Chapter 11

“Hey Hyo! Hi Sunny! Wazzup?” Taeyeon greeted her friends as she walks straight to them joining them at the front bar.

“Hey Taeng! How’s the wedding gig?” Hyoyeon ask while she watched the two girls wrestle with each other.

“Oh the wedding! I guess they’re all fine! Bearable! Hehehe!” Taeyeon laughs and it didn’t go un-notice by the other two.

“What’s with the laugh Kim Taeyeon? You look happy! Did something nice happen to you out there?” Sunny asked her with a raised eye brow.

“Nothing, it’s just that it’s a happy gathering I think. By the way how’s the café doing? You guys manage? Sorry to bother you Soonkyu when you should have been just relaxing, I know you’re still quite tired.”

“That’s nothing Taeng glad I helped out. This kind of work is quite a fun actually, I enjoyed helping Hyo!”

“That’s nice to know! So, do you now want to join us as business partners?”

“I guess that’s not a bad idea, I’ll think about it some more while I hang out in here. But seriously Taeng, what happen to you at the wedding gigs you, Yuri and Yoona attended?”

“Nothing Really! I swear!” Taeyeon shakes her heads and raised her hands in front of her friends to convince them but the two are really not buying it.

“You left looking all dejected then returned looking all happy! Don’t tell me you met someone new! You sly midget! Come on. Spill.” Sunny gave her a stern look and Taeyeon couldn’t help but sigh in defeat.

“There’s no such thing as that Sunny! But fine I’ll tell you guys but I really don’t know how to start it.”

“Then say it slowly.” Hyoyeon urge her continue while looking at her with concern.

“Well, those three couple we took wedding picture, they… how do I say it?” Taeyeon slightly scratch the back of her head.

“They kinda made me look at weddings in a different way. Hmm… Maybe it’s because of the couple themselves that made me think differently. But none the less the weddings are surely different from the others we had taken pictures. They were seemed like… More…”

“Happy? In love? But aren’t all people that getting married are suppose to be happy and in love with each other?” Sunny tried to supplement the word but Taeyeon only shakes her head in answer.

“Yeah I think they are happy and is surely in love with each other, but they’re… they’re more like, honest… I mean, they look like they are honestly happy, honestly in love, honestly contented. They’re true to each other, as they recite their vows I could almost feel the honesty they have for each other, that they really meant it with all their heart and soul. I’ve heard that vow a hundred times before but they are not as honest as those three couples. Now I wanted to believe again that there are still people that get married because they truly and fully understand the meaning behind the word love and marriage.”

“And I almost thought that the typical cynic Taeyeon is gone but you still manage to make a comeback at the end.” Taeyeon frowned when she heard her friend’s sarcastic comment.

“But I believe you became less cynic than before, because like what you said you’re starting to believe again. I’m so happy for you my best friend!” Sunny gave her friend a warm smile and hug because finally Taeyeon is slowly breaking that wall she built around her and is now starting again to believe in love and that somebody can end up with somebody and have that forever with each other.

“So, care tell me who’s that somebody that making you want to believe again?” She playfully smiled at Taeyeon who suddenly look tensed with just a simple question.

“What? Somebody? There’s no such thing as like that! There’s no one okay! Didn’t you heard me I didn’t met anyone back there!”

“Phish Taengoo! I know you! You can’t like to me or to any of us. Yul is right, you’re still in denial hahaha but nice to know that you’re slowly picking up! Just keep it to the pace you’re comfortable with. Okay?!”

“Whatever Soonkyu! And I am not in denial!” Taeyeon started to turn around and go inside her office when Hyoyeon spoke again.

“Oh by the way we invited four new friends on our café’s anniversary.” She stopped and looked back again at her friends again.

“Really? Who?”

“Dr. Tiffany Hwang and her friends they all dropped by here last Tuesday and all of them visit quite often since then.”

“Really?! That’s… Well… are they..” Taeyeon hesitated in asking further

“Yes they came here and yes they’re coming tomorrow night. If you’ll get lucky Tiffany might drop by again later probably with Juhyun.” Hyoyeon gave her frozen friend a huge grin when Taeyeon seems to be still not believing in her.

“Okay.” Taeyeon tried to reply nonchalantly. She doesn’t quite understand why Tiffany would accept her friends invitation when she clearly turn down her personal invitation the other night.

“O-kay!” Hyoyeon  replied teasingly to the trying to be poker face Taeyeon.

“Just call me when you need help. I’ll just be in my office.”

“’Kay Taeng we will!”

Taeyeon continue to enter her office and shut herself out from her friends for a while. She sat down on her chair and think about Tiffany again. Lately, she’s all been she’s thinking of. How Tiffany would occasionally make a side trip to her thoughts whenever she saw something pink or whenever she saw someone having an eye smile. She think about that night when she finally had the gut to ask her out but just been coldly ignored.

‘How come she could easily accept my mother’s dinner invitation then now my friends’ invitation for a party but couldn’t accept mine? What’s wrong with MY invitation?” Taeyeon laid down the pen she was using the angrily messed up her own hair.

“Maybe she’s just really not into this kind of things I’m trying to offer her. Maybe it’s really just friendship after all.’

The whole afternoon passed by and no shadows of neither Tiffany Hwang nor any of her friends casted the café of Coffee and Prints. Taeyeon felt gloomy than ever as she drag her feet out of her office to finally say good bye to all her friends.

“Guys I’m going home first. I need to buy some things for Jiji at the supermarket or the little monster won’t let me enter my own house.”

“Okay Taeng we’ll take care of the shop. Bye!” Hyoyeon speak first.

“Taengoo kiss Jiji for me please!” Sunny told her next.

“Oh! Don’t forget about tomorrow’s party okay?!” Yuri reminded her for the nth time this day. Since she’ll not be going to the café tomorrow and will only show up at the party her friends are worried that she’ll ditch them up because they told her Tiffany is coming. Somehow she knew that her friends sensed that something is wrong with her since last Monday night.

“And Unnie, don’t forget to look cool ‘kay?” Yoona reminded her lastly.

“Okay! You all sound like a nagging Ajumma’s!”

Taeyeon turn around and started to walk out of the shop while waving at them back sided.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taeyeon went straight to the candy section of the supermarket to grab a few bags of jellies then went next to the frozen products corner to get the last prize for her baby girl. She already got a tub of cookies and cream ice cream and was scanning the long freezer for a tub of strawberry ice cream. She smiled when she notice the pink container and started to walk to it. She was about to grab it when at the same time another slender hand grab it too.

“Hey.” Taeyeon and the owner of the hand said at the same time. She looked up to see the face of her ice cream nemesis.

“It’s mine!” The other spoke again. Taeyeon was now looking at the stranger with wide eyes.

“Oh!” She gasped she immediately started to feel awkward.

“Hi!” Tiffany on the other hand started off excitedly which puzzled Taeyeon a lot.

“Sorry, I didn’t see it was you.” Tiffany smiled when she saw the shocked eyes of Taeyeon. She wanted to act calm but she can’t. She’s been going to Taeyeon’s café lately in a mission to gather as much as information she could get from Taeyeon’s friends. And now that Taeyeon is actually back and is in front of her eyes. She just couldn’t help it.

“It’s okay!” Taeyeon smiled a bit and Tiffany returned a much dazzling smile to her delight suddenly making her forget of the awkward feeling in her chest.

“Uhm you can have it.” Tiffany let go of the ice cream and smiled. She made sure that she slightly brushed her palm on the back of Taeyeon’s hands. Her smile went to a full blast when she felt Taeyeon slightly shiver.

‘Like I said last time I’ll make it up to you! So here I go!’

“O-okay. T-thanks!” Taeyeon mentally punched herself for stuttering in front of Tiffany. While the girl just smiled at her blindingly.

‘Why are you smiling at me like that again? Are you trying to make me go crazy?’

“Uhm Dr. Hwang.”

“Yes?” Tiffany’s smile disappeared when she heard what Taeyeon has called her.

“Are you sure I can have this ice cream? It’s strawberry flavor? It’s pink. Is that really okay with you?”

“Oh that!” Tiffany’s frown subsided a little when she heard what Taeyeon said next.

‘How did you know that? I guess I still have a chance after all!’

“How did you know I like strawberry and pink? It’s okay I don’t want to rob a kid her favorite ice cream especially if strawberry is really really her favorite flavor. I can understand since I can’t let anyone have my favorite be taken from me and I can make an exception if it’s your daughter. I mean Taeji. ” Tiffany’s smile rece again as she tried to act calmly in front of Taeyeon.

“It’s really okay. Taeji is not that picky when it comes to her ice cream. Well sometimes… but its okay not to have strawberry right now. You can have it Dr. Hwang.” Taeyeon carefully says she’s still avoiding Tiffany’s eyes all the while.

‘Seriously what’s wrong me? She clearly turned me down last time but here I am again feeling all giddy after seeing her all smiling back at me again and why does she looks excited upon seeing me?’

After the long debate about the ice cream the two finally went to the cashier and paid their groceries. Taeyeon is still feeling awkward while Tiffany was thinking of how she could start another conversation.

“Hey.” Both girls said at the same time.

“You go first Dr. Hwang.”

Tiffany inhaled deeply before she starts off. “Why are you back in calling me Dr. Hwang? I thought we had already agreed that we would drop all that boring titles and just call each other by our first names?” She looked straight into Taeyeon’s eyes.

“Be-because I-I thought that you doesn’t want me to call you Tiffany anymore because I-i-i…”

“Silly of course not I still want you to call me Tiffany and I definitely would like to call you Taeyeon too.” Tiffany stretch out her hand to gently hold Taeyeon’s hand and squeezed it slightly like she was only shaking it.

“Call me Tiffany again please?” This time she paired the hand gesture with pleading eyes and a cute little pout.

Now it’s Taeyeon turn to stand there frozen to the ground. Tiffany’s sweet gesture and cute expression is surely making her go crazy.

“Uhm o-o-kay!” Taeyeon managed to say although she’s a stuttering mess.

“Say it. You haven’t said it yet!” Tiffany cutely pouted again.

“Say what?”

“My name!”

“Oh th-that! O-okay! Tiffany. Sorry.”

“Why are you saying sorry?”

“Well because last time I acted impulsively and scared you. Sorry about that Dr. I mean Tiffany. If it’s okay with you can we just forget about that? Because you see I don’t want to… you know… scare you away or anything.” Taeyeon shifted her eyes back to the ground while she clutch tightly on to the paper bags in her arms.

“Taeyeon, I’m sorry too for making you think that I was scared of you that time but actually I am not.” Tiffany reached out to hold Taeyeon’s chin and push it back up so she’s sure that Taeyeon could see her eyes.

“You didn’t scare me it was just I have that little tendency to get stoned or frozen on the spot whenever I heard something nice.” Tiffany smiled at Taeyeon and the latter just blinked profusely trying to digest every words Tiffany blurted out.

‘When you heard something nice? Wait! Does it mean you like what I said? That means!’

“That means you want to have lunch with me?” Taeyeon’s eyes widened as she didn’t notice that she has just said out loud her thoughts.

“Yes I would like to have lunch or dinner with you.” Tiffany giggled a little upon seeing Taeyeon’s priceless expression.

“You what?!”

“I said yes to you invitation. Sorry it was almost a week late.”

“You what?!”

“Taeyeon stop you’re sounding like a broken record already!” Tiffany slightly hit Taeyeon’s shoulder in hope to wake the older girl.

“Seriously you what?!”

“If you don’t stop asking me like that I would take back my answer!”

“Okay okay okay!” Taeyeon breathe in a lungful of air to calm down her racing heart.

“So… yes to having lunch… or dinner with me?!” She asked again just to make sure she heard it right.

“Yes and yes!”

“Okay!” She nods her head when she heard another clear yes coming out of Tiffany’s mouth.

“Well I got to go Taeyeon! Bye!” Tiffany wave Taeyeon goodbye.

“Bye Tiffany!” Taeyeon watch her turn around and start to walk away when she remember something.

“Tiffany wait!” She runs towards her.

“What is it Taeyeon?”

“I heard that my friends Hyo and Sunny invited you and your friends for tomorrow’s dinner?”

“Yes they did.”

“Well are you coming?”

“Do you want me to come?”

Taeyeon smiled. “Tiffany would you like to come to our studio café 4^th anniversary? I definitely want to see you there.”

Tiffany smiled back. The invitation sounded more pleasant coming from Taeyeon. “Sure I would like to!”

“And you as my date for the whole night?” Taeyeon shyly pushed her luck and look at Tiffany with pleading eyes.

“I’d love to be your date for the party but tomorrow’s dinner party is not part of our original lunch and dinner date.”

“Okay! That’s Great! So, I’ll pick you up at you apartment tomorrow night around 6 is that okay?”

“It’s okay but how about your mother and your daughter who would drive them to the party?” Taeyeon’s eyes widened not because of Tiffany’s question but because of what word she had just used to describe her relationship with Taeji.

“Oh that my mother and Taeji. I’ll just bring them in earlier. How about your friends?” She tried to compose herself again.

“Ah Sooyoung can drive for them. So you’re picking me up for the party?”

“Yes I will!” Taeyeon is smiling a lot for the whole time tonight.

“So, I’ll call tomorrow for our lunch and the party after?” Taeyeon asked.

“Yep! You better start and make good use of your cellphone. I already gave you my number ages ago you know!”

“Hahaha that yeah you did.”

“Call me or text me whichever you prefer. Okay?”

“Okay! Bye Tiffany!”

“Bye Taeyeon! See you!”

The two separated their ways that night with smiles plastered all over their faces. Taeyeon made a mental note to practice on how she will tell Tiffany in the future her real relationship with Taeji but for now she’ll just leave it that way. She’s more than happy to know that someone is willing to go out with on a date despite knowing that she already has a daughter.