By: Dreiser


“How did your meeting go with Frank?” asked Alice, her voice overly chipper just as it had been for the past fifteen minutes. She pushed opened the door to her apartment, walking inside.

A small frown lining her face, Dana shut the door and silently observed Alice who was searching through her various file cabinets for notes on her mayonnaise article. When they parted ways with their friends, Dana suggested they share the ride to Alice’s apartment since both of their upcoming meetings were scheduled for noon and Tina was spending the rest of the day with Bette. That and she wanted to talk with the blonde about what had occurred with Gabby.

Something Alice must have been aware of because she spent the entire drive making nonstop small talk and preventing the topic from even attempting being broached. Dana knew Alice was scared but they really did have to talk about Gabby and the sooner the better.

“The meeting was fine,” said Dana, slightly exasperated. The manners that had been drilled into her since childhood refused to let just her ignore Alice’s question outright. “We can’t really do much more with Wayne’s input though,” she murmured, making reference to her longtime friend and lawyer.

“What does Frank think when it comes to the contracts?” Alice immediately pursued, looking intently through her files. Before Dana could start to reply, she rattled off another question, “I mean, could he give you an idea of what Tonya’s position is legally as to the endorsements?”

“Jesus, Al! You know, I really don’t care about Frank, Tonya, or the stupid endorsements,” Dana spat the words out in before she could stop herself, frustration finally getting the best of her. On seeing Alice’s body language grow rigid and tense, Dana instantly felt guilt ridden. “I’m sorry,” she groaned, moving forward to hesitantly touch the journalist and wincing when pale shoulders became more tense at the contact. “I didn’t… I’m not good at this kind of thing… but Al, we need to talk.”

“I thought we were,” said Alice, scoffing in quiet irony. “Because the opening of mouths for the forming of words and the vocalization of said words usually equals talking. For most people, at least. I guess to be proper good and politically correct liberals we shouldn’t leave out our sign language talking brothers. Plus it’d be dangerous to piss them off. They could poke and prod us to create their own specialized form of cussing.”

Though she knew she shouldn’t, Dana couldn’t help but smile at Alice’s joke. Part of the charm Alice held for Dana was the simple reality that no matter what, she always found the other woman funny. Dana adored the journalist’s sense of humor but as much as she loved it, there was no doubt it was also the source of more than a few problems when it came to Alice.

Namely that she hid behind it. She used it to mask her insecurities and her fears, to present an image of a laid back nothing can phase me type of person. And it did work on most everyone. *****, it worked on her closest friends most of the time. But there was no way it would work on Dana. Not anymore. Not after everything they had already shared and were beginning to share in every new step they took in their relationship.

And Alice knew that. Just like she knew her joke wouldn’t serve its usual purpose because she knew Dana wouldn’t be put off. This wasn’t going to be nicely covered with a sardonic line and a charming smile, assuring all was well. Not when Dana knew things weren’t. Not when the reason she knew was because she knew Alice. Knew her better than anyone else did right now and if they both got their wish, would continue to know her better than anyone else for the rest of their lives.

“We need to talk about Gabby,” said Dana, soft and gentle. She turned Alice around to cup her chin and lift her head so their eyes would meet. “We need to talk about your relationship with her, Al.”

Brown eyes became impossibly wide at these words and Alice shook her head, unbearably distraught. “There’s not any relationship, Dana! Not anymore… I promise,” Alice halfway sobbed her declaration and then moved to touch Dana as if to give a physical reassurance what she said was the truth but stopped abruptly. Clearly thinking her touch might no longer be welcome. Instead, Alice wrapped her arms around herself, hugging her body, biting her lip, to much resemble a frightened child. “I love you.” Turning to look plaintively at Dana, she whispered again, “I love you.”

Horrified on causing this sudden bout of insecurity in the blonde, Dana rushed forward to capture Alice’s lips for an searing kiss that was ardent and insistent in the emotions it contained. Tongue seeking entrance, pouring all the love, lust, and longing she felt into every stroke to explore deeper yet. Only allowing their lips to part for need of air but even then still licking and nibbling a path across Alice’s jaw until she reached her left ear. Pulling her in close, fingers toying with the short and messy hair, Dana said in husky tones not to be disputed, “And I love you… so much. More than anyone.”

“I don’t love Gabby,” said Alice in a broken hush, reaching desperately for Dana, her fingers caressing the tanned planes of her face in memorization. “I love you, Dana. She and I are through. I would never cheat on you. Never. I–”

“Al, oh god… Al, I know that,” interrupted Dana quickly, cutting the journalist off with another fervent kiss. One that left Alice moaning and quivering in her arms. Unable to leave the soft lips simply because she was unable to think of a more effective way to reassure the other woman she knew the depth of their feelings. That she knew Alice would never betray her like that, could never betray her like that. Saying in between the breathless kisses, short and intense, “I know you wouldn’t do that to me. Especially not with Gabby of all people. I know that.”

“Then why?” Alice gasped the words out, moaning into Dana’s mouth and losing her train of thought when the tennis player sucked on her tongue and pulled their bodies closer yet. “Why do we need to talk?” she moaned, low and guttural, full of need.

“Gabby has some sort of weird hold over you, that’s why,” replied Dana, pulling her mouth painfully away from Alice’s to rest her forehead on the blonde’s shoulder. Trying to ignore the sensation of soft hands caressing her back and warm breath against her skin when Alice tilted her head. Sighing contentedly at the press of lips on the top of her head.

“She doesn’t have a hold over me,” protested Alice, hiding her face in Dana’s neck. Though the words sounded weak, even to her own ears.

“I wish that was true but you and I both know it isn’t,” murmured Dana as she wrapped her arms around Alice in loving reassurance. The journalist seemed to shrink in her arms at these words and Dana released a wordless sigh. She hated doing this to Alice, making her feel this way if only for a moment but it had to be done. They had to talk about this. “I know you love me, Al,” she continued kindly. “I know that and I don’t doubt it, not for a second. And I’m not jealous over Gabby, I don’t think you’d ever cheat on me with her. I promise you that. But we still need to talk about her.”

“Why?” asked Alice in that same tiny voice that broke Dana’s heart.

“Because,” Dana sighed again and smiling wryly, she rocked Alice to and fro, kissing her messy blonde locks. “I have to tell you something.” She pulled back and revealed she wore an expression of utter solemnity then stated, “I ***** hate Gabby Deveaux.”

Alice’s reaction was exactly as Dana had hoped, she burst into enchanting laughter and a wide smile of happiness spread on her features, lighting her beautifully. Darting forward for a brief kiss, she said against Dana’s lips, “That’s not exactly a well kept secret, Dane. I sort of already knew that. Me and most of the population of West Hollywood.”

Returning the smile and the kiss, Dana held Alice’s face tenderly in her hands as she went on, “One of the biggest reasons I hate her is how she treats you, Al. It’s also one of the reasons I hated myself for never telling you how I felt.” Brown eyes went wide and the journalist began to defend Dana against herself but seeing this coming, Dana stopped it with the initiation of a slow kiss. When they parted, their breathing shallow, Dana said hoarsely, “She makes you feel like you’re not wanted. Like you’re not cool or good enough for her and that’s just not true, Al. God… nothing could be further from the truth. She’s not good enough for you, she never was,” Dana said in a rush and seeing the skepticism quietly holding onto the pale features she did the only thing she thought would convince Alice of the truth. She kissed her. Kissed her hard, long, and powerfully. Pouring everything she was and everything she felt for Alice into that kiss. Separating their lips with groans from them both to say in tones rough from desire, “I want you, Al. I want you enough that sometimes it scares me.” Unable to take the separation any longer, Dana dove back in, seizing Alice’s lips for more kisses. Pushing her tongue for entrance, greedily tasting and taking all that the writer had to offer to make it her own. “I love you,” Dana moaned ardently, foreheads resting together as they breathed heavily. Moving forward for another kiss, nibbling and tugging on the bottom lip that often preoccupied her so. “I love you more than anyone I’ve ever loved in my life.”

To be honest, Dana wasn’t quite sure where this sudden burst of confidence and conviction was coming from. At the same time, she couldn’t help but revel in it because it so clearly aided her in her task of showing Alice all she felt. She loved that Alice could make her feel this way, that she could bring out this sense of self assurance in her that before now, Dana had only experienced on the tennis court. Maybe it was because she knew it was safe to do that with Alice. To try new things and to explore previously hidden parts of her personality because Alice would never disparage her attempts at doing so.

Somehow or another, their kisses had propelled them through the apartment, backing into the bedroom where Dana spun Alice around. Kicking the door shut with a leg and pressing the blonde against it, hands on either side of Alice’s head and kissing her. Slipping her tongue past pink lips. Eager and seeking in her passion, drunk from the overwhelming need to prove and show and reveal in each caress, stroke, suck, pull, and tug how very much she loved Alice. How much she wanted her. Wanted so much that yes, god yes, it scared her at times. Dana wasn’t sure it was right to want someone enough it felt like you would die without their touch but that’s how she felt when it came to Alice. Though it was unbelievably scary she wouldn’t change it because she knew that Alice felt the same. And she loved that. She loved sharing that feeling of frightening exhilaration with the blonde since it was proof they were connected in their wants and desires. In their love.

Their foreheads rested together and brown eyes were dark enough in their desire they almost seemed black to Dana. She moved forward, lips a breath apart, teasing and torturing as she said, voice thick like honey, “I want you, Al.” Grasping pale a hand in her own, Dana led it expertly down, and sensing the hesitation when they reached their destination point she then helped long fingers to slip inside. “Do you feel that?” Dana gasped, pushing herself into Alice, lips against her jaw and whispering in her ear. “Can’t you feel how much I want you? God,” she moaned and quivered when the fingers sprang to life, pulling slightly out to caress her aroused *****. “I want you so much.”

Alice froze at these words and for an awful moment, Dana’s heart sank and she thought she had been wrong. That she had said the wrong thing, had done the wrong thing. Then she heard a soft sob and she felt hot lips on her skin pressing a desperate path upwards. Finally seizing her lips in a deep kiss and moving them stumbling forward until they pressed down into the bed, Alice on top of Dana, fingers buried further inside her, far as they could go, moving in a fervent exploration.

“I love you, Al,” Dana groaned, tossing her head back and tangling her fingers into blonde hair, pulling Alice impatiently to her for a hard kiss. Growling into it, responding to both the intensity of the embrace and the look in endless brown eyes. Feral and wanting. “I love you,” she declared in tones that were not ever to be argued.

There was no response from Alice, at least not a verbal one. Her brown eyes glowed and her lips returned for a kiss of slow intensity, building and tasting, over and over again, while her fingers… oh, they plunged deep. They teased and they touched and they tugged and they gave Dana what she wanted, what she loved, and when she came, her body taut and arched, sweating in the clothes neither of them bothered to remove, they stayed right where they were. Buried deep in her folds, content in their place inside her that was warm, wet, and loving.

Then Dana moved, reluctantly pulling Alice’s hand away and moaning when pale fingers left their new home. Sitting up on the bed, she unceremoniously removed the journalist’s clothing. Flinging the brown jacket aside and deftly unbuttoning her shirt and pants in mere seconds. She departed with her own clothes in the same manner and when they were finally naked, Dana wore a smile pure in its simple joy and pressed their bodies together. Entangling their limbs and sighing at the feel of soft skin on her own, sliding upwards and pushing Alice gently into the bed as she captured her lips for a kiss. Seeking entrance and gaining it with a moan to match her own, limber fingers winding their way into wavy brown hair to keep her close.

Staying held a great deal of appeal for Dana but not nearly as much as leaving and pulling away to create a groan of protest from Alice, she smiled into pale skin. Kissing and caressing her way down the length of the body she loved more than any other that happened to belong to the person she loved more than any other, Dana delighted in the memory of this being done to her. Wanting more than anything to bring Alice the same overwhelming pleasure and feeling of love with her touch.

Nudging Alice’s legs apart with hands and head, releasing a soft whoosh of breath on overheated thighs and smiling at the tremble she received, Dana kissed the skin reverently. Her hands reaching up, threading instinctively with Alice’s and blue eyes lifted to lock with brown as she moved down for the first lick. Slow and long and deliberate, opening the outer folds and thrilling in the reflexive shakes of enjoyment her action caused. Their fingers threaded apart more out of necessity than anything else and Dana gently but expertly gripped bird like hips. Moving them just a little more, to make more room to maneuver and lowered her head again.

Stroking, licking, kissing, and nibbling. Changing her pace and rhythm, putting Alice at ease only to then alter how fast and how hard she licked the *****, how far she pushed her tongue inside, how she kissed the outer folds, nuzzling and caressing. Over and over again, teasing in the long strokes and slow circular path encouraged in the squirm of hips and the anxious press of fingers onto the back of her head. And when she felt Alice was close enough, Dana made her move and lapped at her like a cat with its milk, slowing and speeding up again, changing the pace enough to make the blonde sob her name in delicious frustration.

“Dana,” Alice moaned, arching into her, begging for release.

And god help them both, Dana stopped. She stopped and she looked up and she met their eyes and she held their gaze and she said soft and tender, “I love you so much.”

Then she started again and Alice came… she came and she came… my god, how was it possible she could come that much? But it had to be possible because here she was, doing just that. Though, honestly, how couldn’t she come that much? And who could blame her really? The look on Dana’s face, that look of total love and adoration, she had never seen someone look at her like that.

Especially not before going down on her.

Her breathing slowed and Alice finally felt like she was all right, that she would miraculously survive the sheer intensity that had become their love making. That was when Dana made her way up her body to nuzzle her neck, hiding there and Alice could feel from the heat of the tennis player’s skin how hard she was blushing. Which Alice found impossibly adorable. The woman who had just given her the hardest and longest ***** she ever experienced was now blushing because of it.

It was so endearing and so very Dana that Alice giggled, burying her fingers in wavy brown hair and kissed Dana’s lips, face, and every available inch of her until eventually the other woman looked into her eyes. When she did, Alice broke into a smile wide enough to threaten breaking her face and moved in, kissing her lips and murmuring, “I love you, Dana. I love YOU so much.”

And she really did. Neither of them doubted that or Dana’s love for Alice. To doubt it was nearly impossible after what they had just shared and neither of them felt up to such an exhausting task. But with rest and a short nap they did feel up to making love one, two, three, and four more times.

Resulting in them both being incredibly late for their noon meetings.

—

The noon meeting had transformed into the three o’clock meeting for Dana but luckily for her, Frank and Wayne weren’t particularly annoyed by the delay. In fact, they said it gave them more time to go over the endorsement contracts along with anything else remotely legal that Tonya put her name on.

Unfortunately this extra time wasn’t enough for them even with their immense experience in deciphering legal contracts. Which meant nothing good for Dana when she arrived. Something she realized the moment she saw their grim expressions.

“She’s going to ***** me over, isn’t she?” Dana demanded, speaking the moment that Frank’s secretary exited the room to leave them in private. “The contracts she made are air tight just like she told me that they were.”

Wayne visibly flinched at this remark and looked at Dana with some surprise. Their parents were the best of friends and as such, they had known each other for years. Being an eight year age difference between them, Wayne and Dana always had the comforting relationship of an older and younger sibling. For the longest time it was Wayne alone who helped Dana deal with the horrible secret she had made into her sexuality. But despite knowing her since she was a toddler, he couldn’t help but be surprised on witnessing the commanding presence Dana only carried on the tennis court suddenly emerge in her every day life. He was surprised, yes, but not enough that he couldn’t see it was a good thing. Still, it would take some getting used to.

“We’ve gone over everything with a fine tooth comb,” said Wayne, his voice soft and precise. Nervously adjusting his wire rim glasses, he shuffled the papers and looked through them as a sigh escaped his lips. “It’s not good,” he finally said. Looking up to meet her eyes, he continued, “There’s no wiggle room in them, Dane. I can’t get you out of them… the only thing I can do, and what we have been doing,” Wayne nodded at Frank who wore a matching solemn look on his features, “is to come up with a feasible buyout proposal. Which would be where we offer to buy Tonya out of her contractual manager fees and residuals in the endorsements she gained for you by offering her a large lump sum all at once. We’ve drawn up the paperwork but we left the payment issue open until we could speak with you. Because we weren’t sure how much you were willing–”

“Give her whatever she wants within reason,” said Dana calmly. “I want her out of my life and as long as she doesn’t completely bankrupt me in the process, I’m fine with however we have to do that.” Wayne nodded at this and muttering to himself, he gathered the papers to head out of the room no doubt to start writing up the new contracts. “Wayne?” He paused in his walk to turn and look at Dana, his brow furrowing in concern. Biting nervously on her bottom lip, Dana cleared her throat and feeling grateful when Frank clearly turned his attention elsewhere to grant them an appearance of privacy. “My parents can’t know about this… not yet. I’m not even sure how I can start to explain this mess to them and until I do, I think it’s better they just don’t know.” Turning dark red as she recognized who she was telling this to, Dana sputtered anxiously, “Not that I think you would tell! Because I know you wouldn’t since there’s that lawyer/client confidentiality thing and I know you wouldn’t ever break it. I’m saying, in general, I can’t have people know. Office people who gossip and might work at the club and ugh, god, what am I saying?” Dana groaned pathetically, dropping her head into her hands.

Smiling crookedly, Wayne pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and inwardly relaxed. A sudden commanding presence off the court or not this was Dana, the girl he considered his cute little sister and like any good older brother all he wanted to do was to help her and protect her. “No worries,” he said in the soothing tones that always put her at ease. “I will make sure all lips involved are sealed.” Wayne made a zipping motion with his hand across his mouth then grinning goofily, he exited the office to quietly close the door.

“I like him,” Frank stated and Dana looked into his warm gaze then returned his smile. Carefully rising from his chair, revealing signs of his seventy one years, he crossed over to Dana and sank into the comfortable chair next to hers. “Most lawyers are in it for money, fame, or power. Then some are in it for the secret ego boost they get for helping those who can’t help themselves or some bullshit like that. And then there are the lawyers like your friend there,” drawled Frank humorously. “The ones who are in it because they love and understand endless complicated lines of jargon far more than human beings. Ah,” he sighed wistfully, leaning back into his seat. “I sing the song of the adorable class nerd.” Grinning at Dana, he lifted a gray eyebrow and clucked, “I’ve dated several, you know. They were such tremendous fun because they weren’t closeted because they didn’t want people to know they were *****. They were closeted because they just didn’t want to know people.”

“What was it like… being ***** back then?” asked Dana, unable to help voicing the question. She turned red and started to take it back, thinking it too personal but Frank smiled and patted her hand in a gentle reassurance, putting her worries to rest.

When Alice first told her about the agent who dealt exclusively in *****, *****, bisexual, and transgendered clients Dana found herself immediately skeptical. Thinking there had to be some evil ulterior motive for doing such a thing but then she met Frank and any suspicions disappeared. What struck Dana the most in that first meeting though, and the reason she decided to make him her new agent, was his answer to her question about the reason behind his selective client base.

“We have our own stores, our own salons, our own neighborhoods, our own lawyers, and our own political organizations,” Frank had said in a slow drawl, eyes glowing with humor. “Why the ***** not have our very own Hollywood agent?” Dana chuckled in response and when she stopped, she saw his expression shifted slightly and he said in quiet sincerity, “But you tell me this, won’t it feel good to have an agent who doesn’t consider your sexuality a hindrance to your career? Who doesn’t treat it like something that’s to be avoided like the ***** plague, or hidden in a moldy closet, or ignored by sticking your head in the sand? Because I can promise you right now that’s what you’ll be getting with me. Someone who doesn’t care one bit about who you love and have ***** with. The only things that concern me are making my clients a success and keeping them happy.”

Seconds later he signed Dana as his newest client.

“Thrilling I suppose,” murmured Frank after giving the question a good deal of thought. When Dana looked surprised, he chuckled at her. “It was a terribly naughty thing to be, you realize,” he said humorously. “Being ***** was the unspoken evil and I’m sorry, I couldn’t help but get a tingle every time I realized what I was doing would horrify thousands. Yes, it was very thrilling,” Frank chuckled and he turned to study a pensive Dana. “You’re nervous about the meeting now, aren’t you?”

Alternating from biting and chewing on her bottom lip, Dana looked morosely at Frank then dropped her head in a small nod of acknowledgement. “This will be the first time I’ve seen her since…” Dana trailed off, not sure how to say it. “Since I ended the engagement,” she finished, sighing to stare out the window. “Wayne’s already met with her and he said she was really calm in the meeting. But I wasn’t there, you know? I don’t know if I can do this,” Dana’s voice wavered. “The things she said to me… but I know this is my fault, right?” Turning to face Frank who met her gaze with an expression of acceptance and understanding, Dana continued, “I did this. I’m the one who asked her to marry me when I knew I didn’t love her. So I have to do this. It’s my responsibility.”

There was a long silence then Frank smiled warm and kind, looking very much like someone’s lovable grandfather then he lightly slapped Dana on her knees and declared, “Bullshit!”

“Frank?” squeaked Dana in surprise.

“Sorry, honey, but that’s bullshit,” said Frank, laughing and shaking his head. “You’re my client, remember? And I’m here to make you happy and if seeing Tonya isn’t going to make you happy then guess what? I make sure you don’t have to do it. I can wrangle a way to arrange all this without your illustrious presence, I’m sure. So you just forget about all your self sacrificing I must suffer because it’s my responsibility line of woe. That just won’t do,” Frank wagged his finger back and forth with every slow pronunciation of the words. “Come on, lets get your gorgeous self out of here.” He rose to his feet and held out his hands which Dana mechanically took. “You’re sadly no longer needed for the rest of today’s proceedings,” said Frank, chuckling and leading her to the door.

“But I really should–” Dana protested, utterly baffled by these sudden turn of events and not entirely sure of what was going on.

“I’ll let you know how everything goes when all has been said and done,” Frank assured as he squeezed her hands tenderly and smiled. “Now get out of here,” he made a shooing motion with his hands. “Go train excessively or have relations with that woman like I’m sure you were doing earlier.”

“Frank!” squeaked Dana again, turning bright red.

“Enjoy your youth while you have it,” counseled Frank who gently put his hands on her back and pushed her out of his office to then shut the door behind her. Leaving Dana with her back against it and looking at his secretary with utter bewilderment.

“He gives good advice, honey,” the secretary commented in a thick Brooklyn accent which Dana never knew she had. Mostly because this was the first time the woman had bothered to speak to Dana. “You oughta take it. Go have yourself some fun, huh?”

It was good advice, this was true. The problem was that Dana knew without a doubt that her personal human personification for fun would be nearly impossible to spend time with at the moment. Especially if those harassing messages that Alice’s editor had left on her answering machine about handcuffing her to her desk in order to get her story in on time held any sort of genuine threat.

Ah well. Maybe she could bother Shane.

—

Feeling the weight of Marc’s gaze boring holes into her back, Alice decided that his sudden obsession with her having to physically work in the office was part of a larger conspiracy launched by those jealous of her fabulous new multiple ***** ***** life. That or he really wanted to see the article finished because it sort of was due in two days and she hadn’t actually written it…

Plus she was three hours late for their meeting.

A meeting that had been put off at least seven times already. Facts that made Alice admit that logically there could be no jealous conspiracy against her and Dana’s ***** life. But it was a fun thing to theorize over. More fun than writing an article on the age reversing properties mayonnaise could possibly hold for feminine skin.

The weight of the gaze increased by 1/4 and Alice realized she became so lost in her thoughts she had inadvertently stopped typing. Something that just wouldn’t do with guard editor Marc staring her down until she finished the first version of the article. Thus her typing resumed and so did her boredom as she was forced to place her attention on her work.

Which was ***** boring. That was her fault though. Why in the ***** had she brought up the idea for this story anyway? And more importantly, why the ***** was Marc more interested in an article about a possible mayonnaise skin creme than her brilliant chart?

Philistines were her coworkers, all of them. Mocking the chart. Oh yes, how the woe would be onto them once the chart expanded to encompass not just LA and California but the entire United States and then the world. Alice paused in her typing, much to agitation of Marc and his twitchy nerves, to ponder if the chart could one day help figure out exactly how many lesbians there were in the world. She figured it had to be in the high six digit numbers.

Returning to her typing and in turn, her boredom, Alice felt her brain begin to slip into a coma and decided music would help. So she avoided eye contact with Marc, as she was sure his glare would sear her eyes out, and connected her iPod to her laptop. The player popped up and Alice decided she was in the mood for a nice cheesy flashback. Something happy that she would naturally want to sing along with which would keep her awake, typing, and therefore on Marc’s good side.

One hour and forty seven minutes later Alice’s mayonnaise article was nearly complete but in exchange for her newly efficient work standard, Marc found himself driven insane by the 80′s playlist and her singing along with it. To such a level that when his wide eyes, left one twitching from the music and his growing migraine, caught sight of Alice typing the final word to her article he sprung from his seat and ran over to her.

“Good job! You’re done for the day,” Marc proclaimed, waving his hands about. “Just upload that to the server and you’re done. That’s all I really needed from you.”

Frowning in confusion, Alice tilted her head and studied Marc. Unable to keep herself from automatically continuing to sing along, “We used to talk about the weather, making plans together. Days would last forever–”

“Stop singing, you’re done!” shrieked Marc, his eyes wide and harried.

Snapping her mouth shut and looking a tad insulted, Alice pouted cutely then asked, “You don’t like my singing?”

“I don’t like the 80′s,” Marc shuddered and he flashed back to his youth. “The raised collars, the pink shirts, the tight rolled jeans.” He shuddered again and muttered darkly, “The orphans on TV.”

“Hmm,” murmured Alice, studying him thoughtfully. Tapping her chin, her eyes grew lidded and she said, “I bet you’d like a story on how the 80′s are making a comeback and that’s a bad thing.”

“I’d love it,” said Mark who was looking at her appreciatively. “Are you going to write one for me? Because if you do then I might overlook the mass of unprofessional behavior involved in the entire execution of this mayonnaise article.”

“I hate the 80′s has a nice ring to it,” Alice replied, standing up and closing her laptop after putting away her iPod. “But that could lead to problems with the people at VH1.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll think of a name,” muttered Marc as he walked away. “You just write the article and don’t forget to mention those stupid kids dressing the same. Something’s wrong with the world when I see a fourteen year old dressing like my older brother did back in 1984.”

Watching him go into his office, Alice slid her laptop into its case and slung it over her shoulder. Putting on her big pimpin’ sunglasses, as Shane had called them, she headed out the doors of LA Magazine singing with a proud and triumphant smile, “Together with me and my baby, break the chains of love. Together we’ll break these chains of love…”

She knew that Marc’s intense hatred of the 80′s would come in handy one day. Thus proving her theory that information on your boss, no matter how idiotic and mundane, can prove useful. Well, at least when it came to her playing psychological games with her superiors it did.

—

Upon arriving at the condo, Alice found Dana sitting on her bed staring blankly down at several pieces of paper resting in her lap. Sitting carefully next to the brunette, she massaged the back of her neck gently and rested her chin on a strong shoulder to peer down at the papers.

“What’s all this?” asked Alice quietly.

“A letter from Tonya,” said Dana just as quietly in response. Turning to look at Alice with teary eyes, she murmured, “I was supposed to go to that meeting with her today but I didn’t because Frank could see how nervous I was. He told me I didn’t have to be there and told me to leave. I… I knew I should’ve stayed but I didn’t want to, Al.” Dana was still for a moment then she turned suddenly to bury herself in Alice’s arms. Her head tucked against Alice’s chest, breathing in the scent of her perfume, she continued, “The meeting didn’t go well. Frank and Wayne came up with a buyout deal for Tonya where we would pay her a lump sum in order to alter her involvement and continued pay in the endorsements she got me. Anyway, she didn’t take the deal… she didn’t even look at it. Then she wanted to know where I was and when Frank told her I didn’t want to be there she asked everyone to leave so she could write me a letter.” After saying this, Dana absently picked up the pages of the letter to then let them fall carelessly from her fingers. “That’s what this is.”

Frowning deeply, Alice picked up the letter and skimmed through it. She expected to find anger, bile, and hate filled accusations but in its place were calculated, calm, and cool explanations as to why it was logical for their business relationship to continue though their romantic relationship was over. And to be honest, as much as she loathed to admit it all of the arguments that Tonya made were valid ones. She was successful as Dana’s manager and she had gotten her deals and opportunities yet to be matched by others in her professional life. The letter basically was a polite statement saying that whether Dana liked it or not she was staying in her life, at least in a business sense, but she would prefer her stay to be welcome.

Because a welcome stay would ultimately be more profitable for them both, financially and professionally, to quote Tonya directly. The only thing in the letter that was remotely emotional was Tonya’s apology for the destruction she had wreaked on the condo and stating that she had written a check to Wayne on being told of the damages.

The letter left Alice baffled as to Tonya and Dana’s state of minds. Tonya because her disaffected attitude towards a woman she had almost married and Dana’s for apparently being upset that Tonya wasn’t more broken up over their relationship ending. Then again, Alice mused as she looked from Dana who rested forlornly on her chest, arms wrapped around her tight, to the letter in her hands. Maybe it was that and something else.

Maybe it was the idea that Dana was going to marry Tonya, a woman who not barely a month after their break up was able to simply go about her life as if nothing happened between them personally. Tonya was more concerned about her business relationship with Dana and didn’t appear to care anything about their defunct personal life. Nothing about their engagement, their break up, or their promises of love, empty as they might have been. Not one thing about that in the letter.

It was nothing but business.

Which implied that’s all Dana was to Tonya. Just business. Something good to advance all her personal ambitions and even though Alice had suspected this and she knew Dana did as well there was something horrible about seeing it written down on a page in black and white with a distinctive poofy cursive scrawl. Perhaps the physical reality of holding the letter in your hands made it all the more stark and undeniable in its truth.

No wonder Dana was hurting. God, how couldn’t you hurt after reading something like that? Realizing something like that? Taking the letter into her hand and crumpling it slightly as she tossed it aside, Alice traced a hand down to cup Dana’s cheek. When watery blue eyes looked at her, she smiled sadly. “I know, baby,” she crooned and nuzzled the other woman softly to kiss her face. First her cheeks, jaw, eyelids, earlobes, and finally tip of her nose before tenderly pressing lips against lips. “It doesn’t matter… she doesn’t matter. I love you. I always have.”

“Alice,” sobbed Dana into the kiss, her mouth hungry and needy, wanting reassurance more than anything else. That Alice really did love her, that it was possible for someone to love her, to feel something for her that wasn’t related back to some thought of possible opportunities for them by getting involved with her. That someone wanted just her. Loved just her. “Alice.”

“I love you, Dana,” said Alice, her voice an intense whisper and tears lacing her words because she was crying for Dana. For the pain and the hurt and the insecurity. She was crying because ***** Tonya had made Dana doubt herself yet again. And that wasn’t something Alice could live with. “I love you,” she said fiercely, seizing Dana’s lips in a hard kiss.

She pushed the tennis player back onto the bed, kissing her still, pressing her tongue for eager entrance to then suck on Dana’s, taking all there was to show Dana how much Alice wanted her, how much she loved her. Her hands frantic and grabbing, pulling at their clothes until she eventually had to rip her mouth away, causing Dana to release sobbing moans of protest, just to effectively shed them. Slightly crazed in their impatience and need, they were naked in seconds and Alice was sure their clothes had to be ruined but it didn’t matter, only Dana mattered.

Only Dana.

Hands covering and learning the pathways of tanned skin, Alice wound her fingers into wavy brown hair and kissed Dana, she kissed her longer and harder and more deeply than anyone ever had. Her tongue thrusting deep then shallow, moving in a slow circular pattern to stop and suck, and pull, and god… taste, she tasted everything that was Dana. Moving her head away only slightly to bite and pull and tug on a lush lower lip then tilting in a different direction to start it all over again. Endless kisses that fed Dana with an overwhelming feeling of love and want.

There wasn’t any proper way she could explain how wanted she felt when Alice kissed her like this.

Kissed her firm and hard and sure, letting Dana know that she was exactly what Alice wanted but yielding and soft and so very tender that Dana knew absolutely Alice that loved her. Over and over, she kissed like this while pale hands explored tan skin, caressing and teasing and touching. Slipping down as a leg nudged between her own, parting them with a groan from them both, the evidence of their desire wet on their thighs.

A light brush of fingertips then the torturous motion, up and down slowly pressing against her *****, making Dana groan and gasp and moan into Alice who tilted her head and kissed her deeper yet. Tongue swirling and capturing Dana’s while her thumb kept the tempo, moving up and down over her ***** as a finger slipped inside. Pushing in then pulling out, bending upwards to send sharp bursts of pleasure through Dana’s body, lifting her off the bed and into Alice.

Trying to pull Alice closer into her with every movement, writhing and begging and needing more than anything to be as close as possible. No one made her feel like this. No one and Dana wanted to keep it this way forever. She wanted to be like this always with Alice because nothing could be better than this. It simply wasn’t possible.

More was what she wanted and more was what she got, Alice slipping more fingers into her and giving her more pressure and more rhythm and more speed and more kisses. Lush and greedy and when Dana had her *****, Alice was kissing her deep enough she swallowed the moans of pleasure. Absorbing them and taking them as her own. Their mouths parted with soft gasps and Alice gently allowed herself to fall onto Dana, head buried in the crook of her neck and smiling when tan arms weakly wrapped around her for an embrace.

She snuggled closer as Dana’s hands played with the edges of her messy sweat dampened blonde hair. “God, Al,” Dana exhaled, her voice wavering and husky. “What did you do to me?”

“I loved you,” answered Alice, saying this as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

And to her it was. Just like it was the simplest thing for Dana to love Alice. And that’s what really mattered. What really counted. Not Tonya and her business proposals and not Gabby and her mind games. All that mattered was them and their feelings for each other.

Plus the fact that they had no meetings to get to and therefore be late for which meant… oh yes, slow and languid and no chance of being interrupted *****. That definitely mattered.

Especially if the moans caused from the French kiss currently being incited were to be noted.


To be continued…