so, do we like each other or not? // JENLISA

Chapter 7

It was too warm for her red jacket, but she put it on anyway. There was something about the fake leather that always felt like armour, and Lisa needed all the protection she could get today.

She wasn’t hungover, which made a nice change. She had also found time to wash and dry her hair, then style it into fat curls that tumbled down her back. Her skin-tight tank top was white and, if she stood in exactly the right position, showed off the muscles in her stomach.

She was already standing outside Jennie’s gallery when the clock hit 2pm. Exactly a week had passed since she’d last pressed on the buzzer.

When Jennie appeared on the other side of the glass, Lisa could see the confusion on her face. She unlocked the door and immediately asked, “What on Earth are you wearing?”

Lisa faltered. She glanced down at her jacket and shrugged. “I like it.”

Jennie's mouth opened and closed, and Lisa knew she’d just bitten back a sarcastic comment.

“Well, come in,” she said, stepping back. Lisa let herself be led up the stairs and into the same room as last time.

As she sat down on the couch, Lisa was slightly disappointed by how relaxed Jennie was acting. She didn’t seem relieved, or even that pleased to see her again. It was disheartening to know that only one of them had spent the entire week agonising over what Lisa's decision would be.

Jennie got Lisa a glass of water even though she hadn’t asked for one, then sat down opposite with her legs crossed. Lisa forced herself not to look down at them.

“So,” Jennie said, folding her hands in her lap. “You’re back. I didn’t scare you off, I take it?”

“No. Not yet,” Lisa said. When she swallowed, the sound seemed to ricochet off the walls. “I have some questions.”

A smile flickered across Jennie’s face. “Of course. Go ahead.”

Lisa took a deep breath, suddenly regretting the jacket. She was sweating, and the plasticky leather was starting to stick to her arms.

“How many times have you done this before?”

Jennie didn’t look remotely taken aback by this question. “A handful. I don’t exactly keep records but I would say between four and six.”

“And how long did they last?”

“The longest was around five months,” Jennie said. “The shortest was a week.”

Lisa blinked. “What did he do wrong?”

“He was useless,” Jennie said bluntly. “Next question.”

Reeling, Lisa asked, “If I agreed, would our... whatever you want to call it, be exclusive?”

“You mean, would you be allowed to date other people?”

“Well, yeah. But also the same for you.”

"No, neither of us would,” Jennie said. Lisa looked for any kind of softness in her face, but she found none. “We won’t be in a relationship, but as far as everyone else is concerned, we will be. I’ll introduce you as my girlfriend, and girlfriends shouldn’t be sneaking off on dates with other people. Appearances are important.”