The next Wednesday rolls around.

"Ready for the pitch?" Chaeyoung lowers her mug of coffee onto the table.

Jisoo pats her briefcase as she settles on the third rattan chair around the small circular table. "I guess I am," she takes a deep breath and exhales nervously out of her smile.

"Not to stress you out even more, but let me remind you that we burnt gallons of midnight oil for that," Lisa raises her brows and juts her chin nonchalantly at the briefcase before hiding her smirk behind her cup.

"You're welcome to join me in the presentation, you know."

"No thanks, I've got to let you have the limelight once in a while, right?" Lisa wriggles her brows at her girlfriend who nods earnestly.

Jisoo rolls her eyes and retaliates with a shove in each of the girls' shoulders. "Yeah right, you guys are just scared, don't think I don't know that."

They laugh and engage in childish shoulder-shoving before the waitress arrives with Jisoo's coffee. Two cups to go. "1 cappuccino and 1 americano," she announces before leaving.

Chaeyoung spots the extra cup and cocks a brow at Jisoo. "I thought you don't drink americano?"

Shrugging as indifferently as she can, Jisoo opens the lid of the cappuccino, "Gotta go all out to seal the deal, don't I?"

"Ohhh, smart move, Jisoo," Lisa bobs her head and snaps her fingers in approval.

"But... what if she doesn't drink americano either?" Chaeyoung tilts her head.

"It's the thought that counts. She'll be touched anyway," Jisoo tries a failed attempt at winking and ends up tickling her friends into laughter.

She is relieved they don't probe further, because she isn't too sure how to explain that she remembers the drink order that was written on Jennie's Starbucks cup from a week ago.

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Like the previous time, the same stylishly dressed, petite woman greets Jisoo when the elevator doors open to the highest floor of the building. She brings Jisoo to the same holding area with the fancy pantry and informs through a smile that Jennie will be available shortly.

Jisoo returns the bow and the lady gets back to work. Peering down the hallway, Jisoo is surprised to see that Jennie's glass office is frosted now, no longer transparent and clear. She can still spot the motions of the silhouettes behind the frosted glass panes, much like driving on a foggy winter day.

When the silhouettes approach the door and start to push it open, the frost instantly disappears and Jisoo hurriedly peels her eyes away and pretends to examine something on the ground.

"Don't forget it's this Saturday." Followed by a giggle.

"Yeah, I've cleared my plans for you. Happy?" It's Jennie's seductive voice and Jisoo sneaks a sideways glance down the long hallway to see the CEO indeed standing there with a lady who looks strikingly familiar.

Oh! That's the lady from last Wednesday!

"Very." The pretty woman throws her arms around Jennie before heading for the elevators with a big smile on her face. Jisoo backs a little deeper into the pantry and away from view.

She recognizes the clicking of the heels and then the lady passes the pantry just like last week, her hair bouncing in luscious locks and her face glowing with happiness.

As she hides behind a mug and sips on water, Jisoo cannot help wondering about the relationship between this pretty lady and the even prettier Jennie Kim. Her thoughts scatter when the petite assistant enters and invites Jisoo to follow her.

Jisoo thought Jennie would be equally radiant from the prior meeting so she is mildly surprised to witness Jennie with her eyes closed and elbows on her desk, massaging her temples like last time.

The petite assistant knocks on the door to Jennie's office at the end of the long hallway and again takes her leave when Jennie thanks her for ushering her guest.

"Nice to see you again, Jisoo," Jennie is on her feet and gestures an arm politely to the opposite seat.

"Likewise, Jennie," Jisoo strolls to the same seat like before, but the strange thing this time around is how clammy her coffee-holding hand is. Flashing a smile she hopes is at least half as charming as the other lady's, she clears her throat and settles into the cushy leather swivel chair as Jennie does so too.

"I got you coffee." Jisoo places the drink on the desk and pushes it towards Jennie.

"Oh, Starbucks! How'd you know I like Starbucks?" Jennie widens her eyes and grins as she takes a short whiff. "And Americano?"

Shrugging, Jisoo raises her palms and lets them fall with a smack on to her thighs, "Wild and lucky guess."

Jennie seems to find something rather amusing as she cocks a brow just a tad. "A good one, too."

"I hope it's as good when it comes to lifting your spirits."

Jennie tilts her head curiously like an adorable puppy, "What do you mean?"

Thumbing towards the door, Jisoo elaborates, "The previous meeting seems to have given you a headache."

"Ah... Peeping at me through the glass door, I see."

Stunned, Jisoo blushes like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "No, I-I was just- you know, the glass became clear and I could look in and--"

"Relax, I'm just kidding." Jennie throws a cheeky lopsided smile and scoffs in amusement.

Jisoo releases a loud exhale and chuckles in relief. "Never knew a CEO could have a sense of humour."

"Never knew an architect could get so flustered by it."

"Touché," Jisoo laughs and Jennie joins in, sweet and contagious. "You got auto-frosting and auto-opacity installed?" Jisoo gestures to the glass walls of the office.

"Mhm," Jennie nods as her laugh eases into a smile, "strictly business needs."

Jisoo smirks, "I wasn't thinking personal."

Letting out a chuckle, Jennie tosses her hair back with a swing of her head, strands of silky brown locks cascading around her face to frame her perfect smile and magnetic cat-eyes. If Jisoo could capture this moment, she's sure she would win the Grammys in photography.

"For your business needs," Jisoo accents playfully as she unclips her briefcase, "here you go." She flashes a grin when she pulls out her designs and lays them out in front of Jennie, who hums in thought and hopefully appreciation.

"Here you go," Jennie leans back in her chair and opens her palms out towards Jisoo, "please, the stage is all yours."

Straightening her jacket as she stands, Jisoo clears her throat and commences her presentation with eyes sparkling with pure excitement.

At the end of it, Jennie nods without a smile and Jisoo nearly dies from the suspense of what her prospective client feels. She bites her bottom lip and waits nervously.

"I think it's good, excellent even. It's clear your team has the talent and skills, but, to be honest, so do many other firms out there." Jennie scans the sketches, tapping her index finger on one of them, "So, what is it that you think differentiates your team from any other?"

Jisoo is taken aback by the curveball and she stands there speechless for a moment, before she contemplates hard to give it her best shot.

A few seconds pass. "You."

Jisoo swallows and continues, "Other firms come to see you, but you came to see us. Well, sort of. Other firms get to meet you during the interview; we got to meet you before that. And, well, other firms may not have your autograph, but we most certainly do."

"And the fact that I'm here right now? I think you must have seen something in us." Jisoo ends off and nervously shifts her weight from one foot to another.

A hint of a smile plays on Jennie's lips as the answer sinks in. It feels like eons to Jisoo but what Jennie says next finally lifts the boulder off Jisoo's chest.

Standing to match Jisoo's eye level, Jennie extends a hand, "Welcome aboard, Architect Kim."

"Oh my god," Jisoo covers her open mouth with both palms before recovering and shaking Jennie's warm hand, "oh my god thank you thank you! This is... such a dream come true."

Jennie chuckles and gestures her new partner to take a seat. "I'm the fortunate one. Your designs exceed my expectations the furthest out of all the pitches I've seen. But you're wrong on one count though -- I didn't see you first, you did."

She points to the carpark on one of Jisoo's sketches, and when their gaze meet, they share a knowing laugh, almost like an inside joke.

Still reeling in overwhelming astonishment, Jisoo shakes her head and settles down, thanking Jennie again for the high praise.

"So now can you tell me where this secret hideout of yours is?" She raises a cheeky brow and a smug grin.

"Well technically you haven't signed the contract and non-disclosure agreement," Jennie states as a matter of fact, but relents after seeing Jisoo's grin start to fade, "but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to share a little."

Jisoo's smile returns, eager and wider, amusing Jennie by how childlike this architect can be.

"It's a villa on a private island of mine."

"Woah... no way."

"It's rather inaccessible so I'll arrange for a jet, or a plane depending on the size of your team, to take you all in and out of the island every day. I understand that unlike the construction team who typically stays onsite, the architects don't set up camp there --"

Waving her hands, Jisoo hastily interjects, "No, no, it's no trouble for us at all to stay there with our construction team, in fact I think it would be a win-win situation -- my team saves time travelling while you save fuel money."

It seems like Jennie cannot quite believe what she is hearing because she raises her eyebrows in concern, "Are you sure? It's going to be for at least two months. Won't your boyfriend mind?"

"I guess not," Jisoo chuckles breathily, "because I'm gay." 

She is instantly startled because those thoughts are not meant to be said aloud.

Shit.

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