Today I Met The Girl I'm Going To M... - Chapter 6: Chapter 6

I reach the restaurant door and stop myself from leaving for a variety of reasons.
One, I'm in no condition to drive right now.
Two, I feel embarrassed and foolish and I really want to apologize to Jennie for blowing my top at her.
And three, I probably owe Jennie the right to defend herself.
The problem is I don't exactly know how to admit that I may be wrong. I kind of have this stubborn streak in me that works quite well in the business world but not so well in my personal life.
Jennie obviously didn't take the news of my sexuality the way I pictured she would but maybe there is another explanation for her reacting that way.
I don't know what to do and I don't quite know how to fix a mess I had a hand in creating. I'm not saying Jennie is innocent in all this but I'm also willing to accept that freaking out didn't help matters either.
Yes, yes, very mature of me I know.
I keep up my internal debate until I feel a hand tugging at mine.
"Jisoo?"
She didn't even have to say anything, I knew it was Jennie the second her hand touched me.
Her voice is so soft and it sends my pulse racing like only Jennie can.
I turn around but I don't remove my hand from Jennie's because frankly I don't want to. Besides she is the one that initiated the contact so I'm hoping that means she isn't going to react badly this time.
When I'm finally face to face with Jennie my stomach drops because she's clearly upset and I'm the one who caused that for her. I want to throw my arms around her and tell her all is forgiven. Of course I don't do that because it's not appropriate and I'm a little scared as to what her reaction might be.
We have a conversation with our eyes, only I'm not sure exactly what we are saying and I think words are actually needed right now.
"I'm sorry." We both apologize simultaneously.
"No, I'm the one who's sorry." We really are on the same page because we speak at the same time again.
I can't help but laugh and neither can Jennie, which I take as a very good sign.
"I really am sorry." Jennie says on her own. "Do you think you could come back to the table so we can talk?" Her request comes out so quietly but there is definitely conviction in her voice so I nod my head and follow her.
If Jennie asked me to jump, I'd ask her how high she wanted me to and if that makes me whipped I could care less.
I am disappointed when she lets go of my hand but it would be unrealistic for me to expect her to keep holding it when there really is no logical reason for her to.
Plus, I see plenty of hand holding in our future; at least I hope there will be.
I take a seat across from Jennie and wait for her to begin.
She's not looking at me and she's playing with her napkin like it's the most fascinating thing in the world. Once more I fight the urge to run over to her and envelop her in my arms.
"I don't have any issue with your sexuality at all." Jennie is whispering and I have to strain my ears to hear her. "I just got caught off guard when that girl said that to me. I mean I was going to the washroom and never expected that to be my greeting when I returned."
"Totally understandable." I interject.
"But my reaction wasn't." Jennie replies quite strongly. She lifts her head up and her brown eyes are filled with a lot more emotion then they were a few minutes ago. "I know this isn't really an excuse but I've been all out of sorts since moving here from New York."
"What do you mean?" I ask.
She doesn't answer me right away and the intense gaze I'm receiving from her makes me wonder if I made a mistake in asking her that question.
"I've been here for almost a month and it already feels like I've been pulled in a hundred different directions." Jennie seems to be bordering on tears and that makes my heart ache even more for her. "All I want to do is play my music but there are all these expectations on me. It's like everybody wants a piece of me and I don't know who is being sincere and who is just in it for themselves."
Shoot, now I feel like an even bigger jackass because I'm one of those people she is referring to. She hopefully doesn't know that all I've thought about since meeting her is how to get her to want me but I still feel bad. I go to tell Jennie that I'm sorry but she isn't done talking.
"I have all these voices in my ear saying I should do this or I should do that and I'm having a difficult time knowing who to trust." Jennie stops playing with her napkin and all her attention is on me now. "Like I said that doesn't excuse me at all for behaving like I did and I really want you to know that I have no issue with you being gay, at all."
I'm so over that and all I care about is making sure that the remorseful girl sitting across from me is ok. "I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have exploded at you like I did and I shouldn't..."
Jennie doesn't let me finish, "If I were in your shoes I'd probably have reacted the same way."
"Let's just chalk this misunderstanding up to the L.A. heat and leave it at that." I offer.
Jennie smiles at me and it stops my heart from aching and makes it start racing again instead. I feel like I've just been on this huge emotional roller coaster with her, but she's worth the ride.
"Ok." She replies, allowing me to breathe normally again.
"It must be hard on you to leave your family and friends behind." I observe as I reach for the water in front of me, instead of the wine.
Jennie's eyes darken for a moment but she doesn't explain why they did. "It's not that easy and I do feel lonely at times but music is my life."
I want to ask why she feels lonely if she has Hanbin but I restrain myself because the thought of bringing him into this conversation holds zero appeal to me.
"I don't want you to think I'm saying this because of what just happened but I hope you'll hear me out." I start with some trepidation. I'm not trying to manipulate Jennie and I'm going to cross my fingers that she believes me. "I can't even imagine how scary all of this must be for you. Moving across the country, having all these expectations placed on and not really knowing how to act."
I gain confidence with each word that comes out of my mouth.
"You don't know me from a hole in the ground." What is with me and dumbass expressions? "But what has made my father's company so successful is the personal attention our clients get."
Gah! That sounds like a pick up line, but it isn't I swear!
"What I mean is, we really want to work with you, not for you, if that makes any sense?" I feel flustered and not very articulate but Jennie doesn't appear bothered by my rambling.
"It does." She tells me.
"L.A. has a reputation for chewing people up and then spitting them out like yesterday's garbage and it's a reputation that is well deserved." I'm not trying to frighten Jennie more than she already is, I'm just trying to be honest. "You need to be able to trust somebody Jennie, and even though I may not have acted exactly all that sane today you can trust me."
I don't even do my heat tilt or anything, that's how much I'm not thinking about winning Jennie over right now. She really does need somebody on her side and somebody who is going to look out for her best interests.
"That's a pretty good sales pitch." Jennie says when I'm done.
I frown, "I'm not trying to..."
Apparently Jennie and I share something else in common.
Our inability to let someone finish a sentence.
"I know, I was just joking around." Jennie cuts in. "And I do trust you."
"You do?" I blurt out before I can censor myself.
It's just with everything that has happened today to hear that from her mouth is not something I expected.
Jennie nods, "When you thought I was judging you for being gay you were willing to throw away a potential deal because of what you believe in."
She got all of that from my hissy fit?
I thought I was just being a hot head.
"That says a lot about a person's character." She continues as I remain in a state of shock. "You showed me that you have convictions and that isn't something I can say about most people I've met since I've moved here."
Well, color me surprised!
"And that's why I want you to be the one to represent me." Jennie finishes with a smile.
Please don't hate me for what I'm about to do, but it's the right thing and I have to do it, no matter how much it pains me.
"That's really nice of you but truthfully, Rose has more experience dealing with the careers of up and comers so you should probably talk to my dad about having her handle you." I explain even though I don't want to.
Jennie shakes her head, "No, I don't want Rose, I want you." Her voice gets all raspy again and despite my earlier vow to keep things professional with her I get caught up in the moment.
"If you want me, then all you have to do is ask." I purr.
Jennie picks up her napkin and tosses it at me. "You really are one of a kind Jisoo, but if that's what it's going to take for me to have you on my side then I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and do it." She lets out a throaty chuckle that is contagious.
"I'm just messing around." I say to let her and myself off the hook. "I'd be honored to be the one who navigates you through the jungle you're about to enter."
"Well that makes me feel a whole lot better." Jennie teases but I can tell that she's not upset anymore.
"You do like honesty so that's what you're going to get from me." I playfully reply.
"Speaking of honesty." Jennie says as I reach for my glass of water. "Do you really like to sleep around?" She howls with laughter as I choke on my drink and she seems pretty impressed with herself.
"That was really mean." I mutter as I wipe my face clean.
"So, bellas, is your lovers quarrel finito?" Franco asks as he comes over to our table.
I want to bash him over his head for making a joke that could make Jennie uncomfortable.
"We're good." Jennie tells him and I'm happy to report she doesn't seem weirded out by Franco's misinterpretation of our disagreement.
"Eccellente!" Franco booms making Jennie and I both smile. "Your dinner will be ready in just a few minutes."
"I want to make a toast." I announce with some flair.
"Are you sure you should be drinking more, I mean you do have to drive me home." Jennie says.
"This is important." I tell her as I pour her a drink. "Don't worry we can just grab a cab when we're done eating and I'll pick up my car on the way to the office."
"What are we toasting?" Jennie asks as she raises her glass in the air.
"To your promising career and to me being the one who's going to take you there." I reply as I tilt my head.
What?
We dealt with our fight so I don't think it's unreasonable to flirt a little.
"I'll drink to that." Jennie takes a big sip of her drink and I do as well.
The food arrives a few minutes later and for the first time since I've met Jennie I actually feel myself relax somewhat.
Maybe it's the third glass of wine I just polished off but who knows.
Now, don't you worry, I can totally hold my alcohol, honest!
Oh dear lord it feels like somebody is sitting on my head.
And not in a good way.
I try to open my eyes but I can't and that probably has to do with the shooting pain radiating through my skull.
Where the hell am I?
I manage to open one of my eyes just a tad and I am quite relieved when I see that I'm in my bedroom.
I try to sit up but I fall back on my mattress and my one arm falls on the person beside
me.
Hold on.
Back up for a second.
There's somebody in bed with me?
"Ow, that hurt."
Whoa.
Whoa.
Whoa.
I slowly turn my head and see Jennie's brown eyes staring right at me.
What the hell happened last night and how in the world did Jennie end up in my bed?