The moment

Mei and Jake work at the same architecture firm in Chicago. Before a Monday meeting, Mei pulls him aside with big news. There's one problem: her parents in Shanghai don't know yet, and she has told Jake first. Listen for how Jake reacts to the news, and how he reacts to the secret.

The conversation

MeiJake
  1. Mei
  2. Jake
  3. Mei
  4. Jake
  5. Mei
  6. Jake
  7. Mei
  8. Jake
  9. Mei
  10. Jake
  11. Mei
  12. Jake
  13. Mei
  14. Jake
  15. Mei

Words to know

so excited you can't hold the news in

here is the complicated part

face to face, not by phone or message

I promise I won't tell anyone

only on this condition

Check yourself

1Why is setting a date "tricky" for Mei?
2What does Mei ask Jake to do?
3What does Jake mean by "As long as I get an invitation"?

Practice · 4 min

Round one: repeat every line in the gap. Round two: mute Jake and give his reactions yourself; let "Congratulations" and "I'm so happy for you two" come out warm, not rushed. Round three: mute Mei and tell the news as if it were yours.

  1. MeiJake, can I tell you something before everyone else gets here?
  2. JakeSure. You look like you're about to explode. What's going on?
  3. MeiWei and I got engaged on Saturday. He proposed by the lake.
  4. JakeNo way. Congratulations, Mei. I'm so happy for you two.
  5. MeiThank you. Honestly, it's still sinking in. I keep staring at my hand.
  6. JakeLet me see the ring. Wow, it's beautiful. So when's the big day?
  7. MeiWe haven't set a date yet. Actually, that's where it gets tricky.
  8. JakeTricky how? Don't tell me his family isn't happy about it.
  9. MeiNo, they're thrilled. But my parents in Shanghai don't know yet.
  10. JakeWait, you told me before you told your own parents?
  11. MeiWe're flying there next month to tell them in person. It matters to them.
  12. JakeThat makes sense. So you need me to keep it quiet until then.
  13. MeiExactly. No posts, no hints, not even to the rest of the team.
  14. JakeMy lips are sealed. As long as I get an invitation to the wedding.
  15. MeiYou'll be the first name on the list, I promise.

Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.