Not My Bodyguard (1st Book) Completed.

Jennie's POV

Lisa drove us to a nearby park, humming some tune I didn't recognize as she tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. She seemed perfectly at ease, which was a stark contrast to me, sitting stiffly in my seat, pulling my hat lower and adjusting my face mask for the hundredth time.

When we arrived, she stepped out of the car and, to my surprise, opened the door for me. It was such a small, effortless gesture on her part, but for me, it spoke volumes. It wasn't the polished, rehearsed kind of care; it was just Lisa being... well, Lisa.

"You okay?" she asked, leaning down slightly to meet my eyes as I hesitated.

I glanced at the people scattered around the park—families playing with their kids, couples lounging on picnic blankets, joggers passing by. It all seemed so normal, and I wasn't sure I belonged in that scene. What if someone recognized me? What if they swarmed?

Lisa must've seen the nervous look in my eyes because she reached out, giving my arm a reassuring squeeze. "Hey, don't worry. You're just Jennie today. No one's gonna bother you. And if they do..." She raised her fists dramatically. "Hi-yah!"

I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head. "You're impossible."

"And yet, here you are," she said with a grin, grabbing my hand. "C'mon, there's ice cream over there!"

Before I could protest, she was already leading me toward a small ice cream cart by the pond. The vendor, an older man with a kind smile, greeted us cheerfully.

"Two cones, please," Lisa said, digging into her pocket for cash. "One mint chocolate for her and a strawberry for me."

I blinked, surprised. "How did you know I like mint chocolate?"

Lisa glanced at me, her lips quirking into a smirk. "I'm your bodyguard, remember? Observing is part of the job."

I mentally added likes strawberry ice cream to the growing list of things I was learning about Lisa. She handed me my cone, her fingers brushing mine for the briefest second, and I felt a strange warmth I didn't expect.

"Thanks," I murmured, taking a cautious lick of my ice cream as we started walking.

"See? Not so scary, right?" Lisa said, nodding toward the park. "Just look at everyone—totally normal stuff. Kids chasing ducks, joggers pretending they're not out of breath, couples doing that gross hand-feeding thing. No one's paying attention to us."

I scanned the park, and she was right. It felt... nice. Like I could blend in for once.

Lisa suddenly stopped walking and pointed. "Oh my God, look at that dog!"

I followed her gaze to a fluffy golden retriever that was rolling around in the grass, tongue out and tail wagging furiously. Lisa's face lit up like a kid's, and for a moment, I forgot she was supposed to be the stoic, karate-chopping bodyguard.

"You're like a giant puppy," I teased, licking my ice cream again.

She shot me a look. "Puppies are adorable, so I'll take that as a compliment."

As we strolled, the weight on my chest started to lift. Maybe Lisa was right. Maybe today, I could just be Jennie—not the idol, not the public figure. Just... me.

And it was all thanks to her.

•••

Lisa's POV

Internally, I was panicking. What do normal people do after ice cream? Walk aimlessly? Feed ducks? No way, too cliché. Then, like a lightbulb flickering on in my brain, I remembered there was a new scary movie release showing nearby. Perfect.

I turned to Jennie, trying to act as casual as possible. "Hey, Jen."

She raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying my nonchalant tone. "Yeah?"

"Let's watch a movie," I blurted out, already dragging her back toward the car before she could even respond.

By the time we got to the theater, I was on a mission. I bought the tickets, grabbed a large popcorn, and even got two sodas—all without letting Jennie lift a finger. She just stood there, watching me with an amused look, arms crossed.

Inside the theater, I handed her the popcorn and plopped down next to her. The lights dimmed, and I smirked, leaning in a little. "Hey, if you're scared, don't worry. I'm here."

She rolled her eyes, clearly entertained. "You're such a dork."

The movie started, and the first few scenes were pretty tame. But then the first jump scare hit—and I screamed. Not just a little yelp. A full-on, blood-curdling scream that made heads whip around in our direction. Jennie glanced at me, biting her lip to keep from laughing.

As the movie continued, the jump scares kept coming—and so did my screams. Each one was a different octave, like I was auditioning for a horror movie myself. I jumped, shouted, and even flailed at one point, almost knocking the popcorn out of Jennie's hands.

"Lisa!" she hissed, covering my mouth with her hand after another particularly loud yelp. "You're gonna get us kicked out!"

"I can't help it!" I whispered back, my heart pounding.

Jennie shook her head, clearly more amused than annoyed. By the time the credits rolled, I was a sweaty, trembling mess, while Jennie sat there calmly, munching on the last of the popcorn.

As we left the theater, she turned to me, smirking. "Lisa, what were those screams? You had a whole range—from high-pitched shrieks to deep growls."

I huffed, crossing my arms. "Nothing. Just... nothing."

She chuckled, nudging me playfully. "I thought you were supposed to be the brave one."

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "Yeah, well... scary movies aren't my thing."

Jennie laughed all the way back to the car, while I tried to salvage what little dignity I had left.