Palace to Plunder (AMBW)

9 RH

"Why are we here?" I groaned, looking at the familiar looking building. It was his fathers company, somewhere I did not want to be on a Saturday. "Don't tell me you have to work again."

"I have to drop something off." He rolled his eyes at me. "Let's go." He hopped out the drivers seat and closed the door behind him. He strolled over to the back of the car and opened the back door, undoing Joon's car seat belt.

What? He wanted us to go inside?

I opened my door and unbuckled my seatbelt, almost forgetting I still had it on. "You want us to go with you?"

"Yes?" Qi Tai asked in a rhetorical way. "Why are you so surprised? My father doesn't have a problem if my own wife and son came to visit." He scooped Joon, who was still half asleep into his arms.

"Is your father here?"

"No." Qi Tai closed the door behind him and strolled towards the building. "He went back to America to handle some issues at the branch there."

I rushed after him, trying to keep up with his pace. Had he always walked this fast? We stepped inside and it seemed like everyone in the lobby stopped what they were doing to look at us. Most of them scrambled around, bowing at Qi Tai as he strolled past them.

However, I felt a lingering gaze on me. Deciding not to let it bother me, I took in my surroundings. There was beautiful artwork everywhere. It looked a lot like an art gallery, more than a standard company. "Wow.." I twirled around, staring at the various photography and painting projects. "Amazing."

"Charlie." I heard Qi Tai call out. I glanced at him, and he gestured for me to come to this area where you swipe a key card to enter. There were security guards standing on the outside and inside of the area. As I rushed over, one of the guards stopped me.

Qi Tai stood by my side, and muttered something in Korean to the man, before switching back to a English. "She's my wife." The guard bowed his head and stood aside, allowing us through. Qi Tai swiped his card, and nudged me forward gently. "Let's go, I don't have all day, Char." He hummed in my ear.

"I don't know where I'm supposed to go!" I stuttered nervously. Coming to this branch in Korea was so overwhelming. I didn't see any one else but Koreans here, and I felt embarrassed by all the attention we were getting. At least in America, they had a few other ethnicities working there.

"Yeobo," He grabbed my arm and lead me to an elevator. "Come."

We rode the elevator to the top floor, and by that time, Joon was fully awake. He squirmed out of Qi Tai's arms, so he put him on the ground. I grabbed his hand, and we followed Qi Tai into a lobby.

"Stay here, I'll be right back." He tapped my shoulder and motioned for me to sit on the couch. I squeezed Joon's hand and brought him over to the couch to sit down.

"Eomma." Joon tugged on my shirt.

"Hmm?" I glanced at him. He pouted and looked down.

"I have to go pee."

Oh god. I didn't even know where the nearest bathroom was.

~

I lifted Joon off the toilet and pulled his underwear and pants up. "Come let's go wash your hands." I scooped him up into one of my arms and squirted some soap into his little hands with my free hand. I let him wash his hands as he hummed along to a song he learned about in the daycare.

"Dry them." I snatched a paper towel from the automatic machine and handed to it him. Once he was finished, I placed him down and washed mine as well, and dried them.

Joon ran out of the bathroom while I was still wiping my wet hands into the paper towel. "Wait!" I quickly threw the towel into the trash and bolted after him. "Joon! No! Stop!"

Joon jogged down the hall, but slowed down when he heard me scream after him. I sighed and snatched his hands back into mine. "You can't run off like that!" I snapped at him, and brought him back to the lobby we were in before.

There was a few neatly dressed Korean men there as well, probably who came after we went to the restroom. I sat next to one of them, and placed Joon into my lap since the other chairs were occupied.

"Peon!" He reached for my cell as I took it out. The man beside me glanced at him and smiled.

"Kwi-yeo-weo-yo." He said to me before saying a few more Korean words to Joon. Joon replied back in Korean with a smile. Before the man could speak to me again, I held my hand up slightly.

"Sorry, I don't speak Korean." I chuckled nervously. His eyes widened before he shot me a warm smile.

"It's okay." He hummed. "I said he is cute. Your son?"

"Yes." I nodded.

"His mom is very beautiful too." He tilted his head and leaned closer to me a bit. I felt my cheeks heat up.

"T-Thanks." I stuttered and looked away. Qi Tai, where are you? Wasn't he supposed to drop something off really quick and then come back?

"He has curly hair, just like his mother." The man continued, and I felt him touch a strand of my curly hair. I tried so hard not to flinch away. Now he was starting to creep me out. Every time I moved slightly away, he kept moving closer. I placed Joon on the ground beside me and turned him around so he wouldn't see what was going on.

"Do you want to watch?" I asked Joon before handing him my cell phone and turning on one of those educational children videos on YouTube. He stared at the screen and sat on the floor, his attention drawn in completely.

"Where are you from?" The Korean man asked me.

"Um.." I coughed. "America."

The other two Korean men on the side smiled at him and exchanged a few words, and of course I didn't understand.

"Is it true that American women like to drink?" He smirked. I shrugged at him.

"It depends on the person, I guess."

"What about you?" He asked. "Maybe we can go grab a drink. Have you tried soju?"

"Uh, no thanks." I stood up from the couch, and picked up my son. "I'm married." This man was completely bold, too bold. I couldn't tell if he was being genuine or trying to hook up. One thing I definitely knew, his flirting was a bit.. too far.

"Married?" He snorted.

Qi Tai walked back into the lobby, and stood surprised when he saw the 3 men. He bowed to them and they all exchanged a few words in Korean, turning it into a full conversation. Qi Tai turned back to me with a frown and walked over.

"Before you get mad," He paused, "I totally forgot that I had a meeting with these 3."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You said—"

"I know, I know." He clenched his jaw. "It shouldn't be long. Go downstairs and explore around the company. I'm going to order some food while you guys are here waiting, okay?" He held his phone in his hands. "I'll have my phone on so you can call me if you need anything."

"You know him?" The Korean man who was flirting with me asked.

"She's my wife." Qi Tai said before turning his attention back to me. I could feel the other Korean man's eyes staring into my soul while Qi Yai finished his sentence. "Do you want anything to eat?"

"No." I crossed my arms, very much upset that he was still working on a Saturday. Qi Tai kneeled down and asked in Korean what Joon wanted to eat.

"Pijja!" Joon exclaimed. Qi Tai nodded, stood back up and leaned into my ear.

"I'll be done soon, okay?" He stroked my arms, before pulling away and leading the 3 men down the hall.