My Chemistry Tutor

CHAPTER 15

JENNIE'S POV

Lisa and I sit down at the table as my mom hands plates to my dad so he can pass them to us.

We're having salmon and salad. Before I take a bite, I glance at Lisa.

"You're not allergic to any fish, are you?" I asked cautiously.

Lisa chuckled and shook her head. "No," she said before taking a bite of the salmon.

She moaned softly, closing her eyes for a second. "Mrs. Kim, this is delicious."

I nearly drop my fork. Holy shit.

How can a simple moan sound so hot? My entire body reacts to it, and when I glance at Lisa, she's smirking at me knowingly before taking another bite.

I snap out of it and quickly start eating my own food to distract myself.

"So, how's school going, girls? Is the tutoring working out well?" Mom asked with a smile.

"School is going way better for me now that I have an awesome tutor," Lisa replied, elbowing me lightly.

"Your daughter is very smart," she added, making both of my parents smile proudly.

"Well, I'm glad you two met each other. It's so nice to know another friend of Jennie," Dad said warmly.

That made my mom snicker. Clearly, she hadn't told him yet about the conversation we had earlier.

"Yeah, I much prefer you over that other girl who hurt my poor Jennie," Mom commented casually.

Oh no. I immediately shook my head at my mom, silently begging her to stop talking, but I could tell it was too late.

Lisa's entire posture shifted she was instantly curious.

"Who hurt Jennie?" Lisa asked defensively, her voice firm.

"She who shall not be named," Dad joked, but his laughter faded when he noticed Lisa had no idea what he was talking about.

"Oh... Jennie hasn't mentioned it, I guess. We were referring to her ex-girlfriend. I never liked that girl," he explained.

"Oh, Jennie had an ex-girlfriend? That's news to me," Lisa said, her eyes flicking to me. I just shrugged, pretending not to care, and went back to quietly eating.

"What was she like?" Lisa pressed.

"You wouldn't have liked her. She wasn't the friendly type. Always making my poor daughter feel bad. I'm glad you left her, Jennie," Dad said firmly.

I wanted to crawl under the table. Who in their right mind wanted to talk about their ex-girlfriend in front of the girl they were currently crushing on?

"So... Lisa, what's your favorite memory?" I blurted out suddenly, desperate to change the subject.

Lisa gave me a look that clearly said we're not done talking about this later, but thankfully, she turned toward my mom and started answering.

"Umm... when I was younger, around nine or ten, my mom and dad took me to the zoo one day," Lisa began, her face lighting up with a soft smile as she spoke.

"We spent the whole day going around and around that zoo. My parents begged me to take a break, but I wouldn't rest for a second, I had to see every animal in that huge place."

Her eyes sparkled as she recalled it. "Especially because my dad made me a promise when we first got there. He said that at the end of the day, we'd stop by the souvenir shop, and he'd buy me a stuffed toy of my favorite animal. That's why I had to see everything first, I needed to know exactly which animal I wanted."

"What animal was your favorite?" Dad asked eagerly.

"A cat," Lisa replied without hesitation.

"I thought it was the most magnificent creature. I loved its colors, and I even got to feed one. So, of course, I made my dad buy me a stuffed toy cat. It became my favorite toy in the world."

"Is that why you have a cat tattoo on your leg?" I asked curiously, remembering the glimpse I had caught before.

Lisa gave me a small smile. "So, you noticed it?"

"Of course. It's a beautiful tattoo," I said proudly.

"Thanks," she said softly. "Yeah... that's why I got it. To always remind me of how happy I was that day."

"That's a lovely story, Lisa," Mom said warmly.

"Normally, I'd be against tattoos at such a young age, but yours has such meaningful symbolism," Dad commented.

"Wait... so does that mean I can get a tattoo if it has a lot of meaning?" I asked excitedly.

"Nope. Not until you get older—and even then, only a small one," Mom said with a laugh.

"Darn it," I muttered, laughing along with my parents.

When I glanced at Lisa again, I caught her smiling at us, her eyes softer than usual. Under the table, I grazed my fingers lightly against hers.

She immediately looked at me, her gaze intense, before intertwining our fingers together.

After we finished eating, I helped Mom carry dishes to the sink, and then Lisa and I headed upstairs.

"You have a lot to catch me up on," she said as we walked into the hallway toward my room.

I groaned in annoyance. "Fine. But I get to see your tattoo."

Lisa smirked mischievously. "Are you trying to get me to take my clothes off?"

My eyes widened in shock. "Oh god, no! That's not what I meant. I just wanted to see your tattoo up close now that I know the backstory."

Lisa giggled. "I'm just teasing you, love. Besides... I would get naked if you just asked," she added with a wink as she stepped into my room first.

I lingered in the hallway for a second, pressing my hand against my chest to calm my racing heart. Once I was sure my face wasn't as red as it felt, I finally walked in after her.