JENNIE

Grumbling to myself, I slammed the curler down onto the sink. Staring in the mirror, my fingers wrapped the edge of the cold porcelain.

I hated my hair, it never did anything no matter how much I tried. Even with a curler, and enough hairspray to light up an entire building, it still fell flat.

It's probably a good idea for me stay away from any open flames tonight.

Lifting the stiff ends, I let the sticky locks drop back down to my shoulders.

This will just have to do. I'm sure it's fine.

"Jennie, they're here!" my mom yelled to me from the living room.

My mother—whom I loved dearly—had the filter of an old man waiting for death to grab him by the ankle and yank him into the ground. And lucky for me, she was my babysitter for Ella this evening.

It's not that she was really old, she just didn't give a shit about what she said. It was a pro and con in the game of having her babysit.

She wasn't afraid to tell Ella no, but she sure as hell told her a lot more than a five year old's ears need to hear.

The last time she watched her, Ella came home to tell me that the tooth fairy was an ideological creature made up by the dental industry to up the sales of toothpaste. She went on to say that even if it was real, it would be a small, freakish creature that would hover over you at night to steal your own personal property.

And yes, those were the exact words she used.

"Alright, I won't be out late. I'm thinking eleven, maybe twelve the latest," I said, adjusting my skirt.

"You look like you're going out to buy smack, Jennie. Are you trying to look like a street walker?"

"Mom!"

Ella glanced between us, wonder floating through her gaze. "What's smack? Can you bring me home some? Is it like that cereal in the commercial? I love cereal."

"No, Honey, smack is what the fluezies get after they get paid." My mom ran a hand over her back, speaking as if the conversation was even remotely appropriate.

"Mom, that's enough. Ella, Honey, do you have your book ready for Grandma to read later before bed?"

"Oh, no, I'll go get it now." Hopping up, she skipped off down the hall with no more questions.

Thank God, I don't want to explain what a fluezie is or smack for that matter.

My hands jerked to my hips, eyes slitting tight when she was out of ear shot. "Mom, you can't talk like that around her, she's too young for that."

"What?" Her back went straight as she tugged the glasses down the bridge of her nose. "Jennie, come on, you can't sugarcoat shit for her. That's why this world is filled with so much crap now, because parents are afraid to be honest."

"Look, just don't, okay? I'm asking you to respect my house and how I want to raise my daughter. Can we please just keep it G-rated? I don't think that's too much to ask for."

"So now you want to revoke my right to freedom of speech?"

"What? No, that's not what I'm saying at all." Shutting my eyes, I inhaled a deep breath, pinching the sides of my nose. "Can you just please, for once, leave your opinionated rants at the door?"

"Well it's not my fault you're dressed like a hooker looking for drugs. An outfit like that is going to bring a lot more attention than you want. Unless you're after dick, then the skirt is screaming just what you're going for. It's about time you got some, me and your father still try to get it on once a month or so." Falling back into the cushion of my recliner, she tapped her chin.

Eew! No, just no.

"Mom, I'm— forget it— just have her in bed by eight, alright?"

"That I can do, CSI comes on at eight, and I'll be damned if I'm going to miss it."

Ella popped back into the room, carrying her book against her chest. "Got it, Mommy. And I picked a good one for tonight."

"Perfect. You be good for Grandma, alright?" Nodding, she twisted in place. "I love you, I'll see you in the morning."

"Love you too, Mommy."

Closing the door behind me, I exhaled a huge sigh. I knew Ella was safe, and I trusted my mother with her. I just hated not knowing what words would come out of her mouth in the morning.

But as my mother so kindly pointed out to me many, many times before; she raised me, and I turned out just fine. I suppose that should be some sort of comfort, because I'm totally normal. . .

It'll just be damage control I'm doing tomorrow. And maybe a little reminding to Ella that her grandmother is getting old, and to not listen to everything she says.

"Come on, Jen, we're going to be late!" Nayeon barked from the car window.

"Late? Late for what?" I asked, pulling the rear door open.

"We have a little surprise for you, something to help with your issue."

"My what? I don't have issue," I said with a nervous giggle.

"Yes you do and we have just the thing to fix that. Trust us, alright?"

Oh no. What did they do?

"What are you guys up to?"

Rosé glanced over her shoulder, smiling with bright red lips. "We got you some help for your little fear. You can't die a bitter old woman, Jen, and this is going to help you."

Covering my eyes, I let my head fall back into the seat. "I hate you guys, you know that?"

"No you don't, you love us." nayeon blew a kiss in my direction, laughing softly. "Just trust us."

"I don't have issue. If the right one came along, then I'd try, but he hasn't yet."

"Jennie, Taehyung has been gone for half a decade, you need a companion. Fuck, even a friend with benefits at this point would do you some good. You can't live your entire life around people who can't even ride a roller coaster. You need adults, friends that aren't us, friends with big dicks, who can give you some stress release." Nayeon's body twisted, her eyes that were normally blue, glistened a deep black in the dark car.

"Nayeon, I'm not really that desperate." Tucking my hands under my thighs, I said, "That's what they make vibrators for."

"Ha. Ha." Her laugh was dry and sarcastic. "No. Those are good for a quick fix once in awhile, but you need real meat."

"That sounds gross."

"It sounds delicious, and you can bet your ass when I get home later, I'll be jumping Jungkook's cock."

"First... That's too much info. Second, why do you guys care so much about my sex life?"

"It's not so much your sex life, but your life in general. We know it was hard to lose Taehyung, and no one will ever replace him. But we don't want to see you cooped up in your place every day, night, weekend. We want you to realize that you're too young to spend the rest of your life alone. There are a lot of great guys in this town, and you should test the waters. You're twenty five, Jennie, the longer you're out, the harder it's going to be to jump back in."

"Fair enough, but I still have no clue what you guys are up to. And it would be nice to know what I'm walking into."

"Let's just say, we're leading you to the help. The rest will be up to you, okay?"

"That still doesn't make sense, but I'm not really getting an option in this matter, am I?"

Rosê held her head high as we pulled out of my street, reaching to the radio and twisting the volume up. "Nope, now enjoy the ride!" She yelled as her long blonde hair danced across her jaw.

Crossing my leg in the squeaky, cheap bar seat, my fingers nervously tapped the table. My friends had smiles glued to their faces, their lips curled high, resembling the taunting gleam of the Joker.

I had been trying to decipher this so called, 'ladies night,' but they weren't making it easy. Which was very typical of my two best friends. Our entire relationship Rosé and Nayeon were a ball of dirty ideas and crazy stunts.

Both of them were great at keeping a secret, even if their faces showed they were up to no good. The muscles in their faces were pulled back tightly as their eyes sparkled with a devious smile of their own.

The club, they so kindly dragged me to, was a small local bar, set in the heart of Hongdae.

The place was actually bigger than I expected from just looking at the outside, but about as nice as you would expect from a dive bar.

The floor was sticky in random places from spilled drinks and who knew what else. A small stage was set in the back corner for local bands trying to get into the music scene, Christmas lights decorated the beams spotted throughout the open room.

I was surprised at how packed the place actually was, especially since the bar was tucked in between two larger venues. Then again, maybe this was overflow from the other places if they were filled to the max. The spot could be pure brilliance on the owner's part.

I hadn't been to a bar in years, and the last time was one I tried to forget. I wasn't even old enough to be there, but Taehyung knew the bouncer and he was able to get me in. It was the week before he left for boot camp, and he wanted to get me drunk because he wasn't sure if he would be deployed during my twenty-first.

Despite the fact I was nineteen, and still had two years before turning legal age to get plastered, Taehyung insisted we take the opportunity while we could.

Always thinking a step ahead. God, I miss that man.

Well, he succeeded in his goal. I had gotten so wasted that night, that I started stripping on a pole set up for dancing, only to lose my footing. Crashing to the floor, I hit my head on the small stage, leaving a massive, golf ball-sized lump right above my eye.

And to top it all off, I threw up all over myself and three other people as he guided my stumbling body out of the place.

Maybe I don't want to forget that. It makes me smile.

"Alright, so what now? You guys have been just sitting there gawking at me forever. What the hell are we waiting for?" Spinning the straw in my glass, I bounced the ice around inside. "You guys didn't set me up on some blind date, did you?" The idea made my eyes shoot open and my mouth hang down. "Oh my god, did you set me up on a blind date?"

Nayeon waved her hand in the air, sneering with her eyes. "No, it's not a blind date. . ." Her fingers danced in air quotation marks as she glanced over at Rosé. "It's—"

Cutting her off, Rosê laid her hand across the table. "It's more of a date aid."

"A date aid?" I asked, arching a single brow into my hairline.

"Yeah, exactly."

"What the hell is a date aid?"

Before either could answer, their eyes grew to the size of the moon, heads tilting in unison. They looked mesmerized, lost in an image over my shoulder.

"What the hell is wrong with you two? What are you loo—" I couldn't finish my sentence, the words morphing into tumbling air.

Turning to follow their gaze, a broad shouldered woman was walking right towards us, her muscles firmed beneath her black suit. Her hair was tousled to perfection, jaw hard and sharp, ready to cut diamond.

I had fallen into the same frozen stare. The sounds of music beat around us, playing her the perfect song for her slow motion walk. I couldn't look away, I couldn't shake my eyes off her.

Coming straight towards us, her lips pulled back in a sultry smile. "Excuse me, I'm looking for Jennie. Are one of you lovely ladies her?" Her strong hands gripped the trim of her suit, flaring it open for a sudden peek at the hardness beneath.

My heart skipped, lungs tensing to her statuesque build. "I. . . I'm. . ." I couldn't speak, unable to find momentum to force the sounds off my tongue.

"Hi, I'm Nayeon and this is Rosé," she said, fanning a hand to her side. "We talked on the phone, you must be Lisa." Holding her hand out, Nayeon batted her lashes like a hungry lioness, ready to launch herself across the table, and claim her king of the pride.

Taking her hand, Lisa bent down and kissed the top with what looked like the softest lips ever. "Lisa Manoban at your service, Beautiful."

Nayeon giggled a nervous laugh, holding her fingers for a little longer than she probably should have. But the woman was fucking hot as hell, she'd probably set more flames to a burning inferno just by looking at it.

Gathering herself, Nayeon cleared her throat. "Um, this is Jennie, the woman we talked about."

Talked about? What did they talk about?

Her rich brown eyes fell over my face, draping my entire body in a world of warmth. My muscles shook, stomach twirling and coming alive with butterflies swarming inside. The intense gaze in her eyes flickered in the light, casting the brown in bursts of gold sparks and amber highlights.

I was wordless, unable to speak, unable to move, unable to even think straight. I sat there stone still, my lower lip jumping in small shock-waves trying to say anything. But I couldn't coordinate my lips and brain, they wouldn't mingle in the dance of speech.

"Jennie, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Your friend here has filled me in on a little bit about you, so it's nice to finally put a beautiful face to the name." Her thick fingers coiled around mine, lifting my hand to her lips.

Those lips, they were so much more than I imagined. They were soft, gentle, firm; the perfect lips dressing the perfect face.

Okay, what's this? Who's this?

Settling myself, I took in a slow, deep breath, and forced my head to clear. "It's nice to meet you too, Lisa." My eyes darted to my friends, who looked like they were about to drool and collapse onto the table. "But I'm sorry to say that my friends haven't told me yet what is going on or who you are exactly. Maybe you can fill me in on what this is?"

"May I?" she asked, holding the back of the chair to my left.

Rosé shuffled in her seat, pulling the chair away from the table. "Please, do."

"Thank you." Sitting her massive form down, she cupped her hands on the table top. "Well, to put it bluntly, I'm here for you. I'm here to help you with your little problem."

"Problem?" I asked, eyeing Nayeon and Rosé. The two girls smiled and sipped their drinks simultaneously, glancing off into the crowd on the dance floor.

"From what I understand, you're single and looking for love. Th—"

"Wait, wait, wait," I said, cutting her off. "Love? No, I'm not looking for love." Letting the tips of my fingers hover over my chest, I glared at my friends.

What the hell did you two do?

"Jennie, no one ever thinks their looking for love, but that's what they all want. Love doesn't have to be forever with someone. It can be finding out when you're with the right person how to love yourself or how to love your life."

"What the hell is going on? Is this a blind date? Did they tell you to try and swoon me with sweet words?"

Lisa let out a deep baritone laugh, drawing her hand over her jaw. My stomach flipped with desire, skin breaking in goosebumps as her eyes fell onto my face.

"No, it's not like that at all. They told me you were single and that they were worried you'd be single forever. That's where I come in." Rolling her hand, she dropped her head into her chest, looking up at me under hooded lids.

"Did they tell you why I was single?" Cocking my head, I shot angry eyes at my friends.

I didn't know what the hell they were thinking or why they would try and have the sexiest woman ever come and spill romantic statements on love and life to me.

Even if she did make my mind swirl in electric sparks, and my muscles jerk to life in a way I hadn't felt in years; I wasn't looking for love.

"No they didn't and it doesn't matter. Let me tell you what I do know, alright, and what my role is. Would that be okay?"

"Yeah, I guess," I said, fiddling with the cocktail napkin under my drink.

I couldn't understand it, I had no idea where it came from, but I was suddenly really nervous. The way she looked at me, the way her voice flowed off her lips with the richness of smooth cognac.

Eyes were the window to the soul, the light that feeds our drive and yields all our memories. A man's eyes are supposed to speak volumes about who they are, and her's drew me in, holding me hostage with magnetic power.

She was alluring in so many ways; the way her eyes pierced my body, the way she moved her hands as she spoke, the gentle puff of her chest as she shifted in her seat; it set my brain on autopilot.

I couldn't stop my body from lighting up in warm desire. Everything about that woman was making my sex pulse and my lungs heavy.

"I know you're a single mom, I know you used to love going out and enjoying the world around you. I also know you hate musicals and porcelain dolls, because you think they're creepy. And I know you have no idea on how to get a partner, and that's why I'm here. I'm a. . ." Pausing, her lip lifted to her cheek. "A dating coach, I guess is the best way to put it." Lisa's arms curled, smile peeling up on one side.

"A what?" My body slumped forward, shoulders falling with the realization my friends had hired someone to help me find a man.

Seriously?!?!

"Look, I don't like labels, but I can help you with your issue. I'll work with you to help you learn what guys look for in a woman, and what you should look for in a guy. I'll teach you the cues to an asshole—or a prick—and hopefully help you find what you're looking for."

Slamming my fingers to my forehead, I cupped my temples. "Are you fucking serious you guys? Did you really hire this guy?"

Nayeon leaned over, rubbing my elbow. "Jen, I'm going to be honest, you need the help. You were never good with guys since we were kids, and I just really want you to have the chance to realize there's someone out there for you. We didn't do this to be jerks, okay?"

Lisa leaned back in her seat, twining her fingers together. "Jennie, if you don't want to do this, I can't make you. But I promise you, you'll learn a lot if you let me help. But the choice is yours."

I didn't know what to think. My friends had hired me a handyman to find a boyfriend, what the hell was I supposed to do with that?

And she's the hottest thing I've ever seen on two feet.

What the hell could she possibly teach me? Aside from how to eye fuck her as she spoke, or dream of all the naughty things she could do to me.

Oh my God.

Wait. . . No.

Stop, just stop.

"Jen, just try it, see what she can do for you. I know I wouldn't pass her up." Smirking, Rosé teased the ends of her hair. "Come on, you know we would never do anything to hurt you."

I knew deep down they were right. My experiences before my husband were not exactly perfect and fault free. Taehyung happened into my world by chance and I was grateful for that. Before him I had pretty much screwed up all the other chances I had with men.

Hot air fell out from the back of my throat, followed by a deep grunt hitting the roof of my mouth. "Alright. I'll do this, whatever the hell this is." Shaking my head, I snapped it up to look at Lisa. "But, what happens if I decide this isn't for me?"

Holding her palms out, she said, "Then you call it off and we part ways. It's that easy."

"And how do I know you're not some crazy stalker who hunts down single women?"

"If I was a crazy stalker, Jennie, you wouldn't be seeing my face right now." Her brow arched up playfully, teeth tugging on her lower lip. "I'm a woman of my word, you will find what you're looking for."

And somehow with that little gesture, she had comforted my worries. I wasn't sure how, or why I suddenly trusted what she was saying. . . But I did.

Maybe it was the sternness of her voice, maybe it was the confidence she emitted as she spoke, the certainty that she was a woman who knew what she was doing.

Maybe I just knew my friends were right, and it was time for me to get back out there.

I wanted to be ready to let go of the life I wanted and finally embrace the life that had so unkindly been tossed at my feet.

Either way, I couldn't spend my time wrapped up in the dream that one day my husband would come home and my world would go back to the way it was.

The way it should have been.

It's time to move forward, Jennie.

"Okay, I'm in."

I hope I'm making the right choice.

Let this be a deal with the devil I won't want to give back.