Sam discovers that following Frankie is a somewhat easy task. The girl has a saunter a blind moose could follow. Sam’s only trouble is keeping her footsteps soft. As they cross street after street, it becomes apparent that Frankie is not out for a casual stroll or a midnight fuck. There’s direction and deliberation, a reason. Sam almost snickers; Frankie’s finally got purpose in her life.

Frankie slows to an uncertain halt in front of the stairs to Cat’s flat, places one foot on the first step and freezes. Still watching, Sam leans against the building, several metres from Frankie. The alcohol is warming her muscles yet still keeping her head cool. Sam blinks slowly, enjoying the stability provided by the cold bricks behind her. She doesn’t pull her eyes up from the ground as the words tumble out of her mouth.

“What makes you think she wants you now?”

Letting the meaning seep in, she can feel Frankie turn to her voice. Sam raises her eyes, levelling them with her nemesis. “After all you’ve… after everything…” She trails off. Suddenly the strength of the alcohol had been replaced with an empty feebleness. Thoughts of Cat flooded her memory. Then thoughts of Cat with Frankie began to cloud over Sam’s mind, causing her to grind her back teeth and clench her fists. Here was that woman. The woman who touched, kissed, who made Cat-.

Frankie still hadn’t said anything.

“Just leave.” Sam is tired. She wants this to be over.

“Why.” It’s not a question so much as a defiant response. Despite her eyes filling with tears, Frankie manages to suck in a breath of cold air and take a step towards Sam.

“What makes my love any less real than yours? You pine for her, you desire her, your thoughts are filled with her… you itch to touch her.” She lets her own memories crowd her words, filling them with emotion. “It’s the same for me.”

Sam’s blood is ready to boil over. New energy from within pushes her off the side of the building. She takes her own confident step towards Frankie. “And you think that’s all there is to it hmm? All you can give? That’s nothing you haven’t given a thousand girls already. Time to grow up Frankie.” Sam stares her down, willing her to make another argument.

Frankie trembles. Before tears can flow, she rushes past Sam and out into the streets.

Sam looks up to see a light on in Cat’s room but no movement. A vibration in her pocket jolts Sam out of her trance and she strides off in the opposite direction from Frankie. The call remains unanswered.