OUR PLAYLIST | JENLISA

SIXTEEN

Jennie

Playlist: Girlfriend | Phoenix
***

When I opened the front door at 6:15, Lisa stood there leaning on her arm against the door frame, still laughing.

I put my hands on my hips and glared playfully at her. “I’m glad one of us found that amusing. That was easily the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to me.”

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Lisa had laughed so hard on the phone through the whole mortifying performance, you could hear her through my cell a foot away.

“I’m sorry, you’re right. Can I come in?” she wheezed.

She looked sooooo good. Even slightly annoyed at her for laughing at me, I had to bite my lip in appreciation. She wore a green jacket, and her doe eyes were gleaming.

They were gleaming at my expense, but still.

I put an arm across the door. “I was musically assaulted today by a roving a cappella group in naval dress whites, and you think it’s funny?”

She crashed into me, hugging me around the waist. I went limp in protest, dropping my arms to my side like noodles, and it made her laugh harder.

“You just don’t realize the effect you have on musicians, Jennie Kim. So…when do I get to musically assault you?”

I narrowed my eyes, but she kissed me, smiling against my unresponsive, protesting lips. Normally her close proximity made me swoon, but her laughing made me just indignant enough to hold my ground.

“I come bearing gifts,” ahe whispered, an inch from my mouth, still cracking up.

“It better be good. I’m about ready to throw you into the laundry room with Love.”

She let me go, picking up a plastic bag from the steps, and handed it to me, her eyes sparkling. I looked inside and gasped. It was full of tiny creamers.

“I bought five coffees for these,” she said. “When I hit the creamer station, I felt like a Viking on a raid.”

I beamed. “Lisa, you pillaged for me? This is so sweet!” But when she leaned in, I turned my face to the side. “Where are my five coffees?”

“Gas station coffee? For a connoisseur like you? I wouldn’t dare.” Then she reached down, around the side of my front porch flowerpot with the petrified geraniums in it, and produced a warm Starbucks cup.

I looked at it and held my breath. “That’s so thoughtful.” I raised my eyes to her. “But I can’t have caffeine this late.”

She smiled. “I know. It’s decaf.”

I had to clutch a hand over my heart. “You realize that repeatedly bringing me my favorite coffee is comparable to feeding a stray cat, right? You might never get rid of me now.”

“Good,” she said, pulling me close to kiss me with an enormous grin. “I was hoping for something like that.”

***

After dinner, we watched Top Gun. I rolled my eyes in the right place. Lisa had her arm around me and we were snuggled deep into the sofa with a blanket over our laps. Love was curled up next to me, sleeping.

The living room was clear. I’d spent last night packing everything into the car. This morning I’d dropped it all off at Goodwill, bracing myself for the punch in the heart, but it never came. And I realized it was actually a relief to let it all go, like I’d been carrying it on my back all this time.