New Minor Characters:

•Son Ga In (Brown Eyed Girls)

•Lee Yo Won (South Korean Actress)

•Kim Mi Kyung (South Korean Actress)

***

Bom lengthened her stride as she neared Bamboo House.

There was a mix of snow flurries and tiny pellets of sleet in the air, stinging her cheeks as she walked.

She’d hoped the cold would bring her around. Make some of the shock wear off.

But she was still reeling from Jiyong’s phone call and all that was going to help her right now was an emergency session of the girlfriends’ round table.

She opened the door to Bamboo House and unwound the scarf she’d hastily thrown around her neck. She scanned the room, relief easing some of the awful tension when she saw her friends already seated in a corner booth way in the back. It was perfect.

As she made her way through the maze of tables, Ga In looked up and waved fiercely.

Yo Won, Nicole and Taeyeon quickly turned.

Nicole rose as Bom approached.

She got hugs from everyone and finally she squeezed into the booth beside Taeyeon, who looked at her with concern.

“What’s wrong, Bom? Nicole called us all but she wouldn’t say what was the matter.”

“I haven’t told her yet,” Bom said ruefully. “I may be jumping the gun here, girls. But I’m freaking out and need your help sorting through my options.”

“Oh, my God, what is it?” Ga In exclaimed.

Yo Won frowned. She was the older and more serious-minded of the group. Not to mention ultrapractical.

She’d have solid advice. Bom would bet any amount of money on it.

Bom drew in a deep breath. “I could be… Well, there’s at least a slim possibility that I’m pregnant.”

“What?!”

Bom winced as all four of her friends exclaimed at the same time.

Taeyeon’s eyes rounded and she stared at Bom in question. “Oh, Bom, how sure are you?”

“I had a one-night stand the other night.”

She glanced up at Taeyeon and grimaced.

“With Jiyong. We left Taeyeon’s party together. He took me to his house and we had . Lots of .”

Taeyeon looked robbed of speech. Yo Won just kept wearing that frown. That damn disapproving frown that reminded Bom way too much of how a mother would look. Well, Bom’s mother wouldn’t look that way.

She’d congratulate her daughter on snaring a wealthy baby daddy and then tell her to milk him for all he was worth. Not exactly mother-of-the- year material.

Oh, Mi Kyung wasn’t evil. She wasn’t even a bad mother. She was just superficial and very mercenary.

Bom supposed she could even admire her mother for being so shrewd when it came to relationships. Kim Mi Kyung was out for number one and number one only.

And she refused to apologize to anyone for it.

“I’m not following,” Ga In said slowly.

“Maybe I’m dense here. If you just had with him, why on earth are you worried about pregnancy?”

“Because one of the condoms broke and the timing is perfect in my cycle,” Bom replied.

“Jiyong?” Taeyeon squeaked. “Okay, I knew you were kind of crushing on him, but you and him? Really?”

“You needn’t look so flabbergasted,” Bom muttered. “The attraction was mutual, I assure you.”

Taeyeon looked immediately cont