JL Short Fiction

Making The Rent [4]

"What about this one?"

Lisa smiled, wrapping her arms around Jennie's waist and pulling her back against her chest. "Whatever you want," she said with a smile.

Looking at the clerk, Jennie nodded. "We'll take this one," she said. She watched as the clerk hurried off to get the Christmas tree bundled up for them and ready to take home.

Tree Mission accomplished, Lisa turned and pulled Jennie with her over to her SUV. Lisa backed her against the side of the vehicle, standing directly in front of her. Jennie giggled as Lisa dipped her head to catch her lips in a kiss. Wrapping her arms around her neck, she returned the kiss enthusiastically. She eventually pulled away, looking down at her. "Are you really happy?" Lisa asked quietly.

Her smile nearly knocked her off her feet. "I'm perfect," she assured her.

Her expression sobered and she took a deep breath. "We're going to have to tell them," Lisa said. "It's been months, Jennie."

Jennie sighed, looking away. "I know," she admitted. They both knew that they couldn't keep their relationship a secret indefinitely. They would have to tell Jennie's family. But neither of them was in a hurry to drop that bomb, so it kept getting put off farther and farther and farther ... They had been together nearly eight months, and it was still a secret "Han is going to flip," she said with a groan.

Lisa chuckled mirthlessly. "Trust me, I know," she said. "He knows that you're seeing somebody, but he can't figure out who and it's driving him nuts. He talks to me about it all the time, about how he feels hurt that you won't tell him about it and all the while I'm trying not to crawl under the table from guilt."

She frowned. "You're not making this any easier," she huffed.

"He's my best friend, Jennie," Lisa said seriously. "I'm already worried that our friendship won't survive when he finds out the truth. It's one thing for you to duck his questions, but I've as good as lied to him for nearly a year."

They broke apart as the clerk began tying the tree to the top of the SUV. Needless to say, their happy holiday spirit had been dampened considerably.

****

The following morning Lisa woke up in their bed alone. It didn't happen often, but when it did, she always felt this twinge of something akin to fear, as if she should get used to that feeling. She didn't want to admit that there was a possibility that she may lose her, but she knew that was a definite chance when they showed up for Christmas Eve dinner that night with her family. As much as Jennie assured her that the reason she went out on her own was to become independent from her parents and brother, she was worried. She said she was tired of being babied and wanted to be her own person. She knew that long before they had become involved. It didn't, of course, change the fact that Jennie was the baby of the Kim brood, and they would not take lightly her stealing of her innocence.

Lisa groaned as she climbed out of bed and slipped on her pajama bottoms. Every step from the bedroom to the living room made her more determined. She was not going to bow in defeat tonight. She was keeping Jennie in her life. She wasn't going back to those nights when she wondered whether she should take the tramp of the evening to her house or not or the mornings when she had to open her eyes before she spoke to be certain who was beside her.

As Lisa walked into the living room, she heard the light jingling of Christmas music and focused on her lover dressed in a creamy silk nightgown that shimmered over her slight curves. The room was scattered with cardboard boxes where the ornaments had been before she put them on the tree. Currently, she was holding the Christmas angel that would decorate the top of the tree and was studying the height carefully.