JENNIE
"So, spill it. How was the first date?" Nayeon asked, crossing her leg, and laying back into the dull blue chair in my living room.
"Oh man, let's just say it wasn't a shining moment." Rolling my eyes, I tucked my palms between my thighs.
"You need to give me more than that. What happened, what was he like, was he cute?" Flailing her hand, she nodded at me. "Don't sugar coat it, give me details."
"Nayeon, I made a complete ass of myself—as usual." Laughing, I said, "My date left covered in liquor and with a busted nose."
Clapping her hands, her face beamed. "That's priceless, he won't forget that night, now will he?"
I couldn't stop giggling. She was right, and it wasn't the first time a date ended in injury. But at least at this point in my life, it was something I could laugh about.
Reaching for the glass of wine on the coffee table, I must have smirked in a way that made it look like I was hiding something. "What are you not telling me?" Nayeon asked.
Nope, not this time.
Was I going to hide what happened between Lisa and myself? Absolutely.
That was between us, not for her greedy little gossip mouth to spread to everyone else. I knew my friend, if she could plaster that news on Twitter or some other social media, she absolutely would.
"Nothing, it's just crazy how I get into those situations. You remember what happened to Lucas back in high school, don't you?"
Shaking her head, Nayeon's mouth dropped open. "You know I do."
Back in eleventh grade, I had dated this guy named Lucas for a few months. It should have been a sweet, normal relationship, that ended like any other high school love does. But not for me, not with these feet.
Lucas had taken me to the junior prom, which ended in horror. By the end of the night, I had spilled two sodas on his tux, crushed his feet in my heels, then to my disbelief, a giant ring I decided to wear, caught the seam of his pants.
A small string was dangling, and I, trying to be nice, decided to pluck it away. That single gesture left him with a giant hole in his ass, and his bare backside on display.
Unbeknownst to me, Lucas had decided not to wear boxers. I suppose he thought the night would end with us in the backseat of his car.
Instead, he ran out mortified, leaving me alone, shocked, and single the next morning. He didn't speak to me again after that and we had every class together our senior year.
"How are the kids?" I asked, trying to send our conversation in a totally different direction.
"You see this?" Nayeon asked, pointing at her scalp.
"See what?" Leaning over, I examined her head.
"The freaking gray hairs, the kids are giving them to me, I know it." Shaking her head, she went on. "You're lucky you only have one, Jen. And your one is a damn angel. Do you have any idea how lucky you are?"
"Yeah, but you know a teenage girl is a handful. You have boys, you only have to worry about a few penises. I have to worry about every damn one when she gets older, so I'm lucky now, but we might be on different plains by then."
Laughing, Nayeon shot me a wide stare. "I never thought about that, holy fuck you're right." Brushing the hair from her face, she asked. "Where is the little one anyway?"
"She's out with my mom, they should be back soon."
"Nice. So when do you meet with Lisa again? Did she tell you what the next step is?"
A quick snap of my chest shot me up right, my fingers nervously danced over my glass. "Oh, uh, well. . . I'm supposed to go out on another date this weekend."
I don't want to. I want Lisa.
But I understood her rationale, and I couldn't deny the fact I had the same thoughts. Except that didn't make the idea sit any better in my chest. My heart burned for her, my body ached for her to just touch me one more time.
I didn't need another date, I needed more of her.
There was a piece of me that wanted to tell her that when she was here. But she made it pretty clear, it couldn't happen again.
Was it a mistake? Did she regret what happened?
My heart ached not being able to ask her. It was bad enough I couldn't ask her about who she was or about her past. Maybe she wanted to hide it, or bury it the same way I tried to bury the pain from mine.
Lisa had mentioned one small fact, she was a foster child. And that might be the only insight I ever got into her world. One fact the rest of the world and magazines didn't know.
Either way. . . I would never get my answer.
The front door busted open, Ella popping through holding a bag from J's Burger. "Mommy, look what I got!" she yelled, running at full speed towards me, holding out a bright yellow toy.
"What is it?" I asked, grabbing her shoulders and stopping her before she knocked us both over.
"It's a T-Rex!"
"Very cool, Ella," I said, hugging her tightly.
My mother stepped in a few seconds behind her, her eyes falling over me before a short snap towards Nayeon. "Nayeon Reynolds, how's the hips, Sweetheart? Still limber?"
Nayeon chuckled, shaking her head. "Same as they've always been, Mrs. Kim. Thanks for asking. How's the age, still climbing?" Smirking, she looked at me from the corner of her eye.
My mother and Nayeon had never really seen eye to eye. Both of them were hard headed, with strong personalities, and from my perspective, the same damn person.
But, hell, what did I know. Neither one would ever admit that they genuinely liked the other, but the tiny smirks that filled their faces, showed they respected each other.
"Oh, Honey, I'm like a fine wine, just ask my husband."
"Mom, gross." I snapped.
"Oh yeah, like you should talk. Who's this mattress woman Ella went on and on about?"
"Wh—what?" Stumbling on my tongue, Nayeon whipped her head around.
"Mattress woman? What's your mom talking about?"
"Nothing, it's nothing," I said, waving a hand in the air. "Was Ella good?"
Shaking her finger, my mother closed the door and peered at me through a sideways glance. "She was fine, except for all this talk about a woman who fixed your bed and hers. And then she couldn't stop talking about how that woman loved your pancakes. Care to explain?"
"No, I don't. Honestly, it's none of your business."
"Jen, who's the mattress woman? Did you slip her in after I left that night?" Nayeon's lips slit open, teeth biting down on her tongue. "Do tell."
"I don't want to talk about it. Look, I have to work tomorrow, I'm happy you stopped by, Nayeon, and thank you Mom, for taking Ella out to dinner, But I need to get some sleep." Standing, I stepped to the door and tore it open.
Nayeon's smile was endless, plastered from ear to ear. "You have some explaining to do, Missy, I'll call you tomorrow."
"Oh, Nayeon," My mother said, lifting her hand and letting it sway in the air. "You have enough kids, you don't need to use my daughter's wild night to get you riled up for your husband."
"You know, you're very insightful, but I need details. How do you think I even have sex anymore? It's through others, because my life lacks excitement."
"No, Honey, excitement just got worn out on you and your loose lips."
Giggling, Nayeon pointed her thumb over her shoulder as she walked out the door. "I love your mom, she's great."
Nodding, my lips pulled tight. "Yes, she's wonderful."
My mother followed Nayeon out the door, her brows furrowed. "Don't say you love me, you're not supposed to love me. Love the fact that you haven't hit menopause yet, because that's when shit goes dry, and trust me, you won't like that one bit."
Slamming a palm to my forehead, I watched the two women climb into their cars. Nayeon still gawked at me, pointing at my mom and laughing, and my mother sneered, winking in my direction.
The two of them have tried to make me think that neither liked each other, they were such liars. If I didn't know better, I bet Nayeon was going to call my mom and try to get any information she could.
Mind you, her info would be manipulated by the words of a five year old and the mind of my mother. Either way, I was going to be questioned at some point like a criminal in the interrogation room.
Lucky me.
Closing the door, I leaned against the wood, biting my thumbnail. I wanted to tell Nayeon how incredible my night was with Lisa. The way her hips dug down as she stretched me open, the feel of her muscles under my fingertips, the heat that turned my body from cold to tempered.
Nayeon would have eaten it up, eyes wide, ears pressing closer with each word. But I had to pretend it didn't happen, erase the blushing cheeks, and after sex glow.
A second date was being dangled in front of my face, and all I really wanted was to cuddle up into the strong arms of Lisa. I wasn't excited to dip my toes into the pool of men, I found exactly what I wanted.
But wanting didn't change the fact I was her client.
Wanting didn't make me brush away that she had a professional career to uphold.
It was need that was making my heart burn for her.
And need sat like a million pounds in my stomach.
I needed Lisa.