WILD [JENLISA]

11

Later at work, Jennie was sore, exhausted, and happier than she had been in a long time. Maybe ever. She sat at her desk with the Golden Gate Park victim's file spread out around her, finalizing her forensic report with a grin on her face. Feeling this good made no sense at all when she had just spent the past hour staring at crime-scene photos of a woman who might have been murdered by the same man who had attacked her, but very little made sense these days. The past twenty-four hours with Lisa had defied logic altogether, though that hadn't stopped Jennie from enjoying every second of it.

"Knock, knock."

Jennie glanced over her shoulder and waved at Irene, who stood just inside the lab door. "Hey, you."

"Hey, back." Irene raised an eyebrow as she stepped inside. "What's up?"

"Just putting the finishing touches on your forensic report," Jennie said. She sounded chipper, didn't she? Irene would definitely pick up on that. Jennie was never this cheerful, even in her best moods. "I'll have it to you in just a moment."

"Thanks," Irene said carefully. She approached Jennie's desk and gave her a sidelong look. "But I meant what's up with the sunny disposition? You're... glowing."

Jennie's face heated. Irene was a detective for a reason, so she couldn't try to hide her joy. "I had a good night, that's all." She glanced up at Irene. "Can't a girl be happy?"

"Of course." Irene studied her face, probably trying to decide if Jennie's good night was actually what it sounded like. "You just haven't been lately. Not that I blame you, of course. With what happened in the park and everything..." Irene tilted her head. "Did you get laid last night?"

Clearing her throat, Jennie made a big show of jotting a final note in Yasmin Mandujano's file. She refused to admit that she'd spent all of yesterday afternoon and last night making love to someone she'd just met. "Not that it's any of your business, but... I did have a date."

"You're kidding."

Jennie frowned. The sheer disbelief in Irene's voice offended her. Was she really so socially awkward that Irene didn't think she could find someone who was interested? "Gee, thanks."

"No!" Irene shook her head, propping her hip on the desk next to Jennie's hand. She was so close Jennie could feel heat radiating from her.

"That's not what I meant. It's just... after what you've just been through. I'm surprised."

"Well, don't be. Life goes on."

"Apparently it does." Irene folded her arms over her chest, clearly waiting for more. She'd have to ask. Jennie wouldn't supply any more information than necessary. What she had shared with Lisa was too precious to reduce to tedious gossip. And something about discussing Lisa with her ex-girlfriend made Jennie uncomfortable. Irene held out for almost thirty seconds before she said, "Who is she?"

"Just a woman."

"I figured," Irene said, smirking. "What else?"

"She's the one who helped me the other morning. In the park, after... you know. After."

"Huh." Craning her neck to meet Jennie's eyes, Irene winked. "She have a name?"

"Lisa," Jennie answered shortly. She was about done playing along with the interrogation. Closing the file, she offered it to Irene. "She's very nice, we had a good time. End of story."

"Is it?" Irene took the file and tucked it beneath her arm without glancing at it. Obviously she found Jennie's personal life more riveting than something so trivial as solving a murder. "You said she found you in the park that morning?"