Lisa
"I'm picking you up at 5:30pm." I told Jennie when I dropped off her coffee. "So no overtime tonight, got it? If you're even a minute late, you have to pay for dinner."
Jennie opened her mouth to protest but I cut her off.
"No, no, no. I'm not letting you stay late tonight. We're going out to dinner and you're going to enjoy yourself and not stress out and stay late at work. 5:30pm."
Jennie raised her eyebrow at me but agreed. "5:30pm."
"See you tonight."
I spent my day at work trying to stay occupied so Nancy wouldn't bother me. It didn't work. It never did. She was fussing about our office party on top of the big Christmas party and being extra annoying about it all. She scurried around the office with her clipboard, berating people for all sorts of things.
When she left my desk after speaking to me for the fifth time that day, I glanced at Jackson, who was smirking at me. I rolled my eyes and mimed shooting myself. Nancy felt it necessary to ask me twice if I was absolutely certain of my RSVP for the Christmas party. Was I sure we would both be there? Was I sure it wouldn't just be me? Yes, I was sure. I swore Nancy's pestering had only increased since I set the photo of Jennie and myself on my desk.
I hunkered down until the clock hit 5pm. When it did, I jumped out of my desk and hurried out of the office. I quickly drove home, changed into a casual dinner outfit, throwing my nicer clothes on the floor, and went to pick up Jennie. I parked out front of her building and texted her.
Me: I'm here.
Jennie: Can you come up?
Me: You're not ready, are you?
Jennie: I need 20 more minutes.
Me: You're a bad date.
Jennie: This is why I'm still single.
Me: You realise that you have to pay for dinner now.
Jennie: We'll talk.
Me: Is Taehyung there?
Jennie: Unfortunately.
Me: I'll be up in fifteen.
Jennie: I thought you were outside?
Jennie: Hello?
I rushed into the small market across the street and bought a winter bouquet of red roses, white chrysanthemums and lilies. I took the elevator up to her floor and walked through the doors with a bright grin on my face. It seemed that the receptionist was gone for the evening, so I strolled into the office and looked around for Jennie. I found her hunched over a stack of papers a couple of inches thick. Taehyung was just a few desks away.
"Hey." I said, strolling over to her desk and sitting on the edge.
Jennie looked up and smiled at me before she looked at the flowers. She did a double take at the bouquet. I noticed that Taehyung look up from his desk and ogle at the flowers.
"For you, honey." I said and gave her the flowers. A smile crept onto Jennie's face, despite herself. I leaned in closer so only she would hear me. "I thought it would be funny to piss Taehyung off."
Jennie grinned and suppressed her laughter.
"Ready to go?" I asked.
"Just about."
Jennie worked furiously over the documents. I glanced at Taehyung who was pretending to not be staring at us, but every few minutes or so, he would glance up from his work to see if we'd moved. I checked my watch. It had been twenty minutes. I snatched the documents from under Jennie's hands and held them over my head.
"Time's up." I said.
Jennie scowled. "Lisa, I need to finish that."
"Says who?"
"My boss."
"Where are they?"
"Home."
"Interesting."
Jennie glared at me. "You can finish this tomorrow. You have to stop staying at work so late. It's time to go."
Jennie huffed but didn't argue. Maybe what she really needed was someone to tell her to stop. Maybe she just needed someone to pull her away from work every night.
"Let me just put these in water." Jennie said and placed the roses on her desk in a vase. She grabbed her coat and her bag and I dropped the papers on her desk with a victorious smirk. I offered my hand, which Jennie accepted and we walked out of the office. We shared a laugh at Taehyung's expense in the elevator.
"That was very cool of you." Jennie said as we rode the elevator.
I grinned. "I've always hated that guy. It was worth every penny."
"You've always hated him, huh?"
"Yeah." I scowled. "I hated the way he treated you."
Jennie studied me.
"I mean, I obviously don't know the whole picture, but the few times when we were all together, he was a dick to you; I didn't like it."
Jennie was quiet for a moment longer before she spoke. "Yeah, he was pretty awful. I shouldn't have dated him in the first place."
"Why did you?"
Jennie shrugged. "I'm not sure anymore."
I glanced at her but didn't press the issue. The elevator door dinged and I gestured for her to exit first.
"Thank you for the flowers by the way; they were beautiful, even if it was just to piss Taehyung off."
"No, they were for you." I said, opening the door of the building and letting Jennie walk through. "Pissing off Taehyung was just an added bonus. What kind of girlfriend would I be, if I didn't bring flowers?"
Jennie raised her eyebrow at me but didn't comment. We walked to the car and I pulled open the passenger door and gently closed it behind her as she climbed into the seat. When I hopped in the driver's seat, Jennie was appraising me.
"What?" I asked.
"You're more chivalrous than most of the men I've dated."
"You need to date better men."
"Maybe, I just need to date women."
I laughed. "Yeah, maybe you do."
Jennie smiled as she watched me.
