A sly smile crawling over Lara’s lips. Tina and Shane? What a wonderful
and unexpected surprise that had just occurred in this plan of hers, a
gift from the vengeance gods, she was sure.

She walked around the back of the room, seeing Dana smiling like the
beaming bride she should be. She entered the closet and closed the door
quietly. She reached up over the door, popping open the hidden panel
and pressed in the small DVD disc. She smiled, sliding the case back
into her pocket. She closed the compartment with a soft click.

“It’s the little things that count.” Lara whispered to the empty room,
then a maniacal chuckle and she exited as quickly as she’d gone in.

~*~*~*~*~*

“So what have you been working on, Alice?” Bette asked, they were all
eating, now that the tension from the table was gone, they were all
back to normal.

“I just got this dumb assignment. I have to do a review of the best
BDSM clubs in LA.” Jenny almost spit out her drink, coughing and
excusing herself; Marina patted her back as Jenny covered her mouth
with a napkin.

“Yeah my sentiments exactly! I mean hello? Who does that stuff? Sure as
***** complicated enough in the bedroom without adding ‘Yes Ma’am, No
Ma’am’ to the mix.” Alice stated, and Ivan laughed, Kit just picked at
her food, Jenny still looking like she’d swallowed the canary.

“I think there are many versions of the bondage, dominance,
sadomasochist lifestyle. Some are extreme, some are more as a release.”
Marina said, slowly eating her lobster and the table stared at her.

“What?” Marina asked with an innocent smile.

“Um hello? Has the world gone insane?” Alice asked in a pleading tone,
and they drifted off into silence, each off in their own world,
wondering the same thing.

~*~*~*~*~*

Listening
2.11.05
Janet Marie

Do this and you’ll be all right
He never loved me anyway
Strap me down
Make me listen to my own fright
Are you listening now?