“Yeah, we were really close. I always looked forward to seeing her. My sisters never wanted to go for more than a week, so it was just me the rest of the time.” We fall in line for food, but I’m not paying attention to anyone but him. “My family’s cool, don’t get me wrong. I am loved. But growing up was always boarding schools, galas, holidays, trips. We didn’t do, like, family dinners on a Sunday or binge-watch television together. That was summer with my grandma. We laughed for hours on end, gossiped about all her friends, and played countless hands of poker. She taught me so much of what I know about food and life.”
I stare at his face, and for the first time, I have nothing snarky to say. In fact, I have nothing to say at all. I’m just happy listening.
He smiles down to me. “She kind of reminds me of your family. It’s probably why I like your mom and Goldie so much.”
I beam. “That’s a really great compliment, because Grandma sounds pretty awesome.”
We move up in line, and I’m still staring at his profile when he flips the script. “Your turn. You know enough about me for now ... Tell me something I don’t know about you.”
“Oof,” I breathe out, dropping my face to my hands.
“How about when you fell in love with horror?”
I narrow my eyes and say something more honest than I expect from myself. “Since I can remember ... I was a weird kid. I literally hid in my room and watchedThe Exorcistat, like, ten, and then tried for months to re-create the pea soup—”
He laughs, but I roll my eyes, amused too.
“—but now, my lifelong romance feels more like it’s heading toward an impending divorce. I’m just not ...”
He cuts in. “It’s too real.”
Not a question. A statement. As if what I feel is the obvious correct conclusion. He’s not trying to pry or fix me; he just gets it.
“Yeah.” I nod. “I mean, I knew that art imitated life, but I never thought like this ... and it sucks because I loved what I do.”
“Is that why you asked G to get you the spot on the FX team on our movie? It was like your version of exposure therapy.”
I giggle. “Yeah, kind of. I thought I could, I don’t know, put it back in its right compartment or something?”
It’s so surreal talking about this shit out loud because I haven’t said this to anyone else. Not even my sister. But I guess if I think about it, it makes sense. I don’t want my sister to worry about me, and I don’t have that fear with Chase.
“How’d that work for ya?”
The people in front of us leave with their food, making us next up.
“Well, I’m scared of the dark, and I sleep like shit still, soo ...” I level but smile as he motions for me to look ahead.
I lift my eyes, seeing a menu, and the first thing on it says:Gamja Hot Dog.
He remembered our shared love of them.
A sweet Korean woman speaks in Korean to a teenage boy behind her before facing us at the counter.
“How can I help you?”
Before I can order, Chase rattles off an order ... in Korean. My head snaps to his profile, shocked.
“What! Who are you?”
He laughs. “What are you talking about? Did you want one with cheese? I assumed because of your allergy ...”
Smart-ass.I push his chest. He doesn’t budge.
“You know what I’m talking about. Since when do you speak Korean?”
“His accent is pretty good,” the lady offers before turning to make our order. “You’ve been studying hard.”
“Thank you,” he says to her before grinning at me. “I speak three languages, actually.”
