Instead of offering her arm, the pilot nudges her head down the hall. Skin to skin contact will be too much for her already-rattled brain to handle and Tiffany seems to be on the same page with her in this as she takes the first step. They walk together until they are out of the tower and in the public area, where TaeYeon abruptly pulls to a stop.

“Where do you want to go?”

“Anywhere is fine but I can’t stay out too late.”

A small flush invades TaeYeon’s face. “I’d like to treat you dinner somewhere outside the airport...” She rubs the back of her neck; a sheepish smile tugs on her lips. “But I have no idea of where to go...”

“You’re not familiar with the area?”

TaeYeon shrugs. “Never have the chance to roam in the city.”

“I know this nice Thai restaurant,” Tiffany suggests after considering the options. “Are you okay with Thai food? There are plenty of Mexican grills and American bistros too if it doesn’t fit your palate.”

“More than okay.”

One problem settled, they resume the walk out. At this time of the day, the airport is on its highest activity. Passengers and staffs alike are running from one end to another. With such packed crowd, Tiffany is forced to walk closer to TaeYeon, arms and shoulders brushing against each other as they amble towards the entrance. The blonde halts, but her date continues forward and she has to catch up until they are walking side by side again.

“Are we going to the parking lot?”

“No.”

TaeYeon quirks a brow when no more explanation coming. Tiffany’s answers so far have been clipped, but she does not feel any animosity radiating from the ATC. It seems like the brown-haired woman just functions that way. Straightforward, clear, and neutral. Just like the way she responded to TaeYeon’s courting through the air traffic communication. She is decidedly warmer during their phone call, though.

Tiffany stops on the curb and hails a cab when she says, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For this.” Tiffany points to herself, as if that will make any more sense. Even she is frustrated with herself. “I’m just not used to...”

“Dating?” TaeYeon supplies as she opens the taxi’s door for her date. “Me neither.”

Tiffany gets in first and scoots away to give TaeYeon space to sit. She then tells the driver to go to Ayara Thai Cuisine on Westchester and soon enough, they are out of the airport complex and into the city street. Tiffany does not make any attempt to revive their conversation, feeling uncomfortable to talk about her dating life, or lack thereof, in front of a stranger while they are confined in a closed space. Since it is her official first time being out, TaeYeon takes the chance to drink in the surrounding view as much as she can, the slow change of day to night and the twinkling lights fascinate her. It is like any other big city, but the different architecture, people, and culture are giving different vibe from Seoul. Unfortunately for her, the drive ends as they reach their destination.

TaeYeon takes out her wallet to pay, but Tiffany beats her to it. “You can pay for dinner,” she says in finality, leaving no room for argument as she slips the crisp dollar bills to the driver.

The dinner can’t get any better. The food is great and conversation between them flows seamlessly. They have mutual love for the aviation, but surprisingly, other than the initial exchange of short stories about how they came to love it—TaeYeon and her father’s business, Tiffany and her memories of watching the planes from the airport’s waiting room whenever she went to send or pick her parents from their year-round overseas business trips—their conversation topics broach to everything else but the aviation itself.

Just as TaeYeon has suspected earlier, Tiffany is the type of uptight, blunt, and no-nonsense person. While it does not make her necessarily a socially awkward turtle like TaeYeon is, she does tend to steer people away from her due to her brutal honesty and lack of common compassion sense. It is really peculiar, their relationship that is. People who is shy and rather keep to herself like TaeYeon should not be with people like Tiffany, who does not even bat her eyelashes when she told TaeYeon about how her shiny heeled dress shoes do not fit the rest of her attire. Normally, the blonde would have taken offense and called the date off as soon as the words left her date’s mouth, but she did not this time because she knows it is never meant to be an insult. It is just Tiffany being Tiffany and she finds it endearing. So, there they are, walking out of the restaurant with arms comfortably intertwined.

“Let me take you home.”

Tiffany immediately puts some distance between their bodies without breaking their link. “No,” she answers with straight face.

TaeYeon looks confused and a tad upset at first, before she becomes painfully aware of what her previous statement has insinuated. “I didn’t mean taking you home that way!” She cries out, mortified.

“I know.” The ATC chuckles, squeezing TaeYeon’s arm as she brings herself closer again. “But seriously, you don’t need to. I live nearby, I’ll just walk.”

“Walk?” The blonde asks in disbelief.

“I live in West Sepulveda Apartments, 8501 Sepulveda Boulevard. That’s next block. Ten minutes top.”

“Should you be that precise all the time?” Tiffany’s literalness sometimes scares TaeYeon, just like in this instance. “I might have some evil intentions and now I know where you live.”

“Yes, my job requires me to, and I have to inform you that I own a semi-automatic twelve gauge Benelli Montefeltro Silver shotgun at home.” As if the unnecessary bit of information is not enough to make TaeYeon’s jaw sweep the ground, Tiffany rummages through her bag to take out a can of pepper spray and pink lipstick tube shaped stun gun for her date to see. “I’m going to be fine walking home. You should take a cab back to the airport.”

Oddly, the new knowledge of Tiffany’s vast amount of self-protection weaponries does not waver TaeYeon’s confidence. “I insist. I’ll take the cab in front of your place.” She grins a bit roguishly. “Letting a lady walk alone at night will make me a bad date, won’t it?”

“But you’re a lady as well,” Tiffany points out as she tugs TaeYeon to walk along with her, wordlessly agrees on the latter’s suggestion to walk her home. With the unhurried pace of their stroll, it will definitely take more than ten minutes to get to her apartment and for once, she does not mind at all. She enjoys their chat and banter all the same; both are as lovely as it is amusing.

“I’m wearing the pants tonight.”

“Then I’m going to wear the pants next time.”

TaeYeon’s eyes twinkle hopefully. “Next time?”

“Tonight is enjoyable.” Tiffany ducks her head slightly to hide the redness on her cheeks. “I won’t mind a repetition.”

“It can be arranged.”

Instead of taking shortcut back to the main street, Tiffany takes the roundabout way by circling the block. It is something she will not do if she were by herself as she deems it as a waste of time, but she decides to show the blonde around the area. They stroll along West 87^th Street, take a left to Truxton Avenue, until they are out on West Manchester Avenue.

Along the way, the ATC animatedly points out each building that seems to attract TaeYeon’s attention and provides a little background story of the establishment. TaeYeon listens to her tentatively, although she is sure she will not shop on Tanner’s Sewing and Vacuum Center, or get to Red Ross Tattoos, or being inside the Calvary Chapel, anytime soon. She might have to get an appointment with the foot doctor from the corner of West Manchester Avenue and South Sepulveda Boulevard if she was going to walk any farther in her very uncomfortable heeled dress shoes, though. One shop in particular has managed to catch her full attention and popped a rather romantic idea inside her mind. So, when Tiffany announces her apartment is across the street, TaeYeon pulls her to a halt on the sidewalk.

At Tiffany’s questioning look, TaeYeon responds, “I... Uum... I need to get something.”

The brown-haired woman takes it as a clue for their parting. She beams as she untangles their arms. “I have a nice time tonight, thank—“

“No, no.” TaeYeon waves her hand frantically, her blush deepening. “I really need to get something but I want you to wait for me in front of your building. I promise I’ll come back as soon as I can. Give me fifteen—No, twenty minutes. Please?”

The quizzical expression does not cease, but Tiffany nods then hands her pepper spray to TaeYeon, who takes it without any protest then sprints down the street as fast as her short legs can. The pilot knows she will most probably get ugly blisters on her feet by the end of her scheme, but she could not care less. Approximately eighteen minutes later, TaeYeon crosses the street and goes straight to where Tiffany is waiting for her. Her fair locks are tousle and cheeks flushing from the exertion, but the toothy grin she sports is bright and wide.

Tiffany frowns in disapproval. Before she can ask anything, TaeYeon brings out the single rose she hid in her jacket’s inner pocket and presents it to her date, who takes it with a perfect blend of wariness and gratefulness. She is sure TaeYeon like her in romantic sense, but the present makes her doubt herself. Maybe she has been reading the blonde’s approach in the wrong way, because the rose is not red (“romantic love”) or even purple (“love at first sight”). It is yellow and Tiffany never loathes the color as much as she does now.

“Yellow is for—“

“Friendship,” TaeYeon completes the sentence, grin never falters.

It was something the blonde had realized two months after her major break up. Her ex-fiancée and she were never friends. They met through mutual friend, clicked, then decided to pursue the romantic relationship right from the start. They have different sets of friends—her ex is a few years older and is a dentist—and whenever problem arose, they would turn their back towards each other instead of working it out together. When TaeYeon noticed their relationship was slowly slipping out of her grasp due to their busy schedule, she desperately tried to keep it together by tying her ex with the engagement ring, but never entertained the idea of marriage itself. Apparently, it was the same reason that drove the woman away and into the arms of her fellow dentist, an older man who is ready to settle down and have family. For once, TaeYeon is the one who was left behind.

So, when she was picking which flower to buy for her date in the LA International Floral shop she had noticed earlier, she chose to go forward with the yellow rose. Single, not because she can’t afford buying a dozen, but because she was being considerate of Tiffany. Not all women love being smothered by flowers. The ATC’s almost insignificant slump of shoulders when TaeYeon said the word ‘friendship’ does not slip her attention either.

“You’re a wonderful person. I’d love to know you better and be your friend first,” TaeYeon declares, proud that she can say it all without blushing or stuttering. Her smile grows wider, if it is physically possible, as Tiffany’s chocolate eyes lit up. “Because a great relationship starts from a great friendship, don’t you think so?”

For the flower, audacity, and especially for the thoughtful words, TaeYeon earns herself a kiss on the cheek from Tiffany.