Tiffany is talking to her team member when her phone starts to ring. She pauses, glances at the device and silences it when she sees that it's Sunny calling.
But then Sunny calls again and again, making it hard for her to ignore the woman, so Tiffany excuses herself and answers the call.
"What's the emergency?" she asks.
"YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED?!" shouts Sunny, making Tiffany pull the phone away from her ear by reflex.
"Can I call you back in a minute? I'm in the middle of something."
"You better or I will come to your office and yell at you in person."
"Talk to you later," says Tiffany as she hangs up and quickly finishes her ongoing discussion. Then after her team member has left, she closes the door, locks it and dials Sunny's number.
"What are you thinking?" is the first thing Sunny says. "You're getting married?! Already?!"
"Is that so hard to believe? I love her and she loves me. This is the natural, obvious next step, right?" argues Tiffany. "Besides, we have a year before the wedding. That's plenty of time to get used to things, right?"
"I don't know, you tell me. You're the one who sounds like you need convincing right now."
"If you're insinuating that I'm having doubts, well I'm not," Tiffany says, trying to sound as confident as possible. The truth is, she's doing just that, trying to convince herself that she's ready. Her consolation is that she loves spending time with Taeyeon and won't mind doing so for the next five or so years. She even gets to see the girl live the life she's always wanted.
"I hope so because the last thing I want to see is my best friend getting hurt," replies Sunny. "You're the first and the only person she ever loves. The fact that she's even willing to settle down... I thought she was either super hammered or as high as a kite or both. That's not the Kim Taeyeon I thought I knew. She wasn't one for long term relationships but here she is, asking whether I'd be her maid of honor, ordering a custom-made engagement ring, contacting wedding organizers and Googling venues... I know you think that she's partly doing this for herself, for that freedom her parents have promised her and I guess it's true, to some extent, but she's not that selfish. You out of all people should know that. She's doing this because she loves you, because she can't live without you."
Tiffany exhales, feeling the burden on her shoulders. "I know that," she mumbles.
"So if you can't do it, say it now. Don't string her along."
"I'm doing this for her."
"I know but if you're not ready, it's not gonna be good for either of you." Sunny heaves a sigh. "I don't mean to sound evil or anything but I need to protect my best friend and you too, because you're my friend too."
"Thanks for that but we'll be fine," Tiffany says. I'll be fine. I can do this. Five years will fly by in no time.
"If you say so. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt but remember what I said? If you feel like you can't do this, be honest with Taeng? Please?"
"I'll do that."
====
Taeyeon stands up, smiles politely and shakes the woman's hand before watching her assistant usher the lady out of her office.
The moment the door closes, she exhales and slumps in her chair. That was the third wedding organizer she has met with and thankfully, it's going to be the last because she has decided that she's hiring that woman.
The next step is scheduling a meeting with the organizer and Tiffany after her girlfriend returns from her trip back home.
She grabs her phone, opens her calendar app and invites Tiffany to a meeting she's scheduled with the organizer earlier.
