Be Mine

Chapter 5

Applause breaks inside the ballroom, which could only mean one thing: Jackson has finished his speech and Bam’s party is officially over. In a moment, people would start streaming out of the main door, and Lisa could almost imagine the look on Jisoo’s face when she sees them in their rumpled dresses on the steps.

“I thought you’d never ask,” Roseanne says finally, and when Lisa turns to her again, Roseanne is standing up and reaching out for her, grinning.

Something plummets right inside Lisa, scorching a path from the base of her throat to the pit of her stomach. “Roseanne?”

“Let’s get out of here,” Roseanne just says, pulling her up.

They slip out of the building just as the people start spilling out, and they stumble into their car just before the cameras are up again at the red carpet for the end-of-party interviews. Roseanne climbs in after Lisa, giggling as she tells their driver to take them home.

“They’d probably look for us,” says Lisa breathlessly, as Roseanne’s shoulder bumps into hers at a turn in the road.

“Let them,” Roseanne says, hand careless on Lisa’s thigh, and Lisa tries to keep breathing; tries not to zero-in on that touch. “Or would you like to take a picture, just so they know we’re out together?”

“Roseanne.”

“Come here,” says Roseanne, inching closer to Lisa, phone already in hand. Lisa knows how this goes; damn, by this time, this should be so automatic – it’s a selfie with Roseanne, and they probably have dozens by now – but jesus, it never gets easier, and Lisa still trembles slightly when her cheek brushes against Roseanne’s by accident.

@roses_are_rosie: off to the after-party with @lalalalisa_m rockin’ party at Bam's. happy birthday! pic.twitter.com/4J1bSU8PKV

“After-party, hm?” Lisa says, upon hearting Roseanne’s tweet. “Where are you really taking me, Ms Park?” she asks, narrowing her eyes playfully.

Roseanne just laughs, rolling her eyes before leaning her head upon Lisa’s shoulder. “I’m making this up as we go,” she says, burrowing closer, and Lisa swallows hard at the feel of her stomach somersaulting. This night is full of bad ideas. So many bad ideas. “Just go along with it.”

“Yes ma’am.” Off the rearview mirror, Lisa sees the shadow of Roseanne’s smile. She stares at it throughout the quiet ride home. 

//

Lisa follows Roseanne into the elevator, giggling like schoolgirls misbehaving. They don’t say much on the ride up; they speak in smiles and eyebrow lifts and god, the butterflies in Lisa’s gut must be drunk as well, fluttering about messily amid all that whiskey swirling in her stomach.

When the elevator doors open, Lisa stumbles out with Roseanne, her heels catching on the carpet, and Lisa curses out so loudly in her surprise that Roseanne has to shush her, hand around her wrist.

Fuck. Lisa looks around – she can’t decide whether she’s still drunk or if she’s sobering up quickly because Roseanne’s holding and tugging at her, and when they turn into the corridor at the end of the hallway that’s when it hits her.