Can't Let You Go

Chapter 20

(Time Jump)

***LIAM***

"Stop checking for updates. Everything is fine." Tally puts her hand in front of my phone screen. "You went through a reputable travel agent and you've called to confirm yourself. The weather forecast looks good and you've packed and repacked your suitcase three times."

"I know. I know." Apprehension picks at my nerves, but I can't quite pin down the reason. "Are you sure you won't come?"

"I swear, in the four plus years that I've known you, you haven't matured one bit. You're such a child sometimes." Tally chuckles.

"What do you mean? I'm not being childish. I just want to make sure this trip goes off without a hitch. They deserve it." This trip is a reward for mine and Dae-Ho's employees. After more than five years of hard work, we've secured the final round of financing and will be able to focus our efforts on introducing our main technology product to the market.

I guess it's the American in me, but I have shied away from some aspects of typical Korean office culture. Dae-Ho largely agrees with me. The forced outings, hweshiks, that are common are often stressful for the employees as they have to be on their best behavior while getting drunk. There's no weekly department dinners where everyone gets plastered or annual overnight outings which are actually work disguised as vacation. Instead, we have lunch together once a week and give them hotel vouchers as an annual bonus so they can enjoy a real vacation with their loved ones.

However, this year we've decided to take them on a trip to Gangwon-do province to celebrate our achievements. The weather has been cold enough for the ski slopes to make snow and nature has provided its own blanket of white. I arranged group activities like ski lessons and meals, but left plenty of time open for them to be away from their bosses. No matter how well we get along, there's always that employer-employee barrier.

"Yes, you are acting like a kid." Tally continues as she picks up my bag, "You don't even recognize that your real problem is that you're anxious about spending four nights in a strange place. You always get like this when you have to travel for work. That's why I go with you when I can."

She's not wrong. I may have become a little dependent on her. "If you know that then why aren't you coming with me this time?"

"I didn't earn this reward. Now off you go and don't be texting me dozens of times a day. Don't contact me at all. You'll be fine once you're on your way." She practically pushes me out the door to meet the bus I've hired.

After lunch on the second day, I settle onto a couch in front of a giant fireplace in a swiss looking lodge. Looking down at my hand, continually twisting the ring I wear, my thoughts wander.

"Thinking about the person with the matching ring?" Dae-Ho sits on the cushion next to me.

 Growing up the way I did, it has been hard to open up to others, but Dae-Ho knows me better than any of my other friends. Except Tally. "You know how I didn't agree to come to Korea at first because I was pretty much engaged to someone?"

"I remember. No one can forget a girl who looks like that."

"Yeah." I let out a long sigh. "When we were checking in, I saw her."

"Oh shit. She's here? Did you talk to her?"

"No, it turned out to not be her, but for a few seconds I thought it was. I haven't thought about her in years, but it just made me start to wonder what we'd be doing now if we'd gotten married back then."

"What about Tally?"

"What about her?"

Dae-Ho looks pointedly at the ring I'm fiddling with.