Out of the corner of her eye, Alice caught sight of Dana, roaming around the room with something blue and alcoholic in her hand and studiously avoiding Tonya, who gave her wife a pained look, then stood and walked quickly out of the room.  If she hadn’t known better, Alice would have thought the gold digging bitch was on the verge of tears.  Not that it bothered her much, but she got the distinct impression that things were real rocky between her and Dana.  Which suited her just fine, particularly now.  Well, there’s no time like the present,’ she told herself.  “OK, well if you’re all good and settled here, I need to talk to Dana about something.”

            “Go ahead on, girl,” Kit smiled, slipping one arm through Ivan’s and resting her hand lightly in the crease of his elbow, “we’ll be just fine!”

            Carmen queued up the next song, a slow romantic ballad by Etta James, with a wink and a grin to Kit and Ivan

At last my love has come along

My lonely days are over

And life is like a song

Ohh yeah yeah

At last

The skies above are blue

My heart was wrapped up in clover

The night I looked at you

            Ivan took possession of Kit with a hand at the small of her back, pressing her hips into his, and moved her effortlessly across the dance floor.  The red silk of her dress, fitting like a second skin, rustled against his body.  He allowed his hands to roam, fitting into the curve of her waist, as he brushed her neck with his lips, savoring the soft sweet taste of her skin. She laid her head on his shoulder with a sigh, relaxing into his strength, and the comfort of his hands that could soothe, smooth, and shake her in one long slow commanding sweep across her back.

            Tina sat back and watched, taking in the whole room, perhaps for the first time tonight.  Windwalker was escorting Helena to the bar, their heads nodded toward each other.  Tina wouldn’t have figured the shaman for being such a charmer, or perhaps Helena was just being the sociable heiress she was raised to be, but they seemed to having quite a good time.