YOUNG LOVE || 𝐉𝐄𝐍𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐀 ✔︎

thirty-one

“Hell of a way to end the day,” Lisa said as she drove them back to the store and Jennie's car.

Jennie reached across the console and rested her hand on Lisa's thigh. “Alice gave me some instructions,” she said.

“Oh yeah?”

“You’re to come home with me.”

Lisa laughed. “She said that, huh?”

“Among other things, yes.” Jennie bit her lip, knowing now wasn’t the time to tell her. “We haven’t eaten dinner. How about we pick up something and take it home?”

“You sure?”

“Yes. We should talk,” she said vaguely.
Lisa stared at her for a long moment, and Jennie saw questions in her eyes. She offered a quick smile. “I want to sleep with you tonight,” she said. “We don’t have to make love. I just want to be with you.”

Lisa covered her hand with one of her own, pressing it down hard into her thigh. “I haven’t forgotten our conversation from earlier,” she said.

Jennie nodded, relaxing her hand, letting
Lisa's warmth seep into her. After Lisa assured her veggie burgers were on the menu at a local fast-food restaurant, they decided on burgers and fries and large Cokes, something Jennie rarely had. She went ahead to her house as Lisa went to pick up their dinner. It was a pleasant evening, not too warm. She went out to the patio and turned on the ceiling fan, deciding they would eat outside by the pool. She only wished the conversation was going to be lighter, but she wouldn’t keep Alice’s cancer news from Lisa.

Ten minutes later Lisa came in carrying two bags. Jennie took one from her, smelling the addicting aroma of fast-food fries. She snatched one out of the bag, chewing with a smile.

“This is so good,” she said. “Wonder why I don’t get them more often?”

“Because they’re not good for you,” Lisa said as she too stole one from the bag. She glanced to the patio, which was lit up. “You want to eat outside?”

“Do you mind?”

“Of course not. The pool looks inviting,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

Jennie smiled, wishing they could forget
everything and…and get naked already. She could imagine Lisa's glistening skin with the water cascading off of it.
“What naughty thoughts are going through your mind?”

At that, Jennie laughed. “Skinny-dipping.”

Lisa's gaze held hers. “Then why don’t we?” she suggested.

“Tempting…but we should talk,” she said, leading Lisa outside.

Jennie was afraid her appetite would leave her, but one bite into the burger brought it back in full force. “This is delicious,” she murmured with a nearly full mouth.

“Again, not good for you,” Lisa said as she bit into her veggie burger. “Not bad,” she said before dipping a french fry in ketchup. “Now, what is it you want to talk about?”

Jennie wiped her mouth with her napkin, then took a sip of her drink. No sense putting it off. “It’s Alice,” she said.

Lisa put her burger down, eyebrows raised. “Something she told you?”
Jennie nodded.

Lisa stared at her, slowly shaking her head. “The cancer is back?” she guessed.

“I’m sorry,” Jennie said quietly. “She said she’s known for a couple of weeks, but she didn’t want to tell you.”

“Shit,” Lisa whispered as she leaned back, running her hands through her hair.

“I hadn’t noticed before how tired she looked,” Jennie said. “Lying there in the hospital bed, she looked almost frail. She didn’t exactly tell me,” she said. “I asked her.”