Chapter 4

"Why, you could be Lisa’s date!"

"Er" Jennie cast a frantic glance Lisa's way at her mother's suggestion, only to find her sitting with eyes closed, a pained expression on her face. She suspected she was begging for the floor to open up and swallow her whole, or even to swallow her in pieces, so long as it swallowed her. It almost made Jennie feel better. It was nice to know that she wasn't the only one with parents who managed to humiliate her at every opportunity.

Still, Dara was really something else. Jennie had spent the better part of the half hour since the woman's arrival merely gaping at her. This exotic and beautiful creature was Lisa's mother? Oh, certainly, the resemblance was there. And she was equal to her in looks, but Dara Manoban didn't look a day over thirty herself. How could she possibly be Lisa's or Lis, as everyone seemed to call her mom?

"Good genes, dear," had been the woman's answer when Jennie had commented.

Jennie had sighed miserably, wondering why such genes couldn't run in her family, too. After that, she'd merely stared at the woman, nodding absently at everything said, while trying to spot signs of a face lift. She obviously should have been paying more attention to what Dara was burbling on about. Lisa's sister's wedding had been the topic of conversation. Jennie wasn't quite sure how that had led to the last comment she had heard.

"Date?" she repeated blankly.

"Yes, dear. For the wedding."

"Mother." Lisa's voice was a warning growl, and Jennie peered over to see that her eyes were open and sharply focused on her mother.

"Well, Lis darling. You can hardly leave the poor girl here alone tomorrow night while you attend." Dara laughed, apparently oblivious to her daughter's fury.

"Jennie has to return to Seoul," Lisa said firmly. "She won't be here tomorrow ni"

"That sounds like fun!" Jennie blurted. Lisa fell silent and aimed her gimlet eye at her, but she ignored her. There was no way she was leaving without first gaining her agreement to at least an interview with one of the newspapers clamoring to speak to her. And falling in with Dara's suggestion meant that not only could she not force her on a plane back to Seoul, but by the time the wedding party was over, it would be too late for Jennie to fly home the next night as well. Which gave her until Sunday to work on the woman. That thought made her beam happily, and she silently thanked Lisa's mother.

The only thing that worried her was that Dara Manoban was looking rather pleased in return. Jennie had the sudden anxious feeling that she'd stepped neatly into a trap. She hoped to God that the woman didn't have any matchmaking ideas about her and Lisa. Surely Dara realized what a cantankerous lout her daughter was and that she wasn't Jennie's type at all!

"Well, wonderful!" the woman said. Ignoring her daughter's scowl, Dara smiled like the cat who got the cream, then asked, "Do you have something to wear to the wedding, dear?"

"Oh." Jennie's smile faltered. She'd packed something for every possible occasion except a wedding. There'd been no way to see that coming, and Jennie didn't think the slinky black dress she'd brought to cover the possibility of an evening out would work.

"Ah-ha!" Lisa was now the one looking pleased. "She hasn't anything to wear, Mother. She can't"

"A quick trip to my modiste, I think," Dara cut her off. Then she confided to Jennie, "She always has something for just such an emergency. And a visit with my hairdresser will work magic on your hair, and we'll be set."

Jennie felt herself relax, and could have hugged the woman. Dara was wonderful. Much too good to have a daughter like Lisa. The woman was clever, charming and a pleasure to be around. Unlike a certain surly woman. Jennie's gaze slid to Lisa, and she almost grinned at the misery on her face. She supposed she should feel guilty for forcing herself into her home and staying there, but she didn't. she was in serious need of assistance. She was terribly lacking in social skills and obviously spent way too much time alone. She was good for her she was sure of it.

"Well, now that it's all settled, I'll be off." Dara was quickly on her feet and heading out of the kitchen so quickly that Jennie nearly got whiplash watching.

Getting up, she hurried after the woman. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Manoban," she called as she jogged down the hall in pursuit.

Lisa's mother didn't just look young, she was as spry as could be for the mother of a woman who had to be at least thirty-five. How old did that make her? Jennie wondered. At least fifty-three. Impossible, she thought, but kept the thought to herself and merely added, "I really appreciate your generous offer to help me shop and"

"Nonsense, dear. I'm grateful to you for being here to accompany Lis." Dara paused and allowed Jennie to catch up. "Why, you should have seen the poor woman at her sister's wedding. I've never seen Lis run so fast or hide so much. It's the ladies, you know. They tend to chase after her."

Jennie's eyebrows flew up in patent disbelief at that.

A bubble of laughter burst from Dara. "Hard to believe when Lis is so curmudgeonly, isn't it? But I think it's the hunt that attracts them. She makes it obvious she isn't interested, and they react like hounds after a fox. With you there to act as her partner, she’ll be able to relax and enjoy the celebration this time. And once she realizes that, she’ll be grateful for your presence, too."

Jennie didn't bother to hide her doubt that Lisa Manoban could ever be grateful for anything. The woman was more than curmudgeonly in her opinion.

"She may seem crusty on the outside, dear," Dara said solemnly, obviously reading her thoughts. "But she's rather like a toasted marshmallow, soft and mushy in the center. Very few people ever see that center, though." Leaving Jennie to consider that, the older woman continued on to the door and opened it. "I shall pick you up after lunch. One o'clock. If that's all right with you?"

"Yes. But will that leave time to get everything done?" Jennie asked with concern. In her experience, weddings were usually around two or three o'clock in the afternoon.

Dara Manoban looked calm. "Oh, scads of time, dear. The wedding isn't until seven p.m."

"Isn't that rather late?" Jennie asked with surprise.

"Late weddings are all the rage today. I hear Julia Roberts married her cameraman after midnight."

"Really? I hadn't heard that," Jennie said faintly.

"Oh yes. She's started a trend. Till tomorrow then," Dara finished gaily. The woman then closed the door behind herself, leaving Jennie standing in the hallway feeling rather as if she'd just survived a tornado.

Jennie stood there for several minutes, just staring at the door, her mind whirring through everything she would need to do to be ready for this wedding, before the door to the kitchen opened and Lisa stalked out.

"I'll be in my office." her voice was short, her expression forbidding as she passed her on the way to the stairs.

Jennie always a smart girl when it came to matters of self-preservation kept her mouth shut and merely watched her disappear up the stairs. she was angry, of course. Which was to be expected, but she hoped it would pass.

A door slammed upstairs. Hard.

Well, perhaps she wouldn't get over it tonight, but she would by tomorrow. She hoped. With a little help, maybe. She turned and peered at the mess in the living room. There was no way she was going to be able to get her to work on those letters tonight. Which she supposed was a good thing. She was beginning to fear that any letters she wrote were more likely to offend and scare readers than please them. She'd be doing her a big favor by composing the form letters herself and just having her sign them.

Jennie grimaced at the idea. It meant a lot of work for her, and the readers were hardly likely to be all that happy. They'd certainly be happier with her meddling, however, than with receiving a letter that read:

Dear Reader.

No.

Sincerely,

Lisa Manoban

Oddly enough, Jennie found herself chuckling at the idea. she really was rather amusing in some ways, this author of hers. The problem was, she didn't mean to be.

Heaving a sigh, she turned into the living room to start to work.

Lisa grabbed a bag of blood from the small office refrigerator where she’d placed it earlier, then paced her office like a caged tiger. She did so for more than an hour before working off enough energy so that she could relax sufficiently to sit. she didn't know if it was her anger or the caffeine that had got her so wound up. And she didn't care.

Groaning, she leaned back in her desk chair and rubbed her face with her hands. her mother had just cursed her to two more nights of Jennie Kim's presence. And Jennie hadn't helped matters with her quick agreement. The woman was like lichen. Like muck you couldn't scrape off the bottom of your shoe. Like well, none of the things popping to her mind were very attractive, and, as annoying as Jennie Kim could be, she was also attractive, so Lisa gave up her analogies. she tried to be fair about such things whenever possible.

Letting her hands drop away from her face, she turned to consider the computer on her desk. she wanted to avoid Jennie for a bit. she was still cranky enough that she was likely to hurt her feelings were she around her, and she didn't wish to hurt her

"Well, hell! Now you're worried about her feelings?" she said to herself. This wouldn't do at all. she tried to be firm with her unruly sentiments and lectured, The woman is your editor. She will use manipulation, clever ruses and any weapon necessary to get what she wants from you. Do not start getting all soft and sentimental about her. You don't want her here. You want to be left alone to work in peace."

The problem was, she didn't really have anything to work on. she hadn't started anything new since finishing Seulgi and Irene's story which had been in print for a month now. And Lisa didn't have a clue what to work on next. She knew that Jennie and YG Publishing wanted another vampire romance, but Jeongyeon wasn't showing signs of obliging her sister by falling in love any time soon.

Well, Lisa decided with a shrug, it wasn't as if she needed the money. Her investments over the years had always done well. She could relax if she wanted. YG would just have to wait until she came up with something.

Her gaze fell on the video game on the corner of her desk Blood Lust II. The game was Seulgi's newest creation. Part I had sold out several times and won countless awards. Its success wasn't a great surprise to Lisa; the game was fun and action-packed, with awesome graphics, lots of villains to slay, lots of puzzles to solve and a great story line. Lisa wasn't the only one in the family who could write a story. Blood Lust II was expected to do even better when it was released.

Grinning, she popped the seal on the package and pulled out the game CD. she had played the first couple of levels of the prototype before the game was even finished, and she and Jeongyeon had got the first two full copies hot off the press. It paid to be sisters of the creator.

Lisa slipped the game into her computer and prepared to enjoy herself. She would work off some of her anger by slaughtering bad guys. And she’d also avoid Jennie for a while. she’d found the perfect solution.

She had played for several hours and was deep into the game when she heard the knock at the door. At her distracted "What?" the door opened and Jennie stepped into the room carrying a tray.

"I thought you might be hungry."

Her tentative words, along with the smell of food, drew Lisa's attention away from the game. She sniffed with interest, thinking she could manage some at that moment. She, like the rest of her family, ate food as well as ingested blood. If they didn't, they'd all be skinny wraiths.

"What is it?" she asked curiously.

"Well, I knew I was going to be busy I’ve been working on the letters," she informed her. "So, after your mother left and you went upstairs, I threw the roast we picked up into the oven with some potatoes. That way it would cook while I worked. You said you like rare everything. I hope that includes roast, because this roast is pretty rare."

"Perfect." Lisa took the tray and set it on her desk, noting that there were two plates of food and two glasses of what looked to be wine and two glasses of water as well. She'd covered all the bases.

She was just relaxing when she began to drag a chair around the desk to join her and said, "I was hoping we could discuss"

She was about to bring up the publicity issue again. Lisa immediately felt herself begin to tense; then Jennie's gaze landed on the computer screen.

"That looks like Blood Lust."

"Blood Lust Two," she corrected.

"You're kidding. Really? It isn't supposed to be out until Monday. I have it on order."

"I know the creator," Lisa admitted reluctantly. "I got an early copy."

"No way. You Lucky dog! Is it as good as the first?"

"Better." Lisa began to relax again as she continued staring avidly at the frozen screen. she recognized a fellow gamer when she saw one. Any talk of publicity had probably just bit the dust for the night.

She glanced at the screen and saw that her character had died while she’d been distracted. The game was waiting for her to decide what to do next. her options were to start over, or quit the game. she considered the matter briefly, then asked, "Do you want to play? You can play doubles on it."

"Really?" She looked terribly excited. "Yes, please. I love Blood Lust, and I've been waiting forever for Two to come out." She dragged her chair even closer. "This is great."

Lisa smiled to herself and started the game over. she’d say one thing for her Jennie  Kim had good taste. She liked her books, and she liked Seulgi's game.

She also proved to be one hell of a game player. The dinner she had made sat forgotten on the desk as they worked through the levels she’d already run through, then continued on to the next levels, working together to defeat the villains and save the damsel in distress. Every time they succeeded at accessing another level, Jennie reacted with the excitement of a child and they did a high five or a little victory dance at the desk while they waited for the next level to load.

They played for hours, until the food was a shriveled and congealed mess, until their necks and hands ached, and until Jennie began nodding off in her seat. When Lisa reluctantly suggested it might be best if she went to bed, she agreed with equal reluctance that she should or she wouldn't be able to get up for the shopping trip with her mother.

Oddly enough, Lisa missed her once she was gone. she continued on through another level of the game, but it wasn't the same without her there to share the glee at succeeding. There were no high fives or little victory dances, and she was troubled to find she missed those, too. Even more troubling was the fact that for the first time in years, Lisa felt lonely.

Despite her late night, Jennie was up and ready at one o'clock. She stood anxiously waiting by the front door watching for Mrs. Manoban. When a limo pulled into the driveway, she hurried outside and started down the porch stairs, then paused and turned back uncertainly toward the door. She had unbolted it to leave and didn't have a clue what to do about bolting it again. Dare she leave it unlocked? Or should she wake up Lisa and have her bolt it?

"It's all right, Jennie. Don't worry about the door," Dara unrolled the back window to call out. "Come along, we've lots to do."

Shrugging inwardly, Jennie turned and walked over to the limo. The driver was out to open the door for her by the time she reached it, and Jennie murmured a thank-you as she slipped inside; then she did a double take at the sight of Lisa's mother. The woman was bundled up as if they were in the midst of a winter storm.

She had on a long-sleeved blouse, gloves and slacks, then a scarf over her head and covering the bottom half of her face. Over-large sunglasses covered most of the rest. The only patch of skin showing was her nose, and that was slathered with a white cream Jennie guessed to be sunblock.

"Don't tell me. You're allergic to the sun like Lisa?" Jennie guessed.

Dara's mouth twisted in wry amusement. "Where do you think she got it?"

Jennie gave a laugh and relaxed back in the limo, prepared for a day of both frantic shopping and pampering. And that was exactly what she got: a frantic rush to choose the perfect dress and see it tailored to fit her, then a couple of hours of delicious pampering at the spa where Dara Manoban's hair stylist worked. She enjoyed herself immensely.

Lis didn't sleep well. she went to bed out of sheer boredom not long after Jennie left, but she couldn't find rest. The woman hadn't just invaded her home, she'd made her way into her dreams, too. That fact was enough to make her terribly grumpy on awakening, and it was a surly Lisa who stumbled downstairs Saturday afternoon. she became even more surly when a quick search of the house showed that Jennie hadn't yet returned from her shopping sojourn.

Grumbling under her breath, she made her way to the kitchen and out of habit opened the refrigerator door looking for blood. It wasn't until she had the door open that she recalled sticking her supply in the tiny fridge in her office, to keep it out of Jennie's sight. she considered going back upstairs to fetch a bag, but didn't really feel like it. she didn't really feel like normal food either despite the fact that she and Jennie had sacrificed supper the night before for Blood Lust II. And she knew she would be eating a lot of rich food at the wedding celebration, so it was better to put off eating now.

Deciding she’d grab a bag of blood later before leaving for the wedding, Lisa wandered aimlessly out of the kitchen and moved along the hall to the living room. she immediately grimaced. Jennie had finished sorting the letters into categories, and there were several form letters awaiting her signature.

Curious, Lisa sat on the couch and began to read through them. They were all very nice, chatty letters that sounded gracious and charming and not at all like her. Jennie was a good writer, too. She'd done a wonderful job, and Lisa supposed she’d have to thank her. She also supposed she should hire an assistant to manage such tasks in the future. Unfortunately, she knew she wouldn't. The idea of a stranger in her home, pawing through her things was not a happy one.

He muttered under her breath at the thought. Humans were so unreliable. They were forever dropping dead on you just when you had them trained.

She was pondering that annoying little habit of mankind when the front door of the house slammed. Jennie was back from her shopping excursion. She ran her hands through her hair, brushed down her T-shirt and tried to look presentable. She sat up, peering expectantly toward the living room door and was just in time to catch a glimpse of Jennie flying upstairs. At least she thought it was Jennie. All she’d really seen was a godawful bundle of shopping bags with various designer names on them, and feet.

Oh, yes. She'd been shopping. she slumped back on the couch with disgust. She hadn't even noticed her!

A cacophony of sounds followed from upstairs the slamming of the guest room door, then all sorts of unidentifiable banging and bumping. It sounded as if the woman was jumping around and throwing things willy-nilly.

It went on long enough that Lisa became concerned. Then there was a sudden and utter silence. Standing, she walked into the hallway and peered anxiously up the stairs. A door opened and closed; then she heard the clicking of high-heeled shoes on the hardwood hall floor, and Jennie appeared at the top of the steps.

She was a sight. A vision. Her brunette hair was piled on top of her head with little ringlets dropping down to frame her pretty, flushed face. The gown she wore was a deep emerald green. It had a long skirt, a crepe neck, and was made of a soft-looking material that had a slight sheen as it draped gracefully over the contours and curves of her body. She was glorious. An angel. The most beautiful woman Lisa had seen in her life, and that was saying something. she was tongue-tied with amazement. She simply watched in awe as she descended the steps.

She was only halfway down when she spotted her. She immediately paused, blinked, then scowled. "You aren't ready!"

It was Lisa's turn to blink. Her angel was bellowing. The serene vision was gone.

"Lisa!" She glared at her with disbelief. "The wedding is at seven o'clock! It's six now. We have to leave. You haven't even showered or anything! What have you been doing all this time?" She covered her lower face with horror. "We'll be late! I hate being late to weddings. Everyone will be seated in the pews, and they'll all stare and"

"Okay!" Lisa held up her hands, trying to soothe her as she started up the stairs. "It's okay. I'm fast. I'll be ready. We won't be late," she assured her as she moved warily past her. "Really. I promise."

Jennie watched with exasperation as Lisa disappeared up the stairs. Once she was out of sight, her shoulders drooped unhappily. After all her efforts, she hadn't even commented on how she looked.

Disappointed, she continued downstairs and went into the living room to wait. She was all prepared to tap a hole in the floor with impatience. She didn't get the chance. 45 minutes after leaving her on the steps, Lisa came back downstairs all set to go.

Forty-five minutes, Jennie thought with disgust. 45 minutes, and she looked fabulous. It had taken her all day to put herself together, and it had taken her ten minutes! She glared at her as she joined her in the hall.

"See? I told you I'd be fast," Lisa said soothingly as she opened the front door. "We won't be late. We'll be right on time."

Still irritated that she’d been so quick, Jennie merely made a face and led the way outside.

Lisa opened the passenger door of her BMW in a rather courtly manner she appreciated, then commented, "You look lovely." She closed the door before she could respond, but Jennie smiled widely as she watched her walk around the car to the driver's side. Her mood was beginning to lift again. Jennie generally disliked weddings, and she would definitely be uncomfortable at being called "Lisa’s date," but maybe tonight wouldn't be so bad.