I fiddled with my phone as I waited for her to come.  It was Friday.  And like every other Friday for the past year, I was sitting in the corner table of le petite café, waiting for her to come.  It was our little thing.  Our Friday lunches.

The chimes of the café door jingled catching my attention.  I lifted my head to see her walk in the door.  Her wavy burgundy hair danced as the soft breeze from outside blew in.  The rays of the mid day sun hit her face, highlighting every angle perfectly.  The few seconds she took to stride down the path to our table felt like minutes.  Every step she took seemed like a slow motion scene from a movie that I wouldn’t mind watching over and over again.  I stood from my seat as she reached the table.  We hug.  We say our ‘hellos’.  We sit.  Then she smiled, her perfect smile, and for some unknown reason, I felt like time stopped. 

I never knew that when she smiles she lights up the whole room.

We start talking about our day.  She had a lot to say, but I didn’t mind.  I listened as she spoke, as if it was the most interesting thing I’ve ever heard.  I laughed my heart out when she told me a joke that I’ve heard a million times before, as if it was the first time.  I kept listening as she kept telling me about her day.  Her voice sounded sweeter than it ever did before.  It was like music to my ears.  And as I kept listening I realized that all this time I’ve been staring at her beautiful face, into her captivating eyes.  And for some unknown reason, I felt like my heart melted. 

I never knew that her eyes were such a pretty shade of brown.

The waitress came with our orders.  We thanked her and our conversation was set on pause.  She picked up her cup and inhaled the scent of her favorite caramel macchiato.  I couldn’t help but stare as she smiled to herself, satisfied with the sweet scent.  I chuckled seeing her cute action.  She took a sip of her coffee and her smile grew even brighter.  She looked up from her cup and blushed when she realized I was watching her.  Cute.  She put her cup down and wiped her lips.  It was a simple gesture, but it brought my attention to her lips.  Pink, luscious, and inviting.  The sight made my ice Americano go down the wrong pipe.  I choke.  I cough.  She laughs.  But for some unknown reason, uncaused by my chain of coughs, my heart was beating like a snare drum in a marching band parade. 

I never knew her laugh was so addictively adorable.

We finished our cups of coffee and it was time to go.  We stand.  We walk out of the café.  We hug.  She kisses my cheek.  We say our ‘good byes’.  I watched her as she walked away, her dress swaying with every step.  I watched her till she turned the corner and for some unknown reason, I couldn’t wait for next Friday to come.  I couldn’t wait to see her again. 

I turned to walk the other way but stopped and stared at the window of the little café.  The table where we always sat was visible.  Our table.  I stared until it hit me.  The unknown reason behind everything I felt that day.  The unknown reason why her smile seemed brighter than ever.  Why her eyes seemed more beautiful than I remembered.  Why her laugh kept replaying over and over in my head.  And why I felt the urge to run after her. 

I never knew.  I just never knew, that all this time I’ve been falling for her. 

Yes, I, Choi Seunghyun, have been falling  in love with my best friend. 

My Tiffany.