JENNIE —
..
When we got back to my room last night, I was going to throw on a baggy shirt and leggings, but the opportunity to tease Lisa was too much to pass up. So, I'd opted to wear the tiniest pair of bed shorts I owned. And it worked like a charm.
It was a real struggle to keep the smile off my face when I saw the look in her eyes, and I slipped up a couple of times. But it was still worth it. She knew exactly what I was doing, and I was okay with that.
I figured she deserved it. It used to kill me every time she would put the brakes on when we were fooling around. Blue bean is real, and I had it. Bad.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to enjoy my scheme for very long. We'd ordered dinner, and I was so exhausted I fell asleep before I'd even finished eating. I woke up this morning on my couch, with a blanket that I'm assuming Lisa put on me.
Today is another big one, so I shower as quickly as possible and grab an apple out of my fruit basket on my way out the door. I'll have to forgo breakfast in the restaurant this morning. I don't have time for it.
I'm certain I made the right decision in choosing Lisa yesterday. I have no doubt at all, which is really surprising since I was so conflicted about it in the first place. Everything with her is so natural and easy.
The problem now is where I find space for her in my busy life. I've worked hard to gain a solid reputation in this industry, and that doesn't allow much time for a personal life. That's how I liked it—too busy to be lonely.
And too busy to think about this right now, I remind myself as I'm met with my first client of the day at the entrance to my office.
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LISA —
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I've thrown myself into decking out the hotel so I don't have time to worry about the hours that Jennie is putting in. She works constantly. The only time I see her is in the evenings. And that's when I show up and drag her out of her office then force food down her throat before she falls asleep.
The hours she pulls seriously worry me. But when I tried to bring it up, she blew me off by saying it was just a busy time of the year. I don't buy it. She easily does the work of three people.
I want her to come with me when I go, but I don't see her being able to walk away from her job here. And it's really not fair of me to expect her to either.
Could I handle moving back here? I've been fine so far.
Do I want to move back? If it means being with Jennie, then yes, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
But that would mean running the risk of one day bumping into my father. And that, I don't think I could handle.
So basically, I'm fucked.
The next few days pass the same way, dragging Jennie out of her office around six o'clock every night to spend an hour or two with her before she falls asleep in my arms on her couch and trying not to overthink how in the hell we're going to make this work between us.
I'm not sure when I started thinking of her strictly as Jen again instead of Jennie. She is Jennie or Jane to everyone else, but she's always been Jen to me. My Jen.
It's Friday morning of my second week here, and I've dragged the project out as long as I can. Today, I'll put up The One, The Only in the lobby, and I'll be done. I've just stepped out of the shower when the phone to the suite rings.
"Hello," I answer while scrubbing a towel through my hair.
"Sorry to disturb you, Ms. Pran, but there's a man here who wants to see you," the receptionist says.
I frown. "Who is it?"
"He didn't give his name, sorry. He simply asked that you meet him in the restaurant."
Scratching my neck, I reply, "Uh, okay. I'll be down in a few minutes."
..
My stomach fills with a sense of unease as I stand in the elevator and watch the numbers count down until the doors slide open in the lobby. I approach the restaurant and look around the room at the seated patrons. But I don't recognize anybody except one of the waitresses, so I ask her as she goes by, "Do you know who asked to meet with me in here this morning?"
She smiles and nods. "Sure, it's a guy and his wife. They're sitting in my section. I'll show you."
Following closely behind her, I look at all the faces of the people we pass until I stop dead in my tracks. Before me is my father and a woman I've never seen before.
My entire body fills with a combination of dread, fear, and revulsion, but I can't move. My out-of-control emotions paralyze me.
He stands and approaches me, and it's only when he reaches out to touch me that I'm able to move, and I jerk away from his outstretched hand.
"Lalisa," he says my name in a gravelly tone, and I flinch.
I haven't heard his voice since I walked out of his house five years ago. It's never left me, though. It's haunted my dreams, my thoughts. It was my constant reminder that I would never be enough. I could never be more than I am—a mistake, a fuck-up of massive proportions.
I swallow down the bile that's risen in my throat and turn my back on him, but he grabs hold of my arm. "Please, Lalisa, we need to talk."
His hand on me makes my skin crawl. "There's nothing to say," I grit out.
"There is everything to say, girl," he says with desperation tinting his voice.
I spin around to face him. "Don't call me girl. I was never more than an inconvenience to you, a constant reminder of what you lost, of what I took from you. You've said more than enough in the past. There's nothing more that needs to be said."
"I'm sorry," he blurts, and I balk.
I want to explode. I want to ask him what he's sorry for, exactly. For convincing a two-year-old that her mother hated her so much she had to leave? For ensuring his daughter would grow up knowing she was the destroyer of lives? For drinking so much his teenager had to clean him up and put him to bed? Or for eventually sinking his fists into his own flesh and blood just to make himself feel better?
The woman stands from the table. I'd nearly forgotten about her. "Will you please sit with us? Just for a few minutes?"
When I shift my glare to her, my father shifts in front of her protectively. And I almost laugh—until I notice the bump protruding from her abdomen. The air leaves my lungs as if I've been physically body-slammed. And that's exactly how I feel.
I take the seat closest to me before my legs give out, and I stare at her stomach. What the fuck?
My father helps her lower into a chair then sits beside her, and I watch the way his eyes follow her every move. He loves her.
She reaches across the table for my hand. "I'm Vivian. It's nice to finally meet you, Lalisa. I'm sorry it had to be like this. Henry thought it would be best."
I take her offered hand. It's soft and warm. "Hi," I say but can't think of anything else. I'm still in shock. Clearly, she's pregnant—with my father's child. Jesus, I'm going to be a sister.
My palms are sweating, and my head is starting to spin. I'm about to pass out when I feel Jennie's hand land on my shoulder. "Hey, sorry I'm late," she says as she pulls out the seat beside me then presses a kiss to my cheek as she sits.
I have no idea how she found out I was here or that I needed her more than I ever have before, and I don't care. I'm just glad she's here.
She rests her hand on my thigh as she turns to my father and says, "Hello, Mr. Manoban. Mind if I ask what the hell you're doing here?"
God, I love her. She doesn't pull any punches, just launches straight for the kill. I'm so proud of her right now, but I can't make my mouth move to tell her.
My father's faces flushes with embarrassment. He obviously remembers the way he behaved the only other time he saw her with me. I notice Vivian reach for his hand in a show of support, and it gives him the strength to straighten his slumped shoulders and look Jennie, then me, in the eyes.
"I saw a picture of you in the paper. The article was about your exhibition here. When I showed Vivian, she told me it was fate intervening. And I believe she was right. I have a lot to apologize for, and I can't begin to express how truly sorry I am for the way I treated you, Lalisa. You were right. I was never the father you deserved. I didn't treat you the way a parent should. And I will never forgive myself." He takes a deep breath, appearing to brace himself for what he wants to say next. "After you walked out, I realized a few things about myself. But I didn't do it on my own."
He looks to Vivian and squeezes her hand. "I met Vivian about a year after you left. I knew she was special from the moment I laid my eyes on her. But I knew I wasn't any kind of man who deserved a woman like her. Despite that, I couldn't stop myself from getting to know her, and I learned that …" He pauses and looks to her for guidance. Or maybe reassurance?
Then, Vivian takes over telling their story. "I told Henry that I was a recovering alcoholic, and if he wanted to continue to spend time with me, he had to do something about his drinking. He attended my next AA meeting with me, and he hasn't missed one since."
My eyes travel over Vivian again. She doesn't look worn and aged like my father. I had assumed he looked that way from the drinking, but here was Vivian telling me she was once an alcoholic, and she looked fresh and vibrant.
"So, you fell off the wagon, and you think coming to me for forgiveness will help you climb back on?" I sneer.
But he shakes his head. "No, it's not like that. I haven't had a drink in three and a half years, Lalisa. It does something to me when I drink. It turns me into someone I don't recognize. And I'm sorry that that's the only version of me you ever got to know. So damn sorry."
I grit my teeth to keep my emotions in check. This whole conversation is surreal. I can hardly believe he's sitting across from me—sober—and apologizing to me. I feel like this is a practical joke and someone is about to pull the rug out from under me.
"And what? Lisa is supposed to forgive you for years of abuse just because you're sorry for it now? That's a bit rich, don't you think, Henry? What possible reason would she have for accepting your apology?" Jennie speaks for me as I soak in everything happening around me.
My father's eyes shine with unshed tears. "For closure. For validation. For the freedom that comes with letting go of what we can't change and moving forward without the burden of our past on our shoulders. I know I said and did inexcusable things, but I need you to know, Lalisa … none of it was true. All the times I berated you, belittled you, and dragged you down … you didn't deserve it. None of it. And I am proud of the woman you have become despite my actions. I don't expect you to want to play happy families, Lalisa, but …" He pauses as a tear slides from the corner of his eye. "Your sister deserves to have a woman like you in her life."
Jennie's eyes widen. "Excuse me?"
Vivian smiles shyly. "We're expecting a little girl in just over two months. We would like Lalisa to be a part of her life. We understand it will take time, and we will willingly give you as much as you need. All we ask is that you think about everything your father has said today. She …"—Vivian rests her hand on top of her protruding belly—"shouldn't have to pay for our past mistakes."
..
Forgiving my father is something I thought I did a long time ago. But seeing him again, feeling the effects of his voice in my ears again, being filled with an overwhelming sense of guilt … it all proved I hadn't forgiven him at all.
I told him I would think about what he had said, and I had accepted his and Vivian's phone numbers so I could keep in contact if I chose to. Then, I locked myself in my suite and sat in the bottom of the shower for the next two hours, thinking over my past, my present, and my future.
Never in a million years did I think I would hear an apology leave my father's lips, much less directed at me. And a baby sister? It was a lot to take in. So, when Jennie said she wasn't able to come back to my suite with me because she had some meetings she couldn't get out of, I hadn't argued. I had needed to be alone.
But now, after letting my father's words roll around in my head all afternoon, I've come to realize it was never me that was the problem. It was him. If he could come to that conclusion and not only live with it but move forward with his life, then so can I.
My chest fills with sweet relief as the weight I've been carrying since I was a small child begins to lift. I smile to myself. For the first time in my life, my accomplishments feel like something to be proud of. I am good enough, finally, to be with Jennie. And I have been all along. I just couldn't see past my father's drunken taunts.
I know I will never have a good or normal relationship with him, and that's okay. But I feel like I could come to care about Vivian. She has healed him. And in a way, I guess that means she's healed me, too—or at least she's started the process.
I'm sitting on the bed in my room, wrapped only in a towel, when I hear the door to the suite open. "Hey, it's me," Jennie calls out. "I may or may not have bribed reception to make me a copy of your room key."
A grin tugs at my lips as I call back, "In the bedroom." I stand, wandering over to the closet to get some clothes.
"Are you trying to turn the tables on me?" I hear her say from the doorway to the bedroom.
I glance over my shoulder. She's leaning against the doorframe in her work clothes, but there's an overnight bag by her feet.
"Uh," I start to answer her, but she straightens and starts unbuttoning her white business shirt.
"Mother of God," I mutter as she reveals the mint-green lacy bra encasing her perfect tits. I lick my dry lips. "Jen, what are you doing?"
"Taking off my clothes. Why? What does it look like?" she asks as she pulls the shirt out from her high-waisted black skirt before sliding her hands around behind her and gliding down the zipper. The skirt drops to her ankles.
It's safe to say she has my full attention—and that of my dick.
"Jen," I try to warn her, but then I notice the matching panties. Dear God, they're not boy shorts this time. It's a G-string. How do I know this? Because she just stepped out of her skirt, turned around, bent at the waist to pick it up, then placed it on top of her overnight bag.
I'm frozen in place as she stalks toward me in nothing but those scraps of lace and her crazy-high black heels. When she reaches me, her hands slide over my chest, all the way down to the towel knotted around my waist. "I think you're overdressed," she whispers as she flicks her wrist, dropping my towel to the ground.
Before she can touch me again, I grab her wrists and hold them above her head. "Are you sure? Like, really fucking sure, Jen? Because there's no going back this time. Never again. You let me inside that tight little body, and I'm never leaving your side. Do you understand?"
Her eyes light up with joy and so much heat I can feel it sear my skin. "Yes," she breathes right before I crash my mouth down over hers.
I've missed her taste, and I groan as my tongue slides inside her mouth. She clings to me as I pick her up by the waist and carry her over to the bed. "Condom?" I ask.
She points to her overnight bag, and I leave her to retrieve it. After fishing one out, I rip the foil open with my teeth and slide the latex over my throbbing cock. He's missed her every bit as much as I have. She's lying splayed out on the bed with her fingers sliding against the lace covering her pussy, and my mouth waters. I remember how she tastes, and I need it on my tongue—now.
Dropping my head, I shove her hand out of the way then push her thighs farther apart, allowing my shoulders to get between her legs. "You smell so good," I murmur right before my tongue slides up and down the lace, making her squirm.
"Just fuck me, Lisa. Fuck me first. We can play later. Please," she begs. And who am I to refuse her?
Hooking my fingers in the thin band that wraps around her hips, I tug, ripping the delicate lace from her body, then I line my cock up with her entrance and slide home. Her hot, wet pussy squeezes me so tight I drop to my elbows and kiss her. "I love you, Jen," I tell her as my hips begin to move.
Her nails dig into my back as she urges me to go faster. "I love you too, Lisa. Now, show me how much." she says with a nip to my bottom lip.
My balls draw up with the move, and I begin to pound into her tight heat relentlessly. She feels so good, so familiar, it's like we never stopped. "I could fuck you forever," I pant as I feel my orgasm building in the base of my spine.
Her thighs clench tighter around my hips. "Good, 'cause you're never fucking anyone else ever again." Then, her back is arching, and a deep guttural groan bursts from my chest as her pussy locks around my cock, making it impossible to hold back any longer, and I come harder than I have in years.
I drop down beside her so I don't crush her under my weight. She rolls with me so I'm still buried deep inside her heat. We lie there, staring into each other's eyes for God knows how long.
Jennie breaks the silence. "So, you're going to have a baby sister, huh?"
I release a deep breath. "I know. Weird, right?"
She smiles, and my heart catches on a beat. "What are you going to do?"
Brushing a strand of hair off her face and tucking it behind her ear, I tell her, "I'm going to hang around. I don't know if I want anything to do with my old man yet, but I kinda like the idea of a little sister. And Vivian seems nice, don't you think?"
Jennie nibbles on her bottom lip in an uncharacteristic show of vulnerability. "Is that the only reason you're staying?"
I slide my hand from her ear, along her jaw, and tilt her face up to mine. "Do you honestly think that's the only reason? Haven't I made myself clear?" I ask then spell it out for her. "So there's no more doubt, I'm going to lay it out for you."
She swallows and nods, waiting for my words.
"I had already decided I was staying long before I found out about my new sister. I want to be with you, day in, day out. And I will do whatever it takes to make that happen. Today gave me what I needed in order to forgive myself. And I'm ready Jen. To move on and make a life with you. You're it. You're my one and only. You always have been. I'm not going anywhere without you ever again."
Tears pool in the corners of her catlike eyes. "I love you," she whispers as her body rolls even closer to mine. "You're my one and only, too. It's always been you. From that very first day, I knew it would only ever be you."
..
I have never felt this content in my entire life.
And it's all because of her.
I moved into Jennie's suite yesterday and asked Chaeng to have my stuff at our place put in storage until I've figured out something more permanent. She agreed to get it done, but I didn't miss the smugness in her voice when she did it. I just know she was aching to rub a big, fat I told you so in my face.
I'm sitting in the restaurant, going through apartment and housing listings on my laptop, when the chair across from me is pulled out, and Victor sits down.
"Good morning, Victor," I greet him.
He's smiling at me as he reaches over and turns my screen toward him so he can see what I'm doing. "Looking to stay in the area, Ms. Pran?" he asks with a smirk on his face that makes him look ten years younger.
I grin. "I might be," I hedge as I turn the screen back and close the lid before picking up my coffee, taking a sip.
"I suspected as much before I left," he says then orders his own coffee from a passing waitress.
I mock frown. "What would've given you that impression? Wouldn't have anything to do with you setting Jennie and I up to work together, would it?"
He simply shrugs. "I take a special interest in the happiness of my grandchildren. And Jennie hadn't been happy for a long time. The moment the curtain dropped, revealing that photograph of her, I knew why."
"You knew it was a picture of her and didn't say anything?" I asked.
"I told you I wanted that piece to be featured in the lobby. I thought that was enough." The waitress delivers his coffee, and he lifts it to his nose, takes a deep inhale, then sighs with satisfaction.
"I see where Jennie got her caffeine addiction," I start, and he glares at my word choice, so I correct myself. "I mean, caffeine appreciation—from you."
"Among other things," Victor says. "Now, back to the topic at hand, you're staying?"
I nod. "Yes, sir. If this is where Jennie is, it's where I'll be."
Nodding slowly, he says, "Good answer, girl. Good answer."
We spend the next half hour discussing which suburbs would be the best to look into when Victor's phone starts to ring. He slides it out of his breast pocket and glances at the screen, then to me. "If you'll excuse me, I have to take this. I'll see you around, Ms. Pran."
I offer him my hand. "Please, it's Lisa."
He tips his chin. "Lalisa," he says as he walks away, answering his cell as he goes.
I like that guy more now than I did when he offered me a prime opportunity in his hotel.
After finishing my coffee, I deposit my laptop in my satchel then walk out of the restaurant and right into none other than my biggest fan.
"Sorry," I go to say when Kai turns to face me. He's glaring at me, and I have to remind myself I deserve it. So, I bite my tongue and play nice. "Hi, Kai. How ya doin'?"
Lifting a brow, he says, "I was having a good morning until about three seconds ago."
I nod, not wanting to get into a confrontation with the guy. "Right, well, sorry about that. I'll be on my way."
His bear-like hand shoots out, latching onto my bicep as I go to pass him. "I meant what I said the other week, Lalisa. You hurt her again and I will track you down and make you wish you were never born."
This again? Removing his hand from my arm, I meet his thunderous gaze. "Look, bro, I get it. You'll wear my guts for garters and all that. But I'm not going anywhere. I love your sister. I always have. Leaving her was the hardest thing I have ever done, and it's been my biggest regret all these years. I'm not leaving unless she tells me to."
His eyes roam my face, assessing me and my words. "Alright then."
I frown. "That's it?"
He nods. "Yep."
"You sure?" I push. "Don't want to throw in another threat for good measure?"
Kai shakes his head. "I'm pretty sure you're aware of the consequences of fucking this up. So, we're good—for now."
The smile on his face creeps me out, so I don't argue. "Okay, well, good seeing you, buddy. I gotta go." I speed-walk away from him, glancing over my shoulder to make sure he isn't following me so he can corner me in the elevator and smash my pretty face, as Jennie so delicately put it.
When I return to our suite, I start a search for availabilities in the suburbs Victor and I discussed.
About an hour later, Jennie walks in with a smile on her face. "Hey, lover," she says as she drops down on the couch beside me.
I grin. "Hey, yourself. What are you doing back? Thought you had a full day?"
She bounces on the couch beside me, and the energy she's giving off has me putting my laptop on the coffee table so I can give her my full attention.
"What's up, princess?"
"Okay, so I know you're not a fan of my crazy hours, and in all honestly, I don't really have to take on so much anymore. So, today I did some delegating," she says excitedly.
"I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I'm guessing it's a good thing from the look on your face," I tell her.
She rolls her eyes at me. "Yes, it's a very good thing. Well, unless you've changed your mind and you're okay with me working so much."
I scoff. "Not fucking likely."
The smile that fills her face takes my breath away. It's my smile. She launches herself at me before wrapping her arms around my neck. "It means I'll be working normal office hours from now on."
And now I'm as happy as she is. "Thank fuck," I mutter before dropping my head and taking her full lips in an all-consuming kiss.
Jennie's body melds to mine as she pushes me back until I'm lying flat on the couch with her hovering above me. "I love you, Lalisa Manoban."
"I love you too, Jennie Kim."
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