“New York is behind you Alex, cut it out. It’s not her, it’s not her.” She turned to see Bette, her demeanor very tight and guarded, and Alex knew that feeling. It was her; oh lord why here, why now? Did she know she was here? Alice walked over to Alex, waiting.

            “No, it can’t be.” Pez said and Alice turned to her ‘date’, she took Alex‘s hand and Pez shook free of it gently. She said in the lowest voice she could muster, still thinking out loud, her voice sounded shrill.

            “Al, tell me again whose show this is?” She asked reaching out and snatching a glass from one of the roaming waiters, taking a sip of the very good champagne, knowing it wouldn’t drown out the barrage of feelings she was having right now.

            “Crystal, Crystal DeMarcus. Bette‘s new girlfriend.” Alex tried to turn and look at Alice, but she couldn’t her eyes were glued to a painting called Abandoned .

            “You didn’t tell me that earlier, did you? At my apartment?” Pez turned to Alice stunned and open-mouthed. Alice had just asked her, spur of the moment to go with her. To be her ‘beard’ while Dana did the tour doing her song and dance. The bad publicity about her almost wedding was devastating, and showing up with a new girlfriend would have been way too much.

            “No, I didn’t. Does it make a difference?” Alice began to worry Alex‘s face was a mask of terror. Her jaw was clenched so hard that Alice was sure she was going to break her teeth. Alice knew that Alex didn’t like to be touched, so she barely grazed her arm and Alex said quietly.

            “Yeah it does.” Cold, she felt cold inside, all over again. How could someone have an effect on you three years after the fact? Was she still embedded in her soul? Had Crystal left that deep a mark, a gouge in her heart.

            “Hello Andria.” The smooth voice came from behind her and Alex felt her breath stop. She closed her eyes and held back the urge to vomit the bile rising to her throat and she swallowed it back. She squeezed the glass it shattered into pieces, and Alice stepped back as the blood ran from Alex‘s hand. She unclenched her hand and said in a pained voice.

            “Crystal.” Alex said and she turned to face her ex lover, her captor. Alice saw what was going on, and that Alex was trying to move away. Alice went to move between them Alex‘s hand shot out and gently grabbed her wrist with the un bloody hand.

            “Is she yours?” Was the question that Crystal asked and Alice was about to jump all over that question, when Alex corrected her. Her voice steely and Alice stopped, sensing that this was very personal.

            “No.” Alex responded and Alice pressed against Pez’s back.

            “The other way around then perhaps?” Alex held Alice back and Bette was coming up behind them, listening with rapture to every word. Bette moved into position next to Crystal, just one-step behind her. Not an equal, but a submissive. Alex did what she never thought she’d be able to do, and that was stand up to Crystal.

            “No, she’s a friend. Something you can’t fathom. I see that you’ve reeled in another broken soul? How did you manage that? I heard you had such a broken heart. You rarely ventured from your cavern.” Alex said darkly the sarcasm and iciness in her voice was unmistakable.

            “You would know you broke it.” Crystal said pain in her voice, fake pain Alice thought.

            “You broke me.” Alex said leaning into Crystal, a soft growl in her voice. Alex reached back with her bloody hand for her gun Alice pulled her back gently, thinking this was going to come to blows.

            “Is everything all right here?” Bette asked and Alex looked Bette over with an eye that made Bette look downwards and away. She was broken, damn Bette, what did you get yourself into? Alice saw what Bette had just done, what the fuck was going on with her friend?

            “Trained her well…” Alex spat and she let Alice pull her way, and Alex let her cold eyes roam over Crystal for one last time. Alice tugged her away and when they were around the corner, Alice grabbed a towel from the arm of a waiter and put it around Alex‘s damaged hand.

            “What the fuck was that all about? Owned? Trained?” Alice asked, not caring if Alex hated her later, this was Bette they’d been talking about. That Crystal woman had done something to Bette.

            “Your friend Bette, she’s Crystal‘s property now she’s wearing her collar. Bette is an owned woman.” Alex said and walked away leaving Alice with her jaw open, turning and watching as Crystal took Bette‘s hand and led her way.

*****