This is the 614th most frequent Czech word.
krátce
"Krátce" means "briefly" or "shortly" in English.
In this sentence, 'krátce' is used to indicate a short duration of the conversation.
Mluvil jsem s ní krátce po pracovní době.
I spoke with her briefly after work hours.
In this context, 'krátce' refers to a short time interval before the event of the concert starting.
Krátce před koncertem začalo pršet.
Shortly before the concert, it began to rain.
Here, 'krátce' emphasizes the short time span of the action, closing and opening the eyes.