By: Dreiser


The problem with professional athletes was that they were professional athletes, mused Frank, watching as Dana’s legs bounced nervously in what he was sure had to be some strange training routine. When his clients that were athletes felt any sort of anxiety they always expressed it in the same way. Through physical activity. Often annoying physical activity.

Dana was on the 3,491 leg bounce by her count when Frank cleared his throat and said, “Did Alice tell you if she would make it for the meeting?”

After saying this, Frank made a quick and he was sure, highly ineffective, prayer she would. From what he had seen, the blonde tended to be a calming influence on Dana. Which meant if she showed up Dana might stop her leg bouncing before she bounced a hole into the hardwood floors of Conference Room 12 in the Subaru Headquarters.

“She said she would,” murmured Dana in response, still bouncing her legs.

A smile formed on Dana’s tanned features as she recalled Alice planning her stealth mission to escape from the LA Magazine offices. Marc had insisted she work within the scope of his hawk like vision on her The 80′s: Don’t Deux It article that he had a vested personal interest in. But despite the obvious wrath it would inspire, Alice told Dana one way or another she was going to be with Dana for her meeting with Tonya if that was what the tennis player wanted. Which, naturally, it was.

“That’s good,” said Frank in encouraging tones. “You said you play better when she attends your matches, didn’t you? That seeing her helps put you at ease?”

“Yeah,” Dana nodded, biting on her bottom lip and continuing to bounce her legs. She put her hands on her knees and now her hands were bouncing along with her legs.

“This should be the same then,” Frank smiled warmly, reaching out to pat Dana’s left hand which was covering her knee and bouncing with her leg. It was a kind gesture meant to not only soothe but to perhaps stop the irksome leg bouncing.

Sadly for Frank, it failed on both counts.

“Yeah,” Dana repeated softly and she nodded her head again. This time in perfect synchronization with her leg bouncing and watching this, Frank heaved a sigh.

The tell tale sound of the large conference room doors opening met their ears, causing Dana to pause in her leg bouncing and Frank to crane his head around, both of them hoping that it was Alice arriving. Whatever deity happened to hear Frank’s prayers came through because the dyed blonde poked her head into the room and as soon as she took a step inside the Subaru employee that led her there closed the doors quickly behind her. Quick enough that Alice released a yelp and did a little leap forward, afraid the doors might actually hit her in the ***** in the process of closing.

Her hands entwined behind her back to cover her butt as if to protect it from the attacking doors, Alice looked at it and said in humorous offense, “Did you see that?” Shaking her head, Alice turned to Dana and Frank, a wry expression on her features. “A girl makes fun of a few unnecessary security procedures and the corporate minions get all huffy and near assault with her.”

“Al,” Dana said her name like a prayer, causing Frank to think she had made her own requests to a higher power about the blonde making an appearance. She hovered slightly over her seat, not quite sitting and not quite standing, looking as if she was about to attempt the latter when Alice smiled then started a swift walk towards her. The nervous energy that Dana had become evaporated the instant the writer leaned down to meet their lips in a kiss. When they parted Dana rested her head against Alice’s stomach, her arms circling around the other woman’s waist as Alice placed her hands on top of Dana’s head, stroking her hair gently. Several moments passed with them remaining in comfortable silence until Dana asked in slow and humorous suspicion, “What did you do to the Subaru building security?”

“You see how she is?” remarked Alice dryly, meeting Frank’s eyes. “Always jumping to the conclusion I did something wrong.” Heaving an overdramatic sigh, Alice said, “A girl makes a few practical jokes and suddenly people just don’t trust you.”

Scowling affectionately, Dana nudged Alice’s stomach with her forehead, burrowing further in the embrace and peering at Frank who looked quietly amused with their interaction. “Don’t listen to her, Frank. She broke into a friend of ours office on April’s Fools and moved everything exactly one inch to the left just to drive her crazy because she’s really anal retentive.” Dana chuckled as she recalled the fury of Bette when she found out Alice was responsible for driving her insane all day as she knew something was wrong in her office but she couldn’t figure out what the ***** it was. The blonde had been pursued in a mad chase all over The Planet by Bette for at least ten minutes before she finally got caught when she rounded a corner a little too quickly, causing her to fall. “Bette was furious at you for months after, remember?”

“I think she finally got over it by the end of August,” offered Alice, laughing at the memory of her ex-girlfriend’s long lasting and bitter wrath.

“Well, after hearing that I simply must know,” said Frank and his voice was laced with good humor. “What did our Ms. Alice Pieszecki do to the unsuspecting members of the Subaru security team?”

Rolling her eyes, Alice replied, “They wanted a million forms of ID for some reason. I mean, I’m a reporter, I’m used to having to present my Press ID, right? But they wanted five different forms of ID which is a bit excessive if you ask me. They’re selling cars here not high level government secrets.” Frank chuckled in quiet appreciation at this remark and Alice smirked then continued, “I decided to have fun with my fifth form of identification, that’s all. Too bad for me Subaru security didn’t think using my discount card for the International Love Boutique as ID was funny.”

Bursting into delighted laughter, Frank asked, “That place over on Hollywood and Sycamore? The one that’s famous for giving away free sets of batteries with all purchases?”

“That would be correct,” drawled Alice, a twinkle in her brown eyes.

“Bad Al,” accused Dana in a muffled murmur, choosing to remained hidden in Alice’s arms, face resting against her flat stomach. Though her tone was a tad chastising the love behind her words was more than obvious. “Teasing the employees of my sponsors isn’t allowed.”

“Oh?” Alice lifted an eyebrow in droll observation. “Then, pray tell, why didn’t a certain Subaru sponsored tennis player tell me about that little rule?”

“Because she thought all intelligent people knew that,” said Dana, sounding smug and very entertained by her own comment. It was a feeling that soon ended when Alice reached down to prod her in a notoriously ticklish part of her body, making Dana squeal and try to break out their embrace as Alice held onto her tightly, grinning widely at the brunette’s reaction.

Leaning back into his seat, Frank politely averted his gaze on seeing Alice lower her head for another kiss but he couldn’t stop a soft smile from forming on his craggy features. Though he had been present during many situations like this between the couple, he still found the instantaneous effect the blonde had on Dana amazing. The tennis player had quickly become one of Frank’s favorite clients because of her unassuming nature. She was among the rare group of celebrities that didn’t quite grasp the fact that they were actually famous. To Dana she was just like anyone else, feeling that the only thing setting her apart from others was her ability to swing a racket better than most. Something Frank thought perhaps Dana didn’t consider to be that spectacular of an accomplishment. There was something delicate and shy in her that gave off a definite impression that Dana didn’t think all that much of herself. A lack of self confidence, perhaps, but the second that Alice got anywhere in the vicinity of Dana it was immediately replaced with an easy contentment only someone who was totally comfortable in their own skin could have.

Frank really had to get Alice to agree to accompany Dana whenever she was doing the meet and greets with her fans or just the public in general. No doubt having her there would result in making Dana a thousand times more beloved as the journalist brought out a relaxed and comfortable humor in the tennis player that overall professional athletes didn’t tend to exhibit.

Hearing the sound of movement, Frank felt safe to look and turned to the couple. Alice had settled into the chair on the right side of Dana, scooting it closer to the brunette as his eyes locked on them. Alice nodded at the clock on the far side of the room and said, “You’re the expert, Frank. What does it mean when they’re fifteen minutes late for a scheduled meeting?”

“Any number of things,” said Frank as he somberly considered the different scenarios. “The one that’s most likely being that Tonya is meeting with the Subaru people on her own as we speak. To let them know of our situation.” His lips formed a devilish smile and he said, “Something that I myself already accomplished three days ago.”

The journalist appeared ready to respond when the sound of the large conference doors opening met their ears again. This time it wasn’t a hesitant head of blonde hair poking out from behind them but instead a voluptuous body confidently announcing its presence. But like with Alice as soon as Tonya was inside the room, the unseen Subaru employee swiftly shut the doors.

“Rude much?” huffed Tonya, frowning severely at the doors. Turning to fix her gaze on them, she tilted her head in a gesture of careful consideration, her dark eyes glinting. What Tonya saw they couldn’t even guess but apparently it was amusing because she smiled widely as she strutted over to the conference table to sink into a chair directly across from them. “Alice,” she drew the name out in a sing song pronunciation that was entirely too happy. “Did Dana ask you to join us?”

“Yeah, she did,” Alice replied, her voice holding a distinct warning. She unconsciously reached down to thread her fingers with Dana’s, squeezing her hand gently.

Dark eyes glinting still, Tonya watched them with a shrewd look that make all three present highly uncomfortable because it was the look of someone who knew. Though they would love to try and deny it, they all were aware of Tonya’s talents when it came to people. She could read them as easily as most could read a book and that made her a very skilled negotiator. It helped her know what potential clients wanted before even they themselves did. Being around a person like that was often a nerve racking experience because it made it damn near impossible to hide things from them. Even worse was if you were on opposing sides as they now considered themselves to be.

Finally Tonya’s sharp gaze lessened in power and a small understated smile tugged at her lips as she murmured, “That’s sweet.” Her delivery was soft and sincere, utterly shocking them and Tonya obviously noticed this, making her chuckle. “I’m sure it won’t come as a surprise to any of you to hear I consider myself something of a business woman. And as a business woman,” she drawled, her eyes holding them in a perceptive gaze, “I hardly consider feuding with you to be a profitable situation to be in. I meant what I said in my letter, Dana. Just because our romantic relationship is over is no reason for our business relationship to end with it. After all,” Tonya lifted an eyebrow humorously, gesturing towards Alice. “There’s no point in me even attempting to salvage the romance, is there Dana? You are in love with Alice, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I are… I mean, am, I am,” Dana sputtered, darting her attention between Tonya to Alice then back again, appearing thoroughly baffled over their current situation.

“Well then, there you go,” stated Tonya wisely, waving her hands to accompany her words. She leaned down to retrieve her briefcase, resting it on the conference table to snap it open. “I spoke with Brian Karikawa and the other Subaru reps and they’ve agreed to give us a bit of time before coming up.” Sifting through the briefcase, she pulled out some papers and slid them across the table towards the tennis player. When Dana didn’t move and retained her blank and rather stunned expression, Tonya snapped her fingers. “Dana!” The brunette snapped out of her daze and looked at Tonya wide eyed. “I want you to look that over because I have a proposal for you.” Tonya’s gaze drifted over to Alice and she chuckled appreciatively. “The business sort, of course,” she drawled. “I wouldn’t want to make Alice jealous.”

“No, we wouldn’t want that,” muttered Alice peevishly under her breath.

Reading through the papers with Frank and feeling altogether shocked at what they said, Dana looked at Tonya. “You’ve changed your mind about being involved with the endorsements?”

“Not quite,” Tonya said, clucking her tongue. “That is what will happen if you decide you don’t like my proposal.” Smiling brightly, she folded her arms on the table and leaned forward to lock her gaze with Dana’s. “I want to make a deal with you if I could, Dana. I have a simply spectacular idea for a massive joint promotional and endorsement deal between Subaru and Fila that I plan to pitch today. I’ve already arranged for the Fila executives to be included in today’s meeting,” she supplied quickly, plowing on with her speech despite the obvious stunned state of her audience. “If you like my idea, my pitch, and my ability to seal this deal then I want you to give me a month to prove to you I can remain as your Manager to ensure your professional success and profit without it being the least bit uncomfortable between us.”

“And if she doesn’t like the idea?” asked Alice with disdain.

“That’s where those papers come in,” said Tonya, gesturing absently to the documents in Dana’s hands. “I won’t take the buy out but I will promise to remove myself from any active planning when it comes to the endorsements I’ve gotten Dana so far. I’ll just collect the profits,” Tonya chirped happily, her eyes reflecting a cunning glint as she did so. “Well?” She tilted her head and studied Dana carefully. “What do you say?”

Still looking utterly stupefied, Dana turned to Frank who leaned in and they murmured quietly amongst themselves leaving Alice to lock her gaze on Tonya who met Alice’s eyes easily, not seeming the least bit ill at ease. Finally, Dana and Frank pulled apart and Dana released a whoosh of breath then dipping her head, she said rather shakily, “Okay. That’s fine with us.”

“I see,” said Tonya slowly. Her eyes narrowed and she said sharply, “But is it fine with you, Dana?”

At this statement, Dana’s mouth opened and closed like a fish but soon a determined look formed on her features and she said, “It’s fine with me.”

“Good,” Tonya smiled in satisfaction.

—

The doors to The Planet swung open, announcing Bette and Tina’s entrance and to those observing, they looked every inch the super couple they had long been considered to be in many ***** and ***** dating circles. Winding their way through the myriad of tables, they stopped at the table of the newest couple of interest, Dana and Alice, who wore dazed looks on their faces.

Bette and Tina hovered by the table for several moments before Alice and Dana raised their heads up to look at them. In seconds, huge grins formed on their faces and Alice leapt to her feet to wrap the standing women into an exuberant hug.

“Oh my god!” Alice exclaimed, almost giddy. “This is great!”

They exchanged an amused look with Dana who remained sitting and smiled fondly at the blonde’s actions. When Alice broke away from the hug, Bette chuckled. “Alice, we’re not back together.”

“What? I was just saying hi,” said Alice giving an grin and waving her hands around. “But you know, just for information sake… what are you guys doing here? Together and all?”

“We were wondering if you’d like to have your apartment back,” said Tina, grinning and releasing a laugh when Alice wrapped her and Bette up in another hug.

“Nice! Nice! This is good! This is good!” squealed Alice, shaking the couple slightly side to side in her enthusiasm. Pulling back, she clapped her hands and pointing at Tina, she wore a stern look of exaggeration on her features. “When can I kick you out, missy?”

“We already took the liberty of kicking me out,” Tina laughed, looking to Bette and smiling. “Bette came by this morning and helped me take my things to the house. I’m going to stay there while we look for an apartment.”

“I’m going to see Kit,” murmured Bette, reaching down to squeeze Tina’s hand. Walking away backwards, she locked eyes with Alice and wildly waved at Tina in a giddy movement. As if sensing this, Tina turned around and Bette feigned fixing her hair.

“Okay, give,” said Alice, tugging on Tina’s hand and helping her sit comfortably in the chair across from herself and Dana. “What’s going on? Are you guys together or not?”

“Yeah,” Dana piped in for the first time. “Because you look together.”

Unable to help getting swept up in her friends obvious delight over seeing her and Bette back in couple mode, Tina giggled and said with a smile in her voice, “I’m not ruling it out.”

“Then why get an apartment?” asked Dana, guileless in her curiosity. She truly didn’t understand the need for Tina to find a place of her own if she really did want to try and be with Bette again.

“I need this to go slow,” said Tina, looking away from them and fixing her eyes off in the distance. She wasn’t looking at anything in particular, she just needed to focus on something other than her friends in order to say this. “I need to go at my own pace and I don’t think that will happen if I stay with Bette.” Turning back to Dana and Alice, she smiled softly. “I want to try being friends with Bette and then we’ll see about dating and the rest.”

“Makes sense,” said Alice as she gave Tina a quiet smile of encouragement.

Noticing the pile of paperwork on the table for the first time, Tina remarked wryly, “Don’t tell me these are your notes for that I Hate The 80′s article Marc wants you to write, Al. I didn’t think the topic required this much research.”

“Actually,” Alice drawled, turning to Dana with an expression of beaming pride. “That is the contract for Dana’s new endorsement deal. It’s a joint venture between Subaru and Fila who are going to sponsor a series of events featuring Dana during ***** Pride.”

“I’m doubly sponsored!” announced Dana happily, doing a cute bouncing dance in her seat that made Alice chuckle while brushing back a loose lock of brown hair.

Reading through the paperwork with interest now, Tina’s eyes widened as she got to the payment section. “Dana,” she said in awed tones. “This is huge. It’s six figures that’s almost at seven figures if you ask me.” Looking up at the tennis player who was wearing a smile so big it could possibly crack her face, Tina laughed in happy amazement. “Frank got you this?”

Dana and Alice exchanged a look then fixed their eyes back on Tina who was waiting expectantly for a reply. “No, it wasn’t Frank,” said Dana, looking sheepish. “My Manager got me this deal.”

“Tonya got you this,” said Tina slowly.

“Yeah, she did,” admitted Dana, still looking thoroughly sheepish.

“Tonya, your ex-fiance… the woman who wrecked your condo… the one you left for Al… she got you this deal?” Tina said this in a state of absolute disbelief.

“Yeah, she did,” repeated Dana again, now looking less sheepish.

“Tonya is like… I don’t know, the ***** evil genius of Managers,” Alice said, attempting to somehow explain the situation. “I mean, you should’ve seen her, T. In like… fifteen minutes she had Subaru and Fila signing on the dotted line, throwing all their money Dana’s way. Very cool but also somehow scary.” Looking to Dana, she asked with a frown, “What did you call it, babe?”

“Mindwashing,” Dana replied, meeting Alice’s gaze somberly. “You know, a combination of mind control and brain washing. When the meeting first started they weren’t into the pitch at all but by the time she was through they were practically attacking her to get the contracts signed. It was sort of like the more she talked the more they wanted to agree with her.”

“God, that was creepy,” Alice shuddered, recalling the meeting. “But she got the job done.” A smile tugged at her lips and moving forward, she cupped Dana’s cheek and leaned in to put their faces a breath apart. “I’m so happy for you,” she murmured. “This is going to be fantastic for your career.”

“I know,” said Dana, releasing a tiny cry of excitement, her legs bouncing. Smiling into the kiss Alice deposited on her lips, she caressed the blonde’s neck when they pulled apart. “You have to be with me though. I’m not doing the float thing if you aren’t there. Tonya said it would be okay.”

“You guys,” Tina’s voice broke through their reverie. They turned to face her, taking note of the incredulous expression she wore on her features. “You aren’t serious, are you? Tonya isn’t really still your Manager, is she Dana?”

Exchanging another look that Tina was both charmed and irritated by, the couple faced her and Dana gave a small shrug of her tanned shoulders. “She really is still my Manager,” said Dana as if it was the natural thing to expect. “There wasn’t any point in firing her. She’s great at her job.”

“Evil genius great,” agreed Alice, nodding.

“But she’s Dana’s ex-fiance,” said Tina slowly and she heavily emphasized on the word ex-fiance, staring them down as if they were a pair of two headed aliens.

“And she’s my current Manager,” said Dana who did a fairly decent impression of Tina on saying this. “One who just got me a six figure endorsement deal.”

“Al, you can’t possibly be okay with this,” exclaimed Tina, turning her attention to the dyed blonde. “You know this is wrong, right?”

“Wrong, right, I don’t know, T,” murmured Alice thoughtfully. She shrugged and tilted back in her chair. “Weird, yes, definitely very ***** weird but she’s good for Dana’s career. Tonya is setting Dane up to be the gayest thing in tennis since Martina’s tacky huge ***** glasses.”

“Sexiest too,” Dana chimed in, grinning impishly.

Alice nodded her head vigorously then turned quickly back to Tina, leaning forward in her chair and almost tipping out of it in the process. “You won’t believe this,” Alice declared in overwhelming delight. “We get out the meeting and Frank gets a call back from The Advocate. Dana’s going to be the cover story for the June issue.”

“Oh, oh, oh, she’s my cover girl,” sang Dana off key.

Tina and Alice stared at Dana for a long and very silent moment trying to process if the tennis player had indeed just recited a lyric from a New Kids On The Block song. They decided it best not to broach the topic and Tina stared at Alice, looking baffled.

“I’m sorry, Al,” said Tina quietly, frowning slightly. “But I just don’t get it. You hate Tonya… you were so against her marrying Dana, even before you realized you were in love with her. How can you be okay with the idea of her staying in Dana’s life like this?”

Heaving a sigh, Alice ran her fingers through messy blonde hair and shrugging, she said, “I did hate her as Dana’s fiance because I thought she was a money grubbing greedy celebrity chasing opportunist. I still do, in fact,” revealed Alice wryly, laughing a bit. “But while those are horrible traits to have in a future wife they’re actually quite good ones for a current Manager.”

“What if she tries to get Dana back? You know, through working with her,” said Tina almost anxiously. When she saw the insulted look on Dana’s bronzed features she quickly apologized. “I’m sorry, Dane! I don’t think you’d cheat on Al, I trust you. But Tonya–”

“T,” said Alice in soothing tones, reaching out to clasp her friend’s hands. “You’re sweet to worry about us but there’s nothing to worry about when it comes to Tonya.” She looked to Dana who had a tiny scowl on her features, her arms folded over her chest in the pose of someone in the midst of an extreme pout. Turning back to Tina with a mischievous grin, Alice said, “Tonya has already found someone higher up on the celebrity food chain than Dana.”

“Who?” asked Tina, blinking.

“Melissa Rivers,” Alice uttered solemnly.

Alice stared at Tina. Tina stared at Alice. Dana stared off to the side pout/scowling. People passing by stared at all three women.

Then Tina formed the most disgusted expression of disbelief they had ever seen then demanded loud enough for everyone in The Planet to hear, “Is Melissa Rivers even *****?!”

—

“I’ve got it, Dane! I’ve finally discovered what the problem with pregnant ladies is!” Alice’s voice declared, floating out into the living room of her apartment from the guest room Tina had been staying in. They were currently occupied with cleaning up after their friend’s abrupt departure from her apartment. One that apparently wasn’t the neatest activity. It made them wonder how the ***** Bette managed to keep her office at the CAC so immaculate. Then again, maybe Bette only cared about keeping her own surroundings looking nice. Not other peoples. That would be very Bette. Poking her head out from the room, holding a bright pink feather duster that she pointed in Dana’s direction, Alice said, “Because they’re pregnant ladies no matter who technically makes the mess they never get stuck doing the cleaning because, come on, they’re pregnant ladies!”

“Dammit,” Dana wore an exaggerated grimace, snapping her fingers loudly for good measure as she paused in the midst of her living room cleaning. “That’s it, Al. You’ve won this round of what’s wrong with pregnant ladies.”

“For the fifth time!” cried Alice gleefully, darting back into the guest room with bright pink feather duster in hand. “I rule at this game, it should be on ESPN.”

Chuckling fondly, Dana put her hands on her hips and looked around the living room. It was probably as clean as it was ever going to get, knowing Alice’s tendency to wildly strewn her belongings about when on a mad search for something. Blue eyes drifted over the room, finally stopping at the large dry erase board hanging on the wall. Staring at the infamous chart, she noticed a huge oversight. There was Alice, name outlined in red marker with a zigzag, there was Dana not having any outline at all, and there was no line linking the two of them together.

Huge oversight indeed.

Darting her eyes to the guest room where she could hear Alice rummaging about and talking to herself about no doubt what else was wrong with pregnant ladies, Dana tip toed over to the chart and grabbed a marker. Biting her bottom lip in concentration, she drew a bold line from herself to Alice. Then she took a step back, admiring her work with pride.

And then she decided it wasn’t bold enough, so she darted forward to go over the line again, making it darker. Only then she decided it was too dark and it needed some color so she found a red marker and started to draw little circles around the line. But then it was too red and black so she located a blue marker to make a series of zigzags matching the ones around Alice’s name.

By the time that Alice entered the room, Dana had decided that since blue needed green then green must need yellow and was searching for a marker to suit this obvious need. Looking from her busy girlfriend to the chart and seeing the very elaborate line the tennis player had drawn between their names, Alice grinned and shook her head.

Sometimes Dana really was just so ***** cute.

“Well, lookee here, we’ve got ourselves a regular ***** Picasso of chart artwork,” drawled Alice teasingly, creeping up on Dana and grabbing her waist when the tennis player froze at her words. She pulled the squirming brunette back into her, laughing and kissing her neck, smiling on feeling the tanned skin already heating up in an obvious blush. “I can see you’ve been hard at work.”

“Your chart was wrong,” Dana muttered after a few moments of silence, sounding thoroughly embarrassed. “I wanted to fix it.”

Chuckling at this, Alice rested her chin on Dana’s shoulder to study the chart and Dana’s extravagant line artwork more closely. “Is that what that is? I think it’s minimalist art deco myself,” mused Alice. “I guess we’ll have to ask art expert Bette about that though.”

“Al,” groaned Dana pitifully, feeling humiliated. The feeling was soon soothed by the blonde pressing closer yet to deliver a warm kiss on her neck and whisper an ‘I love you’ ardently in her ear. Leading the athlete to remain comfortably in Alice’s arms when she asked rather hesitantly, “Why didn’t you have us linked on the chart?”

Hearing the understated hurt in Dana’s words, Alice took her time to stop, think, and consider the real answer to her question. A soft sigh escaped her lips and tucking her chin back onto Dana’s shoulder, she murmured, “Because as much as I love the idea of the chart it’s fucked up science in a way, you know? There’s something kind of cold about it… detached, I guess. And what I feel for you, what we have, that’s so far gone from science and cold and detached as you can get. I don’t know,” Alice admitted, sounding entirely frustrated at lacking words for one of the few times in her life. “That’s the best I can explain and I know it was ***** of me–”

Alice was cut off by the urgent press of Dana’s lips on her own, tongue seeking and getting entrance to suck slow, soft, and sensuous, making the blonde release a low moan into Dana’s mouth. When they parted, Dana muttered into her lips, “It wasn’t *****. You weren’t *****.”

Then she pulled Alice to her again, devouring her in the frantic but still loving way only Dana managed to have. How the athlete made love was something truly astonishing to Alice because she could be the most wild, enthusiastic, and fervent lover but at the same time she was achingly tender and kind. Things that didn’t seem to fit well together when it came to sexual personality characteristics but that was Dana and Alice loved that about her so very much.

Right around the moment Dana tugged the shirt off and over Alice’s head did the journalist realize they were currently involved in the process of soon to be having *****. Which normally was a simply spectacular thing but normally they both hadn’t been cleaning her incredibly dirty apartment for two hours and possessed a smell of evidence for this.

“Dana,” Alice separated from their kiss with a loud gasp. Losing her train of thought as warm hands fell to her abdomen and began to unbutton her jeans, slipping down and underneath her panties. “I really want to do this but…” Skilled fingers slipped further down, teasing Alice at the folds of her ***** and Dana peered up at her with blue eyes dark from desire. “But…”

“But…?” asked Dana, lifting an eyebrow and smiling as she began a slow rise up Alice’s body. Kissing pale skin until she was standing, body pressed close, fingers playing outside her *****, lips hovering over her own for a kiss. “What is it, Al?”

“We need to take a shower. We stink,” said Alice, at last managing to get the words out and cursing herself when she felt Dana’s fingers still.

Sometimes she really did need to not be so ***** logical about certain things. But she didn’t like the idea of starting ***** off stinky. You were supposed to become stinky through *****, not the other way around. Then again, Alice considered, Dana really never did stink when she was sweaty. Which was most likely part of why Alice found sweaty Dana so damn hot.

The still fingers moved but unfortunately for Alice, they moved to slip entirely out of her and she moaned at the loss. She was *****. What was the big deal about stinky ***** anyway? Maybe she could get Dana to forgive her mood killing statement and get things back to where they were before her stupid brain interfered.

“Okay,” Dana drew the word out, her eyes twinkling and lips quirking in that adorable little girl smile that always served to delight Alice. Though this time it held an added sensuality to it that was putting the blonde’s hormones into definite overdrive. Linking a pale hand in her own, Dana gently tugged a bewildered Alice towards the bathroom. “Lets take a shower.”

And Alice’s brain, stupid and interfering as it was, managed to correctly interpret this statement as thus: Dana + Alice + Horny + Shower = Shower *****.

God, her life kicked so much ***** right now.

Stopping once inside the bathroom, Dana quirked an eyebrow in amusement at the sight of Alice having devolved into what looked to her like a teenager so eager at the idea of what was to come they couldn’t quite figure out what to do next. A smile curling on her features, Dana stepped forward to leave a soft and teasingly breathless kiss on Alice’s lips and sliding down, her hands tracing the outline of the blonde’s body as she went, Dana pulled Alice’s jeans down to leave them pooled at her feet. Peering up, the fond smile returned to Dana’s features as she saw Alice had become so entranced by the athlete she couldn’t seem to move. Pushing herself upwards, Dana was kneeling as she wrapped her arms around Alice’s waist, kissing and tasting the skin of the flat stomach in front of her. And as fingers tangled in her hair, Dana’s head fell to reverently kiss pale thighs, moving a path downwards, smiling at the gasp she was rewarded at this action. Wrapping gentle fingers around one leg and then the other to lift them out of the jeans at their feet.

Then her hands returned in a path upwards again, tugging the black silk panties down and disposing them with much less patience. Dana rose to her feet, unsnapping Alice’s bra to get rid of it in the same manner, and arching an eyebrow, she saw that the blonde was stuck in her frozen state. But maybe that could provide a bit of fun in the meantime, she considered.

Just as Dana was wondering exactly how to perform a proper strip tease in a tiny bathroom, Alice stirred from her temporary lust filled daze and was on the tennis player in an instant. In mere seconds, Dana found herself naked and captured in another of Alice’s deep and endless kisses. Pressing her bare back against the cold tiles of the bathroom, her tongue sweet and insistent, sucking and tugging, wanting as much as she could have of Dana. Groaning into the kiss, the brunette hastily pulled the shower curtain shut and buried her fingers in messy blonde hair.

Smiling on seeing and feeling Dana’s impatience match her own, Alice grasped at the shower valve on the wall, turning on the stream of water to then sink delightfully back into the kiss. This lasted for perhaps .37 seconds and then they both screeched, jumping away from the stream of water falling on them that happened to be freezing cold.

“Turn it off!” shrieked Dana in a slight panic, her back pressed against the far wall of the shower as far away from the cold water as she could get.

“Okay, okay!” responded Alice, somehow managing to sound just as panicked. Her back was against the side wall, sucking her body to it in a strange attempt to stay away from the cold water as she reached for the shower valve, adjusting it until the water would be at a much warmer temperature. Experimentally sticking her hand out, she sighed on feeling the water at a more acceptable level and turned her head on hearing Dana laugh. Arching an eyebrow on seeing the tennis player covering her mouth with her hand in an attempt to hide her giggles, Alice drawled in sardonic observation, “What?”

Dropping her hand a bit, Dana giggled and said, “We just took a cold shower, Al.”

“Funny,” Alice rolled her eyes and stepped up to Dana, capturing her lips that were still involved with a massive giggle fit. Smiling into the kiss, she murmured, “You’re such a geek.”

“And you’re a dork,” Dana murmured back in loving accusation, moaning low and in her throat when Alice’s hands slipped down to mimic her actions of earlier. Teasing at the edge of her *****, slipping in then out, playing at the slick folds. “Al,” she groaned and lifted upwards, standing on her tip toes, tangling her fingers in messy blonde hair now wet from the stream of water.

The water washing down on them, Alice rose to meet Dana and buried her fingers inside, absorbing the moans and quivers into herself, deepening their kiss. Her thumb a light press over Dana’s *****, up then down, sometimes a circular motion, teasing her in the whispering touch. The exact opposite of Alice’s fingers, exploring long and hard and insistent, Dana pressed against the wet tiles of the shower by Alice’s body, the blonde’s left arm snaked around her waist, holding her firm and steady and still for her thrusts.

Dana’s head tilted back into the tiles and her mouth opened in a wordless cry, the water falling down on her and Alice’s mouth hot on her skin, licking the streams away from her neck when the ***** seized her. The water fell, steady and warm on them as Dana sank boneless into Alice who was as close as she could possibly get, face buried in the crook of Dana’s neck, underneath her chin, kissing her shaking pulse and fingers at rest inside of her.

“Are you all right?” whispered Alice, after they remained in a long silence, only the sound of the water falling meeting their ears.

Instead of replying, Dana pulled Alice to her, aggressively spinning her around to land against the wall. Capturing her lips for a searing kiss that left the blonde moaning into her and begging for her to return when they parted. Dana’s mouth moving down her body in a different type of exploration. Fingers reaching to tangle in the wavy brown locks, wet and thick from the water falling, Alice gasped as Dana’s tongue parted her. Left hand buried in Dana’s hair, right hand flat against the wall tiles, both where they were in an attempt to hold herself steady, Alice cried at the sensation of Dana pressing inside her, sucking and tasting and teasing.

Water fell on them in consistent streams, covering and washing away what Dana enjoyed to taste the most. And when Alice came, her body still and frozen, losing all muscle, she slid down the wet wall tiles to rest at the shower floor with Dana. Bodies tangled together, unable to tell one from the other, the water blanketed them, warm and comforting, they sighed into the feel of skin on skin.

Then Dana nudged Alice with her forehead, peering up to meet their eyes, wearing her mischievous little girl smile and she said, “That was fun.”

Chuckling appreciatively, Alice seized Dana’s lips for a kiss that definitely echoed the affirmative.

—

Shower ***** was so fun, in fact, that the couple only found themselves removing themselves from it when their skin began to prune rather uncomfortably. They were enjoying the lovely rose tinted aftermath of their activities, Alice crouched at Dana’s feet, slowly petting her dry with a fluffy towel, grinning when she peeked up at the feel of the athlete’s fingers tangling in her hair. Rising slowly, taking the towel with her to dry Dana’s skin on the way, Alice kissed her languid and unhurried.

They were kissing this way when an obnoxious ringtone blared in the air. One that Alice didn’t recognize which meant it wasn’t her cell phone that was ringing. Pulling back from the kiss and smiling at Dana’s groan of disapproval, Alice remarked with an almost evil humor, “That’s a cell phone ringing and it’s not my cell phone. Because what did I do with my cell phone per a certain tennis player’s express orders?”

“You turned it off,” Dana said in a pathetic whine, stepping near Alice and trying to reach for her but the blonde laughed and dodged nimbly. “We can ignore it, Al. Lets ignore it.” Forming her best Bambi doe eyes, she continued, “Please, can we ignore it?”

“Answer and turn off your cell phone then come back,” commanded Alice, propelling Dana out of her bathroom and closing the door behind her.

The lock turned loudly and Dana pouted for a second then she realized the faster she answered the phone the faster they could return to their previous activities. Dashing over to her phone, she picked it up with a breathless, “This is Dana Fairbanks.”

“Dana,” a familiar voice not quite warm and not quite brittle filled her ear and immediately Dana bit her lip nervously. “This is your mother.”

“Mom,” Dana sighed heavily, sinking down onto Alice’s bed. “Hi. How are you? I’m sorry I haven’t called you but things have been kind of crazy. I… I got a new endorsement deal today.” Unable to help from getting excited, she laughed happily. “It’s with Fila.”

“Darling!” Sharon released a happy noise and she could hear her mother talking to her father in the background. “Irwin, our Dana has an endorsement with Fila now. Isn’t that wonderful?”

There was shuffling then Irwin was on the line, saying warmly, “That’s fantastic, sweetheart.” He paused and then asked in rather somber tones, “How much did you get?”

“Irwin,” muttered Sharon in a bit of disgust. “Don’t ask her something like that. If Dana wants to tell us how much she was able to get then she’ll tell us so. Isn’t that right, darling?”

“Actually, I wanted to get together with Dad sometime soon to talk to him about my finances,” offered Dana quietly. “Would that be okay with you, Dad? We could have lunch and go over the papers then maybe a round of golf after? How does that sound?”

“You said lunch and golf, sweetheart, I’m there,” said Irwin, chuckling. There was the loud blare of music and then he said in a frustrated mutter, “Howie and that damn rap music. Do you know he actually had the walls shaking yesterday? I ought to go show him our replastering bill. In fact, that’s a good idea. I’m going to do that now.” He paused and then his voice was warm and caring as he said, “I’ll talk to you later about lunch and golf, Dana. Call me tomorrow, all right?”

“Okay, Dad,” murmured Dana, smiling in relief. She really did want her father’s input about her new contracts because he was a strange kind of genius when it came to that sort of thing. After her father left there was silence and Dana bit her lip again. Though she hated to admit it, she had always preferred her father to her mother in some ways. Her father was always so warm to her no matter what went on. Since she had come out, he spoke briefly to her in private and confessed he didn’t understand but Dana was still his little girl and that’s all he cared about. She had yet to get such a response from her mother and it honestly stung. Unable to take the silence anymore, Dana said hesitantly, “Mom? You there?”

Right as she said the word Mom was when the bathroom door opened and locking eyes with a naked Alice, she smiled at the look of wide eyed surprise the blonde wore. In an instant, Alice was at her side, sinking onto the bed behind her, arms going around her waist, ***** a soft press against her back, wrapping Dana up in an embrace both soothing and reassuring.

“What’s up?” mouthed Alice silently, peering around Dana’s shoulder to meet their eyes.

“No idea,” Dana mouthed silently back, shrugging and sighing happily when the journalist kissed her neck as she pushed back a lock of hair. Alice rested her chin on Dana’s shoulder as the tennis player tried again. “Are you there, Mom?”

“I phoned your condo first, you know,” Sharon’s voice returned at last, sounding altogether strained as she spoke. “I gather from your new answering machine message you and Tonya are no longer getting married? And you’ve… moved on… with that friend of yours?”

“Her name is Alice,” replied Dana tightly, feeling herself getting angry and hating that. Hating how her mother could make her feel small and weak and useless with just a few words. “You’ve met her more times than I can probably count, Mom.”

“Yes,” Sharon sighed heavily. There was silence, perhaps to let her arrange her thoughts, then she said bitterly, “I would have liked some knowledge of what is going on in your life, Dana. I am still your mother, no matter what the situation. I want to know what is happening to my daughter.”

“Including what’s happening in her love life?” questioned Dana incredulously. “Because that isn’t what it sounds like to me, Mom. It sounds like you want me to edit out ‘the *****’ in my life and then report back to you what’s acceptable. You know, like getting new endorsement deals from Fila.”

“Dana,” said Sharon, sounding thoroughly exasperated. She sighed again then murmured, “Perhaps we should speak another time. When you call Daddy tomorrow… that’s when we’ll continue this. After you’ve had some time to calm yourself.”

“I am calm,” muttered Dana under her breath, relaxing only when she felt Alice smile against her shoulder and kiss her softly. “That’s fine, Mom. I’ll talk to you then.”

Silence and then Sharon said uncomfortably, “I love you, Dana.”

Then the sound of a dial tone and dropping the cell phone from her ear, Dana stared at it blankly as she held down the talk button until it was turned off per Alice’s teasing orders from earlier. She did her best to form a convincing smile and tossing the phone onto a nearby chair, she faced Alice and leaned forward for a kiss as she said, “Where were we?”

Accepting the kiss, Alice gently broke it after a few moments and murmured into Dana, “Where we were doesn’t matter. Where we are now does.” Cupping Dana’s face, she dropped her head to meet downcast blue eyes. “What did she say to you?”

“It’s never what she says,” confessed Dana brokenly, feeling wretchedly embarrassed at the hot tears that were already starting to fall. “It’s how she says it, Al. She… she just doesn’t sound like a mother should sound…” Sobbing into Alice’s neck, burying herself in the blonde’s arms that were wrapped around her in seconds. “Sometimes I don’t even think she loves me anymore…” Dana extricated herself from Alice’s arms, meeting worried brown eyes and breathing shakily as pale hands wiped her tears away. “She says she does but I don’t think she means it. I think she says it because she thinks she has to… because it’s expected…” Turning from Alice, she sounded inconsolable as she muttered, “Fairbanks do what’s expected.”

At this, Alice released an odd sort of anguished noise that was at the same time filled with an overwhelming rage and Dana again found herself wrapped up in her arms. Sinking into Alice’s skin, she sighed gratefully at the embrace and for a long while they chose to stay that way. Then Alice murmured into Dana’s ear, voice low and firm, “She loves you, Dana. Your mother loves you. She’s just horrifically inept at showing it.” Again there was a long silence then Alice murmured in warm and inviting tones, “I have an idea.” Pulling back to look into sad blue eyes, she beamed. “Would you like to hear my idea?”

“Sure,” said Dana lethargically.

“First thing we do,” Alice drew the words out, smiling wider and rocking Dana to and fro in her arms. “Is dress ourselves up nice and fancy so I can take you out on a date. Because we,” she murmured as she captured Dana’s lips for a slow kiss, “haven’t gone on an official date as a couple yet, have we? That’s a huge problem if you ask me. One that needs to be fixed pronto. Well?” drawled Alice, lifting an eyebrow in speculation. “What do you say, Dane?”

The sound of a girly squeal of delight and the thump of Alice being pushed back onto the bed was the response. It was hard to imagine that it could ever possibly be in the negative.

—

Precisely one hour later, Dana in a ***** black evening gown that featured an enticing slit on the right side to give a wonderful view of her tanned legs, an outfit Alice had declared enthusiastically to be ‘so Miss Dana’, and Alice in a pair of simple black tailored pants and low cut white wide collared shirt with the sleeves partially rolled up, strolled into the High Low Music Club.

The music playing sounded vaguely familiar to Dana, she couldn’t quite place it but she knew she had heard it before and frowning, she tried to figure it out as she studied her surroundings. Alice said she would like it here so Dana was positive she would but that didn’t change she hadn’t ever been in a place like this. Music was wafting out of several well hidden speakers, floating over the patrons who sat at an odd mismatch of tables that were all placed around a large dance floor that already shifted from being full to empty to half and half in just a span of a minute. There was an endless stream of activity and sound, something normally Dana would find irritating but somehow here it wasn’t. It just seemed natural. As if it was a part and a parcel of the building.

“Dane,” Alice’s murmur greeted her ears and she turned to the blonde and saw that the hostess had arrived to lead them to their table.

Smiling and squeezing Alice’s hand, Dana let herself be expertly wound through the tables until they stopped at one on the far side of the dance floor, in perfect view of the bar. They took their seats, thanking the hostess and accepting the menus.

Placing her menu immediately down, Alice leaned forward to put her elbows on the table and asked with a little grin, “How do you like it?”

“It’s nice,” said Dana, tilting her head back. She couldn’t figure out what the song was and it was bothering her because she really did know the voice. Part of her thought it had to be someone from Motown Records. Frowning slightly, Dana decided to just give in and looking to Alice, she asked, “What song is this?”

“I Say A Little Prayer For You,” replied Alice, smiling. “The Aretha Franklin version.” Waving her hands about, she laughed. “They’ve got a million different ones, you know. Including the one by the ***** British man in that Julia Roberts movie.”

“Rupert Everett,” said Dana, returning the smile, now at ease. Looking around the club before focusing back on Alice, she said sincerely, “I like it, Al. This is a nice place… it’s so relaxed, you know? It seems like a really comfortable place to be.”

“It is known for the mellow,” chuckled Alice, looking at the menu and trying to decide what to eat. “All types of people come here. Black, white, *****, straight, or just whatever, to eat the good food and dance to some old school R&B. I think it’s fun, myself.”

“I like this music,” remarked Dana, deciding to study her own menu to find something that fit into her training regimen. “I guess I always have. Somehow it never gets old. It sounds new to me no matter how much time has passed when it first came out.”

“R&B is forevermore classic,” Alice uttered solemnly, nodding her head and grinning when she heard Dana giggle at her words. “Are you making fun of me?” she asked, not looking up from the menu as she couldn’t figure out if she wanted the shrimp or the steak. “I heard that giggle, Fairbanks. That was the giggle of making funnery.”

“That’s not even a word, Al,” declared Dana, playfully whapping Alice on the head with her menu.

Rubbing her head, Alice scowled affectionately at Dana then muttered, “I take you out to someplace nice and I get hit with menus. Where’s the romantic justice in the world?”

Dana started to respond but their waitress appeared to take their orders and suggest before departing that they spend the time waiting for food on the dance floor. It was a suggestion that had Dana bouncing happily in her seat at hearing it and soon had Alice on her feet holding her hand out to the other woman. Following after the journalist, Dana tilted her head back and frowned as she yet again knew a song but couldn’t place it. The ooh wahs sounded awfully familiar though.

This time she gave into weakness a lot quicker and pressing closer to Alice as they reached the dance floor, Dana asked, “What’s playing?”

Spinning around and smiling widely, Alice pulled Dana to her and pressed their bodies close to begin their dance. The ooh wahs in the song had ceased, letting the lyrics begin that Alice happily sang with, “Why do fools fall in love?” Rolling her eyes, she continued, “Why do birds sing so *****?”

Laughing on knowing exactly why Alice had found that lyric a tad on the silly side, Dana lifted her hand and managed to help the blonde perform a slight spin. Still laughing, she pulled Alice back into her, enjoying the press of their bodies as they danced.

“And lovers await the break of the day,” Alice continued to sing, sensing that Dana seemed to enjoy it. She swayed along with the brunette, smiling as they locked eyes. “Why do they fall in love? Why does the rain fall from up above?”

At this lyric a mischievous but wanting glint appeared in her brown gaze and Dana reddened, realizing the blonde was clearly thinking of their recent activities in the shower. Looking around the dance floor and seeing a few other ***** couples, Dana decided on seeing them it didn’t matter they were there anyway. She was having fun and she was happy… god, she was so happy right now. Happier than she had ever been.

And feeling altogether playful and just a bit naughty, Dana reached down to squeeze Alice’s bottom and lift her up to meet their lips in a kiss. When they parted moments later, Dana laughed when Alice exclaimed her name in surprised delight then her arms went around the blonde to continue with their dance.

“Love is a losing game. Love can be a shame,” sang Alice, wrapping her arms around the tennis player’s neck and moving with the music. Grinning widely, she pressed closer and rose up to sing to Dana with their lips just a breath apart. “I know, I’m a fool you see. For that fool is me.”

Knowing the kiss was coming, Alice darted backwards impishly, holding onto Dana’s hand and moving them into a series of spins as well as some other complex dance maneuvers. Ones that left them slightly off kilter and had them collapsing into each other, laughing and clinging tightly. When they finally sorted themselves out, Dana once again leading with Alice pressed close, the song was almost over.

“Why does my heart skip a crazy beat?” Alice sang, practically laughing with the lyrics she felt so giddy in the moment. She didn’t know the last time she had felt this way. Just so utterly happy without a clear reason for it. Just being with Dana like this, dancing with her and singing to her. This was just a perfect form of happiness to Alice. “For I know, it will reach defeat. Tell me why,” she sighed at the feeling of Dana’s fingers tangling in her hair, pulling her close. Breath warm against the tanned neck, Alice sang on, “Why do fools fall in love?”

Their food was finished cooking in thirty minutes but they didn’t stop dancing until two hours later. Needless to say, it had to be reheated to make it edible but somehow Dana and Alice hardly minded.


To be continued…