Smiling, Helena stepped forward, placing her hand on Tina’s shoulder. “For your information, Alice, we have an open relationship. Me kissing who I suspect to be your friend is not against
the rules. However, I completely understand your reaction if you’re still upset about how we ended.”

            Tina’s eyes widened as her gaze stayed locked on the floor. Alice became visibly upset, but refused to play Helena’s game. “Tina is off limits,” Alice declared, bringing the stiff blonde over to her side. “There’s a bar full of other women you can play with that don’t include my friends. Have a nice night.” She turned on her heels, her hand on Tina’s lower back guiding her away with Dana and Shane. Helena smirked as she watched them leave and then finally left to go find her table.

            “What happened with you and Helena?” Tina asked as they approached an empty table.

            “Not a story for tonight,” Alice said, taking a seat. “Point is, you don’t wanna get tangled up with her. She doesn’t understand boundaries.”

            “Alright,” Tina backed off, wondering when, if ever, she would find out what Helena did to her. “Hey, where’d Shane go?” she asked, suddenly realizing there was one less friend at the table. The three remaining women searched the crowd until Dana perked up and directed their attention to a booth near the entrance. There Shane sat, lip locked with an equally skinny brunette as their hands roamed up and down each other’s bodies.

            “At least someone’s getting some,” Dana slumped, sounding defeated.

            “Okay, this night was supposed to be about Tina,” Alice said, gathering her thoughts. “Look, we still have the rest of the night, and there’s still a ton of people here. We didn’t get off to a
great start, but let’s not waste this one night.”

            Tina laughed. “I appreciate the sentiment, Alice, but I think we’ve established that everyone here has a history with at least one of you guys,” she teased as Dana raised her eyebrows and nodded.

            “Not everyone,” Alice emphasized.

            A moment later, an arm reached around Tina, placing a drink on the table in front of her. The woman bent her head down so she could see her face. “From the woman in red sitting in the VIP booth over there,” she smiled, cocking her head to direct Tina’s gaze and then leaving to go back to work. On the opposite side of the bar sat a beautifully tanned woman with loose and curly dark hair gazing back at her with big brown eyes. The moment Tina saw her, the woman smiled warmly, glowing, and raising her own glass in salute.

           “Looks like the night is far from over,” Dana grinned.