JL Short Fiction

Just across the hall 2

Jennie unlocked the door when she knocked, pulling it open as she wandered back to the couch with her nose buried in Home Improvement for Dummies. Lisa entered, pizza box in hand, looking from her to the various hardware scattered over her floor. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Chewing on her bottom lip, she looked up at her. "Homework," she said with a frown.

"You're going to school to become a plumber?" Lisa asked.

She rolled her eyes. "I got a job on one of those home improvement how-to shows," she said. "I have to replace a faucet tomorrow and I'm trying to figure out how to do it."

"A new job," Lisa said brightly. she set down the pizza on the table and lowered herself onto the couch next to her. she took the book gently out of her hands and laid it on a piece of the table that wasn't covered in her "homework."

"Yeah," she answered, "thanks again for the whole agent hook up thing."

Lisa smiled genuinely. "No problem. I'm glad to help out." she couldn't possibly convey how glad she was to help out in this situation. she'd do anything to get Jennie out of the business and after living in the same building with her over the last couple of years, she had never seen her happier. Sure, she was worried about her job, but it was a different, healthier sort of stress.

Jennie smiled back at her. "Just so you know," she said, "your sister is an overprotective bitch. I'm still really grateful to her."

Lisa let out a sharp bark of laughter. "Yaya can be a little prickly at first."

Jennie laughed sarcastically in return, "Prickly is really an understatement."

"Oh, I figured you could handle her," Lisa said, flipping open the pizza box to peer in at the neglected treat. "She's all bark, no bite."

"Still, a warning would have been nice," Jennie huffed.

"So, tell me more about this job," she said.

With a huge grin, Jennie told her everything from the original reading to the call back, to the little dressing room she used. Lisa listened to everything with a smile and when she finished, she asked, "So is this your only job now?"

Jennie looked at her coyly. "Detective Lalisa, are you asking if I still work nights?"

Lisa gave her a look full of carnal interest. "Yeah," she said, her voice a low, rumbling purr, "that's what I mean."

She swallowed thickly, finding herself blushing. "I'm strictly an actress now."

Lisa took a deep breath and slowly released it. "Good," she said with a self-satisfied smile, "then you're free to go out with me on Saturday night. Now let's get this faucet figured out."

*****

Lisa walked Jennie to her door, and she seriously wondered whether she was going to kiss her or not. she had been a complete gentlewoman the entire night and the closest she came to putting a move on her was holding her hand or offering her elbow. It was like Ward Cleaver on a date with a hooker, which is why she was stunned when she threaded her fingers through her hair and kissed her. The kiss was long and slow - something entirely too rare for a girl like her. she nipped at her lips until she opened for her and took her time pressing their bodies together as if they had until the end of time. she held her gently in her arms and she melted into her. When she snaked her tongue into her mouth and tasted her, exploring, she moaned.

"Come in," Jennie whispered against her lips. She tucked a finger into her belt to hold her there while she dug in her purse for her keys and then fumbled to get them into the lock with an urgency she couldn't remember feeling before. She just knew she had to get her inside before she remembered she was a respectable detective and she, a whore turned actress.