“Hey, come on. What’s up with
this walking away thing?” Alice
asked and for once, Quin showed some emotion, even if it was annoyed. Where did
this woman hide her feelings, she was cold yet her music and her work were
filled with passion.

            “Hey, what’s with you wanting
to be around me, what is your game Alice?
You go around checking up on me, asking my band questions, and then to where I
work? Allison? Come on, come clean.” Quin said,
a bit more angry and Alice

            “I’m sorry. I. Ok, look I fell
in love with your music, and it’s not everyday that I find something that
speaks so loudly to me.” Alice
admitted and Quin regarded her a bit differently and then she nodded, seeing
her Mother in the corner, waving madly to her. Then she stopped, seeing the
look on Quin’s face and instantly pretending that she wasn’t in the room. Quin
was grateful for that.

            “Thank you.” Quin said, and she
gave Alice
a smile that changed her face drastically and walked away, leaving Alice
to again ponder who the ***** this woman was.

~*~*~*~*~*

            Tina was at Bette’s side,
smiling and pretending to be interested in what was being said, but she wasn’t
. She was bored, she’d rather be playing pool in Seattle
with the alluring Cassandra Grey, Tina pushed
her out of her mind.

            She kept getting flashes of
the woman, the way she smelled the way she moved. How she’d teased Tina
all night, listened to her about Bette, and
their lost baby. She’d been totally at ease speaking with this stranger, and
Cassandra had been very easy to look at. She sighed, sipping on the brandy in
her glass.

            Peggy
came up behind Bette and grabbed her, hugging
the woman hard and kissing her cheek. She smiled placidly at Tina
and Tina smiled back, feeling how fake it was
the moment she did it. Peggy was a total fruit
cake, thought Tina to herself.

            “DARLING! This has been, to
date, my largest success. Franklin and I wanted
to tell you that we have a wonderful exhibit planned for the fall, come with
me, and I’ll tell you about it. Tina, forgive my
manners, I’ll have her back in an instant.” Tina
faked another smile and nodded, the kiss that Bette
planted on her cheek was cold. Tina felt it,
again, not for the first time either, the wall that was there between them that
might never come down.