Inexperienced | JENLISA

14

The cab ride back to my apartment after work was a lonely one, as I shifted on the worn-out leather seat, missing my underwear, especially since the zipper of my pants was rubbing against poor Virginia. I normally took the subway home from work, since it was cheaper and faster, but in this state, I couldn't face the underground world of New York City.

I could feel myself start to slip into a dark vat of denial soup. I've spent a good portion of my life reading books about romance, and never once was I exposed to such a depressing reality that it wasn't as easy as it seemed, then again, Jisoo and Lisa seemed to have a pretty easy time when it came to obtaining a relationship. So, what it came down to was, I was cursed, there was no other reason for it.

Maybe I had high expectations, maybe I was setting the bar too high?

My phone started ringing in my purse, and without looking at the caller ID, I answered.

"Hello?"

"Jennie?" a familiar voice asked.

"Yes?" I couldn't quite place the voice, but I knew I'd heard it before.

"Hey, it's Taecyeon."

"Taecyeon?" I asked, a little surprised to hear him on the other end of the line. After my split pants situation, I thought we were done. "Wow, I wasn't expecting to hear from you."

"Why not? I said I was going to call," he said in a relaxed tone, but I was anything but relaxed because frankly, I was beyond uptight when it came to men now. It was almost impossible for me to relax.

"Yeah, but not to get all girly on you, that was a few days ago. After not hearing from you right away, I kind of tossed the idea of seeing you again."

"I'm sorry," Taecyeon said while blowing out an exasperated breath. "I wasn't expecting to like you so much."

"Gee, thanks," I said while rolling my eyes and looking out the window of the taxi.

"That didn't come out right," he tried to say. "I just, I got scared."

"After you said you wanted to date me? After you said you waited to be put on another photo shoot with me? Stop playing with me, Taecyeon. I'm not stupid."

Yeah, I was being a bit of a bitch, but I didn't feel like dealing with anyone, especially men. I was crabby, irritated, embarrassed, and all I wanted was to put on a pair of sweats and drown my sorrows in a pint of ice cream.

"I'm not playing with you, Jennie. I'm sorry I made you think otherwise. I'm an idiot, and yes, I should have called earlier. I really hope you will forgive me and consider going out with me again. This time, just you and me, no bowling or opportunities to rip your pants open," his dash of humor eased the tension in my body. "What do you say, Jennie? Can I take you for a boat ride in Central Park on Saturday?"

"Hmm, that depends. Do you plan on tipping the boat? With my luck, that would happen."

"Promise, there will be no tipping of the boat."

Did I really want to go out with him again? I thought about it for a second, and honestly, I did. Out of all the dates I'd been on, I really enjoyed Taecyeon's company the most. Atticus was fun, but I cracked his nuts, so there was no shot there. Alejandro was a no-go with the whole wildebeest growing in his pants, and Phillip, well, pretty sure I wouldn't be hearing from him.

"I think I might be free on Saturday."

"Are you playing hard to get?" he chuckled into the phone.

"Maybe, is it working?"