Chapter Text
Lisa
The penthouse is too quiet. Too empty.
Not peaceful. Not calm.
Just empty in the way that presses against your thoughts and refuses to leave.
Lisa Manobal is staring out of her window at Los Angeles. Like the city belongs to someone else. Lights stretch endlessly across of it, alive and moving.
But it doesn't feel close.
Her phone lies on the table.
Face down.
Closed.
Silent.
She doesn't pick it up. Because she already knows that there is no one she would want to text or call.
Maybe some big party or event. Conversations that she doesn't even remember. Smiles which don't reach anyone's eyes.
Fake.
She loosens the grip on her glass and stands up. She has weeks of meetings and events in front of her. Where peoe talk at her, instead of talking to her.
And yet, the silence at home still wins somehow. Because in the next second, she suddenly finds herself taking her phone.
Opening it.
Pausing.
And then typing a single sentence which is going to change her whole evening.
"I need someone, tonight."
She doesn't reread it. Just sends it and hopes that she won't have to wait to long to still the heavy loneliness sitting deep in her heart.
Jennie
Jennie got a couple rules to live by.
No questions.
Being on time.
No emotions.
No kissing.
Especially no kissing.
She checks her phone once again. It's a routine already. Her job, basically.
She has lots of new messages. Friends, apps, and
her work.
As she goes through the different messages, she finds one important notification.
Private client.
High priority.
Location attached.
But that's not what surprises her the most. It's the name of her new client.
Lisa Manobal.
Not everyone knows her, but everyone knows that this business woman isn't someone who belongs into their world. And yet, she still somehow got in here.
Everyone heard that name before. And Jennie doesn't know what exactly she should think of that.
But private, rich client means money. Good money. So she types back what makes sense the most.
"Confirmed."
Jennie grabs her coat and the keys of her small apartment, puts the coat on and leaves the building.
In front of it, a black car is already waiting for her. It's nothing unusual. She stopped asking questions, already too used to it.
She gets into the car and buckles up. The driver starts it and leads her to the address which sounds expensive already.
It's always like that. Unknown places. People she's never seen. And desires which want to be unleashed.
She wouldn't say that she's enjoying it. Or that she lives the dream life that the little version of herself had always thought of. No, the four year old Jennie would be disappointed. Confused. And sad, that she didn't manage to write her own songs and publish them.
But that's how life works.
If you aren't rich, you don't have a choice. You take what you can get. And for her, this was the best option. To have a life. To have enough money to buy food and pay the bills. Bad enough she already has to live in that small apartment with her friend Rosie.
They reach the destination after a while. Jennie already knew how the place is going to look like by looking at the address.
Rich.
Expensive.
Important.
A complete contrast to her own poor life.
She gets out of the car and walks toward the hotel building which builds high into the dark sky of Los Angeles. The streets are busy with people, and a lot of them enter and leave the door she is going through right now.
And the atmosphere immediately shifts. It shifts to something more luxurious. Something she shouldn't be used to because she doesn't have luxus. But still, it kind of feels familiar.
Maybe too many rich old men had hired her in the past. Maybe she got so much used to her job that it feels like a second life.
She doesn't know. But she also doesn't like it.
Jennie walks towards the elevator and steps in, pushing the number of the etage where Lisa Manobal lives in.
Then she waits.
Her thoughts wander, to a life where she wouldn't have to do this. Where she wouldn't have to offer her body to strangers who don't even know her. Who see her as an object to still their pleasure.
But honestly? This is never going to happen. She is trapped in here. Never going to be a beautiful princess getting a prince who protects her from anything harmful. The little girl she once was - who drew pictures of herself in a pink puffy dress - she is left in the past.
Why would she ever be a princess?
The elevator doors slide open and she steps out. Checks the address of her phone and searches for the door number 316.
And she finds it.
Walks to it. Straightens out the wrinkles of her black, tight dress which shows off her curves. Lifts her hand. And
Knock. Knock. Knock.
She has to wait a few seconds. She uses them to fix her brown hair and takes a deep breath.
This is routine.
She shouldn't be nervous that she is about to make out with the famous actress Lisa Manobal.
Then, the door opens. And she is hit with the sight in front of her.
The woman is beautiful, yes. Her features are sharp and stunning. But her eyes look tired. She looks like she is missing something important in her life and can't seem to find it.
Jennie enters the room. Her client closes the door behind her. It smells like vanilla in here. Kind of comforting,if not knowing what's coming next.
For a solid moment, they just stand there and stare at each other. She wouldn't say it's uncomfortable. But it's strange. Weird. She always finds these moments weird. When they know what they are about to do, but no one initiates anything.
"I didn't expect-"
Lisa stops. Looks around. Like she doesn't even know what she was expecting. Like she's unsure about what she's doing.
Her eyes wander over Jennie's body for a moment, and then, she sighs.
"Nevermind."
Another pause starts. But this time, Jennie breaks it.
"Do you want me to explain how this works?"
At that, her client lets out a soft snort. Almost a laugh. "No, no. I know how this works."
Actually, that should've made it easier. No awkward explaining over why they hired her and what she's ready to get done to herself. Or not ready, actually.
In fact, though, it didn't make it easier.
Lisa turns slightly to pour herself a drink. She doesn't ask Jennie if she wants one too. Why would she? She drink the alcohol in one gulp and turns to Jennie again.
Now she sees it. The soft disorientation in her eyes. Caused by alcohol.
Lisa Manobal is drunk.
"You can relax, you know?" she mutters. "I'm not... complicated."
Jennie almost responds at that. But just almost. Because honestly? People who say that usually are complicated. And she doesn't think that Lisa is an exception.
The woman's eyes flicker back to her. And for a few seconds, they just look at each other again. The tension in the room gets worse.
Lisa puts the glass back onto the table and continues to look at her. "Do you always stand like this?"
"Like what?"
"Like... Like you're already leaving."
This sentence lands differently than it should. Because somehow, it's true. She always leaves. She always does.
But she doesn't answer.
Because Lisa steps closer. And closer. Until they're standing so close that Jennie can smell the faint alcohol note in her breath.
And Jennie gets ready. Another night of pleasuring lonely people's desires and loneliness. Nothing new.
The hand of the woman in front of her lands on her cheek. Then slides lower, to her neck and then, it grabs her coat. Slides it off her arms. Her eyes looking like they are searching for something. Something real, maybe.
"No kisses," Jennie quickly says. Some of her clients already ignored her request. Her most important rule. No kisses. She pushed them away, then. Ignored the promised money. They overstepped her boundaries.
Kisses are too imitate. She wants to share them with her true love once she finds it. No one else should steal them. No one.
Lisa's breath hitches, but she just slightly nods. "On the lips?"
This time, Jennie nods. "Yes. No lips."
"Okay."
And then, she feels Lisa leaning forward and softly trailing kisses down her exposed neck. It does feel good.
Of course it does. When didn't it? It feels different, though. And she immediately gets suspicious of that.
Because it's not exactly real.
Though Lisa treats her with a gentleness no man had ever touched her. And it's kind of refreshing.
Since she is not rushing it. Not forcing Jennie upon herself, caring about her emotions too. Lisa is taking her time to make her feel good as well. It's strange. Unfamiliar.
The hands of the woman slip to the sleeves of her dress, then wander further to the zip of it. Slowly, she pulls it down. Softly. Making every single second feel charged.
Then, she gently pulls it down.
Leaving Jennie only in her matching pair of underwear. Exposed. Like she is so often.
Jennie does the same to the actress. Taking off her blouse and pants. Kissing her soft skin. Making her shiver and let out small gasps.
They move to the couch. Lisa's hands finding the back of her bra.
And this time, it's Jennie's turn to gasp as she feels two warm hands on her.
It doesn't feel too forced. She isn't disgusted by a man growling. And immediately distrusts that feeling. Because it's different than usual.
And when they finally finish, Jennie Kim sits on the same couch as Lisa. Getting dressed. Until getting hit by Lisa's next words.
"Be my fake girlfriend for two weeks. I'll pay you."