“Yah, I know what I’m doing. I know more than you, old man,” Halmoni said.
“I’m just saying, be careful. What are you trying to concoct?” Mr. Choi asked, clearly unaware that he was very close to getting his head bitten off by her grandmother.
Halmoni’s attention moved directly to Tae. “Maybe something for virility,” she said. Then to Julia, “And something for fertility.”
Tae’s eyes widened as Julia began to cough and choke. Mrs. Kim patted her back to get her to breathe.
“Halmoni!” Julia yelled between coughs.
“Oh, and yam root. I need yam root,” she called back to Mr. Choi. “Yam root is necessary to calm nerves. My Julia is going on a dating spree of sorts,” Halmoni announced. “She will be meeting many eligible bachelors, and she can’t be a nervous wreck.”
“Halmoni!” Julia yelled again. “Stop oversharing. No one is interested in this.”
“Is that so?” Mrs. Kim asked, seeming very much interested.
“Mother,” Tae warned.
Julia’s face and neck flushed. She was mortified. And this store did not have enough air circulation happening. “This is between family,” she said through gritted teeth.
“The Kims are family,” Halmoni replied.
Julia looked up and faced Mrs. Kim’s hopeful expression and Tae’s amused one. “Um, yes, so this is happening,” Julie stuttered. “I will be set up by my family for... reasons.” She turned and glared at her grandmother. “So bring on all the herbs,” Julia announced to Mr. Choi. “Anything that can work in some way. You got a love potion back there? A tea to cause temporary memory loss? I can use all the help I can get.”
Her grandmother’s ears perked up as if those very things sounded like the best idea. She grabbed Mr. Choi and led him to the back shelves, Mrs. Kim eagerly following.
“So, I’m mortified,” she said to Tae.
“Don’t be,” Tae said. “You’re neither the first nor the last to be set up by your family.”
“I guess that’s true. But I’m not really good at this, the whole dating thing. So if it’s gonna be announced to the entire Korean community across Orange County—”
“And likely LA and possibly San Diego,” Tae added.
“Then, kill me now. Bury me right here in the back of Mr. Choi’s store.” Julia dropped her head to her chest, running her hands through her hair. “I really do need to look into getting a dating coach,” she said, talking to herself.
“I’ll do it.”
Julia popped her head up. “Do what?”
“I’ll be your dating coach,” Tae answered.
“Are you certified in some way?” she said and chuckled. It was all so embarrassing and so ridiculous.
But Tae’s expression was serious. “I’ve... dated... a lot. And I’m good with people. And I know how to help you,” he said with a shrug.
“You’ve dated a lot?” Julia didn’t want to be curious. It wasn’t her business. But if she was going to hire Tae as a coach, she should know his dating history, right? Who? When? How long? Current status?
“Enough to know what makes a good time,” he said. The easy smile was back on his face.
Julia swallowed. It really was getting hot in this freaking store.
“I take coaching very seriously,” Julia said.
Tae stepped in closer and looked down into Julia’s eyes. “I’m certain you do. And so do I.”
Why did everything he said feel like it needed a soundtrack of Bruno Mars playing in the background?
“Plus, I made a promise...”
