The phone rang early on January 1st, which no one had expected mainly because such things shouldn't happen, and though Roseanne was the furthest from the phone, she was the only one that dragged herself out of bed to answer it.
Alice and Hyeri had come prepared to spend the night and their inflatable mattress now took up most of the living room. But Roseanne smiled at the sight of them snuggled up under the covers, oblivious to the sound of the ringing phone, or perhaps just too hung over.
"Hello?" she said, hiding her annoyance, or at least trying to.
The voice at the other end of the phone sounded entirely too awake. "Hi! Is this Lisa Manoban? My name is Jaebeom Lim and I'm the director of Little Purple Butterflies, which you might've heard of. Anyhoo, Sooyoung Park gave me your number. She's the casting director for Summer's Dance and a good friend of mine, and she told me you would be absolutely perfect for my lead. Which is fabulous because I really need a lead. I know it's a holiday and all but I was hoping you'd be available for coffee or maybe brunch so we could talk about the film and everything. What do you say?"
Roseanne rubbed her eyes with her free hand. "I'm sorry, this isn't Lisa. Hang on." She knocked on Lisa's door, too tired to wrap her mind around everything the guy had said to her. When Lisa didn't answer, Roseanne knocked harder, and heard a groan from somewhere in the living room. Exasperated, she turned the handle and walked in.
Lisa's room was a mess of clothes and papers, and the bed was a rainbow of laundry that might've been clean or dirty or a combination of both. Roseanne crawled on the bed and dug Lisa's arm from beneath the covers. Her best friend moaned in protest as Roseanne put the phone in her hand. "Phone call," Roseanne said.
"I'll call back," Lisa mumbled.
"It's a film director."
Lisa was up in a flash, as though the words had been infused with caffeine or perhaps electricity. "Hello? Hi? This is Lisa."
Roseanne smiled to herself and left Lisa to her phone call.
In the living room, Alice was stretching. "How much did we drink last night?"
Roseanne smiled at her sister. "Entirely too much." She looked down at the mattress to see that Hyeri was still sleeping. To Alice, she said, "Coffee?"
"I knew I loved you for a reason," Alice said, yawning. She followed Roseanne into the kitchen. "Did I hear the phone?"
"Some film director," Roseanne said, realizing after saying it that she should've sounded more excited. "I'll, um, give that the proper intonation it deserves after I get some caffeine in my system."
Alice looked surprised. "A film director, really? I better get Lisa's autograph now before she starts to forget the little people."
Roseanne smiled and turned to the business of making coffee. She'd drank less alcohol than the rest of them during their big New Year's extravaganza, but her head was still killing her.
Alice sat at the table and Roseanne saw her looking at the book she'd left there. "The Poisonwood Bible," she read off the cover. "I think I read this in college. Is it still on the syllabus?"
She hadn't told her sister about Jane. Didn't really know what to tell him, except, "This girl I met online recommended it."
"You've been hanging out in chat rooms lately?"
"Not exactly. She bought a painting from me a while back and emailed to say she liked it. We hit it off."
Alice smiled and flipped through the book. "That was nice of her."
Roseanne nodded and found herself smiling. "Yeah, she's really nice. She's kind of private, though. I don't even know her last name, actually. Or quite what she does for a living." She filled the mugs with coffee and joined Alice at the table. "But then she tells me things like ... that she's gay. And that she's never been with anyone ever. And that she's never read Harry Potter or been to Paris. And it makes me think about what's really important to know about a person, you know?"
Alice was looking at her curiously. "So what's important to know about a person?"
Roseanne shrugged and looked down at the dark liquid in her cup. "I told her about my toilet paper collection."
She chuckled. "Man, I'd forgotten about that."
"She must think I'm such a freak."
"You are a freak."
"I never even told Jungkook about that."
Alice was quiet for a moment while she sipped her coffee. "So it's definitely over between the two of you?"
"Couldn't possibly be more over." She smiled to show that this was a good thing. Then she took a deep breath. "He was seeing some other girl."
"I always knew he was a bastard."
"Yeah, well, it was for the best. At least I don't have to feel guilty for not loving him. It makes it easier, in the end, to think of it as his fault."
"So are you seeing anyone now?"
Roseanne shook her head. "Not really. There's this guy Jaehyun that Lisa set me up with, and he's really nice and everything. We talk occasionally. But I don't know."
"No spark?"
"I guess. I like talking to him, and he's an artist. But ... yeah. I don't know. He's kind of flat. You know, boring." She wrinkled her nose. "That's a horrible thing to say, I think."
Alice only smiled. Then she said, "So you're looking for someone more exciting."
Roseanne shrugged. "I'm not sure I'm really looking, honestly. But, I guess. Not a daredevil or anything, but someone ... I don't know. Unpredictable. Maybe." She frowned and shook her head. "I haven't really thought about it."
There was movement in the living room, and then, "Do I smell coffee?" Hyeri stumbled into the kitchen a moment later and stole Alice's mug. She sat down at the table and took a long sip. "Mmmm."
"Hey!" Alice grabbed the mug back. "Get your own!"
Hyeri pouted.
Roseanne smiled and got up to get another cup. "So guess who Lisa and I met."
"Brad Pitt?" was Hyeri's guess.
"George Clooney?" was Alice's.
Roseanne returned to the table and handed Hyeri some coffee. "Jennie Kim," she said.
"Get out!" said Hyeri, her jaw dropping. "I love her." She turned to Alice. "Don't I love her?"
"She loves her," Alice said.
Hyeri leaned forward in her chair. "Girl's got awesome taste in everything. What was she wearing? Tell me everything."
Roseanne frowned briefly. "Uh..."
"How'd you meet her? Where? When?"
"She was actually at the gallery that night you guys couldn't make it," Roseanne said.
"Get out!"
Roseanne shrugged apologetically.
"So unfair. What'd she say?"
"She loved my art," Roseanne said, letting herself feel proud. "Then I randomly ran into her a few days later, and she said she wanted me to paint some stuff for her new apartment."
Hyeri stared at her in shock. "Okay, you're making this up."
"I'm not!"
She shook his head and picked up his coffee. "I don't believe you."
Roseanne grinned. "Of course, that assumes that she still remembers who I am and ever actually calls me. But it was really flattering at the time."
Lisa walked out of her room and joined them a second later, still holding on to the phone. "Guess who's starring in a short film?"
There was a chorus of cheers across the table that came to a halt when they realized how much it hurt their heads to actually speak above a whisper.
Lisa helped herself to the coffee and sat down at the table. "I'm meeting with the director for a late brunch so we can discuss my part."
Hyeri grinned. "That's quite a way to start the new year."
"Tell me about it." Lisa smiled brightly and sighed happily as she settled in the chair. Roseanne had a sudden feeling that it was going to be a very interesting year.
-
Jennie awoke to the sound of her cell phone vibrating on her nightstand and though it took her a long moment to decipher the true nature of the buzzing sound, she managed to breathe a groggy, "Hello?" before anyone hung up.
"What did you mean by 'it might've been a date'?"
The sound of Irene's voice woke Jennie up slightly, and she rolled over and sat up. "Uh..."
"I mean, were you still not sure when you said that, or were you just trying to drive me insane? I'm okay with either."
Jennie rubbed her eyes and tucked her hair behind her ear in an attempt to stall. "Maybe both," she said finally.
Irene laughed. "Good enough. So, um, I'm in L.A. for a couple of weeks and I was hoping I could accidentally bump into you somewhere. If you're interested in being bumped into."
Jennie didn't know what she wanted. Maybe eggs. Eggs and bacon sounded good. Anything beyond a breakfast menu was beyond her right then. "I've got a photo shoot today and then I'm back on the Guardian set tomorrow and we're filming straight through until the end of the month. You might be able to catch me by the catering cart if you're lucky." She paused a moment to think about her schedule more seriously. "I'm being auctioned off next week at a celebrity charity thing."
"Does the winner get to date you?"
"The winner gets to sit at a table with me and talk to me for all of ten minutes while a bunch of other people stand around and make sure said winner doesn't prove to be a psycho. Very exciting stuff. But there's bound to be a really boring party afterwards."
Irene's laugh was soft. "Maybe I'll stop by then. I love boring parties."
"Be careful, though. They might want to auction you off, too."
"No one would bid on me."
Jennie hesitated but said, "I would."
There was silence in which Irene could've either been smiling or rolling her eyes or maybe a combination of the two. Finally, the director said, "Hmm."
Jennie fell back against the pillows. "Very articulate."
There was the soft laugh again, followed by, "Yes, well." Irene cleared her throat. "Actually there was another reason I was calling."
"Yes?"
"It's looking very likely that I'll be playing Samantha, and I can't decide if that maybe means we shouldn't be accidentally bumping into each other places."
Jennie frowned briefly. "So you're calling to say you want to see me, to find out if I want to see you, and also to tell me that maybe we shouldn't want to see each other?"
Irene laughed. "It sounds kinda crazy when you put it that way. I want to see you. I want you to want to see me. I just don't know if it's the best idea."
Jennie was shaking her head. Of course it wasn't the best idea. "So, what do you propose?"
"How about we see where we are after we're done shooting?"
"Sounds good."
There was a pause, and then, "I may still accidentally bump into you at that charity thing."
"You're a very confusing woman."
"Guess we're even."
Jennie smiled at that. "See you around, Ms. Bae."
"Bye, Ms. Kim."
Jennie stared at the phone long after they'd hung up, unsure of how to feel. She placed it back on the nightstand and looked around the room, taking in the sunlight pouring in from the balcony. It was only 9AM, which gave her a few hours to relax before posing for the camera. She hated photo shoots. She hated the interviews that came with them. She hated how phony she seemed in her attempts to sound genuine.
She'd fallen asleep with the laptop beside her and she pulled it closer and turned it on. Before long, she was starting an email to Roseanne. In the subject line she wrote, "Women are confusing."
Dear Rosie,
I just had a phone conversation with Saucy that went sort of like this:
Her: I want to see you again. When can I see you again?
Me: How about at this place on this day?
Her: Great. I'll be there.
Me: Looking forward to it.
Her: Actually, I was really calling to say maybe we shouldn't see each other.
Me: So, you want to see me but not see me?
Her: Yep.
Me: Okay then.
Her: But I'll still probably see you at that place.
Me: ...
So there you have it.
So basically she thinks us getting romantically involved might negatively impact our working relationship – which makes perfect sense. But then she still wants to see me? I crown Saucy Fipbic the new Queen of Mixed Signals.
But anyway.
I start work again tomorrow. Today, really, which means my emails are likely to slow down in frequency and quantity. I apologize ahead of time. It's very time consuming hiding all those dead bodies. ;)
Anyway, I should run. Gotta get the rope and the duct tape ready.
All the best in the new year. I don't think there's such a thing as too much happiness. :)
Your friend,
J.
P.S. I started reading Harry Potter.
-
Roseanne sat at Washington Square Park sipping coffee and reading The Poisonwood Bible. It was cold, too cold to be sitting outside, but Roseanne didn't mind. She enjoyed the feel of the icy breeze on her face. She liked the smell of melting snow. She loved New York in the winter. Even in gloomy weather, Roseanne still found it beautiful.
The book was good. Different than the sort of books Roseanne read, in the rare occasions when she did read. Mainly, she liked going over the words and thinking of Jane having read them before her. It made her want to read Harry Potter again, too, and experience it anew. She wondered if Jane was enjoying it, or if she'd put it aside and forgotten about it.
Her online friend hadn't lied when she'd said that her emails would wane in frequency. It had been over a week since the last one, and Roseanne missed turning on her computer to find an email from Jane waiting there. She'd decided, instead, to throw herself into the business of reading Jane's favorite books. She'd bought The Color Purple along with the other, knowing she would want to read it even if Jane didn't make it through the Harry Potter experience.
School didn't start up again for another week, and her artistic inspiration was once again at a standstill. The money from the artwork she'd sold at the gallery had come through and she'd stared at the check for a long time, unsure whether to deposit it or simply frame it. She'd deposited it, in the end, because the money was useful, but the entire time she'd stood in line at the bank she'd felt a sense of wonder that someone had paid nearly $3000 for her work.
She thought of Jennie Kim then, and let herself feel flattered by the compliments the actress had paid her. Even if the call never came, she was still grateful for the sentiment behind the offer. And if she was honest, a part of her hoped the call never would come. She didn't want to disappoint the actress if she should find herself completely devoid of inspiration.
The artist finished her coffee and tossed the cup into the garbage can beside her. After a moment, she returned to the book.
-
Jennie stood by the bar, waiting for a refill on her champagne. Beside her, one of her co- stars from Guardian went on about his holidays abroad. She thanked the bartender and turned her full attention to the young guy beside her, who was still working up the nerve, she knew, to ask her out.
"So what did you get up to?" he asked, dark hair sliding over hazel eyes. "Any fun parties? I heard Namjoon threw a crazy wild one for New Year's. Did you go?"
He was bordering drunk, the fact evident by how close he was standing, but Jennie didn't mind. Having him by her side meant few others would saunter up to her. Jackson Wang was beautiful in a way most others found intimidating. "I missed it, actually. I had a small gathering at home."
He smiled in the way he knew made most women melt. "So I heard you and Mr. Kim finally broke up."
"Interesting segue," Jennie said, picking up her glass.
"He's an idiot for letting you go," Jackson said, undeterred. He leaned against the bar and swirled the liquid in his glass around. "I never liked him."
"Dirty martini, please," someone said behind her, and Jennie recognized the voice immediately.
She almost smiled, but didn't turn around. "Yeah, I don't know what it is about directors I find so appealing," she told Jackson.
"Bah. Stick to actors. We'll treat you right. Speaking of which, Jennie, I was actually meaning to ask if you'd like to come to a party I'm hosting next weekend? It's small ... intimate." He smiled that smile again.
"I'll have to check my calendar, but if I'm free, sure," she said, knowing she wouldn't be free. Irene chose that moment to cross her field of vision, martini in hand. "Irene," she called.
The director turned her way and smiled in greeting. "Jennie, hi. Didn't see you there."
Jennie knew that was a lie. "Jackson, do you know Irene Bae? I'll be starring in her next film."
They shook hands, and Jackson grinned. "If you're looking for a male lead..."
Irene smiled in return. "It's more of a girl-on-girl thing," she said, and Jennie nearly choked on her drink.
Jackson laughed. "Never mind then. That's great though. I'll be watching. If Jennie's in it, I'm there." He winked in Jennie's direction. "Anyway, if you'll excuse me, ladies, I've got to go to the little boy's room."
They watched him go, and Jennie turned to Irene. "I almost didn't think you'd show."
"I almost didn't," Irene admitted, coming to stand where Jackson had been. "But then I thought, 'it's for a good cause, so...'"
Jennie grinned. "Do you even know what the cause is?"
"You know, I actually don't. And I gave a huge check at the entrance. Tell me it's not for something like ... handing out make-up to underprivileged poodles?"
"That's next week," Jennie said, with a laugh. She sipped her champagne, and was glad, suddenly, that Irene had shown. She didn't know what it meant for them, but she liked having the director there. "It's for a children's hospital, actually."
Irene breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. So how much did you go for? I missed the exciting stuff."
"Twenty-five grand."
Irene whistled. "For ten minutes of your time?"
Jennie nodded. "Crazy, I know. And the guy spent the first five minutes staring at me, and the other five babbling incoherently about ... fishing, I think?"
"Poor guy," Irene said. "That's what you get for being so beautiful." She said the last part in a whisper, but Jennie heard her anyway.
Jennie didn't embarrass easily, but she was suddenly at a loss for words. She looked at the director, dressed in her black suit, with her long brown hair loose around her shoulders, and decided to change the subject. "You look like you're on your way to a corporate meeting."
Irene shook her head, and glanced down at herself. "I just got out of one, actually, with a bunch of stuffy men in suits. I can't wait to change out of this."
Jennie only nodded. After a moment of silence, she said, "Irene, why did you come?"
The director looked at her but hesitated. "You really want to talk about this here?"
Jennie looked around. Jackson was making his way back toward them, and she suddenly felt tired. "Can I give you a ride back to your hotel?"
Irene nodded. "Sure."
Jackson reached them. "Who's up for an afterparty?"
"We're actually heading out," Jennie said to him. "When do you sleep? We've got to be at the set in like five hours."
Jackson grinned brightly. "That's when not being the star comes in handy. I'll crash in my trailer between takes. Don't you worry about me. Let me walk the two of you out."
Outside, her limo was waiting for her, along with Samuel, her chauffeur, and half of Hollywood's paparazzi. The cameras flashed as they walked out and Jennie could only imagine what the blog headlines would be saying in the morning. It didn't help matters any that Jackson had opted to put his arm around her as they'd walked out.
Samuel opened the door as they approached and greeted them cordially.
Irene climbed into the car.
Jennie turned to Jackson and said, "See you tomorrow."
He kissed her cheek just as a camera flashed in their direction. And then the door closed and she and Irene were alone.
"This is going to be all over the Internet tomorrow," Jennie said, shaking her head. She lowered the partition once she knew Samuel had climbed into the driver's seat. To Irene she asked, "Where can we drop you?"
"Beverly Hills Hotel."
Samuel waved a hand to mean that he'd understood, and the partition went up again.
"Fancy," Jennie said, referring to the hotel.
"Wasn't my idea," Irene replied, settling into the plush leather seats. "I'm meeting with a studio about a potential TV show that may or may not happen. We'll see. It's in the can't- jinx-it-by-talking-about-it stage."
Jennie nodded, understanding. "So."
"I have no idea why I came," Irene blurted. "I was in that meeting and the only thing I could think about was how nice it would be to see you again. And I know that I'm all over the place with the signals and you must think me totally insane. There's just this part of me that wants to keep things strictly professional and then there's this other part of me that can't stop thinking about kissing you."
Jennie's heart began to pound furiously in her chest at the words and the images that accompanied them. It would be so simple to lean over and kiss the director, to forget reality for a short while and give in to her curiosity, perhaps even her desire. But what then? She looked away, at the lights passing by her window. "It would be selfish of me to kiss you," she said softly, "because I want to, but beyond that, I don't know what I want." She turned to look at the director. "I do know that I don't want to gamble with this film."
Irene smiled softly. "Neither do I."
Jennie felt a wave of relief. "So ... friends?"
"Friends," Irene agreed.