Yoong

R u gg to Hyo’s bar next sat?

Taeyeon chewed on her lip as she typed her reply.

Can’t make it

Yoong

Y not?

Gotta help with house moving

Yoong

Tif’s?

Yeah

Yoong

Make a move when u help her move ;)

lol

Yoong

R u gonna stay almost-girlfriends forever?

That would

Yoong

U should do something

Don’t wanna push it

Yoong

More like nudging.

Not nudging either. Don’t wanna make

her feel uncomfortable.

Yoong

What if she’s thinking the same thing?

Then she’s not ready

Yoong

Fair enough…

Taeyeon put her phone down and leaned back in her swivel chair, thoughts swirling around in her head. Things had seemed to be smooth sailing with the flirting and innuendo flying between them but somehow, they had not progressed beyond that perforated line. There was plenty of time spent together, arm-linking and long heart-felt conversations, but everything hovered over that mysterious grey area—just like Tiffany’s mysterious smile.

Her friends had been asking about her progress with Tiffany ever since they found out about the month-long developing relationship. And she had been asking herself about it too. Come to think of it, the only person she hadn’t asked is Tiffany.

Maybe it was time to broach the subject explicitly.

T

“Oh my God, I’m so glad you’re here.”

Taeyeon took one look at the dishevelled hair and clothes of Tiffany and stepped into the apartment quickly. “I’m here to rescue you. What help do you need?”

“I’ll be eternally grateful if you grab the vacuum and clean up the studio room.”

“Get ready to be eternally grateful,” Taeyeon replied with a grin as she shrugged off her winter coat and rolled up her sweater’s sleeves. “Where’s the vacuum?”

Two hours later, Taeyeon threw herself onto the bare wooden floor and lay flat, exhausted from all the cleaning. From her vantage point, she watched as Tiffany walked into the living room and sat beside her. A cup of iced coffee appeared in front of her, making her sit up to accept it.

“Thanks,” said Taeyeon, as she sipped the coffee.

“It’s the least I can do.” Tiffany leaned her head on Taeyeon’s shoulder. “I couldn’t have cleaned this place up without you.”

Taeyeon leaned her head on Tiffany’s head. “I didn’t do much, to be honest.”

“You did.”

“All I did was one room.”

“And a half.”

Taeyeon chuckled. “Okay, one and a half.”

“Actually, just being here with me . . . helped me out a lot.”

“You should’ve told me earlier. I could’ve just sat here.”

Tiffany jabbed Taeyeon with her elbow. “Meanie.”

“Didn’t you know?” Taeyeon jabbed Tiffany back, laughing.

“I didn’t.”

“Regretting knowing me now?”

“Totally,” Tiffany replied, linking her arms around Taeyeon’s as she snuggled closer.

“Pfft, what happened to your ‘eternally grateful’?”

“I can only give you ‘eternally grateful’ if we’re together forever.”

Taeyeon’s heart thumped an extra beat just then. “I can do ‘together forever’. Don’t know about you though.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what I said.” Taeyeon shifted slightly to look Tiffany straight in the eyes. “Do you believe in ‘together forever’?”

Tiffany’s gaze was no less steady as she replied, “With the right person, I can.”

“I see.” This was the opening Taeyeon knew she had to take. “So, do you have the right person in your life right now?”

“Yes, I do,” Tiffany said with the now familiar mysterious smile.

Taeyeon began to smile too. “Who?”

Tiffany’s mysterious smile gained mega-watt brilliance. “You.”

With confirmation in the bag, Taeyeon felt a weight lift off her chest. “Is it me or does this conversation sound pretty familiar,” she joked.

“I think I’ve heard it somewhere before,” Tiffany bantered in return.

A sliver of doubt seeped into Taeyeon’s heart from nowhere. “Do you mean it though?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your answer to my question.”

“Oh, I meant it. Do you want me to show you what I meant?”

Taeyeon stopped breathing as Tiffany leaned closer, her mysterious smile making a comeback. “What are yo—” The end of her question was muted by the soft lips of Tiffany’s and swiftly forgotten as Taeyeon closed her eyes and drowned in a sea of sweet, toe-curling tingles.

T

One week later, the move was finally complete and Taeyeon received a voice message inviting her over for a visit. Bottle of Moët in hand, Taeyeon pressed the doorbell and stuck her nose at the security camera she knew Tiffany was going to check. Five seconds later, the door opened and a smiling woman stood beside it, shaking her head.

“You’re such a kid, Tae.”

Taeyeon grinned as she leaned forward to plant a kiss on Tiffany’s lips. “I may be a kid but I managed to buy a Moët for you,” she quipped, holding the bottle up for Tiffany.

“Well, well. Consider yourself redeemed.”

“Thank you, my queen.”

Tiffany was all smiles as she led Taeyeon to the wine-red couch in the middle of the living room after hanging up her coat. “Sit,” she said and placed a smartphone in Taeyeon’s hand, unlocking it with her fingerprint. “Pick a playlist. I’ll get the glasses.”

Taeyeon browsed the playlists while Tiffany was gone.

Air

Beach

Breakfast

Calm

Cruise Day

Cruise Night

Dance Crazy

Dance Slow

Dance Dirty

Drive Long

Exotic

Fun

Hype

Indie

Jazz

Love

Lunch

Midnight

Nice

Princess

Queen

Relax

Slow

Swag

The lists intrigued her. What kind of songs were on those lists? She had to know. But which list should she play first? Taeyeon took a second to consider the situation. It was a Saturday night. The move was done. Tiffany was at ease and relaxed. It had been a week since they became official but aside from texting and calling each other, they hadn’t met up at all because of a last minute deadline brought forward. Which list was best for the moment?

Dance Dirty, Slow and Swag were tempting but Taeyeon didn’t think this was the night for them. No. For this night, she wanted sensual, intimate and soulful. It would have to be Dance Slow.

Selection made, the first song came on and flowed like honey through the million-won black Bose bar speaker lying across the TV shelf. It was heaven to Taeyeon’s ears so she closed her eyes to enjoy it.

“Interesting choice.”

Taeyeon opened her eyes. Tiffany was bending over, white cotton sweater hanging loose as she placed the wine glasses and ice bucket on the coffee table. Without any second thoughts, Taeyeon stood and took Tiffany’s hands once they were free of their load. She placed each hand on her shoulders left and right, then placed her own hands on Tiffany’s waist.

Tiffany looked at her, one eyebrow raised, but said nothing. Taeyeon began swaying to the slow beat and after a beat, she swayed along too. Her arms slid further over Taeyeon’s shoulders and locked around her neck as Taeyeon’s arms drew her closer and locked around her waist. A few more sways later, they were sharing their breaths, their gazes.

“Who’s the singer? She has a sultry voice,” Taeyeon said in a soft sultry voice of her own when the first song ended.

Tiffany smiled. “SAYMA.”

“And this song is hers too?” Taeyeon asked as the second song played.

“Mhm.”

“Nice, very nice. What is it called?”

“Slow dance.”

“Literally?”

“Mhm. Perfect for a slow dance.”

Taeyeon chuckled. “Do you do slow dances often?”

“Sometimes. When I’m alone in my room.”

“Alone?”

“Alone.”

“Not with somebody else?”

Tiffany shook her head. “No one has ever asked me to slow dance with them like this.”

Taeyeon grinned. “If you like it, I’ll slow dance with you.”

Tiffany smiled. “I like it.”

Tiffany’s smile was so beautiful that Taeyeon had to kiss it. “You’re beautiful,” she whispered, fingers tracing the soft lips.

“Again,” said Tiffany.

“You’re beautiful.”

“Not that. Kiss me again.”

Taeyeon obliged with a smile and put her arm back around Tiffany’s waist. On and on they swayed together, bodies close, hearts beating in harmony. Round and round they went as song after song played from the list.

Then, she saw it. The flurries drifting down outside the window.

“You know, I met you on the night it first snowed this winter.”

“You did?”

“We did.”

“I didn’t know.”

“It wasn’t snowing anymore when we got out but there were flurries before I got to the pub.”

“That’s kinda romantic.”

“Not as romantic as this, though.”

Tiffany smiled and touched noses with Taeyeon. “As romantic as this slow dance is, there’s something else I’d much rather do.”

“What is it?”

Tiffany stepped away and picked up the smartphone from the coffee table. She scrolled down the list of playlists and stopped at one near the bottom. Taeyeon looked.

Slow

Tiffany was looking at her with that mysterious smile, eyes sultry. A y invitation, no words required.

Putting on a sultry look of her own, Taeyeon leaned in and gave Tiffany an open-mouthed kiss as she tapped on the playlist. A sensual yes, no words required.

T

#HappyTaenyDay