Pure Connections

Chapter 13

      Lisa adjusted a throw pillow beneath her head as she reclined onto the loft's all-white sofa. Light filtered in from the trio of windows set in the adjacent wall, and if she angled her head ten degrees to the right, she had a clear view of the evening sky—faint clouds speckled across a starless expanse of indigo bleeding into blue. On any other night, she might've found it calming, despite the moderate stream of cars that trafficked the neighborhood. Instead, she raised both hands over her head to examine the diamond tennis bracelet dangling from her fingers.

      She hadn't meant to buy it. They'd been walking the mall for well over an hour, trying to find a gift for Mrs. Kim, and when Jennie stopped in front of the display case, beaming at this one in particular, Lisa had taken notice. She'd been powerless to do anything else, especially when Jennie reached for her hand, brown eyes alight with awe and content as she said, "I had one exactly like this when I was younger." The semi-defeated shrug that followed looped through Lisa's mind. "I lost it at a volleyball meet in junior year. SL and I spent hours trying to find it, but I never saw it again."

      Impulse had driven her back to the store the second Jennie had left for Rosie's, but now that Lisa had time to dwell on it, thousand-dollar spontaneous buys were the exact opposite of taking things slow. Not that Lisa could even tell the difference anymore. Having Jennie stay at the loft, sleeping next to her every night, the time they'd spent together this weekend had accelerated Lisa's feelings in ways she hadn't been willing to consider a week ago. Deep down, she knew this could happen—this careless enchantment that left her too susceptible to the reckless romantic buried somewhere in her past. It would be less difficult if Jennie was any degree of hesitant, but she was so sure about it all. This morning, Lisa had been seconds away from stripping her of those sexy silk pajamas and fucking her right there on the dining table. But she knew once she'd kissed every inch of Jennie's body, once she'd been inside her, deciphered what made her beg and moan and scream, she'd never be able to get Jennie out of her system. Then again, maybe she didn't want to. Maybe she was tired of connections that never outlasted her travels, but how could she trust in one that had come as easily, as unexpectedly, as it had with Jennie?"

      A buzzing against her thigh drew her attention, and she reached into the pocket of her jeans to grab her phone. The screen lit up with a picture of her sister's face, and she slid her thumb across it in answer. Wherever they were in the world, Sundays had always been check-in night.

      "Baby Sister." Maya's voice echoed from the phone's speakers as she shut an ornate wooden door behind her. Lis registered the yellow wall and abstract painting that filled Maya's background as the one in the living room of her apartment in LA. The floral scarf wrapped around her hair and baggy T-shirt she often wore to sleep hinted that she was already halfway ready for bed, but a quick check of the time told Lisa it was only after seven.

       Lisa quirked a brow, gaze scrutinizing. "Still recovering from your bender with Blake last week?"

      "Restaurant hopping and a few shots is hardly a bender, Lis." Maya rolled her eyes before lifting one hand to cover a yawn. "I just...had a few late nights at work this week."

      Of course she had.

      "M, you're allowed to take a vacation without burning yourself out the second you're back."

      "The bank has a lot of new initiatives right now, Lis. And I'm covering Becca's desk—" She cut herself off with a huff. "I don't want to talk about work. I know you definitely don't want to talk about work, especially mine, so why don't we talk about anything else?"

      "Fine." Maya's manager's blatant disregard for her personal time was a never-ending topic anyway, one that always left Lisa on the receiving end of a reminder that Mayandra was the older sister, and all worry was to be left up to her. It reminded Lis too much of nights when Maya had tried to talk Lis into getting some sleep while she stayed up to make sure Mom was okay, reminded her that Maya had been the first person to support her wanting to travel. She had gotten to leave because maybe Maya had always felt it was her duty to stay. Maybe Lisa didn't appreciate that enough. "Did you go by Mom and Dad's?"