The following Friday I took Suzy on our first date together. We went to the Movie Theater and afterwards we made small talk in front of her house and shared laughs and then I gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"It's late so go on in. I'll be here around noon tomorrow to pick you up for breakfast with Youngji."

She pouts but then straightens. "Fine. But, for running me off so early, I get to order your breakfast for you. Do you trust me?" she asks.

I give her a questioning look and act as if I'm suspicious of her motives.

"Should I trust you?" I return even though I know that she knows my favorite breakfast dish..

"Oye, Oppa! Of course you can." She leans in and surprises me with a soft kiss on the lips before walking off.

I watch until she disappears inside the house, closes the door, and locks it.Only then do I get inside my car and drive off. 

~~~

I groan as I pull my pillow from underneath my head and squish it against my ears willing the bothersome knocking on my bedroom door to go away. I only relax my hold on the pillow when the knocking stops and there is absolute silence. Sighing in relief, I flip over unto my back with the pillow now beneath me, before I open my eyes.  Above me is Wang Jackson who is staring intently into my eyes, only a fingers breath away and all up in my personal space. I do what any girl in my situation would do. I open my mouth and scream my head off. 

At first he stares at me in shock and then he puts his hand against my mouth, muffling my screams. 

"Hey, easy!" He says in gentle panic. I'm just here to pick you up for breakfast with Suzy and I." 

With my heart still thumping a hundred miles a minute I finally manage to reign in the noise I've been making.

Ok. So now what?  I motion to him with my eyes that I will no longer scream and he removes his hand.

"I'm sorry." He apologizes. "I didn't mean to scare you." 

"It's alright." I reply a bit too quietly. "Let me just get ready. 

I make a move to get up and the book that has been hanging on the edge of the bed because it was underneath my pillow in the first place, falls down to the ground with a "Thunk". 

. I forgot I have been re-reading the book for what seems like the dozenth time since I recommended it to him 4 and a half years ago.

Jackson reaches for it before I can. I cringe inside as he looks over it.

"Hey. I know this book." He doesn't even know how heavy his words weigh on my heart.

I plaster on a smile.  "Oh really?" I ask.

"Yeah, it was a past recommendation from Suzy." 

"What a coincidence, I borrowed it from her." I reply with a straightface.

Jackson takes the book and smiles shaking his head. "A Bend in the Road by Nicolas Sparks".

"Yeppp." I pop my "P" because really. There was not much else I can do in this awkward situation.

"You know what's funny?"  He continues.

I want to tell him I don't know and I don't want to know but I can't.

"What's that?"

Suzy always says in her emails that she can't stand her favorite books being made into movies because most of them just miss the essense and meaning altogether but she was a very happy and excited girl when we went to see Nicolas Sparks' "The Best of Me", last night.

Oh.my.gawd. 

The laugh that comes out of my mouth sounds overly strained but it so cannot be helped. 

"Imagine that! Change is good, you know? I've been trying to get Suzy to watch a Nicolas Sparks movie, in like forever.

God knows, she's read enough of his books! Don't tell me she makes you read them too?!"

"Don't tell anyone but I don't mind and Nicolas Spark books are the only "Chickie" ones I read." He answers and a slight flush covers his handsome features.

I'm struck dumb for a moment even though I know it's the truth.

Quickly I look away and proclaim, "You two are hopeless."

I don't miss his quiet, "I know." as I make a show heading for the bathroom. 

My heart clenches at his words.

At the breakfast diner, I order my favorite Powder Sugar berries and cream Pancakes with a side of maragine and maple syrup, eggs sunnyside up, sausage links and toast with strawberry jam. I also include a glass of Orange Juice and coffee. 

"Wow, you sure you can pack away all that, Youngji?" Jackson asks in amazement. "Maybe I should help you."

 Lucky for me, Suzy and I liked the same thing for breakfast at this joint which was also our usual breakfast hangout...even in our PJ's.

~~~

"Jackson, you can share with me." Suzy offers and pushes her plate toward me with a smile. 

Youngji laughes and excuses herself to head to the bathroom.

Grabbing an extra plate, Suzy stops and wrinkles her nose at the strawberry jam that accompanies the toast and waves down a waitress. 

As the waitress stands there Suzy asks,"Can you put away the strawberry jam and bring me some peanut butter?" 

The waitress immediately nods and scurries away with the strawberry jam.

I swallow past the lump in my throat.

Surely she knows that I'm allergic to peanut butter. It was the reason why I fell so sick that one time. It happened one week after she had stopped emailing me entirely.My reactions to peanut butter was so severe, I stayed in the ICU for almost a week afterwards.

Turning toward me,Suzy smiles as if nothing is amiss.

Youngji comes back to our booth and sits down opposite of me just as our waitress brings Suzy the peanut butter.

Youngji eyes the peanut butter but looks around for something.

I watch as Suzy begins to slather her toast with it and breathe deeply. After all, it may be my last.

"Suzy, where's your serving of strawberry jam?" Youngji asks .

Suzy pauses after she finishes slathering the second toast.

"Oh. I had the waitress put it away." She explains and tries to hand me the toast.

"I..." I begin.

"Sweetheart..." Youngji interrupts me calmly, directing herself toward Suzy. "Jackson...can't have anything with peanut butter on it." 

Suzy's eyes grow as wide as saucers while Youngji continues, 

"Remember when we got word that he was sick, not long after he left? It was because of peanuts wasn't it?"

"Oh my gosh!" Suzy exclaims once she processes what Youngji has just said.  

She turns towards me and repeats "Oh my gosh.."

I comfort her. "Hey, it's okay. It's such a long time ago. Heck I almost forgot about it myself.

Her eyes begin to water and I reach out to her. "Hey, hey. Don't cry. It's okay." Holding her close I comfort her.

My eyes meet Youngji's worried ones over Suzy's head.

"Yah, pabo. Why are you crying?" Youngji asks as she injects humor into her voice. 

"Is Wang Jackson so handsome now that you forgot everything you've ever known? Stop crying. You're food is getting cold and that's no way to impress a hungry man. I still have my toast and jam so I can give them to him. You're too pitiful." Youngji pretends to roll her eyes. 

"Yah, Heo Youngji!" Like magic our Suzy forgets her woes as she scolds her bestfriend.

When she happily busys herself with her food once more, I glance over to Youngji once more hoping that she knows that she has my gratitude.

She offers me wink and a wide smile in return.