It's a warm day and Tiffany's having her usual afternoon snack in the kitchen when her friend-slash-employee walks in.
The tall tanned woman stops in her tracks when she sees her and asks, "Why are you still in those dirty clothes?"
Tiffany looks down at her usual flannel shirt, work jeans and boots then sips her tea calmly. "They are not dirty."
"You worked in them. Please change into something that doesn't smell like cow poop or horse pee," Yuri says, walking past Tiffany to get a mug from the kitchen cabinet. Unlike her boss and lifelong friend, she has showered and changed into her best pair of jeans and a clean, crisp shirt. She even took time to clean her boots.
"I don't smell," argues Tiffany without moving from her seat.
"Then please look as presentable as possible. This is a very important meeting, Fany. You don't need me to remind you that, do you?"
"..."
Sighing, Yuri pours herself a cup of coffee and stands across from her friend. "I know it sucks but she's our last chance. We need her."
"We need her money," corrects Tiffany. "I don't see why she can't just be a passive investor. She owns a private resort in a tropical island so why can't she rearrange it or go play there instead?"
"I don't think she sees this ranch as a potential hobby or a place for her to have fun or relax. Besides, let's be honest. Judging from how things have been, I'm not surprised that she wants to be directly involved in running the business. We haven't exactly been making profits, have we?" says Yuri carefully, knowing how much this ranch means to Tiffany and how difficult it is for her friend to accept the fact that she failed to restore it to its previous glory. "I prefer not doing this either but since we have no other choice-..."
Suddenly Tiffany stands up, surprising her friend who immediately stops talking. She places her used plate and mug in the sink then walks away.
Yuri takes the now vacated seat and anxiously checks her watch and phone every minute while nursing her drink.
Minutes later, she hears footsteps and looks up to see a much neater Tiffany. Her ponytail is tidy, her shirt now clean and wrinkle-free and her jeans no longer stained with dirt and hay. She even smells perfume when her friend walks past her. "Now that's more like it," she remarks with a smile. "I'm sorry for nagging and for what I said. I know you don't need the reminder..."
"You're right. I don't," retorts Tiffany. "But it's true nevertheless. Had I not failed, we wouldn't have been in this situation."
"You tried your best. It's just bad luck, I guess. Business has been tough on everyone," Yuri says, giving her friend a comforting pat on the back. "They're proud of you. I am sure of it."
Before Tiffany can reply, Yuri's phone rings and she jumps to her feet when she sees the number. "Hello? Yes, Miss Seohyun. Yes, everything is ready. Err... I guess you can." She steals a glance at Tiffany. "I'll make sure of it. Okay. Will get back to you in a minute. Sure. You're welcome."
"What's happening?" asks Tiffany.
"They want to land on our land," Yuri says, walking out the back door, followed by a confused Tiffany.
