Storm Watch 02.25

            The back room of the Planet was pulsing and pumping with dance music, Dana was center stage, having just announced that Coca-Cola had picked her up as one of their rising star athletes.  She was smoozing with everyone and doing a great job at charming every man and woman in the room.  She was on cloud nine, no, that wasn’t right, because that didn’t bring her high enough to where she was feeling right now.

            Lara watched her from the bar as she shook hands and kissed people.  Finally Dana was who she was meant to be, comfortable with being silly, goofy Dana Fairbanks, she’d arrived.  She may never win a Grand Slam event and Lara was sure that it would be okay with Dana.  As long as she was loved and playing she would be happy.  Shane sat down next to Lara, and Lara smiled at the Don Juan of LA.  No Carmen in sight, Lara saw she wondered what had happened this time.

            “How was your trip?”  Shane asked over the music and Lara paled, but quickly recovered.  She’d been preparing for someone to ask yet now that it had happened, she stammered for the right response.  Shane didn’t know anything about the Island, no one did, and she desperately wanted to keep it that way.  No one knew that she’d been Sam‘s companion for 12 days.  Twelve rather gloriously fun days; and Lara was dealing with that too.  Breathe Lara Perkins, just breath.  You didn’t do anything wrong.

            “It was good.”  Lara said simply and Shane cocked an eyebrow.  There was something wrong with her tone, what was up with Dana‘s lady love?  Shane checked her out with a practiced eye she was great at knowing what people wanted.  Who they wanted and sometimes even what they were thinking.  She observed Lara as she fidgeted with the end of her shirt, her eyes darting everywhere, avoiding eye contact. 

            “You look tanned go to a beach?”  Shane asked and Lara got a bit defensive, she bit her lip and said in a heated voice. 

            “Shane, it’s private.”  Lara groaned to herself thinking that was to cold, to harsh.