If I could stretch her across my lap and spank her, I happily would. I nearly rolled my eyes when she smiled at me at her table.
'Uh-oh, the boss is here.' She giggled and hid her head behind the green bottles of beer and soju, the Korean alcoholic drink.
I seriously did not have time for games.
'Are you her friend who called?'
The owner of the bar and restaurant asked. But she used the word Oppa.
'Oppa, will you buy me a drink?' Keziah sang in Korean.
It's like she had been possessed by another personality.
'Yes, I am. Thank you for keeping an eye on her.' Paying no mind to Keziah's musical request.
'We are going home.'
My heart forgot how to beat, Keziah pouted lifting a pleading with a finger in my direction.
I had to say no, I thought to myself but the words made themselves scarce when the will to refuse her became apparently absent.
'If your Oppa won't buy you a drink, then let me.' The stranger's offer snapped me back to my right state of mind.
'The hell you will.' I spoke in English.
I lifted Keziah from the chair, awkwardly dragging her to the door while holding her pocketbook.
'Can you walk?'
Her eyes furiously searched for something,
'Where's the car?'

'I didn't bring it.'

'Why?' She whined.

'The house is six blocks that way.'
She removed herself from my embrace and sat on the floor, I could smell a tantrum coming.
Oh god, I couldn't deal with this now.
Maybe I should just leave her here.
'The road keeps trying to hit me in the face when I walk. I don't like it.'

'Do I have to carry you?' I was getting to the point of exasperation. She smiled and nodded at me with eyes closed.
My great reserve of patience had run dry within a couple of seconds.
'I should leave you here.' I said to her. 'I really should.'
'Then I'll just go back in there and get another drink.'
With those men that just walked in preying on her inebriated state? It would be over my dead body.
'Come here, get on my back.'
She happily jumped on for the ride.
'This doesn't mean you can be my friend. You're still a horrible person.'
She said nuzzling her head on my shoulder.
'If babysitting you is a requirement then I don't want to be your friend.'
'I don't want to be your friend either.' She argued.

'I already said that.'

'But I said it first.'
Was I really arguing with her in her drunk state?
'Whatever.' I mumbled.

'What did you say?'
She bounced in my back with her prickly tone ready to argue.
'Nothing. I said nothing.'
'Good because I heard nothing.'
After a brief pause.
'Can you go any faster? This ride is so boring.'
I could drop her on her butt, I honestly could and call it an accident and then force her to walk the rest of the way and hope the road did hit her in the face.
'I would go faster but I don't wish to sport any content from your stomach.'
'I don't puke when I drink.' She gagged immediately the words were out of her mouth.
'No, no.' I tried to twist away which only made her laugh.
'I was joking.' She laughed harder.
She played that joke the rest of the way home. I was sure the entire neighborhood would be complaining about a laughing maniac by the morning.

The helpers were either gone or asleep as rational working people should be at midnight.  This was good for me, no one would see Keziah in her current state to start any unnecessary rumors and no one would see me running with a grown woman on my back.
When I tried her down at the base of the short stair in front of the house she wouldn't budge.
'I'll fall on my face if I try to climb those.' She looked over at the five steps and buried her face in my back sending a spread of warm sensations around to my heart.
I sighed submitting to just taking her all the way.
'Put in your code.'
She attempts several times to type in the numbers.
'Stop moving.' She smacked my shoulder.
'I'm not moving, Miss Mills.'
She pauses, 'Oh.'

'Do you remember the code?'
I twisted to find her sheepish face looking down at the door handle.
I didn't need a reply.
I walked over to my door and opened it.
It was a good thing we had the connecting office between the rooms after all. The builders must have thought of moments like this... exactly like this when a man would have to carry his partner who had forgotten their code into their room.

She complained after I unceremoniously dumped her on her bed.
'What you need to be saying is 'Thank you, David.''

'Thank you, David.' She mocked.

'Wait.' So I turn around to her blissful face.
'Was I heavy?'

'I thought I was carrying an elephant for a moment there.'

'Bastard.' I heard her say after I closed the door behind me.
The bed beaconed me into it and I happily went. Who wouldn't be tired after dealing with her shenanigans for the night?
Now I could go to sleep. And sleep wasn't elusive because the moment my head touched the light blue pillows I could already feel the tendrils of slumber reaching out to me.
And then a slamming of a door scared them all away.

'David.' Came the first hushed call and when I refused to look.
'David.' The second one was more urgent.
Keziah's head poked from behind the office door.
'What is it?'

'I can't sleep.'
And here I hoped she would be drunk enough to just fall straight to sleep. A hot cup of coffee
was not something I wanted to make or give to her right now.
'Just close your eyes, it'll come.'

'What will come?'

'Sleep. Sleep Miss Mills.'

'Okay, you don't have to be rude about it.'
Her calling me David hadn't gone unnoticed after she left it was all I could think about.
I had to force myself to sleep, tomorrow would be an important day.

Again I felt myself falling asleep and then there was that slamming of the door.
My heart leaped in my chest when I turned and found Keziah with me in my bed.
'Miss Mills!' I sat up. 'Get up this instant.'

She stubbornly shook her head, 'It came.' She whispered.

'So then why are you here?' She was supposed to be asleep. I felt a migraine coming on.

'Because it's under my bed.'
She wasn't making sense.

'What is?'

'The monster. There's a monster under my bed.'
I stared in disbelief. How could she look so adorable and yet so crazy at the same time?
'There's no monster.'
But she passionately begged to differ
'There is and it's under my bed.'

'And there's a monster in mine.'
I rubbed my face with my palms.

'I promise I won't bother you just pretend I'm not here.' She turned and face away from me.
But her request was not an easy one to follow. My entire body tissue, down to the last cell, was on high alert.
Her serene face showed she had no care in the world while she slept. I pulled the cloth over her exposed legs, all the way to her chin. I had to face away from her, her angelic face was a real threat to me getting any kind of rest. A coiled strand of hair slipped down her face. I carefully tucked it out of place trying my best not to wake her. My fingers lingered slightly before I took them away. Her hands immediately grabbed mine and she kissed the inside of my palms lacing our fingers. It's safe to say I wasn't breathing. Swallowing was also proving to be a difficulty since my mouth went dry.

'Keziah?'
She smiled and whispered a name that yanked me out of my temporary mode of paralysis.
'Tommy.'
I was a fool to even think for a moment...

At some point in the night, she draped a leg over my hips. I spent half the night pushing her bare legs off me but I eventually gave up.

The alarm clock scared us both awake when it went off at six.

'Welsh!' she nearly screamed, flying off the bed. I immediately reached to stable her before she fell on her face and let go when I was sure she was fine. She rubbed her forehead no doubt because of the nasty headache plaguing her. I had the same one and I didn't even have one stinking drink.

'What are you doing in my room you pervert.'

It was my turn to rub my forehead.

'Miss Mills, this is my room.'

She frowned at the door. She quickly stood again, my reaction was automatic.

'You should stop doing that. If I'm right you have a hangover.'

She looked mortified which was fantastic.

'Did you...'

'No. I did not take advantage of you as you can tell or feel. Now, please get out of my room, we need to get ready for work unless you're still scared of the monster in your room.'

'That's ridiculous, there's no monster in my room.'

'So why are you still standing there?'
She pulled the cloth from my bed and covered her self when there was nothing to hide.
The shirt modestly stopped just above her knees. But her tousled look had my blood gaining degrees.
She needed to leave and I needed a cold shower.

'I'll take your apologies after we are both clean and civil. Now Miss Mills out.'

'You have a lot of explaining to do sir.' She had the gall to say before darting out.
'Gladly.' I said after her.

'Can we stop for a cup of coffee?' came the groggy question from beside me.

'No, you've already taken much of our time.'

I could only assume she was glaring at me behind the sunglasses she was wearing. 'Sir can you increase the volume, I like this song very much.'

'You're punishing me.' she groaned and covered her ears. Yes, I was. Two aspirin had been enough to numb my headache.

'You did this to yourself.' I smiled.

'Oh, did I?'

'I hope you'll compose yourself, Mr. Lee is coming in person.'

Her head snapped in my direction. 'It's today?'

'I don't know what other 2nd August is coming again this year.'

She removed her glasses and rummaged through her purse finding her powder and eye make up.

'You should have reminded me.'

'I assumed you would be on top of it.'

The meeting was later in the day by that time she would have recovered from her condition, I should tell her that, but she had to be taught a lesson.

'We are five minutes away.' I spoke loudly solely for her disadvantage.

A small part of me had the audacity to feel bad for her. The thing was, I understood why the meeting had escaped her since her father's unannounced visit had disturbed her. But I had tried to help her and her gratitude had been dismal and instead, she rather attacked me and then gave me a headache.

She took her phone and called Eun.

'Eunaah please pick up.' she softly whined. I felt like a villain smiling when Eun didn't pick up.

'They are all in the office by now.'

'Junior can you not?'

I raised my brows at the name.

'I meant Mr. Welsh. Look, I'm feeling irate so forgive me.'

She frowned down at her phone. I careened my neck to see what it was that held her interest so. I grinned but quickly hid it as I watched her cautiously touch my name.

She squealed in shock, looked up at me and back at her phone.

'Mr.Welsh... Sir...'

It seemed she had just now discovered the evidence of her shenanigans. I fought hard to keep my face stoic.

'As I said I will be taking the apologies later.'

I grabbed my briefcase and left her behind in the car. The morning was looking very good.

'Good morning, Mr. Welsh.' Eun greeted from the elevator. She was coming from the office I shared with Keziah.

'Hello, Miss Eun Soon.'

'Eun,' Keziah exclaimed rushing to her friend. 'Did you get my text?'

Eun looked at me first before replying.

'They are in your desk drawer.'

She hugged her, 'Thank you. You are a lifesaver.'

'Oh, don't thank me...'

'Miss Eun Soon, can you please come to the office when we have settled? We have a lot to do in preparation to leave, will that be okay?' I smiled politely at her effectively dismissing her.

'That will be fine.' she bowed.

'Thank you again.' She waved to Eun.

I watched Keziah ravenously swallow the hangover drugs and continue to touch up her face from the corner of my eye.
Her actions came to a halt when she gawked at the email on her screen.
'The meeting isn't until four?'
She snarled in my direction.
'Well, you arr ...'

I turned to her showing her my phone.
'I want to hear the end of that sentence, might as well add it to the list from last night.'

'You didn't let me finish. I was going to say you are just so funny.'

'I have been accused of having a sense of humor but after last night, I find it doesn't compare to yours.'

'What?'

'Now that you're sober I can begin to explain how you got into my bed.'
And yes I enjoyed every horrified and stricken expression as I relayed her antics from the text messages to the gagging jokes. Being her enemy was so much fun.