"Dressing Zico"

Master Pao may have been full of crap about some things but he wasn’t wrong about the pain I would have the next day. When I woke up, my chest, shoulder, and neck hurt from the bullet hole and Master Pao’s manipulations. My head and stomach hurt from the hangover I got from the “ginger beer”, and my butt hurt from the spanking I got from Zico. Every time I moved I wanted to cry.
Zico had fallen asleep in my bed and he woke up when he heard me cry out. He didn’t say a word. He breathed in a deep breath, rubbed his eyes, and went to the mini-fridge to get me the first bottle of “ginger beer” I would need that day.
It was much better cold but it still burned like fire going down. I didn’t care. If it would stop the excruciating pain I was feeling, I would endure it. After the initial burn, it was easier to get the rest down so I chugged it to get rid of it fast. I started to feel the effects at once. The pain subsided and I could feel my brain getting fuzzy.
Zico said as he put on his shoes, “Well, I guess you’ll be drunk all day so I’m going to go do some work.”
I grabbed his hand as he stood up and kissed it. “Don’t leave me.”
“I have things to do. Marco will be right outside the door.” He pulled on his hand but I wouldn’t let go.
“Don’t leave me,” I said and pulled him towards the bed.
He closed his eyes, put his head back, and whined, “Elizabeeeeth… I have to goooo.”
I pouted. “Okay. Kiss me before you go.”
My head was reeling. I found that “ginger beer” had weird effects on me at different times and today it had made me very cheeky. I wanted nothing more than to pull Zico into that bed, strip him down, and make love to him for the rest of the day. When he leaned over to kiss me, I tugged as hard as I could and threw him off balance. I giggled when he half-fell, half-jumped over me and into the bed. He laughed too. I crawled on top of him and kissed him deeply. When I sat up we were both out of breath.
“Elizabeth, I can’t do this.” His hands were running up and down my thighs.
I leaned over and whispered in his ear, “Yes you can. I want you too.” I licked his ear.
Zico moaned and then rolled over on top of me. “No. I can’t. You’re drunk and I don’t take advantage of drunk girls.”
“Kiss me,” I said.
“Sorry. If I do I might not be able to stop.” Zico shook his head.
I reached down and caressed him between the legs. “Please?” I begged.
He closed his eyes and made a sexy noise deep in his throat. “I can’t. I can’t. I can’t,” he said more to himself than to me.
I squeezed him tighter
“Dammit Elizabeth!” he said and then kissed me. It was a long slow kiss. His hands moved up my body and then my arms until he was holding my hands above my head. Pulling out of the kiss he looked at me and then said, “Nope. I’m not doing this.” And then he stood up.
I gave him a pouty look. “I want you so much Zico.”
“That’s the beer talking, not you,” he said.
“Fine. Guess I’ll have to get someone else to satisfy me. Wonder if Jong’s b..”
Before I could finish the sentence, Zico was pushing me back into the bed. “That had better be the beer talking too or someone’s getting another spanking!” He kissed me again. “And don’t ever let me hear that name come out of your mouth again. Do you hear me? I’m not joking around. I never want to hear about him again, Elizabeth.”
“Yes sir. I’m sorry.”
Zico got up and started for the door. “I’ll be back later. Just find something to keep yourself busy and be a good girl.”
I didn’t say anything. I wasn’t promising anything.
Zico left and I was bored. I didn’t want to stay in the hotel all day but I didn’t know if Marco would take me out. I staggered as I walked over and opened the door. I looked to make sure Zico was gone. He was. “Marco?”
“Polo?”
“No, listen. I need to go out and get some things. I’m going to get dressed and I need you to call and have a car ready.”
“Sorry Miss Elizabeth. I can’t.” He hated telling me no and I could see it all over his face.
“Yes you can, Marco. Just call the front desk and tell them we need a car.”
“Mr. Woo will fire me. We must stay here.”
“Please Marco? I need to get something for Mr. Woo. It’s a surprise,” I lied.
“I’m sorry. I can’t.”
I shut the door. Crap! I need to get rid of Marco.
I came up with a plan as I put my clothes on. The beer took away the pain but it also made it hard to do anything. It was alcohol after all. I couldn’t tie my shoes so I tucked the strings in the sides. I didn’t realize it then but my shirt was on inside-out. I only had on one sock.
I hated to do this to Marco but it was his fault really. At least that was how my drunken mind saw it. I called the front desk and said, “I have an urgent call for Mr. Kim Marco. It’s an emergency.” I heard, “Hold please.” I laid the phone down and went over to the door and listened. Marco’s cell phone buzzed and he answered. Then I heard him talking. It was all in Korean and I didn’t know what was going on so I waited. I heard him talking to someone outside the door and then it got quiet. I waited a minute and then I opened the door. Another security guard that I knew as Dong Ki was standing there.
“Oh, hi Dong Ki. Where’s Marco?”
“He had an urgent call. I’m just waiting for him to come back.” He always looked so uncomfortable when he talked to me and he wouldn’t look me in the eyes. Dong Ki was a total breast man. He tried not to stare at my chest but he was always unsuccessful.
“Oh well, can you walk me to the vending machine please? I really need a drink.” I smiled at him.
“Um, I’m not supposed to leave. You should wait for Kim Marco to return.”
“No, you aren’t supposed to leave ME. It’s okay to walk me to the vending area and back. As long as you’re with me it’s okay.”
He looked around and tried to decide what to do. “Well, I guess that will be okay. But we need to hurry.”
“I promise.”
I shut the door and hoped that Marco didn’t see us. Or worse, Zico.
Dong Ki walked in front of me all jingly-jangly from the keys on his hip. He was an older man that had been with the hotel for a long time and I really hoped I didn’t get him in any trouble. I knew I was walking like a drunk person and I tried my best but the hallway kept swaying. He turned to look at me with a concerned look on his face. “Are you alright Ma’am?”
“I’m fine. I’m just a little sick.”
Luckily, we made it to the vending area without seeing anyone. I pretended that the money wouldn’t go into the machine, which wasn’t much of a stretch since, in my drunken state, I saw three slots instead of one. Dong Ki offered to do it for me as I had hoped. I had stuck a coin into the slot so I knew that the bill wouldn’t go in. As the security guard tried and tried to make it work, I silently walked backwards until I came to the stairway door. I went inside and watched through the little window as he noticed I was gone, panicked, and began searching for me. He got on his cell phone and I could see he was shaking. I felt so bad. I watched until he walked away and I made my way to the back entrance. I knew how to get to the parking garage from where I was and that it would be easy to get out of the hotel from there. It was.
I hailed a taxi and told him to take me to the closest mall. As I sat there, I knew that Zico would be worried and I didn’t want that but I also didn’t want to call him and get yelled at. I called Marco.
“My God! Miss Elizabeth! Where are you? Come back immediately!” Marco sounded more panicked than I had expected.
“I’m fine Marco. I told you I needed to go out. I’ll be back soon. Don’t tell Zico okay?”
“Don’t tell Zico what?! That you are a little sneak that still has death threats against her? Or that you are going to get the spanking of your life when you get back here?”
Oh crap! It was Zico.
“Hi sweetie.”
“Don’t sweetie me! Get back here now!” He was really angry.
“Zicoooo,” I whined.
“NOW! I almost had a heart attack! You were just kidnapped and shot and then you go and do this to me? You’ll be lucky if I ever let you out of my sight again after this!”
“I’m tired of being locked up in the hotel Zico. I just wanted to go out for a while. I’ll be okay for a little while. I won’t be long.”
What’s he going to do? Come find me?
“Elizabeth! Don’t make me come after you! You won’t like that one bit I promise!”
“Hang on,” I said and held the phone away as I paid the taxi driver and climbed out of the car. The mall was huge! “I’m sorry Zico. I’m here and I’ll only be a little while. I’ll buy you something.”
“Why are you doing this to me? You’re not thinking straight. You’re drunk and I don’t know what in the hell that stuff does to you to make you so fearless and willful but we are going to have a talk with Master Pao! Please come back right now. Please? You don’t know how terrified I am. Don’t do this to me.” He sounded like he was trying not to cry.
“Don’t worry about me. No one knows who I am out here.”
“Listen. If you come back right now, I’ll take you out. I promise. We’ll do whatever you want,” said Zico.
“I just let the taxi go Jiho. I can’t come back.”
“Where are you? I’ll come and get you.”
I thought about it. “I won’t have to stay in the hotel all day?”
“I promise!”
“You won’t spank me?”
“No.”
“I’m at the mall,” I said.
“Which mall?”
I looked but there was no name on it. “It’s a big white building. I told the driver to take me to the closest mall.”
“Okay. I know where you are. Stay right there do you hear me? I’m coming to get you.”
“Okay.” I started to hang up when I heard, “Don’t hang…” but it was too late. I had hit the button.
My phone rang and I answered it. It took a couple of tries to hit the button but I got it. I heard, “Don’t hang up!”
“Okay,” I said and sat down on a bench beside a little old lady. She smiled at me and gave me a tiny wave so I did the same to her.
“I’m on my way. Are you outside?” he asked.
“Yes. I’m sitting on a bench with a sweet little old lady,” I told him.
“Good. Just stay with her, okay?” He still sounded panicked.
“Okay but I don’t know her.” My mind was getting fuzzier. It was getting harder to make complete thoughts and sentences. “I think I’m getting drunker Jiho.”
“Just stay there. I’m getting close.” I heard him tell Marco to call Master Pao.
Even just sitting there, the world started moving. If I looked at the ground, it got closer and then farther away, closer and farther away. I didn’t realize it but I had laid my phone down on the bench. The little lady looked concerned. “Are you okay honey? You look sick,” she asked and put her hand on my arm.
“I’m drunk,” I said and she raised her eyebrows and let go of my arm. She scooted a little farther from me.
I could hear “Blood of the Dragon” playing but I couldn’t find it. I was getting so sleepy and my eyes started to droop when a bus pulled up in front of us. The little lady got up to get on and I remembered Zico telling me to stay with her so I got on too. I followed her to the back. As I started to sit down, I saw Zico walk up to the platform where I had just been. He was turning around in circles and yelling something but I couldn’t hear it clearly. It sounded like my name but I wasn’t sure. I watched as he put his phone to his ear and then swirled around to face the bench I had been sitting on. He went over and picked up my phone. After looking at it for a second, he threw it down onto the platform and it shattered.
Zico bent over and put his hands on his knees and then he stood up and I saw him get in Marco’s face and I think he was yelling at him. I didn’t see anymore because the bus pulled away. I turned around and sat down and looked over at the little old lady. She was looking back at me with a strange look on her face but I just smiled and patted her arm. My eyes were too heavy to hold open anymore so I let them fall and then I was asleep.

I don’t know how long I was out but when I woke up, it was dark and I was in pain again. A lot of pain. Master Pao had said I would have pain in the morning and in the evening and he was right. The little lady was gone. Probably long gone and I was mostly alone on the bus. I couldn’t remember why I had gotten on the bus and I couldn’t find my phone. I needed to call Zico. I didn’t know where I was and it was hard to move without crying. What in the heck did I do? Was I that drunk?
I only remembered bits and pieces of the morning. I remembered being in bed with Zico and him kissing me. I remembered walking down the hallway behind Dong Ki. That’s weird. Why was I with him? I also remembered being in a taxi and I remembered following the little old lady onto the bus although I didn’t know why I had done that. Now here I was with no phone and no memory of why I was here. Was I robbed? Why wasn’t Zico or Marco with me? I need to have a talk with Master Pao!
I didn’t know what to do. The bus stopped and two people got on. I needed to get off of the bus and find a phone. I tried to stand up but I couldn’t. Not without passing out from the pain. One of the ladies had sat a few seats up from me and I got an idea.
“Excuse me ma’am? Do you speak English? Excuse me?”
She turned to look at me. “Yes. I speak English.”
“Do you have a cell phone I could use for a moment?”
She looked me up and down. I thought she was going to refuse but she pulled out her phone and came back to sit near me. “Is it an emergency?” she asked.
“Yes ma’am. It will only take a minute. I promise I’ll give your phone right back. I can pay you if you’d like.”
“That isn’t necessary.” She handed me the phone. That’s when I realized I didn’t know Zico’s number. It had always been in contacts on my phone, all of my contacts actually, and I didn’t remember the actual number. What do I do now? I looked at the phone and then I decided to call the hotel. I didn’t know that number either but I knew the name of the hotel. I used her phone to look up that number and it had an automatic dial button on the website. I pushed it and sighed with relief. I closed my eyes when they answered and said, “Hi, I need to speak to Woo Jiho please.” They asked my name. “Just tell him it’s Elizabeth. He’ll take the call.”
There was a pause then, “You do know he has police and basically everyone else looking for you don’t you?”
“What? Oh no. Can you put me through please?” I’m in so much trouble.
“You’ll have to call his cell. He’s also out looking for you.”
“Do you have that number? I lost my phone and I don’t have it.”
They gave me the number and then said, “Where are you anyway?”
“I’m not sure. Thanks for the number.” I hung up and immediately dialed Zico.
He didn’t answer because he didn’t know the number. I hit redial. This time he answered. “Who is this?”
“Zico?”
“Elizabeth? My God Elizabeth! Where are you? Are you okay? Where in the hell are you?” He sounded scared.
“I’m not sure where I am. I’m on a bus and I can’t move. I’m in a lot of pain. What happened Zico? What did I do?”
“You did the Elizabeth thing. I think you’re trying to kill me. What bus are you on?”
“I don’t know. Wait, hold on…” I asked the lady next to me what bus we were on and where it was going to stop. She really looked at me strangely then but she told me. I told Zico and I heard him tell someone else.
“We are on our way. Just stay there. Don’t move! Do you hear me?”
“Don’t worry. I couldn’t move if I wanted to.” Zico wanted me to stay on the phone but the lady wanted her phone back so I hung up and gave it back to her with some money. She tried to refuse the money but I insisted. A few minutes later, I heard siren’s and the bus pulled over. A policeman got onto the bus and talked to the driver. They looked back toward me and the policeman got off of the bus.
Finally, after about twenty minutes, Zico’s white hair made an appearance and I watched as he got onto the bus. He looked around frantically. When he saw me, he ran to me like he couldn’t get to me fast enough. Seeing the stricken look on his face hurt my heart and I began to cry. Without thinking, he pulled me into a tight embrace and I cried out from the pain, My upper half screamed in agony and I saw dots before my eyes. I think I almost passed out.
He became more gentle and slowly laid me back against the seat. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I forgot.”
“It’s okay.” I tried to smile at him but I think it looked more like a grimace. “You didn’t bring that other bottle of ‘ginger beer’ by any chance did you?” I laughed a little and felt like I would die.
“I don’t think you should have any more of that crap!” he said.
“I have to Zico! It takes the pain away and I think it’s going to work. Master Pao has been right about it so far.”
“Let’s just get you home first. Can you walk?” he asked.
“There’s no way. Every time I move I feel like I’m going to pass out.” I felt like I might anyway. The pain was getting worse.
“I’m going to have to carry you. Will you be okay?”
“I don’t think I have any other choice. I really don’t want to be carried out on a stretcher,” I said.
When Zico picked me up, he tried to be as gentle as possible but the pain was still too much for me. I tried not to make noise but the more he moved, the more it hurt and I couldn’t help but cry. Mercifully, I passed out. I woke up as Zico was putting me in my bed.
“Are we back already?” I asked as he covered me up.
“Yep. You lay there and rest.”
“I need that other bottle Zico. Please? I have faith in Master Pao.” I wanted the pain to go away.
“Why? He’s the one that caused all of this. He’s crazy.” Zico leaned over me, putting his hands on either side of my head and looked at me.
“I don’t think so. I think I will feel better tomorrow. If I don’t, then we can blame him. Please?”
He thought it over and then leaned down and kissed my forehead. “Alright. But I’m not leaving this room and I may end up having to tie you to the bed.”
“Ooooo…” I said.
“Ha Ha. Funny. I’m not kidding,” he said as he got the last bottle for me.
It hurt to lift my arm but I needed that “ginger beer”. Zico saw me struggling and helped me to drink it. The fire began to spread throughout my body and the pain started to lift. The relief I felt was enormous. The feeling was almost better than sex. Almost. I closed my eyes and cuddled down in the soft bed to enjoy the bliss of having no pain. Zico laid down next to me and sighed. I looked over at him and he had his arm thrown across his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said.
“For what?” I was confused. I had been the one to cause all of the trouble.
“For not staying with you this morning. For keeping you locked up like a prisoner. For not keeping you safe. For messing up everything I try to do for you.”
“Zico. None of that is true. It’s all been my fault. All of it. You’ve done nothing but protect me. I’m the one that’s sorry.” I started to get really hot and I flung the blankets off of me.
“Nothing else is going to happen to you. I’m going to make sure of it. If I have to send you home to the U.S. I will.”
I started to sweat so I took off my shirt. “That won’t be necessary,” I said. “Unless you are tired of having to look after me and want to be rid of me. I wouldn’t blame you at all.”
“It’s not that and you know it. It would kill me to send you away but I would rather have you a half a world away and safe than in my arms and in danger every day.”
“I’m not going,” I said bluntly. I started wiggling out of my pants.
Zico looked up finally and said, “What are you doing?”
“I’m really hot. I think it might be part of Master Pao’s cure but I’m burning up,” I said as I finished taking off my pants.
“Here we go,” said Zico.
“Can you turn on the air conditioner? Please?” I asked.
He did. “It’s going to be freezing in here,” he said as he went to the desk and sat down.
“Where are you going? Come and lay with me?” I flirted.
“Not a chance! Not with you half naked and drunk,” he said.
“Zico. Please. I’ll put a sheet over me, see?” I pulled the sheet out and wrapped it around my middle.
He looked over at me and scrunched up his face and then grudgingly came over and laid down next to me. “This is going to be a long night.”
It was. He didn’t touch me all night. And I could tell he really wanted to.

Notes