I CAN'T CHOOSE

ONE NIGHT STAND

Minjun drove through the dark. Streetlights slid over the hood and off again. The city thinned. A motel sign hummed above a parking lot of loose gravel. Jessica sat quiet in the passenger seat, perfume already in the air. He killed the engine and they went inside.

The lobby was small and tired. Keys. A room number. The corridor smelled of cleaner and old carpet. Minjun shut the door behind them and pulled his shirt off before the lock even caught. The bed waited. He looked at her and said it plain.

Let’s get this done.

Jessica didn’t move toward him. I’m not a prostitute, she said. I want to talk. I want to know you. This isn’t only s*x. Minjun sat on the edge of the bed. Springs gave a little. All right, he said. My name is Minjun. Yours is Jessica. What do you want to know?

She picked up the room phone and called the front desk. Best wine you have. A plate of rice. Chinese rice if you’ve got it. She glanced at him. You like Chinese rice, right? He didn’t answer. She nodded anyway and hung up, then smiled at him like the order had settled.

I’m American, she said. Back home, the guys are thin and foolish. That’s why I came when my dad took the airport job. I wanted to find someone who didn’t look like that. I like you. I want to hang out. He watched her and said, I understand.

Why America, she asked. He waited a moment. South Korea is fine for a night, he said. Stay long enough and you see the doors. You need connections. I’m a basketball player. Over there the opportunities are real. Jobs. Courts that pay. Here you wait on someone you know.

You play basketball? Wow. That’s huge in America. We have basketball and football. My ex played football. He was a jackass. Chased girls. That’s why I left. You’re cuter than he. I want to be around you. She smiled. Minjun looked at the floor, then at her.

I have a girlfriend.

Before she could answer, someone knocked. Jessica opened the door, took the tray, and set it on the small table. Wine. Rice. Three spoons. Minjun frowned at the extra one. Why three spoons? It’s just us.

It’s not just us, Jessica said.

What do you mean.

I knew you had a girlfriend. I saw you at the visa desk weeks ago and I asked around. I found her. I paid her. A trade. You understand?

The door opened again. Seo-yeon stood there. Minjun said her name like it didn’t fit in the room. Seo-yeon, what are you doing here? She had nothing ready. He asked it again, voice up a little. You agreed to this? For money? What are you?

I’m not a prostitute, she said. I did it for the money. We don’t have any. You’re leaving. You’ll find someone else over there. I can’t sit here empty. I have my own life to build. I’ve seen you already. What’s new. You get the visa. I get paid. Everyone wins.

He stared at her. You never loved me. This morning my mother tried to tell me and I wouldn’t hear it. I gave you everything. This is what I get. Seo-yeon sat down, took a glass, and started to drink. Love doesn’t pay bills, she said. Money does. Grow up.

Jessica felt the room go tight. All right. Cheers. She poured for all three. Minjun filled his glass last and slow. They drank. They ate. Jessica talked to fill the quiet — high school, average grades, fashion, nights online, videos of Africa that annoyed her and still made her want to go someday. What do you do for fun, she asked him.

Basketball. Gym. Sleep.

He said it was cold. Seo-yeon sitting there made every word heavier. After the food, Jessica carried the tray to the corner. She stood in the mirror and unbuttoned her shirt. Bra. Short skirt. She turned and looked at him. He looked down, then back up. She walked over and kissed him.

His hands went to her waist, then lower, and squeezed. She made a small sound into his mouth and held his neck. Behind him Seo-yeon worked his belt loose, then his shorts. He was hard whether he wanted to be or not. Seo-yeon smiled at the sight of him. Wow. Big boy. Then she took him in her mouth.

He clenched the sheets. A groan got out anyway. His left hand went to the back of Seo-yeon’s head and pushed her down on him. His right hand found Jessica’s breast and pinched it. She moaned his name against his mouth. Minjun. God. Better than my ex.

He broke the kiss, stood Seo-yeon up, and looked her in the eye. Those were not soft eyes. He pulled her panties down, bent her over, and pushed into her from behind. He held her hair and drove hard. Not for sweetness. For what she had done. She said his name because she had to say something.

Jessica wouldn’t stay off him. She kissed him again while he kept moving. He pulled out and put himself to Jessica’s mouth. She took him. He held her head and pushed until he came, and she swallowed what she could. The rest ran down her chin onto her chest.

They didn’t stop for a long time. When they finally fell on the bed, they were done talking and done standing. Morning came gray through the curtain. Jessica woke first, then Seo-yeon. Minjun was gone. A note sat on the table. The third side of the bed was already cold.