Dirty Lil Secret

Chapter Five

Three Weeks Later

Incheon International Airport, South Korea

"I cannot believe I agreed to this," thought Erika adjusting the strap of the carry-on on her shoulder. Tapping her foot she waited impatiently, with other passengers, for her suitcase. Scratching her nape, she released a relieved breath when she finally spotted it.  Seconds later she grabbed and moved out the way so someone else could take her place.  Looking left then right she slowly walked moved further from the baggage carousel pulling the large purple suitcase behind her.

"Where is he," she grumbled annoyed by the 19-hour flight, one stop flight. "At least I was in premier class," she exhaled staring toward a group of people carrying signs.

KakaoTalk!

Erika frowned letting go of the handle and setting heavy shoulder bag down while reaching into her dark blue skinny jeans for her phone. Blowing out a breath she read Liam's message:

'Sorry but the scene is taking longer than I thought. I know I'm horrible but can you take a taxi to the house. There's a key under the 3rd potted plant on the right.'

Rolling her eyes, Erika threw her head back on an annoyed groan. "Of course you didn't come get me or order me a car," she mused grabbing her luggage and following the signs the exit. Waving a hand she flagged down a taxi and showed him the address that Liam had sent her in both English and in Hangal.

"Ah ye," responded the driver nodding briskly as he pressed a button starting the meter and entered the address into his GPS. During the ride, the driver tried to make small talk in broken English and Erika tried to shake her pissed off mood by answering his questions as best she could.  After a while, she gained enough courage to talk to him in Korean which made the man smile and become even more animated as he told her stories of tourist he'd driven.

An hour and fifteen minutes later the neon orange cab turned up a narrow street coming to a complete stop outside a red brick fence with the number 17 written in white on a blue address marker.  Eying it doubtfully, Erika looked back down at the address Liam had sent her. '21117' it read followed by Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Korea.

"Is this it," she inquired confused as she looked around at the high rises with gated fences on both sides of the street.

Without answering the driver exited the vehicle and removed her luggage setting it in front of a wrought iron black gate. "Um," frowned Erika getting out the car and handing him two US $50 bills.

"Gomabseubnida," she mumbled watching dumbfounded as he gave a little wave, got back in the car and slowly drove down the narrow street.

"Third potted plant," she mumbled staring suspiciously at the six potted plants that lined the outside of the fence. "That's not conspicuous at all," she chuckled to herself as she tilted the pot and saw two keys one silver toned and the other gold.

Grabbing them she walked to the gate trying the knob before inserting the silver key and unlocking it. Pushing forward her mouth fell open as she stared at the small space.  It looked like someone was trying to make the area appear less rural by laying sod and planting a few flowers.  The pathway was marked with cute wooden beams and every few feet there were small potted plants.

"Okay," she mumbled glancing around the small courtyard. "Concrete jungle is definitely coming to mind," she mused walking to the big black door looming in front of her; there was a push code entry system but beneath it was a lock. "He could have just given me the code," she frowned inserting the gold key with a twist and push the door open.

White walls with black framed oil paintings and light wooden floors greeted her as she took her shoes off and placed them in the shoe cabinet. "So this is his house," she whispered walking down the hall into an opened loft area that included the living room, dining room and behind a tall counter the kitchen.  She stopped and stared at the dark brown leather wrap around couch and the dark coffee toned sofa table. There were a few lamps dotting the room on mismatch tables and she could see the kitchen was either very organized or extremely empty.

Not impressed she went one by one opening each closed doors. The first door was a coat closet, the second a bedroom that was set up as an office with a small desk, chair, and file cabinets. If it weren't for the housekeeper, Erika was sure it would have had a layer of dust. The second door led to a large cream bathroom with various shades of blue accents.  Against the far wall was a huge shower.  There were two toilets and a double sink. 

"Two toilets," she mumbled in disbelief closing the door.  The next was a small bedroom with a window facing a white cement wall.    The room had a full-size bed with no covers and an empty chest of drawers. The last room was obviously the master and seemed more lived in with vaulted ceilings and recessed lights.  There were clothes on the floor leading up to an unmade California king size bed that sat in the middle of the room.  On both sides of the bed were two onyx colored nightstands both had papers laying haphazardly on them.  On the far wall beneath a wall mounted TV were two sleek black dressers and she shook her head as she pushed the top drawer all the way close.

"Slob," she mumbled shaking her head in disgust.  "So this is it," she sighed spinning in a circle like she'd missed something.  

Aside from the paintings lining the walls but during her brief self-guided tour, Erika realized there were no family pictures or anything that personalized the space. 

"Well damn," she sighed taking her luggage into the master bedroom and unpacking. After she was done she decided a nap was in order.

****

Liam checked his message app for the hundredth time. Erika hadn't responded to his message but he knew she'd read it.

"Good job everyone," announced the director in Korean calling an end to the day's shooting. "I'll see everyone tomorrow bright and early."

"Everything okay," asked Manager Kang-Soo handing Liam a cup of barley tea.

Liam took a sip while shaking his head, "no. Erika didn't respond to my message." Sighing he crushed the paper cup in his hand, "maybe I should have sent you to pick her up."

"Maybe," agreed the man nodding noncommittally. "Ah," continued Kang-Soo reaching into his tan attache and pulling out a glossy magazine. "Sala sent me a copy of tomorrow's new issue and I thought you might want to see it."

"Sarah," correct Liam snatching the magazine from his manager.  Liam contemplated at the cover grimacing as he stared.  His normal lightly tanned skin tone had been lightened and it looked as if they'd made his lips fuller, "they could have taken it easy with the airbrushing." Flipping open the magazine he stopped at his interview scanning the article and photos until he reached the part that he'd asked them to add two weeks ago.

"They included it," he smirked smugly staring at the new details he'd requested the writer to add. Clearing his throat he smiled widely at his manager. "Park Lee Ma," he quoted, "you are a beloved household name but little to nothing is known about you before you landed in Korea."

Liam couldn't help the smile as he glossed over the information he'd gave about his parents, sisters and their husbands only stopping when he saw the wedding picture he'd included that had both Erika and her dad standing with the family.  Beneath the picture was a caption that included everyone's name and relationship to him.

"That photo was a nice touch," nodded Kang-Soo pushing his chest out like a rooster. "It makes Erika and her father appear to be part of the grooms family."

"Exactly," grinned Liam continuing the skim the article. "To the netizens, Erika is going to be my sister husband's little sister also referred to as my sister-in-law.  It'll raise a few eyebrows but it wouldn't be outlandish that she is staying with me while she's teaching abroad."

"And you told her this," inquired Kang-Soo skeptically while taking the magazine and putting it back into his case.

Liam nodded absently as he considered the question, "I told her. Remember," he added walking toward the exit, "no more secrets or half-truths."

"Oh yeah," grimaced his manager opening the door for Liam. "I remember," he added his face beginning to flush red.

Chuckling, Liam thumped the man on the back before climbing in first. "Remember I told you makeup sex was the best. You should have gone to the hotel like I told you."

"Yeah," agreed his manager flushing so hard his ears turned bright red.  "I should have let her father drop me off."