Under Cover

Emperor shrimps

"Hello?"

"It's me honey", came the answer through the phone.

"I told you already not to call me that."

"What shall I call you then? Petal, Sweetheart, Darling?"

She rolled her eyes "Just call me by my name."

"Alright Yeseul. Can we meet?"

"What for?"

"To talk about something important...and I miss you."

Her nails tapped impatient against her desk "Don't."

"I can't help it."

"Well, that's your problem. Does that important thing you need to talk about involve the packet?"

"Yes."

"Good...then I will call you back for an appointment. Need to look through my schedules with my secretary."

"What about having lunch together? Tomorrow?"

She bit on her lips. "I will see. Need to go now, I have important guests."

"Take care...I love you."

She hung up quickly, without another word, inhaling deeply, before her feet slipped in her pumps which she took off for some time and laid messily under the table. Her head was aching a bit, but her heart ached even more, making her sick.

"Moonbyul, check if I can cancel some meetings tomorrow, or...if I even have any", she spoke into her speaker.

"What time? The whole day?"

"Only around lunch time."

"Okay, wait a moment."

The green tight dress slid up a bit as she slung one leg over the other, letting herself sink back into her expensive leather chair, thinking. Actually debating if she should pour herself some liquor or take some painkillers.

She went for the liquor.

Her shoes clacked against the floor as she walked to her glass cabinet, opening it, getting the golden liquid out. Sometimes she just needed to be a bit numb. When the stress level was too much. Like right now. The liquor burnt on her throat as she swallowed it, burnt so good, helping her relax a bit.

"Mrs. Jeon, your time is clear for tomorrow, from eleven to two p.m."

"Very well, Moonbyul, thank you."

She felt like smoking, but there wasn't any time, so she just rearranged her dress and hair and walked out of her office, down the hallway, from there with the elevator into the second floor, where the wild gathering of the players in Seoul's biggest casino was heard in a steady familiar noise.

The bodyguard bowed lightly as she passed the stairs, walking down like the queen herself, head high up. A few customers turned to her, some checking her long pretty legs out, some just feeling intimidated by her whole appearance.

It was a show in some kind of way, one that made sure to keep her unwanted parasites away. Her dark lightly wavy hair fell over her shoulders, golden earrings glittering in the lightning. The bodyguard on the foot of the stairs followed her behind as soon she reached the bottom, how he was used to.

With confidence and grace, she walked past the customers, bowing and smiling at them lightly, wishing some a pleasant stay. Her eyes looked like a hawk over the big hall, quickly scanning through it. Nothing unusual was happening, so she left it as quick as she came, walking further to another room, where her guests were already waiting. Before she opened the door, she took a deep breath, her eyes shifting from her confident but friendly, into very confident and almost arrogant attitude.