Nari pushed the janitor cart down the hallway and turned the corner. And heard a grunt as the cart suddenly ground to a halt. She ran around it. And stared in horror at…
Yoongi.
She’d just bumped into him with the cart.
He was dressed much more professionally today. Her eyes slid down his crisp, white, button-down shirt and black dress slacks. He had a matching black dress coat hanging from his shoulders. It revealed enough of that white shirt to make him look like a million bucks. Not that he needed help in this area. The man always looked gorgeous. Even in jeans and a T-shirt. But his white dress shirt was unbuttoned at the top, revealing just enough of his chest to make her want to swoon.
She, on the other hand, had been given a cleaning lady’s uniform to wear to work for her new exalted position. She felt like a total frump. It was a white dress with a matching belt. Honestly, she felt like she was waitressing again and wondered if her father was just mocking her efforts to rise higher in the workplace. She almost wanted to tell Yoongi that she was willing to leave her family if he promised to take care of her.
As she gazed at him, she felt a dart of jealousy pierce her soul. He was dressed like an executive. Clearly, he was rising higher in the company. Quickly. Was it because he was a man?
How was it that the man her father abhorred could rise to greater prominence in his company than her appa’s own daughter?
It just felt…plain wrong. If she had been incapable or unintelligent, she could have understood it. But she was quite capable and very intelligent. She’d gotten top marks at school. She’d even earned a scholarship to the university. She was no dunce. So why was she cleaning toilets?
“I am so sorry, Mr. Min! Please forgive me,” she bowed to him.
Yoongi stared at her. She was dressed in a ridiculous, little dress that barely covered half her thighs. Then, as he gaped, dumbfounded, at her, recognition hit him.
“You’re a janitor? How is that possible?”
“Because all the men in my life hate me,” she muttered, pulling the cart back and then turning it to move around him.
Yoongi watched her disappear into the men’s restroom with her cleaning supplies. She set up the RESTROOM CLOSED sign before slipping into the restroom as she called out, “Is anyone in here? I’m the janitor. This restroom is closed for cleaning.”
He glanced around. He was at the junction of two hallways. No one was watching him. He slipped into the bathroom behind her. But as he entered the little room with five stalls, a urinal, and five sinks, he didn’t see her for a moment.
Where was she?
Then he heard the toilet at the far end flush. A moment later, she emerged before heading into the next stall. He waited patiently. When she came out of the second stall, she glanced up at him in surprise.
“Can I help you, sir?”
“Stop calling me ‘sir.’ You sound ridiculous.”
Her eyes swept his gorgeous frame. “You are obviously a ‘sir,’ sir,” she replied just to irritate him. “You’re working in one of the offices, I take it?”
He nodded. He was suddenly at a loss for words.
But she wasn’t. “Are you some junior executive’s assistant?”
“How did you know that?”
She sighed. “Because that’s the job I was hoping for. But apparently, my appa believes I’m better suited to cleaning toilets.” Then she turned and disappeared into another stall.
He’s probably punishing me for taking a year off school. And working in a diner. And falling in love with a rude drunk.
Nari stared down into that toilet as she felt a sob forming in her chest. She’d had so many dreams when she was younger. What on earth had happened to them?
She was the only daughter of a brilliant businessman. She’d wanted to follow in his footsteps. She loved to debate. She reveled in problem-solving and leading discussion groups. She had all kinds of innovative ideas for the workplace.
But her father had never heard her. He’d never acknowledged her brilliance. He had always shoved her in a corner while her dim-witted brother got all the attention. And breaks.
Why did all men hate her so? They all wanted either to use her or to ignore her. None of them had ever treasured her. She just wanted to be cherished. Was that too much to ask? What was so wrong with that?
What was she doing in there? She’d been in there for a full five minutes at this point.
“Did you fall in?” Yoongi asked suddenly.
A few moments later, she exited the stall before entering the next one. She didn’t answer him.
“Nari, are you hiding from me?”
“No,” she called from inside the stall. “I’m doing my job. Which is what you should be doing.”
She was, in fact, right. He should be doing his job. Without another word, he turned and left the restroom. When she exited the stall a few moments later, she stared at the space on the floor he had been occupying a moment earlier. And wondered why she felt so sad.
