“California Arts Center.”  Jo said, her accent rolling the ‘R’s of the words, the ‘C’s softer and less pronounced.

“Whaaaah?”  Nat whined instantly, didn’t she spend enough time in a museum like environment that Jo had to pull her along to an actual museum?

“An open house.  With guests invited by my client.  Should give you a ‘feel’ for who I’m dealing with.”  Jo stated, now moving about the room and looking for clothes.  Suddenly feeling very naked while talking to Nat.

“Soooo, am I your date?”  Nat asked with a bit of confusion in her voice, confusion and something else, what was that brimming at the periphery of her voice?

“You could think of it that way,” Jo smirked, knowing full well it would set Nat seething.

A long sigh.  “All right.  Seven?”

“Oui.”  Jo answered.

“OK, I’ll see you then.  You’re wearing a tux, I presume.”  Nat shot back, the barb stinging Jo.

The Acadian’s eyes blazed and she began to swear, the French rolling off her tongue like a waterfall.

“OK, OK, just joking,” Nat soothed, then added with a bit of undertones.  “You do clean up real nice.  I guess I won’t be embarrassed to be seen with you.”

“Merde,” Jo snapped, and shut the phone in the palm of her hand as Nat hung up too, leaving Jo to steam in her own brew.

*~*~*~*~*

Lara stirred on the couch, stretched and opened her eyes to see Helena standing in front of her, looking like a few million dollars without the benefit of make up or having even brushed her hair; holding out a steaming cup of coffee. “What time is it?”  Her tongue felt a little thick.  They’d emptied both bottles of wine last night before Helena fetched a spare blanket and pillows from the armoire in the bedroom and brought them to her.  Lara had taken them with an embarrassed smile.

“Don’t feel badly, Lara,” Helena had smiled, only a little bit of wistfulness in her incredible eyes.  “Your heart is already spoken for, I know that.”

Lara went rigid, bit down on her tongue to avoid a caustic answer.

Helena brushed her arm with a milky white hand.  “It’s all right.  You don’t have to talk about it.  I can sense these things.”