Contracts, Pt. 4
Title: Contracts
Summary: Chanmi was happy with her life, until her boss threw a wrench in it: Lee SungMin. JungShin came along for the ride.
Disclaimer: Not mine, not true.
Chanmi brushed her hands down her grey skirt, then nervously adjusted her pencil holder. Meeting Lee SungMin had her less nervous than HeeChul-sshi's refusal to let her know anything about this meeting. That ominous feeling returned and she didn't know how to get rid of it.
The elevator chimed, and she looked up as four very nice looking men stepped off; three she didn't know, and one she knew well.
"Choi-sshi, HeeChul will see you immediately."
He bowed to her and walked around the desk, going through the heavy wooden door behind her.
Chanmi turned her attention to the unfamiliar three. She recognized SungMin immediately, of course; the other two she wasn't so sure of. She also recognized the look in SungMin's eyes. 'Nothing interesting here.' She'd grown up with boys looking at her and not seeing anything interesting. One of them walked toward her desk. "Lee SungMin and Manager Lee Howon to see HeeChul-sshi."
"Welcome to Chul Designs," Chanmi said. "One moment." She called the phone to tell HeeChul they'd arrived, and then stood up to bow. "Follow me, please." She moved around the desk to lead them toward the conference room. It made her a little nervous in spite of his disinterested expression, considering what she'd read about SungMin, but at least her skirt was knee length.
She stepped aside to let them all into the conference room. "Please, sit down. There are drinks if you want them. CEO Kim-sshi will be in shortly." Chanmi loved this room; one whole wall looked out over Seoul, and they'd put the table long ways so that only someone sitting at the foot couldn't see anything. Drinks sat on the counter that ran along one side of the room, and a printer and supplies, including extra paper, took up the counter opposite. Black leather chairs surrounded the long dark wood table, and plugs were set near each end for laptops. Chanmi had put hers near the end closest to the door.
The two men - Hoya and if she were right, L - sat down, and then proved her right when L pulled a small laptop out of his briefcase and plugged it in next to where she'd plugged hers in, in the middle of the conference table.
SungMin wandered to where the drinks were, and then back to her, pacing around her slowly. She watched him with curiosity the first time, irritation by the third. She put her hand out to stop him going around her a fourth time. "I am not a horse at auction," she said, detached. He smiled at her, meeting her eyes squarely, and then his smile straightened when she didn't back down.
"If you'll all sit down, we'll get started," HeeChul said from the doorway.
Chanmi and SungMin both looked at him, and she sat down before her boss had even finished speaking. SungMin sat down at the other end of the table, next to Howon. HeeChul sat across from them, and Siwon took a seat between him and Chanmi.
"Thank you for coming," HeeChul continued. "Let me introduce my Administrative Assistant, Heo Chanmi, and a company lawyer, Choi Siwon."
"Call me Hoya," Howon said. "This is Lee Sungmin, whom this contract directly affects, and my assistant, Kim MyungSu. He prefers L."
HeeChul bowed. "I think we only have a few terms to hammer out," he said.
Hoya smiled. "Yes. Pay rate, hours, and duration of the contract."
"Exactly."
Hoya straightened, and then SungMin put his hand down on the table hard enough to capture their attention.
"Before all that, I want to know who it is. I want a say in that."
L rolled his eyes, half-turned away from SungMin and Hoya, and Chanmi had to look down to keep from laughing out loud.
"There will be time for that later," Hoya said, no trace of impatience in his voice.
Chanmi straightened as well, and put her hands to the keyboard.
It took every bit of those two hours she'd scheduled. Chanmi tried to stretch her shoulders without it being obvious. She noticed L doing the same thing and grinned. He grinned back sheepishly.
She'd gotten up an hour ago at a short break to close the blinds in the windows because the sun was coming in, and had grabbed a water. She'd finished it some time ago, but didn't have the chance to grab another. They might actually be done. Siwon stood by the printer to collect the latest version of the contract, and SungMin slumped in his chair, staring at the table, clearly bored. He hadn't said a word the whole time.
"I think that's about everything," Hoya said.
SungMin straightened, pulling his jacket into place. "Good. Who is this girl?"
HeeChul smiled. "You've met her," he said smoothly. "My assistant, Heo Chanmi." He gestured to her.
Chanmi looked at him, eyes wide, frozen. That feeling she'd had, that something was going to happen, twisted her stomach. "What? Me?"
SungMin tilted his head, then smiled. "Okay."
"Not okay!" Chanmi protested. She didn't like this guy!
"Heo-puin. This is non-negotiable," HeeChul said, and she looked at him even though she didn't want to. "You will sign, or you can pack your things and leave now. Do not return."
She didn't gape at him, but just barely. Then she took a deep breath and made herself calm down. She could handle this. "Then I have a few provisions to add."
"If they are something we can live with," Hoya said.
"Live with them or I'll take my chances with unemployment," she snapped at him.
Hoya lifted an eyebrow and nodded. Chanmi didn't think she imagined the heat on the side of her face from HeeChul's stare, but she didn't look at him.
Siwon promptly shredded the version of the contract he'd just taken off the printer and returned to the table. He nodded to Chanmi, and then pulled her computer in front of him.
"What are these provisions?" Hoya asked.
Chanmi took a deep breath and clasped her hands in front of her. "First, no sex. And I'm not moving in with him." Her voice trembled.
SungMin opened his mouth; Hoya held up a hand without looking at him to stop him from saying anything.
"If he tries anything," Chanmi went on, "I get the right to pull out without any repercussions on Kim-sshi's part of the contract."
"In other words, they still have to model."
Chanmi nodded and swallowed. One down. "Second. I get at least 24 hours notice for anything he wants me to attend. No surprises, no emergencies. I have a life and I want to live it in the time I'll have left."
"Understandable," Hoya said.
"Third. In case of conflict, my day job gets priority."
Hoya looked at Heechul. "The first two, done. He'll keep his hands off you, and he'll give you plenty of warning."
SungMin scowled and slumped in his chair again, looking bored.
"In the case of conflict, I think we can work it out. If we don't, then yes, your work with Kim-sshi takes priority."
"That sounds good to me," HeeChul said. "Choi-sshi?"
"One moment." Siwon continued to type a moment, then stood up and walked to the printer. As each copy came off, he handed them out, one to Hoya and one to HeeChul. He sat back down as the two read over their copies.
Chanmi felt sick with horror and disbelief. How could her boss have done this? Her hands started to hurt and she looked down to see her knuckles white, as well as the skin around where her fingers pressed. She let go. No reason to damage herself over this.
"I see no necessary changes," Hoya said, and Chanmi looked up at. Maybe she should have run?
"Agreed," HeeChul said. He picked up his pen and signed with a flourish. Hoya took that copy and gave it to Sungmin. Still sullen, he signed. HeeChul retrieved that and got up to set it in front of Chanmi.
She didn't look at him, but as soon as she picked up the pen she could see the effect this had on her, and so could everyone else. Her hand shook so much she could barely hold it. HeeChul left and Chanmi looked up to see L watching her. She immediately looked away. She didn't want to see pity in his expression.
An open bottle of Perrier clunked down on the table in front of her, and HeeChul's hand fell heavy on her shoulder. "Drink," he commanded, and she did automatically. It did what he hoped; when she picked up the pen again, her hand was steadier. She signed, and HeeChul handed the contract to Siwon.
"Give your blackberry to L," Hoya said, all business. "He'll give you the schedule of events you'll need to attend for the next couple of months."
Chanmi slid the device across the table, then took her laptop back from Siwon. She shut it carefully, suddenly furious, trying to at least portray calm. Her jaw started to ache from clenching her teeth so hard. She finished with the laptop just as L gave her blackberry back, and she managed a nod.
HeeChul stood up. "Thank you for coming," he said.
Chanmi collected her laptop and fled, following Siwon out the door. Back at her desk, she slid her laptop into the dock and synced her blackberry. When she checked her calendar, a few new things popped up in bright yellow. She stared at them. "Seriously," she muttered, and sat down. Why was it all on the weekend?
She looked up when HeeChul came in, leading the others toward the elevator. He pressed the elevator call button, still talking to Hoya and Sungmin. L stopped in front of her desk, and she looked at him, surprised. She hadn't even seen him. "I added my contact information as well," he said, his voice low. "Call if you have any questions. If I don't know the answer, I can find out."
"Thank you," Chanmi said, managing to unclench her teeth for those words. L nodded and joined the others as the elevator opened. One more round of bowing, then they were gone. Chanmi made herself busy so she didn't have to recognize HeeChul. He walked around her desk without trying to get her attention, and closed the door to his office.
As soon as he did, Chanmi let out a sigh and slumped in her chair.
Summary: Chanmi was happy with her life, until her boss threw a wrench in it: Lee SungMin. JungShin came along for the ride.
Disclaimer: Not mine, not true.
Chanmi brushed her hands down her grey skirt, then nervously adjusted her pencil holder. Meeting Lee SungMin had her less nervous than HeeChul-sshi's refusal to let her know anything about this meeting. That ominous feeling returned and she didn't know how to get rid of it.
The elevator chimed, and she looked up as four very nice looking men stepped off; three she didn't know, and one she knew well.
"Choi-sshi, HeeChul will see you immediately."
He bowed to her and walked around the desk, going through the heavy wooden door behind her.
Chanmi turned her attention to the unfamiliar three. She recognized SungMin immediately, of course; the other two she wasn't so sure of. She also recognized the look in SungMin's eyes. 'Nothing interesting here.' She'd grown up with boys looking at her and not seeing anything interesting. One of them walked toward her desk. "Lee SungMin and Manager Lee Howon to see HeeChul-sshi."
"Welcome to Chul Designs," Chanmi said. "One moment." She called the phone to tell HeeChul they'd arrived, and then stood up to bow. "Follow me, please." She moved around the desk to lead them toward the conference room. It made her a little nervous in spite of his disinterested expression, considering what she'd read about SungMin, but at least her skirt was knee length.
She stepped aside to let them all into the conference room. "Please, sit down. There are drinks if you want them. CEO Kim-sshi will be in shortly." Chanmi loved this room; one whole wall looked out over Seoul, and they'd put the table long ways so that only someone sitting at the foot couldn't see anything. Drinks sat on the counter that ran along one side of the room, and a printer and supplies, including extra paper, took up the counter opposite. Black leather chairs surrounded the long dark wood table, and plugs were set near each end for laptops. Chanmi had put hers near the end closest to the door.
The two men - Hoya and if she were right, L - sat down, and then proved her right when L pulled a small laptop out of his briefcase and plugged it in next to where she'd plugged hers in, in the middle of the conference table.
SungMin wandered to where the drinks were, and then back to her, pacing around her slowly. She watched him with curiosity the first time, irritation by the third. She put her hand out to stop him going around her a fourth time. "I am not a horse at auction," she said, detached. He smiled at her, meeting her eyes squarely, and then his smile straightened when she didn't back down.
"If you'll all sit down, we'll get started," HeeChul said from the doorway.
Chanmi and SungMin both looked at him, and she sat down before her boss had even finished speaking. SungMin sat down at the other end of the table, next to Howon. HeeChul sat across from them, and Siwon took a seat between him and Chanmi.
"Thank you for coming," HeeChul continued. "Let me introduce my Administrative Assistant, Heo Chanmi, and a company lawyer, Choi Siwon."
"Call me Hoya," Howon said. "This is Lee Sungmin, whom this contract directly affects, and my assistant, Kim MyungSu. He prefers L."
HeeChul bowed. "I think we only have a few terms to hammer out," he said.
Hoya smiled. "Yes. Pay rate, hours, and duration of the contract."
"Exactly."
Hoya straightened, and then SungMin put his hand down on the table hard enough to capture their attention.
"Before all that, I want to know who it is. I want a say in that."
L rolled his eyes, half-turned away from SungMin and Hoya, and Chanmi had to look down to keep from laughing out loud.
"There will be time for that later," Hoya said, no trace of impatience in his voice.
Chanmi straightened as well, and put her hands to the keyboard.
It took every bit of those two hours she'd scheduled. Chanmi tried to stretch her shoulders without it being obvious. She noticed L doing the same thing and grinned. He grinned back sheepishly.
She'd gotten up an hour ago at a short break to close the blinds in the windows because the sun was coming in, and had grabbed a water. She'd finished it some time ago, but didn't have the chance to grab another. They might actually be done. Siwon stood by the printer to collect the latest version of the contract, and SungMin slumped in his chair, staring at the table, clearly bored. He hadn't said a word the whole time.
"I think that's about everything," Hoya said.
SungMin straightened, pulling his jacket into place. "Good. Who is this girl?"
HeeChul smiled. "You've met her," he said smoothly. "My assistant, Heo Chanmi." He gestured to her.
Chanmi looked at him, eyes wide, frozen. That feeling she'd had, that something was going to happen, twisted her stomach. "What? Me?"
SungMin tilted his head, then smiled. "Okay."
"Not okay!" Chanmi protested. She didn't like this guy!
"Heo-puin. This is non-negotiable," HeeChul said, and she looked at him even though she didn't want to. "You will sign, or you can pack your things and leave now. Do not return."
She didn't gape at him, but just barely. Then she took a deep breath and made herself calm down. She could handle this. "Then I have a few provisions to add."
"If they are something we can live with," Hoya said.
"Live with them or I'll take my chances with unemployment," she snapped at him.
Hoya lifted an eyebrow and nodded. Chanmi didn't think she imagined the heat on the side of her face from HeeChul's stare, but she didn't look at him.
Siwon promptly shredded the version of the contract he'd just taken off the printer and returned to the table. He nodded to Chanmi, and then pulled her computer in front of him.
"What are these provisions?" Hoya asked.
Chanmi took a deep breath and clasped her hands in front of her. "First, no sex. And I'm not moving in with him." Her voice trembled.
SungMin opened his mouth; Hoya held up a hand without looking at him to stop him from saying anything.
"If he tries anything," Chanmi went on, "I get the right to pull out without any repercussions on Kim-sshi's part of the contract."
"In other words, they still have to model."
Chanmi nodded and swallowed. One down. "Second. I get at least 24 hours notice for anything he wants me to attend. No surprises, no emergencies. I have a life and I want to live it in the time I'll have left."
"Understandable," Hoya said.
"Third. In case of conflict, my day job gets priority."
Hoya looked at Heechul. "The first two, done. He'll keep his hands off you, and he'll give you plenty of warning."
SungMin scowled and slumped in his chair again, looking bored.
"In the case of conflict, I think we can work it out. If we don't, then yes, your work with Kim-sshi takes priority."
"That sounds good to me," HeeChul said. "Choi-sshi?"
"One moment." Siwon continued to type a moment, then stood up and walked to the printer. As each copy came off, he handed them out, one to Hoya and one to HeeChul. He sat back down as the two read over their copies.
Chanmi felt sick with horror and disbelief. How could her boss have done this? Her hands started to hurt and she looked down to see her knuckles white, as well as the skin around where her fingers pressed. She let go. No reason to damage herself over this.
"I see no necessary changes," Hoya said, and Chanmi looked up at. Maybe she should have run?
"Agreed," HeeChul said. He picked up his pen and signed with a flourish. Hoya took that copy and gave it to Sungmin. Still sullen, he signed. HeeChul retrieved that and got up to set it in front of Chanmi.
She didn't look at him, but as soon as she picked up the pen she could see the effect this had on her, and so could everyone else. Her hand shook so much she could barely hold it. HeeChul left and Chanmi looked up to see L watching her. She immediately looked away. She didn't want to see pity in his expression.
An open bottle of Perrier clunked down on the table in front of her, and HeeChul's hand fell heavy on her shoulder. "Drink," he commanded, and she did automatically. It did what he hoped; when she picked up the pen again, her hand was steadier. She signed, and HeeChul handed the contract to Siwon.
"Give your blackberry to L," Hoya said, all business. "He'll give you the schedule of events you'll need to attend for the next couple of months."
Chanmi slid the device across the table, then took her laptop back from Siwon. She shut it carefully, suddenly furious, trying to at least portray calm. Her jaw started to ache from clenching her teeth so hard. She finished with the laptop just as L gave her blackberry back, and she managed a nod.
HeeChul stood up. "Thank you for coming," he said.
Chanmi collected her laptop and fled, following Siwon out the door. Back at her desk, she slid her laptop into the dock and synced her blackberry. When she checked her calendar, a few new things popped up in bright yellow. She stared at them. "Seriously," she muttered, and sat down. Why was it all on the weekend?
She looked up when HeeChul came in, leading the others toward the elevator. He pressed the elevator call button, still talking to Hoya and Sungmin. L stopped in front of her desk, and she looked at him, surprised. She hadn't even seen him. "I added my contact information as well," he said, his voice low. "Call if you have any questions. If I don't know the answer, I can find out."
"Thank you," Chanmi said, managing to unclench her teeth for those words. L nodded and joined the others as the elevator opened. One more round of bowing, then they were gone. Chanmi made herself busy so she didn't have to recognize HeeChul. He walked around her desk without trying to get her attention, and closed the door to his office.
As soon as he did, Chanmi let out a sigh and slumped in her chair.