And, Alice realized she was beginning to feel something for Lara. She no longer saw her own hurt and anger when she looked into Lara’s eyes. She found herself breaking into an unexpected smile when she heard Lara’s voice at the Planet, and she felt the pleasant rumbling deep in her belly when she watched the lean redhead walk across the room.

"Shit." Alice killed the engine and closed her eyes. Breathing deeply she leaned back in her seat. "You can do this Alice." She checked her reflection in the rearview mirror; grimaced at the mild terror she saw written in her eyes and got out of the car. Shaking her hands to ease her nerves she walked up the flight of stairs to Lara’s door, paused and laid her finger on the doorbell.

At the chime of the bell, Lara jumped. "Shit!" She darted into the bathroom and checked her reflection. She was dressed casually in faded jeans that were softened with wear. A simple tailored white blouse completed her outfit. Simplicity was her theme this evening. She didn’t want anything to complicate an already overcomplicated situation. Her outfit was minimal; she’d worn her hair tied back loosely and had applied no makeup. She’d gone for simple flavors for dinner as well. Salmon grilled on cedar, asparagus and roasted red potatoes were fifteen minutes from completion. A bottle of pinot gris was chilled and waiting.

Lara paused, hand on the doorknob. Her heart was racing and she took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself. "You can do this Lara," she whispered and twisted the knob.

Alice stood there with a shy grin easing her features. "Hi."

As Lara took in Alice’s outfit her eyes lingered on the lines of the camisole. "Hi, yourself. That’s a good color on you." She smiled and stepped back with a welcoming gesture. "Thanks for coming."

As Alice stepped into the apartment, she realized that apart from their late night rendezvous’, she’d not spent any time in Lara’s home. She looked around curiously as Lara guided her towards the kitchen. It was apparent that Lara was a bit bookish from the laden shelves that flanked the entertainment center, and Alice was pleasantly surprised to recognize several obscure authors she felt a fondness for.