Fiancé.

The word slammed into him, shaking him to the core.  Did he hear correctly? No, there must be some mistake.  They couldn't mean his Amina. Not the same girl that left him breathless. That same girl that made him forget himself.  The same girl that made him feel things he hadn't felt before. Youngbae didn't even have the fight in him to confront the guy when he walked by. Instead, he continued sitting in the waiting room.

Alone.

He felt frozen, numb... empty. No, it had to be her.  The chances of another Amina working at the hospital were slim to none. Flashback memories of the times they shared replayed in his mind.  He searched for clues - signs, of anything that he might have missed along the way. Youngbae could only remember her hesitation in the beginning.  He had mistakenly took it for shyness, but now he knew the truth. She was playing him.  There was no other way to explain it.

He bitterly twisted his lips, angry at himself.  Angry at her.  Something must have caused her to change her mind.  Was it his fame?  Did it get to her head? He remembered her behavior from their date. The apprehension of being seen in public with him. The fact that she didn't introduce him to her "aunt", who in fact was her mother-in-law.  He thought it was all because of an overwhelming concern for his image. But the truth was that she didn't want to be caught.  Damn, she was a good actress.

A deep ache resonated inside his chest. He hadn't felt this vulnerable in a long time.

"Sir," the YG security guard said patiently.  "They're ready for you now."

Youngbae looked up, surprised, so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize people were waiting for him. An elderly nurse stood behind the guard, ready to usher him to the exam room. He stood up and followed them, still dazed and upset. He was silently grateful for his sunshades. If someone asked him what was wrong, he wasn't sure he'd be able to control his emotions.

"I'll just wait outside the door," said his guard.

Youngbae nodded absentmindedly. The nurse also left, saying someone would be with him shortly. He watched her shut the door behind her, the door closing with a loud "click". He sat on the hospital bed, the only sound coming from the crackling of the protectant paper crinkling underneath him. 

More silence.  More time to think of what he was going to do when he saw her again. Should he confront her? He wanted to know the truth.  Yet part of him wanted to deny what he just heard.  There was no way that what they shared was pretense. No way. He mentally groaned in agony, squeezing his eyes shut.  Why? Why couldn't she just tell him in the beginning? Before he set his expectations.  Before he foolishly allowed himself to feel anything for her. 

He wanted to give her a chance.  A chance to explain herself, to tell him that none of it was true.  A chance to right everything that was wrong.  But he felt his guard come up.  Already, he emotionally felt himself pulling away from her. He didn't want to feel anything anymore.

A knock sounded at the door.

Amina knocked on the exam door before allowing herself in.  Her heart skipped a beat in anticipation, a smile ready on her face.  She nodded slightly at the guard standing near the door before passing through. Youngbae was seated on the exam table, his sunshades still on, his plain garbs somehow looking low-key yet stylish as well.  Unconsciously, she was aware of him stiffening slightly when she appeared, but she dismissed the thought from her mind.

"Annyeong," she said quietly, bowing slightly, in case anyone walked by.  She gently closed the door behind her and pulled out his file. She smiled shyly at him.  "How are you feeling today?"

He nodded briefly at her.

He didn’t say a word. He didn’t give her his usual sunny smile. Amina felt her confidence waver, her own smile dimming a little. She hoped it was all in her mind and bulked up her courage before continuing.  “I’m going to take your vitals before Dr. Park arrives.” She smiled encouragingly at him again.

Maybe he’s having an off day…or he could be tired, she thought herself as she took the arm cuff off the wall and brought it around to take his blood pressure.  Amina kindly looked up at him, silently wishing he would take off his sunglasses so she could see his eyes.  “Could you remove your jacket please?”

He complied silently, tossing the garment carelessly in a nearby chair.  Amina’s smile faded as the jacket landed with a thud, sliding down onto the floor. She glanced up at his face, but quickly looked away. He wasn’t even looking in her direction, nor did he seem to care where he threw his jacket.  Amina quietly stared at the garment before laying the arm cuff down next to him.  She bent down to scoop up the jacket, carefully folding it in half and setting it on the chair.

Amina returned to his side, wary of his current mood swing. She grabbed the cuff and peeled the Velcro strap apart, the sound bouncing loudly inside the small exam room.  She warmed her hands before beginning. “If you would,” she said, holding the cuff for him to insert his right arm through. He looked down briefly and slid his arm through and faced forward.  She eased the cuff up the rest of his bare arm, tucking it underneath his t-shirt sleeve. He flinched at her touch, pulling his arm a little away from her ministrations.

She froze, unable to ignore his slight this time. She looked unseeingly at the wall behind him, a deep hurt etched in her chocolate brown eyes. Amina finish strapping the cuff and lowered her gaze before turning on the machine.  Confused, she turned to stare at his profile, taking in the stubborn set of his clenched jaw. His lips were compressed in distaste, his body language one of indifference.  She raised her hand towards him, wanting to his jaw line and ease whatever irritation he was feeling.  But she pulled her hand back, suddenly uncertain.  She longed to know what he was thinking. If only he would look her way…

A knock sounded at the door a second before Dr. Park walked in.  “Annyeonghaseyo...” Dr. Park greeted him.

“Annyeonghaseyo,” Youngbae replied, a tight smile on his face.

Amina looked away and politely greeted Dr. Park, the happiness she felt moments before leaving her completely.  She listened with half an ear as Dr. Park went through her lists of questions and examined the surgical site.  He answered the questions politely, but Amina could tell that his tone was terse and clipped - emotionless. He wasn’t the Youngbae that she met last week.  The one that drove her home the night she felt ill.  The one that jokingly told her to climb on his back when she drank too much.  The one that kissed her so intimately that she dreamt of those moments in color.  No, this wasn’t the Youngbae that she knew.

Amina stood behind Dr. Park, taking down notes while replaying their first date in her mind.  Did I do or say something wrong? she asked herself. She didn’t need it written out for her.  It was obvious that he didn’t want to see her again.  She just didn’t understand why.

“It looks to be healing great.  Much faster than I anticipated,” Dr. Park said.  “But feel free to call us if anything changes.” 

“Yeh. Kamsahamnida,” replied Youngbae.

Dr. Park looked pointedly at Amina, “You can set the report on my desk for the final sign-off.”

“Yeh,” replied Amina, bowing as Dr. Park said her goodbye and closed the door behind her.

Amina entered the final notes in the file, not bothering to look at him.  She didn’t want him to see how hurt and confused she was over his behavior. No, she didn’t want this to be the last memory he had of her.

Youngbae eased off the exam table, and walked towards her.  Amina looked up, inadvertently, regretting it as she did when she realized he was just trying to retrieve his jacket.  She moved out of his way so he didn’t have to touch her.  As he pulled the garment on and walked towards the door, a feeling of melancholy swept over her. 

“Oppa…,” she called out.

He stiffened but didn’t turn around.

Despite what happened to make him change his mind of her, she couldn’t regret the moments they shared. She only wanted him to be happy, whatever his decision may be.  With all the pent up emotion she felt, she quietly said, “I hope your days are better.”

He turned his head slightly towards her, his mouth prepared to say something.  But then he stopped.  He turned away and nodded to the security guard, taking off down the hall.

The smell of the hospital nauseated him.  He couldn’t breathe. He needed fresh air. He needed to get out, to further distance himself from her.  Youngbae stumbled after the security guard, his eyes not seeing or caring where he was going.  The elevator ride took too long.  The people milling around irritated him.  As soon as they left the hospital, Youngbae headed towards the black van parked down the fire lane, his feet flying underneath him. 

The YG security guard called his name and frantically looked around, suddenly worried that he had missed something or someone. He climbed in after Youngbae, confusion in his eyes.  “Is everything alright?” the man asked.

“Neh,”  Youngbae curtly replied.  “I have a meeting to get to.  Let’s go.” He dismissed the man from his view, putting on his Beats headphones.  He looked out the passenger window and didn’t say a word.

If the security guard thought Youngbae’s behavior was odd, he didn’t say anything of it.  He signaled the driver to go, pulling on his own seatbelt.

Youngbae cranked up the volume as high as he could stand, the bass of the music drowning out the rapid sound of his heartbeat.  But it wasn’t enough to make him forget.  He squeezed his eyes shut, the recent encounter flashing in his mind.  He reflected on the last moments, going over every word she said, memorizing every small gesture she made.  He burned the image of her smiling face in his mind. He bit his inner cheek against the pain he felt inside. He tasted blood.

They arrived at the dorm shortly thereafter.  Youngbae walked swiftly inside, ignoring any help offered when they tried to open his door.  He ignored the security guard inside the building when they greeted him.  He pushed the elevator button to signal the lift, but grew impatient.  He headed towards the stairway, running up the stairs, taking two at a time.  He didn't want to talk to anyone right now.  He just wanted to get out.

Youngbae passed by Seungri and Jiyong on the way to his bedroom. They looked up suddenly at his abrupt entrance, the apartment door slamming against the wall after him. 

"Hey bro," called out Jiyong.  "How'd the appointment go?"

"Fine," came the curt reply, as he walked past them.

Seungri and Jiyong looked at each other briefly, concern in both of their eyes.

"Do you think something's up?" Seungri asked Jiyong.

"I don't know."

Daesung chose that moment to walk out of his bedroom and nearly got trampled over by Youngbae.  "Mianhae," Daesung apologized, but didn't receive any acknowledgement from his hyung.

Youngbae walked passed them all, wearing his workout gear, his North Face jacket covering his face.

"Where are you going?" called out Jiyong.

"I'm going for a run," Youngbae called over his shoulder.  "I'll be back soon." He slammed the door shut behind him.

"What was that all about?" asked Daesung.

"He's just going for a run, like he always does," Jiyong said, trying to convince the others.  "He'll probably be back in time for lunch."

But he didn't return for lunch.  He kept running along the Han River, past Hyeoncheon-dong, past Haenju-dong.  He ran almost several miles north from where they normally turned around from their regular jogging routine.  His feet ate up the pavement, as he put distance between himself and the demons that were chasing him.  When he could no longer feel his toes, he slowed to a walking pace.  Eventually, he found a worn bench nearby and sat there, contemplating the facts.

She was engaged.  She was promised to another.  But she still decided to pursue a relationship with him.  So what did that make her?  He shook his head slightly to clear the demeaning words away. Youngbae tucked his cold hands inside his jacket, touching his cell phone.  He pulled it out and noticed three missed calls, one from each band member.  He glanced up at the grey sky that was threatening to snow at any moment.  His fingers played with his phone, turning it round and round inside his palm.  He suddenly wanted to call her. He wanted to hear her voice.

He should have said something before he left.  But the words didn't come out. Because... he was afraid. Afraid that in that moment of anger, he would reveal a side of him that he hadn't revealed before.  That he genuinely cared for her. 

He scoffed at himself, grateful for having dodged a bullet.  He couldn't trust himself right now to talk about what he as feeling.  The mind demanded answers, while the heart continued to feel.  He just needed time to move on.  Time to forget her.

It was nearly 10pm before Amina trudged upstairs to her office, the long shift taxing her spirit.  No, it wasn't the long hours she put in, she admitted.  It was Youngbae's reaction earlier in the day that caused her heart to be heavy.  She thought about him all day and checked her phone for messages.  There was one.... but it was from Hanna.

Call me. Dinner tomorrow at the Lees. Don't forget!

Of course, how could she forget.  She received an invitation straight from the source itself.  She glanced tiredly around her office, deciding whether or not to put in more hours now or come in later that week to finish the reports.  It took her a moment before she saw the flowers sitting on the corner of her desk. 

She pulled out the card, a half-smile on her face.  Maybe this was to make up for his earlier behavior, she thought silently to herself. Her smile disappeared when she realized it wasn't from Youngbae, but from someone else instead. 

Beautiful flowers for a beautiful girl - DL

Amina smiled sadly, her eyes immediately recognizing the handwriting and initials.  David was always someone she could lean on when she was younger.  They always had an easy going relationship.  Their parents always encouraged them to join the same clubs, share the same interests, and invite each other on family trips.  She always considered David a close friend.  A best friend, even.  But that was all before the night of the Ball. Her mind went back to that fateful night. 

Flashback

Excitement coursed through her veins as she waited for David to pick her up for the Ball.  The night had finally arrived!  All the hard work she put in etiquette school was going to end tonight.  After tonight, she would be considered a "lady", no longer a girl.  She felt nervous but knew she wouldn't pick anyone else to share this night with her.  David had gone through the same painful experience as she over the past two years.  They were both ready to get this night over and done with.

"Amina-ah," her mother called from the bottom of the staircase.  "David will be here any minute.  Please make sure you have your dinner tickets."

"Neh, umma," Amina replied as she gingerly made her way down.  The ball gown was the fanciest dress she had ever worn her entire 17 years of life, the blue silk and chiffon wrapping her body like a cocoon.  The heart-shaped gown was low cut, much lower than her usual dresses, but it lent an air of sophistication and played up her décolletage well.  The diamond strand necklace and chandelier earrings were heavy, but they were family heirlooms so she had to wear them. 

She reached the bottom of the winding staircase and stood still while her mother appraised her, moving slowly around her, checking for flaws. Mrs. Eun was in her early fifties, a lot older than the mothers of children around Amina's age, but she showed her age well.  She tried to have more children, but had complications conceiving, so there were no other siblings to share Amina's burden. Mrs. Eun was a former Thai model that worked the fashion runway in her teenage years before finally working behind the scenes under a popular make-up management company. She was tall, slender, and abhorred anything that wasn't perfect.  She was a stern, but loving mother... she just showed it in a different way.

Mrs. Eun nodded her head slightly, clucking under her tongue.  "It's a shame you didn't grow up taller."

Amina knew that her height had always been a sin against her since birth. Her mother tried to find ways to hide it, fitting her in high heels when she was younger and hiding them under poofy dresses.  She had enrolled Amina in so many pageants since birth, but eventually the awards ran out.  Mrs. Eun blamed it on her height.

The deep doorbell chime vibrated throughout the house.  "That must be David," said her mother. 

A housekeeper opened the door and allowed David in.  He was dressed to the nines, his tuxedo expertly cut.  His hair was a little longer than Mrs. Eun would have liked, but overall, he looked handsome and paired perfectly with Amina for the night.

David noticed Amina standing behind her mother as he walked forward.  He glanced around her and sneered cockily, "Yah, what happened to you?"

Amina grinned, "Shut up." She felt her mother's disapproving gaze on her and immediately wished she hadn't been so frank with him. "I see you still didn't cut your hair like your umma said."

He scoffed.  "I don't do everything she says."  He looked at Mrs. Eun and grinned, the dimples in his face erasing his blatant remark. He opened the box he was carrying and brought out a corsage.  "Here," he said.  He held out the orchid corsage and waited patiently for her to slip her hand through.

"Gomawo," she smiled.  "It's beautiful." She turned around and grabbed a box near the staircase.  "And here is yours," she bit her bottom lip as she tried to pin it into his lapel.

He bent down to help her reach inside the jacket.  "I'm trying not look down your dress, but I find it impossible."

She nicked him for good measure and was satisfied when he yelped.  "Then you should close your eyes," she smirked.

Mrs. Eun sighed.  These two bickered every time they got together.  "Alright, off you two, or else you'll be late." She ushered them out the door and added, "Home by midnight, alright?"

"Neh, umma," they both replied.

She closed the door behind them and went in search for her husband.

David started walking towards his black Bentley, switching the alarm off.  He glanced at Amina, who was still standing near the door.  "Did you forget something?" he asked politely.

"Neh," Amina replied sheepishly.  "I didn't even tell my dad goodbye... I'll be right back."

She pulled the door open and took off her shoes before continuing silently inside, walking past the massive foyer and through the dark marble hallway towards the library.  Her father was only a couple of years older than her mom, his frame short and slightly stout.  But unlike her mother, who was overly involved and critical, her father was more laid back and kind.  But when it came to his family business, he turned serious.

Amina approached the library, vaguely hearing her mother's disdainful voice resonating inside the room.  The door was slightly ajar.  Amina was about to knock when she heard her name being discussed.

"I don't know what we're going to do with Amina," her mother huffed.  "There aren't enough etiquette lessons in the world to turn her into a lady."

"I'm sure she will grow out of the phase when she gets older," replied her father. 

"Well, it needs to happen sooner rather than later," her mother responded.  "I don't think Mi-Hyun is going to want a daughter-in-law that acts like a boor at the dinner table.... That's if she still wants her as a daughter-in-law."

Amina could hear the rustling of her father's newspaper. 

"Aren't you concerned?" shrieked her mother.  "This is much my problem as it is yours.  Mi-Hyun is my best friend, but your company is at stake if this falls through."

"You think I don't know this?" exclaimed her father.  "You don't have to remind me every day.  I know what I promised."

The curiosity was too much for Amina.  She pushed the door open slightly with her fingers.  "What promise?" she quietly demanded.

"Amina!" her mother cried. "What are you doing here? Have you been standing there the whole time?"

Amina ignored her mother and looked at her father's face, ashen with guilt.  "Please tell me appa.  What promise?"

"It's nothing," her mother inserted.  "It's no concern of yours."

Her father shifted in his seat, his face grave.  He looked at her for a long time before heavily sighing.  "It's nothing, Amina-ah.  Please don't worry about it. Enjoy your night." He returned to the newspaper at hand, dismissing her.

"I won't do it," Amina bravely threw out.  She didn't know what she was talking about, but she hoped they would take the bait. 

Mrs. Eun looked at Amina in shock.  How much did she really hear?  "You will do as you are told."

"No," Amina replied.  "I won't." She bit her lip to stop it from wavering.

"Do you know what will happen, if you don't go through with this?" her mother warned her, her eyebrow raised in anger.  "Your father will lose his company..  We will lose this house. And everything in it."

"Is this true appa?" Amina asked, turning to her father.  "Will you lose everything if I say 'no'?"

Her father couldn't look her in the eye.  It took him a moment before he spoke.  He swallowed a lump in his throat and began.  "It's true.  If you don't marry David when you turn 25, we will lose everything."

Marry? Amina's mind reeled from the news.  "M-marriage?" Amina quietly sputtered.  "I don't want to marry him!... He's like... a brother! I can't marry him!" she cried out. 

"You will do as you are told," her mother retorted.  "Unless you can find 10 billion won* somewhere, we have no other choice." She looked coldly at Amina, whose face was a mixture of horror and accusation. "Don't look at me like that.  Blame your father.  He's the one that took us into debt, with all of his expansions and gambling."  (*around $10 million USD).

"And your fertility treatments!" exclaimed her father, rising to his feet. "And your excessive shopping and hosting..." He rubbed the bridge of his nose.  "If you would have stopped when I told you to, we wouldn't be in such a thick of a mess."

"I just wanted another child! Was that so much to ask for?" cried her mother. 

Amina tried to ignore the hurt she felt at her mother's words.  She already knew she never could live up to her expectations, so the omission came as no surprise.

"B-but the company is doing well, right?" Amina vainly tried to save herself from their predicament.  "I mean, that was seventeen years ago.  Surely you've recovered some of those funds by now right?" She looked at her parents, their face withdrawing from her.

"It's not as simple as that," replied Mrs. Eun.  "We promised your hand in marriage to their son.  Now it's a matter of our word.  No amount of debt will ever re-pay that."

"Does David know?" asked Amina.

"He knows," replied her father.  "He's known over two years ago, when he enrolled into etiquette school with you.  Why else do you think he went?  He knows his role in this."

The sting of betrayal blurred her vision as tears formed in her eyes.  Amina didn't have anyone else to call on, her parents had made sure her circles of friends were small.  She stood alone in the presence of her parents, her options running out.  Her voice shaking with emotion she called out.  "Just tell me one thing.  Why 25?  Why not now?  What are you waiting for?"

"Because that is what Mi-Hyun wanted," replied her mother.  "She wanted a daughter-in-law that was ready to present to society.  She didn't want to take the time to foster or culture a daughter-in-law the ways of our world and lifestyle."

"So what am I supposed to do?" asked Amina, her voice rising in anger.  "Just sit here and wait until I turn 25?"

"Ani.. you just live your life like normal.  You'll go to work with your father, learn all that you can, and then when you turn 25, you just get married," her mother replied with a flippant tone in her voice. "It's a simple as that."

"Simple," Amina scoffed.  "This is my life we're talking about here!  I'm not some chattel to be sold or bought."

"Amina that is enough," her father warned, his voice turning hard.  "You will not disgrace this family.  You will do as you are told."

Her mind tried to block out what she was hearing, her heart aching.  "I won't."

"You will do as you're told," her mother emphasized.

Amina looked from one parent to the other, her heart breaking inside.  Money and reputation was all they cared about.  They didn't give a damn about her.  There was no getting though to them.  Not now. Not ever. She accepted the situation for what it was.

"Fine," she replied and watched their shoulders slump slightly in relief.  "I'll marry him when I turn 25, but until then, I get to live my life the way I want to."

Mrs. Eun opened to interject, but Amina interrupted her.

"No more pageants.  No more dance lessons.  No more living through my life," Amina stated.  Reaching for a limb, she added, "And I want to move out."

"And where do you plan on going?" asked Mr. Eun, his voice haughty and marked with disdain.

Amina scrambled to think of someone.  She couldn't pick Hanna's parents.  They were about as worse as hers.  "I'll stay with Dr. Park."

Her parents looked at each other, knowing the request was reasonable.  June Park was their family physician and close friends with her parents. Her god mother that she sometimes spent the summer with.

"Fine," replied Mrs. Eun.  "I will speak to her about it. Anything else?"

Amina couldn't believe her parents were speaking so calmly about her life right now.  They negotiated like it was another business transaction, instead of caring what they were doing to her life.  She swallowed a lump of emotion in .  "And I want money for school."

"That's fine," replied her father.  "I already had planned on you going to business school soon. I expect you to take over the business one day"

"No," replied Amina.  "I have no interest in your company."

"But it's your company," bellowed her father.  "It's going to be yours one day.  Don't you think you should know something about it?"

Amina shook her head.  "I don't want it.  Give it to someone else."  With a heavy heart, she slowly turned towards the doorway.

"Fine," he replied.  "But you will need to pay for everything else.  From this day forward, until you marry David, you will be cut off."

Cut off. The words meant to punish her for her behavior, to demean her for trying to go above them.  She whispered bitterly to herself, "But I already am..."

She walked through the hallway, heading to her room, when she saw David's figure opening the front door.  He stepped inside, worry on his face.  "Hey, I was wondering what was taking you so long.  Are we going or not?"

Amina half-laughed and replied, "I'm not going with you."  Seeing him there in front of her and knowing that he knew about this whole ordeal was too much for her.  The tears spilled down her cheeks, catching the reflection of the dim lights overhead.

"Hey... hey..." He came closer, concern on his handsome face.  "What's wrong?"  He tried to reach for her but she pulled back.

"Y-you knew..." she cried.  "Y-you knew and didn't tell me."  Her lips wavered as more tears spilled forth.  "You were my friend and you didn't tell me."

"Mwuh? Didn't tell you what?  I don't understand, just calm down," he tried to coax her once more.

"That we were betrothed!"

Shock and guilt swamped his features as he tried to understand where her anger was coming from.  "Mianhae... I thought you knew."

"Knew?" Amina sobbed.  "Ani... I didn't know."  She looked at him, his calmness a strike against him.  "Don't tell me you're agreeing to this?"

He shrugged his shoulders slightly, a frown slightly creasing his eyebrows. "My parents had an arranged marriage.  I don't see anything unusual about it."

She looked up at him and could see that he was being honest with her.  He really didn't see anything odd about their situation.  "Well, did it ever occur to you that I may want to marry someone else?  Someone that I genuinely love and care about?"

David cringed, knowing those pointed words were directed at him.  He knew there was no love lost between his parents, but they lived an amicable life together.  He hoped she would see reason one day.  "You'll change your mind one day."

"No," she said, biting her lip in protest.  "No, I won't."  She took off her corsage and dropped it on the floor.  "I don't want to marry you." She turned and left him standing in the foyer. 

End Flashback

Amina smiled bitterly at the memory.  It had been over six years, but the pain was still there.  She knew her family jewelry business was their livelihood, their legacy.  That they had all agreed to this deal to save their family.  But it still hurt. And now she would have to face them all again tomorrow.  She picked up her phone and dialed Hanna's number.

"Yoboseyo?" Hanna replied, annoyed.

"Oh, sorry," replied Amina. "Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Ugh, no," replied Hanna.  "I'm just working on the finishing touches for this promotion we're doing next week." She forcefully whited-out Gaho's head on the poster.  There, she thought, it looked better already!

"Well, I got your message.  What time are we supposed to head over there?"

"I believe around seven o'clock," Hanna replied.  "Need a ride?"

"If you don't mind," said Amina.  "I'm sure David's mom would have a heart attack if I showed up on a transit bus."

Hanna laughed.  "I would love to see that... Speaking of which, have you spoken to David since he's been in town?"

"No," replied Amina.  "But it looks like he stopped by sometime today.  I got a bouquet of flowers from him."

"Oooh..." Hanna squealed.  "Well look at him go."

Amina humorlessly laughed into the phone.  "Yeah, probably felt guilty for all those years."

"Uh huh... I guess your new man has some competition."

Amina didn't say anything.

"Mimi?"

"Neh."

"Are you going to tell me how it went?  That was my segway..."

Amina smiled into the phone.  "Hanna, when's the last time you needed a segway?  You always just ask for what you want."

"I know," replied Hanna.  "But I'm trying not to be a lately."

Amina giggled into the phone.  "Well you need to try harder."

"Har har..." Hanna sarcastically replied.  "Tell me how your date went!"

"It was..." Amina paused, trying to remember the night that felt so long ago.  "It was one of the best nights of my life."

"Mmm... sounds interesting.  What did you guys do?"

"We went shopping," Amina replied matter-of-factly.

"Okay, me likey.  What else?  Where did you guys eat?"

"We went to a little diner for some gogigui."

"Ugh! Next..."

Amina laughed.  "For your information, the food was delicious and the atmosphere was very romantic."

"Uh huh..." Hanna absent-mindedly replied, tossing away the poster.  "So, did you get any action?"

"Hanna!" Amina spitted, her cheeks aflame.  "I swear, I can't have a decent conversation with you without it revolving around !"

"Mianhae... I've been deprived," she moaned.

"I can tell."

Hanna smiling voice could be heard over the phone.  "So, are you going to see him again?"

Amina paused.  "I don't know."

"What do you mean, 'you don't know'?"

"I saw him today... but it's as if we never even went on a date."

"Hmm... I wonder why."

"I don't know," replied Amina.  "I think he just lost interest."

"But you just said you had the best night of your life.  Was it not the same for him?"

Amina could feel his lips on hers, the scent of his skin, the warmth of his tongue.  She remembered the possessive look in his eyes and blinked them away.  "I don't know.  I think so."

"I'm sure it's just the nerves.  He'll come around again."

"I hope so."

The sound of poster board ripping to shreds could be heard in the background. "I'll pick you up at 6ish tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay.  Good night unnie."

Amina hung up the phone and glanced over at the picture she had on her desk, a portrait of her and Hanna taken a few years ago.  "Oh unnie," she wailed.  "I hope you're right."