Something More

Chapter Twenty-One

Lisa felt like a nervous ball of energy. She knew everything was ready for the evening, but she was still frazzled. Tonight meant everything to her. She just hoped all her efforts from the past several weeks would pay off. Almost a hundred people had RSVP'd and most of the invitees who couldn't come sent donations along with their responses, so she should already consider the night a win.

Lisa entered the space they purchased for their fourth restaurant. The sale had closed at the end of September, and she and Jisoo had been remodeling it ever since.

The kitchen remodel was complete, but the rest of the building was a blank slate. They had refinished the hardwood floors and had mock-ups of what they wanted the space to look like. For now, they'd had to rent all the tables and chairs from a rental company. She wanted the evening to be fun, so she had set up cornhole boards in the back corner along with signs about how to play. The front of the room held the photo wall she'd put together and an information table where guests could drop off donations and also pick up pamphlets for volunteer opportunities with several local cancer outreach programs.

Her phone dinged in her back pocket, and it was a text from Jennie. She had texted her earlier in the day during a minor breakdown that the night was going to be a disaster. Her panic had increased when Jen hadn't gotten back to her right away. Seeing her name on the screen sent instant relief to her nerves.

Sorry I was in a mtg. Tonight will be amazing because you are amazing, baby

Lisa took a deep breath and smiled as another message came through.

You've poured your heart and soul into this and everyone will see that. I'm so proud of you and can't wait to see you tonight.

Thanks, babe :) Lisa texted back. See you soon!

Lisa pocketed her phone, feeling more composed than she had ten minutes ago. Seeing that setup was moving along, she went into the kitchen to check on Chu. "Need anything?" she asked.

Jisoo drew a line on the sheet of paper she had taped to her workstation, capped her pen, and stood in front of Lisa. She gripped Lisa's shoulders, shaking her playfully. "For the hundredth time, I've got things covered back here. We chose a simple buffet meal for a reason. I've got this. Why don't you go home and get ready?" Jisoo glanced at her watch. "By the time you do that and get back here, you'll only have a half hour to obsess over all the details."

"That's probably a good idea," Lisa mumbled.

"Everything will be okay."

"Jen said that too."

"Maybe you should listen to your girlfriend then."

Lisa grinned. "Maybe I should. Just don't tell her I said that. Okay, I'm heading home. Call me if you think of anything you need."

"Just go."

"I'm going." Lisa held up her hands and left.

Within ten minutes, she was home and stripping off her clothes as she took the stairs up to her loft. She showered quickly and dried her hair, pulling the wavy locks into a messy bun at the nape of her neck. She leaned forward to get closer to the mirror as she applied a small amount of eyeliner, the only makeup she usually wore. After putting on a bra and a pair of boyshorts, a slight wave of panic hit her as she stood in front of her closet. She had been so busy lately that she hadn't put any thought into what she wanted to wear.

She stated on the invite that the dress code for the night would be dressy casual. She also asked people to wear purple if they could, as that was the color for pancreatic cancer awareness. She pulled out the only three purple options she owned—a dress, a button-up, and a blazer.