"Yo, Song Mino! " I yell across the gym when I spot my college buddy and roommate. He turns at the sound of my greeting, half way through a bicep curl. He sees me and puts down his dumbells to wipe away some of his pesperation with a towel. He then makes his way towards me. "Hey Jackson! How you doin' buddy?"  We shake hands and give each other a shoulder nudge.

"I'm good. I'm good man. How bout you, bro? How was your flight?" 

"Can't complain dude." 

"You been at it long?" 

"No. Just started bout 30 minutes ago."

We measure each other up.

"Zhun bei hao meh?" I ask.

"Gum zai ho chi lah." Mino insists.

45 minutes into our workout he is my spotter as I bench press. I signal for him to add on more weight. 

"You sure you okay?" he asks

"Yeah, why?"

"Nothing. Do you usually push yourself this hard?"  He adjusts the weights on the left side first.

"No. It's all good. My girl and I just had a bit of a disagreement today."

And I'm trying not to mope around like a sissy.

"Oh, about that, we just ran into each other at work and she was nice enough to ask me to join her for lunch If you're mad about that, just forgive her."

"What?" My eyes widen as they meet his.

"Yeah, I mean you were crazy about her in College and I could barely ever get you to go out with me to the clubs so I had to see and meet her for myself.

"Please tell me you didn't." I groan. The idea of bench pressing more or less, forgotten. 

"Sorry man. If I had known you'd be against the idea, I wouldn't have met with her to satisfy my curiousity but my Uncle Shin gave me all the employees profiles and records to memorize. When I came across her records, the name and even the face was a tad familar from the pictures you showed me so with you being here in Seoul, I kinda put two and two together." 

Sitting up and weaving my fingers through my hair in frustration I grunt and say,

"It's not that. It's just complicated right now."

Mino silent and observant for a minute then he speaks again.

"Dude. Don't tell me you are going to give up on her now...that would be an move. I don't know her but from what I've learned about her, she's one in a million.

I glance at him with impatience. "Are you done lecturing me, mom?" 

 "Do I have to remind you that you are practically the male Mary who's laying in wait JUST for this one girl??"

I throw my sweat drenched towel at him in reply and he laughingly dodges it. 

The rest of the time flies by as we focus on our workouts. 

After taking quick showers, we pack up and leave the locker room.  

In the drive way, we say our goodbyes and get into our cars but just as I'm getting ready to back out ,I glance over to see him pull into the vacant space beside me with his window down.

"I almost forgot!" He calls out toward me. "I agreed to a double date with you and Suzy tomorrow night, so I'll see you sooner than later!"

"Wait!! What??!" I yell toward him but he is already pulling out and away with a squeal of his tires. 

". . . !" I bang my head against the wheel in frustration, not caring if I'm accidently honking my horn.

My cellphone suddenly peals with a certain ringtone.

"Babe." I answer and listen to her babble on and on for a bit then I said something I never thought I would say.

"Fine, we'll do things your way for now. We'll lay low until it's the right time...."

After I hang up, I realize,

I forgot to tell her about my date with Suzy tomorrow night and I'll be busy later with a skype meeting til late with an overseas client.

She called and apologized, still stuck on this morning's conversation we had and asked me to try to understand and give her time.

I wasn't given the opportunity. I guess I'lll have to make it up to her.