JENNIE

After that day, I was more aware of Lisa. I couldn't help but notice how sweet she was. Her cute little nods "hello" when she entered the bar, how she would look at me and smile sometimes when she sang, how we chatted every morning over our coffees, how much I loved it when she would sing just for me at home. Every day I felt closer to her, which delighted me and worried me. But, wrong as it may be, noticing her distracted me from missing Taehyung. I still craved his phone calls, but if we went a day or two without one, I could satisfy my loneliness by spending time with Lisa. Lisa never seemed to mind me hanging around her. In fact, she seemed to encourage it.

We continued our friendly flirting that had started at Bumbershoot. On nice days, we would sit outside in her backyard and lay down on the grass to read and enjoy the sunshine. She would usually sunbathe and i lie close beside her, my heartbeat usually spiked a bit. She would eventually fall asleep and I'd roll on my side to watch her perfect face in slumber. Once, when I'd been doing that, she hadn't been asleep yet, and she'd smiled and cracked an eye open, making me blush furiously and roll onto my stomach to hide my head while she softly laughed at me.

On nights that I had off, she would sometimes come back home after rehearsal instead of going to Pete's with the guys, and we'd have dinner together and then snuggle close to watch a movie. Sometimes she'd put her arm around me and lightly rub mine with her fingertips. Sometimes she would hold my hand, playing with my fingers and smiling that amazingly sexy half-smile.

We'd sit together and cuddle on the couch, reading or watching TV before work, on the nights I did have to go in. She would always let me relax into her and put my head on her shoulder. Once, when I'd been exhausted after a sleepless night of missing Taehyung, we'd snuggled on the couch and she'd pulled me gently down, to rest my head on her lap. I had fallen asleep that way, turned slightly into her, with her arm over me protectively and her other hand running through my hair. Somewhere in the back of my head, I knew it was probably more than Taehyung would be okay with, but it was comforting, it was nice. It concerned me a little, how much I enjoyed being close to her…and yet, I couldn't seem to stop doing it.

One weeknight, someone put a particularly dancey song on the jukebox and Jackson (proudly wearing his Douchebags t-shirt) felt the need to grab every available girl, at every nearby table and pull her to the dance floor. Of course, they all went willingly. But then he spotted me and started moving suggestively in my direction. Not relishing his roaming hands anywhere near my body, I put my hands out in front of me and started backing up. Evan laughed and grabbed Somi for a quick dip, making her giggle. Lucas sat on the table, chuckling at everyone.

Jackson was almost within my reach, when I was suddenly pulled away and twirled a few times on the floor. Laughing at Jackson's disappointed face, Lisa spun me a few more times to the other side of the room. I smiled at her as she twirled me out and, kissing my hand, released me. Within seconds she was surrounded by a half-dozen women wanting to dance with their rock-god. She spent the remainder of the night dancing rather sexily with a rotating group of females. She moved effortlessly to the music and was exceedingly enticing to watch. I found my eyes roaming to her more than a few times during my shift.

I was still thinking of Lisa's body moving to the music when I opened our front door after work. I was greeted by a ringing phone. Smiling, and thinking it could only be Taehyung calling me this late at night, I received a small shock when I recognized the voice on the other line.

"Hey, sis"

"Jisoo! Long time no hear…what are you up too? Why are you calling so late?"

"Well, I received your care package today…" I had sent my parents and Jisoo some pictures of the city - my school, the bar and a picture of Lisa, Taehyung and me. "Oh my god…who is the hottie and why didn't you tell me about her the minute you got there?"

I should have realized earlier that Lisa would pique my sister's interest. "That's my roommate, Lisa."

"Damn! Now I'm coming to visit for sure."

My sister and Lisa in the same room together, now that would be interesting. I suddenly did not want my sister anywhere near her. "Well, now really isn't…wait, what about Haein?"

"Pfffttt….Haein, please. Compared with your hottie roommate? Sorry, no contest." Mom had told me that Jisoo had known Haein for a whole two weeks before moving in with him…apparently the honeymoon was over.

"Well, now really isn't a good time. School's about to start and Taehyung's still away…"

"Taehyung's gone?"

"Geeze, Jisoo, don't you ever talk to Mom and Dad?" I sighed, not really wanting to have that conversation with another family member.

"Not if I can help it…what happened?"

"It's a work thing…he had to go to Tucson for awhile." An "awhile" that was feeling like an eternity, and he hadn't called again today…

"Ahhh, so he's traipsing about the desert and he left you home alone with hot-bod?" I could hear the smirk through the phone line.

"God, Jisoo…it's not like that." I sighed. We were a little more…friendly with each other than before, but it most definitely, was not what my sister was thinking.

She laughed. "So, fill me in…it was Lisa, right? What's she like?"

"She's, well…" How did one sum up Lisa? "She's…nice." I glanced upstairs hoping that "she" was also asleep. She had ducked out of Pete's a few hours ago, after yawning three times in a row while talking to Somi. I guess being an early bird and a night owl eventually catches up with you.

"Oh god…she's different, isn't she? All the really hot ones are." She sighed, rather dramatically.

I laughed. No, from all I'd seen and heard so far, "No, I'm pretty sure she's not."

"Good! So when can I come up?" Her voice brightened at the prospect.

Mentally I sighed. She wasn't going to let this one go. "Okay, how about during winter break? We could all go clubbing or something?" I guess the image of Lisa dancing was still in my head. It was a good activity for all of us to go do though.

"Ohhh…I love that. All hot and sweaty on the dance floor with her. Of course, I could rip off her shirt, just to help her out, you know. Then later, we could snuggle in her bed to keep warm during the long, hard winter night."

"Jesus, Jisoo! I do have to live with that one." I really didn't like the picture she had just put in my head. Mentally laughing, a different version came to mind. "You know, if you think she's hot, you should see her friend Jackson."

"Reeeally?"

"Oh yeah!"

I spent the remainder of our conversation convincing her of Jackson's many virtues. I have never lied so much in my life.

The next afternoon, Taehyung finally called me after a two day absence. I felt like I hadn't talked to him, really talked to him in forever. I ached to actually see him, hold him. The conversation was brief, he seemed distracted - like the call was an obligation, and not something he really wanted to be doing. He excused himself a few minutes into the conversation, saying he was getting called away for a meeting. Ice flooded my stomach and my heart sank as I said goodbye and hung up the phone. I stared at it for twenty minutes, wondering if he would call back…wondering why he was talking to me less and less.

Later that same night, I woke up in a panic, heart fluttering wildly. I had been having a nightmare, I was sure of it. I couldn't remember the dream, just the underlying terror behind it. I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream, and I had no idea why. I sat up in bed and clutched my knees, trying to stabilize my breathing and my heart rate. I didn't want to close my eyes again. I looked around the darkened room, trying to get a bearing on what was real. Dresser, TV, nightstand, Taehyung's empty side of the bed…yep, all real, painfully real.

I had an overwhelming urge to talk to Taehyung. I wasn't sure, but I felt like my dream had been about him. I wondered if it was too late to call his hotel room. I sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the clock - 3:30. Ugh, that was too late to call, too early to wake him up. I'd have to wait a few more hours and see if I could catch him before work.

Oddly, I could hear sounds coming from downstairs and the television, flicking between channels. Thinking Lisa was awake and maybe I could talk to her instead, I got up and made my way down the stairs. Rounding the corner, the living room coming into view, I wanted to turn around and head right back to my room, but it was too late.

"Jennie! Hey, sex kitty! Jackson was standing in the living room sipping a beer, TV remote in hand. "Nice PJs." He winked at me and I blushed deeply.

Lisa looked over from the couch apologetically, as I finished walking down the steps. "Hey, sorry. We didn't mean to wake you." Lucas looked over from the comfortable chair and smiled at me. I didn't see Evan anywhere.

"You didn't…bad dream." I shrugged my shoulders.

She half-smiled at me. "Beer?" she asked, holding up her own a little.

"Sure." I didn't want to go back to sleep for awhile anyway.

She left to get me one from the kitchen, while I stood awkwardly behind Lucas in the chair. Jackson went back to flipping channels on the TV. Lucas turned to watch as well. Lisa reappeared a minute later and handing me a beer, nodded over to the couch. I followed her.

Jackson sat on the end of the couch, near the table, and set his beer down, frowning slightly. He didn't seem to be finding whatever he was looking for. I quickly passed Lisa and sat on the opposite side of the couch. Smiling at me and shaking her head, Lisa took the middle, sitting close to me, which made me grin. I scooted over to her and pressed against her side, pulling my feet up to the couch, my knees angled in, towards her. I had gotten so used to snuggling with her, that it was just a habit now. She smiled down at me, putting an arm around my thighs and nudging me playfully with her shoulder. I rested my head against it and smiled back.

Still looking frustrated, Jackson said, "You know, I've been thinking." Lucas groaned loudly and I laughed at him. Jackson ignored us both. "When this band breaks up…" I raised my head and my eyebrows at that and Lisa grinned at me. "I think I'll do God-rock."

Involuntarily, I spat back up the beer I had just taken a sip of. Luckily, most made it back in the bottle…the rest I started coughing on. Lisa smiled at me around her mouthful of beer and shaking her head at Jackson, rolled her eyes.

Lucas turned his spiky, blonde head to stare at Jackson incredulously. "God-rock…you? Reeeally."

Jackson smiled, still flipping through channels. "Yeah! All those hot, horny virgins. Are you kidding me!" He grinned devilishly while I continued choking on my beer.

Finally, he smiled and stopped flipping through channels, apparently finding whatever it was he was looking for. I swallowed a few times and took a long draw of beer to soothe my throat. Jackson said the oddest things sometimes. He really was kind of perfect for Jisoo. Sighing at that thought, I looked over at the television and finally noticed what he had stopped on. It looked like porn…or some cable show that was close enough to it. I could feel my cheeks flushing and I stared down at my bottle. Lucas and Jackson settled back to watch while Lisa looked over at me curiously.

I tried to stay composed. If I got up and left, Jackson would have a field day the next time I saw him at the bar. If I just sat here and pretended to watch with them for awhile, he would probably just let it go. The noises from the TV weren't helping with my blush however. Really, why did guys watch this stuff? Why was Lisa watching me?

Eventually, shw leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Are you uncomfortable?"

I shook my head no. I didn't want her thinking me any more prudish than she probably already did. In fact, if she could just ignore me and watch her smut, that would be great. I wondered how long I would need to sit here, until I could slip out unnoticed by the guys. Accepting my answer, Lisa leaned forward slightly, blocking my view of Jackson and Jackson's view of me. Grateful, I smiled and looked up at her face. She was intently watching the television set and I found the look on her face interesting. I had no desire to watch the movie, but watching Lisa watch it was fascinating.

At first she simply watched, but after awhile her eyes started changing, started burning with an alluring intenseness. She took a sip of her beer and swallowed, her mouth lingering on the bottle for an extra few seconds. Her lips parted slightly, her breath seemed to just fractionally increase. Still intently watching the screen, she brought her tongue slowly over her lower lip and then dragged her teeth even more slowly across them.

The move was so distractingly sexy that a soft noise escaped my throat and my breath caught. The sound of the TV drowned me out, but Lisa, being so close to me, noticed. Her smoldering brown eyes slid to mine. I could see why no woman resisted her with a gaze like that. I could feel my breath quicken in response. I couldn't imagine anyone telling that look no. Would I if she did anything? What was she thinking right now? I had no idea…

Her breath noticeably quickened in response to mine. Suddenly her gaze flicked down to my lips and I knew. I knew exactly what she was thinking. She shouldn't be thinking that. I shouldn't want her to think that. She touched her bottom lip with her tongue again and her gaze flicked back up to mine for a second. Her eyes burned even deeper. Her looked back down to my lips and started moving towards me. My heart raced. I knew I needed to push her back, I just couldn't think straight enough to remember why? I couldn't move.

I closed my eyes as I felt her draw even nearer. I was hyperaware of how close her body was to mine - her side pressing against me, her arm still across my thighs, her hand upon my leg. That knowledge, and the passionate noises from the TV, sent chills down my spine. After what felt like an eternity, she finally touched me, but not how I had been expecting her to. Her forehead touched mine and she rested her nose against mine. I could feel her breathing softly, but intensely, against me. Instinctually, I raised my chin to find her lips, a low noise escaping my throat again.

A micro-second before our mouths fully touched, when I could feel the heat of her skin, the barest brush of a lip, she glided her nose down along my cheek. I gasped at the close, but no-contact. She exhaled heavily down my throat, an enticing noise escaping her lips, making me shudder. She stayed there, taking two ragged breaths, while I unconsciously melted even more against her body, my knees turning even more into her, the hand on my lap dropping onto her thigh. I started to turn my head back towards her mouth. She smelled so good…

Suddenly she grabbed my hand on her thigh and almost painfully squeezed it. She ran her lips up to my ear and whispered roughly, "Come with me."

Not sure what she was going to do, not sure what I was going to do, I stood and followed her out of the room. Lucas and Jackson, who I had forgotten were even here, didn't look our way as we passed by. Surprisingly, she led me to the kitchen. I wasn't sure what she would do when we got there. I pictured her, once out of view of the guys, pulling me into her for a long, hot passionate kiss. I pictured her hands tangling in my hair, pulling me tight to her. I pictured her entire body pressed against mine. By the time we were in the kitchen, I was breathing a little raggedly.

Lisa, however…was perfectly fine. She let go of my hand as we got to the kitchen and poured a glass of water, setting her beer down on the counter. Confused, and a little annoyed at her quick change of emotion, I wondered if I had just imagined that little almost-incident in the living room. It had seemed like there was this electricity between us. She had been about to kiss me, I was pretty sure of that. Disturbingly enough, I had been about to kiss her as well. It was…confusing.

She smiled warmly, like nothing weird had just happened. Handing me the glass of water, she took my beer and set it on the counter near hers. I took a deep breath, calming my body, as I suddenly felt very, very stupid. Of course nothing had almost happened. She was a regular person, who got turned on watching some stupid, sexy movie, like any person would, and I had somehow turned that into her wanting me specifically. God, I must have looked like such an idiot with my eyes closed, waiting for her to kiss me. Embarrassment flashed through me and I gulped down my water, thankful for a reason to not look at her.

I peered back up when she spoke. "Sorry about the movie choice…" She smiled and laughed a little. "Jackson is, well…Jackson." She shrugged. Completely changing the subject, she said, "You seemed upset earlier on the stairs. You want to talk about your dream?" She leaned back against the counter near the fridge, crossing her arms against her chest, looking perfectly composed and relaxed.

Still feeling foolish, I muttered, "I don't remember it…just that it was bad."

"Oh," she said quietly, suddenly looking thoughtful.

Wishing I had just stayed in bed, I set down my nearly empty glass and started to walk past her. "I'm tired…good night, Lisa."

She smiled at me as I walked past. "Good night, Jennie," she nearly whispered.

Avoiding watching Lucas, Jackson or the seemingly endless erotic movie they were watching, I instead looked back through the living room to the rear window in the kitchen. There was enough reflection in the glass for me to clearly see Lisa, still leaning against the counter, but now she was slumped against it, pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers. She looked to have a headache. I wondered about that, but hurried up the stairs, not wanting her to notice me in the reflection watching her. And I really wanted to shut out the noise of that stupid, stupid movie.

I blushed slightly when I saw her the next morning, but she only smiled and offered me a cup of coffee. She made no mention of my embarrassing gaffe and I wasn't about to bring it up. Sitting across from her at the table, I noticed that she was wearing her Douchebags shirt again. I frowned over at her and she paled slightly.

"What?" she asked quietly, looking a little nervous.

Not understanding her reaction, I pointed to her shirt. "You never did get me one, you know," I said, as lightly as I could manage.

She visibly relaxed. "Oh…you're right." She nodded at me.

Then she shrugged and standing up, slipped the shirt off. I openly gaped at her as she flipped it right side out and slipped it over me. I couldn't even speak. Her body drew all of my attention as she fixed the shirt around me. I couldn't even help her. She had to put my arms through the holes like I was two.

"There. You can have mine." She smiled warmly, still standing in front of me.

My face was heating up and I was pretty sure I was blushing deeply. "I didn't mean…you didn't have to…" I couldn't even form a complete sentence.

She laughed softly. "Don't worry about it. I can get more. You wouldn't believe how many of those damn things Jackson made." She laughed again then turned to leave the room. I couldn't help but gape at her back as she left. She looked back at the entryway and caught me staring at her. She looked down and half-smiled. "I'll be right back." She looked back up at me, still smiling adorably and I blushed deeply, yet again.

Then the smell caught me. I actually closed my eyes it was so powerfully wonderful. I grabbed the bottom of the shirt and inhaled deeply. I don't know if it was her soap, her expensive shampoo, her laundry detergent, some cologne or just her natural scent, but she always smelled so incredibly good and now I was saturated in her smell. I was sitting there, inhaling her shirt like an idiot when she came back into the room.

She cocked her head to the side and smiled at me curiously, as I blushed deeply again and dropped her shirt. I suddenly wished I had never woken up this morning. How many ways could I look like an idiot in twenty-four hours? She sat back down in her chair and finished her coffee, her shirt now a brown that made her eyes seem even more intensely brown. I swallowed and concentrated on drinking my coffee.

We went about our day normally. I did laundry, she did the dishes. I vacuumed, she played her guitar. But I felt embarrassed all day. Last night had been mortifying. I was planning on staying far away from her. I was planning that, but, of course, when she went to watch TV for a little bit before leaving to meet with the guys, I looked at the couch longingly. She noticed and held her arm out, patting the cushion beside her hip with her other hand. I couldn't help it. I smiled and instantly cuddled into her side, resting my head on her shoulder. I was kind of addicted to it.

The weekend went by with plenty of handholding, cuddling on the couch, lingering hugs in the kitchen, resting on her lap, and lying in the backyard, but no more embarrassing near-kiss incidents. Before I knew it, it was Monday morning, and school was starting the very next day.

A phone call that afternoon incited my irritation…and my nerves.

"Hey, babe." Hearing Taehyung's accent usually made me smile, but I frowned, still frustrated at his more-often-than-not short, and seemingly uninterested, phone calls. "Jennie?"

I realized I hadn't answered him yet. "Hi," I mumbled.

He sighed. "You're mad aren't you."

"Maybe…" Yes…yes I was.

"I'm sorry…I know I've been, distracted lately. It's nothing against you, I promise. I'm just so busy."

His excuses weren't helping my irritation. "Whatever, Taehyung."

He sighed again. "I've got time…want to tell me about school tomorrow?"

I smiled a little that he remembered, and then frowned when I remembered. I was getting anxious for the morning. "I wish you were here…I'm really nervous."

He chuckled, probably remembering how I usually helped him…calm his nerves. "Ah, babe…you have no idea how much I wish I was with you right now. I miss you."

I smiled widely at that. "I miss you too…goofball."

He laughed genuinely. "Now tell me what you've been doing. I want to hear your voice…"

I laughed and spent the next hour telling him everything I could think of…well, I may have left out a few minor details about how close Lisa and I had become (and a certain nearly-intimate moment on the couch), but I told him everything else. It wasn't as effective as how I preferred to calm his nerves, but it did calm mine…a bit. I was able to get through work and get to sleep afterwards, with only the tiniest knot in my stomach.

I came down to the kitchen for my coffee the next morning with a slightly larger knot in my stomach. School started in a few hours and I hated the first day of a new school more than I hated the first day of a new job. I was frowning when I saw Lisa pouring her coffee. She was lightly singing one of her songs while she did it, a small smile on her lips. When the band played the song it was fast, but she was singing it slowly and softly, turning it into a ballad…it was beautiful.

I stopped a few steps into the kitchen and leaned against the counter to listen to her. She looked over at me, still singing, and smiled wider. Maybe she noticed my melancholy, maybe she just knew me well enough now, to know that I wasn't looking forward to today, or maybe she was just bored. For whatever reason, she reached out to me, and grabbing my hand, pulled me to her. I gasped in surprise then laughed as she put her other hand around my waist and started slow dancing with me.

She started singing the song louder and exaggerated our movements, eventually spinning me away from her then back to her. She playfully dipped me and I laughed again, my anxiety over today momentarily forgotten. She straightened me and slipped both arms around my waist. I sighed happily and slipped my arms around her neck, listening to the beautiful song she was softly singing again.

Abruptly, she stopped singing and gazed at me. I realized I had started running my hands through the back of her hair, twirling it around my fingers. It was incredibly pleasant, but I forcefully pulled my hands down and rested them on her shoulders.

Still holding me, she quietly said, "I know you'd rather have Taehyung here…" I stiffened fractionally at the mention of Taehyung's name, "but, could I take you to school on your first day?" She smiled sweetly at the end.

My heart sped a little, at her attractiveness and our closeness. Trying to look unaffected by her, I muttered, "I guess you'll do."

She laughed and squeezed me once before letting me go. "That's not something I'm used to women saying," she muttered, as she grabbed a mug for me from the cupboard.

Thinking I offended her, I quickly blurted out, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

She laughed again and looked over at me while she poured my coffee. "I'm just kidding, Jennie." She watched the coffee filling in my cup. "Well, kind of." She chuckled.

I blushed. "Oh…um…thank you…yes." I stumbled over my words and she chuckled again.

I anxiously got dressed for school and spent an inordinately long time brushing my hair and putting on my makeup. Not that I looked any better for all the effort, but it made me feel a little more put together and, hopefully, that would help me get through all the embarrassing introductions today. Maybe I'd just hide quietly in the back this week, until I got more comfortable in my classes.

I grabbed my bag, tossing my required books, tons of pencils and a couple notepads inside. Today was just one class (which I was grateful for), Microeconomics. I frowned as I thought of the class…that one would be Taehyung's favorite to talk about. In fact, I probably wouldn't be able to get him to shut up about it. I smiled. Maybe he'd call later and we could discuss it for hours…anything to hear his voice.

I came down when it was close enough to leave, and Lisa smiled softly when she saw me from the couch. "Ready?"

I sighed unhappily as she walked over to me. "No."

She grabbed my hand and smiling crookedly, in a way that made me nervous for a completely different reason, led me to the door. We drove there in silence while my stomach unnecessarily churned. Really, this wasn't that big of a deal, I kept repeating to my body…it refused to listen though.

Lisa's house was close to the University, so the drive didn't take long. Before I knew it, she was pulling into a parking space. My heart beat was irrationally fast. I must have looked pale…or ill…when Lisa parked the car. She looked over at me, concerned, and then opened her door and got out. Confused, I watched her walk over to me and open my door.

I smirked at her. "I think I can handle that." I nodded at the door as I stood up.

She chuckled and grabbed my hand again. Loving the comforting warmth, I squeezed it tightly and she smiled warmly at me. "Come on." She indicated the intimidating brick building where my class was.

We started walking towards it, as I looked up at her curiously. "And where are you going?"

She chuckled again as she looked down at me. "I'm walking you to class…obviously."

I rolled my eyes, feeling stupid that she felt the need to. Really, I could handle this… embarrassment. "You don't have to do that. I can manage."

She squeezed my hand encouragingly. "Maybe I want to." I looked away as we approached the building and she held the door open for me. "It's not like my mornings are earth-shatteringly busy or anything. I'd probably just be napping." She grinned wryly at me as I looked back at her and laughed.

"Why do you get up so early then?"

She laughed too as we walked down the hall - more than a few women were watching this model-worthy person walk past them. "It's not by choice…trust me. I would rather sleep-in, then function on four or five hours a night."

"Oh…you should go home and nap then," I said, as we approached my classroom.

"I will." She smiled as she opened the classroom door and I wondered if she was going to walk me to my seat too. She seemed to notice my odd look and grinned. "Would you like me to walk you in?"

Releasing her hand, I pushed her back a smidge. "No," I said playfully. Walking with her did help. I was a little more relaxed. Tilting my head to the side, I watched her thoughtfully at the door for a moment. "Thank you, Lisa." I leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek.

She looked down and glanced up at me from under her eyebrows, a small smile curving her lips. "You're welcome. I'll pick you up later."

I started to protest, "You don't have to…" She cut me off with a wry look and I closed my mouth and smiled. "Fine…I'll see you later."

Her eyes roamed the room once before returning to me. "Have fun." Then she turned and left, and I couldn't help but watch her backside leave for a few moments. Unfortunately, she looked back and caught me watching her, again. She smiled and waved, but I blushed horribly, feeling moronic.

Seriously, sometimes her looks were just too much. As I fully entered the room, I realized that I wasn't the only one who felt that way about Lisa. Most of the girls nearby were still watching the door, maybe wondering if she would return and join the class. Some of the girls were giggling and chatting with each other, pointing down the hallway, others were pointing at me. If I wasn't already blushing from being caught ogling Lisa, I would have blushed at their attention. One unfortunate side effect of hanging around her, it made people wonder about me when she was gone. So much for being a wall-flower in the back of the room. I hurriedly walked past the group as a couple of them were eyeing me, like they were going to ask me to join them…most likely to gossip about Lisa. I wasn't in the mood for awkward small talk with people I didn't know, so I found a seat near the back with only a couple of people around. A few women watched where I went, but none of them followed me.

The class was absorbing and before I knew it, it was also over. I smiled at how pleasant the experience had been and how I really hadn't needed to worry at all. I was good at school. My sister always told me that I was book-smart, not street-smart. I wasn't quite sure if that was an insult or not, but she was right, I was much better at dealing with assignments and tests, than people. I wasn't sure what career options that left me with. I was still debating a major, but I was leaning towards English. Again, I wasn't sure what career options that left me. Sometimes I was jealous of how certain Taehyung was of his life. He had always known what he wanted to do, and he went out and did it. I still had no clue.

True to her word, Lisa was waiting for me outside the door. I smiled when I saw her, even though the attention wasn't necessary. She grabbed my hand as I walked over to her. A couple of the women that had noticed her earlier were exiting the classroom as she glanced at the door. She smiled crookedly at them and they actually giggled. I rolled my eyes and shook my head at her unending flirtatiousness.

"Come on, Casanova," I muttered, pulling her away from the still giggling girls.

She frowned then laughed. "How was class?"

"Wonderful!" She shook her head at my enthusiasm. Apparently she wouldn't find a lecture on economics as interesting as I did. I smiled at the thought of her sitting through the class, bored stiff. "So…did you nap?"

She grinned and nodded. "Yeah, a good hour. I'm solid 'til three."

I shook my head at her. "How do you do that?"

She laughed as we exited the building. "It's a gift…it's a curse."

She drove me to and from school for the rest of the week, which was unnecessary, since Taehyung had left his beloved Honda for me, but nice, since I hated driving a stick. We chatted and laughed easily. She asked about all of my classes and what I liked the best and least about each one. She insisted on walking me to my first class every morning, which was also unnecessary, but sweet. The girls would quiet at her approach and watch her, practically with drool on their chins, as she said goodbye to me every morning. And she, of course, was only too aware of their attention and would oblige them with a wink or two. She would wait for me outside of class or in the parking lot after school, once with an espresso, making me gleefully happy.

Lisa made that first week of school a pleasant transition for me, when I had been expecting the worst. I was exceedingly grateful to her for that. In fact, there was only one thing that whole week that did not make me happy…and it was kind of a big one. Taehyung.

By that weekend, my irritation at him had grown exponentially. When he'd first left, he had called me every day. Then slowly, it had turned to every couple of days. But this week, I hadn't heard from him in five days – nothing! The last conversation we'd had was the day before my school started. I really thought he would call to see how it went, but he hadn't. I left messages at his hotel, but he was rarely ever there, his new job kept him so busy. So late Sunday night, after throwing on my pajamas and getting all ready for bed, I decided to try calling him one last time. When I finally got through to him in his room, I was ecstatic…at first.

"Hey, babe." His familiar warm accent filled my heart, but he did sound very tired.

"Hey! You okay, you sound exhausted. I could call back tomorrow?" I bit my lip, hoping he wouldn't ask me to do that. I leaned back against the kitchen counter and crossed my fingers.

"No, I'm glad you called. I need to talk to you." I suddenly wished he had asked me to call him back. Panicky ice filled my stomach.

"Oh?" I tried to keep my voice casual. "About what?"

He paused and my heart unexpectedly started pounding. "I did something. I don't think you're going to like it."

My mind instantly went through a horrible list of things that he could have possibly done that I wouldn't like. My thoughts flew once again to Lisa, and what could have happened while watching that stupid movie that Taehyung would not have liked. My throat tightened, but I managed to squeak out, "What?"

He paused for a long time and I suddenly wanted to scream at him to just tell me already! "Tuesday night, after work…" He paused again and my panicked mind started filling out my worst nightmare. "Mark offered me a permanent job here…"

Relief washed through me; my mind had come up with something much more horrifying. "Oh, Taehyung, you scared-"

He cut me off. "I took it."

My mind seemed sluggish. It took me a second to comprehend what that meant. When I did, my breath stopped. "You're not coming back…are you?"

"It's an offer of a lifetime, Jennie. They don't offer lead positions to interns - ever." Taehyung's voice quavered on the phone. This was a hard thing for him to say, he so hated doing anything that might cause me pain. "Please, try and understand."

"Understand? I left everything to come here for you! Now you're going to leave me here?" Tears were starting to well up in my eyes, but I swallowed them back. Now was not the time to lose it.

"It's just for two years…when your schooling is finished, you can come join me here," he begged. "We'll be back together soon. You'll love it here too."

My heart sank farther. Two years? A few weeks without him had been brutal, how would I ever make it through two long years…longer than we had even been together?

"No, Taehyung."

He didn't respond to that right away, the silence was deafening. "What do you mean?"

"No! I want you to come back! Stay with me, take another job. You're brilliant, you'll find something!" Now I was begging him.

"This is what I want, Jennie…" he whispered.

"More than me?" I knew it wasn't a fair question the moment it left my lips, but rage was building inside me.

"Jennie…" He said my name brokenly. "You know that's not it…"

"Really!" My anger was truly flaring now. "It sure feels like you're choosing your job over me, like you're leaving me." Some tiny part of my brain wanted to stop this horrid conversation, stop hurting him, but I just couldn't.

"Baby, it's just two years. I can visit every chance I get…" he tried again feebly, his accent thick with emotion.

My mind fumed. Two years…two freaking years! Without thinking, he had accepted a career in a city thousands of miles away, without even bothering to talk to me about it first and then he had sat on that information for days! I was stuck here in Seattle. My parents had been lenient, sort of, about the transfer, mainly because of the scholarship. They wouldn't let me transfer to yet another school in yet another state! They wouldn't pay for it anyway, and I couldn't afford two years of school on my own. The scholarship that I had won was my once in a lifetime. I didn't see fate lining up for me like that again.

I was stuck here until school ended…and he knew that.

He knew that! In my rage, my mind leapt to the first likeliest conclusion - he wanted me to stay. He wanted us to be apart. He wanted to leave me. He was breaking up with me. Fire burned in my belly. Well, I wasn't about to let him do it first.

"Don't bother, Taehyung! You've made your choice! I hope you enjoy your job!" I stressed the word harshly. "I'm staying here and you're staying there. We're done…goodbye."

After slamming the phone down on Taehyung, I unplugged it. I didn't want him to call back. I was so angry I didn't want to speak to him ever again. The thought of never seeing him again brought despair so quickly behind it, I couldn't breathe. I was gasping and my head was starting to spin. I sank to the floor as tears flowed freely and I could no longer hold back the sobs.

After what seemed like hours of gut-wrenching grief, I stood. I went to the fridge for water, but an open bottle of wine that we had never gotten around to drinking was right there in the door. I grabbed it instead and took a swig directly from the bottle. I knew it was a stupid way to cope with my despair, but I needed something. I needed a break from feelings. I would deal with them later.

Grabbing a water glass, instead of a fragile wine glass, I poured as much of the wine in it as possible and started chugging. It burned. Wine definitely wasn't meant to be drunk that way, but I was desperate for some relief from the pain.

It only took a few moments to empty the glass and I immediately refilled it. The sobs had finally stopped, although tears still fell. I could still see Taehyung's face in my mind - his beautiful, warm, brown eyes, his goofy grin, his alluring accent, the way he was always quick to laugh, his body, his heart. My own heart squeezed painfully and I pulled another long drink.

This wasn't real, I kept telling myself. There was no way things had just ended, no way we were now apart. He said I was his heart, and you don't leave your heart behind. You can't live without your heart.

I was just finishing the second glass and filling the third, and unfortunately the last, when I heard the front door open.

It must have been very late, or very early, depending on how you looked at it, and Lisa was home from a night with the guys at Pete's. She strolled into the kitchen and casually tossed her keys on the counter. She paused when she noticed me standing in the room. I wasn't usually awake this late on nights I didn't work.

"Hey."

I turned towards her but never stopped drinking my glass to answer. At the movement, I noticed that my head was starting to swim. Good.

I studied her silently. Her brown eyes had a slightly glazed look. She must have had a couple, or more than a couple, with the band. Her clothes were the basic look she preferred wearing - a just tight enough t-shirt, faded blue jeans and black work boots. Maybe it was the wine, maybe it was my grief, but tonight, she just looked extra-incredible. Her hair, tousled and messy, was sexy as hell. Wow, I thought, with the part of my brain that still could, drinking her in was more of a distraction for me than the wine.

"You okay?" She cocked her head to the side a little while she looked at me quizzically. It was unbelievably attractive and I stopped drinking for a moment.

"No." The word sounded slow to me, the wine working fast in my body. I felt steady enough to quickly add, "Taehyung isn't coming back…we're done."

Instantly, her gorgeous face filled with sympathy and she walked over to me. For a second, I thought she was going to put her arms around me. My heart started beating faster at the thought. But she leaned back against the counter instead, resting her hands behind her. I continued drinking my wine and watched her, watch me.

"You want to talk about it?"

I paused. "No."

She glanced over at the empty wine bottle on the counter and up again, at the glass I was just finishing. "You want some tequila?"

For the first time in what felt like years, I smiled. "Absolutely."

She reached to open the cupboard above the fridge, to rummage through a stash of alcohol bottles that I didn't even know were in there. Reaching up like that caused her shirt to stretch in delightful ways, showing just a hint of the skin at her waist. The painful thoughts of Taehyung were slowly fading, watching this absurdly attractive person. Damn, she was sexy.

She found what she wanted and twisted back around to me. I sighed as her shirt lowered. Sudden loneliness washed through my alcohol-soaked brain. I was alone now. I had moved all the way out here to be with Taehyung and now I was completely alone. I watched Lisa's body move enticingly under her clothes as she grabbed us glasses, salt and limes. My loneliness faded and started transforming into something else entirely.

She finished pouring and with an alluring half-smile, she handed me my drink. "Cure for heartache, I'm told."

I reached for the glass and my fingers brushed hers. That slight touch caused heat to rise up my hand and I idly thought she might be the better cure.

I had seen numerous people at the bar do shooters. I had done them before. But the way Lisa did it was so downright sexy, I felt a little dirty watching her. The wine surging through my system turned every move she made erotic, apparently. She used a finger dipped in alcohol to wet the back of her hand, then mine. She shook a little salt over them while I wondered at how my hand suddenly felt warm where her touch lingered. I watched her tongue lick her salt away, her strong jaw line move, as she quickly tilted back the shot of tequila, and her lips curl as she sucked on the lime. It took my breath away.

Gathering myself, I took my shot and then the tequila hit me. Where the wine had burned, this scorched. I made a face and Lisa chuckled at me; it did delightful things to her smile.

She immediately poured another. We didn't talk. I really didn't need conversation right now anyway and she seemed to sense that. We silently did our second shooter and I managed to not make a face this time.

On our third shooter, my body was warm and tingly. I had trouble keeping my eyes focused, but I still watched every move Lisa made as closely as I could. If I were in her position, I would have been very uncomfortable being relentlessly stared at like that, but she acted like she didn't even notice. I remembered her "adoring" fans at the bar and thought maybe she was just used to it.

On the fourth shooter, I could tell that Lisa's eyes were even more glazed-looking. Her smile was loose and easy. She slightly spilled the tequila, filling our shot glasses, and she laughed when she took her lime. I watched her sucking on it and had the craziest, most intense need to suck on it with her.

By the fifth shooter, all the despair, loneliness and pain from earlier in the evening had completely changed into something else…desire. More specifically, desire for this god-like person in front of me. I remembered the electricity between us a few nights ago and, real or not, I wanted to feel that passion again.

Without thinking, I did what I had wanted to do on that very first shot. I grabbed her hand, just as she bent down to lick the salt away. I lightly pressed my tongue against the back of it, the salt pleasantly mixing with the taste of her skin. Her breath caught while she watched me down my shot of tequila. I quickly set the glass down and placed the lime wedge in her partly opened mouth. I brought my lips to hers. I half sucked on the lime, half pressed against her lips. Fire burned though me.

I pulled away from her slowly, taking the lime with me. Her breathing was faster and a little ragged. I carefully took the lime out and set it on the counter, licking my fingers in the process. Lisa took her shot of tequila straight, her eyes never leaving mine. She roughly set down her own glass, licked her lower lip once, and grabbed my neck, pulling me back to her mouth.