That Night | JenLisa FF

Part 8

Lisa picked up the phone.

And quickly put it down again.

And picked up the phone.

And put it down again.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Lisa swivelled around, glaring at Bambam. "Fuck off," she shouted.

Bambam rolled his eyes, ignoring his friend and helping himself to Lisa's well stocked liquor cabinet. He walked over to the desk, trying to look nonchalant, and while Lisa's head was buried in her hands, snatched the business card.

"Hey!" Lisa bellowed, standing up from behind the desk and reaching out.

Bambam moved back out of the way laughing. He cursed as some of the scotch sloshed over the side of his glass and onto his pants. But he was only distracted for a moment before quickly reading the front of the card. "Jennie Kim, Innovative Artists," she said.

Lisa grabbed the card back none too gently and Bambam glowered, shoving his wounded hand into his pocket. "Who is she?" he demanded, taking a seat and propping his feet up on the corner of Lisa's desk.

Lisa smacked Bambam's feet off the desk. "An agent," she bit out.

"Yeah, I get that," Bambam replied dryly. "Now who is she?"

"No one."

"You're sitting in here acting like some nervous fifteen-year-old getting ready for her first date over no one?"

Lisa growled deep in her throat. A nervous fifteen-year-old was exactly what Jennie made her feel like. She didn't need to know that's how she was making her act as well. "I'm shopping for a new agent," Lisa said. "It's complicated."

Bambam absolutely didn't buy Lisa's story, but he dropped the subject. Like every other artist Bambam had ever known, Lisa could be a total pain in the ass when she wanted. "You going to DK's opening next Saturday?"

Glad for the change of subject, Lisa sighed. "I suppose," she answered. "Why?"

"Because that fucker with guest list thinks he's Steve Jobs or something. You're on the list, Lalisa plus guest. I have to be the 'plus guest'."

Lisa rolled her eyes. "You don't even know the girl's name, for gods' sake, Bam, let it go. It's pretty hard to stalk someone if you have no idea who they are."

"I'm not stalking her," Bambam snapped. He frowned so hard she thought he might pull a muscle. "I just ... thought she was interesting," he said. "And I'd like to see her again."

"Bam, it was six months ago. You show up at any more of DK's shows and she's going to think you've got a crush on her. Besides, you don't even know why she was there. She could have just wandered in."

"That show was at the Haute Gallery," Bambam said dryly. "Nobody just wanders in there without an invitation. She has to be connected to DK somehow."

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Who are you now? Columbo? Bam, you're a lawyer, not a detective."

If looks could kill Bambam's scowl would have laid Lisa out dead.

*****

"Chiquita, would you please stop playing with your toast and just eat something," Jennie huffed in irritation.

Canny rolled her eyes with the perfect indignation only a nine-year-old girl could muster. "I'm not hungry," she pouted, kicking absently at the underside of the booth. "You said we could go to the museum."

"It doesn't open until noon," Jennie said absently, trying to get back to her conversation with Rosé.

"It opens at ten," Canny corrected. "I checked. And it's going to take us forever to get over there."

Rosé chuckled at the child. "I thought you guys went to the museum last Sunday."

Canny sighed in exasperation. "Last Sunday was the Museum of Modern Art," she informed Rosé. "Today we're going to the Museum of Natural History."

"Yes, Rosé," Jennie said in mock exasperation, "keep up. Last week it was the groundbreaking films of Melies and this week it's blue whales."

"Oh," Rosé said good-naturedly. "I keep forgetting you're hella smart." She stuck her tongue out playfully.

Canny stuck her tongue out in response and the two laughed.

"I take her to the library twice a week and it's not nearly enough to keep her occupied," Jennie lamented. "She's just liked her dad."

Rosé frowned in confusion. Nothing Jennie had mentioned about her ex would make Rosé think the guy had been a brainiac, but given that she had never met Pete, she couldn't really say. "Yeah, well, in four weeks Canny starts school for the scarily smart, maybe they'll keep her busy," she said with a wink.

Canny beamed. She was so excited about her new school. Jennie longed to share her daughter's enthusiasm, but she couldn't. The board was so impressed with Canny that they agreed to put her on full scholarship for the first semester. However, they couldn't guarantee there would be funds to pay for anything beyond that. If Canny lost the scholarship, there was no way Jennie could pick up the ten thousand dollar a semester cost.

Jennie was saved from her maudlin ruminations by her ringing cell phone. "Hello?"

There was silence on the other end and for a moment Jennie's heart stopped. "Hello?" she said more forcefully. Dear gods, Pete hadn't found her, had he?

"Jennie?"

Her heart started abruptly, this time racing in her chest. "Lisa?" she said, noting that she sounded ridiculously out of breath.

At the name, Rosé raised an eyebrow. Frowning, Jennie turned toward the corner of the booth in a futile bid for privacy. "I, uh ... Sorry. Um, can I do something for you?"

Lisa's throat was dry, and her palms were sweating. She took a deep breath and forced herself to charge forward. "I was wondering if we could discuss the possibility of you representing me," she said. "I was thinking maybe we could meet somewhere for lunch."

"Lunch?" Jennie squeaked. Frowning, she cleared her throat. "Um, I already have planned this afternoon - "

"Oh, well, if you have a date or something - " Lisa said in a rush, feeling like an idiot.

"No!" Jennie said forcefully. "Not a date. Definitely not a date. Um, I just ... I uh, promised someone I'd do something for them." Rosé was waving her arms madly, trying to get Jennie's attention. "Lisa, can you hang on a second, please?"

"Uh, sure," Lisa said.

Jennie crushed the phone against her chest. "What?" she snapped.

"I'll take Chiki to the museum," Rosé said. "You go meet with Lisa."

Jennie looked at Rosé and then at her daughter. "Would that be alright with you?"

"Yeah!"

Somewhat irritated by her daughter's enthusiasm at the prospect of a mom free afternoon, Jennie turned back to the phone. "Lisa, it seems that my schedule has just been cleared. I'd love to meet you for lunch."