JanetMG – Wow. You dont know how happy I am that you are reading my story.

StillHiding – As long as you keep reading I will try to keep writing.

MoreThanSatisfied – Hmm, is Mikela going to find out about Bette? Thats a good question. That would be some high drama, dont you think. Just keep reading and hopefully I will get around to writing that scene someday.

Now on to the story.

The Next day***

Mikela is sitting in mid-day lunch traffic, which is bumper to bumper in Los Angeles. The sounds of car horns color the atmosphere as drivers use them as methods to vent their frustrations. Usually Mikela would have added her own horn to the mix after being cut off by a SUV, but she seems to have a serenity about her that allows her to rise above her current conditions. Still on the high of last night, Mikela decided to surprise Candace and take her out to lunch. So here she sits in this cluster of potential road rage thinking about how her life seems to be all coming together wonderfully. She has her dream job working for her father, her mothers cancer is in remission and Sunday her family, including Candace, will gather to her nephew give is life to Jesus. The thought of the words Candace and family being one in the same some day brings a huge smile to her face. She realizes even though Candace did not finish asking Mikela to marry her last night, the fact that Candace, whom a year ago wouldnt spend the night at any womans home, was even hinting about marriage is a miracle.

Mikela sees the center on her right and turns into the parking lot on the left side of the building. Upon entering, she goes to the front desk and is greeted by a receptionist. Mikela gives the lady a warm smile and asks where she can find Candace Jewell. The receptionist asks if Candace is the carpenter doing the renovation job, to which Mikela tells her that she is correct. Led by the receptionist to an area in the back of the building, Mikela sees Candace and her crew working. Candace is busy cutting some raw material for the future sink cabinets. The receptionist excuses herself and heads back to the front desk while Mikela just stands in the doorway watching Candace. Quiet as kept Mikela loves to watch Candace work. Something about women and power tools just turns Mikela on. The first time she saw Candace she was working with a power sander at the Balten mansion. Mikela was the lead architect for this job and her firm had contracted Candace and Danielle to do the fixtures for the grand staircase. After watching Candace wield that sander to create the beautiful fixture, Mikela was intrigued and has been ever since.

Just for fun, Mikela thinks about tip-toeing over to Candace and make her play guess who, but knows that isnt a good idea. Candace hates being snuck up on and tenses up when anyone gets into her personal space or touches her without permission. They are some of the many residual scars that Sanai left on Candace. She has gotten better over the years but she may never heal all the way. Shaking her head at the sad thought, Mikela decides to call Candaces name to get her attention.

Having heard her name, Candace looks up and sees Mikela. A warm smile comes over her face as her eyes begin to twinkle a little at seeing her lover.

Candace: Well, well. This is a surprise.

Mikela returns her smile and jokingly asks, I hope a pleasant one?

Candace: Of course, but it is still a surprise. What are you doing here?

Mikela: I have come to take my favorite girl to lunch.

Candace: Jokingly, Your favorite? Dont you mean your only girl?

Mikela: Yes silly. My only girl, no actually, my only Woman.

Candace: Laughs at Mikelas last comment. Alright, let me just finish this up, get cleaned up and Ill meet you in front.

Mikela: OK

Mikela walks back to the front entrance and begins looking at the photographs that line the walls. They are of some of the kids, workers, and volunteers that have pass through the Center over the years. She wonders if any of the men in these pictures is Oscar. Candace described him as a skinny, good-looking Latino man in his thirties. Several men in these pictures fit that description.

While looking at a picture of a group of elementary school aged kids painting a mural on the side of a building that faced a playground, Mikela sees a woman walk into the center. The lady looks familiar, but Mikela cant place where she has seen her. She walks over to get a closer look when Candace comes into the room.

Candace: Looks at Mikela while asking, You ready to She stops mid-sentence when she notices the mystery woman. Awkwardly she greets her, Hello Tina.

Tina: O, hello Candace. In a dead-pan voice, she asks, Or should I call you home wrecker?

Candace: Caught off-guard by Tinas question. Thinks of nothing better to say, so she just asks, What?

Tina: With emotion in her voice,You heard me.

Candace: Nervously, Ah, yeah I heard you. I just dont know what you are talking about.

Tina: Louder, Can the lies and denials Candace. A look of disgust comes over her face for having to say her name again. You know damn well what I am talking about.

Mikela, who stood frozen from the moment Tina began to speak, finally realizes where she knows her from. It was at Provocations and Tina was with Bette Porter. Mikela thinks, Tina is Bette Porters partner. The same Bette Porter that I accused Candace of having an affair with, which she denied, but admitted to flirting with. Maybe Tina saw the same thing I did and came to the same conclusion. But why is she coming to Candace with this? Why not confront Bette?

Candace looks around and notices that Tinas raised voice has attracted some attention. Wanting to calm her down before things escalate any further, Candace tries to placate Tina by asking, Look Tina, obviously you are upset, but dont you

Tina: Cuts Candace off, Obviously? ***** yeah Im upset. She moves closer to Candace. And dont you dare talk down to me you conniving *****.

Mikela: Upon hearing Tina call Candace out her name, she decides to cut in. With authority in her voice, she commands, Ok, wait a minute. Tina, Candace, and the small crowd of on-lookers turn around and face her. First off, who do you think you are?

Candace: Seeing that Mikela is angry and knows this can get real ugly fast, decides to diffuse the situation, Mikela, honey stay out of this, please.

Tina: Sarcastically repeats, Yeah, Mikela, honey, stay out of this. In a dismissing gesture towards Mikela, she turns back around so she is facing Candace once again. This is between me and the carpenter. It is none of your business.

Mikela: Not ignoring the dismissive gesture becomes angry. The ***** it isnt! You walked in here and started accusing my girlfriend of being a home wrecker. So I think it damn well is my business.

Tina: Spins around after hearing this revelation. She takes a good look at Mikela for the first time and recognizes that she was with Candace at Provocations. She turns to Candace to confirm Mikelas declaration. Girlfriend? You two are together? Well this just keeps getting better and better. The look of exasperation, as Tina deciphers what this new information means, soon gives way to a cynical and cold look. She turns around and looks at Mikela. Well let me tell you something about your girlfriend. She pauses to do a quick glance at Candace before turning her attention back to Mikela. Shes ***** my wife!

Candace: She saw the cold and cynical look in Tinas eyes and knew she was busted. All thoughts centered on damage control. Mikela, I am

Tina: Knowing that Candace is going to try to worm her way out of this just like Bette tried, decides to cut her off. Dont bother trying to lie Candace because Bette already confessed. I confronted her about that little intimate moment I saw you two having at the opening.

Candace visibly cringes at that last statement. She doesnt bother to look at Mikela, because she knows Tinas claim of seeing the same moment that Mikela saw that night will be too hard to deny. Coupled with the fact that Bette already confessed, Candace knows she cant lie her way out of trouble this time.

Mikela: At that moment all the air seems to be sucked out of the room as all of her suspicions about Candace and Bettes friendship proved to be true. Oh, my god.

Having seen a crowd gathering in the front lobby, Oscar decided to check it out. He walks in and asks, Whats going on in here? Noticing the angry look on Tinas face, he addresses her directly with concern in his voice, Tina, is there a problem?

Tina: Looks at Oscar and nods her head. Yes, Oscar there is certainly a problem. Pointing towards Candace, she announces, It seems that our illustrious carpenter has been carrying on an affair behind the back of her lovely girlfriend here, Pointing to a visibly shaken Mikela, with Bette.

Oscar: Looking confused. What? He pauses to take in this information. Bette? With an air of disbelief. You mean your Bette?

Tina: sarcastically, Apparently, she is not entirely mine, but yes. Bette. Once again she stares at Candace before finishing, my wife!

Candace: Feeling very ashamed at this point. Tina, I dont know what to say. Im sorry. Im

Tina: Candaces attempt at apologizes only serves to make her angrier. She shouts, Save your sorrys Candace. I dont want them. I got enough Im sorrys from Bette. What I want from you are answers. Candace gives Tina an incredulous look, as if to say, You must be joking, right.

Tina: Ignores Candaces look, continues Like why and how? How could you smile in my face, accept this job, be all friendly and then turn around and ***** my wife?

Even though Candace knows that Tina has every right to be angry, she starts to get angry as well. Being confronted and humiliated in front of Mikela and a crowd of people, some of which are her employees, is starting to trigger off her defense system. She feels cornered – trapped. These feelings always set her off into her defense mode. Harshly, she responds, Look Tina. I realize that your piss, but any questions you have you should ask Bette. She is your wife after all, so your issues should be with her, not me.

Mikela hears this statement and audibly gasp, causing Candace to look at her. So its true? This being more of a statement of fact than a question, anyone can still hear the disbelief in her voice. Candace just looks away in reply. Feeling like the walls are closing in on her, she makes her way to the exit.

Candace: Moving towards her, Mikela. Wait. She reaches out to grab her shoulder.

Mikela: Dont touch me. she gives Candace a look that could freeze ***** over. You lost your right to ever touch me again.

Candace: Baby, please. Just let me explain. I know

Mikela: Thinking to herself, Why is it when you catch someone in a lie then they want to explain? Looking at Candace all she can see is a liar standing before her. She has been humiliated in front of a group of total strangers, sans some of Candaces employees. Let you explain. Let you explain! Let you Not bothering to finish repeating it anymore, Mikela decides to let Candace know exactly what shes thinking. You know what? I gave you every opportunity to explain that night but you chose to lie instead! She pulls open the exit door and turns to Candace to say, So go ***** yourself and your god damn explanations! With that final statement said, she walks right out the door.

Candace stands there stunned for a moment, but decides to go chase after her. As she begins to push open the door, Tina steps in front of her and asks, Where the ***** do you think you are going?

Candace: Tina, get out of my way. I gotta catch Mikela.

Tina: You heard her. She doesnt want to talk to you. She told you to go ***** yourself. Besides, Im not letting you go until you answer my questions.

Candace cant believe the audacity of this woman. Ignoring Tina, she reaches for the handle of the other exit door. Tina sees her reaching for it and grabs Candaces shoulder to push her away from the door. That is a big mistake. Candaces defenses were already on high alert from being confronted and humiliated in public. Tina definitely didnt help matters by getting into Candaces personal space and touching her without permission.

She could feel it starting. Her shirt felt sticky and clings to her body. She tastes something bitter in her mouth. The darkness is starting to surround her so that she doesnt hear anything but the muffle sound of a firecracker. She smells the acidic aroma of blood and gunpowder. The numbness is mixed with the acute stabs of pain.

Its happening again.

Her hands are on Candace, pulling at her. Strong hands that Candace knows from experience can deliver great pain. She has no choice. She has to fight. The feeling of her fist making contact with something serves to give her the courage to shout, No, Sanai. Not this time.

The hands let go of their tight grip and the stabbing pains go away. Maybe I got her this time? Candace hopes. She sees the exit door as her safe haven. If she can reach it she will be safe. She pulls the handle of the door and opens it. As she exits Candace turns around and sees her sitting on the ground. She is doubled over with her arms wrapped around her stomach. I got her this time, Candace thinks to herself. However, her elation is short-lived when Candace realizes that Tina is down on the ground instead of Sanai. Oh, god! is all she can think to say as she runs from the Center aimlessly, forgetting about Mikela, as the shock of what she just did washes over her.

Tina sits on the floor trying to recover her breath. Oscar runs over to her and asks, Are you alright Tina?

Tina: No, not really. I found out that my partner of seven years is a lying cheat. I hired my wife mistress who just sucker punched me in the gut a few seconds ago. So no, I am definitely no alright. She looks up at Oscar with tears in her eyes and whispers, but thank you for asking. She then burst into tears. Oscar takes her into his arms and tries to console her. After a few minutes Tina gains tentative control over her emotions. She wipes her eyes then asks Oscar about something that is puzzling her. Oscar. Was I hearing things or did Candace call me Sanai?

Oscar: A perplex look on his face replies, No, you werent hearing things. I heard her call you Sanai. Who is that?

Tina shrugs her shoulders and answers, The ***** if I know.

Tbc..

(Ok, before anyone gets all ballistic, in my story Tina is not pregnant. So Candace did not punch a pregnant woman in the stomach.)