Jennie sat down heavily on the white duvet cover of the hotel bed and eyed the late-night room service menu. She wasn't exactly hungry, but she needed some comfort food. Of course, all the menu items were puns on classic movie titles. Whoever named them had been way too clever. Jennie wrinkled her nose as she ran her eyes down the list.
Breakfast Burrito At Tiffany's....
When Harry Met Salami....
Gone With The Wings....
Mystic Pizza.... A NY-style thin crust topped with your choice of cheese or pepperoni.
Now that was calling to her name, wasn't it? NY-style. Maybe that was her problem, she thought, looking down with a grimace at her mutilated blouse. Maybe she just wasn't an LA-style girl.
Of course, pizza wasn't what she really wanted. Not even if it came with a nice, satisfying pool of orange grease congealing on top, like the pies from the real brick-oven pizza joints back home. Even the greasiest pizza didn't taste as good without someone to share it. Somehow she doubted the kitchen would be able to accommodate that request - even at a hotel as expensive as this one.
She probably should have gone somewhere a little more modest. She was only here because the Beverly Hilton had been the only hotel in LA she could name off the top of her head. Plus, she'd been distracted by the text messages.
At least Lisa had the good grace to try to text after she'd ditched Jennie on the dance floor. Lisa had let go of her hand, and she lost Lisa in the crowd. When Jennie finally pushed her way to where Lisa had been standing, that model had her arms draped around Lisa's neck. Her body had been pressed against hers, and Lisa was saying something in her ear.
I should have snapped a picture and sold it to TMZ, Jennie thought. They looked like a hot couple.
Her first thought had been to make her way back towards the table where they'd all been sitting, but she thought better of it halfway there. There was no way she'd make it past the velvet rope without Lisa. That was the VIP section. She was most definitely not a VIP. Not to the bouncers at some club. Not to Lisa either, apparently.
She just wanted to leave at that point anyway. Her head was throbbing from the deafening music. Why would anyone go to that place of their own free will? To her, it felt like hell on Earth. She'd made her way to the club exit and was out on the street, trying to hail a cab, when her phone went off with the first text.
Lisa: Where ru?
Whatever, Lisa, she'd muttered to the phone. She obviously had something going on with that model. It was Jennie's own fault for showing up on Lisa's doorstep unannounced, two days ahead of schedule. She had no right to be upset. She wasn't upset. Nope. Not upset. Ok, she was upset, but there was no way she was going to let Lisa see it. She'd texted back.
Jennie: Dancing
Jennie had already ducked inside a cab when the next text came.
Lisa: Where?
The taxi driver was looking at her, waiting for instructions, and they were on their way to Beverley Hills by the time she'd tapped out a reply.
Jennie: Stop texting me! Go have fun!
Jennie's phone had rung then, and she'd sent it to voicemail. She hadn't heard from Lisa again until 45 minutes later, after she was already checked into the hotel.
Lisa: Everyone's leaving. Where ru?
She'd stared at it for a few minutes, thinking through her options. She could tell Lisa that she'd gone to a hotel, but then Lisa would probably feel guilty. Might even try to come find her. That was the last thing she wanted right now. It was good that she'd found out exactly where she stood, before she let herself get any more attached. Let Lisa go home with her swimsuit model. Jennie would be damned if she was going to cramp Lisa's style. So she texted back.
Jennie: Ru still there? I left with some people.
Lisa: What? Where?
To Lisa's credit, she'd tried to call again at that point, but Jennie had let it go to voicemail, and Lisa had texted instead.
Lisa: I'll come get u. What club?
Jennie: ??? don't worry about it. I'll take a cab.
There was a pause after that, and she'd sat there staring at her phone, waiting to see how Lisa would respond. Jennie didn't know what she was hoping Lisa would say. Something. Anything. Anything other than the text that came through a few minutes later.
Lisa: Ok see u later.
Jennie hadn't heard from Lisa since.
