Chapter Six

Soojin

I wake up curled in a ball, absolutely freezing. Something feels off, but my brain isn’t quite awake enough to process it. For a moment I can’t figure out what woke me, then the electricity in my tiny studio apartment cuts back on. The collective soft hum of all the electrical devices that normally sit at the corner of my awareness starts up all at once–the fridge and the heater, then my air purifier in the corner. I sigh. I should get up, but instead, I roll over in bed and cover back up.

There will be a ton to do downstairs in the restaurant if the power was out for any length of time. I don’t open the restaurant on Mondays or Tuesdays, so fortunately, I’ll have a few days to go through all the food and get rid of what is ruined before I open after Christmas. I close my eyes and force myself to not start making a mental checklist of everything I need to do.

I’ve almost completely drifted back off when the unexpected wail of the security alarm makes me jump. My heart pounds ninety miles a minute inside my chest. I’d laugh at my silliness if it wasn’t so cold. I throw on my coat over my pajamas, grab my keys, and head downstairs to see if I can get the stupid thing to stop.

The first and second floors of the building aren’t connected. I have to actually step outside onto a little porch with a set of stairs that ends just in front of the restaurant’s back door. It’s not convenient, but living above the restaurant saves me a ton on rent.

Outside, alarms are going off everywhere. The Wild Hare, the strip club behind me, is the loudest, but I can hear distinct alarm wails from both the vape shop and mechanic across the lot. So strange that the power fluctuations would cause them all to go off at once, but stranger things have happened, I guess.

I unlock the back door and flip on lights as I walk toward the wailing. I enter the code, hit pound, and then the off button.

The wailing continues.

I enter the code again, this time more slowly, repeating each number aloud before hitting pound and off.

Still, the wailing continues.

I try one more time, hitting each number as hard as possible. Pound. Off. Nothing.

A headache builds in my temples and behind my eyes. Maybe it’s a power issue. I take my phone and head out the back door, moving away from the building and into the Wild Hare parking lot to call the 24-hour emergency line. There is no wind, not yet, but the air is so cold it’s like a punch to the gut. I suck in a deep breath of sharp freezing air and zip up my coat all the way.

The lights are still off at the vape shop, but Matt, the mechanic, must have been quick–his shop lights are already on. Zach Lamar pulls up in his giant truck just as I get someone on the line for the power company. I’m put on hold immediately, of course.

“You okay, Soojin?” he calls out.

“Calling the power company!” I yell back. “I can’t get the alarm to go off.”

He gives me a thumbs up in acknowledgment and heads inside. The wind blows and I instantly regret not bundling up more before I stepped outside. I pull the hood up on my jacket, but even that does very little against the frigid air. I’ve got the wail of the alarms in one ear and a cat version of All I Want For Christmas Is You in the other when the front lights of the Wild Hare pop on. They flash and cycle through–lighting each letter up along the sign before flashing again and cycling back through again. The sudden, unexpected light is blinding in the dark.

I blink hard and turn away as Eddie pulls up in his truck. He steps out into the cold in just a t-shirt and jeans, completely unphased by the cold. He heads to the door, but then sees me standing in the parking lot between the buildings and starts walking my way.

“Is that the sheriff’s office?”

I shake my head. “The power company. I can’t get the alarm to go off. I was going to see if they’ve had any–”

The lady chooses that exact moment to come on the line and Eddie says, “Let me know what they say,” as he leaves me to it.

I explain the problem to the woman, who puts me on hold once again, this time to Rocking Around the Christmas Tree in Spanish. My teeth begin to chatter. I need to be in boots out here. I’m tempted to just go inside and try to have this conversation in the warmth. Eddie and Zach step out of the Wild Hare, shouting at each other over the noise.

“I’m texting the boss,” I hear Eddie tell Zach and sigh.

“Naw, man, we can’t keep bugging him,” Zach counters.

“But look, even Soojin needs help. You know he’ll come out here for her.”

Do they even see me out here? Do they know I’m here? Does it even matter? After all, I could use the help, even if it will be day two of seeing Randy.

I’m tempted to run inside and get dressed or at least brush my hair, but then Eddie spots me. “Soojin, want to sit in my truck?”

My chattering teeth decide the matter for me. “I’d appreciate it.”