Previously:

“…I still think about you…” Alice closed her eyes, emotions tangling together causing her eyes to water. She wanted to laugh, cry and yell all at once but simply lifted her chin and swallowed hard, hoping to hide the nervous vibrations in her throat.

“I wish I could say I didn’t do the same.” Alice walked away slowly, as tears slipped down Dana’s cheeks.

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    Alice walked toward the parking lot, tears mixing with the light drizzle that turned into a full scale storm. She stopped and stood on the corner hollow, not caring that the rain was cold and soaking through her clothes. As Dana walked from the restaurant she saw Alice shuffling across the street, a zombie-like gait that make her heart ache. She yelled from the corner to the parking lot where she assumed Alice was parked,    

   ”Alice!…Alice!” Dana jogged across the street without an umbrella, her hair and clothes immediately absorbing water and chilling her skin. Alice continued to walk, speeding up a bit to avoid a situation she knew she couldn’t handle or control. Dana continued to call her name, even as she caught up to her, swinging around to her front and holding her still, willing those brown eyes to look at her.

        ”Alice…Al..” Dana repeated her name over and over again softly, wanting to explain but lacking the words to make her stop crying. Alice’s heart was pounding fast and she became angry, angry that she was starting to feel better, feel normal, and Dana kept forcing her to start over. Alice pushed Dana away and continued to push her backwards, knowing that Dana could easily overpower her if she wanted.

       Each time Alice went to push her, Dana held her tightly repeating her name, and each time Alice began to cry harder hoping that the louder she cried out the less she would hear Dana’s voice in her head. Alice wanted to be free of her thoughts, she wanted to live her life and not pretend. She wanted to hate Dana for hurting her, but she couldn’t, and it only made her hate herself.

       After what seemed like an eternity of struggling, Alice’s strength gave from exhaustion, she sobbed into Dana’s neck as she held her as close as possible. Alice lifted her head slowly, their cheeks brushing as she stood inches from Dana’s lips.

      It was Dana who moved first, grazing a finger down Alice’s cheek then slowly moving in to touch her lips. Dana placed pecks on Alice’s unresponsive lips, until she felt subtle movement.

       Dana traced Alice’s lips with her tongue, silently begging her mouth to open to her.  Alice complied and they began kissing in earnest Dana’s hands reaching to cradle Alice’s neck as she consumed as much of her as she could. Alice held on to Dana’s arms tasting a combination of the sweetness of her lips and the rain. She tried to control herself, a control that was being slowly broken down by Dana’s feathery kisses. Dana rested her forehead on Alice’s, silently whispering  a statement so low Alice almost missed it over the falling rain.

       ”I’m so sorry…” Alice stiffened, grasping Dana’s shoulders, and placing a foot of space between them looking at her with disbelieving eyes. Dana stared confused, especially when Alice started to speak, her voice frail but the words strong.      

 ”Sorry?…you’re sorry…why Dana? Why are you so fucking sorry…You-…you keep fucking with me, stop….Stop fucking confusing me…let me get over you…Please.” Alice’s water-logged eyes pleaded with Dana, who stood there in shock watching Alice walk away for the second time that night.

****
 
Amsterdam Sony Tour 2004

        ”15 all Fairbanks’ serve” Dana smoothed her hair and prepared for the serve, this was the final set and Dana felt like she was in the clear. Her opponent Victoria Mar wasn’t the hardest she’d played, her serve was sloppy and she was still wet behind the ears. Victoria had spoken to her briefly in the bar yesterday, well it was more like an accusation. Dana mumbled to her self as she served the ball,

       ”So lesbian, that’s original? What the hell is that?” Victoria was becoming frustrated as she returned the fast serve back to Dana. She didn’t understand Dana’s style, her serves where hard and to the corners but everything else was strategic. Her shots always placed at odd angles around her feet, Victoria decided the best way to beat a thinker was to break their concentration. After Dana won the first set Victoria threw a comment over her shoulder,

       ”So do dykes have to use separate drinking fountains? Or do they just let you put your mouths anywhere?” Dana got a confused look on her face and botched the serve, the ball flying to the net and giving her the point. Victoria laughed sardonically, bouncing the new ball at her feet preparing for her serve,

        ”30-15 Mars’ serve” Victoria slammed the ball, the power serve landing cleanly on Dana’s side. She squared her shoulders and sent the ball flying back, a shot the place right between  Victoria’s feet, giving Dana the point and sending Victoria into a childish rage. Dana continued ignoring Victoria’s homophobic comments until the last set, match point.

        ”0-30 Fairbanks’ serve” Victoria had long since realized she was outmatched, but the ability to get underneath people’s skin was one of Victoria’s less admirable  but most frequented traits. Dana eyed her coldly, off-court she was fairly timid but inside those 78 feet Dana was a monster and she’d be damned if she was going to let some snot-nosed rookie trash talk her.

       ”Wow, I wonder if these people would be cheering if they knew Dana Fairbanks was a fuckin-donut bum…” Victoria didn’t get to finish her sentence before Dana had thrown the ball in the air, her eyes burning in anger and slamming the ball the fastest the women’s pro tennis circuit had ever seen.

****  

      ”128 mph was what they clocked her, that was the fastest I’d ever seen anyone serve male or female…Then you’ve probably heard the rest of the story, Dana walked up to the net for the congratulatory handshake and threw her racquet at me then she called me…” Shane smiled at the story, her eyes trailing toward the door every few minutes,  when ten minutes turned to thirty, Shane decided to check on Alice.

       ”Hey, I’m going to see what’s keeping Alice and Dane…I’m kinda ready to eat.” Shane walked to the bathroom, not seeing Alice or Dana she stared outside into the rain where Dana stood watching Alice get into her car. Shane ran into the street only seeing Alice’s taillights, and Dana wrapping her arms around herself, partly to warm from the cold and partly for comfort. Shane jogged up to Dana and took off her jacket, sliding it around Dana’s arms as she shivered and cried. Shane gave Dana a moment to gather herself before coming back to table, rubbing her hands up and down Dana arms she spoke quietly.

        ”What do you want me to tell them?” Dana looked to the ceiling to keep from crying again,

        ”Um…nothing….I’ll handle it myself,” Shane moved her hands to Dana’s shoulders and looked into her eyes,

       ”Are you sure? Shane stared at her making sure she was ok before nodding and giving her some space.

        Shane returned to the table with a passive look on her face,

       ”It’s cool, Dana said she’d be back in a second.” While Victoria ordered another drink from the waitress, Shane gave an “Everything is not fine” look to Bette, who looked away frustrated. When Dana returned to the table, she actually did look fine but when Victoria asked where Alice was Dana lost her shit.

       ”I don’t know Victoria…I don’t know where she is. She’s lost and now alone…I’m the reason no one knows where Alice is…I’m the reason Alice doesn’t know where she is. Victoria stared at Dana bug-eyed and baffled,  

      ”I just wanted to order…that’s all,”





Please bear with Alice and Dana there will be happy lezzies soon I promise!