Lisa
When we arrived at the restaurant I made sure to pull out Jennie's chair for her and carefully slid it in as she sat down.
"You're really working hard for this." Jennie commented.
"I'm treating you like every other girl I date."
"Even the fake ones?"
"Especially the fake ones. We've got to practice now, so our act is perfect for next Friday."
"Please enlighten me about my role for next Friday."
"Let's start off with how we met and started dating."
"The truth?"
"Which is?"
"We met through my brother."
"Fair enough. How long from the time we were introduced until we started dating?"
"How long did it take you to fall in love with me?"
"With your charm and that huge chip on your shoulder? It took a while."
Jennie crossed her arms. "Especially because I found you so insufferably annoying."
"Rude."
Jennie raised her eyebrows and smirked.
"Fine. We both have our undeniable flaws that pushed us away from each other; but that makes it perfect! We have the whole 'hated each other at first but now we love each other' like all those movies you love on Netflix."
"There's always a moment when everything changes for those characters. So when, pray tell, did you fall in love with me, Lisa dearest?"
I leaned onto my hand and studied Jennie across the table, taking in the curve of her eyebrows, the strong eyes, the curve of her lips, and her smooth skin. While I studied her, her features slowly softened: Jennie was carved of marble, a beauty that life slowly chipped away at to reveal a stunning piece of art, but that meant that there were still jagged edges and sharp corners that promised to cut anyone who came too close. She always had her guard up, poised and ready to fight, even if it was just me and Jin. I still remembered how cold she was to me for the first year of my friendship with Jin, but the longer I stayed in her orbit, the longer I clung to her side and refused to be pushed away by her sarcasm, her disinterest, her intensity, the softer her edges became; I found myself able to dance around all the sharp points meant to deter me. As I sat across from her, I watched her jagged edges soften. I forgot how to breathe. Jennie is so beautiful.
Jennie tilted her head to the side in question but the waitress interrupted our moment and I snapped out of whatever trance that I'd been caught up in.
"Hi ladies, how are we this evening?" the friendly waiter asked.
"Great, thanks. Can we get a glass of your red blend and two water."
"Of course!" The waiter skipped away.
"You were saying?" Jennie said, studying me with a curious gaze.
"Uh, what were we talking?"
Jennie chuckled, totally amused. "We were talking about how we fell in love."
"One day I realised that you weren't as cold as you make yourself appear and I liked what I saw." I answered truthfully. Jennie studied me, with her eyes bouncing all over my face like she was trying to read a language that she didn't know quite yet.
I cleared my throat, unable to stay under the weight of her gaze. "And you? When did you fall in love with me?"
"When you started to bring me coffee." she replied instantly.
"That was fast."
"You want a believable story. I'm pulling it from reality. It will be easier than making up lies if Nancy asks something neither of us are prepared for."
"I'm really happy that you're my fake girlfriend for this; you're an expert."
"Even if I was your desperate choice?"
"You're clearly the best choice. I would have asked you first, if I thought even for a moment you would have said yes."
Jennie laughed and the waiter returned with our drinks and took our orders. With wine between us, our conversation became easier and Jennie, always so tightly wound, began to unfurl.
"Since our whole backstory is covered, what should we talk about?"
"Ball's in your court." Jennie quipped.
"Why do I feel like I always have to carry our conversations?"
"You say at least five times as many words as I do per day and I argue with people for a living."
"I thought you just stayed late at work and highlighted papers."
Jennie narrowed her eyes. "Very funny."
"I know, I'll be here all week."
Our food arrived and we both dug into our meal.
"Why do you stay at work so late every night?" I asked.
"To get my work done."
"Do you need to stay that late?"
"Yes. Did you see the pile of work on my desk?"
"Can't someone else stay late sometimes? Why does it always have to be you."
"Because I'm the best at what I do."
"Is being the best worth being overworked every day?"
"It's the price you have to pay to be successful."
"I don't think that's true."
"What would you know?" Jennie snapped. Her edges were back. Razor sharp.
I shook my head, unperturbed by her sudden mood swing. "I don't know what it's like to be you or work your job or live your life. I'm just commenting as a purely non-biased outsider that it seems like you're tired and stressed and maybe have a shorter temper with people because of your job."
Jennie's intensity softened and she cursed under her breath. "I'm sorry, Lisa. I didn't mean to snap at you. I know that I can be a bitch at times." She rubbed her temples at a headache that I knew was constantly throbbing behind her eyes.
"Whoa, whoa. Stop. I didn't say you were a bitch. It's okay. I'm just trying to have an honest conversation with you. I know it's probably not my place, but I feel like someone has to tell you."
Jennie sighed and stared at her plate for a long while. She didn't look up when she spoke. "Jin's been telling me this for a while."
"We don't have to talk about this anymore, I just wanted to... honestly, I don't know. I guess I'm worried about you."
"You're worried about me?"
"Well, yeah."
"Why?"
"Because you're my best friend's sister and even if you don't consider me a friend, I do consider you one. Friends worry about each other and care if one friend is overworking herself."
"We do know enough about each other to be considered as friends." Jennie admitted slowly while I tried to hide my smile.
"I mean, I know your favourite colour is orange right before the sun rises and you're an early bird."
"And I know that the only three times you've been pulled over, was when you were sixteen and they all happened within six months of each other."
"Jesus, you and Jin really do tell each other everything."
"You also talk really loud."
I laughed; Jennie was so brutally honest and direct it was refreshing. I've never felt like Jennie wasn't telling me something; she always spoke her mind. We chatted the rest of the evening, our conversation was easy and relaxing. By the time we left, we'd stayed much longer than I thought we would, and I found myself sad that the evening was ending.
I played Christmas music on the drive home and when I parked, I hopped out of the car and followed Jennie to her apartment.
"Are you coming to say 'hi' to Jin?" Jennie asked.
"No, I'm walking you to your door."
"I can walk to my apartment by myself."
"How does anyone date you?" I said and shook my head. "You're impossible."
Jennie laughed, but allowed me to walk her to the door. We climbed the stairs together and I waited while Jennie unlocked the door. She turned back to me with the light from the apartment streaming into the entry way.
"Good night, Jennie."
"Good night, Lisa." We stood there for a moment.
"I had fun tonight. Thank you."
"I had fun too, Lisa. I'll see you later?"
"No good night kiss?" Jennie teased.
For one moment, my heart stopped in my chest when I thought Jennie was serious. But I registered the grin on her face a second later. "Look at you with the jokes. I didn't know you were funny."
Jennie smiled. "I can be funny."
"Unfortunately for you, I don't kiss on the first date."
"You're so old fashioned."
I stuffed my hands into my coat pocket and shrugged. "It's all part of my charm."
"Your charm, huh?"
I flashed her a smile. "You have no idea. I haven't even tried to put the moves on you yet."
"Oh no?"
"It'll knock your socks off, Kim. Just you wait."
