Chapter 1


Dana walked into the locker room and angrily pounded the locker door, all her frustration in the blow. She’d thought training herself hard on the court would take her mind off the one thing that she wasn’t allowing herself to think about but no such luck, it’d started well enough, well at least until she’d opened her eyes that morning then the day from ***** began. Tonya had strategically placed samples of wedding invitations in places she knew Dana wouldn’t be able to avoid, the first one for example had been laid on top of her tennis whites, no not laid pinned a fact that only became apparant when she’d seen spots of blood dripping onto her lucky shorts the ones that she’s sure played a big role in landing the Subaru campaign, for someone of her fragile ego this tiny event had threatened to send her over the edge, but when she picked up her bag and sample number two was wedged in the strings of her favourite racket she’d felt like someone up there sure as ***** hated her.

She’d gone into the kitchen and been about to pour herself a refreshing mineral water when the third sample decided to land on top of her that was it, she’d grabbed her phone and scrolled to Alice’s number to tell her as she would usually do without hesitation but then the events of the night before came back and she dropped it as if she’d received an electric shock then the pacing had began then the nervous wringing of hands without her life line to sanity she was sure she’d go mad. Jesus Alice why did you have to kiss me, I was fine before your lips touched mine now look a piece of coloured paper has me having a panic attack.

Goddamit!!!, she’d shouted at the empty room and grabbing her bag she’d exited the house before any other minor problem would have her reaching for the bottle of sleeping pills that she’d bought when she’d ended her relationship with Lara. She cautiously entered the Subaru, checked the seat and dashboard just in case then turned the keys and drove slowly away. She turned the radio on and waited for the annoying announcer to play the next track instead of waffling about the latest place to be out in La. She got her wish moments later when an appropriate song by Linkin Park filled the air, exactly how she felt at that moment “Numb”.

She’d managed to get to the club without any mishaps unless you called hitting every red light a mishap. As she pulled into her usual place, her phone which she’d buried at the bottom of her bag started to play its annoying tuneful refrain. She switched of the engine and listened to it for a few seconds then she reached inside the bag as she reached it it stopped. She looked on missed call display and the number both excited and scared her, Alice. She did something she rarely did and switched it off, she couldn’t cope with the distraction.

When she’d reached the court she’d been prepared to lose herself in her practise but even her usual sanctuary from her problems wasn’t helping every ball she hit was veering into the net and when her coach had taken it out for what seemed like the hundredth time she’d realised it was no use hence why she was now beating up a defenseless locker. She lay on the bench and closed her eyes allowing her body peace for a few moments. She heard the outer door bang shut and then peace was broken.

“What the ***** are you doing here, while I’m going insane thinking that you’ve been in an accident, why would you turn your phone off?”
She holds her hand up in front of the ranting and raving Alice.
“Hi to you to.”She says with a joviality she doesn’t feel. Great now she’ll think I’m been flippant.
“Hi that’s it, I rush over here from an important feature meeting may I add and all you can say is “Hi, jesus Dane, I was really worried.”
“I’m sorry, how did you know I’d be here?”
“Duh, let me think, your minds all over the place, you need to vent your frustration, where else would you be?”

Dana looks over at her friend touched by how well she knows her but confusion overwhelms her, this is Alice, the same Alice who teases her on her style, her taste in music, even her politics but she isn’t the same the kiss has put an invisible barrier up between them and everything has changed. As she stares at the person who she’s known for so long she feels a longing to go back to before the kiss but also an urge to explore the new dynamics. She finds herself standing in front of the still venting woman and she gently reaches a hand onto her shoulder.

As quickly as the verbal attack began it ends when her hands connect, she feels unsure of what to do next so for a few minutes they stand staring into each others eyes both afraid of the next move, relax Alice this is just Dana I mean she’s touched your shoulder many times before why the electricity now or was it always there between them, an image of patting a puking Dana on the back as she stood on the boat the night she got wasted drifted into her mind, wow romantic image but she was remembering how she’d felt that night, her head had been screwed up by Lisa the ***** boyfriend from ***** walking away from her immediately after they’d had ***** and in the midst of this she’d thought how sweet Dana had looked almost childlike and that’s when she’d started to realise that her feelings were more than friendly.

She’d intended to tell her but then Dana met Tonya (the alleged cat killer) and that had scuppered her chance or so she thought until last night, she’d been so uncertain and unsure of herself a rare experience in itself but when her lips met Dana’s she’d felt something she’d never known before, she’d felt love and she knew at that moment she was doomed that’s why she’d broken away but then she’d felt two strong arms wrapping round her and she’d allowed herself to be pulled back into the embrace and then she’d let herself be led into Dana’s insistent kiss that surprised her by the passion that lay behind it.

Dana stood looking at Alice jumbled thoughts in her head, I want to kiss her, don’t be silly you can’t but I want to so much, fragmented memories come into her head, Alice dragging her sorry ***** out of bed after her parents rejection, her arms wrapped round her as she sobbed at the death of Mr P, how even when she was feeling so low and sleeping pills seemed the answer she’d think of Alice and snap out of it, as the memories washed over her she felt invigorated and spurred on to do something so out of character for her, she moved her body closer and moving her hand from Alice’s shoulder to her face she caressed her lips and then her cheek, she pulled a surprised Alice into her arms and pushing her against the lockers she kissed her hard and forceful.

Alice who was shocked at this chain of events hesitated then allowed herself to be drawn into the kiss she opened her mouth and Dana seized the opportunity to slide her tongue inside and then it was a fight for supremacy.

Alice was the first to gain some composure and then guilt at the situation, how could they be doing this, she’s engaged to someone else, they’re planning their wedding, okay she’s marrying a control freak but that’s not the point you’ve got to stop this before it goes to far.

“We….rea…lly shouldn’t be doing this.” She managed to breath.
Dana who was lost in the moment just continued until she instinctively started rubbing her hands up and down Alice’s arm. I’m kissing Alice god I really shouldn’t be doing this but I don’t want to stop.

Alice was trying to focus but it was hard to concentrate with Dana’s tongue inside her mouth and her hand caressing her arm got to stop this before it goes to far as she felt Dana’s hand reaching for the buttons on her blouse she mustered up all her resolve and pushed her way out of the embrace.

At the loss of contact with her Dana seemed to come to her senses but before she could say a word Alice had run out of the door taking one long look back at Dana and saying.
“I’m sorry I can’t do this, not like this, I’ve got to go.”

Dana could only watch her flee for the second time and frustration was once again taken out on the locker but to her shock as she made contact she realised she was crying, goddamit you can’t keep running away from this, you’re falling in love with your best friend.

Outside Alice breathed in the air and let the tears fall, now what do we do?