24 Dates

Date Fifteen

DATE FIFTEEN:

Place: Ekcs Steakhouse

Time: September 3rd , 2016 8:00 pm

Yelp: 5/5 | Date: ⅗ misunderstandings

It’s Jennie’s idea to go out. Mainly because they haven’t in the while.

It’s just; it’s nice staying in. Jennie’s happy staying in and so is Rosie and they’ve almost got this kind of domestic thing going on now, which is strange but pleasant.

For instance, Rosie cooks. Not all the time because she’s busy, of course. There are video shoots, photoshoots, studio recordings, rehearsals. But before no one cooked. And sometimes when Jennie comes home Rosie is there waiting. Sometimes Jennie is waiting for Rosie. Either way, it ends in a kiss.

Also, almost every night Jennie is sleeping next to someone. She thought that it might take getting used to, but it’s been oddly comforting even though Rosie does kick sometimes and almost always wakes up in weird positions. Jennie’s lived alone for so long she just assumed someone else in the apartment would be a nuisance - and yes, there are some things that are annoying. Like sharing the main bathroom (Rosie always, always takes too long in the mornings).

But she’s happy. Consistently happy, stupidly happy; it’d be embarrassing, but for the first time Jennie can’t say she cares all that much.

There’s also the sex. A lot of sex. It almost seems like every time they do something together it leads to sex - not that that’s all they do but; it’s hard. Rosie is always there now and she always looks so good and there is something about her that just makes Jennie want to touch her.

It doesn’t help that the sex is good (great, great).

So, Jennie decided that maybe they should go out. In public, to a place where they couldn’t do it. Not that it’s bad to have a lot of sex because it’s definitely not - but it’s also nice to just date.

And besides, Jennie has news. Serious news.

“Jennie?”

Jennie jerks her head up from her plate and wonders how long she’s just been staring at her steak. “Huh?”

“You’re thinking about something,” Rosie says with a tiny smile. She edges a small bite of food in between her lips. “What’s up?”

Jennie returns the smile and sighs. “Work. Daddy is leaving for a few months to go on a lecture tour in North America.”

“Daddy?” Rosie repeats and her lips form an irritatingly attractive smirk.

Jennie rolls her eyes. “Anyways, I’m going to have to fill in for him, partially. But; he’s been hinting about his retirement for the last few months.”

“Mmm. He wants you to take over completely?”

Jennie nods. “Which means I’ll be giving up my practice.”

Rosie frowns at that. “You don’t have to.”

“What do you mean?” There is this apprehensive glimmer in Rosie’s eye, which is new. Normally she just says what she’s thinking, which is annoying at times, but incredibly useful because at least it’s all out there.

“Do you want to take your Dad’s position?” Rosie asks after biting the inside of her cheek.

Jennie shrugs. “I don’t really have a choice. It’s something that goes down in the family - I’ve always known that at some point I’d take over.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

Jennie pauses, she opens her mouth but doesn’t quite know what to say. Does she want it? She’s never really thought about that. “I don’t know. But - it’s my responsibility in any case, so it doesn’t matter.”

“I think it matters. I don’t think you should do something if it’s not what you truly want.”

Jennie huffs, and she feels her face getting hot because it’s just not as easy as Rosie is making out to be. Like some trivial thing that Jennie can just turn down. Before Jennie can stop herself she says, “Easy for you to say.” Rosie drops her fork and knits her brows together. “I didn’t - that’s not what I--”

“Yes it is,” Rosie says. Jennie can’t really tell if she’s angry. Her face is smooth, but she’s not smiling or frowning. But then she does smile, though it’s kind of hollow. “You know, I guess I don’t fully understand. I chose to be an idol and always knew that’s what I wanted. It’s different for you. You’ve been told to be who you are all your life, right?”

“Hey, that’s not - !” Jennie stops herself. “Not everyone just knows what they want from the moment they're walking.”

“And you still don’t know what you want?” Rosie asks, and then adds, “I’m just trying to play Devil’s Etiquette.”

Jennie’s about to respond and then she replays the last part in her head. “Did you just say Devil’s Etiquette?”

Rosie cocks one brow up and tilts her head to the side. Jennie forgets that she’s annoyed for just a moment. “Yeah? Like when you try to show the other side of an opinion.”

Jennie starts to laugh, the tenseness retreating from her body. “Devil’s advocate, you mean?”

“Why the hell would it be called Devil’s advocate?”

“Why would it be called Devil’s Etiquette. That makes no sense?”

Rosie rolls her eyes and straightens her shoulders. “You know, like etiquette to the devil because you’re showing the opposite side.”

Jennie laughs harder. “It’s definitely advocate.”

“Etiquette.”

“Google it.” Jennie crosses her arms and watches as Rosie takes out her phone to look it up. Slowly her face falls.

She looks up from the phone and glares. “I still think etiquette makes more sense.”

“Uh huh?” Jennie says, a little bit smug. No, a lot smug. Rosie doesn’t answer, instead going completely quiet and eating. It’s strange and makes Jennie uncomfortable and she wonders when she began to rely so heavily on someone else's approval. “About what I want…” she says, thinking it over briefly. “I don’t know. Not really.” Jennie blushes and begins to twirl one piece of hair as her other hand fiddles with the end of her fork. “I want you.”

Rosie smiles. “That’s good enough for me. For now,” she says. “I just...I don’t want you having regrets, or giving up something in order to do another thing you don’t want. I don’t want you to be unhappy, so before you make any big decisions, just, make sure it’s right. For you. Sometimes you have to put yourself first.” Rosie looks at Jennie, and Jennie finds herself sort of transfixed by the set of Rosie’s jaw, the sharpness of her eyes, the intensity.

“I don’t think I could be unhappy.”

“Well good,” Rosie huffs, though her cheeks dimple and Jennie sees her trying to hide a smile. “Do what’s best for you. Or else you’ll make Rosie very upset.”

Jennie quirks one brow up and leans back. “And what are you going to do if you’re upset?”

Rosie pouts with her arms crossed, and then she grins. “More like what I won’t do.”

Jennie feels her cheeks heat up and she swallows in, but doesn’t respond for a moment. “Okay,” she answers. And Jennie doesn’t know if the okay means okay I’ll do what I want, or if it means she’ll think about figuring out what she wants. But it satisfies Rosie.

“Alright. But speaking of your father, when do I get to meet him?”

Jennie feels stupid, but she never really thought about that. Not since the day he caught them. He’s never expressed interest in meeting Rosie, which is sad but not unlike him. Her Mother mentioned it once though. “What about when he comes back?”

Rosie nods. “It’s a date.”