hearing Keziah's bubbly laughter.
'No babe, seriously. I'll have to stay two months more.'
'I already miss you so badly. And face time isn't doing much to help.'
Thomas whined.
'I know. So you think I shouldn't take it?'
I strained my ears to hear if the man was going to be selfish with Keziah.
'What did Anne say?'
'She said yes.'
'So if I say no, you're still likely going to listen to her.'
'But my mother is on the fence about it. I could tell she wanted to say no but she knew my dad would want me to take the opportunity.'
'So that make it three against one.' He sighed and I smiled at his tone of defeat.
'So what can I do about these two months?' He asked her.
'You can come to South Korea.'
'And I can sleepover! Yes!'
'Hell no.'
The conversation came to a halt and I quickly placed my phone on my ear and pretend to be on a phone call.
'No Donnie.' I continued.
'I'm not certain what the rules of our accommodation.'
Realizing I was on the phone, Keziah returned to the phone call.
'It seems Donnie also wanted to come and visit but ... you know I'll look into it. Don't look so disheartened.'
'Your wish is my command.'
I rolled my eyes.
'Okay, Donnie. Bye.'
I waited for the right moment to bring up the last day's events with Keziah since we weren't able to fully discuss it at work. Now that we were finished with our meal, I thought it was the perfect time.
'You shouldn't have behaved that way last night. Getting drunk is not a coping mechanism.'
'It's not like I went there with the intention to get drunk.'
'With what intent do you have five bottles of soju?'
'With what intent do you have when you decided to speak with my father?'
'It was strictly professional.'
'You think that makes me feel better?' She scoffed. ' That sounds even scarier. I've been trying to keep my father out of my professional life and you kick the doors wide open.'
'There's no need to raise your voice.'
'I'm sorry not everyone can be as cold as you.'
Cold? Me? She must have her adjectives mismatched.
'I'm tired of talking about this.' She said grabbing her phone.
We had barely spoken about anything. With her, I just keep going in circles covering no ground at all.
'Miss Mills, we aren't finished. Sit back down, please.'
'I already know where this is going to do let me sum it up nicely. You want to advise me to keep the bottle away from my mouth and deal with my problems like a proper adult. You have automatically assumed that I get drunk whenever I get upset when this is the first time I've acted this way. Am I right?'
I open my mouth to reply to the contrary but I realized that she was right.
'I wanted to ask you to speak to your father.'
She needed to stand up against him like she was doing now.
'Can't you understand me? You hate it when people get in your business but you're so eager to jump into mine, why?'
'It's my business when it concerns our work.'
'I don't see what my father has to do with work. The event was over. He wasn't visiting me on company time was he? Is my father not allowed to talk to me outside of work in your most presence?'
Why was she twisting the scenario to make me look bad.
'I don't know why I even bother caring.' I breathed.
'He wasn't talking to you he was putting you down. Blaming you for things you had no control over and somehow I'm the bad person.'
'Is he any different from you?'
I scowled are the absurd comparison. I was nothing like Hezekiah.
'I've given you something to think about, haven't I? Good. Now I'm going out for some fresh air...'
She lifted her hand.
' No, I'm not going to drink.'
Throughout the night I couldn't help think how false that accusation was. When had I falsely blamed her for things she wasn't responsible for. I searched my memory and found no instance supporting her claim.
If it hadn't been for me she would have been out of the job. I saved her career multiple times. Like, after the coffee incident, I could have fired her, North Carolina would have permitted me and I wouldn't have had to give a reason.
And then there was the fundraiser event when Mr. Hartfield's mother had been poisoned. I bent over nearly breaking my back to make sure to distance Keziah from the incident so she could keep her job.
Did she think Hartfield had simply let go of the investigation? His mother could have died.
And yes, Keziah wasn't the one to be blamed but someone had used her name and that alone was damning evidence.
I could rub all this in her face, all of it.
But for some reason, I knew that listing all my heroic deeds would only make her resent me all the more. Just look at what happened with her father. The damn woman was so bent on disliking me that no matter how I worded it or acted she'd see me as the main villain.
I should despise her right back. And as of tonight, I would. Gosh, who could stand such a woman. Thomas Kennedy deserved an award for outstanding patience.
I stepped out of my room to go down for a late-night snack. Whenever I got riled up like this it always helped to keep something sweet in my mouth and I found the perfect thing.
I bit into the grape grateful for the sweet repast.
I sat at the table with the bowl chewing on grapes and sending my mind into a blank calm state. Then my eye caught movement outside. There in the pool, a dark figure darted around in the turquoise water. Curious as to who it could be, I abandon my grapes for a closer look. Keziah emerged from the water as if she were shooting for a magazine. The water droplets rolled down her throat, traveling over her bikini-clad breasts, over flat stomach and down her toned legs. I was immobilized to my spot. I disliked this woman I repeated to myself. My brain got the message it was left with the rest of his brethren to catch on.
When she started to turn my way, I panicked grabbing my bowl I ran up to my room and Locked the door behind me.
Did she see me? I wondered as my heart pounded against my rib cage.
What if she had. I winced.
'She'd add peeping Thomas to the list.'
Hold on, I continued the conversation with myself.
This was my space too. I could be wherever I wanted. It had purely been coincidental that she was down stairs. And I wasn't spying on her I was only surprised to find that she was back.
So why did I run away like a stalker who'd been caught.
I rubbed my temples.
I believed then that it was possible for people to get dumber.
***
The clinking of chopsticks against bowls and the subtle chewing and occasional exhale of a breaths here and there were the only sounds made during our evening meal.
I wracked my brain to find a conversation starter to dissipate the strained silence. Usually we talked about work but now that was done for the time being it left little for us to discuss.
We'd barely seen one another all of yesterday and most of today. She was avoiding me and I, her. However curiosity as to what decision she would come to continued to grow exponentially. After our falling out, I didn't doubt that she would never want to work with me again. It won't make sense if she did. Even I was considering going home too. We might accomplish so much a lot together as a team but not like this.
My mouth began to burn the second I bite into the spicy kimchi, I'd been so absentminded, I did not realize when I reached for it.
I swallowed it without any complains, it was very good. So I took another one.
'Miss Mills...'
'I invited Eun over.' She didn't look up from her bowl.
'Okay, so ...'
'She'll be here in a few minutes.'
'I got that...'
'I told her I'll save some food for her.'
Was she being serious right now.
'I've heard you. Miss Mills can...'
'You should let it go, okay? We don't always have to talk about our issues sometimes it better to ignore it and move along.'
That was an unhealthy way to deal with situations and I would know that's why I always tried to talk about things.
However, that's not why I was calling her.
'Isn't that what you've been trying to say?' She asked when I just looked blankly at her.
'No, I was going to ask you to pass the jug.'
No matter how my curiosity gnawed at me, I had made up my mind not to care. After the way I had been treated for being a decent human being, there was no point. If it wasn't acutely, with no grey areas, related to business I wasn't talking.
I didn't smile at her sheepish expression, I'd save that for when I was alone. I wasn't sure if the gloating shone through my eyes.
'Eun is here.' She got up, bringing a very oblivious Eun to the table.
'So have you made your minds yet?'
I wanted to deflate in relief. Thank God for Eun.
'I don't want to say,' Keziah's eyes darted in my direction.
'I'll just send my answer directly to the board.'
'Oh come on, you can tell me.' Eun begged.
'It'll be really nice if you could stay a while longer.'
I made no comments diligently focusing on drinking my glass of water.
I guess I wouldn't know her decision till Friday.
'What about you Oppa? Will you decide to stay and attend the retreat?'
Two could play that game.
'I'm sorry Eun, I'm not saying either. My answer may influence a lot more than is obvious.'
I arranged my empty bowl neatly onto my tray and place it by the sink.
'Goodnight, Eun.'
And then I left because bidding Keziah Goodnight might be too personal an action for our kind of relationship. I really wasn't mad, not in the slightest.