“That’s a good car to have, isn’t it?”

Taeyeon looked at their linked arms. Yoona was either the naturally friendly sort of girl or the serial flirt sort of minx. “A car that goes that fast? Sure. Why not.”

“Do you want it?”

She raise an eyebrow. “Are you planning on buying one for me?”

Yoona shrugged, her nonchalance b attractively over every pore. “If you don’t like this one just let me know which car you want.”

“You’re serious. You’re actually planning on buying me a car.”

“As payment of course. It’s not for free.”

“Well, you should’ve said so earlier. I would’ve agreed to be your coach. No problem.”

Yoona’s expression made it clear she didn’t believe a word that was said. How did Yoona know her so well?

“So. Do you want a Moonracer?”

Taeyeon thought about it. She knew she wouldn’t take up Yoona’s offer but it was a good feeling to imagine owning one for a few seconds.

“You want one but you’re not gonna let me buy it for you.”

Taeyeon raised a brow. “It’s a little scary, the way you read my mind.”

Yoona grinned. “I don’t have to read your mind when it’s all over your face.” Then, her grin disappeared. “Seriously though. Don’t undersell yourself. You’re the best coach a racer could ask for and I’m ing rich. My father wouldn’t even notice that I’ve bought another car.”

Taeyeon had to shake her head, strong as the temptation was. “I won’t undersell myself. I’ll name my price.”

“When?”

“Before our first lesson starts.”

Yoona’s eyes twinkled like the youngest stars in the galaxy, full of life and vibrance. “I can’t wait.”

Taeyeon smiled but her mind wasn’t thinking about Yoona’s eyes. She was wondering what Tiffany thought of her exchange with Yoona. But Sunny came over and distracted her.

“Hi, I’m Sunny.”

Yoona shifted and smiled like a superstar. “Hi.”

Taeyeon noted the immediate change in her tone. It was guarded and Yoona did not offer her name up front.

But Sunny was best at warming up people. “What’s your name?” she asked.

Yoona’s smile remained but it wasn’t quite the same as before. “Yoona.”

“Yoona,” repeated Sunny. She smiled like the friendly girl that she was and nodded towards Taeyeon. “Are you Taeyeon’s friend?”

Yoona nodded. “Yes.”

Taeyeon felt Sunny’s eyes on her and shrugged. “What can I say. I’m Miss Popular. I have friends everywhere.”

Sunny didn’t seem amused, however. “Well, Miss Popular, you’d better not be playing with fire.”

Taeyeon barely had time to digest what Sunny had said before she turned and walked away. It was unexpected. Sunny rarely ever let slip of her emotions at professional events such as this. Surely she didn’t think Yoona was one of those girls? She’d expected Sunny to know her better than that. And when did Sunny get this emotionally involved in her love life?

“Taeyeon unnie—I'll call you that since I’m younger than you,” Yoona fished her phone out from her purse of black velvet, “I’ll need to get your number.”

Taeyeon read out her number and Yoona flashed the widest grin before keeping her phone. A premonition struck Taeyeon right then. Something was up with Yoona’s grin. “Don’t call me at weird times of the day or do anything stupid with my number. If I smell even the faintest scent of a prank, our deal is off.”

Yoona pouted. “Why would you say that? Don’t you trust me?”

“No.”

Yoona simply grinned. “I was right about you.”

“What were you right about.”

“You are worth every bit the challenge.”

With that ambiguous statement hanging in the air, Yoona wiggled her fingers to say goodbye and left before Taeyeon had the chance to ask what it meant.

-

Tiffany couldn’t wait to get out of her racing suit and back into the grandstand. She wanted to know who that girl was and why she was clinging onto Taeyeon’s arm like a leech. But as she changed out of her suit, sanity reclaimed her state of mind. No. She would not act like a jealous girlfriend who couldn’t stand seeing other girls touching her girl. If Taeyeon wanted to tell her about the girl, she would.

So it was a calm expression that she returned to the event with and an overwhelming mass of people swarmed up to her to congratulate her excellent performance. They were also eager to find out more about the car and she had to redirect them to colleagues who were standing by, ready to do that part of the job. Her job kept her busy and occupied for the rest of the night, so her green fire-breathing dragon had ceased spitting flames of death.

“Tiffany.”

The low whisper surprised her and she jumped with a little squeak. It turned out to be Taeyeon and it was hard to be angry when Taeyeon was grinning away like a happy kid. “Don’t do that,” she hissed, “I need to be professional.”

“I’m running out of patience.”

“I’m working.” Tiffany didn’t like the way Taeyeon seemed not to care. “It’s my job and it’s important. Besides, don’t you have a new girl? She should be able to entertain you well enough.”

Taeyeon’s eyes flashed with a little something that she couldn’t quite identify. “Are you sure that’s what you want me to do?”

Her green fire-breathing dragon flared its nostrils. “ you, Taeyeon,” she hissed.

Taeyeon remained calm, her lips barely even moving as she said, “I’ve been waiting all night for you to do that.”

“What. Get pissed at you for pissing me off?”

“No. I've been waiting for you to me.”

“We’re not ing tonight, Taeyeon. No way.”

Taeyeon barely batted an eyelid. “It's okay. We don’t have to.”

Now that was a curve ball. What game was Taeyeon playing now? “What do you mean.”

“You’ll find out.” The look on Taeyeon’s face was unreadable. “Come to my place when you’re done.”

“I’ll be done soon. Wait for me. We can leave together.”

Taeyeon shook her head ever so slightly. “I’ve had enough of this crowd. I’ll wait for you at home.” Their eyes held on tight, unwilling to part, until Taeyeon turned around at last and exited the hall.

Tiffany’s insides shivered. It was as though she’d been transported back to the night they first met. That inscrutable expression on Taeyeon’s face, belying the intense attraction that locked them both in a stranglehold. The distinct desire to claim Taeyeon as hers, to own every inch of her being, threatening to pour out of every pore and drown her. And the moment when she’d won the race, when Taeyeon was hers for the taking.

This moment was almost that. Almost. The only difference was this time, nobody knew who’d won or lost.

-

“Did you get it done?”

Yoona merely grinned.

“Well done, Yoong. I knew you could do it.”

“Taeyeon wasn’t as difficult as you made her out to be.”

“That’s because you’re good at persuading.”

Yoona shook her head. “I’m not. I can’t even persuade my father to let me join his team.”

“I’m sure he’ll come around once he hears how good you are.”

“I hope he will. I’ve tried everything. If this doesn’t work, I don’t know what will.”

-

Tiffany parked her car next to Taeyeon's and got out. Her insides were burning up with curiosity and she wanted nothing more than to find out what Taeyeon was up to so she widened her strides and wasted no time in getting to the apartment.

“Taeyeon, I'm on my way up. Open the door.” She ended the call without waiting for Taeyeon's reply and marched up the stairs like a soldier on a mission.

Taeyeon was waiting at the door when she reached the top of the stairs. The racer had not changed out of the dress she wore at the event and that pleased her, somehow. Their eyes met and Tiffany marvelled at the amount of tension they could exchange through that alone. Her heart thumped harder than ever but her poker face remained, masking the wild fire that raged within.

There were a ton of questions she had for Taeyeon, but the first thing she asked when she came to a stop was, “Are you going to stand there and stare or are you going to let me in?”

The slightest lift of Taeyeon's eyebrows accompanied her response. “Someone pissed you off tonight?”

The irony was not lost on her. “Someone.”

Taeyeon stepped to the side and gestured for her to enter. “Come in.”

She stepped into the apartment and stood still, looking around the place. From nowhere, a belated realization hit her square between her eyes. Taeyeon had never actually officially invited her over before. The first time she'd stepped foot into Taeyeon's apartment was the day Taeyeon was discharged from the hospital. Taeyeon certainly hadn't invited her in that time. And all the subsequent visits were initiated by her too. Coincidence or not, she found it odd that out of all the days and nights they'd spent together here, not a single time had she been invited.

“Well, this is a first.”

“What do you mean.”

“You've never invited me to your place before.”

“That's not true. You've been here more than once.”

“I've been here before but you were never the one to suggest it.”

“Is that so.”

“Yes. Why haven't you ever invited me over until now?”

Taeyeon shrugged. “Your place is nicer than mine.”

“Is that the only reason?”

“What other reason are you expecting?” Irritation flashed in Taeyeon's eyes. “You're over thinking things.”

“Am I?”

“Tiffany. What the is wrong with you tonight.”

“Oh, I don't know.” Tiffany piled on the sarcasm. “Maybe I'm over thinking things. Maybe I'm over thinking what I saw as well.”

“What did you see.”

“You're asking me what I saw?”

All of a sudden, Taeyeon smirked. “So this is what it looks like when you're jealous.”

“What are you talking about. What's there to be jealous about. I'm not jealous.”

“You acted strange when you saw me with Yoona and now, you're acting even weirder than before. Tell me this isn't jealousy making you cranky.”

“Yoona? Who is Yoona?” Tiffany made a show of thinking hard. “Ah, the woman who was clinging on to you like a leech? The woman you had a good time smiling at?” She put on a smile. “Why in the world would I be jealous of her?”

Taeyeon walked around her, the smirk hanging obnoxiously on her lips, and sat on the couch. She propped her legs up on the coffee table and leaned back, taking her time with each action. Then she said, “Tiffany, you're the worst actress on Earth.” She patted the couch. “Come and sit. You must be tired from standing all day.”

The offer was too good to pass up on. Her heels were absolutely killing her feet. “I don't need to sit. I'm fine with standing.”

“If that's how you feel about it.” Taeyeon stretched and put her hands behind her head, looking comfortable. “Suit yourself.”

“Did you ask me to come over just so you can sit in front of me like this?”

“No.” Taeyeon's eyes locked on hers. “Have you forgotten? You are supposed to make amends for flirting with Paul.”

A snort of indignation came right out through her nose. “You have some cheek to ask for that when you are the one flirting with girls all night long.”

“She isn't one of those girls, if that's what you're thinking.”

“Who is she then?”

“Just a friend.”

“A friend.”

“You don't believe me.”

“I do.” Her heart calmed down as Taeyeon's explanation sank in and the dark, angry clouds dissapated. “You have no reason to lie.”

“She asked me to help her with something, that's all.”

Tiffany felt a little foolish for allowing herself to wallow in the murky waters of jealousy. Taeyeon was upfront about it and didn't intend to hide the fact. There was no reason for her to suspect otherwise. Why were her feelings so out of control?

“Tiffany. Sit down.”

Pain shot up her toes just then and it was more than she could take. A couple of strides took her to the couch and she planted her bottom on the couch next to Taeyeon. “What kind of help did she ask for?” she asked, groaning with relief as she kicked off her heels and propped her feet on the coffee table like Taeyeon.

“Just help in general.”

“Is she a fan girl or something.”

“She's not. She's just young and...”

“And?”

“You know how it is when you're young.” Taeyeon turned her head and grinned. “Youth is a disease you gotta live through to get to the other side.”

“Youth is a wonderful thing. We're young too. We've got youth.”

Taeyeon shook her head. “We're running out of youth.”

“You're too pessimistic. We are only in our twenties. Life is far from over.”

“Maybe not for you. You just pulled off the greatest event in your career and your future is looking bright. But it's not the same for me. My time as a racer is running out fast. I can't race forever. Soon, it'll be time to look for other paths and none of them will be as great as racing is to me.”

“I had no idea you were thinking about things like that.”

“There are many things I think about that nobody knows of.”

Tiffany turned and linked her arms with Taeyeon's. “I want to know what your thoughts are,” she said, leaning to rest her head on Taeyeon's shoulder. “Tell me one.”

“I'm thinking of ways to make enough money to take care of Hayeon.”

“Why? Isn't your mother taking care of her?”

“She's not a good influence for Hayeon. I don't want my sister to turn out like my mother. I want Hayeon to come and live with me. But I need to make sure I can pay for everything before I do that.”

“Well, you're more than capable to taking care of Hayeon now. You have a full-time job and all the race money.”

“Racing isn't stable. If I ever get caught by the police, it's over. My license will be gone and I might even lose my full-time job.”

“So what have you come up with.”

“I didn't have any ideas until tonight.”

“Tonight?”

“Mhm. Yoona gave me the idea.”

“Yoona again.”

Taeyeon laughed. “Jealous?”

“No.”

“Liar.”

Tiffany snorted. “So what's the idea.”

“It's a secret for now.”

“A secret? Why is it a secret. Can't you tell me?”

Taeyeon's eyes were wide and intense as she replied, “I can't tell you. I'm sworn to secrecy.”

Tiffany released Taeyeon's arm and folded her arms instead. “I don't like this secrecy. Especially when it's with Yoona.”

Lips brushed her cheek before grazing her ear. “You have your secrets with Paul and I have my secrets with Yoona. All's fair and square.”

Tiffany didn't like that Taeyeon was right. She had her secrets. Paul's secrets to be exact. She had no right to pry into Taeyeon's secrets too. Trust was what she needed. And Taeyeon. Taeyeon could be trusted. That was one thing she was sure of. Taeyeon would never cheat on her to hurt her. She believed that much.

“Fair enough.” She nodded. The topic was closed. But she had another question she wanted the answer to. “So why did you invite me over? You still haven't told me the reason.”

“Wait here.” Taeyeon stood up and entered her bedroom. She emerged shortly with a box in her hands and handed it over.

“What is this?”

“A present.”

Tiffany blinked in surprise. She wasn't expecting this. “T-Thank you.”

“I bought it because I thought of you.”

Another surprise. An oddly touching surprise. “That's very sweet of you,” she said with a smile, “Thank you, Taeyeon.” She leaned forward and pecked Taeyeon on the lips. “Can I open it now?”

Taeyeon shook her head. “Open it when you get home.”

“Why can't I open it now? I want to know what it is.”

“Just...don't, okay? Wait till you get home.”

Taeyeon looked about as awkward as a turtle stuck on its back. It was amusing. And adorable. “Alright. I'll wait.”

Relief set into Taeyeon's features and it made her grin.

“What.”

“You're cute when you don't put on that cold expression of yours.”

“I'm not cute. And I don't put on a cold expression.”

“You don't know yourself very well, do you, Taeyeon?”

“I know enough.”

Tiffany shook her head. “I disagree. You don't know how beautiful you are. You forget the things you've achieved in spite of everything. But I can see how kind your heart is. How real your struggles are. That's why you're more than just a champion racer to me. That's why I can't let you go so easily.”

“Oh my God. Shut up.”

“I'm not gonna shut up, Taeyeon. You're gonna have to get used to it 'cos I'll be saying all these things when I want to.”

“You're making my hair stand.”

Tiffany giggled. “By the way, you looked sizzling hot in your black dress at the car launch but seeing you on the couch with your legs up like that kinda ruins the dress for me.”

Taeyeon shrugged. “You said no ing tonight anyways.”

Tiffany didn't think Taeyeon was the kind to abide by what she said. “Did you wear the dress to seduce me?”

“No. I didn't want to wear this dress. But Sooyoung insisted.”

“Sooyoung has great taste in dresses. You should take her advice in future as well.”

“So the dress seduced you huh.”

“Maybe.” The answer put a grin on Taeyeon's face but Tiffany was quick to dispel any hopes she might have harboured. “But my stand remains. No tonight. I'm too tired.”

Taeyeon stared at her for a moment before looking at the clock on the wall. “So a bath. Then sleep?”

Tiffany looked into Taeyeon's bottomless dark irises and smiled. “A bath, then sleep.”

-

The sound of a phone ringing roused her out of sleep and her eyes opened whilst trying to stay closed. Taeyeon didn't seem to have heard it. The woman was still fast asleep, ajar. So she pushed herself up and reached over Taeyeon's phone to silence it.

She was about to press the button that would return the peace and quiet when she saw the name of the caller. It was Yoona.

Again.

-