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

Chapter 11

Mr Lee – who either didn't have a first name or had simply gone to painstaking lengths to make sure no one ever used it – lived in a sprawling mansion on Long Island. It was separated from its neighbours by 10 acres of gardens, and when Sidney pulled up to the iron gates, he had to produce an honest to God invitation before he was allowed to drive through.

"This is going to sound stupid," Lisa said as they rolled up the long driveway, "but before I met you, I really thought that everyone who worked in art was impoverished."

Jennie chuckled. "Only the ones who aren't very good at it."

"And Mr Lee is good, I guess?"

"I suppose," Jennie said, checking her lipstick in a compact.

"As good as you?" Lisa asked. It was the right question, apparently, because Regina smirked at her.

"No one's as good as me."

Without question, Lisa believed her.

They pulled up outside the house and Lisa forced herself to climb out of the car without hesitating, because if she took another moment to think about how much she didn't want to go through with this, she would have ended up bribing Sidney to drive her back across Manhattan again. As soon as her heels hit the brick path, she hoisted herself upright and smoothed down her dress, picking off an imaginary fleck of lint so there was one less thing for someone to haul her out for the second she stepped inside.

She looked up to find that Jennie was standing four paces away and watching her slightly bemusedly.

"What?"

"I like this very much," Jennie said, gesturing to the dress. "Is it Diane von Furstenberg?"

"Yeah. How did you know?" Lisa asked, looking down again to check she hadn't left the tag hanging off it.

"I have an eye for quality," Jennie said. "You look perfect. Don't act so worried."

"I'm not worried," Lisa croaked, which earned her another wry smile from her date. "I just don't want to show you up."

"You won't," Jennie said, holding out her arm. Lisa wobbled forwards and hooked her own arm through it, only now realising that she was a lot taller than Jennie in her new shoes and probably looked like a total idiot gangling along beside her. "I'm not sure who Lee has invited, but it's usually less than 12 people. He likes these things to be intimate. He's also old fashioned, so there won't be any sushi – I can't promise there won't be caviar, though."

Lisa grimaced. "I don't know if I like caviar. I don't even know how to eat it."

"Just follow my lead," Jennie said, nodding to the man who was waiting on the door as they passed through. God, she sounded so fucking calm. It should have made Lisa feel better, but all it did was make her feel even more out of her depth. "I'll introduce you to everyone and after that, you'll be fine. Just try not to get drunk."

It was a little concerning that Jennie felt the need to say this any time they went anywhere, especially since Lisa always managed to fail at it. She straightened her spine. "I'll do my best."

And she meant it, because she was determined that tonight was going to go better than last time. She almost looked the part, so surely being able to act it would come naturally.