Chapter 11

 

After lunch, Jennie and I just hung out with the kids until she had to go. I walked her to her car, and even though I knew the kids were looking, I felt brave enough to lean in and give her a good-bye kiss on the cheek. She responded by pulling me in for a tight hug and telling me that she couldn't wait for our date the next day.

After she’d driven off in her car, I walked back to see both Max and Ella standing in the open front doorway, grinning like maniacs.

 

 

“You owe us for setting you up on a date,” Ella crowed.

 

Max jumped in. “Yeah, like a hundred bags of candy!”

 

“No way,” I argued, but I was already planning some gifts as thanks. Because honestly, their meddling probably had helped in the end.

 

 

When I got home after the kids’ grandmother arrived, I was glad that my parents' cars were gone and Sorn was holed up in her room. I was able to call Chaeng, who had spent the day shopping with her mom, and had arrived home exhausted a few minutes before I called. I gave her all the updates about what had happened. At the point where I mentioned Jennie’s suggestion that we go out to the movies together, she squealed, and when I told her that Jennie had admitted to liking me, she screamed so loud that I heard her mother come in and ask what was the matter.

 

 

“I told you so,” she said with relish. “You should always listen to me; I am a sage. Just let me run your life. I'd do a much better job at it than you.”

 

 

“Yes, okay, you're smarter than me. Let's get to the important stuff. What am I going to wear for my first official date with Jennie?” The smile on my face must have translated over the phone, because Chaeng quit her teasing. We talked about what I should wear for the date, and where we should sit in the movie theater, and if I should try to put my arm around her while we watched the movie. I reminded Chaeng that I wasn't going out on a date in a 1950s movie.

 

 

But I did feel more comfortable after talking to Chaeng. She had such a way of instilling confidence in people that I seriously suggested to her that she become some sort of counselor in the future. Or one of those people who warmed up the crowd at a basketball game. She joked that her college dilemma could be solved by going the second route, since she didn't think a college degree was needed for that particular job.

 

 

“Have you gotten anywhere with figuring out about taking the money offered by your father?” I asked, since she’d brought it up.

I heard over the phone as she took a deep breath. “Yeah, I think I'm going to take the money. It would make too much of a difference for my mom. One less thing for her to worry about.”

 

 

“That's a good reason,” I reassured. “Yeah,” she responded absentmindedly. She changed the subject by asking if I was going to make out with Jennie in the movie theater. I gave her the reaction she was looking for by sputtering some denials and telling her she was ridiculous.

 

 

After a few more minutes on the phone with Chaeng, we said our good-byes, and then I went to bed. I was too tired to think anymore. I was glad that I had talked to Chaeng, because otherwise I would have spent the night making myself crazy over the fact I had a date with Jennie.

 

 

The next morning, everyone else in the house was downstairs by the time I made my way out of my room. I was a little surprised, since it was still early for a Sunday morning. We were not a particularly religious family, so church wasn't a regular event.

 

 

“Good morning,” I said to the room at large as I entered the kitchen. My parents were drinking coffee at the kitchen island while Sorn was at the computer on the dining room table.

 

 

My dad was the first to answer. “Good morning. How was babysitting yesterday?” he asked. “It was fine,” I said as I prepared myself a bowl of cereal. I wasn’t quite ready yet to share with them everything that had happened yesterday. But then my sister spoke up.

 

 

“I heard you had someone over at the Kwons’ yesterday,” she announced. My parents both looked up at me quizzically.

 

“I didn't know Chaeng was meeting you over there,” my mom said.

 

“It wasn't Chaeng, was it, Lisa?” my sister continued, baiting me. It worked. I bit.

“Shut up, Chonnasorn,” I told her through gritted teeth.

 

 

“It was Jennie,” she said to our parents. “You know, Jennie, who came over for dinner, where we all saw Lisa totally fail at flirting and be totally oblivious to Jennie trying to get her attention. And when we all tried to help her take her head out of her and just ask the girl out, she got angry and sulky.”

 

 

She could be such an .

 

 

“But it turned out all she needed was a couple of kids to do her work for her, because she has a date with Jennie today,” Sorn continued. I couldn’t say anything. She may have been technically correct, but she didn’t need to say it in such a patronizing way. I guess she was still mad about my rejecting her so-called help from before. Or more likely she wanted everyone to know she’d been right, because she could never deal well with being told she was wrong.

 

 

“How do you know I’m going out with Jennie?” I asked, bewildered. As she stood up from the computer, she said, “Ella and I are Facebook friends,” and then left the kitchen. Now I knew why she had woken up so early and had been in the kitchen when I’d come downstairs. All part of her master plan to prove me wrong.

 

 

“Lisa, do you have a date with Jennie?” my mom asked excitedly. This was why I’d wanted to keep my date to myself for just a little longer. Sorn and her bruised ego had ruined that for me, and now I was bracing myself for the inquisition.

 

 

I tried to deflect. “Mom, Jennie and I are just going to the movies later. It’s no big deal.” But she was having none of it.

 

 

“Have you picked out what you’re going to wear? What movie are you going to see? Will Jennie be stopping by here first?” she asked with rapid-fire precision.

 

 

I sighed and gave up. I knew I’d never win with her anyway. “I’m just wearing some regular clothes, a shirt and jeans, nothing fancy. We’re going to see that new movie about the dust storm that destroys Las Vegas. And Jennie is going to pick me up, so please don’t make a big deal about it,” I pleaded. “It’s just a movie.” But I could see by the gleam in her eyes that her excitement on my behalf was ratcheting up instead of lessening like I had hoped.

 

 

I looked at my dad and begged him with my most pathetic expression to save me from any more questions. Luckily, he understood what I was trying to get across, because he jumped into the conversation.

 

 

“Honey, leave the girl alone,” he said to my mom. “There’s no need to get yourself all worked up about it. She’s just meeting a friend for a movie. Isn’t that right, Lisa?” he asked me innocently.

 

I hesitated just a fraction too long.

 

 

“Wait, is it really a date?” he asked, surprised. I was a little insulted that he would be so surprised, but I got over it when I realized that I now had no one else on my side. I was going to have to fend them off on my own.

 

 

“Listen,” I started, addressing both of them. “Okay, technically I am going on a date with Jennie today”—both sets of eyes widened in glee, and I pressed forward a little louder, trying to preempt any more questions they had—“but it’s just a movie, and it’s a first date, and please don’t read too much into it. And, this part is very important,” I stressed. “Please, please don’t embarrass me by asking her questions or acting weird. Okay?” I finished, hoping that they would be cool about this.

 

 

They were not.

 

 

“Oh, darling,” my mom exclaimed. “It’s your first date! Of course it’s a big deal, and of course we’re excited for you.” She wrapped me up in a big hug. I hung there limply, not