JENNIE
Jennie can tell by the widening of Lisa's eyes that the Thai's both shocked and excited by the idea. Lisa doesn't understand what she's put Jennie through these past months, and now that the younger woman's back in her bed, she's dead serious about holding on to her. No matter what it takes. Lisa will never leave her again.
She pulls the tray from the nightstand to her lap and move to sit beside Lisa on the edge of the bed.
"I'll feed you," she says, and spoon out some of the chicken soup she made for the Thai. Lisa gives her a strange look but some possessive part of the CEO wants to do it. She wants to give Lisa what she needs, and she knows in this moment, she can.
The Thai opens her mouth, licking her lips before taking the spoon into her mouth. Jennie feels warmth pool at her core at the innocent act. How can Lisa eating soup turn her on so much? The CEO knows they have a lot to talk about but she feels like her body is on fire for her. Jennie needs to reassure herself Lisa is there. Get herself under control, but first they have to talk.
"First, I want you to know that I love you, Lisa and I was wrong for putting work before you. Nothing is more important than you, and I think I was too scared to admit that, so I buried myself in work. The day you left, I realized that and I ran home to tell you how wrong I'd been."
"Oh, Jennie, I'm so sorry."
"No. You don't have anything to be sorry for. The past four months have been miserable and I made some changes. I retired and turned my company over to my vice president. She's been looking to take over for years and I was more than willing to let it go. Also, you were right about Marie. The manager I turned her over to when I left, hated her voice, but also caught her selling client information, so she let her go and pressed charges."
Lisa gives her a smug look at that admission and she takes it as a good sign and continues.
"I pushed you away and kept denying my feelings because I was terrified of what I could become." The Thai gives her a quizzical look, but Jennie knows she needs to tell her. She has to explain her fears.
"I told you my parents died when I was eighteen, and only part of that is true." Jennie closes her eyes, takes a deep breath before opening them again and tells Lisa the rest. "My father was obsessed with my mother so much he sexually abused her as a form of control. That's the reason I never had sex or wanted them before you. I didn't trust anyone much less myself, and it was my way of controlling my fear."
Lisa nods her head in understanding, but she hasn't gotten to the bad part.
"My maternal grandfather left me a trust fund. So, when I turned eighteen, I had everything set up to take my mom and run away, and I guess my father had sensed something coming and the day I graduated high school, he came home early from work. We were in the kitchen with our bags packed and about to leave. My mom tried to get in between us, but he wasn't having it."
Jennie takes a deep breath and tried not to sob before she continues.
"He tied me to a chair and choked her to death right in front of me. He made me watch everything. Everything, Lisa."
The CEO hangs her head in shame and Lisa reaches out to take her hands.
"Kariza and I had been friends since elementary school. She kind of knew my home life wasn't good, so when I didn't show up for graduation, she knew something was bad. She walked in just as my father was untying me. I have no doubt he was planning on killing me next. But seeing her walk in the house caught him off guard and gave me enough time to grab a knife off the kitchen table and stab him in the chest."
