KICK IT | JENLISA

42

Lisa

Jennie avoided me for five days, a laughable and impressive effort considering I attended her Friday and Monday classes. She wore a chilly mask of indifference, handing out platonic smiles like the town's dentist doling out toothbrushes on Halloween.

That was before her Olympic-paced croc-walking. Arriving two minutes before class and leaving one minute after, she left no time for me to catch her. That girl was as subtle as poking a rusty nail in my eye.

Her eyes never landed on me in two hours' worth of classes. Two hours, one hundred and twenty minutes, and zero eye contact. It bothered me. A lot. How did I transition from disliking her scrutinise gaze to... fuck if I knew, but I didn't like it. What the fuck had I said wrong? She froze up, bolted out of my house as if her ass were on fire, and screeched tire marks backing out of my driveway.

Her yoga mat being patterned with ladybugs confirmed my assumption: she was still hung up on her ex. Unless Jennie was in some toxic shit breakup, having some feelings for an ex wasn't an issue. I still held feelings for Kendall because she'd been an important part of my life. Replaying all the signs, now as clear as runway globe sticks directing a plane, we weren't the right fit. Accepting that was a bitter pill to swallow, but I still wanted her to be happy.

So, yeah, I understood caring about your ex. Very healthy and mature of me. All that maturity evaporated with Jennie's fifty-yard dash exit into the women's bathroom. Since Yuh-jung moaned up a storm in there, I wasn't about to barge in. Leaning against the hallway wall, Jackson texted me with news that kicked me right in the balls.

Jackson: About the golf event.

Me: What happened?

Located outside Dallas this year, I was representing my foundation at its biggest fundraiser of the year. Nancy told me that my PR turnaround depended on it... I wasn't aware that my PR was declining.

Jackson: Nothing but FYI, Kendall will be there.

I blinked at his response, then snorted. My thumbs couldn't fly across my screen fast enough.

Me: Not as my date.

As far as I was concerned, Kendall forfeited all WAG opportunities for public exposure when she left.

Jackson: No.

"What then?" I asked my screen.

Me: ?

Jackson's three dots replayed before I called him. "For fuck's sake, what!?"

"Shh!" he shushed me over loud activity sounds. Where was he? "I'm at the doctor's."

I frowned. Hopefully, he was okay. "Are you sick?"

"No. Listen, Lisa. Kendall is seeing someone."

Jackson's verbal sledgehammer made my chest crumple. Already? The studio walls spun around me. All that shit I said about wanting her to be happy? Fuck that. "Ok, good for her." I grumbled between tight teeth, gripping my phone in a chokehold. Fresh air. I needed fresh air.

"She's dating Devin Booker." Jackson provided info I didn't realise I didn't want to know until he already told me. Not a sledgehammer. Pile driver hits kept coming.

At my silence, Jackson filled in, "Phoenix's..."

"I know who he is." I squeezed my free hand into a fist. My knuckles needed to impale something, preferably Devin Booker-shaped. The attention-grabbing, shooting guard for Phoenix Suns. Two years younger, his ego was ten times bigger than mine. As a star athlete, he was confirmed for the event... which had a partners theme this year.

I pounded my fist into my forehead, closing my eyes and huffing out a sigh. With shoulder rehab, this yoga shit, and Jennie's... Jennie-ness, I'd completely forgotten.

"Nancy thinks you should issue a statement..."

Of what? Hey Devin, enjoy the breasts that I paid for?

"... she's already drafted one if you want..."

"Fine." I tipped my chin at Yuh-jung's parting smile.

"For the charity event, do you have someone you can bring?" Jackson's voice buzzed in my ear. The bathroom door stayed closed. No Jennie. "Remember, it'll be highly publicised. No drinking, no public displays of..."

A high-pitched giggle rang out, followed by a pouty smile and wave from Diana. Her attending every class I did, fluttering her eyelashes and sending me heated looks from one mat space over, was no coincidence. I frowned and scratched at my face. Today's class had more younger girls than Friday's grannies.

"I'm sure I can find someone."