It was all very well to make out with another girl on a couch and daydream about it for hours afterward, but quite another to take the first step toward a very big, life altering declaration to the people she knew and loved.

Irene sat on the corner of her brand new desk, delivered just hours ago to the small office she’d rented for herself across the street from the main office of Immaculate Home.

3 days had passed since she’d seen Seulgi, and though she should be getting some work done on her new venture, she was desperately preoccupied with thoughts of Seulgi and dying to share this new development in her life with someone, anyone.

While she was never one to keep secrets, the idea of announcing to her parents that she was dating a girl had about as much appeal as an all night dentist’s appointment.

She decided to go for the next best thing.

“We need to talk,” Irene stated matter of factly into the phone.

She could hear crashing and shrieking in the background, a sure sign that the boys were up from their naps. “Bad time?”

“Not at all,” Tiffany practically shouted with relief. “You’re a grown up, a hot commodity in my world. Hang on. Let me drag this cord into the closet.”

Irene waited patiently while Tiffany hid herself from her children in what sounded like a lost scene from Lord of the Flies. “Maybe I should call you later,” she offered, envisioning one of the boys with blood pouring from his face.

“No need. They’re just having fun. They’re boys. It’s what they do. What’s up?”

Irene stood and walked to the window. “A lot. I think I might be ready.”

“All right. Ready for dinner? Ready for some baseball? To rumble? You’re going to have to help me out a little here.”

Irene took a breath. “Ready to tell you that I have feelings for someone. I didn’t plan on this happening. In fact, it completely blindsided me. It’s not perfect, and there are things still in the way of this being a fully functioning relationship, but it’s a step, right? These feelings?”

There was silence on the other end of the phone before Tiffany exploded like a 4th of July firework. “Ahhh! This is the best news I’ve heard in months! What color should my bridesmaid’s dress be? Pink? I like pink. I can work it in pink. I knew you two were perfect for each other! I told you. I told you! Didn’t I tell you?”

“Wait, Tiff, let me finish.”

“I can’t wait to tell Chi Yeol. He’ll be home any minute. We should all go to dinner together.”

“Nope, flag on the play. It’s not what you think.”

“Are you free this weekend? I could get a sitter.”

“Tiifany, you’re not listening to me. I’m not talking about Minho.”

Another pause. “Well, then who?”

“Someone new.”

“What’s his name?”

Here goes nothing.

“Actually, I’ve been kind of dating a girl.”

Silence. “I’ll be right over.”

****

Things were hopping at Global Newswire that Wednesday.

Seulgi had personally handled 5 new client calls (3 of which landed them new accounts), hired 2 new upper level sales people in the southwest region, and outlined a new leadership development track for promising junior account executives.

Now she was moments away from concluding her weekly sales meeting and couldn’t wait to get home and tend to her real life, a feeling that was entirely new to her.

“So as you can see, our selling strategy is working for the mid range companies, but the larger, public corporations haven’t latched on to the multimedia releases as readily.” Seulgi moved to the last slide of her Power Point presentation.

The end of the day was in sight.

“What I’d like to see happen in the next quarter, at least on the West Coast, is more of the services listed here, offered to our top clients, free of charge for 5 releases. If we give them a taste of the multimedia side of things, they’re going to see a huge jump in their stats and inevitably want more. After that, ladies and gentleman, we’ve got ’em.”

Her sales staff answered with a hearty round of applause.

“Thanks, everyone. August was a good month. Let’s make September even better.”

After some proverbial patting on the back of her upper level staff as they shuffled from the conference room, Seulgi sank into a black leather conference chair and finally gave her Iphone, which had buzzed several times throughout the meeting, her full attention.

Wendy lingered and tidied up the conference table, a job Seulgi had told her a hundred times could be left to their assistants.

But Wendy was the type who liked to have her hands in everything, and eventually, she’d just given up.

“So that went well,” Wendy mused. “I think you sufficiently fueled their fire. I like this new motivational side of you. You look good in positive.”

Seulgi stared at her Iphone in horror. “.”

“No, it was much better than that, trust me.”

Seulgi held her head in her hands. “This is so not what I needed right now.”

“It’s surely not that bad. What’s up?”

“Sora’s coming.”

“.”

“Exactly.”

“What brings the ice queen to California?”

“Mother’s house sold earlier this week, and instead of just signing the papers and making this as quick and seamless as possible, she’s insisting on doing it in person. It gets better. She’s bringing her Mini Mes and that robot of a husband along with her.”

“Double ouch. My sympathies, Sseul.”

“Want to come to dinner with us this weekend?”

“Ah, gee. So much to do this weekend. So terribly much,” Wendy said without a trace of emotion. “I don’t think I can swing it. Wow, so disappointed.”

“Nicely done.”

“Take Irene.”

“In case I haven’t made it clear, I actually like Irene, and it’s too early to scare her away entirely. Cruel and unusual punishment does not a good impression make. Sora’s not only a , but she’s a snob and would be about as welcoming to Irene as a cuddly python.”

“Touché.”

“Maybe I should start drinking heavily. An alcoholic for the weekend. What do you think?”

“I think I don’t envy you when it comes to spending time with Viper princess, but I know that you’ll handle her with the utmost of class and finesse until the moment you get to gleefully put her back on that plane to Aspen. I’d like to get your cartwheels at the airport on video this time.”

Seulgi sighed dramatically and wondered why in the world God had just slam dunked her on what had been such a good week, thus far.

Sora, really?

****

Irene stared across the red and white checkered tablecloth at a very shell shocked, wide eyed Tiffany.

She’d managed to hold her off until the end of the workday when they could get together for a drink at Sabro’s and discuss the newest development in her life.

They sat at a table along the sidewalk so Tiffany could keep an eye on her boys, who were busy wreaking havoc on the small playground across the street from the café.

Tiffany set down her glass. “So you’re serious about this.”

“I’m serious.”

“I just never would have — you know what? You have a lot of explaining to do,” Tiffany chastised her, changing directions. “Who is this girl? Are you a lesbian now? Why didn’t I know about any of this? That’s really my first question, why didn’t I know about any of this? I’m your best friend.”

Through the anger, Irene spotted that earnest quality in Tiffany’s eyes that signaled she was hurt she’d been left out.

Irene tried to explain as best she could. “Part of me didn’t fully realize I was feeling what I was feeling until it was well underway, and I just needed time on my own to process. I guess there was another part of me that worried about what you, what everyone, would think. This probably seems like it’s out of left field.”

“It’s definitely a lot to take in. I’ve known you since the 4th grade, and you’ve never even hinted at anything like this. We’ve scoped guys together for as long as I can remember. Granted, I did a little more of the scoping, but you were right there with me. A sidekick scoper.”

“That’s true. I scoped.”

“So, yeah, I’m a little shocked here.” She paused. “That being said, I might find a way to forgive you, but only after you tell me every last juicy detail, and leave nothing out.” Tiffany leaned back in her chair and grinned expectantly.

Irene lifted one shoulder and let it drop. “I’m not exactly sure. It was out of the blue. But now that I think about it, maybe it wasn’t. It started with the house. There was coloring at the kitchen table. Then the crying on the patio outside, hers not mine, and then long talks. Mad kissing in the entry way, like socks knocking caliber, an actual date with way too expensive wine, and then lots more kissing, groping, and pretty much all around torture on the couch a few days ago. Now I don’t know which end is up.”

Tiffany squinted. “Only because I’ve known you forever, am I able to translate half of what you just said. This is all so—wow. But it’s good? It sounds good.”

“It feels good. But the logistics are pretty dicey.”

“Okay. Well, start with the good.”

Irene smiled. “It’s all so different than with anyone else I’ve ever dated. It’s like I crave being in h