And we were so strong as individuals. We’d only be stronger together, as partners.
Plus, tax benefits.
So I leaned back and gazed lovingly at him, pulling the next words out of my ass.
“Ian, I know that we haven’t known each other for that long. But I get the feeling that, no matter how long we spend together, it will never be enough. Each and every day brings new revelations about your strength, your courage, your willingness to grow...and with each step we take together, mine as well. I’ve never been so in sync with someone, nor so attracted. Like, seriously, I can’t stop staring at or touching your sexy-ass back muscles.” He laughed as I stroked the muscles in question, pleased at their meaty firmness.
Then I got down on my knee, and gazed lovingly up at him. His eyes widened as I took his left hand in both of mine and pressed his hand to my lips, just as he’d done to me. But unlike him, I wasn’t a coward. “I have a really big crush on you, and I want to spend forever crushing alongside you. Will you marry me?”
For a moment, he simply stood there, staring down at me, uncomprehending. When he finally understood that I was serious, his face crumpled, silent tears spilling over his cheeks as he got down onto his knees to plant sweet, wet kisses all over my face. Then he crushed me in his arms and I crushed him back, both of us joyfully embracing our future together.
Voice thick, he whispered in my ear, “Only if you get me a big diamond ring.”
I laughed and wiped away my tears. “Then we might have to wait a little while.” A long engagement suited me just fine, anyway. It would give me time to get used to the idea. Besides, then I could plan a totally unique wedding. Maybe one with llamas or climbing.
Ian gently lowered me to the ground and kissed my brow, then my nose. My lips. “For you…” He kissed my neck. “...I’d wait forever.” He continued his slow trail of kisses, all the way down.
And then we had epic, magical, emotionally-fulfilling sex in a place that was not a bathroom.
Afterword
In September 2019, I quit my job in tech. I didn’t have anything lined up after, and it was stressful to not know what was next, to not be in total control of my life. And I felt a little bit like a failure, because when I do something, I treat it like a climbing project—I always give 110%. Yet this time, despite my best efforts, I hadn’t sent it. My job had broken me.
But after a lot of reflection, I realized that some things aren’t worth giving 110% to.
But also, some things are.
This book was one of them.
After I quit my job, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I cooked, I climbed, I watched stuff. I half-heartedly applied to other jobs. And I vegetated.
But boy did I read. A lot.
I’ve always found comfort in the written word, and this time was no exception. I gobbled up books for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and I literally lost some weight as a result. But like most readers (I assume), I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be on the other side, to be the person weaving the story instead of the one waiting to see what happens. And with all of the free time that I had, it seemed like a good time to try.
So in October 2019, with the blessing and loving support of my husband, I wrote this book. It took me two months, start-to-finish, to publish something that was longer than my PhD dissertation. This is the kind of output that I’m capable of, when I give 110% to something that I really want to do. I mostly enjoyed my time in academia, and I mostly enjoyed my time in tech, but writing this book was necessary for me, an utter addiction.
I’ve lovingly filled these pages with every ounce of my being—my affection for my family, my appreciation for my friends, and my joy of life. So if you enjoyed this book, then I’m sure that we could be good friends (feel free to drop me a line!). And as my friend, I’d like to ask for your help. Please help keep my dream alive, and write a review for this book. Tell me what you think, and spread the word. I’ve got some great ideas for what happens in the next two books...but sometimes reality is hard, and all we can do is watch Asian dramas.
I’m thankful for the opportunity that I had to write this book, but I hope it’s not the last. And with your help, it won’t be.
Thank you, dear reader!
Acknowledgments
“Nothing’s impossible when you’ve got great friends, biatch.”
I have so many people to thank for helping with this book.
Lillian Ly and Leslie Huang, whose support and kind words helped convince me that I was not alone in my Chinese-American experiences, especially with respect to family. Special thanks to Lillian’s sister Carol Ly (carollydesign.com) for providing guidance on the cover (your covers are amazing!) and to Leslie’s friend, Andrew Chou, for providing the SF-NY-climber-tech-guy view.
Lan Nguyen and Mariana Barthelemy de Brito, for pointing out the weaknesses in the beginning and the end. It’s so much more buttoned up now! #buttjokes But really, you guys helped me punch up the feelings so that the funny bits landed even better.
Erica Frohnhoefer, my most wonderfully critical editor, who soldiered through the book despite it being decidedly not her genre of choice. Your comments really helped to enhance the credibility of Ian’s character so that he wasn’t just a convenient asshole, as well as believability about life in New York.
Climber / tech buddy Brice Pollock (bricepollock.com) and real-life lady crusher Sadie Skiles. Because of Brice, Ian is so much better than
