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

Chapter 20

The 22nd-floor apartment was decked out with another butt-load of pretentious art that Lisa still didn't care about. She wasn't entirely sure who lived here, because so far 14 different people had effusively greeted them like they were the host, but it was still one of the better parties she'd been made to go to in recent weeks. There was an open bar, for one thing. For another, she'd noticed that afternoon that she was no longer anxious about attending.

Her second month with Jennie had passed differently to the first. At some point, the nerves that had woven themselves into the lining of her stomach had calmed down, and now whenever Jennie or Jisoo told her she needed to be at a charity gala at 8pm, she was ready and excited at 7:55pm.

Part of her thought that Jennie seemed different too. Not quite happier, but more satisfied, like her gamble on Lisa had finally paid off and now she was content to sit back and reap the rewards. As they wandered around the room that evening, Jennie staring thoughtfully at the artwork while Lisa snooped around to see who else was there, things felt almost peaceful. People were staring at them, but Lisa had gotten used to that now that she knew it wasn't because they were laughing at her.

Her tuxedo jacket was fitted around her waist, nipping in just tightly enough to give the illusion of her having proper curves. Her shirt was white and crisp, freshly ironed by Jennie's housekeeper because, in Jennie's words, "I don't trust you to know how to operate an iron, nor how to do so without giving yourself second-degree burns." Lisa was also wearing a proper tie, black and skinny, which had been the scariest thing in the world when she'd showed up at her first event in it a few weeks ago. No one had mocked her, though, and she knew Jennie loved it - if nothing else, it gave her a much easier way of dragging Lisa towards her bed once the evening was over.

The black pants Lisa was wearing - which were made of some unknown material that looked like wet metal - made her ass look amazing, especially when she was wearing five-inch heels that made her tower over her date. She'd initially thought that maybe Jennie wouldn't like the new height difference, but she'd been very, very wrong: the first time Lisa had worn the shoes out, Jennie had dragged her home early so she could make sure she spent the rest of the night wearing nothing but them. They had the telltale red underside that let everyone in the room know she was one of them, and she'd had to promise herself she wouldn't get too shallow, because the feeling of nearly belonging in a group like this was truly intoxicating.

"What do you think?" Jennie asked, and Lisa turned back to look at the painting in front of her.

"You're still trying to get an opinion out of me?"

Jennie smiled. "Call me a dreamer."

Lisa cast a cursory glance over the artwork and shrugged.

"It's fine," she said, going back to looking around the room. "I liked the ones on Thursday better."

"Why?"

"No idea."

"Lisa," Jennie sighed. "Would it kill you to read one of those books I bought you?"

"I started one," Lisa whined, because it was an argument they'd already had 15 times and it never got any less boring. "But learning about expressive brushstrokes isn't going to make me want to bone a painting like you do."

"You're a philistine," Jennie said, but she was forcing back a smile.

"Jennie Kim!" a voice suddenly boomed from behind them, and they turned around to find an enormous man looming over them. Lisa flinched, because he didn't look happy, but Jennie didn't seem particularly fazed.