Jennie sat in the rocking chair, her eyes locked with Lisa's. Her mind was swimming and her breath caught in her throat.
Yes, she wanted to say. Yes yes yes!
Her tongue was forming the word. Her lips were itching to speak.
It had all changed so suddenly. Just this morning, she'd been certain things were over between them. Lisa was getting ready to break up with her. She'd been bracing for the inevitable blow. And now this? Now Lisa wanted to buy a house together?
She knew what it meant. It was more than just a house that Lisa was offering her. It was everything. Everything she'd always wanted. A house. A family. A person she loved more than anyone else on the face of the Earth to wake up by her side every morning.
But it was so sudden. Was it real? Was it just another of Lisa's crazy impulses? Would she come to her senses next week and regret it? It was risky business, buying a house with someone. She'd seen more than her fair share of lawsuits between former couples in just this situation - no longer together, but trapped in a morass of legal wrangling over a property deed with both of their names on it.
If only she could have it both ways. The house, the dream - but also the possibility of escaping unscathed if things between them fell apart.
She knew she should say no. She'd be crazy to say yes.
But was she crazy to say no? It was all there - everything she'd ever wanted. And it just fell in her lap out of nowhere. They were just out for an aimless drive through Beverly Hills, and there it was right in front of them. The perfect house. The perfect life. Like it was sitting there waiting for them. Like someone had put it there on purpose for them to find. Like it was meant to be. Fate.
How could she say no to fate?
Lisa held Jennie's hand in hers. Lisa kept her eyes fixed firmly on Jennie's face as she slid her right foot forward inch by inch. Easy does it, she thought to herself. Slow and steady. This was risky business now. One false move and she'd send Jennie skittering away again. At last she had her foot out in front of her. She lifted herself into her intended position - kneeling before Jennie on one knee.
Lisa saw Jennie's lips forming the word she wanted so badly to hear. Lisa closed her eyes for a moment and prepared herself to savour the sound of Jennie's voice as she said it.
"How are you folks making out?"
Lisa's eyes popped open. She turned her head to see the real estate agent standing in the doorway.
"Any questions I can answer about the house?"
Lisa could only stare at her. The agent had to pick this moment to interrupt them? This exact moment? Was the woman a complete imbecile? Did the woman not see the position she was kneeling in?
No, Lisa screamed inside her head. No no no no!
It was too late. The spell was broken. Jennie set the teddy bears back on the shelf and stood up from the chair. She looked down at the listing brochure as she rose. Lisa slumped backward in defeat and rearranged her legs to sit cross-legged on the floor.
"Yes." Jennie said to the real estate agent. "I have a question. It says here the house is also available for rental?" The agent nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, the owners would consider a lease arrangement..."
"Wait wait wait," Lisa interrupted, hauling herself to her feet. "What? I thought it was for sale. They want to sell it, right?"
Jennie held up the brochure and pointed to the words printed in bold at the top. "AVAILABLE FOR SALE OR LEASE."
"As I was saying..." the agent continued, "... the owners would consider a sale or a lease with a minimum term of six months."
Six months. Lisa squeezed her eyes shut in silent disbelief.
"Any possibility of a lease with an attached right of first refusal clause?" The tone of Jennie's voice had changed from wistful to brisk and business-like.
A lawyer, Lisa thought. She had to go and fall in love with a lawyer. Dammit dammit dammit!!!
The agent took out a pad of paper and began to jot down notes. "That's not part of the standard lease agreement language, but I'm sure we could discuss a right of first refusal."
"A right of first what now?" Lisa asked, fairly certain that she didn't want to hear the answer.
Jennie turned toward her, lowering her voice in a confidential whisper. "It means you can wait six months and if you still want to buy it, you get first dibs. But if you don't, then you can walk away. There's no commitment."
"No commitment?"
"It's perfect!"
"No commitment." Lisa deadpanned back to Jennie. She looked away toward the window for a moment so Jennie wouldn't see the disappointment on her face. "No commitment for six months."
"It makes sense, Lisa. It's a win-win."
Win-win. Six months. Perfect, she thought. Lisa mentally rescinded the raise she had planned for her assistant Jackson a few moments ago.
Available for sale or lease? Seriously? After all of that research? All of that careful planning? No one thought to mention to her that it was available for fucking lease?
"Great..." she muttered, turning back toward Jennie and the real estate agent. The two of them were exchanging legal verbiage in some language that sounded only vaguely related to English.
"I understand." the agent said with a nod. "Let me take these terms back to the owners and see if we can draw up an agreement that will be mutually agreeable to all parties."
"Great!" Jennie cast a bright smile in Lisa's direction.
"Great." Lisa repeated, forcing her lips to curve upward in response. "Perfect. Win-win."
"And would the lease be under both your names or..."
"Just her name, I think." Jennie said. "Right, Lisa? No need to overcomplicate anything at this stage."
"Sure." Lisa nodded. "Wouldn't want it to get complicated."
"And how should I be in touch with you?" the agent asked, turning her attention away from Jennie and toward Lisa.
Lisa sighed. It was over. She had gambled, and she'd lost. All-in with a full house in her hand, and the dealer just turned over a straight flush. Game over.
"My assistant will be in touch." she said, placing her hand on Jennie's elbow. "Come on, it's getting late. We should get back."
"I almost forgot our big date!" She looked up at Lisa with a warm glow of happiness in her eyes. "Perfect!"
"Perfect?"
She went up on her tiptoes and kissed Lisa lightly on the lips. "Perfect." she said again. "Now we really have something to celebrate."
