Jennie stretched luxuriously and then opened her eyes, confusion furrowing her brow; this was not her room, her bed.
Then it came crashing down upon her, her best friend was gone; murdered, "Oh Sa, what happened to you?" she whispered.
Grabbing a robe that was laid out on the edge of the bed, she padded out of the room after washing up and headed in the direction of the breakfast table like last time, 'huh, like last time' Jennie thought to herself, 'Sakura wanted to sleep with her so badly...' she shook her head to rid herself of the thought.
"Good Morning Miss" Veronique said softly.
"Oh, Good Morning Veronique"
"Would you care for coffee or tea Miss?"
"Um, coffee would be great, thank you. Is Lisa here this morning?" Jennie asked as she sat down and watched Veronique gather a coffee for her.
"Good Morning Jennie" a silky rich voice burred causing Jennie to close her eyes and her body to shiver, 'Oh Gods I love that!' she thought.
"I hope you slept well" Lisa inquired as she strode in casually dressed and seated herself, Philippe immediately placing a steaming cup of tea before her.
"Good Morning Lisa, yes thank you....for everything" she sipped her coffee "uuuummm" she murmured in appreciation.
"It is my pleasure Jennie, I only wish I could do more", not telling Jennie that she'd gone out last night and found Sakura's apartment and done some investigating on her own. She had looked about and with her heightened senses seen things others could not; giving her insight to who it could possibly be.
"So, you'll be going to work soon?" Jennie asked.
"No, I have taken the rest of the week off. I..."
"Not because of me, please?!" Jennie interrupted, looking up quickly.
"I would like to help you, if you would allow me, in supporting you through this."
"Lisa, you've done so much already" Jennie said but quietly rejoiced in the fact because she had secretly wanted Lisa to stay with her today.
'If you do not wish for me..."
"No! No, sorry I, its just..." a sigh, "Thank you, yes please" Jennie then amended her reply, "but on one condition..."
Lisa cocked her head and raised one eyebrow slightly at the sudden changed in Jennie's response, "As you wish."
"...that you tell me a bit about yourself."
Lisa's eyes widened then blinked at having been caught off guard at this request.
"You said as I wish" a mischievous tiny grin to Jennie's face let Lisa know she was caught.
"Yes, I did."
"And not the business side of you either" Jennie put the coffee cup down that she held cupped with both hands.
Lisa's response was a nod in agreement.
They ate breakfast in friendly conversation.
"I need to go home; get changed and then call those detectives to find out where to go from here" Jennie said rising from her seat at the table.
"Do you wish to be alone?" Lisa asked.
"No, not really; will you....?" Jennie stopped."I would and shall" Lisa smiled back.
Jennie changed back into her clothes from the previous evening and they headed over.
At the entry to Jennie's home, Lisa hemmed "I shall go to see....I will go over to..."
"You can come in Lisa, I don't mind; that is if you don't mind waiting a little while I freshen up and change clothes."
Lisa sighed heavily, "Are you certain?" Lisa asked as Jennie did not know of the significance of granting permission to enter allowed.
"I trust you Lisa. Don't ask me why, I only know that I do and I feel you will do me no harm."
"You have my sworn oath to that Jennie."
"Then come on, I'm sure Daddy will be over in a minute anyways, to be the overprotective father" she opened her front door and held it open; waiting for Lisa to enter.
Lisa took a deep breath, and then slowly walked through the open doorway.
True to Jennie's words, her father knocked and entered through the connecting door of the house, "Jen, you okay?" he immediately embraced her into a hug.
"Yes Daddy, I'm okay. I think I cried most of it out of my system yesterday."
"Ms. Manoban... Lisa; thank you for being there for Jennie" he said as he greeted her.
"You are welcome sir, but it is not necessary - it was an honor to help."
"Daddy, will you please keep Lisa company while I go and freshen up?"
"Sure pumpkin" he kissed the crown of his daughter's head, "you go do that...I can smell you from here" he joked.
"Daddy!" she lightly backhanded him in the gut with a touch of blush coloring her cheeks in mild embarrassment.
"Ugh! Abuse, you saw that Lisa, abuse!" he joked while grabbing his stomach in mock hurt.
Lisa covered her smile by turning away, looking towards the ceiling while putting her hands in her pockets and whistling an off handed tune causing Jennie to laugh, "Ha! Team Jennie scores" while doing a little happy dance as she walked down the hallway to her room.
"Oh, I see how it is" he laughed.
Once Jennie was showering, he looked over to Lisa with a serious face on, "So how is she, really?"
"She is coping remarkably well, she did indeed have a good cry over it to the point of exhaustion actually causing her to fall asleep reading one of the historical journals
I possess."
"For her to fall asleep reading one of those things is true exhaustion. She used to pace and read so she would not miss something while in college" he remarked back while turning to look towards her bedroom.
"I am making inquiries into this situation, as I know it must concern Jennie of her friend's tragic demise but yours and mine as well. As well as our mutual assurance that this is not in any way targeted to Jennie."
"Thank you, I am..."
Lisa raised a hand in a stopping motion, "It is the least I could do."
He nodded; "So what happens now?"
"Jennie mentioned contacting the authorities to answer that very question. Did Sakura have any family?"
"No, her parents died a few years ago and she was an only child. Never spoke of cousins or anyone else."
"I will have my attorney find out if she had a will or died intestate, also if there were any arrangements for her last wishes."
The bedroom door opened and Jennie emerged, hair still damp and dressed in jeans and University sweatshirt.
Seeing her, Lisa was captivated by the simplistic beauty and Mr. D'Olympia could see it in her eyes.
"Daddy?"
"Yes pumpkin?"
"I want to handle Sakura's arrangements" she said determinedly.
"Okay hun, I'll get you the numbers."
"Thanks Daddy" Jennie sat next to the phone and rummaged through her purse getting the detective's phone number and dialing.
After speaking with the detectives Jennie looked to her dad and Lisa, "Well, the coroner will release her to the funeral home when he's done and once I am cleared I can go and fill out all the paperwork; regarding her apartment though, the forensics hasn't been completed but they'll let me know so that I can make arrangements as well. They still have to verify all my information and it will take a few days."
"Well pumpkin, I'm sure that will happen soon enough. In the meanwhile, I'll get you those numbers and I assume you will stay with Lisa? I'd feel at ease knowing you would be safe and in good company."
"Okay Daddy. I'll just go get a few things Lisa" she told them both.
"Take as long as you wish Jennie" she replied.
"Well, I'll leave you girls be" Mr. D'Olympia gave Jennie a kiss again on the head, "you be good" and then went to shake Lisa's hand but instead suddenly pulled her into an impromptu hug whispering "Thank you" to a startled Lisa. He then turned and left the two women alone thinking 'Dam she's a stocky strong one!'
Jennie just shrugged and went back to her bedroom leaving Lisa standing puzzled in the living room.
When Jennie returned, she found Lisa playing with the cross bow, "You know, I almost took someone's head off with that thing. I didn't know it was loaded" Jennie said pointing to the cross bow in Lisa's hands.
"I apologize for that, it is habit" Lisa replied unconsciously while removing the arrow and placing it down next to the cross bow, "All set then?"
"Yes, thanks again..."
"Jennie..."
"Yes?"
"There is no need for your constant expression of appreciation. I am only too happy to help in any manner possible."
"Okay, sorry."
"Nor apologies, for you have done no wrong."
"Sheesh, are you always this way?" Jennie smiled to show her she was not serious.
Lisa cocked her head with a quizzical expression to her face.
"So amiable and forgiving and...and..."
"Does this bother you?"
"No, I'm just not used to meeting anyone quite like you."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"No, very refreshing actually."
"Good" Lisa replied picking up the bag Jennie had placed on the floor and heading out the front door.
After a brief stop to Lisa's office and then over to the funeral home to set an appointment time, Lisa asked "Would you care to dine out or have a meal in my home?"
"Oh I don't want to inconven...""
Jennie..." a rich and softly velvet voice burred.
"Let me guess, if you ask then it's not an inconvenience, right?" Jennie enjoyed Lisa's voice saying her name.
"Correct."
"Okay, have you ever had Bubbalou's Bodacious BBQ?"
"Pardon?"
"I'll take that as a no, okay...Thomas?" Jennie called up to the driver, "Can you take us to 17-92 and Lee Road please? Thank you" Jennie sat back enjoying the tiny look of confusion on Lisa's face.
They pulled along the side of the road and exited, "Come on, my treat" Jennie said grabbing Lisa's hand and pulling her into the little restaurant, "Sakura and I would come here every so often. So, this is kinda my way of keeping a good memory of her, and besides, you haven't lived til you had this food."
Jennie was ordering for both of them and motioned for Lisa to precede her and sit down at one of the inside bench tables. Returning from the ordering counter Jennie handed Lisa a glass of iced tea, "Though it's cold outside, you really can't eat this without some homemade ice tea" as sat opposite her.
"This is a unique establishment" Lisa admired the ambiance.
"This is the best place in the world for ribs and fixins'"
"Fixins?" Lisa asked with a small smile at Jennie's happier mood.
"The accompaniments to your meal."
"Oh"
When their number was called, Jennie jumped up, "I'll get it!"
She placed a tray laden with food down on the table and returned to the counter for a second which was just as full.
"All this?" Lisa looked at all the food then back to Jennie.
"Yep, trust me on this one. I'll explain, okay, here is your slab of ribs..." she began distributing the food, "then here's your coleslaw, fried okra, baked beans and corn bread."
Lisa's only movement were her eyes looking from the food to Jennie's and back again.
"Come on, trust me...you'll eat it all and wonder how later" Jennie teased with a wink as she picked up a rib and began eating.
Lisa relaxed and sat back in her seat after finishing her meal.
"See, you ate it all" Jennie said quite proud of herself.
"Yes, you were correct."
"That's it!" Jennie said suddenly which caused Lisa to involuntarily reach for something she had not carried for over a millennia.
Realizing there was no danger; Lisa relaxed her tense body "Is everything alright?"
"I finally figured out what it is about you, well part of you that I find wholly different."
Lisa waited in silence.
"Your speech" Jennie finally said; "you speak uniquely different than those all around us. You speak proper English, not cutting off words or endings or even..." Jennie sighed, "it's like, well like that...instead of it's, you say 'it is'. You speak in an old world manner of formality, you never use contractions."
"Does that bother you?" Lisa finally asked.
"No, not at all; I find it ..." a blush rose to her cheeks, "very attractive. It gives you an air of mystery" Jennie lowered her head, "Why aren't you with someone Lisa? Why are you single?"
'Ah, so she finally asks' Lisa thought to herself.
"Truth is Jennie, I do not know."
"Was there ever someone?" Jennie looked up and saw a brief glimpse of pain cross Lisa's face.
"Yes"
"What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"
"She was...she is dead."
"Oh Lisa; I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up a sad memory."
"It was long ago" Lisa said with a hint of sadness lingering in the conversation.
"So no one has been close to you since?"
"No"
"Um, so...where do you come from?" Jennie sucked the bottom of her drink through her straw.
"I was born in Greece. My mother died at my birth and father was a commander in the military. He raised me until I was old enough to follow in his footsteps and join the military."
"Wow, did you enjoy it? The military I mean. And is your dad still around?"
"Yes and no. I did in the beginning enjoy the military, but circumstances change. And no, my father passed long ago as well."
"Sorry. Seems we have similar upbringing though, now that I think about it. My mother died when I was a baby and my dad has raised me."
"Yes, so it seems."
"Lisa, you seem awfully young to own so many companies and have such a diverse knowledge and background experience. Do you mind me asking how old you are or how you managed this?"
"No, I did say as you wish..." Jennie blushed a bit in chagrin, "I happen to have an ability to analyze business and project trends. A few wise investments in markets that had only begun to establish themselves yielded exemplary earnings which I reinvested. As to my age, how old do you consider it to be a necessary requirement to be successful in business?"
"Oh I don't mean it as an insult or to question your ability, just a compliment."
"I merely wish to know your opinion as you seem to believe I am too young to be this successful."
"I don't know."
"How old are you Jennie?"
"Twenty Six"
"I was already a commander before that age."
"Is that where you get your discipline from?"
"Yes and no, I've always been strict. Father would say I was more regimented than even he was."
A customer entered the restaurant causing a gust of wind to brush over them.
"Oh, it's getting colder" Jennie shuddered from the cold and rubbed her arms.
"It is; shall we go? Unless you wish to eat more?" Lisa said with a tiny sly grin.
"Oh, you're a cut up Lisa. Really funny" Jennie chided back, "no, but I need to pick something up" Jennie held up a finger and went to the counter. A few moments later she returned carrying two big bags, "Okay, let's go."
Lisa looked at the bags but did not ask.
...