ephemeral | Jenlisa [COMPLETED]

Chapter 19

Everything in Jennie's life was normal again. Lisa had been gone for almost two weeks.

And everything was totally and utterly normal without her. Everything in life was the same as it always was.

Work was busy but rewarding and dealing with Kevin was... dealing with Kevin. There was no Lisa coming in during the days or texting her, no Lisa waiting back at her house.

Her cats were cuddly, chirpy, and crazy – in that order. Gremlin still didn't behave for her or act sweetly for her, like she did for Lisa.

Christmas came and went four days ago, as it always did, and she'd exchanged gifts with the Manobans, as she always did. Maybe there was a little – huge – elephant in the room, an absence that was more pronounced now than it had been in decades since Lisa had last left. Maybe Jennie couldn't stand it and left early to go volunteer at the food bank for a longer shift, more than her usual one in the evening.

She went to Sunday dinner and there was no one sitting next to her, running her hand up and down Jennie's back or thigh, making nearly inappropriate jokes.

She got the updates and gossip from around town every day, but didn't hear anything about Lisa's yoga classes or any little stories about her. Nope. The only story she'd heard about Lisa in the last twelve days was the day after their breakup–

She clenched her jaw tightly. Not a breakup. She had refused to ever label what they are as anything more than casual, even in her own mind. Because she was dead right in everything she'd said to Lisa, they'd never be anything more.

Everything was... normal.

Life without Lisa in Sacheon was normal. She had to remind herself of that. And she would keep reminding herself of that fact until her brain would reset and feel normal.

It had to happen soon, right?

Jennie rolled her neck on tense shoulders – so fucking tense, especially now that there was no one who would teasingly – seductively – yet somehow also expertly rub them for a quick minute or two.

She sucked in a deep breath through her nose before she released it through clenched teeth as she grunted and pulled out the heavy crib base from the box it came in.

It was a Friday afternoon and on most days, she would have still been at work right now. She would have been at work right now, if Miyeon hadn't kicked her out of her own office!

No, Miyeon didn't technically have that power; she was the assistant and Jennie was the boss.

But...

When Jennie ended up snapping and losing her temper outwardly at Kevin and then throwing her stapler at her door when he'd left – well, maybe Miyeon wasn't wrong in telling her to leave. She could admit that.

Not that Kevin wasn't being a total jackass. The vote was coming up in only a few weeks, and they were having a public city council meeting about it, which he was rallying for and ugh.

"Uh, boss? Jennie?" Miyeon had stuck her head in, looking concerned. "Yes, Miyeon?" Jennie sighed out, rubbing her fingers over her eyes so she could avoid the gaze of her assistant.

Miyeon had been quiet for a few long seconds, long enough that Jennie straightened her shoulders and aimed an impatient look her way.

Miyeon had shuffled on her feet, looking uncharacteristically uncertain as she'd cleared her throat. "Just... thought... maybe you'd want to take a half day? There's really nothing else on for the afternoon, right, and I'll stay to field your calls or anything that comes up."