IMPROMPTU LOVE (GP)

by mylalisanity

There is no rehearsal for true love. JENLISA ADAPTATION (GP)

8. Revelations

J

"I'm freezing." My teeth were chattering from being out on the lake. I turned the baseboard heaters on to warm up the cabin. "Lisa? Would you go get a couple of logs from the side of the house please? I want to start a fire."

I grabbed the big steamer pot from under the counter, filled it with water, and set it on the stove. My stomach was making noises and it was getting close to dinnertime anyway.

Lisa carried in an armful of logs and I helped her stack them next to the fireplace.

"The starter log stuff is in that box." I pointed to where she should look. I used some small branches to get the fire going.

"You're a real Girl Scout," she kidded and nudged me in the leg.

"Not really. I can't start a fire without a lighter or a match. I'd be in big trouble if I had to survive in the woods."

"I met that guy once," she continued. "The survivor guy from TV. You know who I'm talking about?"

"Who? That guy who gets dropped off in the worst of places and then gets filmed while eating frogs and stuff?" I asked.

"Yeah. That guy." She nodded. "I met him at a party once. she was one bizarre dude! He had some really wild stories."

"You sort of look like the survivor man yourself!" I laughed lightly. "You have bits of wood stuck all over your shirt." I picked some shards off of her sleeves while she plucked a few that were stuck to her chest. "Let's go outside and brush you off."

We stepped out onto the wooden deck and I immediately ran my hands over her arms to knock the dirt off. Instead of helping me Lisa just stood there, perfectly still, gazing at me while I dusted her.

I wondered for a moment if she was going to try to kiss me. We were so close; all I could think about was tasting her. She would only have to lean in a few inches. I would succumb willingly…

My hands slowed in their movements as I tried to be precise with removing the wood shards. My eyes were fixed on tracing the texture and contours of her shirt, since I couldn't look her directly in the eyes.

I thought about what her full lips might feel like on mine, how the skin on her muscular chest might feel under my hands. For a moment I could understand why those sick fans wanted to pull her shirt off. Now I thought about pulling her shirt off too and right after that, her shoes, her belt, her jeans...

I had to banish those thoughts from my head. That line of thinking was way too dangerous.

"You should be able to get the rest," I muttered, quickly turning on my heels to hurry back into the cabin. Don't do this to yourself, Jennie. You can't have her.

I washed my hands thoroughly at the sink and unpacked some of the food from the cooler.

"What are you up to?" She asked when she joined me in the kitchen. I was rinsing the two enormous lobster tails I picked up at the seafood store under the water.

Lisa peeked over my shoulder. "Mmm, lobster!" she grinned, smacking her lips together. "Need help?"

I noticed when she stood next to me, she was careful not to let our bodies touch. She kept a small, but safe distance between us. I wondered if she did that on purpose.

Lisa sat down at the dinner table, in the same chair that my father always sat in. The memory of that made me smile. I imagined my father being pleased with the person who now took her place at the table. Lisa and my father would have gotten along very well.

We had a lovely dinner together as the fire crackled behind us; the radio was playing soft music in the background. It was actually quite romantic.

A tinge of nervousness crept into my gut from being alone with her in a secluded cabin in the middle of the woods. All alone… with her, my mind repeated. Bottle of wine… fireplace… bedroom just down the hallway. I swallowed hard. Would she be expecting more? After all, I did bring her here. I pretty much set the stage for a convenient tryst.

--

"That was delicious, Jennie." Lisa stretched back in her chair, patting her stomach. "I'm stuffed!"

I was glad she enjoyed it, but now the flow of panic was surging in like the tide. What's next? I had just started to smile at her when I felt queasy again. She helped me clear the table and I began washing the dishes when the wave of nausea hit.

"I don't feel so good." I rubbed my stomach and dashed for the bathroom.

I was gone for so long that Lisa had washed all the dishes and was kicked back on the couch by the fire.

"Are you all right?" she asked. I could hear the concern in her tone.

"No. I feel really sick."

"My stomach isn't feeling so hot either."

I looked at her, surprised that her stomach was in knots too. Apparently I wasn't the only one who was nervous.

I had just sat down on the couch when I felt like I could vomit. I ran back to the bathroom just in time to make it to the toilet as dinner came back up… several times.

Lisa was pale when I came out of the bathroom; she hurried right past me and shut the door. I trudged down the hallway to the master bedroom so I could lie down; I was really feeling lousy. I turned the television on to drown out the sounds of Lisa getting sick.

"Whatever you do, don't go in there," she groaned as she lay down on the bed next to me. Even though she warned me, I couldn't wait. I darted for the bathroom again for round two of violent vomiting.

For the next several hours we took turns violating the bathroom. I hadn't been that sick in years.

"I just threw up air," I said as I curled back down on the bed next to her.

Lisa softly chuckled. "I threw up food I haven't even eaten yet."

Her comment made me laugh.

"Do you think it was the lobster?" she asked, pulling the blanket up higher on her shoulder.

"I was wondering that myself," I said, knowing now that it wasn't just my nerves that made me ill. When I spoke, the words that came up my sore throat made me cough.

"But it was still partially frozen and I rinsed it. I was trying to think of what else I ate today. Maybe it was that breakfast sandwich? The sausage?"

"Could be. But we both got sick right away. I'm thinking tainted lobster – either that or it was the salad."

"My ribs are killing me." I winced as I rubbed my stomach. "But I don't feel like I need to be sick anymore, so that's a good thing."

"Me neither. I'm starting to feel a little better actually."

"I'm so sorry," I pleaded with her. "Don't hate me."

"I don't hate you," she whispered sweetly, her fingers drifted across my forehead. She pulled the blanket up higher on my back to cover me up. "We're never buying any seafood again from wherever you bought that lobster though, I can tell you that!"

For as lousy as I felt and how sick I just was, the fact that she just said "we" sent a wave of elation through my soul.

--

Lisa was curled up in a ball and I could hear her start to breathe heavier. she had fallen asleep, so I turned the television off and closed my eyes. After that marathon session of nastiness, it wouldn't take me long to fall asleep either.

I knew I was dreaming when I couldn't see the ground that my feet were supposedly running on. I was trying to get through one of those mazes that are made out of tall hedges that you see sometimes in movies, and every turn I took was a dead end. I'd have to turn around and run down the same path that I just came from, all the while hearing Lisa calling my name and asking me to "come here, come here." I had to find her.

I ran down a long row of hedges and turned to the left where I thought her voice was coming from. As soon as I turned the corner, there was a mob of women, all wearing a picture of her face on their shirts, blocking my path. They started to laugh at me; some of them were cackling like witches.

Photographers stepped out of the shrubs and were taking pictures of me as I started to cry. I felt the twang of terror set in as one girl in the front row morphed into the likeness of Mina Myoui. She grabbed me by the hair and pulled fiercely, bending me backwards.

"She's mine, bitch!" she screamed in my face. "Not even in your dreams."

My eyes shot open from the sensation. Part of my long hair was trapped under Lisa's head. The sun was bright so I assumed it was sometime after eight o'clock.

A shot of pain hit my ribs when I started to crawl out of bed; my stomach muscles were sore from throwing up so many times.

I went out to the living room and grabbed my bag so I could get freshened up. I desperately needed a shower; my hair was a mess and I looked like I spent the night vomiting.

The hot water felt good, and I noticed that I was feeling much better. I brushed my teeth to rid my mouth of the nasty taste and washed my body twice to rid my pores of illness. I couldn't get clean enough.

I put my jeans and a shirt on so I could go out to the living room again; my hairbrush was stuffed in my purse. Lisa came to the bedroom door and stopped to lean on the doorframe.

"Are you finished in there?" she asked as a big yawn broke from her lips.

As she spoke, my eyes took in the sight of her. Sometime throughout the night she took her jeans off. She was standing there in a white Tee and gray boxer briefs, and oh my, there it was, extreme morning wood.

HELLO! My brain shouted as my eyes traced the large bulge pushing out in her shorts.

She tilted her head and smirked at me when she realized that my eyes and thoughts were completely distracted. I think she actually meant for me to see that because she didn't even attempt to move or hide it.

"Um, yeah, all yours," I muttered, slightly embarrassed from being busted ogling her underwear. I turned and hurried out of her way, ignoring her when she chuckled.

While my brain was still tracing the outline of her morning friend, I grabbed my pack of birth control pills out of my purse and popped Monday's pill in my mouth. Even though it was only a placebo today, I still wanted to keep up with my daily routine. I couldn't have had sex this weekend even if I wanted to; that was probably another reason why I was feeling drained.

I had been on the pill since my first year of college, and the erotic vision that was in my mind right now was the exact reason why. Better to be safe than sorry, for I didn't want to have children without first being married, but I certainly wasn't going to keep my virginity intact until that happened.

"Jennie? Do you have an extra towel?" Lisa yelled from the bathroom.

"Yeah, hang on a sec." I pulled a fresh, white towel out from one of my bags.

She was partially hidden behind the bathroom door, although I could see that her shirt was now off. I tried not to look at her at all when I handed her the bath towel. I already had one huge image of her that was repeating in my mind.

I walked back to the living room wondering how many women have gotten an up close and personal look at her package. I knew how many men I had sex with – I was still in the single digits for my total – high single digits, but nine is still under ten.

I figured with a body and a package like her, combined with endless opportunities from women throwing themselves at her, she probably took that thing out of her pants and showed it to as many women as possible. It was a frightening thought and I secretly wished my assumption was wrong.

I was putting the dishes away when she came out into the great room with nothing on except the towel wrapped around her. Her left hand was gripping the two ends of the towel together; her other hand combed her wet hair back off her forehead.

"I need my bag," she muttered.

Holy Shit! My brain shrieked again from the new sight of her. My eyes quickly took in the visions of her chest and arms, how they still glistened slightly from the water droplets that remained on her skin.

I gasped in a quick breath of air and turned away for the safer view of the kitchen sink. Clean the sink - just clean the sink. Don't look.

I could see her reflection in the kitchen window; she had her back turned to me as she opened the towel and re-wrapped it around her. She stood there for a few moments using both of her hands to comb through her wet hair.

Effin-A she is HOT! Hyunji was right in her assessment. I was thankful that the metal sink was strong enough to endure my grip and hold me in place as I squeezed my legs together at the knees.

It had been far too long since I saw a mostly naked man and this one was killing me with visions left and right. I think she realized that I was turned and not facing her anymore because she sort of huffed, grabbed her bag, and headed back to the bedroom.

I had the kitchen all cleaned up when she came back to the island counter that separated the kitchen from the rest of the main room. she leaned on the island with her elbows right next to where I had my purse.

Shit! When I went to get her a towel, I forgot to shove my pill pack back into my purse. Just as I turned to correct my mistake her fingers picked it up. Her look of curiosity was instantly replaced with a smirk when she realized what it was.

"You weren't supposed to see that," I murmured. I snatched the pack from her hand and shoved it back in my purse.

"What's the big deal?" she asked casually. "So you're on the pill. That's good to know." She smirked.

This was a conversation that I didn't want to have with her. "Are you finished in the bathroom? 'Cause if you are I'd like to dry my hair quick."

"Yeah." She nodded. "Speaking of which, how are you feeling this morning?"

"I'm feeling better. My stomach muscles hurt though. I feel like I did two hundred sit-ups. And you?"

"I'm feeling pretty good actually." She stood straight and stretched. "Must have been the lobster. Are you up to taking the boat out again?" I could tell in her voice she was hoping.

"Yeah, sure. Just let me finish getting ready."

--

Lisa steered the boat back out on the lake and I was comfortable just lounging under a blanket. The bright sun warmed my face. I was feeling better, but still not one hundred percent yet. Being sick made me overly tired.

Lisa was quiet as she repeatedly cast her line out in the water. A few times it appeared that she was going to say something to me, but then she'd turn away to shake her head ever so slightly.

"Aren't you going to fish today?" she asked finally.

"Maybe in a little while; I'm really comfortable just resting here."

Lisa stared at me for a moment. "Are you sure you're feeling up to being out here?" she asked, truly sounding concerned.

"Yes! I'm actually quite content. I'm in a boat, out on a lake on a beautiful, sunny day. I don't have to be anywhere doing anything. No one is barking orders at me. I am thoroughly enjoying the simple pleasures in life." I smiled at her.

"Yes, this is very cool!" she grinned in agreement.

"I was wondering something," she asked as she looked at me a moment later. "Do your friends know how we met?"

I was confused why she would ask that. I felt my eyebrows pull together when I pondered his question.

"What do you mean?" I needed her to clarify.

"My embarrassing run into your pub. Did you tell them about that?"

"No!" I said quickly, confirming my trustworthiness. "I mean they know that you came into the bar, but none of them know under what circumstances. I'm sorry. I promised you that I would never say anything but I had no choice to tell them that you came in once before - it was the only way I could get past the questions so you could join us for poker.

"I swear the only thing I said was that you came in for a beer one afternoon. I didn't tell them anything else."

She looked at me funny. "That's okay! I just figured you were pretty close with your friends that you would have told them about my run up your steps."

"No." I shook my head fiercely. "It's none of their business. Lisa, what happened to you was private. Besides, I made a promise to you that I would never say anything. I'll never break that promise."

She smiled sweetly at me before casting her line back out into the water.

I picked up my fishing pole and clipped a little bobber to the line. I didn't want her to feel like she was fishing alone, so I cast my line out and resumed my lounging position in the boat. If I caught a fish, the bobber would dip down into the water.

Two minutes later I had a nibble and reeled in the first catch of the day. Another bass was on the line. Lisa took the fish off the hook for me. I was too bundled up to move that far.

"He's a tiny one!" Lisa said, examining the little fish up close. "Okay, that's two days in a row that you caught the first fish," she jeered.

"Jealous much?" I teased. "You'll catch the next five anyway."

"I'm about as jealous as you are," she said flatly. With a quick flick, she tossed my little fish back in the water.

"Jennie, I want you to promise me something." She looked at me until our eyes met. "I want you to promise that you won't believe anything you read or hear about me."

I opened my mouth to speak, even though I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to say.

"Just promise me," she insisted.

"I promise," I vowed.

"If you have any questions or you want to know something, you ask me first before you believe any of the trash, okay?" Her face twisted in anguish.

"I will."

"Good." Her expression relaxed slightly, but I could tell she was still deep in thought.

My mind flashed over the questions that were still outstanding in my brain and I wondered if it was safe enough – if our friendship was strong enough – for me to ask. Does she have different women in her bed all the time? Was she dating or juggling several women right now? Was acting worth giving up her freedom?

I looked over at her as she sat peacefully fishing out on this beautiful lake. I knew she was living in some psychotic fish bowl, under constant scrutiny. Do I dare bring up any touchy subjects?

There was one question I felt I had the right to ask.

"Lisa?" I paused until she looked at me. "I do have one question. Since you've already asked me this question and I gave you an honest answer, I'd like to hear your honest answer too."

Her eyes narrowed with confusion.

"Are you… are you involved with anyone…now? I mean, I presume you're dating people." I was so nervous asking I couldn't help but stammer over my words. But I needed to know if I was part of a collective. Her face was expressionless, so I felt I had to continue.

"It's just… you asked me, the first day we met. I just wondered."

Her expression changed from a blank stare to a grin. She looked me in the eyes.

"No," she said, smirking at me. "I'm not seeing anyone. And to answer the other question you're not asking, the answer is months – several months."

"Why is that?" I asked hesitantly.

She glared at me again before answering. "How can I ever know if someone wants to be with the celebrity or if they're enamored with a character I've portrayed? The lines get blurred between what I am and who I am." She shook her head in disgust.

"Then there's the… fear of having intimate details appear in print. I already have enough to deal with when they print the lies." She started rubbing her forehead and I knew this was tough for her to talk about.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I – I shouldn't have asked."

"Why would you say that?" Her brows pulled together as she looked at me.

"I feel bad for bringing it up. You have enough stress to deal with - you don't need me asking stupid questions."

"The fact that you're here, with me, gives you the right to know. Ther isn't just about me! Don't think for one second that I haven't considered how this affects you and your privacy.

"I've been seen in your pub twice. The paparazzi aren't stupid. I've tried to keep my reason for being there hidden, but I didn't do a very good job. Rumors about me staring at you have already been printed." She hung her head down and grabbed the bottle of soda that set between her feet.

"I don't care that they've printed that I was looking at you, but believe me I do care that they leave you alone. Please tell me immediately if-"

"Lisa, how can you stand this?" I interrupted. "You are entitled to a life! You deserve to be happy! Is this career worth it?" I couldn't hold it in anymore.

She looked out over the water. I could tell that she was torn.

"Yes and no," she answered. "I like doing what I do. I love being an actor. But the psychotic bullshit that comes with it is something I didn't see coming. It's all become very overwhelming."

"I feel bad for you," I whispered.

She looked at me, confused.

"It's not right that you have to pay such a steep price for doing something you love. Especially since what you do is meant to be a gift to the public that torments you. You're an entertainer; you shouldn't have to hide, but I know why you have to. I know that they never leave you alone - that you're constantly hounded."

"That's an understatement," she muttered. "Jennie, I really like being around you, but I'm afraid that…" she paused to take a deep breath.

You're afraid that it can't continue. Don't be a coward, just say it. I knew it was coming eventually.

"You have to realize that being around me comes at a price for you too. I need to know that you understand what you're getting yourself into being with me."

Being with you? Well, that wasn't what I expected.

My thoughts were tangled just looking at her.

"I like being around you too," I admitted softly. "We both know that I don't come from your world, but I have a fairly good understanding of how things are for you.

"Lisa, I'll do what I have to, to be part of that for you if you want me to. I'll deal with the craziness, because I know that comes along with being with…"

JENNIE, you're slipping!

"Um, I mean, of being your friend," I corrected myself.

"You would do that for me?" she asked, questioning my loyalty.

"Yes," I answered without hesitation. "Yes, I will."

"And you'd deal with the paparazzi, and the fans, and the invasion of your privacy? Do you even know what you're saying yes to?" she murmured as she scratched her head.

"You deal with it. Why is it so hard to believe that someone else would do the same for you?"

"It's a lot to ask of someone," she muttered, almost appearing guilty. Her shoulders were hunched as she rubbed her forehead repeatedly. "A lot."

"Well, if you want me to be your friend then you have to give me the benefit of the doubt that I can handle it," I said bluntly.

"The media will dig for dirt on you. Is there anything I need to know before the rest of the world knows?" she eyed me intensely.

"There is nothing that I've been through that I'm ashamed of," I stated directly. "I've already told you a lot about me. I've never done drugs or been arrested. I've never posed nude or made embarrassing sex tapes either." I chuckled lightly from my admission. "I don't have any skeletons in my closet."

My last comment caused her to smile briefly, but our moment of levity didn't last. She continued on with her rant.

"You'll have to watch everything you do, everything you say. You'll be pressed for answers; they'll hound you for details." Her lips curled up on her teeth from the thoughts.

"They will provoke you with statements and allegations to get you to respond. You'll be followed and photographed. Can you handle that too?" Her tone was almost argumentative.

"Who are you trying to convince, me or you?" I spoke quietly. "Lisa, if you want me in your life… if you want to be friends, then I'll deal with it. But it sounds like you're trying to talk one of us out of it."

"It's like inviting someone into your nightmares. It's not right for me to do that to you," she muttered ruefully.

"So what? You're not allowed to have friends or be close to anyone? Or have a good time and live your life? I'm sorry, but I'm not going to allow them to decide that for me or you." I wrapped my arms around my knees.

"And if you think that I'm going to be scared away because of them – because of the bad stuff that you have to endure, then you have the wrong impression of me."

As I spoke I suddenly became overwhelmed with mixed emotions. I was going through all this effort to try to be her friend while deep inside I longed for so much more.

"I don't have that impression of you; that's another reason why we are here now." Lisa smiled at me and let out a big sigh.

Anger and disgust, directed solely at myself, crept up into my chest and burned my throat. Why are we here now? Why am I even in this boat with you?

I kept making mistakes, slips... one after another. I can't fall in love with you. I can't allow myself to long for something that would never – could never be. I'm just kidding myself.

The serene lake suddenly felt like shark-infested waters. I had to get out of this boat and back to safe ground - fast. I fought the urge to jump in the lake and swim for shore.

I looked at the time on my cell phone. "It's almost two o'clock. I should get you back. I'm sure you have things you have to do."

"Not really," she admitted, looking me in the eyes again. "I just assumed… it is poker night, isn't it?"

Despite my compounding fears I couldn't help but revel in the fact that she was going to be with me tonight as well.

--

"I'm hungry," Lisa mentioned as we walked up to the cabin. "I'm starting to get a headache."

"We can stop for something on the way back. How does pizza sound?"

I drove us out onto the highway and Lisa moved her arm to rest her hand on the top of my driver's seat. Every once and a while she would twist her finger into my hair on the top of my head. It made me shiver and smile.

"Does that tickle?" she asked.

"Yeah, it does!" I giggled, but she kept on doing it.

Every time I tried to reach for her finger, she'd move her hand away and chuckle. Our little game was fun.

About the ninth time, I managed to reach up fast enough with my right hand and I flattened her hand on my head. She twisted her finger once more in my hair under my hand.

"Okay, I'll stop then," she announced, and then she made a move that stunned me. She quickly gathered my hand in her and relocated our joined hands to rest on her thigh.

I glanced over at her in shock. I felt a slight rush when my heart skipped a beat; the sensation of her touch flooded my veins.

Lisa was staring intently at our joined hands; slowly she opened her grip and freed my hand but I didn't pull away – I didn't want to pull away even though I knew I should. My desire for her overpowered all logical reasoning. A small grin appeared on her lips.

After a few minutes, she repositioned my hand, setting it to rest palm down on her thigh. Lisa released me, then used her left hand to casually scratch her chin, all the while watching my hand on her leg.

I smiled, assuming this was another test. She paused to see if I'd pull my hand away. She was feeling me out to see how I'd react.

I left my hand where she set it. She placed her hand on top of mine and wove our fingers together. The smile on her face was breathtaking. She adjusted her seat to recline further back, breathed out a contented sigh, and closed her eyes.

The sun was already setting when I pulled my car down the alley. I purposely made sure that the passenger door would open to the back door of my pub so Lisa could get inside quickly.

I looked up and down the alley first; I was on the alert just in case there were paparazzi on the loose. I held the back door open while she darted from the car to the kitchen. It was a relief when Lisa was inside safely.

"Stay inside. I'll get the cooler and bags."

Lisa looked angry and helpless as she stood there. I could tell she wanted to just walk out into the alley and pull the cooler from the trunk, but she couldn't. We could not afford to make any mistakes.

She started to breach the doorway to help me.

"Lisa, someone might see you! It's all right. I got it. Please, just back up." As soon as she could, she took the cooler out of my hands and slid it into the dark kitchen.

"Here, let me have those." She slipped her bag and mine from my shoulder. "Is that everything?"

"Just the pizza and our drinks yet, then that's it." I leaned back into the car and grabbed the pizza box off of the back seat.

When I handed her the box, she was smiling devilishly at me.

"What?" I asked, dying to know why she was grinning.

"Nothing!" she stated as she faked a swing to smack me on the butt.

"Okay - well I'm going to park my car. You can lock this door - wait, let me turn on a light for you first. I'll come through the front."

I drove down the alley and parked my car in my normal spot in the lot on the corner of Mulberry. As I walked towards the pub, I noticed someone sitting in an old car across the street. I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, but I could see the dark outline of a person. Don't get paranoid already, I said to myself. I quickly unlocked the front door to my pub and hurried inside.

About a half hour later, Fred and Tammy arrived for poker. "Hey kids!" Fred shouted. "Hey Lisa! Good to see you, man!"

"Hey Fred!" Lisa shook his hand. "How's it going?"

"I brought some dessert," Tammy giggled happily. She slid a tray of chocolate dipped something-or-others onto the bar. "I thought we might sample these - let me know if it would be something good to serve on Sunday for the party."

I noticed the smug smile and wink she gave me when she thought no one else was looking.

"How's it going?" Tammy asked quietly.

"Good, real good!" I said, even though at that very moment I was fighting off a wave of nausea.

"Did you have a good time up there?" she whispered in my ear.

I nodded and smiled. I didn't intend to share any details with anyone. Our weekend was ours and ours alone and I wanted Lisa to know that I wouldn't spill anything, even to my closest friends. Besides, she was watching me out of the corner of her eye.

I brought fresh mugs over to Lisa and Fred and poured them a beer from the pitcher.

"Thanks!" Lisa smiled when I set her glass in front of her. A stick of pain shot into my stomach, causing me to hunch and wince.

"So, Lisa, how were they biting up at the lake?" Fred asked while waiting with an open hand for the beer I was pouring for her.

"Good! We both caught a lot. Although Jennie caught the first one on both days." She winked and quickly patted the back of my thigh.

"Yeah, but you still caught more than I did," I added. I wanted to give her her fair due too.

I sat down in the chair next to Lisa and took a big sip of ginger ale. The slice of pizza that I ate was sitting in my stomach like a rock. I contemplated resting my head on the table for a moment.

"Not drinking tonight, Jennie?" Fred asked, pointing at my glass of soda.

I suddenly felt lightheaded. "No. I have a bit of an upset stomach."

Lisa leaned over and whispered, "Are you okay? You feeling sick again?"

"I'm fine," I lied, wincing from the new shot of pain that hit my abdomen.

"Were you sick?" Fred asked, questioning my condition.

I just stared at the table. I wasn't going to say anything; besides I was feeling that I might be sick again – the saliva was pooling in my mouth.

Lisa patted my leg privately under the table and sighed.

"Both of us were really sick last night. We're not sure what made us sick, but we definitely had food poisoning, that's for sure!" she explained, gently rubbing my back.

"Excuse me, please," I murmured, dashing for my stairs. I made it to my bathroom just in time to bring the pizza back up. My hands clenched the toilet seat as the stomach acid burned my throat.

"Jennie?" Lisa called out. "Are you all right?" I was brushing my teeth when she came around the corner. "Everything okay?"

I felt slightly dizzy when I motioned my reply. "No. I just got sick again. The pizza."

"Why don't you just cancel poker and go lay down? You're not going to have any fun if you're feeling lousy." Lisa stepped into the bathroom and pressed her hand against my forehead. "It feels like you're running a slight fever too."

"I can't cancel on them. Why don't you just go down and play? Go have fun. Maybe I'll come down later if I feel better."

"No. I'm staying with you. I'll be right back." She was gone before I could even respond.

I went to my bedroom to change into comfy clothes. Resting on the couch sounded very appealing. Staying close to my bathroom was even more appealing. I had just pulled the quilt off the back of the couch and onto my lap when Lisa came back through my door.

"Fred called Hyunji and told her you weren't feeling well," Lisa said while thumbing through her cell phone. "We exchanged cell numbers. I have Hyunji's number too. I told Fred I'd call him later to let him know how you're doing."

"You didn't have to do that," I whispered. "All of you could have still played. I feel horrible for ruining your night and breaking Monday tradition."

"Don't be ridiculous. We wouldn't play without you. Here, I brought you a new glass of ginger ale. You should drink some water too. We're both probably dehydrated." She set the glass down on the table. "I really don't need any beer in my stomach either."

"Thank you," I said sincerely. "I think you're right about being dehydrated. That's probably why I feel so achy. I should drink some water." I pulled the quilt off my lap. "Would you like to see the rest of the place?"

I took her for a quick tour of my apartment. "This is the laundry room here and then these are the stairs that lead up to the roof." She followed me back down the hall to the kitchen.

"Wow, this is a really nice place you have! This kitchen is beautiful! I love the granite countertops and the cherry cabinets. Wine fridge and everything."

"Thanks. I just had it re-done a few months ago. It used to be a horrible green color with white cabinets. It was really depressing. The bathroom is going to be my next project. Would you like some water?" I pulled glasses out of the cabinet for both of us.

While I was filling our glasses, I mentally questioned why she was so willing to hang out with some girl who just threw up. Surely she had better things to do. But then she did intend to hang out with me all evening anyway to play poker, so I guess it didn't make a difference to her how she spent those hours. I was just relieved that I had her here with me where she was protected from the insanity.

"Do you want to watch some TV?" she asked while kicking her sneakers off. My insides warmed, knowing she wanted to stay with me. She removed the throw pillow and nestled her body into the corner of the couch. "Here, why don't you lay down," she instructed as she placed the pillow next to her leg.

"No, that's okay. I'm fine." I sat down on the opposite end of the couch and curled my feet underneath me. I was afraid I might feel nauseous again if I lay down. Her lips pulled together and she gave me a disappointed look.

Lisa wiggled her phone out of her pocket to listen to her voice mail. It sounded like she deleted thirty messages. Considering how in-demand she was, I was surprised that she didn't take any calls while we were fishing. Come to think of it, she hadn't taken any calls at all while she was with me.

Her fingers tapped two more times before she held the phone up to her ear. "Hi Dad," she said cheerfully. "What are you up to?"

I looked over at her and smiled. I was glad that she was the type of person who thought enough of her parents to call them. Lisa smiled back at me. It was impossible not to listen to her conversation since she was sitting three feet away but I tried to appear distracted. While she talked, I flipped through the channels looking for something to watch.

"You'll never guess what I did yesterday and today. I was fishing!"

She told her father all about the lake and the cabin and how relaxed she felt. It secretly delighted me to know she was happy and content.

"Jennie, where's my bag?"

"They're still down in the kitchen."

She slipped out the apartment door and trotted down the steps. When she left, I figured she would have continued her conversation in private, but she just ran downstairs, grabbed our bags, and came back instantly to resume her position on the couch.

"Did you book a flight yet? I have to check my calendar." She started tapping the screen on her phone.

"Dad, just hang on a second. Okay," she said while touching through a calendar. "Mom's birthday is Friday the thirty-first. No, I'm scheduled to be on set. If you fly in Wednesday night then you can stay for the weekend." It was apparent by her tone that she was looking forward to seeing her parents.

While she talked, I wondered what her parents looked like. Did Lisa look like her mother or did she take after her father? The way she spoke to her dad made it clear that they had a great relationship.

"I have to work on the seventeenth. It's no big deal. We can celebrate my birthday when I come home for Thanksgiving. Okay, let me talk to mom…"

I looked over at her when she indicated her birthday was coming up, apparently in November since she mentioned Thanksgiving. She'd be turning twenty-seven this year too.

"Hi Mom. How are you? I'm at a friend's place. Her name is Jennie." She winked at me. "It's a long story; I'll tell you later… because she's sitting right next to me, Mom. She's a sweetheart! You are going to love her."

I thought she might like some privacy and I was kind of hoping she might say more if I wasn't in the room, so I uncovered my legs quickly and went to the kitchen. I filled my glass up with water and searched through the pantry for something bland to eat. I had just found a box of crackers when Lisa came into the kitchen, still on her phone.

She started to rub her forehead. "It's getting worse, Mom. I can't go anywhere." I didn't need to hear her questions to know what they were.

I leaned my elbows on the counter and rested my head in my hands. I had a slight headache from being sick and not having any food in my system. The cabinet closest to the refrigerator was where I kept most of my medicine. I found the aspirin but Lisa snatched the bottle right out of my hand.

"You shouldn't take these now. Mom, Jennie was going to take some aspirin but she shouldn't take them on an empty stomach."

I looked at her, puzzled.

"It could upset your stomach even worse," she said.

"We've both been sick, Mom. I think we had food poisoning last night but Jennie still isn't able to keep anything down. Can she take aspirin on an empty stomach? I didn't think so." She smirked.

I dropped my shoulders; I was doomed to deal with the pain. Lisa stepped closer and felt my forehead again. I guess my temperature was acceptable; she opened the box of crackers and tore open a sleeve for me. I was perfectly capable of opening the cracker box, but at the same time I loved that she was taking care of me. And here I thought that she was the one who needed taking care of.

"My mom says you should try and eat some toast and we should drink lots of water." She swept my hair off my shoulder with her finger, gazing at me again. "I'm sure you'll get to meet her when you visit, Mom." She smiled, appearing so happy. "I'll tell you all about her… later," she whispered.

Toast sounded good, but hearing her telling her mother that we'd get to meet each other one day completely stunned me.

"All right Mom, I love you too. I'll call you later tonight." She ended her call and popped a cracker in her mouth.

"Do you have a toaster?"

I opened the lower cabinet where it was stored.

"Why don't you go relax? I've got this." Lisa took hold of my shoulders and guided me towards the hall. I smiled on my way back to my living room. I could not believe that Lisa wanted to make toast for me. My heart suddenly felt very full.

"So what do your parents think of all this attention you've been getting?" I asked while we both munched on toast out on the couch.

"I guess they're overwhelmed. Their lives have changed too because of me. My mom and dad tell me that they're proud, you know, but they also let me know that they're concerned. My mom keeps telling me to keep my feet on the ground."

I nodded in concurrence. "You're going to have to always keep it in check. Just don't let the fame and notoriety turn you into someone you're not. Your parents love the son that they raised, not the celebrity you've become."

She looked at me funny and grinned. "Do you know that my mom said the same exact thing to me? And you're right," she answered dryly, "but you don't know how it is."

"No, I don't," I agreed in my softest voice. "And I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I have a clue of what this is like for you. You'll have to explain it to me if you want me to understand."

She shook her head and shrugged. "When I'm on set working, things are great. I love it! But since I did Seaside, things have been crazy. The whole fan thing is… I don't know… incomprehensible. It's constant pressure to live up to the hype. Some days it squeezes harder than others." It was apparently difficult for her to find the words to talk about it.

"Well, just remember who you are, and try not to let this get bigger than that. The minute you stop being humble, you'll be in trouble."

She nodded her head in agreement.

"Lisa, you don't seem to be the type of person who got into acting because you have to feed your ego. You're apparently really good at it, and you love doing it. It's the career path you've chosen to follow, but it's not who you are in here," I said as I patted my own heart with my hand. "Just keep focused on the fact that it's your job and don't let it define you. You'll be okay."

"You sound like my mother," she informed.

"No, I'm not trying to mother you," I defended quickly.

"No, no. That's not what I mean!" she laughed. "I mean that you're saying the same things my mom has said to me. It's bizarre!"

"Well your mother is obviously a brilliant woman," I amended.

"She keeps telling me to be careful who I trust. Like I need the reminder." She rubbed her forehead again.

"Lisa, I have a pretty good idea why you have a hard time trusting people and why you have to question the validity of everything and everyone." I tilted my head until her eyes met mine.

"And I know I have to earn your trust – just like you have to earn mine. We're just two people trying to be friends. We both have a lot to risk. But I know your risk is much higher – it takes away your freedom and puts you in danger."

"I know. This business makes it hard to trust people. Then when trivial things like what I had for dinner becomes headline news, it really messes with your head."

"Well, I solemnly swear that I will not divulge that information to anyone. I'll take it all to my grave!"

"Yeah, I guess you're pretty trustworthy. You wouldn't even tell your best friends that you puked your guts out last night," she teased.

"No," I corrected. "I wouldn't tell my best friends that you puked your guts out last night."

"Speaking of puking… how are you feeling? Is the toast doing the trick?"

I nodded my head and took a sip of ginger ale. "I'm starting to feel better, thanks."

"Good," she said as she playfully tossed a pillow at me.

I faked like I was going to toss the pillow back at her, but instead I just set it down next to my leg.

Her eyes flickered between looking at the pillow and looking at me. With a quick lunge, she curled her body down on the couch. It seemed like she purposely fiddled with the pillow until it was in the perfect position under her head but mostly on my thigh. Her feet hung out over the edge.

Our eyes met and I instantly felt her pull. I couldn't resist it any longer. Without even thinking, I softly ran my fingers through her hair. Her eyes closed and she sighed as I touched her.

She took my other hand off her shoulder and laid it across her heart.