I was tired, annoyed and restless.
In between my financial problems at home and work, I worry about Lisa who hadn't contacted me for three days now... until Jisoo posted a picture of us four from the bar, the one taken 2 days ago.
On that picture, I was holding a beer. I changed into a white spaghetti strap top and black shorts that night after my shift, mainly because Jisoo urged me to wear those.
With my eyes boring straight to the camera, a bit tipsy by then, this woman looked nowhere like me. I didn't recognize myself.
The girls said I looked good, very much different from how I normally dressed and face the camera. Andrew too, but he couldn't tell the difference since that was the first day we met.
He's beside me on that picture, grin wide and hair wild, his hand raised up in the air holding a shot glass. His arm is on the backseat, particularly behind me since I'm seated next to him on the booth Jisoo reserved since she's a VIP there.
On my other side is Nayeon, winking and blowing a kiss at the camera. On Andrew's other side is Jisoo, tongue sticking out as if she's an annoying kid.
Not even 30 minutes after Jisoo uploaded that picture, my phone started ringing and I saw the name I've been waiting to see.
This time, I managed to realize that it was a video call so I sat up from lying down and straightened my shirt.
I frowned seeing a bandaid on the top of her right brow.
"Hi gorgeous. I missed you," she says while the screen shakes a little, and I realized she was setting up her phone stand.
When it stabilized, her face is no longer close up to the camera as it reaches a bit lower than her chest. She's wearing a mint blue hoodie, the hood up her head.
She was pouting, and I realized it's because she was waiting for me to say something.
"Sorry I hadn't replied to your messages, I was busy and I—"
"Is that a bandage on your wrist?" I asked worriedly when she raised her hand to fix her bangs and hide the bandaid. I leaned closer to the phone, hoping I could see more clearly if she's okay.
"So... I was being clumsy," she starts explaining, looking shy as she scratches the corner of her left brow, "Fell off somewhere, broke my wrist. Went to the hospital. I'm sorry I didn't call."
"Oh my God, is it bad? Does it hurt a lot?" I frowned.
"It's tolerable now," she shrugs. "I'll probably be home tomorrow."
My brows raised. "Already? I thought you'll stay there for three weeks?"
"Yeah, I'll go alone. Bogum and Rosé will wrap things up here," she leans on her chair, "Besides, I miss you. Didn't you miss me?"
"Of course I do miss you," I replied. "I was getting worried that I couldn't reach you. Are you sure you'd rather go home early than rest a little before you go? I mean, you're injured."
"I want to go," she answers with finality, "I'm fine, Jennie. I'll ask my driver to pick you up so we can meet at dinner. Sounds good?"
"Yeah," I quickly nodded, the thought of seeing her tomorrow making me feel both at ease and antsy because I couldn't wait til I can touch her again. I want to be selfless and ask her to stay there and rest, but I also miss her already and she wants to see me too.
"Good," she inches closer to the screen, looking adorable with her legs now up on the chair as she hugs her knees. "Anyway, Jen?"
"Hm?" I blinked, trying not to be distracted with how adorable she looked.
"Congratulations on your promotion, I'm so proud of you," she gives me a small smile. "I'll make sure we get to celebrate it when I come home tomorrow."
Dammit Jisoo. I was supposed to tell Lisa that myself. She obviously had seen Jisoo's post, which only means-
"Who's Andrew, though? The one beside you on the picture Jisoo posted?"
"New guy at work," I answered quickly.
"Oh," she nods slowly, humming, "Seems like you're close to him already? How long have you known him?"
"Just last Friday," I leaned on my bed's headboard, "The same day us four went out. It was just supposed to be just Jisoo and I, but it was also Nayeon's and his shift so Jisoo invited them over."
"Really? What's he like?"
I shrugged. "He's nice. Jokes a lot. Typical hyper guy, as you saw in the picture."
"And good looking, eh?"
I quirked a smile at her jutted out lower lip. "I guess? What's with the pout?"
"Don't know. This ain't jealousy, we look better together," she huffed. "But I'm miles away..."
I couldn't stop myself from smiling.
"Okay, I believe you. That's not jealousy, right," I said sarcastically. This is the first time Lisa acted this way.
"Don't mind me, I'm just your injured girlfriend miles away. And it pains me that you looked that great on that photo but that's all I can do, look, just look since I'm miles away."
My heart fluttered.
I chuckled. "That's very much dramatic of you, but if it makes you feel any better I wish I could hold you right now too."
"And do what?" she wriggles her brows.
"To nurse you because you're injured," I playfully rolled my eyes. "You're being too naughty lately."
"You seem to like it so I keep doing it," she leans closer to her phone and I just missed her even more with that gesture. She's smiling so adorably even with those maughty takes, "I can't wait to kiss you. What have you done to me?"
I clenched my fist on my bedsheet but maintained a neutral face.
"Me too."
Her eyes were now smiling too. "I have to pack now, Jennie. I'll kiss you tomorrow."
"Y-Yah..."
She chuckled. "I mean, I'll see you tomorrow."
I just found myself smiling so hard it hurts my cheeks.
Just like that, my night's complete.
-
"You know, Andrew's asking if you got a boyfriend," Nayeon whispers to me when it was just us.
I furrowed my brows. "You said yes, right?"
She shook her head defensively. "I couldn't say you got a girlfriend, what if he's homophobic?"
"Then what did you say?"
"Sometimes. I said sometimes. That's all," she grinned proudly.
Letting out a deep breath, I just shook my head.
"Sup girls! Oh and Jen, looks like new guy got a crush on you," Bambam suddenly arrives at the store. It's his shift now.
Nayeon hums, looking at me teasingly before asking Bambam, "How'd you say so?"
"Just know so," he grins. "I don't think you told him you don't swing that way yet. Did you?"
"What do you mean by that? Jennie swings both ways!"
"Shut up you two," I glared at them. "And leave the poor guy alone. He's not even here to defend himself."
"Andrew's cute though," Nayeon sighs. "And really sweet to you—"
"Whoa, hold up," Bambam says exaggeratedly, his palms both up in the air while looking back and forth at us, "Sweet? When? Where? Was it when you three went out without me and Jackson?!"
I scrunched my nose. "You really know how to hold grudges, don't you Bam?"
"You know damn right I will forever hold it against you. You seldom go out with the team and that happens to be when I'm not around!" he whines.
"And she treated us some drinks too!" Nayeon triggers further.
Before Bambam reacts like a kid, I already shushed them. "If you two are done, I'll just pack my things and go already."
Bambam buttons the cuff of his sleeve while sighing, "But seriously, what did you mean by sweet?"
"Just... you know. He's always looking at her, asking if she's okay. Helping her get on Jisoo's car."
I was too dizzy that night to even catch if those moments really happened, but I just ignored them when I saw a familiar looking car outside the store.
I quickly bid goodbye to the two then went in when Lisa's driver opened the car door for me, then muttered a quick thanks.
He caught my eyes on the mirror as he was driving, and I heard his father-like chuckle. It made me blush although he's already seen me act so dumb in front of Lisa before, it's probably obvious how whipped I am for Lisa.
"You know, she's just as excited to see you."
My face lit up with what he said.
"I've seen that kid grow up. She's always been aloof and alone, but I'm glad you stuck around. Lisa deserves to be loved. And she deserves to know how it feels to fall in love."
His words rang through my ears the whole ride. Love?
We haven't said anything about love.
But could I say I'm in love with Lisa already?
Does missing her a lot make me in love with her?
Does putting her happiness before anything else make me in love with her?
I was escorted not to the usual fine dining restaurants of hotels, but to my surprise, to one of the rooms high up the building.
Lisa opened the door, looking so gorgeous in her white one-shoulder, short dress, barefoot. Her smile was wide.
It made my heart swell, finally seeing her again.
"Thank you Taecyeon," she tells her driver who just smiled at her, going back towards the elevator probably to give us privacy.
"So," she opens the door wider, gently pulling me by the hand, her injured hand resting on my waist. She smiles as she closes the door, "Welcome to my humble abode."
"Humble?" I raised a brow. Even when I'm trying to focus on her, it's so easy to spot the floor to ceiling window and the great view of the sunset and the city below it. "Booking a room just for room service for dinner isn't exactly humble."
I tried not to blush when I thought of other reasons why she possibly booked it.
But her bright smile was making me feel at ease, like I'm home and have nothing to be nervous about.
She wrapped her arms on my waist, her chin on my shoulder, "I booked one so we could be comfortable and hug like this. We don't need to be somewhere too fancy, didn't you use to say that?"
I lead my head on hers and inhaled her familiar woody perfume with hints of vanilla, slowly running my hands on her back. "I worry that your idea of not fancy meant something more expensive but private."
She chuckled. "I just missed you and wanted you to be comfortable, not around people who could buy people, like you once said," she quoted me again.
In one of our dates in fine dining restaurants, she asked why I was always looking around. I said it's because people in those kind of places we go to for dates always seem too intimidating, as if they could buy people. And that I felt like they would be watching to see if I could eat my meat well.
Lisa probably was talking about that date.
"I don't want you to keep looking at them when I kiss you," she pulled away, smiling mischievously as her eyes drops on my lips, leaning closer until our lips brush, "God, I missed you so much I don't think the people outside would appreciate me kissing you every chance I get."
I grinned, leaning to leave a playful bite on her lower lip which surprised her.
Something shifted between us, that's for sure. Because I missed her even more now than I did when we didn't see each other for weeks before. I was surprised that she looked this eager after only not seeing each other for a week, too.
"Mine," she whispers before claiming my lips, her arm on my waist gently lifting me to fit her frame better. I wrapped my arms around her nape, opening my mouth and tilting my head further with each stroke her tongue makes.
She lets out a groan, heavy and throaty. I felt her grip on my waist tighten, but then her yelp made me pull away quickly.
"Aw, dammit," she frowns, looking at her bandaged hand. She looks at me, still frowning like a kid about to cry, "Sorry."
"Are you okay?" I took her injured hand, inspecting it with care, "Be more careful and don't put pressure on it again."
She lets out a deep breath and pouted, "Can we keep kissing? I won't grip your back again."
I chuckled, not really sure if I would find my girlfriend adorable or perverted.
"Okay, kiss easy too. So you won't... you know... be overtaken by emotions again."
She grinned, pecking my lips, "This mouth won't be adjusting, Jennie. Just this injured hand of mine."