A/N: Sorry for not updating again. Enjoy!
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Jisoo drove her pickup truck at the highest speed the back country roads would allow, kicking up a huge dust cloud in its wake. Jennie held on for dear life but put on a cool front.
"Someone's in a hurry," she said, gazing over at her chauffeur.
Jisoo's sexy when driving. She's sexy doing anything.
"I'm feeling empowered," Jisoo announced as she reached over and took Jennie's hand in her and placed it on her lap.
"Not nervous?" Jennie asked.
"Nope." Jisoo's confidence was radiating off of her.
Jennie glanced at herself in the truck's side mirror. Her hair was cooperating today, her lipstick a subtle pink, and her outfit casual but cute, capris and a green top.
Can't look like I'm trying too hard.
Jisoo pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store and hopped out. She motioned for Jennie to stay put, then came around and opened the door for her.
"Who does that anymore?" Jennie teased, taking Jisoo proffered hand.
Jisoo pulled her into a bear hug, Jennie's feet hovering far above the asphalt. She squealed. Jisoo turned, with Jennie in her arms, feet flailing, and walked towards the store.
"Okay, okay!" Jennie hollered.
Jisoo placed her down gently by the entrance and the automatic doors swooshed open.
"I like to think I'm traditional with a hint of surprise." Jisoo grabbed her hand.
"Great combo."
They browsed the aisles and filled their cart with the necessities, and a few treats. The young cashier took a good look at Jisoo as she scanned their items, but said nothing.
Jennie tried to divert her eyes from the rack of magazines, while Jisoo made casual chit chat with the cashier and acted brilliantly as if she didn't notice she was being recognized left and right.
Grocery bags deposited in the back of the pick-up, Jisoo led Jennie down main street. They strolled along, not a care in the world, passing boutiques and bistros. Except Jennie's cat-eyes were scanning their surroundings like a hawk.
"Take it easy," said Jisoo from behind her sunglasses, seeing Jennie's neck twist this way and that as they walked.
"How can you be so calm? After the last time..."
Jisoo stopped dead in her tracks and placed her hands on Jennie's shoulders.
"Those people aren't that clever. We're hiding in plain sight."
Jennie looked at Jisoo and her shoulders heaved a sigh under Jisoo's grip.
"They'll get you, my pretty."
Jisoo cackled. "Oh, what a world!"
Jennie felt a little more at ease seeing Jisoo laugh and joke. It was commendable, given the circumstances.
"Come," Jisoo said. "You need to try the best iced coffee on the planet." She pulled Jennie along.
"Can I have whipped cream?"
"What do you take me for, an animal?"
"Well..."
Jisoo jerked her hand and Jennie had to skip to avoid tumbling onto the sidewalk, all the while laughing.
In the coffee shop. Jennie could feel various sets of eyes on them as they waited in line. She gave a few patrons a death-glare, but gave up when she saw she was outnumbered. She sunk into Jisoo's arms around her waist and dropped her head onto her shoulder.
Screw it let them watch.
Jisoo paid for the coffees and they moved to one side to wait for their order. When it arrived. Jennie noticed the names written on the cups.
"Dorothy and Scarecrow."
"I thought about Bonnie and Clyde since you're making me feel like we're on the lamb, but I wanted to go with something more upbeat."
"You realize everyone here knows who you are, right?"
Jisoo looked around the room and feigned surprise. "Well I'll be."
"Besides," Jennie said, heading over to a table by the window, "if I'm anyone, I'm Glinda."
Jisoo's hand shot out and smeared whipped cream across Jennie's cheek. "What makes you so sure you're a good witch?"
Jennie's cat-eyes went wide.
Oh, she wants to play games?
"And you're the cowardly lion!"
"Not today." Jisoo grinned and leaned across the table, grabbing Jennie's face and kissing her mandu cheek with gusto, lapping up the cream.
Jennie yelped with glee as Jisoo assaulted her entire face with her heart-shped mouth, aware that every customer in the joint was now watching the spectacle by the window.
Jisoo had been right, it was the best iced coffee on Earth, for a number of reasons.
As Jennie listened to Jisoo tell stories about her favorite ice-cream parlor and how she and her friends used to ride their bikes through town, she ignored the incessant vibrating of her purse. Every few minutes her phone would pulsate deep within her bag, jingling against keys and coins.
"Do you need to get that?" Jisoo asked. The shaking purse and Jennie's frustrated expression hadn't gone unnoticed.
"Sorry," she said. Jennie knew she couldn't ignore it any longer. She at least had to turn it off.
Text from Taehyung
1 new voicemail - Taehyung
Text from Taehyung
Email from Taehyung, Sebject: PLEASE CALL ME.
She groaned.
"Everything is okay?"
"Yes, fine.” Jennie forced a smile. "Just real world calling."
"I always screen the real world too."
A bang on the window jolted them out of their casual conversation.
A crowd of reporters had gathered outside the coffee shop, and one had had the nerve to slam the window to get their attention. Jennie stiffened in her seat.
"Relax," Jisoo said, barely parting her lips. "Smile. Wave. They're hungry. Feed them. and they'll get their fill."
"Holy hell," Jennie said with a big, fake, toothy smile at the cameras.
They were all shouting, their questions indecipherable through the glass. The other coffee shop patrons were now groaning and grunting, their quiet afternoon break having been ruined by an impromptu media scrum.
Jisoo stood and helped Jennie get to her feet. She was shaking. "We should go before they break the glass."
Jisoo could see the panic in her cat-eyes. She cupped Jennie's face and leaned down. "You look beautiful. Don't be afraid."
"Ok." Jennie said, her voice quavering
With that, Jisoo leaned in and wrapped Jennie in her arms bent backwards, and before Jennie had time to shriek she was wrapped up in a big kdrama-style kiss. Through her closed eyelids she could see the millions of flashes that followed. They were eating it up. More screaming questions.
Jisoo pulled back and smiled at her. "A little better than a night-time back alley makeout photo."
"Mmmhmm."
"Let's go. I'll talk. Stay calm." Jisoo put on her sunglasses once again.
They exited the shop hand in hand and were swallowed by the crowd. Jisoo put her arm around Jennie and they headed down the street, the herd of gossip-chasers in tow.
Jisoo's pace was steady but relaxed. Jennie could tell she didn't want to be seen running from them again. She smiled timidly at the lenses being pushed into her face, but wanted to cover her ears to protect them from the blaring noise of their shouts.
"Jisoo. Who is this? What's her name? Are you in touch with Soojoo? Do you have any words for the YG Entertainment? Is it true youll be releasing your own album? What do you think of Soojoo's latest single 'They All Want Me'? Have you seen the Music Video?"
Jennie was cringing so hard she thought she might implode, but Jisoo was the picture of tranquility. When she finally opened her mouth, the barrage ceased.
"This is my friend. A childhood friend. Her name is private. No. Good luck. Maybe. I had nothing to do with that mess. No."
The gang laughed heartily and Jennie mentally applauded Jisoo for her charm and wit under such pressure.
"Now, can we go about our day?"
"A few more pictures please! Can you smile for us? Another kiss?"
They just wouldn't quit.
"You have ten seconds." Jisoo declared. She put her arm around Jennie's waist and removed her sunglasses. She bent down and whispered in Jennie's ear. "Are you ok?"
Jennie nodded.
Flashes abounded, as did ridiculous requests for various poses and angles. Jennie smiled, glancing from one lens to the other.
"She's gorgeous, Jisoo! A beauty just like you!" Someone called, and Jennie beamed.
"I know it!" Jisoo winked. God, she's good with them. "And six, five, four..." she counted.
They flashed away until Jisoo hit one. "Thanks guys, now please... beat it."
The reporters laughed. They loved Jisoo, even though they were tormenting her.
With Jennie's hand tight in her. Jisoo took her away, leaving the press conference behind. As they walked, Jisoo lifted her hand and kissed it.
"Are they following?
Jennie glanced over her shoulder. "No. Wow."
"Yeah," Jisoo said. "I can't believe that worked."
Jisoo was sure to take several unnecessary detours on the way home, checking in the rearview every few minutes to make sure nobody was trailing them. Town was one thing, but if they descended upon her summer home, Jennie knew it would be a different story entirely.
They pulled into Jennie's laneway just as the sun was disappearing behind the treeline. Down by the water she could see Jiyong fiddling with firewood. He glanced over at the truck and went back to his task. If this was going to work, Jennie had realized that hiding it wasn't the way to go. Jiyong would just have to deal with it.
Jisoo shut off the ignition and eyed Jennie's father.
"Do you want to come up to the boathouse for a soju?" Jennie asked.
"Nah, not right now." Jisoo's eyes never left Jiyong. "You go though."
"Okay." What's her deal? “See you tomorrow?"
Jisoo turned to face Jennie. "Actually, I'll be gone for a few days."
Jennie's heart dropped like a stone. "Oh, yeah?"
Jisoo smiled and reached out to stroke Jennie's hair. She saw the disappointment in her cat-eyes. "I'd rather stick to you like a glue." she said, "but I have that meeting with the record company in the city tomorrow."
"Oh my god, that's amazing!" Jennie clasped Jisoo's hand as it rubbed her chubby-cheek. "I'm sure you'll knock it out of the park."
Jisoo leaned in and kissed her softly, then pulled back and rested her nose against hers.
God, her mouth tastes good.
"Now, get lost." Jisoo smiled and Jennie dove in once more to kiss her heart-shaped mouth. She opened the door and felt a playful smack on her ass as she exited the truck.
Jennie made her way up to the boathouse, eager to crack open a soju and lounge with some more vintage VHS tapes. As she paced around the room, brewing in hand, she passed the window and stopped. The truck was still parked beside the house.
Her cat-eyes darted across the lawn, and there was Jisoo, strolling towards her dad who was setting up logs in the pit for a campfire.
Shiiiit.
Jisoo waved to Jiyong from several yards away, and Jiyong stood up from his squatting position and watched her approach. Jennie cracked open the window, desperate for audio for the scene unfolding before her, but they were too far away to be heard.
She watched with bated breath and desperately tried to lip read. All she had to go on was body language, Jiyong with his hands on his hips, occasionally wagging a finger at Jisoo, and Jisoo waving her hands about, pointing at her truck, and over towards her cottage. Jiyong's face was stern, and Jisoo's was pleading.
Jisoo's lips spat out an excited sentence and suddenly Jiyong's expression softened. Jisoo's tense posture gave way, releasing what seemed like a ton of angst.
What? What is it? God dammit!
Jiyong's hand was outstretched and Jisoo was shaking it.
Holy hell.
Jisoo waved goodbye to Jiyong and headed back to the truck. She walked with casual confidence, hands in her pockets. As she crossed the lawn in the fading light she looked up at the boathouse window and Jennie froze, busted in her peeping.
Her heart-shaped mouth broke out with a huge smile making her eyes crinkle, and exposing her beautiful white teeth. Her failing winked exaggeratedly.