2020-08-07 Alison and The Bad Romance
Alison and The Bad Romance
Storyteller: Luu as Alison
Location: Max Karaoke and The Farmer's Market
Date and Time: July 8 2020 evening and July 9 2020 day
Summary: Drunken Karaoke leads to a surprising confrontation
Mood Music: Lady Gaga - "Bad Romance" Cyndi Lauper - "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"
It's Wednesday late night at Max Karaoke in Little Osaka. The side rooms all booked-up leave a crowd of people in the main room, drinking until it's their turn for their private space. A few brave souls, though, see their Karaoke evening not about quiet drunken intimacy in a booth with friends, but instead performing center stage for all the world to see. Luule is the latter, believing the former don't really know what Karaoke is about. Center stage, she wears a white dress, poofy on the bottom and form fitting on top, the sleeves separated and connecting with straps across her chest in away that highlights her unshaven armpits; three and a half-inch heels on white boots put her at six feet and a half inch tall; her hair dyed almost stark white, but with just a hint of color like the inside of a cucumber; a silver nose cuff accents the look in a minimalist and futuristic ways; and when the spotlight is on her, she glows and gleams. This is not her first rodeo.
Of course, an outfit is not a Karaoke performance in of itself, and Luu is well aware of this. It's not even the performance hitting capabilities of Ars Cupidiate, though Luu has likely indulged in such this evening. There's no standing still and being meek, no Luu owns the stage, making the lighting technician work to follow her movements as she struts and dances to the Lady Gaga beat. It helps to sing well, and Luu certainly does, but more importantly, one must sing from passion and sing from the heart ...
Walk, walk, fashion baby
Work it, move that bitch crazy
Walk, walk, fashion baby
Work it, move that bitch crazy
Walk, walk, fashion baby
Work it, move that bitch crazy
Walk, walk, passion baby
Work it, I'm a free bitch, baby
I want your love, and I want your revenge
I want your love, I don't wanna be friends
J'veux ton amour, et je veux ta revanche
J'veux ton amour, I don't wanna be friends
No, I don't wanna be friends (caught in a bad romance)
I don't wanna be friends, want your bad romance
Caught in a bad romance
Want your bad romance
Karaoke, for Jinny, was something that was done rarely. A time to hang out with friends after a night of eating out and having fun where you got to cut loose and pretend to be a star. She's normally got to be the designated driver, thanks to her lack of tolerance for alcohol, so she was oftentimes the witness to all sorts of interesting displays of talent that ran the gamut from 'pretty good' to 'stop singing now before someone definitely gets mad and throws a bottle at you.' So when Luu gave her a call out of the blue and invited her out for karaoke, it took a minute for Jinny to go through her mental calendar, to go through her spiritual knowledge, and to figure out that, yes, she could make it. "So at eight, then?" she asked and, when the confirmation was given, the phone was hung up and Jinny went about her day, getting ready and ordering an Uber to take her to the club. Why an uber when she could drive? Well, she didn't want to pay for parking, the Vespa was still on the mountain, and in the off chance she did have a drink, getting either of those two home would be a fairly unlikely proposition.
Getting into the Uber was a chore, but getting out? That's a lot easier. Dressed in a frilly salmon pink dress with a petticoat, a frilly skirt, and an off-the-shoulder top, she seemed comfortable, despite the skin that was being shown off. A little adjustment, pulling her top up, meant a bra was not a thing that was going on, for once Jinny accessorized. Straight out of an 80's music video, each wrist had a big, chunky bracelet (or two!), a necklace made of polished rounds of amber and black fishnet hose with pepto-bismol pink shoes. Smiling and making sure her hair was teased up just so, the red-haired Jinny steps into the club, the spitting image of Cindi Lauper, and catches Luu going into the chorus of Bad Romance.
Finishing her song, Luu exits the stage to some applause, handing the mic off to the next performer. Making her way through the crowd, Luu looks a bit lost in thought as she makes her way towards the bar to get another drink. Cyndi Lauper of course, causes a double take, followed by Luu rushing over. Flinging her arms around Jinny's neck, a slightly sweaty and more than slightly drunk Luu gives her a big hug. "You made it," she says, her tone both happy and seemingly a little surprised. "I sort of figured you weren't coming," she notes as she pulls away from the hug, "once it got to be eight, I figured we'd passed the realm of fashionably late, but -- " Luu, who seems to think the time they had agreed to was earlier than eight, gives Jinny a look over, and says, " -- but I guess you're just more fashionable than me." A beat as she notes with a grin, "For tonight at least."
Taking Jinny by the hand, Luu practically yanks her towards the bar. Once there, Luu does not place a order an immediately. Instead she waits coyly for a moment, feigning like she's trying to figure out what exactly it is she's doing this evening. A stranger has barely gotten the words out, when Luu takes them up on their offer to buy her a drink, turning to the bartender and saying, "Hedgehog in the Fog." About to say something to Jinny, she remembers her manners and gives the stranger a flirtatious smile and a "Thank you for helping me wet my whistle."
Back to Jinny, Luu notes, "If you do True Colors, I might end up ugly crying, so be warned."
Jinny's hair is positively 80's, as are the accessories, the dress, the chain belt, the fingerless fishnet armlets, the everything. She went all out for this! Sure, it could probably be used as a Halloween costume once October hits, but sometimes a girl's just got to try and impress her best friend at a Karaoke bar and, when Luu does a double take, it's a gleeful Jinny that's there to get the hug. "I couldn't miss out. Sometimes seeing your best friend sing Lady Gaga is worth the traffic across town. It did take me a little while. I was either going to go Prince, the cheerleader from 'I want Candy,' Black Michael Jackson, Cher, or this." She looks down at herself, keeping Luu at arm's length as hse does so. "So I went with this. But look at /you!/" Jinny hops, her teased hair bouncing as she does (and her top dangerously dipping which, thanks to a quick tug up, keeps her from showing too terribly much). "You look amazing! And you've got the Gaga voice down pat!"
It's about this time that Luu yanks Jinny over towards the bar, Jinny giggling and dancing on her toes as she comes to a stop near the bar, being careful not to mess up her makeup. That's for the singing later! She giggles as Luu works her magick and gets a guy to buy her a drink and, when it's her turn, a little flirty flutter of her lashes has a guy eating out of her hand. "Just a virgin pina colada, please. With a splash of grenadine." Living the wild life tonight, Jinny is.
"No, no True Colors. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun at least, probably a Madonna song in there too." Jinny says, watching as a forlorn man gets on stage holding the microphone, the familiar strains of 'Tequila' coming over the sound system. This earns a groan from the crowd, a balled up napkin or two flying towards the guy as he does the joke song of all Karaoke bars - the one word song at the end of a guitar riff.
"Annabelle Lwin?" Luu asks, but without waiting for a response, notes, "I think you chose right, you got the look down. It's funny, Lady GaGa and Cyndi Lauper are both favorites, but in my opinion also the two female pop stars with the sexiest backs, and I don't mean like their bottom, I mean their backs. They both have such gorgeous backs." A beat as Luu admits, "I've had a few drinks, and yeah I'd hope that I'd have the GaGa voice down, that was my third GaGa of the night, and they cut me off at that point, but that's probably for the best."
Receiving her cloudly green drink, luu takes a sip, though it's likely she doesn't need to drink too much more. It's not that she seems too drunk, or even particularly sloppy, but she's beginning to get a look in her eyes. A slightly dangerous one, and it's clear that alcohol can likely take Luu to some strange and potentially dark and sassy places should she have enough in her system.
"It's not Karoke without Andy Kaufman," Luu comments of the performer, as she moves with Jinny to make sure they get signed up for more songs. "I think Cyndi Lauper is probably the most criminally underrated female vocalist of her generation,' Luu notes, adding, "and she has such strength and yet a childlike innocence at times in her voice. Her story is really such a triumph over adversity, but let's not get into that sadness right now."
"Yeah, yeah. That's her. I couldn't think of the name. Cheerleader just has 'fetish' written all over it. At least with Cindi, here, I get the girls who appreciate the classics and get to dress up. With Annabelle Lwin, I just wear a wool cheerleader's outfit and get hit on by every guy from here until I take a ride home." Jinny shrugs and takes the fruity drink when it's slid across the counter, her pixyish grin almost as welcomed as the $5 pulled from her bosom that she tips the bartender for making her the drink.
Leaning in, Jinny whispers to Luu. "I forgot how loose this was. The last time I tried it on, it was during my period and it fit perfectly, but now that I'm off, if I stretch the wrong way, I'm going to turn this into an adult's only show." She grins, seemingly okay with potentially flashing the entire bar and wrinkles her nose, taking a sip, and turning to let Luu look over her back. Jinny's dress is cut rather low, going right to where her hips flare out slightly, the muscles moving lithely beneath the smooth layer of skin and showing off that a) she works out and b) she's got a pretty good back, too. Jinny even flexes her arms in the stereotypical muscle girl pose as she's moved through the crowd towards the stage where she signs her name to the list. Right after Tequila guy. Awesome. "So what do you think? I do a solo and then we get up and do a duo of something?"
Jinny is probably right about dressing like a cheerleader getting all sorts of the wrong kind of attention. Of course, as Luu is agreeing with this, Jinny leans in and whispers about the 'secret' of her outfit. This of course flummoxes Luu, almost leading to her stabbing herself in the eye with the stirrer in her drink. Quickly recovering, she brings it to her lips to take a sip. A few nods given as Jinny shows off. "Yeah, that probably would have been not, so ... good," Luu says, barely grasping for the words as they float through her slightly drink-addled mind. "I um, think?" is all Luu has in response to Jinny's suggestion about how they might perform their next few songs. What those songs might be, she isn't really sure of, as right now she's only sure of a few things. One of which is reminding herself that she's supposed to go home alone tonight, and otherwise would be bad. Realizing the potential trouble she might be in, Luu goes to make a quick phone call as Jinny gets ready to perform. Alison will make sure she doesn't do the wrong thing.
And just like that, Tequila has mercifully ended and Jinny's up next. Carefully going up the three steps to the stage, she takes the microphone, moves the stand and the stool out of the way, and grins at the cheers and applause. Costumes are a big deal for Karaoke night, it seems, and having a Cyndi Lauper lookalike hit the stage gets more than a few catcalls. She takes a breath and grins, nodding to the DJ who puts the bubbly synth track on and, as the lyrics start to scroll along the screen, Jinny starts to sing.
I come home in the morning light
My mother says when you gonna live your life right
Oh mother dear we're not the fortunate ones
And girls they want to have fun
Oh girls just want to have fun
Hey now, hey now
What's the matter with you?
Girls just wanna have fun now
Come on...
And as she sings, she dances euphorically, twirling, arms in the air and, yes, occasionally making sure her top stays up!
Leaning back against the bar, Luu sips a drink, continuing to fill her slender body with more alcohol than it probably should have. Not that the alcohol is going to put her down, it's just ... it's getting close to the point where it might lead to a situation, and it's already been discussed between the two that such a situation should not happen. Still, as Jinny performs, Luu watches transfixed, and it doesn't help that she's been told the outfit could fall apart at a moment's notice. It's possible Luu could help with alterations, but no ... Luu takes her mind away from that angle, and instead focuses on a cur-- Luu realizes she needs to sing along lightly, to do something with her mind, a few more sips of her drink taken.
As Jinny performs and Luu watches, another woman enters the Karaoke bar. Attractive and fashionable, but dressed in a slightly more conservative and professional manner, with dark hair and Celine frames. Her look is serious, maybe slightly annoyed, and when she sees Jinny cavorting around the stage like some sort of retro nymph, she begins to glare at her with an almost laser focus that cuts through the entire crowd. It's as if for a moment there's only two people in Max Karaoke: Jinny performing as Cyndi Lauper, and Alison staring her down like a jealous girlfriend. If it wasn't for the fact that the song continues and thus keeps time, it could have seemed like an eternity, but instead Alison quickly turns her attention away from Jinny, and makes her way deeper into the club.
Luu is singing along drunkenly, not quite the performer she was while on stage, when Alison's hand grips her upper arm. Turning to look to her side, the goofy grin on Luu's face quickly fades as the other woman begins to have words with her. Alison takes Luu's drink from her and places it down on the bar, as she continues to speak with her in an animated fashion. There's a moment where Alison even points to the stage, and then shortly after loops an arm under Luu's and begins to pull her to the exit.
Luu doesn't resist, though she does seem a bit stumbly as she gets pulled towards the exit. Looking at Jinny and attempting to catch her attention, Luu gives a slightly drunken and sheepish smile, putting a hand to her head in the universal gesture of 'call me,' right before she gets pulled out into the evening streets.
The song continues and Jinny really, really does well with her imitation of Cindi Lauper. Sure, she may miss a word here and there, but the enthusiasm that she puts into the performance wins the crowd over, and by the time they reach the final chorus, she’s got the crowd singing along with her! Standing at the edge of the stage with the microphone, Jinny urges the crowd to sing along, her voice strong as she searches the bar for Luu.
Oh, girls Girls just wanna have fun (They just wanna, they just wanna) When the workin' When the working day is done (they just want, they just wanna) Oh, when the working day is done (oh, girls) (Girls just wanna have fun) (They just want, they just wanna)
Thankfully, when she catches sight of Luu talking with another woman and getting pulled towards the exit, it’s when the song needs to start trailing off, so when Jinny’s voice drops out on the last stanza, the crowd continues the song to the end, wrapping it up with a burst of applause. The next person up - a hispanic man dressed as 1980’s Michael Jackson - looks mortified as she gets off stage. Having to follow a performance like that will either bring out the absolute best performance of his life or will be immediately forgotten as ‘not as good as the previous one.’ Either way, Jinny gets a few gushing compliments, a few fumbling passes and attempts to get her number, and even had one guy who tried to get handsy and had a bouncer quickly escort him out of the place. That’s not what she’s interested in, though. She tries to head for the spot where Luu was, trying to push through the crowd, to talk to Luu, but gets stuck by a small group that’s wanting to chat about the choice of song and wondering if she’d be up to join their karaoke ‘we are the world’ group that’s supposed to come up Sunday and they really could use a Cindi Lauper since their last one bowed out due to her problems with Stevie Wonder. She stands there, by the bar where Luu was, a little stunned, looking towards the bartender after a moment. “I need a drink. Just one.” She lifts a slim finger before settling back against the bar, wondering aloud.
“What happened?”
The Next Day
The question does not get answered that evening, while Jinny might have exited the stage, it appears that Luu’s exit was from the building. No phone call or other explanation arrives, but the world of Max Karaoke carries on, until eventually the morning sun vanquishes the confusing night.
The next day, it is still unclear just what happened to Luu at Max Karaoke, but in the early afternoon, across rows of organic vegetables at the farmer’s market, the possibility of some knowledge is offered.
Grabbing micro-greens and mushrooms, the attractive and professional looking brunette woman seems to be in a hurry to pay for her groceries and get out of the space, and to who knows where. It’s likely that she could have in fact made such a getaway unnoticed, but she can’t quite help herself. She certainly moves quickly, but there are moments when she must wait for others, and in those moments, Alison can’t help but steal momentary glares through her Celine frames, across the market stands, and right at Jinny, the woman who has clearly wronged her.
The next day, after bathing and de-gelling and making sure the Cindi Lauper dress was hung up just so (and adding a note that said ‘big in chest/bra required!’ so she won’t have to babysit her bust the next time she hits the karaoke bar, Jinny made her way from her little apartment to the local farmer’s market to pick up her twice weekly supply of ‘whatever’s fresh.’ A phone call was made to Luu, a voicemail left, with Jinny adding that she hoped to see Luu sometime soon.
Her eating routine is better than most, but not as good as it could be were she wealthy. Steaks - medium rare and an inch thick, seasoned with salt and pepper - are a rare treat that her pocketbook can’t easily withstand, so to provide sustenance for herself and to not entirely embody the starving artist motif, Jinny tried to make it a point to visit the local farmer’s market with a short list that rotated to encompass anything that might be in season, interesting, and fresh. She mostly would stick to the list, of course, as well as hitting a few staples, here and there, but sometimes she’d try something new or different. Last time was red Dragonfruit that stained her fingers and tongue a deep red, while today offers different microgreens, peppery and savory in all colors of the rainbow, to be used as seasoning instead of the usual pepper and salt that decorated people’s plates. This, of course, puts her in close proximity with the other woman and, despite the professional outfit, the Celine frames do tend to stick in one's head when you look for things of that sort. Sure, there are knockoffs that can be had, but Celine has a chunky look that pretty much declares it to be a Celine frame, and the outfit is still kind of professional.
Lifting a bottle of honey from its shelf and turning to read where it came from, Jinny catches sight of the woman looking at her and, instead of being non-confronting and beta, she holds the other woman’s gaze for a beat or two and then takes the bull by the horns, metaphorically. Coming closer, she glances down to the basket held stiffly between the other woman’s hands, looks back up, and asks a simple question. “I see you went with the microgreens too. Did you decide to go with the garlic greens or the lemon ones? I was going to try it with a fish of some kind, but I’m still kind of on the edge. I’d be afraid of overpowering the flavor of the fish, and if I use lemon, it might just destroy the balance entirely. Do you have any suggestions?” She blinks, maintaining an innocent smile. Just asking for recipe help here, so if there’s an incident, she’s not the one being uncooperative.
Folding her arms across her chest, Alison listens as Jinny goes over her questions about cooking, a steely gaze locker on the other woman from behind those Celine frames. It’s around the time that Jinny mentions ‘overpowering the flavor of the fish,’ that Alison’s mouth opens up just the tiniest bit, seemingly synchronized with a slight eye twitch.
“If you’re worried about the overpowering flavor of fish,” Alison says slowly and firmly, “maybe you should be at the /pharma/cy, not the /farmer/ market.” Her tone suddenly picks up a bit more hostility, to the point where if it goes on for long, people will definitely start to notice and look. “Now, I’ve cleaned up enough of your messes,” she continues, her hands slowly moving away from her chest, “but that mess you’re going to have to deal with on your own.” With her left hand balled into a fist, Alison interrogates Jinny with her right index finger, as she tells the other woman, “So cut the shit, Jiinya, just what is it that you want and how much of my day are you going to try to take up with your bullshit?”
Jinny blinks, taken aback, and even takes a step back, playing the part of a put-upon woman up to the hilt. “I’m afraid, madam, you have me at a disadvantage.” Quite true, that statement. “You seem to have a passing familiarity with who I am, but I haven’t the faintest idea who you are. Before I say anything that would be considered impolite, who, might I ask, are you. And once you answer that, what are you talking about cleaning up messes?” She lets out a breath, lifting a hand to stop any sort of response before continuing.
“Actually, no. Before you give me anything more than your name, it might be best to finish our transactions and step outside to speak somewhere more private. This place has the best selection of vegetables in town within walking distance of my apartment, and the absolute last thing I want to do is get banned from this place for causing a scene.” A beat. “We aren’t going to cause a scene, are we?” The implication that it would not be good for either of them if this were the case.
Alison glares at Jinny, but is also well aware of how good the produce is at this particular farmer’s market. Over three dozen varieties of artisanal salts could be useful for the end of a scorched earth campaign against an enemy, but to then miss out on cooking with them would truly be cutting off one’s own nose to spite their face. Given the truly amazing array of free-range meat available, the slicing should definitely be left to the butcher.
“And a half pound of Lion’s Mane,” Alison says to the cashier, a slightly twitching eye still watching Jinny. Paying for her mushrooms, and three large reusable shopping bags full of some of the choicest offerings of Los Angeles’s hinterlands, Alison then turns to Jinny and confirms, “Outside.” Turning back to the cashier, she gives him a pleasant smile and says, in a friendly tone, “You were right about the quail eggs.” Daggers are shot at Jinny, but Alison does nothing more within the confines of the farmer’s market, and instead heads outside to wait for Jinny to finish her shopping.
Placing her groceries in the trunk of her car, Alison waits for Jinny to come outside, arms folded across her chest, and a pissed-off look on her face. The car that Alison is waiting by is a red Miata, that Jinny would almost certainly have crossed paths with numerous times while visiting Luu, as if somehow one was always leaving as the other was arriving, and vice-versa.
Waiting her turn in line behind Alison, Jinny’s on pins and needles with anticipation, letting the cashier bag her things and pack them into the NPR tote bag that she found at a local thrift shop. She doesn’t needle the other woman as she walks out of the building, ordering a half pound of the nitrite-free free-range bacon that came in at $7.99 a pound, and quickly completing her purchases. Moving the conflict, which is what seems to be brewing, out into the parking lot does bode well. This person, whoever it is, does recognize the potential problems for having a knock-down, drag-out argument in the middle of a public setting, and that inevitably will ratchet up the tension and inevitably will end up with nothing getting done and each one apocalyptically cross at the other when the issue could have potentially been taken care of with a simple conversation.
She’d definitely prefer the former to the latter.
Stepping outside of the market, Jinny quickly walks towards her car, following the other woman’s location with a small turn of her head. That Miata…that’s the one at Luu’s house? Is this a coworker? A girlfriend? A lover? Her key is stabbed into the lock on the back of the Datsun, the liftgate opened and the two bags of food left inside, the bacon and a small wrapped package of chicken thighs are tucked into a small cooler to remain cool enough to survive for the trip back to her refrigerator. Then, leaving the hatch open and pocketing her keys, Jinny turns to regard the other woman across the parking lot.
A tumbleweed blowing between the pair would not be out of place at this moment. Taking a breath, Jinny starts across the parking lot towards Alison, her sneakers crunching on the occasional bit of gravel, her Ray Ban sunglasses hiding her eyes and hopefully giving her a little bit more anonymity than might be otherwise afforded. When she’s within a yard or two of the other woman, she stops, making sure she’s out of traffic, before she speaks. “So...Introductions, then? Jinny Jacinto. Jiinya is my given name.” She points at herself with her thumb, then gestures towards the other woman. “And who might I be speaking to?”
“Well, /Jiinya/ you’ve given me a lot of shit,” replies the other woman in a tone that doesn’t take any shit, “and you know damn well my name is Alison.” It’s a name Jinny’s heard before, one Luu has spoken in her dreams during the cookie heist, and on a few other cryptic occasions.
Alison seems well aware of who Jinny is, even if it doesn’t seem like they’ve ever met before. Perhaps it’s a misunderstanding, but it’s the kind of misunderstanding that involves a key sticking out from between the fingers of Alison’s left fist, readied at her side, as her right index fingers seem close to jabbing Jinny in the chest while she speaks.
Jinny’s stance is relaxed, her hands low, standing just outside the range of a wild lunge which, for all she knows, might be coming. The way Alison is holding the keys in her left hand either means she’s looking for a fight or thinks that Jinny’s going to be starting one. One, Alison has complete control over, the other Jinny has control over and, due to her lack of any sort of combat experience (which she might need to rectify at some point), is probably not going to make the initial untrained assault. That’d inevitably end up with ripped clothes, bruises, and more than hurt feelings, and she’s not the sort to bring physicality into things.
Crossing her arms across her chest, her head tilted slightly as she regards Alison, Jinny speaks. “First off, Alison, aside from hearing your name briefly and seeing that 90’s hairdryer of a car at Luu’s place, I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve given you a lot of shit? Lady, what in the hell are you talking about? How have I /ever/ given you any trouble? I’m not in any position to cause anyone any issues. I’m too busy with my own projects and causing someone with…..” She takes a breath, nearly insulting Alison’s severe method of dress, knock-off Celine frames, and the way she’s seemingly pulled her face taut with her hairstyle. “Someone with their own problems really isn’t in my daily ‘to do’ list. I’m an artist. If you’ve got a problem with me, you don’t need to give me the stink eye across a farmer’s market and act like you’re going to attack me with your keys. We’re more enlightened than this.” Another beat. “So, please. What in the world is going on? And please, explain it to me as you would a child or a small dog. Small words so I’m sure to get it, and then we can start figuring out why in the hell you think I’m giving you shit.”
“90’s hairdryer of a car?” Alison repeats back angrily, though also slightly confused, “Coming up to me and talking about the flavors of fish? You’re really asking about how you’re causing trouble for me?” Scrunching her nose in distaste, she adds, “and those are just your words today directly to me, so don’t act all innocent, I see through your bullshit Jiinya, even if you’re used to getting away with it, that’s not going to fly here, not now, not with me, not ever.” The fingers of her hands around the key are turning a reddish-purplish color, she’s holding it so tightly, though she hasn’t made any further movement to use it as a weapon. For now, the keys just seem to be some sort of makeshift stress ball that are probably cutting up her hands something also.
“But that’s all besides the point,” she says dismissing what’s happened, “I can deal with their shit, but I’m not going to ignore it when you come at with your double entendres. The real issue -- “ As she gets to the real issue, the index finger of Alison’s right hand is flying about, almost fencing the air in front of Jinny. “ -- the real issue is all the shit you’ve done to poor Luule.” Putting her hands to her fists to the hips, Alison now stares down Jinny, as if this was some major point she got the other woman on, and one she can’t deny. “Oh yeah, I know all about that.”
…”I’m sorry, what?” Jinny asks, taken aback. “What have I done to poor Luule? Would you care to elaborate just a smidge because Luu is my very best friend and I’m quite positive that she would have said something if I did anything - anything - that caused her any sort of discomfort or displeasure.” She swallows, her expression going from stern to confused. “She and I...we talked about this. We have to keep things professional between us, so if there was anything else, you confronting me here is the absolute first time I’ve heard about any of it.” She points to herself. “Look at me. Listen to my words. I do not know what in the world you are talking about.”
Remaining where she stands, Jinny leans against the nearest car - a beaten up Ford that had seen better days a decade ago, with her attention firmly on Alison. “You’re not explaining anything, by the way. You’re just telling me that I should be ashamed of myself and that you’ve caught me doing something to Luu which I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m asking you to give me evidence and you’re just telling me that I should know what you’re talking about. Can you get it through your head that I absolutely don’t know what you’re talking about? Like, at all? The only things I’ve seen about you are driving out of the gate one time and trying to kill me with your eyes, and last night when you dragged Luu out of the karaoke bar without even letting her say goodbye. Do you know how hard it was to get off stage and not see the person you were there with? It was like she disappeared into the aether! That’s it! So, please, for all that’s good and holy, what in the everliving fuck is going on in your head right now? What in the hell are you talking about?”
Jinny grew up with brothers. She can swear when it matters.
“Oh what makes you think she doesn’t say anything?” Alison asks Jinny in a confrontational manner, “who do you think she ends up calling when you leave in her tears? Who do you think gets shoo’d out of the house when you end up calling? I know your game. I’m onto you. I was going to just leave it alone like Luule asked me too, just continue to be the shoulder for her to cry on every time you toy with her heart, be there to pick up her up when she’s been drinking and you start trying to seduce here, and just let Luule figure out when she figures out. It’s a shit situation, but one I was going to continue to deal with, because that’s what friends do.”
“But no,” Alison continues, and while they might be out of the farmer’s market proper, her voice is definitely loud enough to cause a minor scene in the parking lot. The only saving grace is that most people have finished their shopping or are needing to start, so the people passing by mostly walk away, whispering to each other and occasionally glancing back. “You had to go and make this into a thing. Coming up to me and talking about fish and overpowering flavors. I mean, come on, how crude can you be? Well, that was the line for me. You said something, so I had to say something, so hope your big confrontation worked out just the way you wanted it to.”
Alison’s voice is now almost hoarse, as she finishes with, “Luule is a sweet and sensitive girl, and you’re breaking her heart.” Alison’s confrontational tirade has made her face red with anger, and yet as she pauses on that statement to hear what Jinny has to say for herself, she seems different, or maybe it’s the way she’s always been. The sensitivity she ascribed to Luu, is definitely something mirrored in Alison’s eyes behind those Celine glasses. Her body is shaking ever so slightly, and the way her hands now nervously fidget with their grip on the keys, suggests that she is in fact frightened of Jinny, and all of this is a brave stance that she’s not used too; a pretending to be much larger in order to frighten away a wild animal.
This…
This is something completely, completely unexpected. In all the time Jinny has spent with Luu, she had no idea any of this was going on. Each pinpoint accurate accusation of toying with Luu’s heart is almost like a physical slap, striking her in just the right places to cause the most discomfort. She takes a half-step back as she processes what’s being said, slowly sinking down to crouch next to the truck, wrapping herself with her arms while looking down, knees to her chest as Alison finishes her tirade. And that leaves Jinny in a pickle - anything she could say would seem hollow at this moment, right? Logic and well-placed conversation has no place in a fight when someone is defending their friend. Is there anything Jinny could say? At all? Anything that might change the other woman’s mind? She...she could be an ally, if things worked out, but that is almost the remotest of possibilities. She’s got to try, though.
“I…” She swallows, looking up at Alison from her crouching position, shaking her head. “You’re wrong. It’s not like that. At all. We...we talked, Luu and me. About us. Being together. And…” Jinny makes a hiccuping sob, wiping at her cheeks with one hand, trying to will the tears to stay where they are even as they rush to trickle down her cheeks in a slow and steady torrent. “I love her, Alison. With all my heart. She’s my best friend. I love her and want to be with her and want to show her to my family and wake up with her in the morning and be with her for as long as she wants me. But we talked. We decided that we couldn’t have these emotional entanglements. We talked…” The words trickle off into a wail, seeming to be what Jinny was clinging to. Luu was the grown up one - albeit with a much wilder and varied wardrobe and hair coloring - but Luu was the one with all the relationships, wasn’t she? Luu was the one that brought up the need to stay separate for the good of their work. Luu was the one who called Jinny when there was no-one else to talk to. Luu was the one who casually spoke about nudity as something she had grown used to seeing all over the place in her work and, for Jinny, that was a casual side that she never thought she’d be a part of. And now Luu has the same feelings she does? Another hiccuping sob follows and Jinny buries her face in her knees, rocking her head back and forth, tears staining the denim of her pants.
After a moment or two, Jinny looks up. “Why didn’t she say anything…?” comes out in a quiet whisper. There were so many opportunities to say so...up to and including the night where they fell into bed together and very nearly gave into their urges, only for a roller skate to distract them, causing Luu to panic and fall off the bed into a heap. She sniffles. “And I wasn’t talking about anything crass with the fish comment.” She wipes her nose with the back of her sleeve. “I was really just trying to make conversation to start us off on some kind of neutral ground instead of all…” She waves a hand. “All this.”
“Apart? Apart?” Alison sputters, as she looks down at Jinny’s feet, noting, “and I suppose you’re going to tell me those weren’t your shoes by the front door the other day? You just saw them there and decided to buy an identical pair?”
As Alison continues with her angry accusations, her voice getting hoarse, her eyes begin to water as well. “I may be foolish,” she responds, as she herself sniffles, “but I’m not blind or an idiot. You think I don’t know what you two did the other day? That the shower was just running because, because what? And Luule?” Alison sniffles again, as she adds, “I know her hair care routine as well as anyone, and -- “ Alison shakes her head slightly, as she notes softly, “That’s not how she wears her hair. There’s only one way Luule’s hair is going to get that way, and there’s no way you can deny that.”
“You might have gotten what you wanted from her,” Alison continues, herself now crying, “but I saw the look in her eye, like she couldn’t even make sense of what just happened. I’m not saying she did anything that a part of her didn’t want, but -- I mean -- “ Alison pauses to think about this, her brain slowly trying to square some of the things that Jinny has said, with some of the things she’s heard from Luu, and some of the things she assumed. She seems to be no longer fully sure of the situation, but she’s clearly upset, hurt, a bit angry, and in too deep to do anything other than just continuing on.
“Whatever the reason, whoever’s reason that you’re not together,” Alison continues, to say, “that still doesn’t change the fact about you leading her on, toying with her. I’ll let her have fiction to say -- to say -- “ Alison stammers, not quite able to say, until finally, she just let’s it out, “ -- to say that the two of you hadn’t just fucked, but then the other night? You’re parading around on stage, your clothes half falling off, singing ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ ? Looking damn sober and like you knew what you’re doing, and there’s poor Luule, drunk off her ass, and being pulled into your web once more. Why do you think she called me? I get it -- “ Alison looks Jinny over, noting, “ -- you’re smart, you’re beautiful, you know how to spin the truth and tell her what she wants to hear, or what she doesn’t want to hear. I get why she’s feeling weak, why she’s broken-hearted, but what I don’t get is how you can drag her through all of that, and then make crass comments to me, deny them, and then turn on the water works. It’s -- “
Alison takes off her Celine frames, wiping her eyes with her sleeve, as she says, “You could have anyone you want, so why does it have to be her? Why Luule? She’s sweet, she’s sensitive, she’s beautiful, she’s intelligent -- “ Alison slows down catching her words, just barely, as she says softly, “ -- she’s full of love. Maybe that makes her an easy target for your games, but it’s a beautiful flower, a beautiful heart that you’re trampling on.” A small pause, as she looks at Jinny, her eyes blurry from tears and lack of prescription lenses, the anger now more clearly registering as her own hurt, as she says, “ -- and you’re hurting a lot of people. You’re hurting Luule.”
Her shoes are right there, splattered with paint and showing a little wear on the heels and on the tips of the toes where her gait caused the wear, so trying to deny that those are her shoes would be an exercise in futility at the very best. “Nothing happened the other day.” Jinny says as she pushes herself to her feet, wobbling unsteadily as she gets her bearings, her mind working at nearly a thousand miles an hour. “Those were my shoes by the door the other day. There’s no denying it. And I’m no liar. It’s never been something I’m good at, and telling the truth just means less to keep up with. Whatever you think happened between Luu and me the other day didn’t. God, I wanted it to. We wanted it to, but you came in and she panicked. We both did. I ran to the bathroom to hide while she ran interference, and I snuck out of the house when you went into the bedroom to talk to her. The other night…” Jinny rubs a hand over her face. “I don’t drink because if I do, it doesn’t go well. I’m a cheap date - go ask Luu - two drinks and I’m absolutely gone. The one time she and I went to a bar she bought shots and the next thing I know, I’m on the hook for a mannequin that I drunkenly destroyed the night before. I still don’t remember what happened that night, but I know I owe Luu for keeping me out of trouble.” She sighs. “Luu was already drinking when I got there. I was going to drive her home and then drive back to my apartment alone like I do every other time we go out and do something. Surely you caught that? That I never stay overnight? If I’ve gotten what I want from her, why do I keep showing up?”
Jinny shakes her head in the negative. “I don’t want sex from Luu, you silly b…” She catches herself, the rage simmering beneath the surface. “You silly girl. I don’t want money or clout or fame or anything material or immaterial from her. She’s not a prize to be won or a notch on my admittedly sparse bedpost. Luu is sweet. She’s beautiful. She’s smarter than anyone I know. She’s got a work ethic like no-one I’ve ever met and inspires people to follow her, like you. I love her because of it.” She takes a step forward. “Every time I see Luu, I try to forget how much I love her. She’s everything I ever wanted to find in a person. She makes me happy every time I see her, and some of the adventures we’ve had in the short amount of time that I’ve known her are ones I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
Jinny’s crying again, but there’s no effort to stop the tears this time.
“You’re thinking I'm some gold-digging Jezebel out to ruin a girl’s heart? You’re wrong. You think I’m some kind of female Lothario, just adding panties to my collection? I’ve dated like three people my whole life. My experiences could be counted on two hands with fingers left over. You’re wanting to protect Luu - I get that. I’d do the same thing, but me hurting Luu? Doing that is the furthest thing from the truth. Don’t you think it hurts, seeing her every fucking day, knowing I can’t be with her because of what we decided?” She gestures to herself. “You think this is fake? I tell stories with paint and paper. I wear my emotions on my sleeve. I write with dreams. I can’t just turn off what I feel.” She stomps her foot, gathering the momentary attention of another passerby as a pebble clatters past, the words coming out in a jumble. “I just want to be with Luu.” Jinny finally says. “I don’t want to play pointless games to prove I’m worthy, but I will. I don’t want to answer silly questions about my motivations, but I will. Whatever it takes to be close to her is worth any hurdles life or the universe puts in my way. I mean….” Jinny blows out a breath, looking at Allison. “All I want is to be with that wonderful, beautiful soul in the house in the hills. Is that so hard to understand?”
As Jinny explains the situation, Alison seems to go through a mix of emotions. There’s moments of anger, conusion, sadness, and maybe even a little understanding. It’s not certain that she fully buys everything that Jinny has said on the situation, but it does seem like she’s realizing she might have jumped to some conclusions. That maybe she doesn’t understand the situation as well as she thought she did, or perhaps that Jinny is just that good at manipulating people, like she has been thinking as happening to Luule. It doesn’t seem like Alison has made up her mind on things, but she also seems to be backing down, and realizing that there’s already been enough of a scene caused, and any resolution is not going to happen here, and is going to require some thinking on her own.
“I -- “ Alison begins to say, “ -- I work for Luule, but she’s also my friend, and I -- I care for her a lot. Maybe I don’t know everything that’s going on, but maybe I got your number exactly.” Wiping her eyes with her sleeves, she puts the Celine frames back on. “I wasn’t looking for a confrontation here,” she continues to explain slowly, “and while it seemed like you were, maybe I’m wrong. I don’t know. What I do know is that Luule is a wonderful and creative woman. She has such strength and vision, but she’s also fragile. There’s a lot of things she confides in me, but also a lot of things I pick up on, but -- “ Alison pauses breathing out slowly, her first loosening around her keys for the first time, as she adds, “ -- but I also know there’s plenty she keeps from me, plenty I don’t know about, but that’s also her right. I’m going to -- I don’t know, I’m going to consider what’s been said, give you the benefit of the doubt for now, at the very least so I don’t completely lose my voice, but I’m also still going to be there for Luule, and if you’re bullshitting me, you’ll own be able to bullshit me for so long. Just -- just don’t break her heart any more, if there’s much more frozen custard, we might end up going-up a size.” Alison gives a weak smile with this joke, and it seems to be about as close to a peace offering as she’s going to make.
Looking down, she opens up her left hand, and notices that she’s been gripping her keys so hard that she’s cut into her palm, and her hand is slightly bloody. “I should go,” she says softly, still staring at her hand. Then looking up to Jinny, Alison, “Luule needs me -- there’s work I have to do.” With that, she turns slowly, and makes her way towards the Miata, seeming almost smaller than before, slightly wounded, slightly defeated. Unsure of some things, and sure of some others. As she gets into the car, there’s a final glance towards Jinny, but this time there’s a brief moment of empathy tinged with sadness, as part of her realizes they might both feel the same thing for Luu; and yet it’s Jinny that Luu likely wants to be with.
