Jisoo laughed. “I’m kidding. I mean, it’s a little demeaning. We’re gorgeous, successful women who in the eyes of our families have failed in some way because we haven’t found the life partner by some arbitrary deadline age. So they’ll take matters into their owncapablehands,” Jisoo said, emphasizing with air quotes, “and do the work for us?”
Jisoo’s words hit Julia hard. She hadn’t even considered how this would be for Jisoo too. She was a doctor, a successful one. And there was no denying that Jisoo was stunning along the likes of Korean Hallyu stars. “Yeah, well, I’m the sucker who possibly got guilt-tripped by my halmoni to agree to the matchmaking,” Julia confessed.
“Was it the I-spent-all-my-money-to-get-us-to-America bit?”
Julia shook her head. “It was the I-want-to-see-you-married-before-I-die line.”
“Ahhh, yes. Do you remember Julie Kim? Her grandma used that one on her too. She was set up and married within three months.”
Julia gave out a small, breathy laugh. If she didn’t laugh, she might end up crying instead. There was a tiny bit of guilt aboutlaughing at her grandmother’s con on the small chance it wasn’t a con at all.
“Jisoo, if I brought my grandmother in to see you, could you give her a complete physical?”
“I could, but I wouldn’t be able to tell you any of the findings without her approval.”
“Damn, you’re unshakable.” Julia wasn’t sure if she should be irritated or impressed. She was probably somewhere in the middle.
“Just good at my job,” Jisoo said as she pulled down four bottles of the sulfate-free green tea clarifying shampoo and put them into her basket.
“But if my grandma was sick, could you help us maybe make sense of what her doctor was saying?”
Jisoo kept her eyes on the products on the shelf, but Julia saw her throat move as she swallowed before responding.
“Is Halmoni sick?” Jisoo asked, her voice even, careful.
“I don’t know,” Julia answered honestly. “We’re going to see her doctor in a few weeks. I was hoping for an earlier appointment, but...”
Jisoo nodded. “Text me the doctor’s name. I’ll see if I can help free something up. And afterward, call me when you get the information. I’ll go over it with both of you, answer any further questions you might have,” she replied.
“Thanks,” Julia said, a wave of relief running through her. In a sea of helplessness threatening to drown her, Jisoo, of all people, felt like a lifeboat.
“Who was the guy,” Jisoo lifted her chin toward Julia’s phone, “if you don’t mind me asking? When I was going through the setups, it turned out that the circles of successful women and the men that are considered suitable were quite small. I had recycled setups that some of my friends had already gone on dates with.”
“This is getting worse with every new piece of informationyou give me. Maybe I should remain blissfully ignorant and take the punches of being ambushed out of nowhere.”
Jisoo shrugged and turned back toward the shelves of product as if completely disinterested in Julia’s agony. Her basket was looking very full by now, but Julia wasn’t going to be stingy about it.
“His name is Michael Lee, I think he said.”
Jisoo nodded knowingly. “If it’s Michael Lee from Fullerton, he’s a lawyer. I didn’t date him, but one of my coworkers did. If I recall, he’s a nice guy. No red flags.”
“Except for some failed setups ahead of mine?”
“Look, we may be agreeing to these setups, but when it comes down to it, it’s still our choice to make, right? You think he’s a loser, don’t go out with him again. Simple as that.”
Was it, though? Julia wondered. She was still the one who had to go on the dates, and that wasn’t something Julia had ever been successful at. The end game was to find someone who would stick long after just the first setup. Therein lay the problem. Julia had yet to meet someone who could see past the awful first date and hang around for more. Or anyone she wanted to.
“You look unconvinced. Julia, your parents are gonna find some guys who might be great, or they might not be. But you have to have chemistry and enjoy being around them. It’s you that has to date them and eventually decide what happens next. We always make it seem like they—the man—chooses us. But it can be us who chooses them... or not.”
Julia liked this perspective Jisoo was presenting her with, control being in her own hands. It was along the same lines as what Tae had said yesterday. But was it that simple? “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Though, it pains me to say it.” She smiled at Jisoo, who gave her a raised eyebrow and shoulder shrug back.
Julia’s phone vibrated again in her hand. Great. Was this how she was going to spend her afternoon, fielding calls from potential suitors? Couldn’t they just space it out so she’d only have to deal with one awkward setup at a time? Did it all have to come in like a flood, sweeping Julia into the Valley of the Undateables where it would be only her and likely her cousin Justin, the future podiatrist, left?
She let out a groan. “Let me know if you dated this one too,” she said to Jisoo as she pressed the answer button to accept the call.
“Yes, this is Julia... Nice to meet you... I can’t do next Wednesday... I prefer not to drive in traffic at seven o’clock. Just text me the restaurant. Please don’t google me.”
Julia heard Jisoo gasp and then follow it with a laugh she clearly tried to smother. But she was already just too tired to care what kind of fool she was making of herself. How would she possibly survive three of these?
