the blind side of love | chaennie

forty-three

"Wait," Roseanne said, grabbing her arm. "Let's get some coffee first. I want to talk to you about something."

"Oh no, I'm not the mystery girl am I?"

Roseanne smiled. "No, but how would you like a chance to be Jennie Kim's personal assistant?"

-

Catching Irene alone took longer than Jennie anticipated. Light chatter and conversation rose up the moment the director dismissed them for the day, and Jennie was forced to participate out of politeness. She liked her fellow cast members. She found their uninhibited enthusiasm contagious. Lisa, especially, was intriguing, for many reasons that did not all have to do with Roseanne. But there was still the barrier Jennie erected around people; the persistent fear that they might see the truth. And so she remained friendly but guarded as they asked her questions, worried that her emotional distance would make her seem cold.

Irene passed by on her way out of the meeting room and Jennie excused herself from the group to follow after the director. "Do you have a second?"

"For you, I have almost a second and a half." Irene smiled and led them to her office. "Sorry for the mess," she said, as she pushed open the door.

Jennie walked in, taking in the piles of paper scattered across the desk and the myriad of neon Post-It notes hanging from the walls. "It's like Office Depot exploded in here."

Irene laughed and leaned against the edge of the desk. "What can I do for you?"

"Are you busy tonight?"

"Are you asking me out?"

Jennie hesitated, the words sounding entirely too formal for her comfort. She withdrew the nightclub invitation from her back pocket and handed it to Irene. "Any chance you were thinking of being there tonight?"

Irene let out a surprised laugh. "A couple of my friends mentioned it to me over the weekend. I told them I'd pass. Were you thinking of being there?"

"I promised I would be."

"Well, then I'm sure I could be persuaded to change my mind."

Irene's smile made Jennie want to sigh. This right here was the sure thing; a beautiful woman who was clearly interested in her, who would undoubtedly respect her need for secrecy. So why couldn't she stop thinking about Roseanne? Why couldn't she stop wondering what their kiss might have been like, had it happened? The question had kept her up half the night. But Irene was there now, smiling at her in a way that made Jennie want to toss aside her reservations and simply take a chance. She smiled back. "How might I persuade you?"

"Well, you might, for example, tell me what you'll be wearing."

"I've been saving my very sexy penguin outfit for a special occasion."

Irene laughed and shook her head, looking down at the ground for a moment. "That does sound incredibly appealing."

"You definitely don't want to miss it."

"Then I guess it's a date."

Yes, I guess it is, Jennie thought, feeling a momentary pang of sadness that she quickly pushed aside.

-

"Just to be clear," Hyeri said, staring at the piece of paper Roseanne had given her, "If I call this number I'll be magically transported into Jennie Kim's presence?"

Roseanne sipped her coffee and shook her head. "No. You call that number, and you find out what you have to do next. I guarantee nothing!"

"I can't help but think this is a prank of some sort," Hyeri said, but she clutched the paper like a lifeline. "How did you get this?"