we keep this love in a photograph

Chapter 16

The Thursday evening before the gala, Jennie was stepping into the small designer boutique that she'd made Karina pull a few strings to open for her after hours, smiling at the attendant as Rosie, Alice and Ashley filed in after her. Setting her handbag down beside a small loveseat, Jennie shed her coat and turned to look at the other women, who were all looking around with apprehension.

"I took the liberty of putting a rack together with all of our best pieces," the woman said, wheeling it out to the middle of the small store. "Can I offer you refreshments?"

Jennie accepted the glass of sparkling water and stepped up to Rosie, who was already rifling through the array of dresses. There was a growing look of trepidation on her face and Jennie gave her arm a squeeze as she raised her eyebrows encouragingly.

"See anything you like?"

Eyes widening a fraction as she flipped a price tag over, Rosie leant in to Jennie, her voice hushed as she replied. "Jennie, this dress is a thousand dollars; none of us can afford this."

Pressing her hand against Rosie's back, Jennie smiled slightly at her scandalised tone, "you don't have to - I'm paying."

"I can't let you do that."

Sighing, Jennie grimaced, "at the risk of sounding too snobby, I won't comment on the prices, but ... would it help to know that these dresses are the product of sustainable fashion? The designer also made the outfit I'm wearing, and it'll be good publicity for the company so ..."

"No one will be looking at us; they'll be too focused on you."

Tugging a soft velvet dress out, eyeing the deep burgundy and thin straps, Jennie smiled.

"Not if you're wearing this."

Pursing her lips, Rosie eyed the dress and Jennie took it off the rack. "At least try it on."

Sighing, Rosie took the dress off her and fixed her with an exasperated look. Grinning, Jennie took a seat on the loveseat, sipping her sparkling water as Rosie moved towards a changing room at the back. Glancing over at Alice and Ashley, who were busy whispering over other dresses, Jennie was content to wait for them to choose.

After an hour of combing through the racks, and Rosie relenting and settling on the dress Jennie had picked out, they left the shop with a bag each - save for Jennie, who already had hers sorted out - and went to a nearby bistro for dinner.

Jennie was tired after a day of busy planning for the charity gala, on top of her usual workload and the lingering symptoms of her cold that she couldn't seem to shake, and she went home afterwards. Rosie went with her and they watched TV in bed, the curtains drawn and the lamps on as Jennie pores over paperwork and Rosie flipped through a borrowed book.

Friday was a blur and Jennie was stuck at the office late, which meant that she didn't see Rosie all day, or the morning after. She stayed at Jennie's place a few times a week now, evidence of her scattered throughout the house in the signs of a spare toothbrush in the holder in the bathroom, one of her shirts found beneath Jennie's bed where it had accidentally been kicked, and her preferred brand of oat milk in the fridge. It was a surprisingly easy adjustment, Jennie barely even recognising that Rosie spent nearly half of the week at her apartment, cooking dinner and watering her plants and working out in her gym in the basement. Somehow, it didn't feel like an intrusion; it felt like some life had been breathed into the house.

She missed her that Friday night, the bed feeling cold and empty with so much space to herself, and Jennie woke on Saturday morning tired from a restless night. As busy as her day was, all the last minute arrangements needing to be overseen as Karina conferred with her mother on her behalf, Jennie had promised Rosie breakfast.