Jennie opened her door.

Then she closed it again.

She opened it again. Lisa turned at her desk to look at her.

"Did you need something?" Lisa asked, confused.

"Ummm... no, never mind." Jennie closed the door.

Why was this question so impossible? It was a basic idea – Lisa didn't have a car. Jennie did. The Mnet party was at the other end of the city. It would be a simple, boss-like courtesy to ask her if she would like a drive. It would be the normal, polite thing to do, especially since Lisa had gotten her a cafe mocha for three days in a row.

Why was she so nervous?

It was the party. Parties always set her on edge. Sure, she knew how to deal with them. Her father had made sure she could. She could be polite and smile and listen and make banal comments about the weather, but it always felt like she was pretending. And after a half hour she would start to feel like she would explode if she had to say another damn thing about how cold it was.

Okay, Jennie, you are going to open that door and pretend for five seconds that you're normal while you ask her if she'd like a drive.

Do it.

She opened the door. Lisa looked around.

"wonderingifyouwannadrivetonight?"

Smooth, Jennie. Smooth.

Lisa blinked, her eyebrows knitting together.

"I mean – if you want. A drive. Tonight. Never mind-" she turned to close the door behind her.

"What's tonight?" Lisa asked. Jennie looked over her shoulder. Lisa was scratching her head.

"The Anniversary... Mnet Party."

Jennie watched as Lisa's face went from confusion, to realization, to horror.

"Oh my god!" She clapped her hands to her face, looking like a perfect recreation of "The Scream" by Munch.

"What?" Offering her a drive couldn't be that terrible.

"All my clothes – I don't have anything. I completely forgot. When does it start?" She looked at her desk clock – 4:30 PM.

"Seven."

Lisa gave a very melodramatic moan and slumped over her desk. "I can't get a dress before seven. Oh my god, why did I forget about it?"

Jennie came out of her office to stand closer to Lisa. In the face of the blonde's panic, she forgot her own social awkwardness. She reached out a hand, as if to pat her on the shoulder, but then dropped it. What am I doing?

"Don't you have anything?" she asked.

Lisa lifted her head out of her arms. "I just moved. All my clothes are in boxes in my mom's kitchen."

The words were out of Jennie's mouth before she could stop them, "I have a dress that would look really good on you."

Wait – what?

She couldn't believe she just said that. It had just sprung into her head.

She did have a dress that would look good on Lisa. It would even fit her. It was a floor length ice blue gown, flowing soft fabric. Instead of straps, it had a sheer white collar encrusted with sequins. She'd passed over it that morning when she chose her outfit in favour of one of her more conservative, long sleeved dresses. On Lisa, it would bring out her eyes, make her hair stand out next to the ice of the dress. The top would show off her long neck and shoulders, allow the clavicles to peek through.

"Really?" Lisa was looking up at her with a mixture of hope and hesitance.

All thought of retracting her statement left Jennie's mind in the face of that hope.

"Yes. You could come over..."

. When was the last time the maid had been in? Had she left her bras all over the place?

Lisa, ignorant of Jennie's internal panicking, sat up with a big smile on her face.

"Oh, thank you so much! I can't believe I forgot about the party. I'm so hopeless sometimes."

"If you give me half an hour, we can leave a bit early," Jennie forced herself to say calmly. She'd been planning on leaving after she asked Lisa, to get ready and to take a bit of time to collect herself.

"Okay, just let me tie some stuff up," Lisa replied, looking absolutely delighted. Jennie smiled and ran off to call her maid.

Jennie poked her head in the door, surreptitiously trying to check if the maid had managed to come in before they had made it to her apartment. She breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't see an errant bra anywhere.

"I can't believe you live in a hotel." Lisa was looking up and down the hallway like she'd never seen any place like it. She probably never had. They were on the top floor of the hotel that had been her father's pride and joy when he was alive, a floor with only one suite. Jennie had moved in shortly after her father's death, unable to live in such a big house that held so many memories.

"It makes sense," she said, opening the door all the way. "It's close to work, and it's better than living in a condo."

She watched as Lisa took a few uncertain steps into the apartment. She looked around. Jennie wasn't sure what Lisa was thinking, or what she was expecting from the place. It was professionally decorated in the main parts – Jennie had just let the decorator do her own thing for the most part – the only parts of it that were her own was the entertainment system (Xbox and sundries carefully shut away in the dark cherry cabinets) and her bedroom. She was definitely not having Lisa in her bedroom.

Lisa kicked off her shoes, then looked to Jennie expectantly.

Come on, Jennie, remember your training.

"Would you like some tea? I can order some food, if you like."

"I'll just stuff my face at the party, it's alright." Lisa kicked off her shoes, stepping out of the entrance way and into the living room. She flopped down on the big couch and examined the painting (done by Jennie's great grandfather) behind it. "Oh gosh, this place is so fancy."

A tiny giggle escaped Jennie before she covered with her hand. Lisa glanced at her. She smiled, biting her lip. Jennie lowered her hand.

"I'll just go get the dress, then."

"Oh, wow," Lisa said, peering in the mirror.

Wow was right, Jennie thought. The dress looked better on Lisa than any mental picture she had had in her head, and it fit perfectly.

Jennie stepped up to the mirror, tugging at the tight skirt of her own dress. It was black, with a slit up the side that reached her knees. The long sleeved top of it was sky blue, with a square necked collar. Her favourite part of it was how the black of the skirt faded into the top with a lace that reminded her of snowflakes.

"Hey, we match!" Lisa said. She wrapped her hand around Jennie's arm, pulling her so they were standing side by side.

They did match. The blue of Lisa's dress matched the top of Jennie's, making them a pair. Like they were best friends going to an event together or... or like a couple. Oh, god. She hadn't been thinking what they would look like together. She just knew that Lisa would look fabulous in that dress and she'd already chosen hers.

Maybe there's something else that I can suggest for her.

Once again oblivious to Jennie's internal struggle, Lisa was now twirling on the spot, watching the flowing fabric of her dress flare out around her ankles. "It's so swishy! I love it."

And now I can't ask her to change.

Lisa was too gleeful, to absolutely precious as she looked at Jennie with bright, happy eyes her hands clapped together in front of her.

"And you're so gorgeous," Lisa said, looking over Jennie. "I mean, you always are but – wow, Jennie... I mean, Ms. Kim..." She blushed. Jennie's heart gave a little skip.

And now I can't change.

"Thanks," she said, turning away.

Only four hours or so. I can survive four hours.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Lisa said, giving another twirl. The dress lifted to show off her delicate ankles and shapely calves.

Four whole hours.

Lisa stopped in mid-twirl, staring over her shoulder. Her hands went to her head.

"My hair," she muttered. She tugged at the elastic, letting her hair fall down over her shoulders.

"You can use anything on the vanity in the bathroom," Jennie said quickly stepping away.

Lisa went off and Jennie returned to the living room, sinking into the couch. She covered her face with her hand, trying to collect scattered thoughts.

This was a form of slow, painful torture. And she was subjecting herself to it this time. She considered faking sick, getting out of this party altogether, but she couldn't do that. She could never do that anymore.

"Ow -dammit! You couldn't just behave today?"

Jennie lowered her hands. Lisa was swear