~*~*~*~*~*

Bette & Tina – Tina doesn’t know yet that Bette is cheating – She is also thinking about having a baby again.  She has also had thoughts about getting a job, a real job, with her own money.

Kit & Ivan – Kit is still somewhat confused about her relationship with ‘him’.  Ivan is being as patient a ‘man’ as he can be.  Sweet and waiting, but will he wait forever?

Alice – Alice Is in limbo somewhere, and is beginning to resent her life, and still thinks Tonya is a killer, at least of cats.  She is trying, with desperation, to figure out how to make Dana see the light about her new beau.  There was no Kiss, sorry folks.

Dana & Tonya – Tonya is planning the wedding of the century, complete with everything tennis you can imagine.  Tonya is also helping Kit with the Planet and Dana is playing her heart out trying to win every tournament on the planet.

Shane – Steven Jaffe has not put Shane on notice, but he has put a stop to the salon, at least for the time being.  She knows that she is in love with Cherie, and desperately wants to move on. 

Jenny – She is still stuck between Gene and Robin, enjoying her life as a tramp.  (Sorry)  –

Marina is desperately trying to buy the Planet from Francesca.  I didn’t write her out, I like the French kinna accent

*~*~*~*~*~

          Sunrise; the golden hues of the sun was beginning to drape the world in its warmth and glow.  Shane found herself knocking on Alice‘s door, she was drunk and high and she was having difficulty walking.  The pain inside of her heart ripped her inside out, she was sure if she looked down, her entrails would be tangling her in her feet.  She was gutted, her heart beating in Cherie Jaffe‘s cold hands.  Why had she done it?  Her Hollywood wife, she’d heard Alice call her earlier this week.  Now Cherie was pulling away, Steven suspected, and Clea was after Shane.  

          She found the door finally in her alcohol-induced haze; she squinted and saw the apartment number, and then went to the next door.  This was Alice‘s, her safe haven from her meddling and bothersome roommates.  The ones that didn’t really care about her, just about her monthly cut of the rent.  

          “Al?”  Shane said with a slur, as she slowly slid down to the floor.  Alice ripped the door open, and Shane fell backwards, slapping her head to the ground.

          “Oh ***** Shane!”  Alice said, as Shane laughed at her faux pas.  She rubbed her head and felt the swell of a lump there, and she laughed again, finding her feet as Alice pulled her up.

          “Hmmm…”  Shane muttered as she wrapped her long lanky limbs around Alice and Alice walked her to the couch.  This happened occasionally, but it hasn’t in ages, and Alice wondered what had transpired for Shane to be at her doorstep at 4am in the morning.  Has she been at the CAC all this time?  Or with her Hollywood wife?

          “Shane, oh you stink.”  Alice said, making a face of disgust, as she smelled Shane‘s breath and Shane laughed again.  She was laughing a lot wasn’t she?  She had every right to, didn’t she?  She was getting everything she ever wanted in life, if Clea could just stop hounding her.  That would make her life that much easier.  

          “I had a few.”  Shane said, and she began to walk to the bathroom, she needed to pee.  Her bladder suddenly screaming for release.  She pushed the door open and lost her balance.  Alice was right there to pick her up.  Shane was totally wanked now.  Even her feet wouldn’t listen to her, first her heart, then her head and now her feet.  Well *****, what else was going to revolt on her?

          “Shane, honey you need to sit.”  Alice stated the obvious and Shane closed one eye and the blurry image of Alice graced her.  

          “On the toilet or I’m gonna go on the floor Al.”  Shane muttered, and Alice helped her get her pants down and sit on the toilet.  Alice turned away and let Shane do her thing.  Shane fumbled with the toilet paper.  Shane unrolled at least half the roll before she stopped it and yanked off the paper, wiping herself and giggling again.

          “Al don’t you ever put the thing on the thing?”  Shane asked and Alice rolled her eyes not knowing what she was talking about as she turned to help Shane get up.  She didn’t bother buttoning her pants; instead, she helped Shane to the bed.  It was another one of the odd rituals that had grown into being over the last few years.  

          “How about you get some sleep Miss Shane.”  Alice said, and Shane pulled her towards her, she kissed Alice‘s cheek and was passed out before Alice had time to pull away.  

          Alice walked into her kitchen, taking a muffin from the breadbox and sat down at her laptop computer.  She pulled up MS Word, and opened the file marked ‘Tonya‘.  It contained everything she knew, so far, about Tonya.  

          It wasn’t much, if anything the woman was a shrewd business women, had always worked.  She was well liked by everyone that Alice had contacted, pretending to be a potential employer.  It put Alice even more ill at ease, was it really about Mr. P’s death?  Or was it more than that, was it because Alice knew that she’d be losing one of her best friends if she married this obviously odd woman?  

          The latter and the previous.  Alice sighed; she’d plugged in Tonya‘s name into the ‘Chart’ and nothing.  That was the second lover that had come up empty in Dana‘s past.  Now THAT was odd. 

*~*~*~*~*~

          “Babe, are you ok?”  Tina asked as Bette sat on the edge of the bed, still feeling Candace‘s fingers around her’s.  What wicked web’s one weave, when one is lying through their teeth?  The soft scent that Candace had been wearing was still lingering at her nostrils and Bette took in a long breath.  

          “Yeah, I’m ok, just relieved that it is all over.  I have to thank Peggy somehow, for helping me pull this off.”  She said in a soft voice as Tina slowly removed the blue gown she’d been wearing.  Bette‘s eyes roamed her body.  Luscious.  Flashes of Candace throwing her on the bed, clothes being stripped from her body.  Bette shook her head, shaking the images out of her head.

          “Come here.”  Bette said in a throaty voice; and Tina‘s eyebrow shot up and she obeyed.  Typical Tina, always there when you tell her to be, totally submissive in her own sweet way.  Bette reached up and pulled her to her, turning and laying Tina onto the bed.  She hovered over Tina, and Tina leaned up and kissed Bette‘s lips. 

          Bette sighed into the kiss and then her hand reaching down and roughly pushing a finger into Tina.  Tina gasped, not expecting it.  No foreplay, just straight to the *****.  Tina moaned wondering what had gotten into Bette as Bette devoured her lips. 

          “God…  Baby…”  Tina moaned loudly as she climaxed, and the only thought on Bette Porter‘s mind in that moment, wasn’t Tina.  It wasn’t maybe baby.  It most certainly wasn’t her CAC triumph. 

          It was Candace Jewel.

*~*~*~*~*~

          Jenny sat in the back shed listening to Gene and Robin as they spoke and all she could think about was Marina.  Marina was in love with her.  How had that happened?  Robin said something to her and Jenny turned her bright blue eyes wide as she asked.

          “I’m sorry, did you say something?”  Robin chuckled lightly as she went over to Jenny, kissing her cheek.  Jenny smiled, and then she said.

          “I hate to ask, but I have a very bad feeling about Marina, why don’t you call her?”  Gene nodded too, her got up and got the phone for Jenny and even held it for her while she dialed the number she already knew.

*~*~*~*~*~

          Dana kissed Tonya softly and she crept out of bed making her way to the kitchen.  Her stomach was growling mightily after their two-hour long roll in the hay.  Dana was still sticky and sweaty as she found some watermelon and popped a piece into her mouth.  Some of the juices dribbling down her chin as she walked out onto the patio. 

          It was as dark as coal but the backlight of the kitchen gave her enough light to find a chair and sit down.  She needed to think and she needed to figure out what was going on with her.  She was having soft pangs of doubt about her and Tonya, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her from being happy.  Even if thoughts of Lara kept popping up in her head at the oddest of moments.

          It had been inevitable; she’d finally seen her ***** soup chef two nights ago on the arm of a very attractive woman at Milk.  Dana had felt a pang of longing for the red head, but then Tonya had been at her side.  Taking her attention away from Lara, and then she was gone, disappearing into the crowd but taking a firm place in Dana‘s mind. 

          Standing there, hauntingly watching her as she relished in her new ‘out-ness’ and Dana had felt totally guilt for the way she’d treated her.  Dana had forced a smile and kissed Tonya.

          Now she was sitting in her darkened yard, pulling up the small archives of memories of her and her ‘soup’ chef.  Regret.  Hindsight is 20/20.

*~*~*~*~*~

          Saturday night and they were all in the back room of the Planet.  A small crowd was gathered and all the ‘girls’ were there.  Marina‘d had a small stage built and Kit had gotten some equipment for a better sound system through her Slim Daddy connections.  Marina was desperate for more cash flow and Tonya had assured her that this was a wonderful way of doing it.

          Shane was hitting on a ***** dark haired, dark eyed woman and Dana and Tonya were making goo goo eyes at one another, making Alice wanted to puke.  Alice rubbed her mouth with her hand, shivers running up her spine.  Why did she have a distinct distaste for this woman?  What was it about her that rubbed her so venomously the wrong way?

          “Good evening my friends, I’d like for everyone to welcome the Planet’s first live band.  Please put your hands together for Ebony Dawn!”  Marina said into the microphone and the crowd clapped and cheered.

          “They’d better be good.”  Alice said with a grunt crossing her legs and leaning back in her chair.  Tina rolled her eyes at her.  Bette‘s eyes scanning the room as the rift of a heavy song began to play, and she moaned.

          “Oh god, its heavy metal!”  Marina sat down and put a hand on Bette‘s.

          “They are very good.  How about you give it a chance?”  Marina asked and Dana took a sip from her wine and Tonya wiped the corner of her mouth with a smile.

          “Snookums you are so clumsy sometimes.”  Dana just giggled admired the engagement ring on Tonya‘s finger, yet again.  A ring that had cost her nearly a years worth of profit she thought to herself.

          Alice turned her attention to the band and away from Tonya, they were finishing their first song, a cover of CREED’s Higher. 

          The singer stepped back up to the mike she was tall with jet-black hair, and Alice was sure that her blue eyes were glowing in the darkened room.  She wore a black wife beater with a pair of jeans that Alice thought might have been made before the young woman was born.  She had a voice that cut into you, speaking to your soul.  There was a male bass player, a back up guitar, a male drummer, and a female lead guitar player. 

          Alice‘s eyes settled on the lead guitar player, she was as blonde as the lead singer was dark.  Her hair was streaked with blues, greens and purples, but the form fitting black shirt showed off as much skin as the singer.  She wore cargo pants and army surplus boots, shoulder length hair pulled up into a simple ponytail.  Alice regarded her for a moment as the song played and Alice muttered.

          “She can play; she’s ripping the song to *****.”  Bette gave her a quizzical look; she knew nothing about playing guitar.

          “Is that good or bad?”  Tina laughed and sipped her beer, Shane now sitting down next to them, Alice ignoring her for the moment.

          “Good, see how her right hand is playing the neck of the guitar?  She’s isn’t just playing the chords, a lot of people do that now.  She’s working each note, shifting from one pitch to another, that’s why the music sounds so rich.  She’s using her fingers, and not a pick.  Very very impressive no one does that any more.”  Alice said the blonde playing almost without passion and yet the music said otherwise.

          “Evening everyone, now that we’ve played a few songs, I like to introduce the band.  On drums is Doogie!  On Bass is Clapp!  On second guitar is Keith!  On lead guitar is the ever present Quin and I’m the singer, as you might well have guessed and I’m Maddy.  This is an original song.  It’s called Real Me.”  Quin, the blonde that Alice had been watching eased into an opening chord that had them all staring at the stage.  Maddy took the mike, holding it as if it were her lover.

          “I stole their grins.  Plastering them onto my face of sin.  To hide my facade.  I now have it all in Place.  I’ve sold my soul.  Just to hide in the ebony light.”  She stepped back, and for the first time Quin was at the second mike, they both sang the chorus.

          “I now see who I really am.  A thief and a liar.  I tried to run to you.  I bellowed out your name.  I can see you there, a speck standing away from me in the distance.”  Quin shot back turning her attention to the riffling rhythm that drifted so effortlessly from her fingertips Maddy moving to the beat.  The drummer hammering away a heart moving, pulse stopping rhythm. 

          “I am so devoid, deaf, dumb, and blind.  I reach to you, feeling only the cold night air on the fingertips of my own despair.  I didn’t find love.  I find an empty space between you and me.”  Sang Maddy and Alice was now totally mesmerized Shane was staring hard at her and licking her lips.  Dana was paying little attention, and Bette seemed bored.  Tina was peeling the label from the beer bottle.  Quin let out a deep yell into the mike, as the second chorus began, this time more feeling from the stoic Quin.

          “I now see who I really am.  A thief and a liar.  I tried to run to you.  I bellowed out your name.  I can see you there, a speck standing away from me in the distance.”  Maddy over shadowing Quin’s just as smooth vocals.  Alice watched them both, a ***** heat rising from each of them. 

          “I attempt to forget you.  I thought without you I’d feel nothing of my soul.  Please don’t leave me alone, I can’t even breathe without you.”  Sang the raven-haired singer and Quin complimented her with her soul driven playing.  Quin was again at the mike, this time the bass player picking up the bass, and Quin countered with a melodic rift as she and Maddy sparred out the last chorus, swapping lines.  Each taking one line, first Maddy with her deep soulful voice, then Quin with a smoother, yet rougher take on each word. 

Maddy: I now see who I really am. 

Quin: A thief and a liar. 

Maddy: I tried to run to you. 

Quin: I bellowed out your name. 

Maddy: I can see you there, a speck standing away from me in the distance. 

          Quin wrapped up the song and the crowd went wild, they obviously had a small following here tonight.  Maddy smiling broadly and Quin moving off to the side of the stage as if hiding.  Marina made her way to the stage and told the crowd that the band would be back after a break.  Some dance music began to play and Dana said.

          “They aren’t bad.”  Tonya looked up, staring openly at Quin for an instant, and then shook her head.

          “Not bad?  Not bad?  Did you hear that?  That was, ***** me, that was awesome!  I wonder if they’d do an interview for the magazine…”  Alice said, moving to the bar and Shane stood up.

          “I wonder if that singer would be interested in a bathroom buddy….”

          “Oh god, did she just say that?”  Tina asked Bette who snapped into the conversation.  She saw her from across the room, Candace.  Tina grinned and waved her over and Candace moved towards them, Bette took a hard breath.  Why had Tina invited Candace?  Why?  Did she know?  She knew, didn’t she?  Guilt pounded at her making her sweat as she watched the swaying hips of her other lover coming closer.

          “Candace, I’m so glad you came.”  Tina said and she introduced everyone, Candace smiling and sitting down.  Or course, they all knew who Candace was, she’d been arrested along side of them a few weeks prior.  Bette avoided making eye contact with her, but then Tina excused herself and Candace finally garnered her attention.

          “What are you doing here?”  Bette asked the table finally empty and she could speak freely.  Candace shrugged, her lick-able shoulders making Bette weak in the knees and wet in other places.

          “I thought if I said no that she’d suspect.  I mean we do know each other Bette.”  Candace stated looking around the room that was filled with Bette‘s friends and she started to feel very much like the other woman.

          “I know…”  Bette stopped as Dana and Tonya sat back down.  Bette took the glass that Tina had brought to her and took a healthy swing.  She needed the alcohol to steel her shaky nerves.

~*~*~*~*~*

          Shane moved up next to Maddy and Alice was on the other side of her, giving Shane a ‘Get Away’ look, but Shane shot back with the same look and a wicked smile.  Maddy looked to the left, to Alice and then to the right to Shane.  She giggled, her voice the same soul filled tone that she had when on stage. 

          “Ladies.”  Maddy said, taking the bottle of water from the bartender.  Shane smiled and Alice began to speak in her quick rapid-fire manner.

          “Hi, my name is Alice.  I was wondering, might you and your band mates be up to doing an interview?  I work for LA Magazine…”

          “Forget it.”  Came the harder edged voice of Quin, her dark blue eyes going from Shane, to Alice.  Maddy threw a peanut at her and Quin turned and headed back to the stage without another word.  Alice looked at the brooding woman, wondering who pissed in her cereal. 

          “She’s a party pooper.”  Alice said watching the ***** walk away, wishing that the attitude attached to the ***** were better.

          “Well, if Quin says no, its no.  It is her band, and I’m just the singer.  She’s the writer, creator of this endeavor; I’m just the voice that she lends it too.  I’ve been with the band for two years, and I don’t even know the woman’s last name.”  Maddy stated her eyes moving to Shane, and Shane smiled at her. 

          “How long is your break?”  Shane asked in her smokey voice, Maddy simply smiled.  Alice threw up her hands and moved to the stage.  She watched, as the woman who’d blatantly blown her off picked up a guitar and began to strum is slowly, the other music in the room drowning it out. 

          “You’re good but your attitude sucks.”  Alice said getting up onto the stage and dusting off her jeans.  The stormy gaze that Quin shot her was overwhelming as Alice sat down and picked up the other guitar and Quin was about to say something but stopped.

          “Your song is good, very good.  Why don’t you sing lead?  You have a powerful voice, you could pull it off, don’t you think?  Alice asked tuning the guitar and Quin watched her fingers pick at the strings.  She was picking out the chords of the song and Quin set her jaw.

          “I don’t want the spot light.  Maddy is the best front woman since Amy Lee, better if she works a bit harder at it.  If she worked as hard at singing as she does ***** she’d be perfect.”  Quin stated reaching over and gently removing the guitar from Alice‘s grasp.

          “I can play.”  Alice grunted and Quin nodded, her fake smile telling her she didn’t believe her for one instance.  Alice caught sight of a silver ankh that hung around the blonde woman’s neck and she reached for it, wanting to see it better in the colored light.

          “Hey.”  Quin said putting up a finger and Alice stopped short; the look could stop a tornado in its tracks. 

          “I just wanted to see it, where did you get it?  Is that silver?”  Alice asked, and Quin looked down at it, blinking, and staring at Alice.  Those eyes were something else.  Alice swallowed as she felt that heat again, for the second time in less than an hour.

          “Titanium, I had it made at Boones.”  Quin admitted and she looked as if she’d just swallowed the canary, having said too much.  Alice cocked an eyebrow, Boones was a very high scale jeweler.  He made jewelry for the rich and the famous, not your every day run of the mill guitar rat.  Now Alice was more than interested her curiosity was peaked and she was in full reporter mode now.

          “Never heard of ‘im.  Well I’ll let you get back to it…  Quin.”  Alice said and Quin watched as the woman walked away.  She was lying, Quin knew it, but she could care less.  She shrugged it off and watched as Maddy finally emerged from the bathroom and her face held the look of a woman that was very satisfied.

          Alice sat back at the table and forgot to listen to any other conversation that was going on at the table, except the one in her head.  The one that was leading her to solve the mystery of Quin, no last name the extraordinary guitarist.