Jennie
"Did you see Rosé yesterday?" I ask Mino as we make breakfast.
"Before we talk about me, let's talk about you. What happened last night?"
"I went to see Lisa." I take the orange juice from the fridge.
"Are you two a thing now or what?"
"We're just friends. Like you said, she could use a friend right now."
"A friend who goes to her house at midnight? Sounds more like a booty call."
"It wasn't a booty call. She didn't even know I was coming over. I hadn't talked to her all day so I decided to just stop by and see how she was doing. I was only there a few minutes." I get some glasses out and pour the juice. "Mino, you've gotta stop this. You don't have to know where I am and what I'm doing at all times. When you were overseas, I took care of myself just fine, without anyone looking out for me."
"But now I'm here, and as your brother, it's my job to keep you safe."
"Actually, it's not." I hand Mino his orange juice. "And besides, what exactly do you think Lisa's going to do? She's not dangerous."
"I'm not worried about her hurting you physically. I'm worried about her breaking your heart. She's not the type of girl to be in a relationship, which makes me question her motives when it comes to you. You're a pretty girl, and people like her go after pretty girls, especially when they don't have to work hard."
"What are you trying to say? That I'm easy to take advantage of?"
"No, of course not. But you're kind and compassionate and always want to help people. I don't want Lisa using that to get to you."
"She's not. And who's to say I'm not the one pushing this? Maybe I like her as more than a friend."
"Then you're setting yourself up to get hurt." I give him an angry look. "I'm sorry, Jennie, but it's the truth. Lisa's a football star. Headed for the pros. I don't know the girl, but I'm sure she's got a pretty big ego. It's almost impossible not to when you're that young and getting that much attention from the media. Sports agents. Girls. The girl's got a lot going for her. She's focused on her future and what she needs to do to make it to the pros. She's not going to get into a relationship and settle down."
I'm tempted to tell Mino what Lisa said about not liking football as much as she used to, but Lisa doesn't want anyone knowing that so I keep it to myself.
"Lisa may not even play again," I point out.
"Maybe not in college, but that doesn't mean she can't keep training and try to go pro. Her dad's an agent. He's gonna make sure his daughter gets signed by a team."
Again, I wish I could tell Mino how Lisa and her dad don't agree on her future, but that's not my secret to tell.
"Jennie, I'm not saying you can't be friends with the girl. I'm just saying to leave it at that. Don't try to be more than friends. You'll just end up getting hurt."
"It's my decision to make, not yours." I hand him a box of cereal. "You don't know Lisa the way I do. She's not the girl you think she is."
Mino sighs as he pours cereal in his bowl.
Choosing to ignore his disapproval, I switch topics. "So what about Rosé? Did you see her?"
"Yeah. We had dinner last night. She offered to make it but I took her out instead."
I smile. "So you went on a date. An actual date."
He grins. "I guess you could call it that."
"Did you do anything afterward?"
"We walked around the park. Then we sat on a bench and talked. She likes being outdoors."
"Just like you. Sounds like you guys have a lot in common."
"Yeah, I think there might be something there."
I hope so. He really needs this. A new relationship is the only way he's going to move on from Tricia.
Later that morning, as I'm finishing up at a house, my boss calls to tell me I have the afternoon off because the homeowners cancelled their scheduled cleaning.
With my afternoon free, I call up Lisa.
"Hey. What are you doing?"
"Just having lunch. Are you on break?"
"I just finished up at a house. The next house cancelled so I'm free for the afternoon. You want to do something? I could come over."
"I have that doctor's appointment."
"Oh, yeah, I forgot." I know she'll probably turn me down but I ask anyway. "Why don't I take you to your appointment? Then you won't have to take a cab."
"That's all right. I already called and arranged for them to pick me up."
"So call them back and tell them you no longer need a ride. You'll save on cab fare."
"It's not that expensive. And I have the money. My parents add money to my bank account every month."
How great would that be? To have money deposited in your account without having to work for it? If only her parents would be actual parents and not just a source of income.
"It's not just about the money," I tell her. "I want to take you."
"And I don't want you to," she says in a clipped tone.
"I won't go in the room with you. I'll just hang out in the waiting room."
"I like taking a cab."
"But it'd be a lot easier for you to get in and out of my van."
"I said no!" Her voice is raised and she's breathing hard.
I pause to let her cool down. Why does she get this way? She's so hot and cold.
"Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Bye, Lisa."
She doesn't say goodbye so I just end the call. I don't understand why she gets so angry whenever I offer to help. I really don't like that about her.
I go home and change clothes and have lunch, trying to decide how to spend my rare afternoon off. Although it's boring, a nap sounds good. I never get enough sleep.
My phone rings. It's Lisa. I'm mad at her for how she treated me earlier and consider not answering, but then I do.
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry," she says. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just nervous about my appointment."
"I understand, but you don't have to take it out on me."
"I know, which is why I'm calling to say I'm sorry." She pauses. "Do you think maybe you could still take me?"
"Sure. What time do you need to be there?"
"Two-thirty."
Checking the clock, I see it's just after one. "I'll be there around two."
"Is there any way you could come over now? Like I said, I'm kind of nervous and you have a way of making me feel calm."
I smile. "Because of what we do when I'm there?"
"No. That makes me feel something else." She chuckles, then gets serious. "It's you. Being around you makes me feel calm."
Getting up from the table, I take my plate to the sink. "Give me a few minutes and then I'll leave."
"Thanks, Jennie."
"No problem. See you soon."
I make her feel calm? Does that mean she normally feels anxious? It makes sense that she would, given her uncertain future and all the pressure she's under from her father. But why do I make her feel calm?
When I arrive at her house, I find that it's cleaner than usual. No clothes tossed on the furniture. No dishes left out.
"You cleaned?" I ask.
She pulls me down to the couch for a kiss. "The less time you have to spend cleaning, the more time I get to spend with you."
We kiss again, and keep it up until it's time to leave for her appointment.
"Don't you want to bring these?" I point to the crutches that are leaning against the wall.
"No. I don't want to jinx anything."
"We could just keep them in the van."
"I'd rather not. I don't know what's going to happen today and I don't want to get my hopes up."
She's getting nervous again. I can sense it. She was fine when I got here but now she's anxious, wanting to get this over with. She hasn't said anything about the appointment so I don't exactly know what it is she's worried about and I'm not sure if I should ask.
"Lisa." I stand in front of her before she goes outside.
"What?"
"It's going to be fine."
She nods but doesn't say anything. We go out to the driveway and get in the van.
On the way to the clinic, she says, "Today is when I find out if I'll need more surgery."
"Oh. I didn't know they were considering surgery."
"If it isn't healing right, then yeah. Then I'll be stuck in the chair even longer."
I reach over and hold her hand. "That's not gonna happen."
She looks away, out the side window.
At the clinic, I sit in the waiting room while Lisa sees the doctor. Mino calls while I'm waiting. He wasn't at the apartment when I was there during lunch.
"Hey. I'm going out tonight," he says. "I don't know what time I'll be home."
"Why are you telling me this? You know I don't get off work until midnight."
"I might be out later than that. Rosé and I are going to the late movie after she gets off work."
"Another date?" I smile. "That's two in a row. And during the week. This is getting serious."
He ignores my teasing. "Just wanted to let you know where I'd be. I don't want to bother you at work so I'll let you go."
"I'm not at work. The homeowners cancelled today's cleaning."
"So where are you?"
"At Lisa's doctor's appointment. She's in there now. I'm in the waiting room."
"You took her to the doctor?"
"She didn't have anyone else to take her." I whisper it so the people next to me won't hear. They saw Lisa go in and I'm sure they know who she is. I don't want them spreading rumors about her.
"Sounds like something a girlfriend would do," Mino says.
"Or a friend."
"I'm just kidding. It was nice of you to take her. Jennie, I gotta go. Text me when you get home from work tonight so I don't worry."
"Exactly how late do you plan to be out?"
"I'm playing it by ear. Maybe we'll get something to eat after the movie."
"Which is code for going to her place," I say, laughing to myself.
"Bye, Jennie," he says in his annoyed-with-me voice. He gets annoyed when I tease him about his love life, even though he does it to me all the time.
After we hang up, I go find a vending machine and get a bottle of water. Before Lisa went in to see the doctor, she gave me a $10 bill and told me to go get a coffee somewhere so I wasn't stuck here at the clinic, but I didn't want to leave and have her waiting for me. Still, it was a nice gesture. When she's not in one of her moods, she can be really nice.
An hour goes by and I start to get concerned. What's taking so long? Just as I'm thinking that, she appears in the waiting room.
"Ready to go?" She asks, wheeling her chair over to me.
"You're smiling," I say, keeping my voice down because the people across from me are watching us. "Does that mean—"
"Wait until we're in the car."
Once we're in the van she says, "The doctor said I could start using the crutches and that I'll be able start physical therapy in a week or two."
"That's great!"
"Yeah. I might even be able to toss the football around at practice."
She still wants to play football? But she said it doesn't make her happy. It's not the time to talk about that so I don't.
"Want to go somewhere to celebrate?" I ask as we're sitting at a stoplight.
"No. Let's just go home."
"You don't have to use the chair anymore. I thought that was the reason you didn't want to go out."
"I don't feel like going out. Not right now."
"Okay." I turn down the road that heads back to her house. She seems moody again. Whenever the topics of football or her leg come up, she gets moody.
Back at her house, she tries out the crutches. "Feels good to stand up again."
I watch as she moves through the living room. "You're good with those. You don't even wobble."
"I broke my ankle in eighth grade. Had to use crutches for a few weeks." She makes her way back to me. "Now I don't have to reach up to kiss you. I can bend down, like I should've been doing."
She's a good ten inches taller than me. I'm not used to having to look up at her.
We kiss and make our way to the couch, where we kiss some more until I have to leave for my shift at The Chicken Shack.
As I get up, she pulls me back down. "Wait."
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry I was such an ass today. It was only because I was afraid of what I'd find out."
I nod. "I know."
She looks at me with those deep brown eyes. "Thank you for driving me. And coming with. I was so freaking nervous. It really helped to have you there."
"Any time."
She kisses me. "Have a good night. Call me later, okay?"
"I will."
As I'm leaving, I feel happy but confused. On the one hand, I feel like we're becoming closer. Like she's sharing things with me that she wouldn't share with anyone else. But then she gets moody and pushes me away and I get confused. I feel like she's shutting me out but I don't know why.
It's that constant push and pull that has me thinking this will never go anywhere. And maybe it won't. Maybe I just need to accept this for what it is. Just a short term fling. A summer romance.
The following afternoon, I head to Lisa's house to clean. It's the first time I've actually looked forward to one of my cleaning jobs. I thought of wearing regular clothes instead of my uniform but then decided to just wear it. Besides, I think Lisa secretly likes it.
She meets me at the door on her crutches. It's nice to see her standing up for a change. She's really tall.
"Hello, Ms. Manoban," I say in a formal tone. "I'm here to clean your house."
"Hey." She smiles and leans down to kiss me.
"I don't think you're allowed to do that, Ms. Manoban," I tease.
"And I don't think you're supposed to show up here looking so damn sexy." She pulls me inside and closes the door.
My eyes fall shut as she lays soft kisses down my neck. "I have to clean."
"Forget the cleaning." She brings me to the couch, tossing her crutches aside as she sits down and pulls me onto her lap. "I'm giving you the afternoon off." She cradles the back of my head as her lips cover mine, parting them and taking the kiss deeper.
She kisses better than anyone I've ever dated, which explains why I can't stop kissing her. I feel her hand on my thigh and secretly wish she'd move it up to where I want it. I want her to touch me there. I need her to. But instead her hand goes to the top of my dress, unbuttoning it down to my bra.
She roughly shoves the fabric down which makes me break from her lips, inhaling sharply.
She gives me that sexy bad-girl grin of hers. "Can I?"
I bite my lip and nod. Her mouth lowers to my breast and I softly moan as she sucks and licks and gently tugs on my nipple. Her hand returns to my thigh and she slowly slides it under my dress until she reaches my panties. Finally! She strokes a path over the fabric, back and forth, with a light, teasing touch that's pure torture. I rub myself against her hand, begging for more. She pushes my panties aside, then slips two fingers inside me.
I gasp at her boldness but love it. She knew what I wanted it and didn't make me wait. I feel her erection pressing against me and all I can think about is how much I want it inside me. I said I wouldn't do it, but I've changed my mind. I haven't been with someone in almost a year and I need this. I really, really need this.
"Oh God!" I cry out as I come, sweat trickling down my chest. The air conditioner's cranked up so it's cold in here but I'm burning up inside.
Lisa covers my mouth with hers and kisses me as her hand slides back down my thigh, gently squeezing it.
"Better than cleaning?" She asks, smiling against my lips.
"Way better." I slide off her lap and unbutton the rest of my dress while kicking my shoes off.
Lisa's eyes rake over my body. "What are you doing?"
"Undressing." I unhook my bra and toss it aside along with my dress.
"I can see that. Are you saying we're—"
I kiss her before she can finish. Then I quickly undo her belt and her shorts.
She stops and looks at me. "You sure about this?"
"More than sure."
She smiles. "Let's go to the bedroom. I don't want to do it here."
We make our way to her room, which isn't a mess like it was last week. She really did clean so I wouldn't have to.
As she undresses herself, I shove the covers back and get in her bed. She has bright white sheets that are buttery soft and seem expensive. Her mom must've picked them out. I can't imagine Lisa shopping for sheets.
She grabs a condom from the nightstand and I watch as she puts it on. The rumors are true. Lisa Manoban is huge. I thought girls were just saying that when I overheard them bragging about being with her, but it's true. It's all true.
She lies next to me on her back. "You're gonna have to take over. I'm kind of limited in what I can do."
I don't mind. I have no problem being on top. In fact, sometimes I prefer it.
I straddle her, being careful of her leg. She grips my ass as I slowly lower over her, taking time to let my body adjust to her size.
"You okay?" She asks since I'm being so cautious.
"Yeah." I lean down and kiss her. With her fully inside, I start slowly rocking my hips back and forth.
She groans. "Fuck, that feels good." Her eyes go to mine. "Sit up. I want to see you."
Lifting up, I continue my movements as she eyes my body, her hand tracing over my breast and down my stomach.
"You're beautiful," she says.
I close my eyes, focusing on her touch and the feel of her hand as it continues to move over my skin.
When I open my eyes, I see her watching me. Her eyes lift slowly to mine and I feel something between us. Emotions I can't quite identify but ones we shouldn't be feeling.
This is turning out to be more intimate than I expected. It was only supposed to be sex, just bodies coming together satisfying a need. But it's more than that. We're letting our emotions get involved and we shouldn't. We were just supposed to be friends. Friends offering each other support and meeting each other's physical needs.
Turning my focus back to that, I close my eyes and speed up my movements. Lisa grabs my hips and I lean forward, holding onto her shoulders. Soon my body is flooded with pleasure and I'm struggling to catch my breath. I keep going and feel Lisa's muscles tense and her fingers dig into my flesh as she comes.
She's breathing heavy, her eyes closed. I hover over her, then see her eyes open to look at me. I feel it again. The feeling that this was more than sex. More than just satisfying a need. But neither of us says anything.
She pulls me down over her chest and I lie there and feel her kiss my head. It feels real. Like she really cares about me. And I have to admit, I care about her too.