Later at work, Jennie was sore, exhausted, and happier than she had been in a long time. Maybe ever. She sat at her desk with the Golden Gate Park victim's file spread out around her, finalizing her forensic report with a grin on her face. Feeling this good made no sense at all when she had just spent the past hour staring at crime-scene photos of a woman who might have been murdered by the same man who had attacked her, but very little made sense these days. The past twenty-four hours with Lisa had defied logic altogether, though that hadn't stopped Jennie from enjoying every second of it.
"Knock, knock."
Jennie glanced over her shoulder and waved at Irene, who stood just inside the lab door. "Hey, you."
"Hey, back." Irene raised an eyebrow as she stepped inside. "What's up?"
"Just putting the finishing touches on your forensic report," Jennie said. She sounded chipper, didn't she? Irene would definitely pick up on that. Jennie was never this cheerful, even in her best moods. "I'll have it to you in just a moment."
"Thanks," Irene said carefully. She approached Jennie's desk and gave her a sidelong look. "But I meant what's up with the sunny disposition? You're... glowing."
Jennie's face heated. Irene was a detective for a reason, so she couldn't try to hide her joy. "I had a good night, that's all." She glanced up at Irene. "Can't a girl be happy?"
"Of course." Irene studied her face, probably trying to decide if Jennie's good night was actually what it sounded like. "You just haven't been lately. Not that I blame you, of course. With what happened in the park and everything..." Irene tilted her head. "Did you get laid last night?"
Clearing her throat, Jennie made a big show of jotting a final note in Yasmin Mandujano's file. She refused to admit that she'd spent all of yesterday afternoon and last night making love to someone she'd just met. "Not that it's any of your business, but... I did have a date."
"You're kidding."
Jennie frowned. The sheer disbelief in Irene's voice offended her. Was she really so socially awkward that Irene didn't think she could find someone who was interested? "Gee, thanks."
"No!" Irene shook her head, propping her hip on the desk next to Jennie's hand. She was so close Jennie could feel heat radiating from her.
"That's not what I meant. It's just... after what you've just been through. I'm surprised."
"Well, don't be. Life goes on."
"Apparently it does." Irene folded her arms over her chest, clearly waiting for more. She'd have to ask. Jennie wouldn't supply any more information than necessary. What she had shared with Lisa was too precious to reduce to tedious gossip. And something about discussing Lisa with her ex-girlfriend made Jennie uncomfortable. Irene held out for almost thirty seconds before she said, "Who is she?"
"Just a woman."
"I figured," Irene said, smirking. "What else?"
"She's the one who helped me the other morning. In the park, after... you know. After."
"Huh." Craning her neck to meet Jennie's eyes, Irene winked. "She have a name?"
"Lisa," Jennie answered shortly. She was about done playing along with the interrogation. Closing the file, she offered it to Irene. "She's very nice, we had a good time. End of story."
"Is it?" Irene took the file and tucked it beneath her arm without glancing at it. Obviously she found Jennie's personal life more riveting than something so trivial as solving a murder. "You said she found you in the park that morning?"
Jennie sighed. "I'm trying to decide why the police are suddenly questioning me about this."
"Because I care about you," Irene said. "And I want to know. What was this Lisa doing in Golden Gate Park so early in the morning?"
"Same thing I was, I guess." Jennie's mood was quickly deflating. "Jesus, Irene. Can't you just be glad that I'm happy and move on?"
Looking only mildly chagrined, Irene put a hand on Jennie's shoulder and squeezed. "Nothing would please me more than to see you happy. You know that. I'm just-"
"A cop."
Irene chuckled. "Yes. And someone who loves you."
"Yeah, well..." Jennie rolled her chair backward and stood, wanting to be at eye level with Irene. It made it easier to assert herself. "I appreciate that. But this is kind of a new thing, so I'd prefer to keep it to myself for a while."
"I get it," Irene said. "Sorry."
Now Irene appeared fully chagrined. Jennie softened. "It's okay. I get it, too."
"Cool." Irene eased into a wide smile, the one that had always reduced Jennie to jelly when they were together. "So, I actually intended to ask you if you wanted to join me for dinner tonight. I figured I could make your favorite. Chicken fajitas?"
"I go on a date and suddenly you want to cook dinner for me?" Jennie chuckled to cover her uncertainty about Irene's motives. She hadn't been to Irene's place for dinner since the breakup. Her timing was suspicious, to say the least. "Is that what's happening here?"
"I was planning to ask you to dinner before I found out you went out with someone," Irene said. "You just laid that one on me, remember?"
"Why now? Broken up for almost a year and all of a sudden you want to get cozy again?"
Irene gave her a pained frown. "Look, I know we've had some rough times. But what happened to you in the park... it really got me thinking. About how much you mean to me. How lost I'd be if something happened to you."
Reaching for her hand, Taylor entangled their fingers and tugged Jennie closer. "I'm just asking you to dinner, Jennie. That's all. I want to spend time with you." Irene's hazel eyes were wide and sincere, but they no longer drew Jennie in. "Shit, we used to be best friends. And I know I screwed everything up, but that doesn't mean I don't still need you in my life."
Anger flared in Jennie's stomach, spreading through her body like wildfire, then burning out just as quickly. For months she'd struggled over their breakup, and now Irene wanted to rekindle something? She didn't believe for a second that Irene was only after friendship. The look in Irene's eyes was familiar. Jennie hadn't seen it since they first became lovers, and it threw her for a loop. Now that she was finally over Irene, she was worth desiring again? For the thrill of the hunt?
"Actually, I've got another date tonight." Jennie tried to sound casual, but knew she'd just dropped a bombshell. "But thanks anyway."
Irene blinked. "Really? Two nights in a row?" She wasn't even trying to hide her lack of enthusiasm. "Wow."
"I'm sure you've seen women two nights in a row," Jennie said. "Maybe not the same woman, granted."
Irene tensed, then forcibly relaxed. "I don't expect you to believe me, but I have changed, Jennie. I made a mistake. And I've learned my lesson." Stepping away from Jennie, she pulled the case file from under her arm and tapped it on the desktop. "All I've got left to do now is prove it to you."
Kai chose that moment to return from lunch. As he opened the lab door and hurried inside, not pausing even when he saw her and Irene locked in a meaningful stare, Jennie was glad for his occasional social ineptitude. This wasn't the first time he'd saved her from a conversation she'd rather not have.
"Hello, peeps." Kai flashed Jennie an enthusiastic Spock greeting gesture with his hand. "What are we talking about?"
"Nerdy science stuff," Irene said easily. "But I was just leaving."
"Perfect." Kai pointed at his microscope on the counter.
"Because I have something you've got to check out, Dr. Kim. The biggest maggots you've ever seen. Dug them out of some necrotic flesh."
"Okay." Irene exhaled and put a hand on her stomach. "Things just got a little too real for me in here." Waving at Jennie, she rushed to the door. "I'll see you later, Jennie." Glancing at Kai, she said, "You... well, thanks for that."
"Bye." He waved cheerily until Irene shut the door behind her. Then he rolled his eyes, glancing at Jennie. "I hope I didn't misread that you wanted her gone."
Jennie laughed. "So you don't really have giant maggots for me?"
"Unfortunately, no," he said. "I do have some necrotic flesh, though."
Jennie patted him on the back. "You're a good friend, Dr.Jongin. Truly."
Kai ducked his head, obviously pleased by the praise. "Yeah, well. Us geeks have to stick together. Right?"
"That is in the handbook. At least the last time I checked." Jennie went back to her desk and sat down. Now that Irene was gone, she was determined to recapture the good mood Lisa had given her. At the thought of her, Jennie's tummy fluttered pleasantly, and she stared dreamily at the wall.
"You almost ready for our eleven o'clock autopsy?" Kai said, not bothering to hide his excitement. He probably enjoyed the hands-on portion of his job a little too much, but Jennie understood. It was better than paperwork.
"I am." For the first time since the attack, she faced the prospect of confronting a dead human being with scientific curiosity instead of mild dread. Lisa had given her that gift, a return to normalcy. And she'd also given Jennie something so much better than normal. Something decidedly not normal: the possibility of soul-twisting, reason-defying, head-over-heels love.
Jennie hoped she could offer Lisa something even a fraction as compelling in return. At least she had the whole evening to try.
***
After her second all-night lovemaking session in as many days, Jennie sat at her kitchen table watching the sunrise through the window and wondering how she had gotten so lucky.
Dressed in only a loose-collared button-up shirt and black panties, Lisa stood at the stove with a spatula in hand, every inch of her sex personified. Jennie couldn't stop sneaking peeks at Lisa's bare legs, remembering how they'd felt wrapped around her only thirty minutes earlier. She was tired, hungry, even sore, but above all, she was gloriously content.
"Do you know that I've had more sex in the past forty-eight hours than the entire rest of my life?" Lisa glanced over her shoulder, taking her eyes off their pancakes for the first time since she'd poured them. "Seriously. It's fantastic."
Humming, Jennie tilted her head and gazed longingly at the very tops of Lisa's muscular thighs. Jennie wouldn't believe such an incredible statement from most women as beautiful as Lisa. But she knew Lisa was wholly sincere. "We agree, then. The sex is fantastic."
"The sex is just the tip of the iceberg." Lisa transferred a pancake from the skillet to a plate, then set her spatula on the counter. She sauntered over to Jennie's chair, hips rolling in the most sensuous display of movement Jennie had ever seen. "You are fantastic." Kneeling beside Jennie's chair, Lisa gave her a slow, wet kiss. "And I think I'm falling for you."
Jennie's heart thudded. Not because she didn't feel the same way, not even because she hadn't already guessed how Lisa felt. If she'd been uncertain yesterday at work, the past eighteen hours had erased all doubt. She was just reacting to the simple shock of hearing the words spoken aloud and, more than that, believing them.
"Me, too," Jennie whispered, closing the distance between them to steal another kiss. She thumbed open the top two buttons of Lisa's shirt and slipped her hand inside. She grazed Lisa's erect nipple, and suddenly pancakes were the last things on her mind.
"We can reheat them," Lisa said, once again on exactly the same wavelength. They always seemed to be in sync, which made being together easy in a way it had never been with Irene.
Jennie moaned into their kisses. "We're going to kill ourselves. Starvation, dehydration... where will it end?"
"Satisfaction." Lisa hissed as Jennie pinched her nipple. "A small price to pay, I think. For this."
Jennie opened her mouth to answer, but stopped when someone knocked on her door. Pulling back from Lisa, she was instantly wary.
She hadn't buzzed anyone in. Nobody ever visited her so early. For the first time since their walk to the coffee shop the other morning, Jennie felt afraid of the man from the park. It wasn't logical that he would knock, but that didn't stop her flight instinct from kicking in.
Lisa seemed to pick up on her unease. "Not expecting anyone?"
"No." Jennie stood and forced herself to walk to the door. "Definitely not." Someone probably just had the wrong apartment. She put her eye to the peephole, shocked, relieved, and a little angry to see Irene. Opening the door slightly, Jennie stepped into the hallway and frowned. "What are you doing here?"
"Good morning to you, too, darling." Irene held up a familiar blue box. "Bagels. Cream cheese. What do you say?"
"I say I've already got breakfast plans," Jennie said, even as Irene was edging past her into the apartment. "Hey!"
Irene stopped only a few steps inside her living room. Feeling as though her worlds were colliding, Jennie turned and swallowed at the sight of Irene and Lisa sizing one another up.
Lisa smiled warmly. "Hello," she said, crossing the room and offering her hand. "I'm Lisa."
"Irene." Taking Lisa's hand, Irene raised an eyebrow and unsubtly scanned Lisa's bare legs. "I apologize. I didn't realize Jennie had company."
"It's quite all right," Lisa said. "Would you like to stay for pancakes?"
Trying to hide her alarm, Jennie grabbed Irene's arm and tugged her toward the door. "Actually, Irene has to leave."
Irene shrugged away from Jennie's hand. "That's a fascinating accent, Lisa. Unusual. Where are you from?"
Though Lisa's friendly expression never faltered, Jennie sensed her discomfort. "I was born in Thailand, but I've lived many different places. Mostly in Europe. I've been in the States for three years now."
"Europe," Irene said softly. "Ah."
Jennie recognized irene's tone. She thought she was on to something, though Jennie had no idea what that might be. All she knew was that Irene was turning an excellent morning into something unbearably awkward.
"Really, Irene. You should go."
"Well, it was nice meeting you." Irene gave Lisa a wide, charming grin every bit as fake as the sentiment. "You two enjoy your breakfast."
"Nice meeting you, too, Irene."
Irene raised an eyebrow. "I'm Jennie's ex, by the way."
"Yes, I got that," Lisa murmured. "Sorry you have to run."
Unable to stand any more, Jennie dug her fingernails into Irene's arm and dragged her to the door. Opening it, she pushed her into the hallway, then shut the door behind them. "What the hell are you doing?" Jennie said once she was certain Lisa couldn't hear.
"Damn, girl." Irene pulled her arm away, rubbing at the faint marks. "You're surprisingly grumpy for someone who obviously had another very good night."
"My night is none of your business," Jennie said in a tight voice. "It stopped being your business the moment you chose to fuck other women."
Irritation flashed over Irene's face. "Look, I don't know how many times I can apologize, or tell you I've changed. But this, right now, has nothing to do with that. I had no idea you'd have company. I just wanted to bring you bagels. As your friend."
Jennie forced herself to calm down. She really didn't want to fight with Irene. The adrenaline from her surge of fear at the sound of Irene knocking had fueled her anger, and now she just wanted to let it go.
Move on. "I appreciate the gesture, Irene. But I told you I had a date last night."
"Second date?" Irene gentled her voice. "I don't care what I said in the lab yesterday, I didn't honestly expect her to be serving you breakfast."
"Yes, well..." Jennie cleared her throat, knowing how out of character this all was for her. It was no wonder Irene was surprised. It had taken them three months to transition from friendship to intimacy. The idea of Jennie sleeping with a woman so quickly would seem inconceivable. Before two days ago, it had been. "She's special."
"I could see that." Still holding the box of bagels, Irene leaned against the wall, striking what she probably hoped was a casual pose. "Beautiful, isn't she?"
Something about Irene's tone rankled Jennie. "She is."
"So what do you know about her? Really?"
"Excuse me?" Jennie folded her arms over her chest. "Are you actually pretending that our relationship is any of your business?"
"Your relationship?" Irene shook her head. "Oh, Jennie."
"Don't," Jennie said coldly. Condescension was the last straw. "You want to be my friend, Irene? You're on very thin ice right now."
Irene's eyes softened. "I'm sorry, Jen. I understand how this must seem. You start seeing this woman and all of a sudden here I am."
"Here you are," Jennie said. "Yeah, that pretty much sums it up."
"Honestly..." Irene glanced at the apartment door, then moved close. "Something's off about her. I can't quite put my finger on it, but... really, what's her background?"
Jennie stiffened. She might have known Lisa for less than a week, been her lover for only forty-eight hours, but in that time she'd learned everything she needed to know about Lisa. Maybe not the intimate details of her life, but the important stuff. Lisa was a good person, and when Jennie was with her, she was part of something greater than herself.
Above all else, Lisa made her happy.
"Leave." Jennie put her hand on her doorknob. "How dare you?"
"I'm not trying to be an asshole. I'm trying to be your friend."
"You want to be my friend? Go away. Let me finish my goddamn pancakes with the woman who's made me feel better about myself in the past two days than you ever did." Feeling terrible for enjoying the pain Irene wasn't able to hide at that statement, Jennie focused on the ugly hallway carpet and wished for her peaceful morning back. "Just let me have this, okay? Please."
"Okay," Irene said. She took a step backward, looking stricken. "I just don't want you to get hurt."
Jennie didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Not every woman's going to hurt me, Irene. Not like you did."
Blinking rapidly, Irene turned and headed for the staircase. Jennie watched her go, already regretting what she'd said. As much as she hated Irene's jealousy, she actually didn't doubt that Irene still cared for her very much. And that at least some of her concern did come from a place of love. But their time together was over, and that had been Irene's choice. Disrupting the order of things just as Jennie had found Lisa seemed unnecessarily cruel.
Jennie exhaled, then opened her apartment door and walked back inside. Lisa sat at the kitchen table with her legs crossed, staring at the door. When she saw Jennie, Lisa immediately stood, worry etched across her face.
"She upset you," Lisa said. "Are you okay?"
Jennie crossed the room and fell into Lisa's arms. "I'm so sorry."
"Why?"
"For Irene."
Chuckling, Lisa nuzzled Jennie's neck. "Darling, she was fine. She just cares about you, no?"
"Barging in here, questioning you about your accent. Acting suspicious." Jennie frowned even as she consoled herself by running her hands over Lisa's curves. "She's such a cop."
Lisa went still. "Suspicious of what?"
"Probably why such a hot woman is interested in me." Jennie shrugged to hide the uncertainty Irene had caused. "I don't know. All of a sudden she's jealous or something."
Lisa tightened her arms around Jennie's middle, but said nothing. Sighing, Jennie drew back and met Lisa's eyes.
"I realize how this must seem. But things are settled between Irene and me, I promise. At least as far as I'm concerned." Hating the vague discomfort on Lisa's face, Jennie vowed not to let Irene pull anything like this again. She would never forgive Irene if she managed to scare Lisa away. "I'm not interested in whatever game she's playing."
"I'm not worried about that," Lisa said softly, and despite the lingering unease Jennie could feel emanating from her, Jennie believed her. "I just don't like knowing that she upsets you."
"I've spent the past year getting over a lot of hurt that she caused." As much as Jennie hated to talk about Irene with Lisa, she deserved to know what she was getting into. Clearly their history would creep into her relationship with Lisa whether she wanted it to or not. "She cheated on me. A lot, I think. I know I was never exactly what she wanted in bed, so..." Jennie blushed and stared down at the floor. "She made me feel like I wasn't enough for her, but now that I find someone who seems to want what I have to offer..."
"She's jealous."
"I guess so." Jennie didn't know what to make of Irene's behavior. Did Irene really want her back? Or did she just not want to see her move on?
"It's pissing me off."
"Sounds like she realizes she was a fool to break your heart." Lisa touched Jennie's cheek with the back of her hand. "Though I can't say I'm sorry she blew her chance."
Jennie frowned. "I hate this. The last thing I wanted was to expose you to my ex-girlfriend drama. At least this early on." Wincing at what her hasty words implied, Jennie said, "Not to be presumptuous. About the lifespan of this thing, I mean."
Lisa's obvious pleasure at her words drew Jennie in, made her feel surrounded by love. "You're not being presumptuous. And as far as ex drama... I'm a big girl. I can handle it." Her lips found Jennie's neck again. "Nothing will scare me away from you. I promise."
Jennie tilted her head, giving Lisa better access. "This is making me feel better," she murmured.
"You're so good at that. Making everything better."
"Among other things?" Lisa drew back, eyes sparkling. Her hands found Jennie's hips and she walked jennie backward until her legs hit the couch. Tugging at Jennie's pajama pants, Lisa slipped a hand inside and cupped her between the legs. "Or do you need a reminder?"
"A reminder would be good."
And just like that, Irene was forgotten.