Devil on a Harley (2018) - Chapter 6
"a+b+c=Jessica"
Back home, Sooyoung was still up, working on her food column.
Jessica's roommate and best friend was seated on the living room floor, long legs stretched out under the coffee table, typing away diligently on her laptop.
"Hi, Princess." Sooyoung called out, pausing from her typing for a moment as she peered at Jessica from behind her horn-rimmed glasses.
"Someone's actually working at this late hour?" Sarcasm was evident in Jessica's tone of voice as she settled herself down next to Sooyoung, leaning her weary back against the couch.
If her roommate had meant to slight, Sooyoung didn't care.
"I shall ignore that." She resumed typing. "I was invited to this classy French restaurant just now, and I feel inspired to write about this out-of-the-world culinary experience while it's still fresh in my head. Mmm...Duck a l'orange...that was the best duck with orange sauce I have ever tasted. Duck breast seared to perfection...oooh...the sauce exquisite. And then, there was the foie gras...yum....I just couldn't sleep thinking about it." Sooyoung's eyes gleamed as she smacked her lips.
"Honestly, you're the only person I know who would lose sleep over food."
"Yes, some of us live to eat." Sooyoung nodded. "So, how was your dinner date with you-know-who?"
Jessica leaned her head on Sooyoung's shoulder. "You have such nice, comfy shoulders, Sooyoung."
"Are you evading my question?" Sooyoung stopped typing.
"No. You call that-with my boss hovering around-a date? It was sheer business talk."
"And?"
"And nothing." Jessica lay flat on the floor, staring up dolefully at the ceiling, her hands cushioning her head.
"Why am I not buying that? Girl, each time you lie to me, you have that dopey, shitty look on your face. Now, tell me what really happened." Sooyoung prodded the blonde with a finger.
Jessica was stumped.
How does a girl go about telling her best friend that she had just made out with another girl?
Ruminating on the incident, her face felt hot.
"Well, I gave her a ride home, and we had coffee," the blonde began slowly.
"Coffee? That's it?"
"We... talked."
"Talked? And?"
"And then, she....kissed me."
"Now we're talking." Sooyoung's eyes widened in anticipation. "And?"
"I-I.... k-kissed her back." Jessica suddenly sat up, perplexed that she had revealed more than she had originally intended. She felt as if she was being interrogated for some crime. "Choi Sooyoung, you're annoying the crap out of me."
"What did I do? You're the one who just had a necking session with another chick," Sooyoung said indignantly. "Oh, come on. You might as well come clean and tell me everything now that you've got me all curious. So, did you guys get very far?"
"NO!"
"Can't believe you let slip an opportunity like that. Ain't as if either of you need worry about getting pregnant or something."
"Choi Sooyoung, I swear- "
"No, I mean, what's stopping you, Jess, when you seriously have the hots for her? Don't tell me, in this day and age, you still stand for all that 'no sex before marriage' nonsense?"
"I don't know what I believe in anymore. She totally screwed up my mind. I always thought I was straight but...hell...I'm obviously far from straight at this point of time. Ugh. All these crappy moral issues are fucking getting to me. I mean, when she started groping me, I totally freaked out. I just couldn't go through with it. Hey, I've never been with a woman before. I didn't dare touch her back 'cause I didn't know what to do. Do I grab her boobs, grope her ass...WHAT?"
"Horny Devil versus Frigid Blonde."
"You're a fine one for talking... like you've had sex with a woman before. You teach me, then."
Soooyoung scratched her head. "Well, I can't claim to be the leading authority in that department, but we can always do some research." She pointed to her laptop. "The Internet. Why don't we log in to 'Porn R Us' or whatever smut website there is out there and see how lesbians do it?"
"I can't believe I have a moron for a best friend. I'm NOT watching porn with you."
"Just kidding. Seriously, when it comes to the crunch, just let your instincts lead you. All these qualms you have about moral issues are unfounded. What really matters is that you like her, and that the feeling is mutual," Sooyoung advised. "Maybe you two should just go with the flow, like, take it slow and easy. You know, go on dates, get to know each other better before developing to that intimate stage. Get the drift? Cripes, I hate that I sound like an agony aunt."
Jessica leaned her head on her best friend's shoulder again. "Thank you, Auntie Sooyoung. That's the most sensible thing I've heard from you thus far."
"I'm really curious about this Kwon...what's her name again?"
"Kwon Yuri."
"Okay, gotcha. Invite her home for dinner some time, maybe? I'd really like to meet the bozo who fucked up my best friend's mind and turned her gay."
"No way." Jessica sat up straight, alarmed at Sooyoung's suggestion.
"Why?"
"I don't want you embarrassing me in front of her."
"Well, excuse me. Am I or am I not your best friend?"
Jessica thought for a while. "Promise me you'll be on your best behaviour?" She held out her little finger.
Sooyoung sighed as she hooked her pinky around her friend's. "Aren't we a little too old for pinky promises?"
*
Yuri tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, Jessica's words resonating in her head-
"Straighten out your thoughts..."
Jessica was right, of course.
Yuri mulled it over in her head, sort of like tackling a math problem.
x+y+z= YOONA, where x=hurt, y=broken promises, z=heartbreak
a+b+c= JESSICA, where a=hope, b=love, c=a new beginning
It was something the blonde said that had given Yuri the hope of starting afresh-
"We'll work something out...."
Yuri liked the sound of that. It sounded promising.
Also, that spot in her heart occupied by Yoona seemed to have shrunk considerably in size.
*
There hadn't been anyone since Yoona left.
No one worth mentioning or remembering, that is.
Of course, during that lonely period that Yuri was on the rebound, there were the one-night stands with a couple of women. There was even a man. But in any case, they were complete strangers, randomly picked up from drinking joints.
Those were just futile attempts, really, to keep herself from feeling the full extent of the emotional pain of the breakup; hopeless attempts at moving on with her life.
She had been making out with a voluptuous redhead in the ladies' restroom of a gay establishment, rather intoxicated after a couple of tequilas, when she caught sight of her own reflection in the mirror. Dishevelled hair, smeared lipstick, smudged mascara, flushed face, shirt crumpled and unbuttoned. She looked a total mess.
The redhead had her mouth latched onto her neck, making lewd sounds as she sucked and bit on her tender skin, one hand lasciviously groping her breasts, the other fumbling with her belt buckle.
Suddenly, something in her snapped.
Why had she allowed herself to degenerate into such a...wanton state? Sure, she needed to move on, but was she doing it the right way? Making out in a dark, dingy restroom with a complete stranger she'd met merely an hour or so ago?
Or worse, having sex in cheap motel rooms with women whose names she couldn't even recall after the deed was done?
Feeling cheap, dirty, disgusted, numb, and utterly disappointed with herself, Yuri had pushed the redhead away, muttered an apology, buttoned up her shirt, and staggered out, without looking back.
Get a grip on yourself, Kwon Yuri. Snap out of it.
Yuri pulled herself together and started to channel all her energy towards her work, and started her own studio.
For two whole years, she lived and breathed nothing but work.
She was a photographer by profession. Meeting beautiful people in the course of her work came naturally with the job. Several male models, and a couple of eligible male clients, who were smitten with her had tried unsuccesfully to date her. A gay female model tried to get her attention but failed.
She didn't mix business with pleasure, until Jessica Jung came along, that is.
Reaching for her laptop on the nightstand, Yuri knew what she had to do.
She found the folder that contained so many of her memories-a folder that contained literally hundreds of pictures of Yoona and herself. Much revered and much cherished pictures. Pictures taken from years ago, from their junior high days, to the ones taken just before their breakup.
And of course, there were the recent additions, the ones taken in Jeju. All saved in that particular folder.
Pointing the cursor at the icon, she right-clicked and selected "Delete".
*tbc