Today I Met The Girl I'm Going To M... - Chapter 16: Chapter 16

The living room has been divided into two sides.
Men on one side, women on the other.
I slide in next to the empty spot beside Jennie.
Yay!
"We're about to prove who the superior sex is." My father brags.
"That's right, we are." My mom replies as she looks at Rosé, Jennie and me. "Am I right girls?"
I forgot how much my parents like to trash talk each other.
I'm not sure how I could forget, they're notorious for it.
Let's hope it doesn't get too embarrassing.
For me that is.
My teammates and I hoot and holler in response to my mom's question.
My father stands up and walks over to my mom. "Care to make it interesting?"
The guys encourage my dad as they do some sort of man chant. Bobby is positively glowing after Hanbin high fives him.
"Don't let him intimidate you." Rosé yells.
"That's right Mrs. P, we're going to show those boys who rules." Jennie adds. She looks so darn cute getting all excited like she is.
I might as well get my two cents in also. "Girl power!"
My mom is definitely not backing down now. She gives us two big thumbs up before she addresses my dad. "Loser washes the dishes tonight."
"That's lame." Bobby shouts.
Even Joon, the quiet one, gets into the spirit of things. "You guys can do better than that."
Hanbin slings has arm around Bobby's and Joon's shoulder. "I agree with my boys."
I think Bobby just died and went to heaven.
"How about the losers have to serve the other side at the barbeque on Saturday?" My dad suggests.
"But Hanbin won't be there." Rosé points out.
He smirks at her, "That's ok, my boys can enjoy getting waited on without me."
"You're way too cocky for you own good." Jennie admonishes him.
"No he's not." Bobby exclaims. "Hanbin just knows how much of a butt whooping you ladies are going to get."
"That's big talk coming from you." I boast.
My dad waves his arms around to get our attention. "Ok, ok, let's not get too carried away." He sticks his hand out towards my mom. "What do you say honey, deal?"
My mom doesn't even hesitate. "It's going to be so sweet watching you have to wait on us hand and foot."
They shake hands and all of us start clapping.
"Wait a minute, how do you play Pictionary again?" Hanbin asks.
My team howls with laughter.
This is going to be easier than I thought.
Bobby rolls his eyes before he launches into an explanation of the rules.
Jennie adjusts her position on the couch so she's facing me. "Is it like this every time when you come over for dinner?"
I chuckle softly, "Pretty much. I told you it's different when we're all together. We tend to get a little crazy."
Or a lot crazy depending on how you look at it.
"I think it's great." Jennie replies.
"I'll have to ask you if you still think that way once we're done." I whisper as I inch my way over to her.
Jennie in a bikini!
"Ok." Jennie says as her hand comes in contact with my thigh. I don't have any time to react before she pulls away but the heat generated by her touch leaves me breathless.
I'm actually not sure I can survive seeing Jennie in a bikini or what might happen if I ever get the chance to see her naked.
There's a very good chance I'll spontaneously combust.
My mom pulls out the game board and offers the dice to my father. "Losers dice first."
My dad throws the dice back at my mom. "Please, ladies first, I insist."
I can see where this is going so I stand up and roll a ten. "Good luck beating that." I return to the couch and get congratulated by Rosé and Jennie.
My dad rolls a seven and we're off.
My mom pulls out a card and then she announces that it's an all play clue. She decides to draw first and so does my dad. Bobby is about to turn the timer when my mom 'accidentally' knocks the marker out of my dad's hand.
"Resorting to dirty tricks won't allow you to win." My dad smirks.
"Let's just start." I suggest before things get ugly.
Us girls huddle together as do the boys. I'm sitting slightly ahead of Jennie and I can feel her breath on my ear.
Jennie in a bikini!
I'm so caught up in a very interesting daydream about Jennie in a bikini that I don't even notice that Rosé guessed the correct answer first. I do however feel Jennie's body pressed against mine when my mom pulls us all in for a group hug to celebrate.
This is going to be a very long night for me.
Rose gets up and rolls the dice and wouldn't you know she draws an all play card again. She squares off against Bobby and the two of them jabber on for a few minutes before we get going again.
"Duck." I scream.
My mom shakes her head at me, "It's an object Jisoo, pay attention."
Oops.
"Submarine." Jennie yells right by my ear.
I come very close to moving away from her, but I'll suffer any type of pain to remain inches from Jennie.
"Yes." Rosé pumps her fist in the air and another group hug follows.
It's my turn next.
"Getting scared boys?" My mom asks in a very sweet voice.
"We're just getting warmed up." My dad replies but I can tell his confidence is faltering.
Once I've moved our game piece I pull out my card.
What the hell?
It's another all play clue.
And guess who my opponent is?
Oh D.B., I'm going to enjoy this.
"Get ready to lose." I tell Hanbin as we stand at the easel together.
"Not going to happen." Hanbin says in a very annoying manner.
The clue is kissing and I know this will be a walk in the park.
Jennie in a bikini!
I forget about drawing as an image of me kissing Jennie pops into my head.
I can almost taste it.
"Kissing." Joon shouts.
Oops again.
The four guys start beating on their chests in victory.
How Neanderthal of them!
"What is wrong with you?" My mom asks when I return to my seat.
"Sorry." I sheepishly reply. I can't tell her the reason for my brain cramp.
My mom smacks me upside the head, not hard though. "Wake up!"
See I told you things can get out of hand.
"Sorry mom." I hang my head and then Jennie's mouth is by my ear again.
"Don't worry Jis, I'll make sure to kick ass when it's my turn." She whispers.
I want to drag her out of the living room and show her my gratitude for being so nice in a variety of different ways and positions.
Jennie in a bikini!
The game goes on for about an hour and we end up in a dead heat.
Rose stands up to draw, if we get the correct answer we win, if we don't the boys have a chance and that just can't happen.
My mom is in between Jennie and me as we wait for Rosé to draw.
Too bad!
"We can do this." My mom encourages us.
"Hope the pressure doesn't get to you Rose." My dad jokes.
Bobby, Joon and Hanbin make choking noises to get under Rosé's skin.
Rosé sticks on hand on her hip before she looks back at the other team. "Nice try boys, but I thrive on pressure." Rosé moves the marker around the paper as a hush falls over the crowd.
I want to win so badly.
"Strap-on!" I scream before I can censor myself.
My mom looks horrified. "JISOO!"
"Yell at me later, we have to concentrate." I reply as I try not to react to my screaming that answer in front of my family and Jennie.
Jennie shoots off her chair, "Elephant!"
Rosé throws the marker as her arms go flying into air. "Yes, yes, yes!"
I'd like to tell you that we handled our victory with grace and humility but that would be a big fat lie. The four of us start hugging and jumping around like mad women.
It feels so good to be on the winning side.
Ha!
Girls rule!
Ain't that the truth.
The four losers take their lickings quite well but that doesn't stop us whatsoever.
At one point during our victory dance I look over at Jennie. She's laughing and embracing my mother. She seems so happy and I take a mental picture in my mind because so I will always remember that image.
For a second everything is perfect.
Jennie has taken quite the liking to my family and it's safe to say the feeling is very mutual. Every time I've worried about how Jennie would react to something, I've worried for nothing. She fits in so well with everybody that it makes me warm inside.
But that second passes quickly and the perfection is gone.
All sorts of thoughts I don't want to be having coming rushing at me at once. I close my eyes hoping they'll go away but they don't.
My mom is taking orders for tea and coffee so I use that distraction to slip outside.
I head for the backyard, with my bottle of beer in hand, and take a seat at the table we use to eat when my dad barbeques.
I take a sip of my drink as I face what's bothering me.
As much as seeing Jennie make nice with my family is a good thing it also allows some doubts that weren't there before to creep into my subconscious.
Jennie isn't going home with me tonight, she's going home with her boyfriend and I can't change that no matter how much I want to. She isn't mine and the fact is she might never be. Whatever she has with Hanbin can't be erased simply because I feel in my gut that we belong together.
And it hurts.
It hurts and I wish it didn't.
If it hurts now, what's going to happen when Hanbin returns in two weeks? How am I going to feel if they're still a couple months from now? How much will it hurt then?
I'm not saying I'm giving up on Jennie because I'm too far gone for that to happen.
I tell people I don't do relationships because I get bored with girls and while that's partly true, there's another reason why I avoid them like a plague.
I start tearing off the pieces of the label on my beer bottle and I can't stop myself from thinking of my last girlfriend.
We broke up years ago but I still feel the affects of that break up to this day. She was my first and last for so many things.
She was the first girl I ever kissed.
She was my first girlfriend.
She was the first person I was intimate with.
She was the first person I loved in a romantic way.
But she was also the last serious girlfriend I ever had.
She was the last person I said "I love you" to.
And she was the last person I ever let break my heart.
Every time there's a chance of developing feelings for a girl I end things before it gets to that point. I run scared and I've been running for quite some time.
That is until three days ago when Jennie walked into my life.
I find myself willing to give Jennie my heart without hesitation if she wants it and I wish I knew if she did.
I know that there's a chance I'm going to get my heart broken and despite the fear that thought instills deep inside of me, there's no way I'm willing to give up the way Jennie makes me feel.
When she looks at me a certain way, or gives me that nose crinkle or touches me it's such a high that cannot be adequately described.
And I won't give that up for anything.
"Penny for your thoughts."
I glance over at the other side of the table and smile at Jennie. She always seems to pick the best moments to come and talk to me. "You wish, my thoughts are priceless." I honestly feel better just being in her presence.
Jennie laughs and all is right with me again. "That I do not doubt." If it wouldn't creep her out I could honestly stare at Jennie for hours. "That game of Pictionary was pretty intense."
"That was tame believe me." I half joke. "But on the bright side when we don't have to lift a finger at the barbeque on Saturday."
"You sure you want me to come?" Jennie asks.
"Of course I do." I reply immediately.
Hello!
Jennie in a bikini has to happen.
Jennie seems unsure of herself suddenly. "I don't want you feel obligated to entertain me or anything."
Where is all this coming from?
"That's really what I wanted to speak to you about before dinner." She says and now she has my full attention. "I know Hanbin made you promise to look out for me when he's gone but I don't want you to feel like you have to."
All that worry for nothing.
"I don't want to put you out or screw up your schedule." She finishes quietly.
"Believe me Jennie, you'd be doing me a favor by being here." I assure her. "And as for looking out for you when Hanbin's in New York I meant what I said to him, it would be my pleasure." She still doesn't seem convinced. "I get that you hardly know me but I want to help and it's really no bother at all."
Jennie's glances down and then back up again. "Thanks but if you're not..."
"Don't make me come over there and slap you." I playfully warn. "For the next two weeks you're mine."
And hopefully longer.
"Ok Jisoo, you made your point." Jennie replies with a big smile on her face.
I lean back in my chair as I take another sip of my drink. "Good, because I'd hate for you to see my nasty side."
"I don't think it's possible that you have one." Jennie remarks. I whip my head in her direction but she's not looking at me anymore.
That girl can make me feel all tingly inside like no one else.
"Can I ask you a question?" Jennie inquires as we make eye contact again.
"Go right ahead, I'm an open book." I say.
"I hope I don't offend you." Somebody should tell Jennie that it's never good to start a conversation like that. I nod my head to let her know she can go ahead. "Well you're family seems to be fairly religious and I guess I was curious as to how they accept you so well." A lot of people ask me that. "It's stupid, never mind."
"It's not stupid." I say as I turn in my chair. "When I came out to my parents I was never really worried about their reaction. I had some doubts about what they would say but they always told me and my brothers that there was nothing we could do that would make them love us any less. I was more scared about how the kids at school would react than my parents."
Jennie plays with her hands as she responds, "You're really lucky to have them."
I think back to finding out about her father and she hasn't even mentioned her mother yet. It upsets me to think that Jennie probably didn't have the same love that I was shown by my family. Nobody should have to go through that, nobody.
"Yeah I am." I agree. "Even if they're spastic and annoying." I garner another smile from Jennie. "I can't believe I almost forgot to thank you for catching on so quickly with my dad earlier."
"Good thing I have ESP." She jokes.
"I would have given the contract to you this afternoon but then Irene showed her ugly face." I explain. "I could try and sneak them to you so my dad doesn't see."
"You could or I could come by your office tomorrow and do it then." Jennie proposes. "Maybe we can have lunch if you're not busy."
"That sounds great." I reply and I try not to jump up and down with joy. "I'm totally free." So not true but whatever, I'm seeing Jennie tomorrow and I can just reschedule my previous lunch date.
"It's getting pretty late." Jennie says as she stands up. "I should be heading home."
I block out that home means home with Hanbin because I really don't want to deal with that right now.
"I should be as well." That's true and I also want to avoid my mother and whatever lecture she's going to give me.
Unfortunately for me everyone wants to see our guests off and we all end up at the door at the same time to say our good-byes.
My mom hands Jennie a package. "Here's some leftovers for you to enjoy."
"Thanks so much Mrs. P." Jennie exclaims as she gives my mother another hug.
Aw, I was hoping to take leftovers home.
Oh well, I'm selfless enough to let Jennie have them without a fight.
Hanbin and Bobby are busy exchanging phone numbers so I don't have to worry about the possibility of giving him a hug.
"I'll see you tomorrow." Jennie whispers in my ear as she pulls away from our embrace.
Jennie in a bikini!
All of us wave good-bye to her and Hanbin before my mom shuts the door behind them.
Rose, Joon and Bobby follow my dad into the kitchen and now is the perfect time for my escape.
I'm about reach for my purse when my mom's voice stops me. "Jisoo, can I have a word with you?"
So close.
"I would love to mom but I have an early meeting tomorrow so we'll rain check it ok?" I reply as I scoop my purse over my shoulder. "Later, thanks for the meal, love you, bye."
My mom folds her arms as she stands in front of the door. "Jisoo."
I sigh in defeat, I might as well get the lecture over with. "Fine, go ahead."
My mom pulls me into the living room I assume to have some privacy. "I think Jennie is a very lovely girl."
I can see where this is going. "But?"
"No buts." My mom assures me. "And Hanbin is a nice as well."
She totally disguised her but as an and.
"I told you already mom, we're just friends." I admit I do feel bad lying but I already have my own doubts I don't need my mom's as well to get me down.
My mom cups my chin in the palm of her hand. "I'm not going to tell you what to do or what not to do. I'd like to think your father and I raised you right and you've never given me any reason to doubt that."
"Are we done?" I question.
"I love you Jisoo so much and I just want you to be cautious. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt." My mom says very sincerely and it causes a lump to form in my throat.
"You're worrying for nothing, I know what I'm doing." That's another lie, I'm completely clueless but I'm in too deep to get out now and it's not like I want to anyway.
"I see the way you look at her, I haven't seen you that smitten with anyone in a very long time. Just be careful ok?" My mom looks very concerned and I want to assure her that I'll be fine, but I can't because I don't know if that's true.
"I love you too mom, thanks for caring." I engulf her into a big hug and then I leave.
I arrive home and get into bed as I fight to keep my thoughts happy.
I lose that fight and as I drift off to sleep my mind is stuck on what might happen if I'm not able to convince Jennie that we're made for each other.
I can't let that come true.
And I won't.
No matter what.