No Strings Attached

Chapter Sixteen

Lisa watched anxiously as Jennie untied the pink ribbon that was wrapped around the white box.

Jennie gasped when she saw the contents of the box.

It was a whole cake, a chocolate fudge cake to be exact. Lisa had never given a whole cake to Jennie before. It was usually slices of cakes, brownies or cupcakes.

Many tiny pink and red hearts were scattered over the top of the cake. In the centre of the cake was a pink heart which stood out from the rest as it was bigger. On top of the pink heart were the words: “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt. ~Charles M. Schulz”

“This,” Jennie cleared her throat, “what does this mean?” She was a surprised by the contents of the box as she carefully placed onto the table.

Lisa took a deep breath, puffed out her cheeks and cleared her throat. She held Jennie’s hands and gazed into Jennie’s eyes.

“While you were away for the past three weeks, I realised how much I missed you. I admit it was lust at first sight when I saw you in Tokyo. You caught my attention once u stepped into the restaurant. It may sound cliché but I’ve started to develop feelings for you.”

Jennie merely looked back at Lisa, her brows crease as she remained quiet. She was trying to process what Lisa had just told her.

“Jennie, do you know that you're the only one who makes my heart beat just a little bit faster? I know I’m breaking the rules…but would you give me a chance to love you?” Lisa confessed. Her heart was beating wildly and it felt like it was bursting through her chest any moment.

Jennie did not know how to react to the sudden confession. The air felt heavy and her stomach felt like it was on a rollercoaster ride. A moment ago she was just thinking about Lisa and questioning where their relationship was heading to. Right now, the person in question was sitting in her living room, asking her permission to take their relationship a step further? This was a bit too much for her to absorb in such a short period of time.

After what seemed like eternity, Jennie spoke in a firm voice. “I’m flying off tomorrow. This time, I’m going to Los Angeles for my new project so I’ll be out of town for almost a year.”

“Oh, you didn’t mention anything earlier,” Lisa said, surprised by the sudden announcement.

“Yes, I…I meant to tell you tomorrow morning, before I leave. It’s just that I’ve been busy with a lot of stuff recently.” Jennie looked down at the floor briefly, avoiding Lisa. Rosé had advised her to tell Lisa about the upcoming long trip several times but she just couldn’t find the right words and time to tell Lisa. She felt guilty for telling Lisa at such a short notice.

“Don’t stress yourself out. You’re so driven at work and it makes me worried about your health. Remember to take regular meals.”

Jennie looked at both their hands as she slowly removed hers from Lisa’s. It was then Lisa felt her heart sinking to the bottom of the pit as the pair of cold hands slipping from hers.

“I will,” came a brief reply.

There was an awkward silence as both of them sat on the couch uneasily.

“Technology is so advanced, we can still keep in touch in many ways such as Facetime or Skype,” Lisa said abruptly.

Jennie looked at Lisa and let out a short sigh. “The time difference, the lack of communication and physical contact...I seriously don’t know what would happen during this period of time. I don’t think I can commit to a proper relationship at this point in time. It’s…just…”