✽ ✽ ✽

“Why couldn’t you find me actual girlfriend material, canine!?”

As expected, Lennon returned Jessica’s question with a weak whimper and a shake. His conveniently useless contribution at 5pm that next Thursday.

Jessica spritzed her neck, faintly (severely) worrying what brand of freaking perfume gave her that rosy aroma. Honestly, she couldn’t recall any of her floral fragrances being rose-based. Taeyeon must’ve with smell-recognition.

Which was bloody cute.

Ugh, why the did Jessica’s pickiness take a nosedive?

Her diatribe filled the apartment. “You’re selfish, you know that, Lens? Instead of attracting—oh, I don’t know—a woman my own damn age who can make adult conversation, you bring me Kim Taeyeon. Kim Taeyeon!” She shooed him from her rage path to the bedroom closet. “Odd, dog-obsessed Taeyeon with her filthy canvas sneakers and...”

Taeyeon’s bashful smile. Her micro-expressions. Those wisps of gronde hair escaping her ponytail.

Her humility, unpretentious intelligence, her multitude of layers—like an over-foiled Cadbury Egg or a Photoshop document.

Not-so-eloquent similes withstanding, Jessica Jung fell victim to the irrational lure of destiny, meant-to-be garbage. Meaning she’d turned into a…hopeless romantic?

“I won’t admit why I’m sweet on her, but I am. No turning back.” She glided on the reddest, richest lipstick in her collection, thinking of it as a focal point for Taeyeon’s eyes. “I’ll have to be forward tonight.”

Lennon pressed a cold nose against her knee, whining.

Jessica corrected herself as if she and her pet spoke the same tongue. “Not too forward, I know. Taeyeon’s precarious at best. But, it can’t hurt to try. Some women don’t pick up on subtle flirting.”

She leaned over Lennon, watching his ears spring up and fuzzy wagging for more attention. Or a snack. “You think you’re lovable, huh?”

He spun in a doughnut-ish circle.

“Fine, you’re an absurdly lovable dog. My sister matched us well.” Jessica smoothed the flat of his head and retrieved a sweet potato pretzel from a bag on her desk. “Taeyeon claimed you’re a herder, so act on your naturally-bred abilities. Do you solemnly swear to be my wingdog?”

Lennon propped into complete stillness, silver eyes trained on her hand. Not swearing allegiance whatsoever. Rolling her eyes, Jessica tossed the treat to his greedy mouth.

Looks like she was on her own.

...

Taeyeon arrived in cutoff jeans, a half-buttoned cardigan, and the unsure smile of someone who inadvertently revealed her uality last week. In lieu of a ponytail, her hair grazed her shoulders in flat ironed swoops. Light blush, light mascara. Limp on her wrist hung another bag from a dog store and on her feet, of course, were those haggard Keds. Everything about her appearance begged to be pulled onto the couch for major snuggling. Jessica bit her lip, powerless to this crush.

“I bought Lennon a soft Frisbee.” Taeyeon weakly kicked her own heel, wobbling for balance. “In…in case you don’t have one already.”

Damn. Not even a ‘hello.’ Jessica tried another angle. “Nothing for me, Taengoo?”

The squishy nickname was too much, evidenced by Taeyeon’s startled step backward and rapidly coloring cheeks. “I’m sorry. This is my first time here, isn’t it? I should’ve been more considerate. Oh, god.”

“I was kidding, Taeyeon.” So much for jokes. “Lennon will love it.”

At the sound of his name, the Corgi-Aussie bounded from his dinner in the kitchen. He wetly his chops before leaping into Taeyeon’s arms, animatedly panting. And Taeyeon gave him a thorough pat down. Sable and white furs littered her cardigan once she finally stood at Jessica’s pointed cough.

“Lenny’s gonna love this,” Taeyeon brought the hot orange Frisbee’s price tag to her own teeth, gnawing off its plastic.

Jessica smirked red lips. “You’re part dog yourself, aren’t you?”

“In my dreams.”

“It’s interesting, your affinity for Lennon.”

“Yeah, uh,” Taeyeon shrugged six times—each less casual than the last. “I fit in with animals more than humans.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Jessica insisted as she made her next flirting attempt. Slowly, delicately, she chased an invisible line up Taeyeon’s arm, stopping just shy of her to pinch off a dog hair or two. “This world could use more Taeyeons.”

“Emotionally exhausted lesbians?”

Jessica hicked in a surprised breath. “Is that all you see in yourself?”

“It’ll be dark soon.” Taeyeon shied from Jessica’s touch, smiling politely. “Lennon needs his regular exercise or he’ll get stir crazy. Isn’t that right, Lenny?”

Not loyal in the least, Lennon scratched a stubby paw on the door. Maybe he was in love with Taeyeon, Jessica thought on an amused whim. Determinedly competing for the final rose.

And Jessica was losing miserably.

✽ ✽ ✽

Jessica acted abnormally today. Taeyeon kept this opinion to herself, unable to parse what led to Jessica’s cheerier-than-usual disposition, non-stop conversation, and lips so crimson they’d leave a target-like ‘O’ on somebody’s cheek.

She couldn’t fault Jessica for stylishness. Just…how to concentrate when she embodied idol-level beauty? How to not stare like the erted, predatory gay friend? Because Jessica surely dated men, taking her eagerness to discuss them last Thursday into account.

Right. Keep all lesbian eyes in check.

This didn’t distract from the talky turn of personality, though. Jessica hadn’t scrolled on her phone once thus far.

“Coffee?”

Per Jessica’s suggestion, they detoured through a busier area on the way to the park. Taeyeon found herself halting in front of a coffee shop. The coffee shop where Pet Mourner’s Anonymous convened after closing hours. “You’ll buy it here?”

“Yeah, this place supplies delicious caffeine,” Jessica laughed, thumbing into her purse. “I’ll pay.”

“Don’t I owe you a drink or something?”

“Next time.” She winked. “Their roast is much too strong. Exactly how I like it.”

“Coffee’s not my thing.”

“Tea, then?”

“I don’t know.”

Jessica sighed, planting a hand firmly on her slight hip. “Tie Lennon to the bike rack. You’re coming in with me.”

‘Why don’t you listen?’ Taeyeon wanted to ask. Instead, she let Jessica take matters into her own hands, neatly securing the leash’s loop end to a metal rack. An acute sting of guilt hit her heart. If this ing shop wouldn’t accept dogs, they should spend money where he was allowed.

What if somebody stole Lennon or fed him a strange treat? He could finagle out of that flimsy knot and run into traffic.

The fear dizzied her.

“She’s clueless,” Taeyeon muttered to herself, staring after Jessica entering the shop. “She doesn’t understand that at any moment, she could lose him.”

Lennon’s eyes leveled with Taeyeon’s. Within seconds, she gnarled painted fingernails into his fur, riling him up for a twisty tap dance. In her mind, she could pretend Lennon was no longer Jessica’s Lennon. “I won’t fail you this time, Diggy.”

...

Inside, Jessica flagged her into the moderately-sized line with a flick of a paper menu. The customers Taeyeon shyly cut in the process didn’t seem to mind, fortunately.

“They have a full page dedicated to teas,” Jessica intoned, flipping the menu twice before summoning Taeyeon to stand close enough to share the reading space. “Do you take cream and sugar in yours?”

The scent of roses clung to the air. Stronger than last time, when she’d made a fool out of herself. “Plain green tea works for me.”

“You’ve inspired me. Their matcha latte would be a good alternative to my usual Americano.”

Taeyeon peeked to the glass door for Lennon. Her right hand clutched on air, missing the phantom leash’s rough texture.

“Taeyeon?”

Oh, . She was still speaking. “Coffee eludes me. Too many ratios, foams, brands, flavors, shots, beans...to me, they all taste the same.”

“Your palette needs expanding, that’s all.”

“My palette suits me just fine, thank you very much.”

Jessica cleared . “This isn’t worth an argument.”

If it meant leaving the vicinity that reminded Taeyeon of her failures, rushing back to Lennon’s side before harm fell upon him, and pissing Jessica off of this über-friendly spell, an argument certainly would be worth it. She’d shown up for hours bonding with Lenny. Blah blahing over drinks she hadn’t asked for sapped away valuable time.

Taeyeon didn’t poke the pushy, lissome bear any further, though. She silently seethed while Jessica ordered for them.

“Shall we sit?”

“Lennon,” Taeyeon heard herself protesting, “he’s out there. Alone.”

“He’s a well-behaved dog and it’s been like,” Jessica waved dismissively at a blue-rimmed wall clock. “Ten minutes.”

Seemed like forever. “You never know.”

Defiantly, Jessica snatched a metal chair from under a table. Its feet screeched something terrible, yet she didn’t flinch at all, immune to the other patrons meanmugging them. “Sit.”

Taeyeon would sit, but she wouldn’t engage.

Jessica proceeded in frustrating indifference. She merely plinked a cup of boiling water in front of Taeyeon, crossed her legs, and leisurely blew on a ceramic mug of viridescent foam.

Taeyeon steeped her provided tea bag, wondering at what expensive store Jessica got that lipstick. It left no prints.

“Would you care for a sip? You look interested.”

Taeyeon declined in a head shake. Less small talk, more drinking. She missed aloof, phone-bound Jessica.

Luckily, here, from the window, she had a view of her main man sitting like royalty beside the metal rack. He’d go crazy once she