The atmosphere was heavier than usual. The cigarette smoke that was clouding her vision was thicker, the smell of alcohol and sweat stronger. Her eyes were watering and her nose had lost about an hour ago the ability to distinguish any scent. The old and used rag with which she cleaned the glasses felt disgusting in her hands but she couldn’t change it to a new one yet. The bench was cut and permanently stained with only god knows what.

The last time she saw the clients so hyper was at the poker tournament and as far as she knew there was no such thing scheduled for today. It made her nervous because you never know with these people. She hoped at least there won’t be any shooting that evening and they were excited about some of their own underground news.

“A double whisky. On the rocks.”

“Right up.” she fished the bottle with the deep winter yellow color drink from behind her without looking. She had reached out so many times for them she remembered their places by heart. “Here you go.” she pushed the short glass across the dented wood.

“Keep them coming.” the man ordered. Yes, ordered. He didn’t ask, he didn’t state it, he ordered her to give him more. She tried not to let her irritation show and succeeded mostly. She only bit her lower lip as she took out another glass and poured more of the amber liquid in its scratched container.

“Here you go.” she pushed the second drink as soon as she heard the loud clung the ice made inside the, empty now, glass as it was being put down. This continued for two more times before she decided that it was enough.

“I would advise you not to drink any more sir.” she suggested softly, fully aware of what people came in this club and what talking disrespectfully would earn her.

“You’re not here to say your opinion. You’re here to serve me.” the other all but spited on the counter in front of her with hatred.

“As you wish sir.” she gritted her teeth but again managed to suppress her biting reaction. I’m the one that will have to deal with a passed out you later. she thought bitterly to herself as she continued to feel glass after glass.

After the tenth one, the peculiar man spoke suddenly.

“Want to make extra money?”

This got a reaction from her. Her head snapped with surprising speed and she finally let herself glare at the man, who had his hair dyed in a totally ridiculous color; pink. She blinked, caught off guard at the bright and strange color but collected her expression back to and expressionless mask.

“Here’s your drink. Sir.” she banged with unnecessary strength the drink.

“Oh. Did I hurt your pride? What are you going to pretend to be the prude, innocent girl that can’t be bought with money?” he pink-haired guy laughed dryly.

She took a calming breath. Don’t take seriously the words of a drunken man, she reminded herself.

“It is not my business what you think sir.” she went to the small kitchen, to restock on ice and calm her nerves down.

“So, what’s next? Are you going to tell me that you’re forced to work here because of some stupid debt your father owns to this run down shop’s owner?” he mocked as soon as she stepped out of the narrow room.

This time she couldn’t hide her surprise and hurt. She froze mid-step and almost dropped what she was holding. Her vision blurred for a minute, blocked from unshed tears. felt dry and she couldn’t swallow.

“Don’t pretend like I’m right. I’m sure you’re just lazy and didn’t look hard for a better jo…” the man cut of his runt abruptly.

“You’re kidding me. This crappy drama scenario can’t actually be the truth…” he trailed uncertain.

She fought back the hot tears that were threatening to overflow from her eyes. It hurt how the other made fun of what was her life, her life-sentence as she called it sarcastically. It may be fun to him but to her it was her personal hell in which she was given no choice over anything.

“Seriously now?”

“Your refill sir.” she found her cool and resumed her job. She had decided years ago that these comments wouldn’t hurt her. Apparently they did.

“Look at me damn it! Tell me if it’s true!” the man raised slightly his tone and grabbed her hand.

“Let me go!”

“Answer me first!”

“Fine. It is! Are you satisfied now? Does it make you feel good? Huh? You take some weird pleasure in making me say this?” she raised his voice too, cheeks on fire.

***

“Baby wake up! Wake up!”

 She woke up grasping for air, a scream leaving her lips. She sat up panting hard, clutching the thin fabric of the sheet that was covering her sweating torso.

 “Baby are you okay? Did you have a nightmare?” Jiyong’s concerned face came in her line of vision. Immediately she reached out and cupped his heart shaped face, as if confirming he was real. Yes, he was very much real and worried.

“I’m fine. It was just a bad dream. Go back to sleep, you have a busy day tomorrow.” he looked hesitant but sleep won and he sunk back into his pillow, after giving her a quick peck on the lips.

 Mairy got up and went to the bathroom to wash her face. She looked at her reflection in the big mirror above the sink. Why had she suddenly dreamt of the past? All of her troubles were over. Yes, it wasn’t easy to achieve that and she still found it bizarre that a man she barely knew for an hour and had held only one conversation, which was actually a fight, stormed in her boss’s office and paid off all of her father’s debt declaring that from now on she was his and nobody else’s.

 Sure, their relationship was rocky at first. To be honest, it seemed impossible that they could live together. But Jiyong turned out to be a very caring and patient person when not provoked or angry. He followed her pace, let her take her time to cope with her new reality and life and grow used to him.

It was all thanks to him that she got a chance at a normal life, at finishing college and fulfilling her dream of being a historic, at living in a nice house, at finding medical help for her father’s condition and at being a happy one with a great man to love her. She got so much more than she ever thought she would have.

Sighing she returned to their bedroom. She lied down lovingly next to the man that had made all this happen and snuggled into his secure embrace. He brought her closer to him in his sleep, holding her as if afraid she might get scared again or even worse, escape.

“Silly. I love you.” see smiled in the dark and planted a kiss on his shoulder –the most easily accessible part of him at the moment. “Thank you.” she whispered before drifting back to sleep.