Jennie

"Jennie!" One of the crew members, Reina, calls my name, and I turn to find her, Hannah, and Arthur all waving at me.

"Who are they?" Lisa's tux brushes against my back as he whispers in my ear.

"They're part of the behind-the-scenes crew."

"Do we like them?" Her emphasis on the word we has my body tingling.

"Yes, we like them a lot." Although I haven't been a very good friend to them for the last six months. They tried, but it was easier for me to get a grip on my depression by cutting myself off from the life I had.

I tug on Lisa's hand and lead her toward the old crew, where I'm quickly pulled away from her and into a group hug.

"We've missed you!" Hannah, my makeup artist with purple highlights and a tongue ring, squeals before Reina, a real-life Malibu Barbie, pulls me into a second embrace. "You haven't answered many of our texts."

I blush. "I was…"

"Listening to country music?" Hannah's knowing eyes catch mine.

"Exactly."

"We get it. Boys suck." Arthur, the show's hairstylist, assesses my split ends. "You're due for a trim."

"I'm heading out tomorrow, or else I'd ask if you have time."

"We can stay for another few days if you want," Lisa offers.

"And who is this gorgeous one?" Arthur checks her out.

I don't blame him for being starstruck since I had the same reaction earlier when Lisa stepped out of my guest bedroom wearing a custom tux.

"I'm her girlfriend, Lisa." She holds out her hand, but Arthur bats it away and wraps his arms around her.

"Did you hear that?" He turns Lisa around and shows her off like an auctioneer. "Jennie has a girlfriend!"

"Would you like a microphone so everyone else at the party can know Jennie has a girlfriend?" Hannah asks.

"Girlfriend?"

The hairs on my arms rise as I turn on my heels to find Kai standing slack-jawed with a drink in his hand and a shiny wedding band on his left ring finger. Once upon a time, I thought he was handsome, but now I'm revolted by his presence.

I prefer nausea over heartache, so I'm going to take my reaction as a win.

Krystal, who stands beside my ex wearing a beautiful gossamer gown and a stunning diamond ring similar to the one I had before, remains silently poised, although I catch her tipping her chin in my direction in silent acknowledgment.

Lisa hooks her arm around my waist, soothing the discomfort away with a brush of her thumb over my hip bone. Where she seeks to comfort me, Kai would have never bothered, solely because my ex wouldn't have noticed my uneasiness in the first place. How could he when his focus was always on impressing everyone else in the room?

To think you once compared Lisa to him…

I cover Lisa's hand with my own and give it a squeeze.

Kai gawks. "Lisa?"

"Kai."

My ex's sharp jaw clenches. "I had no clue you two were dating."

"I would have added her as a plus-one on my RSVP had I actually received an invitation."

His face loses that golden color. "About that…my mother—"

"Is right here!" Mrs. Creswell arrives with her blond hair perfectly coifed and her smile deceptively sweet, while her husband trails behind her, stuffing his mouth with appetizers while looking everywhere but at his wife.

"Jennie." She holds out her arms, which I ignore.

Lisa makes a soft noise that sounds an awful lot like a laugh.

Her arms drop to her sides. "I'm so glad you could make it."

"I'm sure you are since you accepted the invitation on my behalf."

Kai's father chokes on a bite of his lamb lollipop.

Mrs. Creswell claps her hands together. "Well, we were so excited to have you here for the final season's postproduction party."

"Is that so?"

Her right eye twitches. "Of course. You're one of the reasons why the show was successful."

"She was the reason," Lisa snaps.

Mrs. Creswell's long blink is so unlike her. "And you are?"

"Lisa Manoban. My ex-roommate and Jennie's new girlfriend." Kai manages to keep his sneering to a minimum.

"A new girlfriend already? How fast."

"I'm sure Kai can speak from firsthand experience on what it's like to meet your soulmate, seeing as he got engaged and married all in the same hour." Lisa tucks me closer against her.

Most likely sensing the tension, Mrs. Creswell beckons a cameraman over in the worst attempt to diffuse it. "Oh, great. Let's take a photo for the papers. Everyone gather around."

Lisa swoops me to the side before the flash goes off, leaving the Creswells gaping and gawking.

"Say the words and we're out of here." She cups my chin.

"Did you see the look on his face right now?"

She traces my bottom lip with her thumb. "I did."

"You're the best."

She returns my smile with one of her own. A flash goes off, capturing our intimate moment.

Lisa peeks over my shoulder. "Kai is hating every second of this."

"On a scale of one to ten?"

"At least a nine."

"Surely we can do better than that. I want him screaming, crying, and throwing up all at the same time."

"You're a vicious little thing, but I love you for it."

"I'll show you vicious." I grab her by her tux lapels and pull her down so I can kiss her.

Lisa's palm finds the small of my back, and she holds me tight as she matches my brutal pace. Her kiss is one of passion and possession, making my body tingle and my head spin as our mouths fuse together.

Lisa pours everything into every single one of her kisses, making me feel loved, admired, and appreciated.

She is exactly what I want from a partner and more, and I can't wait to see where this next stage of our life takes us.

"Shit. Where can I find myself someone who kisses me like that?" Arthur asks with a shout, making my cheeks burn.

Lisa tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "I spent ten years searching, so best of luck to you."

Arthur fans himself. "If you don't marry Lisa, I will."

"Talk about marrying her again and see what happens."

Arthur holds his hands up. "Okay, vicious little thing. Put those acrylic claws away before someone gets hurt."