Page 6 of Snowed In With the Snow Queen
I reach for my phone, only to realize I don’t have her number. I have the number to the restaurant, but, in all this time, I’ve never gotten her cell. “Do you have any paper?”
Eddie shakes his head. “There are sticky notes behind the bar.”
I head back inside, find the yellow pad, then stare at it for a second.
“Whatcha doing?” Zach asks as he wanders back out from the office.
“Trying to think about what to say to Soojin.”
He snorts.
“What?”
He shakes his head. “Why not just ask her out?”
“Zach–”
“Don’t Zach me, old man. You’ve been pining after her since she moved in. She’s been waiting for you to make a move–always giving you extra food, always lingering when she delivers stuff–and all you ever do is hover.”
“I don’thover.”
Zach looks up as Eddie heads inside. “Eddie? Some help here?”
“You totally hover,” Eddie says. “She’s going to get tired of waiting for you to make your move.”
“She’s probably already tired of waiting and has given up,” Zach says. “She’s an independent woman with her own business. Does she really need a man?”
“Yeah, boss, you’ve been totally leading her on. Every time she shows up, you’re at her elbow, but never once have you asked her out or brought her a gift.”
“Yeah,” Zach agrees, “she probably thinks you’re one of those guys who’s only after attention.”
“Would you two shut up and help me?” I growl in frustration.
Zach laughs. “With what?”
“A note for Soojin.”
Eddie plops down on the bar stool next to me. “Just ask her out.”
“On a piece of paper I’m sticking to her door? That’ll get her to say yes.” I can’t keep the sarcasm out of my voice.
He shakes his head. “Not on the paper. Get her to send you a message, something easy…like ‘here’s my number, text me so I know you got home safe,’ and then you can call her and ask her out.”
“That’s a little obvious,” Zach says. “Just leave your number and ask her to call you.”
“Yeah, but if you ask her to text when she gets home, then it will make you look caring,” Eddie says.
“I do care about her. I don’t want–” I start, but they ignore me.
“But what if she doesn’t care? If you just ask her to call you, it’s more mysterious. She’s going to wonder what’s going on and call you no matter what. Her curiosity will get the best of her,” Zach argues.
“But then she’s going to think you’re creepy when she finds out you just want to ask her out,” Eddie counters.
They continue to argue the merits of each option as I stare down at the paper. Honesty is the best policy, especially if I’ve fucked this up as bad as they say I have.
I think for a moment, then write:
I’d like to take you to dinner, but don’t have your number. Can you send me a text?
