‘That’ll never happen. Don’t fret over it.’ Jenny dismissed the possibility with a wave of her hands. ‘Because I like you, remember?’ she spoke in a sultry tone.

That got her an earnest smile and a passionate, fiery kiss on the lips, which became deeper and deeper as the seconds went by. Conversation subsided gradually and everyone turned to watch the spectacular kiss. Some applauded, whistled and yelled encouragement. Dana and Tonya started a rather R-rated version of it themselves as others watched in silent appreciation.

‘Now that was something.’ Alice said as Robin and Jenny eventually broke apart.

‘Look at what our little Jenny got herself into.’ Dana commented patronizingly when Tonya let go of her.

‘The kid’s growing up.’ Shane beamed, nodded.

‘And to think you were straight a few months ago, Jen.’ Tina reminded them.

‘I was crazy. Totally out of my mind.’ The writer confessed, smiled to her friends.

Everyone laid down at last, said goodnight and tried yet again to sleep. The fire had gotten smaller, crackled and threw an eerie, soothing, soft light on the walls. It didn’t hurt their eyes, helped them to relax instead. A few whispered arguments were held for some time, the sound of subsided voices like fabric trailing over the floor.

Jenny went to sleep with Robin’s arm around her waist, after thoughtfully staring for some minutes at Alba’s curled silhouette. She considered options, started planning how her payback could best be executed. It wasn’t a difficult task. After all, she’d always excelled at plotting.

Only this time it wasn’t a story she was trying to weave and put together. It’d be completely real. And Marina Ferrer would suffer the consequences for breaking her heart.

　

Bette had a very calm time waking up. She remained a few minutes with her eyes closed, savoured the freedom that coursed thorugh her veins, the silence that caressed her ears, the faint morning light that drifted through the curtained window, imprinted lovely kisses on her eyelids.

Everything was peaceful and perfect. She was Bette Porter, the director of a museum back in California, had a stable relationship with a lovely girlfriend…

Whom she was supposed to wake up at six-thirty.

Her eyes flew open in a millisecond. She took one moment to sit up and glance around the room, trying to remember where she was, the peaked at her wristwatch and had to bite her tongue so as to not yell in frustration and wake everyone else in fright.