Ginna was tapping the table with her fingers, creating a looping drum sequence of nails-on-wooden-surface beats. Taeyeon was leaning back on her chair, one leg over the other, watching the candle flame dancing between their wine glasses. They had shared their day’s stories with each other and gradually ran out of things to say so it was just silence now.

“May I say something?” Ginna asked.

Taeyeon quirked a brow. “You may say anything you want.”

“I just wanna be honest here. No beating about the bush.”

Taeyeon smirked. “Okay, no bushes.”

Ginna chuckled and shook her head. “You and your dirty jokes.” She sighed. “Honestly, I like you. But I don’t think we’re gonna work out as a couple.”

Sitting up and putting her leg down, Taeyeon replied, “Funny you should say that. I was thinking the exact same thing.”

“So we’re agreeing that this thing between us is going nowhere.”

Taeyeon nodded. “Agreed.”

Ginna leaned back, relief etching across the frown on her face. “That went smoother than I thought it will.”

With a low laugh, Taeyeon ran her fingers through her hair. “I was gonna talk about it sometime soon so I’m glad you brought it up first.”

Brown eyes locked on hers, piercing and perceptive. “I’m not blaming you for anything, I mean, we’re just getting to know each other—and it’s not like we’re in a serious relationship—but your heart doesn’t seem to be in this. Am I right?”

Taeyeon pursed her lips. Ginna was a nice woman and she had been perfectly reasonable so far. She deserved an honest answer. “You’re right.”

Ginna smiled a little. “You have somebody else on your radar.”

“It’s not that.”

“Oh? If not, what’s on your mind? Or heart?”

With a sigh, Taeyeon told Ginna all about her disastrous break up with Linji and how it had led to the ugly revenge inflicted by Linji’s brother. As it turned out, Linji had to lie to her brother about the break up because her brother didn’t know the truth about her dating women. One thing led to another and Taeyeon ended up as the scapegoat of the entire affair.

“You know what they say about getting back on the horse right after falling off?” Taeyeon shook her head. “Not always a great idea.”

Ginna clutched both hands to her chest. “I’m that pathetic rebound case.”

Taeyeon chortled. “You can’t be a rebound if there was nothing for me to rebound from. I only dated Linji for little more than a month. It wasn’t anything serious but she put too much in, too quickly.”

“You can’t blame a girl for putting her heart on her sleeve.”

“We went out like six times. Hardly what you would call a committed relationship. And she started force feeding me popcorn on our second date.” Taeyeon grimaced as her memories replayed in her mind.

“I’m sure you wouldn’t mind the ‘force feeding’ if it’s someone you like,” said Ginna.

Taeyeon opened to refute it but an image of Tiffany feeding her that potato wedge during the baseball game emerged. She didn’t exactly hate it that time. It had been embarrassing with the elderly couple staring but it wasn’t bad.

“Am I right? Or am I right,” Ginna questioned with a knowing smile.

“You might be right,” Taeyeon replied non-committedly.

“You know what? I think you’re lying. There is someone you like.”

“What? No. There’s no one.”

“Oh really? ‘Cos I swear you were kinda smiling when you admitted I’m right.” Ginna leaned forward with her elbows on the table. “Someone did what Linji did and you didn’t hate it.”

Taeyeon stared at Ginna. “Luckily we agreed not to date anymore. You’re freaking me out with your psychic ability.”

Ginna laughed. “Woman, we’re not teenagers fumbling with affairs of the heart anymore. You know and I know, we know who we like and what we like.”

“We may not end up as lovers but I think we’re hitting it off very well as friends,” Taeyeon said with a grin.

“Another friend is always welcome by my book.”

“Do you wanna continue this at the bar I play at?” Taeyeon checked her watch. “I gotta go get ready for tonight.”

“Do I get free drinks if I go with you?”

Taeyeon chuckled. “Sure. Free drinks, as much as you can drink.”

“You’re on. Take me there.”

o|v

Taeyeon introduced Ginna to her bandmates and left her in their booth with a beer while she headed to the restroom to change. When she returned, they were talking animatedly and shot her funny looks.

“What?” Taeyeon stared back at all the judging eyes. “What’s with the ing weird looks?”

The rest ignored her. “She’s definitely interested but she’s denying it out of stubbornness.”

“That’s a possibility.”

“What the heck are y’all talking about?” Taeyeon probed. “I have a right to know, especially you’re talking about me.”

Sooyoung turned to her. “We can tell you but you’ll just flat out deny it and go out of your way to make sure it doesn’t happen.”

“I won’t.”

“You will.”

Taeyeon put her hands on her hips. “I’m such an idiot.”

“Really?” asked Seo.

“I don’t force things. I go with the flow.”

“So if we tell you what we talked about, you won’t deliberately do the opposite to prove us wrong?”

“Why should I?”

Seo nodded. “Okay. Ginna asked if we knew who you like so we told her you seem interested in our new manager.”

Taeyeon snorted. “I’m not interested in her.”

“We’d beg to differ,” Seo countered.

“You have no proof. It’s pure speculation based on nothing.”

Hyo raised her hand. “I saw a sketch of her in your book. That’s proof.”

Taeyeon palmed her face. Just how many people have seen Tiffany in her sketchbook?

“What do you have to say for yourself now?” asked Sooyoung.

“I sketched her at the café. That was before I met her here. I don’t sketch people because I wanna date them and you ing know that,” said Taeyeon, throwing a fierce glare back at Sooyoung.

“Okay, but are you ever gonna admit you enjoyed the date with her at the baseball game?”

Ginna turned to Taeyeon, mouth gaping open. “So you were with the manager when you sent me those photos?”

“No. I sent those photos while she was off buying food.”

Everyone but Ginna stared at Taeyeon, mystified. Then they were interrupted by a cheery voice.

“Hey, everyone.”

All eyes turned, including Taeyeon’s. And their jaws dropped simultaneously. Standing in front of them was Tiffany. In a red and white nurse’s costume. Low cut and midriff baring. Complete with a lacy red headband with a white cross on it.

“Holy—” Taeyeon shut herself up before she said something embarrassing.

“Tiffany, you look so amazing in this,” said Sooyoung as they gathered around her to admire the outfit.

“It’s very y,” added Seo. “Is it for Halloween?”

“So this is the manager?” Ginna whispered in Taeyeon’s ear.

Before Taeyeon could answer, Tiffany smiled at Ginna and waved. “Hi, I’m Tiffany. Are you Taeyeon’s friend?”

“She’s my date,” said Taeyeon. All eyes stared at her.

Ginna shook her head and smiled. “We started out on a date. But we both agreed it’s not working out so now we’re just friends hanging out.”

Tiffany smiled. “I see. Well, it’s nice to meet you. What’s your name?”

“I’m Ginna.”

Taeyeon watched as Ginna and Tiffany shook hands. This was becoming too surreal.

“To be honest, I’m starting to feel a little jealous,” Ginna continued to say.

“Why?” asked Tiffany.

“I wish my manager were as pretty as you are. Unfortunately, mine is not even half as gorgeous as you and ten times grumpier. And she would never put on a Halloween costume as hot as this one. Not even if you paid her.”

Tiffany’s grin was brighter than gems. “Thank you, Ginna. I have a feeling we’ll become very good friends.”

Ginna grinned. “What if we become more than good friends?”

Tiffany blinked. “What did you say?”

Taeyeon pulled Tiffany away from Ginna. “Don’t listen to her. She’s crazy.”

Sooyoung flashed a naughty smile. “What are you so afraid of Taeyeon?”

Sensing that things were about to get out of hand, Taeyeon pulled Tiffany out of the booth. “You have work to do, right? Go. Don’t waste your time with these idiots.” She gave Tiffany a push to set her into motion. “Talk to you later.”

Tiffany finally left with a wave, much to Taeyeon’s relief, but a sea of knowing smirks was awaiting when she turned back around. “You’re a bunch of insane creeps.” And with her finger pointing at them, she warned, “Don’t start spreading your crap to her.”

“Crap?” Sooyoung questioned. “We aren’t trying to force you into anything, Taeyeon. We’re your friends. If you’re really, really not into Tiffany,” Sooyoung raised both hands in surrender, “we’ll back off.”

“Yes, please back the off.”

o|v

By the end of their last set, Taeyeon was more than ready to go home and crash and forget about the potentially disastrous episode earlier that evening. She was in the restroom washing her hands when Tiffany entered. They smiled at each other and Taeyeon felt more than awkward, no thanks to what her friends said earlier.

“Taeyeon, I got something for you,” said Tiffany.

Taeyeon stared at Tiffany, wondering what it was.

Reaching into her bag, Tiffany continued to say, “I was gonna give it to you earlier but you pushed me away before I could give it.”

“What is it?”

“This.”

Taeyeon looked at the card Tiffany placed on her palm. It was a cinema’s gift card. “Why are you giving this to me?”

“To thank you for the game. You can go with Ginna. She was supposed to be at the game with you, wasn’t she?”

Taeyeon shook her head. “You don’t have to do this.”

“I want to.”

“I’m not going to the movies with Ginna. And she didn’t pay for the tickets so you don’t have to feel bad about going in her place.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ve already bought the gift card so just take it and use it however you like.”

Taeyeon looked at the gift card and made a split second decision. “Fine. I’ll take the card. But you’re going with me.”

Pointing at herself, Tiffany gasped. “Me?”

“Do you have a problem with that?”

Tiffany hesitated for a moment. “No . . .”

“Alright, it’s set then. Pick a movie and we’ll watch it together. Monday’s your day off. We can go on Monday. Are you good for it?”

Tiffany nodded. “I’m good.”

o|v