“Oh sure, I’m on top of it.” Alice nodded, watching a ***** blonde woman
walking into the Planet. Alice grinned, snapping the phone shut. She
walked over to the woman, short blonde hair. She was wearing a pair of
black leather pants, and a sleeveless shirt. Her flawless arms with the
perfect tone made Alice want to jump her right there.

“You are new here.” Alice said, and the woman turned, her blue eyes bearing right into Alice’s.

“I suppose I am, you would be the welcome wagon?” The woman offered
with a smile, she accented the ‘come’ in welcome and Alice smiled
sexily.

“I can be if you want me to be.” Alice offered and the tomboy laughed, dark and deep and she touched Alice’s arm.

“Trust me, you want none of what I have to offered.” She smiled,
flashing Alice a pair of white teeth and Alice was sure that the eye
teeth were pronounced and she watched as the woman dropped her green
Oakley sunglasses down onto her nose and walked out of The Planet.

“***** me. That was one ***** ***** woman.” Alice said breathlessly, licking her lips.

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t hit on the customers, Alice.” Lara
said, suddenly at Alice’s side. Alice jumped back, putting her hand to
her heart and then she smiled.

“Lara the soup chef!” Alice bellowed, grabbing Lara into a huge hug and Lara disengaged herself gently from Alice.

“No. The owner of the Planet.” Lara said with a cool voice and Alice
saw that something had changed in the chef. Alice took it all in, the
darker hair, the ***** suit, the heels that could put a man’s eye out.
The hard edged look in her eyes. Lara wasn’t the same happy go lucky
woman they’d all grown to love.

“Wow, moving up in the world.” Alice offered, and Lara smiled coldly.

“And I’m going to be using a few people as stepping stones, now if
you’ll excuse me.” Lara said, pushing passed Alice and out onto the
patio section of the Planet.

“*****, look who’s gone and turned into the Mistress of gloom and doom.” Alice sighed, walking out of the Planet and to her car.

~*~*~*~*~*

Candace was at the desk, doing the monthly book work for her business
and Bette walked in. Bette leaned up against the door for a moment,
staring at Candace, her hair falling into her dark eyes. A bit of a
smile played on Candace’s lips as she saw her profit margin finally
going up instead of down for the first time since she’d taken on the
venture. Being a ***** in business was finally starting to play off.