The ring tone went on for eternity and Tiffany ended the call not knowing if she was supposed to be angry or worried. Where was Taeyeon? How did her dinner with her mother go? There was no telling if Taeyeon would be able to hold her temper down when faced with the woman who had hurt her so much. Unable to be at ease, she tried to call Taeyeon again. The ring tone went on for a while and Tiffany was about to hang up when Taeyeon finally answered the call.

“Taeyeon?” There was no reply. “Taeyeon. Taeyeon? Are you there?”

“I’m here.” Taeyeon’s voice was unlike her usual tone. It was soft, barely audible and it worried Tiffany.

“Where are you?”

“The track.”

“Are you okay?”

“Not really.”

“Do you want me there?”

“Yeah…”

“Okay, I’ll be right there. Wait for me.”

Tiffany threw on a jacket and grabbed her car keys. She could sense that Taeyeon needed her right now, more than any other moment in the past.

-

“Unnie, Mommy said she met you for dinner today. Why didn’t you tell me you were meeting her? Why didn’t you bring me with you?”

“I’ll bring you along the next time, okay?”

“Did you quarrel with Mommy again?”

“We didn’t quarrel.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really.”

“But Mommy looked upset when she came home.”

“I said some stuff to her,” Taeyeon admitted. “She pissed me off.”

“Unnie…”

“I know, I know.”

“I think Mommy really wants to change things. But you know her. She would never admit it. Not to you, at least.”

“Hayeon, I’m really tired right now. Let’s talk about it some other time, okay?”

There was a sigh. Then, Hayeon said, “Unnie, you know I love you, right?”

“I know. I love you too.”

Hayeon blew a noisy kiss over the phone. “Goodnight, unnie.”

“Goodnight.”

Taeyeon ended the call and threw her head back against the headrest. She sighed and closed her eyes. Mr Im had said that her mother wanted to make things right. Now, Hayeon was saying the same thing. But dinner with her mother had said otherwise. So who was she to believe? Her family? Or her experience?

Her mother had been full of excuses tonight. Nothing she said carried any hint of a desire to make things right. Was it really that hard to apologize? Was it really that hard to admit that she hadn’t done a good job as a mother? Based on what her mother had said, it sounded more like she believed that she had done her job as a mother. Had she?

Her eyes closed and she exhaled. There was too much hurt inside right now. Hurt that she had buried deep down, out of sight, out of reach. But who was she kidding. It probably showed without her noticing. Sunny seemed to be able to sense whenever her hurt surfaced. And Hayeon, despite her best efforts to keep the ugliness from her sister, seemed to know exactly what had happened each time as well. Even Tiffany, as little as she knew about her relationship with her mother, could sense that there was something lurking beneath the surface.

A knock on her window brought her attention to the dark figure that hovered outside her car. She unlocked the doors and the passenger door opened, revealing Tiffany in her homely outfit. Taeyeon stared.

“You came out in this?” she said in disbelief that Tiffany could bring herself to leave the house in her threadbare spaghetti top and worn out shorts. Not to mention, the lack of a bra.

“I have a jacket on.”

“Yes, but still.”

“I didn’t think to stop and change before coming out. I wanted to get to you as quickly as I can.”

“I’m not that distraught. I just...I just want some company, that’s all.”

“And that’s what I’m here for—company. I’m here to be your company.” Tiffany scooted to the edge of the seat, took her hand and interlaced their fingers. “There’s nothing I do better than providing company to the people I love.”

Taeyeon smiled at Tiffany’s failed attempt at a joke. Telling jokes was probably one of the few things that Tiffany couldn’t do well but it worked out somehow because Taeyeon was more amused by Tiffany’s failure than the joke itself.

“See? You’re smiling already. Am I good or am I good.”

“You’re the best.”

Tiffany stared deep into her eyes for a moment. Then, they hugged. Arms over shoulders, noses buried in curls, eyes closed to the world but windows to their souls opened to each other. It was just what she needed. How did Tiffany know that? How did Tiffany know exactly how to rub her back and pat it with just the right amount of gentleness? How did Tiffany know what to whisper into her ear to make her lips tremble? How did Tiffany know when to pull back to wipe her tears away?

Taeyeon didn’t know the answers to any of those questions. She didn’t know why Tiffany’s presence made her feel even more like crying. She didn’t know how to stop the tears from falling. She didn’t know why her heart felt like it had lost something important; as though a large chunk of it had gone missing. Neither did she know why Tiffany was dropping kisses all over her face. But she did know that Tiffany’s arms had never felt like a better place to be. And she did know that Tiffany’s arms were exactly where she needed to be. So, on they hugged, until her sniffing eased up and her tears stopped falling.

-

They drove back to Tiffany’s apartment; Taeyeon didn’t want to go back to hers.

“Take a shower,” said Tiffany, giving Taeyeon a push towards the bathroom. “I’ll be out here with the good stuff, waiting.”

Taeyeon nodded, lacking the energy to object to Tiffany’s plan, and obeyed. She entered the bathroom and stripped down quickly stepping under the water that was raining down from the ceiling showerhead. She closed her eyes and opened her senses to the water that hit her hair and skin and flowed down in dozens of rivulets towards the floor. She slapped on some of the lavender bath gel and rubbed it over her skin, engulfing herself in the pleasant scent, before rinsing it off. By the time she stepped out of the shower and into the bathrobe, she was feeling considerably stronger than before.

As promised, Tiffany was seated on the couch, waiting. She had already started on the wine and had a race playing on the screen when Taeyeon entered the living room.

“2012, Macau.” Tiffany nodded at the racing cars. “Drink?”

Taeyeon accepted the glass of red wine with thanks and sank into the soft cushions next to Tiffany. “Why are you watching this?”

“Research.” Tiffany offered nothing more than that so Taeyeon figured it must be for work and was therefore confidential. They watched the race in silence, passing few comments for the next few minutes and before long, Tiffany asked, “Want more?”

Only then, did Taeyeon realize she had emptied her glass of wine. “Yes.” She held her glass up for Tiffany and watched as she refilled her glass before doing the same for herself.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” asked Tiffany, as she folded her legs on the couch.

Taeyeon stuck her legs out and swung them over Tiffany’s legs, leaning sideways into the cushions. “My mom’s a . Was a . Is a . Will always be a .”

“I’m guessing you didn’t like what she said.”

“She didn’t say anything for two courses. That’s two out of four courses we spent in silence. She made me feel like a fool, sitting there eating, pretending everything was fine between us.”

“You mean you sat through two courses without saying anything?”

“Yeah. What a wonderful dinner, right?”

“Maybe she had a reason for doing that.”

Taeyeon snorted. “She said she didn’t want us to lose our appetites. She said Uncle Im was going to ask about it.” She snorted again. “That’s all she cares about. Impressing her future husband.”

Tiffany rubbed a soothing palm over her calf in wide circles and squeezed her knee. “I’m sorry the dinner so much.”

“Yeah. I wasn’t expecting it to be a blast but she managed to disappoint me yet again, even with my low expectations.”

“Do you think there’s any chance she is what Mr Im said she is?”

Taeyeon shrugged. “I dunno. Hayeon called earlier and said my mother looked upset when she got home. I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean.”

Tiffany leaned towards Taeyeon and her hair. “You know, you’re pretty tight-lipped when it comes to personal stuff and there are times when you say things that are the exact opposite of what you actually feel. Any idea where you got these traits from?”

“What are you trying to say.”

With a smile tinkering on her lips, Tiffany locked gazes with her and said, “I’m not saying anything. I’m asking if you take after more of your father or mother.”

“I don’t know my father well enough to make that comparison. And even if my mother is stubborn and too proud to admit to anything—which she is—I don’t think it’s a valid excuse for saying those things to me. She should be sorry. I mean, I would apologize if it were my fault.”

“Maybe she needs a little more time. Maybe you need to give her a few more chances, just like I gave you chances.”

“Why should I?”

“Because you still love her. Don’t you?”

Taeyeon shook her head. “No, I don’t.”

With a hand around the back of Taeyeon’s neck, Tiffany pulled the woman close and pressed a tender kiss on her forehead. “Stubborn and proud.”

“Shut up.”

“And rude.”

“Shut the up.”

“Effing rude.”

“So are you.”

Tiffany smiled. “That’s why I can keep up with you, er.”

-

Things at work were no smoother. Tiffany got in to work the next day and was assailed by her colleagues, left, right and centre. She was prepared for it, however, and warded off most of the questions with smiles and silence. But when it came to her team, things were a little tougher. Jimin for one, was upset with her.

“You said you weren’t with him. We trusted you on that. But I guess we’re not as close to you as we think we are, huh. We’re just employees to you, right, Mrs Kim?”

All Tiffany could think about was how much she would love to be Mrs Kim—Mrs Kim to Taeyeon, not Paul. “Jimin, there’s nothing I can say right now that will sound right to you. But I hope you will believe that you and the entire team are not just colleagues to me. I really do care for you.”

“But we are the last to know, like everybody else. People have been coming up to us asking about you and all we can say is ‘we don’t know’. We can’t even say anything in your defence since we don’t know any more than the next person in the office.”

Tiffany heaved a sigh. “I’m ready for all the coming my way. But I can’t afford to lose you guys. We’ve already lost Ted, let’s not lose the entire team, okay? Trust me. Just trust me one more time. I’ll explain everything when the time is right.”

Jimin narrowed her eyes. “Something is up. You’re not really with Paul, are you?”

“I am. I am with him. Just—” Tiffany sighed in exasperation. “It’s not what you picture it to be. It wasn’t the plan to announce it after the race, but the reporters were so damn irritating that I couldn’t take it anymore. I just had to say it, even if regret were to follow.”

“So you were with Paul all along,” said Sookyung.

“No,” Tiffany shook her head as she denied it. “No. The whole thing only started recently. We decided to be together not long ago. So when I told you we weren’t together the last time, I wasn’t lying. You have to believe me.”

“But in the interview you said—”

“Don’t believe everything the media reports. And don’t believe everything we tell the media. Both of you should know that very well, right?”

Sookyung sighed. “We really like you, Tiffany. You’re great to work for and it’s hard to find a boss who can be your friend too. But it’s much too awkward for us to remain friends with the CEO’s girlfriend and wife-to-be.”

“I’m not his wife-to-be.” Tiffany leaned close to her two colleagues and lowered her voice, “And I doubt I’ll ever be.”

“What does that mean?” Jimin asked, her eyes flashing with understanding and confusion. “What is going on between you and Mr Kim?”

“Time will tell. Just wait and see. But in the meantime, I really need the two of you to help me out. Please? Trust me one more time, okay?”

Jimin exchanged looks with Sookyung before nodding. “We’ll trust you. For the last time. If you betray us again, or treat us like strangers, we’ll be gone before you can say bye.”

Tiffany held Jimin and Sookyung’s hands in hers and smiled. “Thanks, girls. I promise. I promise you won’t feel be betrayed. You’ll know what it is about when the whole thing comes out to light. I promise.”

“Okay.”

-

Later that afternoon, Tiffany made a trip up to Paul's office, all the while burning under the fiery eyes of many Hyundae employees who now saw her as the vixen in the company. She plopped onto the leather swivel chair and groaned, “Paul. Things are getting a little crazy out there.”

“I know. But we need to hold on for a bit longer.”

“It's been barely a day and already I'm feeling the heat. They all hate me now. I'm officially the gold digging from America.”

“Ignore them and keep working. Your work will convince everyone that you belong.”

“Sometimes, it's not about belonging. It's about liking. The people out there now hate me so much that it's useless, no matter what I do. Even Jimin and Sookyung were on the verge of leaving me.”

“Did you manage to talk them round?”

Tiffany nodded. “Yes. For now. But they're extremely wary of me now. It's horrible.”

“I'm sorry you have to go through all this for me, but it's working. My family called me to verify the news and they are convinced that we're together now. This news has officially squashed all doubt about my love life and things are going smoothly. If all goes well, I'll be signing on officially as CEO and Chairman.”

“Chairman as well? That's a bonus.”

“Yes, it is. Grandfather's decision is final. His word is law. While he's still alive, that is.”

“What will he do if he finds out that you're not actually straight?”

“He'll throw me out of the family. Force my parents to disown me. But if I can secure the shares and positions, he'll find it hard to do anything to me for fear of affecting the company's image.”

“So your career is your shield and way in to gain acceptance?”

Paul's laugh was somewhat hollow. “Acceptance isn't something I dare to dream of ever attaining but tolerance would be a start. No matter how forced it is, I take it as a win.”

Tiffany grimaced. “Your family sounds tougher than I thought.”

“Well, every family has its own bump in the road. It's just a matter of how high that bump is. And how many bumps there are.”

Tiffany nodded, her thoughts with Taeyeon. “Some bumps are a lot tougher to get over.”

“Take them in your stride. There's no bump too great or impossible to cross if you really put your mind to it.”

“To the extent of faking a relationship, huh.”

Paul grinned. “You make the faking a little more tolerable. If I were straight, I'd probably come after you with everything I've got.”

“If being the pivotal word here.” Tiffany laughed. “And even if you were straight, I would still be gay.”

With elbows on his desk, Paul leaned forward and asked, “Is Taeyeon alright with this?”

Tiffany nodded. “She's quite alright with it. But she's got other issues to deal with so this isn't her biggest concern.”

“I see. Well, if Taeyeon is unhappy about anything, let me know. I'll do what I can.”

Tiffany smiled and nodded. “I know you will.”

-

The hum of the engines excited Jessica and she was struck with joy to recognise that feeling from before. It had been a long time since she felt this way and never had she realized how precious it was to her. Turning to Yuri, she smiled and said, “I'm ready.”

Yuri returned a warm smile and hugged her. “I won't go easy on you.”

Another pair of arms squeezed her from behind. “Neither will I.”

She turned around and grinned at her sister, Krystal. “I'm ready. Bring it on.”

“Unnie, I'm really happy to hear you say this.”

“It feels good; racing with you and Yuri feels safe. I should have done this from the start.”

Krystal grinned. “You won't be as happy when I beat you.”

Jessica laughed. “I'm perfectly happy to be beaten by you, silly.”

At which point, Yuri grinned and threw an arm around Jessica and Krystal. “We won't know who's gonna win until we race.”

-

Announcing her name to the waiter at the reception led her to be ushered to the private booth deep inside the restaurant. Taeyeon's description was accurate and Tiffany deduced that it was the same private booth that Taeyeon had been in the past two times. Having Taeyeon's little tips assured her a fair bit and made her feel less alone but stripped little of the nerves that came with the prospect of meeting Mr Im.

A deep breath later, Tiffany prayed for strength to keep it together and entered the booth with a smile.  Ready or not, she was in for the long haul. Let's see what Mr Im had to say.

-