Penelope Perdomo lived in Sydney, the “***** capital of Australia”, the land of the much celebrated Mardi Gras. She had been open with her sexuality since age 12 and was definitely a match for Miss Dana. She spoke fluent Spanish and was of Argentinian descent. Boy did she have the looks to boot!

She had a perfect body that you could spend caressing and exploring for hours on end, and yet, still find new delights in. A sultry smile played on her lips, long glowing brown hair graced her shoulders. Her complexion combined the radiance of a beautiful Spring morn with smooth, creamy melted chocolate. Her eyes were a deep inviting brown, and with them she could work you to her every whim and fancy. She was surely anyone’s idea of a dream girl, and even Dana, enthralled as she was with her Lara, felt slightly drawn to her. Or maybe that was purely a yearning desire for knowledge and insight into her – a link to Lara’s mysterious past. An element of mystery was, needless to say, hot, but some things had to come out of the closet, starting with Pen!

And with this revelation, Dana begrudgingly turned to face her opponent, “So, er, when did you and Lara meet?”

“Oh, I was on a working vacation about four years ago. I was studying hospitality at the time and decided I had to take a break and really get to know my culinary surroundings.”

Obviously deep in thought, Pen grinned as she delved further into the past. “I started with my roots in Argentina. In order to really make a period of self-discovery worthwhile, I feel it’s important to start right here,” She pointed to her heart, “And where better than surrounded by loved ones and the food that really makes them tick?”

Dana interrupted her musings, “So you met Lara in Argentina? I didn’t even know she lived there…” Dana looked forlorn. She wasn’t normally possessive, but suddenly she didn’t like that Lara had had a life, another woman before her. Considering Dana’s only prior claim to a relationship had been a tennis camp fiasco with a girl who never spoke to her again after, she couldn’t bear to think that Lara had been with such a seemingly open partner before her.

Before she had time to pursue this venemosity further, Pen interjected “Oh, no, no..Lara didn’t come in until later. Sorry, got a bit caught up in my roots!” Awkward silence followed. “Uh, why don’t I fast forward a little?”

Dana got a bit snarky now, “Well, that would be nice..”

“Oh let’s see, money wasn’t easy to come by, and I’ve always been a nature-fan, so I made my way up to the U.S. by trekking through the Andean mountains and then rafting.” Great and she was outdoorsy too? This was Dana’s domain! She was out…doorsy! If Pen had a love for the outdoors, too, not to mention much more in common with Lara, Dana didn’t stand a chance.

“I made a few pitstops of course – in Chile, Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba and Mxico.”

And that accent! It was so…seductive. At this point Dana felt completely inferior. Why had Lara and Pen even grown apart when they seemed so perfect for one another?

“I hitch-hiked to L.A., every Aussie’s dream I tell ya! The place is even more beautiful in real life than on movie sets! And the thrill of actually getting tv shows hot off the camera was fabulous! I meandered over to the work placement I’d hooked up, at that great Chinese place over near Lara’s, and that’s where I met her. NO, not THEIR first-date Chinese place! Dana was certainly near boiling point now.

“She was the apprentice chef there and, damn did she look fine in that hot little number! Mmm I had to have her there and then! Haha, bet you know what I’m talkin’ ’bout there eh?” Pen playfully fisted Dana in her left shoulder.

The mental image of when Dana first set eyes on Lara in her chef’s outfit was aroused. She let out a defeated sigh as butterflies swarmed her stomach. She oozed into her seat and smiled. On the way down, however, she knocked a teaspoon over and when it slammed to the ground reality re-claimed her. She went back to staring daggers across the table, but Pen was too caught up in her recounting to notice.

Dana finally brought up the nerve to ask, “How…how long did you two see each other for?” She was tempted to say “So how long were you ***** MY Lara for *****?!” but Dana never was one for confrontation, and held tremendous restraint.

“I guess we saw each other for about nine months. I had to go back to Australia, and she knew it was only temporary. The distance thing never works, so I broke it off on my last day here.”

That was it? Pen had invested nine months and then run away? No wonder her sweet Lara has never brought it up – this insensitive jerk had left without so much as an obligatory Hallmark message!

This later outburst Dana could not withold. “So, you just left her?! You didn’t think after nine months it deserved some more thought than that?!”

“Look, there were NO false pretences. She knew full well what she was getting into and that I’d be gone by December! I had a life to live, a career, people back at home. She was just a fling, my in-between girl…”

Dana was furious now. “You’re ‘in-between girl’?! That’s ***** rich! She has beauty, character, caring and something which you’ll never have, soul!”

Pen laughed. “I was never in love with her..WE were never in love, it was just lust.”

Dana got up now, utterly confused, enraged, and slightly relieved, “You can’t HAVE lust with Lara, it’s ALWAYS love. She embodies the entire concept of love. I hope no one will find love in you, because frankly you’re the most insensitive person I’ve ever met! And you’ve beaten my mother to that award!”

After she had vented all her pent-up frustrations, Dana stormed off, unwilling to listen to anything more that thoughtless leech had to say.

*********see Chapter 4: Love or Lust?********