Friday afternoon, Bom called asking me and taeyeon to go out with her and some friends. I agreed without asking taeyeon , which I considered a role reversal, and made the plan for 8:30. It was Friday, and I'd had an exhausting week, so I promised myself some fun. And some distraction from my new illegal infatuation. Instead of driving home from work, I picked up flowers and took the detour to tae's condo to see her, and also to ask about going out that night. My mind was off chaerin at that point, and I was determined to fill it with my girlfriend, and only her.

 

But she was making that difficult, considering when I walked in she barely noticed. I entered holding the bouquet, which hadn't been cheap, but Kate was on the phone barking at the person on the other line. She was in her grey pencil skirt and matching grey jacket, looking the part of a paralegal. Her shoulder-length, dark brown hair was straightened completely, as always, and though she looked distraught, not one hair was out of place. Instead of waving at me, or even noticing the flowers or the fact that I'd come ten miles out of my way, she put up a finger that told me to wait, and continued with her conversation.

 

Not knowing what else to do, I got a vase out of her cabinet and filled it with water for her, then put the flowers in and set them on the counter. Making myself comfortable, because I knew this conversation could be a while, I sat patiently on the couch waiting for her to finish. When she finally hung up, she came to me, and I had to be the first to speak.

 

"Hey," I said cordially, even though I was less than pleased with her lack of appreciation.

 

"Hi," she said, sounding somewhere far off. "Why are you here?"

 

I felt tears in my eyes and I almost let them go. I wanted to unleash all the anger inside of me and cut her to shreds with my words, but for some reason I couldn't. I was too hurt. Her indifference made me want to cry. Quavering, I struggled to tersely say, "Is it a problem?"

 

"No," she said quickly, putting the phone down on the counter. "No, sorry. I'm just distracted." She still hadn't commented on the flowers, or the fact that I'd come out of my way for her. "It's okay," was all I could say.

 

She grabbed a stack of papers and started shuffling through them, taking notes on some of them before she refiled them into the stack. She didn't speak as she did so. It was like I wasn't there.

 

"This is a bad time," I said unnecessarily. "I should go."

 

She turned around, finally actually looking at me.

 

"Honey, I'm sorry. I'm here, I'm just caught up with some things for work."

 

"It's fine," I lied. "You don't have the time. I'll call