chasing girl wonder

punch down

The next morning, Roseanne dropped by their home before going to the café earlier than usual to prep thirty mini cake orders for a company event. She left Alice's apartment before her sister even woke up to her alarm, feeling a bit down that Lisa had not sent her a single text the whole night.

Before Monday morning rush hour started, she was organizing her schedule for the week inside her office, slotting her date in for the next night. She had not seen what this 'Faye' looked like to suppress her judgment and try to be more open about it. Placing her trust in Alice's description of her, she was one hundred percent sure her sister ticked all the boxes of her usual type.

Alice said, "Rosie, Faye is thirty, 1.75 cm tall—that's a winnerrrr—and a university professor. Most importantly, she's not related to your ex or her stepsister—err, this one, with Lisa... Maybe just..." She made a so-so gesture, palm down, tilting it back and forth.

"Just...?" Suspicious, Roseanne knitted her eyebrows.

Jennie was still on the phone, staying involved in the conversation to do a further 'quality check,' though she kept saying she trusted Alice's judgment over the last few minutes. "That makes me hella nervous, Alice. Don't tell me we're going to have another narc mom here!"

Alice chortled. "No! To be fair, I don't know, but you should see the signs, gal pal. Uhm, she's Thai too?"

"You don't sound sure?" Jennie reacted.

Roseanne gaped. "Is that even—she doesn't have to be Thai!"

"She just happens to be Thai!" Alice reasoned, giggling. "Look, I was supposed to connect you even before this whole Bear thing started."

"Bear," Jennie said randomly.

Roseanne shut her eyes for a second. "Fine. I'm open. I am! I'll be..." Her voice decrescendo-ed, "...open. But won't it be a low blow because—Really, Thai? Ugh, Ally! What if Lisa thinks I'm just being petty—making her jealous?"

"Uh," Alice placed a finger over her chin, "Isn't inducing feelings of jealousy the objective we are aiming to accomplish?"

"Remarkable." Roseanne groaned, shooting Alice an exasperated look.

"Wait! Aren't we making her jealous?" Jennie switched to FaceTime video. "Hey, aren't we making her jealous?" She repeated as if they had not heard her when she was just on FaceTime audio.

Alice shrugged. "Either way, if Rosie likes Faye, then it's a win. Besides, if Bear isn't decent enough to explain the whole thing with her ex—she has over twenty-four hours to do that—then my baby sister here gets to snog this other hot Thai."

"So, we're making Lisa jealous?" Jennie confirmed again, sounding unsure and lost.

Roseanne huffed. "Guh, Jennie, why do you keep asking? That makes me feel like this isn't going to end up well?"

"Uhm, because I'm not onboarded about how you feel about her exactly," Jennie pointed. "You kept telling me you're friendssss."

"What do you think after everything I told you?" Roseanne cried, her mouth turning into a frown. "She's too damn sweet. How can I not..." She did not want to confess that she had started falling for Lisa just as things got a little blurry between them. After detailing the connection they had and the moments they shared, her sister and best friend should get it despite all their pterodactyl squealing in between.

Jennie said, "Boo, you kind of drew the line about being friends in the first place. I don't see the point of acting more than it?"

"Boo, we..." Roseanne's voice trailed off. She was just starting to erase the fact that they kissed, and talking about it would only make it real again. Sadly, they may lose their meaning now. "We kind of crossed that line when we held hands."