JENNIE
It never failed to surprise me how quickly Lisa Manoban could turn my mood around. One minute I could be positive that I'd made a mistake and we would never work out, and the next I'd be languidly rising out of bed with her, a dopey, satisfied smile on my face and thoughts that everything in the world was right and good.
I felt that way now as I gave her one last peck before heading to my bathroom to get ready for work. Pulling out my curling iron, I made room for it on the small counter that my sister's beauty products seemed to multiply on. I listened to Lisa humming in my bedroom. It was a comforting sound and my dopey smile widened in the mirror.
Shaking my head at my frazzled I-just-had-sex hair, I yanked a brush through my waves. Lisa just had a way about her. She could ruin everything, or she could make everything perfect. Candy was just trying to interfere with that because she was the jealousy harpy that I was trying not to be. I'd heard her brag to students about being with a rock star before. While I sometimes wished she wasn't, she adored the fact that she was sort of famous around here. She wanted more of that fame. I was pretty sure she'd date Lisa just to attach her name to her. It made me sick that some people were so obsessed with their fifteen minutes. For me, Lisa's fame only complicated things. It'd be so much simpler if no one knew who she was.
Finished with freshening up my makeup and taming my locks into a functional-but-cute ponytail, I headed back to my room. Lisa had made herself comfortable on the Queen-sized mattress that took up most of my tiny bedroom. Propped up on my pillows, she was happily rubbing her sock-covered feet together. Once again fully dressed, she was reading one of my romance novels with a small, amused grin on her face.
Glancing at the cover, which featured some bronze, buff man holding a scantily clad woman to her bare chest, I shook my head at Lisa. "What are you doing?"
Not looking up at me, her smile widened. "I'm reading your porn."
Smacking her foot as I walked by, I scoffed, "That's not porn…it's romance."
Snorting, Lisa looked up at me. "Really?" Glancing down at the book, she started reading a passage from it. "She gasped in his mouth when his erection slid against her. He groaned when her desire coated him. They were both so ready to be together, guilt and remorse free…finally. Her legs wrapped around him as her hips rocked him into place. As he felt the tip of himself press against her entrance, he heard her groan, 'I want you buried in me, I want to be consumed by you.'"
I flushed red all over, remembering the part that she was reading. It was a pretty hot scene, and usually did turn me on a bit. And the way she read it was so sensual… Embarrassed that she was sort of right, I snatched the book away from her, tucking it into a dresser drawer. I was pretty certain the next time I read it I would hear Lisa's sultry voice in my head. It made me ache just thinking about it.
Lisa gave me a sly smile. "See…porn." she leaned forward. "And hot porn too." She pointed to where I'd tucked the book away. "I wouldn't mind trying that thing on page—"
I cut her off, my cheeks hot to the touch as I yanked on her arm, pulling her to her feet. "Get your shoes on, it's time to go."
She laughed at me as she steadied herself. "Yeah, all right…maybe next time then."
Walking into Pete's with Lisa a little while later, I was greeted by a bubbly Kate. Since Somi had the night off, she was my partner in crime for the evening. "Hi guys!"
"Hi, Kate." I smiled at the bouncy woman and attempted to extradite myself from my girlfriend so I could go put my purse away. Just as our fingertips separated, Lisa grabbed my waist, pulling me back into her hips.
"I'll have my usual," she growled in my ear.
I bit my lip as her voice sent shivers down my spine. Twisting to give her a dirty look, I shook my head. "I know what you like, Lisa."
She grinned devilishly, her hand slipping around to slink inside the back pocket of my jeans. "Yes…you certainly do."
Realizing how suggestive what I'd said was, I pushed her away from me. she had such a dirty mind sometimes. Well, most of the time actually. she laughed at the color in my face, then kissed my cheek. "You're so adorable." Leaning in she whispered, "Have I mentioned how much that turns me on?"
Laughing as I untangled myself from her, I murmured, "What doesn't, Lisa?"
Smiling, she shrugged one shoulder and walked back to her table. I sighed, watching her back pockets walk away from me. Kate beside me sighed too. I turned to look at her as she dreamily said, "God she's got great hair. She always looks like she just got out of bed." Meeting my eye, she frowned. "How does she do that?"
Biting my lip, hoping my face wasn't beet red, I shrugged. I couldn't exactly tell her that she was currently rocking an amazing head of sex-hair because she'd just had sex. That was a little too much information to give my co-worker. Shrugging, she shook her head and handed me a fistful of lollipops from the pocket of her apron. "Here, Pete had these made to give out to the customers."
Unwrapping a red label with "Pete's Bar" clearly written across it, she popped one in her mouth. "I keep forgetting to give them out though." She smiled around the stick in her mouth. "They're apple flavored."
I smiled and thanked her, then went to put my stuff away. Once I was back on the floor, I unwrapped one too and stuck it in my mouth. God, I love apple flavor. It's so much better than actual apples.
Rita had Lisa's beer ready before I even got to the bar to pick it up. Staring across the room at Lisa, she sullenly handed it to me. "Here…this is for sweet cheeks."
Snatching it from her, I murmured, "Thanks," and rolled my eyes as I walked away. It was so irritating to have my girl mentally undressed over and over again. And people think men are the hornier bunch. I was beginning to doubt that.
Pulling the sucker out as I approached where Lisa was alone at her table, I handed her her drink. "Here you go…your usual."
She smiled at me as she took the beer from my hand. Then her other reached up and grabbed the hand holding my sucker. Closing her fingers over mine, she brought the treat to her lips and closed her mouth around it. Not breaking eye contact, she sucked on my lollipop for a moment, then let it go. It was horribly erotic and I heard a few groans from a nearby table of girls watching her. Wanting to lean down and taste the apple on her tongue, I instead decided to stick up for my rights.
Shoving her shoulder back, I frowned. "Eww, Lisa. That's mine."
Nothing about her mouth on or near anything of mine actually grossed me out, but it was the principle of the thing. You don't suck another person's sucker uninvited. Smiling, like she knew I'd let her lips go anywhere, she tilted her head at me. "What? I can put my mouth on your—"
I covered up that mouth, taking a quick peek at the girls at the table next to her, subtly leaning over in their seats to hear her speak. "Lisa!" I hissed under my breath.
Removing my hand from her lips, she continued undaunted. "…but I can't enjoy your sucker?"
Shaking my head at her, I felt a smile creep into my mouth. She was giving me a slight frown and puppy dog eyes. And damn if it wasn't hopelessly attractive. Giving up, I shoved the sucker in her mouth. Those eyes had earned it. She smiled around the stick and I sighed in annoyance. "You could at least ask first."
Removing it, her lips curving over the edge of the ball seductively, she raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think I had to ask to suck on your…candy."
I frowned genuinely. "Don't say candy." After the afternoon I'd had, I really didn't want to ever hear that word again.
The smirk fell off her face as she understood my expression. "Sorry," she whispered.
Shaking my head, I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers; the apple was as marvelous as I'd thought it would be. "It's alright." Ignoring the disgruntled noises from the table of women to my left, I softly kissed her again. "Just ask next time, sucker thief."
She was grinning and thoroughly enjoying her sweet treat as I walked away.
Not too much later, as I was relaying my day at school to Kate, minus the Candy-fiasco of course, the doors burst open. Startled, I looked over to see Lucas stepping through them. His face was beaming as he immediately looked back to the guys' table. Seeing Lisa, his smile got even bigger and he practically bounded to the table.
Not used to seeing the shy man so exuberant, I looked back at Kate. She shrugged. We both twisted back to the front doors when we heard it open again. Jackson stepped through this time, with Evan right behind him. Both men were glowing as brightly as Lucas had been.
They both darted to follow Lucas, who was approaching Lisa, telling her something with an excited expression. Lisa frowned and looked over at the rest of the guys coming towards her. Scrunching my brows, I tried to figure out what was going on.
"What's up, Jennie?" Kate asked me, pointing to where Lucas, Jackson and Evan were seated around Lisa, leaning into her as they all talked to her at once. Lisa's expression was one of shock as she looked between all of them. She occasionally asked questions when one of them paused long enough for her to do so.
"I have no idea," I murmured, stepping away from her to find out.
Lisa's eyes snapped up to me when I was almost within ear shot. I paused when she leaned back and ran a hand over her mouth. Her eyes looked worried, really worried. It made my feet feel like lead, made me afraid to go any closer to her. I'd thought it was good news by the look on the guys' faces, but Lisa didn't seem like she'd just heard good news. She seemed like they'd just told her life as she knew it was ending.
Excited, they all patted her shoulder. They were trying to get her to smile, but Lisa shook her head and murmured something to them, her gaze still locked on mine. Eventually they all turned to look at me. I actually took a step back as each of their eyes met mine. Evan's was sympathetic; that scared me. Lucas's was appraising; that concerned me. Jackson's was irritated; that…was really nothing new.
Lisa leaning forward brought all of their attentions back to her. She started talking, low and intensely, and I couldn't make it out. The guys were instantly shaking their heads and throwing their hands about, irritated. I'd never seen the group fight before and I had the horrid feeling they were somehow fighting about me.
Someone nearby called out to me, asking for something, but I couldn't move to respond to them. Something big was happening. Something that Lisa wasn't excited about but the rest of the group was. Something that seemed to involve me. Ice poured through my body as I tried in vain to snap the puzzle pieces together.
Jackson suddenly shouting, "Oh, come on, Lisa! Fuck!" made me flinch. Lisa raised a calming hand to Jackson and quietly said something, shaking her head. Jackson shook his, crossing his arms over his chest. Jackson scowled back at Lisa while Lucas hung his head, disappointed. Evan clapped Lisa on the shoulder and leaned in to tell her something. Evan's hand swung back to me and Lisa's eyes followed the movement.
Feeling my heart increase about ten times faster, I watched Lisa sigh and scrub her face with her hands. Slumping back in her chair, she finally shook her head and looked at her friends. Nodding, she said something, then slowly stood up.
Her eyes met mine and she sighed again. I felt like my heart was going to explode as I watched her excuse herself and start to walk towards me. I nearly wanted to run away as I felt that tension from her table follow her up the aisle way to me. Maybe it was all in my head, but the bar seemed deathly quiet. Lisa and I had a history of making scenes in this bar. I wasn't sure if that was what was going to happen, but the rest of the patrons seemed to think so as they eagerly waited for us to meet up.
Her head down, Lisa stepped in front of me. I held my breath. "Can I…talk to you," she looked up, her expression tight, "outside."
I nodded woodenly, wanting to do anything but go outside with her. I couldn't move my feet, but she grabbed my hand and started dragging me away. The action prompted the muscles in my body to involuntarily respond, and I followed her out of the double doors.
A flurry of whispers started right before the doors shut. Then all of the sound from the bar was cut off. Lisa dropped my hand and ran her back through her hair. Looking around the lot, she seemed to be focusing on anything that wasn't me. I felt tears in my eyes as fear roiled in my stomach.
"Lisa?" I whispered, my voice shaky.
She finally looked at me when she heard my tone. Sighing, she cupped my cheek. "I need to tell you something, and I don't know where to start." She bit her lip as my heart thudded against my chest.
"Just tell me, because you're really starting to scare me."
She swallowed and looked down, her hand dropping to my arm. "Lucas has been doing a lot over the summer for the band." She looked up at me and shrugged. "Lining up more gigs, scoring that equipment so we can work on soundproofing Evan's place, getting us that spot at Bumbershoot…"
I nodded. None of this was news to me. My heart on hold, I waited for the part that was. Stepping up close, Lisa began stroking my arm. "A band that he's been trying to get in with saw us at Bumbershoot. They were…impressed and…" she sighed, her other hand coming up to wrap around my fingers. "They want us to join them on their tour," she whispered.
I blinked and pulled away from her, her face torn in the moonlight. "You got invited to join a tour? An actual band tour?"
Nodding, she shrugged. "It's a pretty decently sized one, about six other bands are already on it, from what Lucas says. We'd be a…last minute addition, bottom of the lineup, but on it, at least."
Amazed and overwhelmed with pride, I threw my arms around her. "Oh my God, Lisa! That's amazing!"
She sighed as I hugged her tight and I pulled back to look at her. She wouldn't look at me and the brief joy I'd felt faded. Cupping her cheek, I stroked her skin with my thumb. "You're not excited about this…" Feeling my heart leaden, I began to understand. "Because of me, right?"
Meeting my gaze, she shrugged. "It's a six month tour, Jennie…coast to coast." I bit my lip. My eyes started stinging as I considered just what that meant for us. She'd be leaving, for quite a while.
Forcing a smile, even though I wanted to feel as melancholy as she did, I shook my head. "It's okay. Six months isn't so long. And you'd have breaks, right? I'd still get to see you?"
She nodded and looked down. "I don't have to go, Jennie." Looking back up at me, she shook her head. "I can tell the guys no."
My mouth dropped open as I realized what the band had been fighting about. She'd told them no in the bar, because she didn't want to leave me. Tilting my head, I searched her face. "This is your dream, Lisa, and this could be it for you. This could be your moment, your chance. Isn't this what you want?"
She shrugged, looking over my shoulder to the bar. "I'm fine with my life the way it is. Playing at Pete's," she looked back at me, "being with you."
Running my hand back through her hair, I pressed our bodies together. "But you know you're too talented to keep doing that forever, Lisa. Even though I'd like to keep you to myself, I know that I can't hide you away from the world." She looked at the ground and I sunk down to meet her eyes. "And it's not just your dream, Lisa." I glanced back at the bar and she followed my gaze. "You know how much this means to them." Looking back at her, I shrugged. "You can't say no because of me."
"I know." She sighed. "They're the only reason I'm even talking to you about this right now." Shaking her head, she added, "But, Jennie…you have another year of school, you can't come with me. I don't want to leave you…"
I shook my head, cutting her off. "Not because of me, Lisa." Feeling tears sting my eyes again, I swallowed hard. I was going to miss her so much, but I couldn't keep her from this. I couldn't be that person…again. "I won't keep another person from they're dream," I whispered.
She pulled me in tight, clasping me to her like I was going to vanish. I felt like sobbing but I knew that I couldn't, not when I could feel her shaking in my arms. Concerned, I whispered in her ear, "You're scared, Lisa…why? You never get scared."
She shook her head. "That's not true. I'm scared all the time." I pulled back to look at her with furrowed brows and she swallowed. "I remember, Jennie." I furrowed my brows even more and she shook her head. "I remember when Taehyung left you…what it did to you." Her eyes searching mine, she whispered, "I remember how we got together."
Heat pricked me as what she was saying sunk in. She thought if she left, I'd cheat. I'd be so lonely and pathetic without her that I'd reach out to the next available man and do…exactly what I'd done to Taehyung. Knowing I couldn't hate her for her fear, but feeling the anger anyway, I pushed her back from me. "You won't leave me because when Taehyung left…"
"I know you don't like being alone," she murmured.
Anger stirring my belly, I spat out, "I'm not going to freak out because you're gone and cheat on you. I'm not… I wouldn't…" I stammered with something that didn't sound childish. "Why would you think I would do that to you?"
"Because I was there…when Taehyung thought the exact same thing, when he thought you'd never cheat on him either." She sighed and tried to wrap me in her embrace again but I kept her at arm's length.
I tried to raise my chin, but I felt it quivering as my emotions ran rampant. "That's not fair. I've grown, Lisa. And you and I were a completely different situation. You can't throw that in my face."
Looking apologetic, she shook her head. "I know, I do know that. And I know you've grown, Jennie, but still…" Closing her eyes, she looked away.
Open-mouthed, I could only shake my head at her. "Are you always going to wonder about me?" I whispered. Twisting my lips, I wished we had the sort of relationship where we could smile and congratulate the other, wishing them well, knowing that nothing bad would happen. We didn't have that though. We had doubt and fear, even though I sometimes tried to naively pretend that we didn't.
Peeking up at me, she raised her eyebrows. "Just like you wonder about me? Just earlier today you thought I was cheating on you. You won't worry when I'm gone? I mean, if I go on the road for months…with Jackson…it wouldn't cross your mind?"
My eyes narrowed as I considered just what kind of trouble she could get into with that D-bag. "Well now it will." I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at her until she turned away. She sighed, looking out over the parking lot. I sighed as well, my posture relaxing as my residual anger faded. I couldn't be angry with her for wondering about something that I often wondered about too. "I guess we'll just have to try and…trust each other."
When she solemnly nodded, her gaze dropping to our feet, I looked around at where we were—outside, alone. A second wave of understanding hit me. Cupping her cheek, I brought her gaze back up to mine. "Did you tell me this out here because you thought I would break down?"
Nodding, she whispered, "I remember that night that Taehyung told you he was leaving. I remember holding you while you cried…for him. I saw you when his plane left. You were devastated, like a part of you had left with him. I don't want to hurt you like that, Jennie."
Her eyes saddened as she looked over mine…over my completely dry ones. Kissing her softly, I rested my forehead against hers. "Are you upset that I'm…not more upset. Was this a test?"
Sighing, she shook her head. "I wouldn't test you, Jennie, but I did think you'd…at least cry, maybe beg a little."
She tried to turn away again, but I held her in front of me. "I will. Trust me, when you actually leave, I will be a blubbering wreck. But I meant what I said, Lisa. I've grown. A lot has happened since Taehyung left me that first time. I've done some maturing." Remembering how I was back then, I shook my head. "I was so scared to be alone." I shrugged my shoulder as she watched me. "I still don't like it, but I'm more secure now, I think. Mistakes in the past have aged me some."
She cracked a small smile. "Ah, the wizened twenty-two year old."
My smile was a small one as well, but some of the earlier tension evaporated in it. "Lisa, you may have a lot more experience, but don't act like you're not the exact same age I am. I've seen your driver's license."
Grinning crookedly, she raised an eyebrow. "The real one?"
Shaking my head at her, I cupped both her cheeks. "Do you think I loved Taehyung more, because it bothered me so much when he first told me he was leaving?"
Shrugging, her smile turned sad. "Can you blame me for thinking that?"
Enfolding my arms around her, I laid my head on her shoulder. "No, I guess not." We were silent a moment, rocking slightly as we held each other. I waited a moment longer, peace and a bit of sadness creeping into me. "I didn't love him more than I love you, Lisa." Pulling back, I met her eye. "I love you more. I love you enough to let you go and live your dream." I tilted my head and shrugged. "Don't you see…? I love you more."
She smiled softly and I brushed some hair off of her forehead. Running the backs of my fingers down her cheek, I whispered, "And, yes, I will miss you, more than you could possibly imagine, but I know that you have to do this, Lisa. And you know it, too."
Stubbornly, she shook her head. "No, I know that I have to be with you. Everything else is just…details."
I smiled and kissed her. Against her lips I murmured, "This isn't just your dream though, remember." Sighing, I pointed back to the bar, to the other people her decision involved. "There's Evan and Jackson, and Lucas…he's worked so hard for this."
She watched my fingers then sighed, "I know…"
Lacing my arms around her neck, I tilted my head at her. "And that's why you'll do this. It's their dream too, and you can't take it away from them…for me, for us."
Leaning her head against mine, she closed her eyes. "I know." We rested against each other for an achingly long time, then Lisa pulled back. "I guess I should go tell Lucas the good news," she said, a little sullenly.
I nodded, biting my lip and fighting the tears starting to sting. I'd always suspected this would happen one day, just not necessarily today. "When does the tour start?"
Looking down, she quietly said, "First part of November."
Now I looked down, too. "Oh."
November. It was the end of September…that wasn't all that far away, just around a month really. We were silent a moment longer, processing our impending separation, then Lisa grabbed my hand. Squeezing it as she placed a light kiss on my lips, she nodded over at the bar doors. I took a deep inhale and nodded back. A part of me didn't want to go back through those doors. It felt like everything I knew would change once I stepped over the threshold. That was a ridiculous feeling of course—everything had already changed.
Pulling on my hand, Lisa led me through the doors. Curious bar patrons eyed us as we entered, maybe to see if I was red and splotchy…maybe to see if Lisa had a black eye. Since we both looked the same, although much more melancholy than before, they soon shifted back to their own conversations.
Sighing, Lisa led us back to her table. The guys were all still there, waiting for her, waiting for her answer. Since Lisa was the front man for the band, they pretty much couldn't do anything without her. They could certainly try and replace her, head out on their own with another singer, but it wouldn't be the same without Lisa's talent. I couldn't even picture the D-bags without their head D-bag. And I knew that most of the guys felt that way as well. Evan especially would rather hang it up than quit on Lisa. So they sat, and waited for her to tell them if their dream was a go or not.
Arms crossed over her chest, Jackson glared at me. I felt like Yoko walking up to their table, clutching my girl's hand. Lucas watched me respectfully, but his face was full of disappointment; he wanted this so bad. Evan was the only one that looked a little lost, too. I knew he wanted the success—what rock star member wouldn't want to hit it big—but his heart was anchored in Seattle. Somi. He'd be torn from her just as surely as Lisa was being torn from me. He smiled sympathetically at me as I stepped to the edge of the threesome.
Lisa cleared her throat and ran a hand through her hair and all of their eyes shifted back to her. Exhaling in a long, controlled way, she took a moment to gather herself, then locked eyes with Lucas. "I'm in," was all she told her.
Lucas jumped up from beside the table as a chorus of excitement erupted from the guys. Throwing an arm around Lisa's shoulder, the blond's slim face was ear-to-ear smiles. "This is gonna be great, Lis. You'll see." She nodded enthusiastically as Evan and Jackson stood and swarmed around Lisa.
After that there was playful shoving and elbow ribbing. Evan grabbed Lisa's head and rumpled her hair as she laughed. Jackson stepped in-between Lisa and I, jarring us loose as he slugged her in the shoulder. As all of them animatedly talked about their upcoming adventure, I found myself forced back a few steps, watching them from a distance.
Lisa looked back at me for a split-second, but her attention was quickly diverted back to one of the guys. Sighing, I twisted and left them to their moment of glory. I had to go back to work anyway.
As I meandered over to a couple that had just sat down, I listened to the band in the back corner. Their laughter was loud, their voices gleeful. Several regulars asked me what was going on and I morosely told them.
"They're going on tour. They're going to spread their talent over the nation and some record label is going to notice and sign them up. After that, they'll be played on the radio every five minutes, headline a solo tour in every major city in the world, and be swarmed by people nonstop. They'll be booked on every talk show, play at every award show, and Lisa will end up on every magazine's "Hottest Guys" list. After that, she'll receive invitations from groupies and celebrities alike. Eventually she'll give in to an A-list starlet and they'll be the talk of every tabloid in creation. And I'll be here…pouring you your drink and reminiscing about the rock star that I used to date."
Well, okay, I may have only told the customers that very first sentence, but the rest of the speech echoed in my head on a never-ending loop. Lisa and I could try and trust each other, sure, but that only meant she wouldn't sneak around behind my back. There were no guarantees that she'd stay with me once she was exposed to…well, literally, everyone.
All of the customers had an excited reaction to the news, several walking over to the guys' table to slap them on the back in congratulations, or in the girls' cases, to give them appreciative hugs. Surprisingly, the only person who seemed as un-thrilled over this development as me was Rita. She sulked as much as I did as I approached the bar to get yet another round that someone had bought for the foursome.
Her collagen-injected lips puckered into as much of a scowl as she could make as she arranged their shots. "I can't believe she's leaving," she murmured over the noise in the bar. Glancing up at me, she narrowed her eyes. "Aren't you going to stop this? Put your foot down?"
Looking back at Lisa smiling and shaking Sam's hand, finally looking happy about the idea of singing across the country, I sighed and shook my head. "No, she deserves this. I'm not going to try and keep her from fulfilling a dream."
Rita reached across the bar and smacked me on the shoulder. I glared back at her as she adjusted the deeply plunging neckline of her altered Pete's shirt. "Then you're an idiot." She pointed over to Lisa and the guys and crassly verbalized every fear I had. "She's going to get famous after this little stint. Then she's going to realize that she's famous, and gorgeous, and can screw just about any woman in the world. You think she's going to stay with an ordinary nobody after that?"
Harshly grabbing my tray of shots, a good quarter of the drinks splashing over the edge, I raised my chin to her. With a confidence that I wasn't sure I really felt, I shook my head. "You don't know Lisa, not like I do. She's not like that. She's not interested in the fame, in the power, or in the women." Lowering my chin, I shrugged. "She's interested in me."
Rita folded her arms across her chest and smirked at me. "Right. And she wouldn't dare cheat on you, because she's such a…moral person."
She eyed me up and down and I flushed all over. By the tone in her voice I knew what she was referring to when she questioned her morality. The affair Lisa and I'd had was never openly admitted by anyone who knew, but with the public fights Lisa and I had shared, followed by Lisa's beating—that we still claimed was a mugging—most people had put the pieces together. Especially after Taehyung had fled the country.
Not wanting to talk about my life with Rita anymore, since Lisa had once been immoral with her too, I muttered, "You don't know her," and stormed off to their table.
After another couple of free rounds, the guys finally had to leave for a show at another bar. Lisa lingered after the other guys exited to a spattering of cheers and whistles. Before he left, Jackson paused at the door, exclaiming, "Thank you all, my loyal subjects. And don't worry, I won't ever forget you when I'm famous, I'll only refuse to acknowledge your existence!"
Most of the bar laughed at that, maybe thinking he was joking. Knowing Jackson probably meant it wholeheartedly, I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Jackass. Someday I was going to have to stage an intervention for Jisoo. She could do so much better. Well, she certainly couldn't do any worse.
Also rolling her eyes and shaking her head, Lisa strolled up to where I was standing beside a recently emptied table. Giving me a crooked grin, she nodded at where Jackson had disappeared to. "What do you think will do him in first? Drugs, money, or women?"
Smiling, I slung my arms around her waist and raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure it will be a combination of all three."
Lisa chuckled and looped her arms around my waist. As she leaned down to kiss me, I found myself inadvertently spouting, "And what about you? What will be your downfall?"
She paused before our lips touched. She started to frown, then smiled. "You think I'll have one?"
Embarrassed that I'd asked, I shook my head , then shrugged. "It has occurred to me that you're on the path to fame and fame brings certain…hazards with it." Sighing, knowing now wasn't really the time to have this conversation, I stared up at her. "You'll be surrounded by so much…temptation." I bit my lip. "And I've seen 'Behind the Music.' I know what gets offered to rock stars."
She narrowed her eyes but then laughed. "Wait, 'Behind the Music?' You really have already mapped out my career, haven't you?" Smiling devilishly, she ducked down and looked me in the eye. "So what it is? Booze? Gambling? Buying too many yachts?"
I twisted my lip at her comment and smacked her chest. "No, for you, it's women." Sighing, I shook my head. "Always women."
The smile on her face faded as she looked over mine. "You have to trust me, Jennie." Her smile returned a little but it was laced with sadness. "Just like I have to trust you." The sudden seriousness in her face instantly shifted to an impish grin and the air of heartache around us lifted. "I know I'll never find anything out there that will top you, but really, it is quite possible that you may lose interest in me once I've sold out and hit the bottle. Maybe you'll decide you can do better…start dating one of the Jonas Brothers or something."
Laughing, even though my stomach hurt a little at our conversation, I smacked her chest again. Leaning up to kiss her, I muttered, "Never. You're mine, washed up or not."
Chuckling against my lips, she murmured, "Good, because none of that is going to happen." Pulling back, she raised an eyebrow. "It's just a six month tour with a bunch of other bands, most of which are small and unsigned…just like us. And when we're all crammed together in a smelly bus, I'll be wishing that I was back at home with you." Leaning in, she rested her head against mine. "And when the six months is up, that's exactly where you'll find me…in bed with you."
I nodded against her as tears stung my eyes. "I hope so," I whispered.
"I know so," she whispered back, her voice just as wistful as mine. Then her lips crashed down to me and my hands came up to possessively tangle into her hair, holding her against me. Kissing much more aggressively than we usually did in public, I let the feeling of being watched evaporate from me and concentrated only on her touch. She was mine, I was hers. This didn't have to be a life altering event if we didn't let it be. It could just be a brief separation while she did something amazing that most people would never get the chance to do. We would both stay faithful to the other and then we'd be back together and all the happier for it.
After that…well, I'd tackle that hurdle once it was upon me.
