"Come on now, Mino. Stop messing around with the guests...put the lady down." I don't even have to see her, but I already know that it's Lisa. My body is so intuitive when it comes to her. Even with the music playing in the background, I know that incredibly sexy voice. I know that it's her.
The overly tactile cowboy slowly puts me down on the floor. Smoothing down my black tee and rearranging my hair, I glance up at Lisa. Her illuminated eyes are like melted golden pools that I just want to immerse myself in. Damn it! I'm in such deep shit!
"I'm just fooling around, I didn't mean no harm." Mino smiles at me, obviously, he didn't mean to offend.
I nervously smile. "It's fine." Embarrassed I turn, walking back towards Rosé who is still laughing.
"Who is the very serious but handsome hunk?" Rosé whispers in my ear. She's staring at Lisa, who is now sitting down with an intense frown covering her glorious face.
"That's Lisa Manoban. She's the daughter of the owners of Manoban Ranch." I say as a matter of fact, trying to disguise the way she makes me feel.
"Wow...she is so damn fine." Rosé swoons. At this rate she's going to need a dribble bib.
I play down my interest further. "I guess so." I look away from Lisa, concentrating on Jisoo, sitting all alone at the bar.
Rosé grabs my arm. "You guess so? Jennie, do you even have a fucking pulse? That girl is fit, with a capital F! If I wasn't happy in my relationship with Jisoo, I would be all over her like an itchy rash!"
I look around the room, feeling dejected. "You and every other girl in this pub, I should imagine is feeling the same way." I tell Rosé, once again flatly.
Most of the women in the pub are throwing Lisa flirtatious glances and smiles. It would seem every female here has indeed noticed her arrival.
"So, what did she say to you?" Rosé's eyes lock onto mine.
"Nothing, she just asked Mino to put me down."
I choose not to tell Rosé about how her voice reaches into my body, arousing every inch of my being. How she makes every single hair on my body stand to needy attention. It seems I have to dig deep every time I am near her. She has this unknown control over me, rendering me weak around her.
Rosé playfully licks her lips. "Domineering, too? I likey."
Rolling my eyes at her, I shake my head. "Come on, I need another drink." I grab her hand, pulling her towards Jisoo at the bar.
My stomach is still doing crazy little flips after seeing Lisa again. I feel vulnerable around her. I don't trust myself in her company. So, I do what I always do – suppress those feelings, bury them deep to handle another day. I'm also conveniently in a pub. So, I do the other thing that I always do when I'm lacking in confidence...get absolutely wasted.
After two hours, we have the courage to start chatting to some of the locals. They're polite, friendly and they enjoy listening to our drunken accents and life stories back in Australia and Korea. In return, they tell us their stories about living in Montana. Although my head is starting to feel very woozy, I'm determined to dance when a song comes on that appeals to me.
"We'll be back guys...just got to dance." I slur, grabbing an equally drunk Rosé.
We start to do some ridiculous drunken moves. The fuzzy warmth of the alcohol makes me feel great again; I'm feeling free and happy. I do a little turn as I dance, that's when I see her. She's sitting with a large group of people. Her penetrating eyes soon meet mine, but there's no smile. She just doesn't take her eyes off me. Her thoughtful finger brushes slowly along her puckered mouth. Her arms are crossed with one leg resting on a stool. She's insanely captivating. Once again, I feel lost around her. I try to move my legs but they won't. I'm immobile, magnetised by her intensity, leaving me rooted to the spot.
"Jisoo got us another drink." Rosé says, pulling me away. She's unknowingly saved me from making a complete fool of myself. The vodka, however, is really starting to kick in. The room is starting to spin and my body feels overly sedated.
"I need to go to the ladies." I tell Rosé.
"We'll be over there, okay?" She points to Jisoo, who is happily still chatting to the locals.
"Okay, I'll see you in a bit." I try in vain to not swerve as I walk. I'm pissed drunk and I know that there's nothing worse than a drunken fool. The bright light of the ladies room makes my eyes hurt. I decide that I need a little fresh air instead. The toilets are just inside of the main entrance so I quietly slip out into the cool evening. The sky is dark but beautifully clear. I am seeing stars as they truly should be seen. I breathe in deeply, just soaking in this wondrous place. I appreciate is beauty even in my inebriated state.
"Are you feeling okay?" I jump at the sound of her voice behind me.
Trying to act really sober, I straighten my back. "Um...I just needed some air." I answered quietly.
"Riding with a hangover is never a good idea." she says, now standing beside me, looking up at the same stars in the clear night sky.
"I'll be fine." I curtly replied her.
She blinks slowly at me, turning her head to look up again at the night sky. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" she says softly.
"Stunning." I agree.
"So, what exactly do you need a break from in Korea?" Lisa doesn't look at me when she asks her question. I'm actually taken aback that she even remembers my comment from our brief conversation earlier today.
I continue to look at the sky. "Just life in general." I say with a gentle sigh.
"Such as?" I can feel her looking at me now, her intoxicating gaze is giving me goose bumps. I managed to be brave and turn to look right at her.
Even with the night all around us, she still looks absolutely perfect. I nervously clear my throat. "My job for one." I quietly confess. I don't even know why I'm opening up to her. My self-control is simply lost in her presence.
"What do you do?" she asks, turning her body to get a little closer to me. The combination of vodka, tiredness and her, makes for a disastrous outcome. I try to remain as calm as possible and keep my cool.
"I used to work in telemarketing, but I quit last week." I say, unable to bear looking at her as I quickly peel my eyes away.
"Why?" The sweet concern in her voice is touching, but I'm too on edge around her to fully appreciate it.
I keep my answers short, hoping that by doing so, I'll be able to leave before I make a real fool of myself. "I just hated it." I blurt out.
"But now you are here?" She's asking a question while stating an obvious fact.
"Now, I am here." I echo her words. I find myself dangerously looking at her now.
The shadows fall across her faultless face. A face that just makes you want to do, so many, untold things to it. Our lingering look is broken by her. "So, what did your friends and family think about you quitting your job and coming out here?" she asks.
"That I'm having a mental breakdown!" I softly giggle. I catch her smiling, too.
"I really hope you find what you're looking for, Jennie."
Without hesitation, the words slip right off my drunken tongue.
"I think I already have."
