Chaelisa | Lisa G!P
Lisa Manoban lives life the way she wants, no concern for the opinion of others. She cares for no one, is completely unrepentant, and she has no desire to change her ways.
Roseanne Park works under Lisa as her PA. She despises he...
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Roseanne was quiet the rest of the evening. The rain came and went, eventually easing off around midnight. Jennie sensed the turmoil in the air and tried to be discreet. At one point, she asked me if Roseanne was all right.
“We, ah, had a disagreement,” I admitted. Couples argued; my response — it seemed probable.
“Because of what happened earlier?”
“Yes.” I didn’t tell her to which earlier occurrence it pertained. I let her think it was what happened with Penny.
“Do you want me to leave?”
“No, it’s fine.
“Don’t go to bed angry. Talk it out,” she encouraged. “I’ll head up soon and give you some privacy.”
Unsure how else to respond, I nodded. I had no idea what to say to Roseanne, but as soon as Jennie went upstairs, she followed. I waited a while, shut off the TV, and joined her in my bedroom. She was already in bed, curled up and close to the edge. I got ready and slipped in behind her small, warm body. I hesitated, then reached over, tugging her back to my torso.
“Don’t be angry with me.”
“I’m not, just sad.” She sighed.
“I can’t change who I am.”
She rolled in the dark to face me. “I think in some ways you have changed.”
“Maybe,” I admitted. “Still, it doesn’t change how I feel about certain things — children and love are two of them.”
“Everything is black and white with you.”
“It has to be. It’s how I deal with life.”
“You miss so much.”
I trailed my finger down her cheek, touching the softness of her skin in the dark. A trace of dampness lingered, and I knew she’d been crying. It bothered me, thinking of her lying there, upset.
“Roseanne,” I began.
“What?” she whispered.
“I know this got bigger and more complex. I know you’re a better person than I am, and it bothers you. I didn’t expect the Kims to be part of our life outside the office. I hadn’t planned on meeting Penny and being fond of her. There isn’t anything we can do about that now except go with the flow. I can’t change my outlook because it’s what I believe. There is something you’re wrong about, however.”
“What is that?”
I cupped her cheek, bringing her face close to mine. “I don’t dislike you. Far from it. I regret every nasty word, every lousy fucking errand I sent you on, and every dirty job I got you to do. I think you’re incredibly brave to have agreed to do this with me, and the reasons you did it are astonishing to me. You are selfless and kind, and the fact you’ve become so important to me is a testament to how special you are.”
