Chapter 73
Jennie ran the edge of her hand along her silky, shimmering, 14-thousand- dollar hemline. She nestled herself backward against Lisa's chest and felt Lisa's arms tighten around her in response. A ghost of a smile pulled at the corners of her mouth as Lisa dipped her head and traced her nose up the side of Jennie's neck to the sensitive spot behind her ear. It was her last night with Lisa in LA, and she could think of no more perfect way to spend it than curled up on a couch together, watching one last movie on the hotel pay-per-view.
Lisa had kept the plans for this evening a closely guarded secret. "Just wear your new dress." was all Lisa told her, after they returned from their impromptu house-hunting expedition this afternoon.
Jennie's smile broadened further, thinking again of the house, and the look in Lisa's eyes as she sat with her in the little nursery. Lisa had felt it too. She saw it in her face. Maybe she really was ready to settle down. Maybe it wasn't just a dream. At the very least, Jennie knew that wasn't the look of a person who was about to break up with her. She'd been so sure it was over this morning, but clearly she'd misread the signals.
Now they were ending her visit on what should have been a high note. A celebration. The lease structure she'd worked out with the realtor was ideal. This way Lisa could hold onto the house for six months. If everything went well, there would be plenty of room for her to join Lisa here later. Jennie should be patting herself on the back, really, negotiating that deal on the fly - all her years of legal training kicking in at just the right moment.
Still a good lawyer, if nothing else. A great lawyer.
She had a court appearance scheduled for first thing Monday morning. She should have been looking forward to it. Last time she'd taken any time off from work, when she had the flu a couple years ago, she'd nearly gone out of her mind with restlessness. But somehow it felt different now. Almost like this time, here in LA with Lisa - like this was reality, and her job in New York was just some boring biopic of someone else's life. It was the strangest feeling. Disorienting. What did it mean? Did it mean anything?
Was she reading too much into it? Maybe it just meant she'd had a good break. Some much-needed time off. She'd get back into the swing of things once she was back in the office on Monday.
In any case, she shouldn't be thinking about work right now. She still had a few hours left with Lisa, and she should be concentrating on savouring every last moment. She smiled again as she allowed her mind to drift back over the evening that Lisa had planned. She'd been so secretive about the whole thing, despite all of Jennie's coaxing and prodding.
"Just wear your Chanel dress..." Lisa had said, "... and meet me in the lobby at six."
She'd smiled at Lisa mischievously in response. "Are you sure you want me to wear that? You could still try to return it."
"I'm not returning anything." Lisa's serious expression gave way to a half-smile. "And you..." she poked her gently in the ribs as she spoke, "... you better still be wearing that thing when you're 80 for the amount of money it cost me."
Lisa had been just joking, of course. She tried to picture herself as a wrinkled up 80 year old in body-skimming pink fuchsia, and the mental image was not a pretty one. This was a dress for a young woman. A young, beautiful woman. She closed her eyes for a moment, picturing the way Lisa had looked at her when she'd arrived in the lobby at six o'clock sharp. She hadn't needed to ask Lisa if she liked it.
She looked down now and watched the light from the TV screen flicker and play across the glimmering fabric. No, she thought. She wouldn't be wearing this dress when she was 80. But maybe someday, some other little girl might come along and use it to play dress up. Someday. Maybe. It was more than she had dared to hope for in a very long time - and it frightened her now to think it.
It was a dangerous thing, hope. Last stop on a one-way street to heartbreak. She knew how this story ended the last time. And yet, somehow, here she was again.
There was no point trying to fight it, she told herself, as she luxuriated in the firm embrace of Lisa's arms around her. Just be happy now. Just be here, in this moment, and try to memorise what it feels like to be happy. What it feels like to be held. What it feels like to spend your afternoon getting all dolled up for a date with the love of your life.
