Jessica sat sipping her wine as she wrapped herself in a blanket. She spent the last hour searching for Taeyeon outside the building where she lived but the girl literally vanished. Jessica picked up a jacket that belonged to Taeyeon and buried her face in it while taking in the intoxicating smell of her friend. The lingering smell woke up past memories of them together and conversations they had over the internet. All the reminiscing made her feel so guilty for not seeing her friend’s affections towards her while Jessica spilled out details of her love life. All her actions towards the girl left a heavy weight on her heart as she thought of the girl’s suffering.

 Right now she just wanted Taeyeon. It was as simple as that. She wanted Taeyeon to be here maybe to tell her it was alright, to make the girl feel loved although Jessica didn’t have an answer to the girl’s feelings yet.

-----------------

For the next two days Jessica waited for Taeyeon. She hoped Taeyeon would walk through her doors to at least get the last of her belongings but Taeyeon never came. However today was the next photo shoot scheduled. Jessica was positive that her friend wouldn’t leave her hanging in her desperate situation and at least show up to do her work.

Jessica walked in the grassy fields towards the lighting screens and lights that surrounded the models. Her breath hitched when she saw someone bending down behind the camera but her heart sunk when the person looked up....it wasn’t Taeyeon. Jessica strode towards the photographer, “Excuse me, but who are you?”

The boy looked up at Jessica, “I was hired to do the shoot today.”

“May I ask who hired you?”

“I am sorry to ask but who are you miss?”

“I oversee the shoot as head designer and you are not the photographer I originally hired.”

The boy immediately bowed down to Jessica, “Sorry miss. My name is Minho and I was hired by my previous mentor Kim Taeyeon.”

“May I ask where Ms. Kim is?”

Minho stood up to face Jessica again, “I am not sure. She asked me to take over the shoot through a phone call and bought me a ticket to come here from Korea. I literally arrived here just this morning because she said it was urgent.”

Jessica sighed hating Taeyeon for all her contacts, “Very well. Carry on with your work.”

Minho stood tall, “Yes mam!”

Jessica turned to leave the boy but quickly stomped back to Minho, “I am sorry to ask, but do you happen to have the number Taeyeon called you with? I need to contact her about missing the shoot.”

Minho quickly fished out his phone, “This number mam.”

Jessica typed in the number, “Thanks. Carry on.” Walking away from Minho, Jessica called the number given to her.

“Welcome to The Ritz-Carlton, do you want to make a reservation?”

Jessica smiled thinking she finally found her friend, “Actually I was looking to see if a Kim Taeyeon was staying at your hotel. I need to give her a message.”

“Hold on mam while I look the name up.” Jessica waited a few minutes until the girl on the other line responded, “I am sorry mam but Ms. Kim checked out this morning.”

“What really? Did she say why?”

“I am sorry mam but I don’t know details like that.”

Jessica sighed, “That is okay thank you.” She hung up the phone and went back to her car cursing the fact that Taeyeon once again slipped through her grasp. Jessica was about to leave the photo shoot location but a male blocked her.

“I see we run into each other again.” Jessica looked up and saw Henry in front of her. “Oh I am sorry, are you in a hurry?”

Jessica thought about how she was in a hurry to find Taeyeon but the girl was like a ninja on a task to escape her grasp but other than that she wasn’t doing anything special, “I was just going to the office.”

“Oh I don’t want to hold you up from your work.” Henry moved aside as Jessica nodded the boy goodbye but Henry yelled back, “Did you want to have dinner with me this weekend? I am sorry for being so straightforward but I would really like dinner with you.” If Taeyeon hadn’t run away, Jessica would have accepted the offer right away but her head and heart were messed up. The boy saw Jessica hesitating, “Please it is just dinner between friends if you want that. To you know celebrate a successful photo spread.”

Jessica sighed thinking maybe she did need to make new friends if Taeyeon abandoned her, “Okay. See you at 7 on Sunday. Pick a Western Restaurant.”

Henry smiled widely, “You got it!”

---------------------------

Taeyeon walked across the airport lobby with her hands in her pocket before fishing out her phone, “Hey I arrived.” She continued to walk to the area where all the cars were to spot a familiar car, “Sorry I called you all the way over here to pick me up.”

“No worries boss, but I thought you went on vacation for another 4 days.”

“Just happened that way.”

“Umm boss where did all your luggage go?”

“Camera is with David and well I lost all my clothes.”

“Oh that is some bad luck, but at least your camera is safe.”

Taeyeon sighed thinking of her aching heart, “Yea...only thing that is safe...”

It wasn’t long until Taeyeon arrived at her apartment and like habit she her computer the first thing she walked in. Once the computer was fully booted, Taeyeon looked and saw 48 notifications from Skype. Most of which were messages from Jessica saying to call her back while the others were actual missed calls from Jessica. Taeyeon wasn’t ready to face Jessica so she logged off her account and thought that would be better than Jessica trying to call her all the time. Taeyeon remained logged off for a month...a month without talking to Jessica.

---------------------

Taeyeon focused through her lens to capture the model showing off her flawless white skin that was bold against the black and red spring floral dress. Yes it was winter but the spring collection was being modeled for today’s shoot. Thinking she got the right shots Taeyeon looked up from her camera with a cunning grin, “That is a wrap!”

The staff and models took turns thanking Taeyeon for her hard work before Taeyeon went back to packing up her camera equipment, “You know there are not that many female photographers these days.” Taeyeon froze in her spot when she heard a familiar voice. She remained focused on her camera equipment thinking if it was an imaginary voice. That this person was really not behind her. I mean the girl should be on the other side of the world right? “Taeyeon.” The voice spoke again so it must not be her imagination.

Taeyeon turned around and faced a girl, to see that it wasn’t just any girl. It was a certain girl that she chose to not talk to for the fear of rejection. “What are you doing here?”

The girl strutted around the monitors and light posts, “I came here to get back something I lost.”

Taeyeon tilted her head in confusion, “I didn’t take anything of yours?”

“You are what I lost Taeyeon.”

Taeyeon didn’t know what to think. Did the girl really go and look for her after she ran away? Not like she would know since she left the girl without a word or a chance to say anything. “Umm I take it you found what you were looking for.”

The girl went back to Taeyeon and looked at her in the eyes, “I am not sure if I have yet.”

“What do you mean?”

“Why don’t we get dinner together when you have time.” The woman took out a business card and handed it to Taeyeon before she took her leave. Taeyeon examined the card ‘Jessica Jung Chief Designer – New York Regional Office.’

-----------------------

It took Taeyeon exactly 2 days, 4 hours, 45 minutes and 2 seconds to call Jessica after their meeting to agree upon dinner. Every second apart from Jessica was counted because it couldn’t remain hidden that she still longed for Jessica. Now she was waiting for Jessica at a very nice Italian restaurant that Jessica could swear was the best in New York since she visited. Like the goddess Jessica was, she strode her way towards a stunned Taeyeon. Jessica chose a low cut sapphire dress that molded her body and assets. Unknown to Taeyeon, Jessica had something planned with this outfit.

“Did you wait long Taeyeon?”

Taeyeon slowly closed that went agape, “Umm not really.” Slowly Taeyeon looked down at her apparel and felt a bit small for what she wore today. Well it should be expected since Jessica was a head designer at a fashion company while she was just behind the scenes. She was meant to remain unseen and make others shine.

“Taeyeon?”

Taeyeon looked up at Jessica, “Yes?”

“I asked if you ordered yet?”

“No. Well I just ordered some wine you liked but not food.”

Jessica gave Taeyeon a bright smile, “We should order then.” Not too long after, Jessica and Taeyeon ordered some food and returned to their conversation.

“How did you get moved to New York?”

“Wasn’t that hard actually...”

~20 days earlier~

Jessica smiled at the text she received but all the sweet words he sent made her feel empty for some reason. Even his presence couldn’t fill a gap in her life that was once filled by a certain shorter woman. Her thoughts were interrupted when someone entered her office, “Miss Jung you are needed in the president’s office now.”

Pocketing her phone, Jessica got up, “Thank you.”

She made her way to the president’s office but this time she did not wait and was instead ushered in upon arrival, “Ah Miss Jung, please take a seat.”

Jessica sat down opposing the president, “What did you want to discuss sir.”

“We reviewed the work done by the replacement photographer and I must say the work done from the first shoot was exceptional! The concept and clarity of the photos were perfect however the 4 shoots after lacked the spark of the first. Can you explain?”

“The first photographer had to leave on short notice and their junior took over. I am sorry if the photos were not to your liking.”

The president pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Jessica, “Find the first photographer. We want an exclusive contract with them.”

“I am not sure how to contact her.”

“Miss Jung if you can get the photographer to sign this, we will offer you any job you wish at any location so I suggest you find that photographer.”

Jessica sighed and agreed only if she moves to New York and works closely with the photographer on any future shoots. The president agreed and Jessica finished up her work in Hong Kong before taking a plane to New York

~Present~

“It was that easy.”

Taeyeon furrowed her eyebrows, “I don’t get you. What about Henry and you always said you loved the people you worked with in Hong Kong. Why leave so easily?”

“I don’t believe in long-term relationships anymore and new friends can always be made.”

Taeyeon took her fork and played with her mashed potatoes, “You can only stay if I sign right? What if I don’t sign?”

“Then we are over Taeyeon. I go back to Hong Kong and we can’t have any relationship.”

Taeyeon finally had the courage to look at Jessica, “Why does it have to be that way?”

“I already told you. I don’t believe in long-term relationships anymore.”

Taeyeon sighed, “So it is either you stay by my side or leave....”

“Now you get it.”

Taeyeon took a sip of her wine for courage, “can I ask you one more thing?”

“Anything.”

“Why do you want to stay with me even though I ummm you know in Hong Kong.”

“Wow Taeyeon you are pretty dense. Did you forget already that distance never separated us? That no matter what you do or where you go, we always came back to each other. Do you still not know why?” Taeyeon shook her head no which Jessica replied with a heavy sigh, “Taeyeon why can’t you see that I love you too? That when I failed in a relationship, I always came to you. That when you ran away from me, I came to you. And when my heart broke because the only person I loved left me, I chose to stay with you.”

“Sorry for running away...”

“Taeyeon I don’t need you to say sorry. I need you to show me that you still want me by your side.” Jessica carefully placed a piece of paper in front of Taeyeon, “Please let me stay by your side.”

Taeyeon smiled and quickly signed the paper, “I feel like we will be seeing each other more often then Miss Jung.”

“It was a pleasure doing business with you Ms. Kim.”

Jessica and Taeyeon finished their dinner and started to head back to Jessica’s hotel since she still hadn’t found an apartment to live in, “Jessica?” Jessica hummed in response, “Do you remember that you said you could grant me a favor if I took on your job as a photographer?”

“I remember and you broke that promise.”

“I did not! I showed up and even found a replacement when I couldn’t!”

Jessica stopped walking and faced Taeyeon, “I clearly hired you and not that Minho guy.”

“Can you at least listen to my favor then?”

Jessica crossed her arms and looked at Taeyeon with stern eyes, “I will refuse if I don’t like it.”

“Fine. My favor is to ask you what you would have done if I didn’t run away from you that day in Hong Kong.”

“I don’t know why you are wasting a valuable favor on something so simple.” Jessica pulled Taeyeon by the collar and sealed their lips as if claiming a new prize.

Taeyeon looked Jessica in the eyes, “I think it was more stupid of me to run away...”

Jessica smiled slyly at Taeyeon, “You have no idea...” Once again she closed the gap between them as they told each other of their love through action, because now that the physical boundary disappeared, there was nothing to separate the space between them. Forever they will make sure no distance can separate them again.

~END~