How To Lose A Girl In Ten Days (Chaennie)

Chapter 1

Day 1.

"... Only with tolerance and understanding, can we find true and lasting peace," Lisa reads aloud. She skims back over the article in awe. "Rosie, this is... wow. Truly moving."

"You think so?"

"Honestly, the best you've ever written," Lisa nods. She almost hates to crush the hopeful look on Rosie's face, but she has to add, "and not something you'll ever get Sunny to publish, unfortunately."

Rosie's face falls. "But if I pitch it in just the right way—"

"Not happening in a million years," Lisa says firmly. She gets up from Rosie's chair and moves to sit on the desk beside the computer. "This is SKY magazine, fashion and women's lifestyle, not politics and foreign affairs."

"Politics and foreign affairs are women's lifestyle," Rosie mumbles, sullenly, dropping into her seat with a sigh. Lisa is right, but she's not quite ready to accept it. "I busted my ass in grad school, how did I end up here writing trashy throwaway articles like," she adopts a faux cheerful voice, "How to Use the Best Pick-Up Lines and Do Blondes, Do They, Like, Really Have More Fun?'' She falls back into her normal voice. "I want to write about stuff that matters, something that could make a difference in the world. Stuff I'm actually interested in, ya know?"

Lisa nods sympathetically. "I know, I only took this job to pay for my engineering degree, but look how that's going."

"You're just taking a break to save money, you'll get there," Rosie assures her.

"Keep busting your ass, Park, you'll get there too." Lisa hops up and moves to her desk to pull something out of the top drawer. "Anyway hey, I've got something to cheer you up. You know that editor from Sports Illustrated you've been shamelessly flirting with on the phone for... oh, a month now? He made a little delivery this morning..."

Rosie jumps up, forgetting her grumpiness for the moment. "Ah, let me see!"

Lisa holds up an envelope with Rosie's name written on it and Rosie tears it open. She pulls out the tickets, squealing excitedly.

"Yes yes! Tomorrow night!"

Lisa crosses her arms, leaning her hip against the desk. "What happens tomorrow night?"

"Only the most exhilarating and artistic display of athletic competition known to mankind."

"The Ice Capades are in town?"

Rosie waves the tickets in Lisa's face, the logo bright and clear at the top. "No, the NBA Finals are in town, and I got tickets!" She dances around in a circle, making her coworkers nearby stare. Rosie turns back to Lisa, with a pleading puppy dog face. "Come with me?"

Lisa resists for a moment before cracking, shoving Rosie away. "Alright, alright. I'll go. But I am not putting out."

Rosie saunters back to her desk, throwing over her shoulder, "Two stale jumbo dogs and a couple beers, you'll be whistling a different tune."

Lisa winks, "You know what I like."

Sunny walks by at that moment, her steps brisk and confident, carrying a tablet and thick folio of notes. As editor-in-chief of SKY magazine, she kept a tight reign on the office. "Good morning, ladies. Writers meeting, thirty minutes."

Once she's out of earshot, Rosie glances at Lisa and then at the empty desk nearby. "Haven't seen Ten in today yet."

"He called me last night and all I could make out between the sobs was soulmate and despair. Five bucks says he's still wallowing."