Chapter 3
Helena rolled over in bed and opened her eyes when she felt Cindy laying back down. "Is it time to get up?"
"Actually, yes because you have several appointments today for the foundation. Schecter called me and said that she was driving by Tina's this morning and noticed Tasha's bike still there."
Helena's eyes popped all the way open at that statement. "Well I'm certain it's innocent. Tasha doesn't strike me as the type to get into some frivolous sex act and she loathes drama."
"They seem to have hit it off well at the game last night." Cindy added and stretched lazily.
"Indeed," Helena said thoughtfully and began to worry for her friend. "I must call Papi so that she can quill the flame before Schecter starts a fire." Helena added, kissed her girlfriend and got up from the bed. "To make matters worse, Tina already thinks that Bette and I had a romp in the sheets. Bette said that she tried to explain that it was a business venture but Tina wouldn't listen."
"Well with Bette's behavior of late," Cindy said thoughtfully. "Who can blame her?" She added and returned the kiss. "No matter what happens with all your friends, I am glad that you helped me get out of the mess I was in. It feels good to be my own person."
Tasha opened and closed her eyes twice before she realized that she was on Tina's sofa. "Hello?" She said groggily into her cell phone.
"Williams, Helena just called me and said that Schecter saw your bike at Tina's." Came Papi's chipper voice.
Fuck, she's gonna blow this all out of proportion." Tasha said, thanked Papi and closed her phone.
"What's up?" Tina asked and sat down a hot cup of coffee.
"Jenny saw my bike here this morning." Tasha said, rubbed her eyes and sipped her coffee.
"Oh that's just great," Tina said in a disdainful tone of voice. "Alice will put you on my damn chart for spite."
"Yeah I know she will." Tasha said and looked at her watch. "I hate to drink this and run but I've got to get ready for work."
"May as well grab a shower here since you are here and have been spotted by the only radar that can compete with Alice's." Tina said in an effort to make light of the situation.
"Yeah that'll save me some time, thanks." Tasha said and Tina walked with her to show her where things were.
Later that afternoon, Kit was alone at the Planet. She was looking at a picture of Angelica and remembering what her fury had almost caused. As a tear escaped down her cheek, someone tapped her on the shoulder. "Is something wrong with the little one?" Papi asked and pointed at the picture that Kit was clutching.
"No," Kit said and knew that she had to tell someone what she had almost done. She had once vowed to keep it a secret but it was eating her alive. She didn't understand how a human being could allow themselves to get so bent out of shape over a material possession that they would think of committing murder. And in turn, almost causing a child's death.
Papi, I'm a big failure, a careless pathetic failure." Kit said and broke down into sobs.
After Kit had finished explaining the sordid mess to Papi, Papi gave her a firm hug and wiped her tears. "Number one thing is you not gonna drink and number two, you can call me Eva." Papi said and hugged the broken woman. "Look, the important thing is that child stopped you from ruining your life Kit. I mean it had to be a scary thing what you saw and all but you gotta look at the good thing it accomplished."
"I thought about calling the police and turning myself in." Kit said and sipped her tea.
"You can't do that man, that's crazy. Everybody came out on top. You learned a lesson and the baby is okay." Papi said emphatically. "Look man, I might joke around a lot but you need a friend. One that won't rat you out or judge you, you know? I'm just that kind of person."
"Can I get some service here?" Jenny asked loudly from across the room.
"Now she's gonna wanna know what's wrong with me. She's already stirred up the shit today from what I heard from Bette." Kit sighed and stood up.
"Look, tell her I broke your heart or something' and satisfy her curiosity." Papi offered and got herself a drink. "Hey, put yourself together and I'll handle things for a few." She went around to Jenny as Kit smiled.
"So how's it goin' there Jen?" Papi asked and gave her a look.
"Oh it could be better," Jenny answered dryly as Papi took her order.
"Listen, you leave my girl Tasha out of your scandalous rumor line or it will be goin' a lot worse? Can you dig it?" Papi asked and received a nod from Jenny. She didn't figure that her idle threat would stop the woman but she had to put it out there because she knew that Tasha would have her back in a case like this.
"Excuse me," a familiar looking woman said. "I talked with a woman a couple times awhile back and wanted to look her up."
"Of course you did," Jenny said sarcastically. "This is one of the reasons that Alice and Tasha split I bet."
"Hey, you sayin' that Tasha did somethin' with this chick?" Papi asked and Kit smiled at her.
"Chill out Papi," Tasha said and looked at the woman, as she walked in the door. "I never done a thing with her but talk."
"Not because I wasn't interested," the woman said with a smile as Tina walked in with an angry look on her face.
"Back off," Tina said, "if she wanted you she would have had you."
"That's right," Tasha agreed, laughed, looked at the woman apologetically and walked to a table with Tina. "What's got you so riled up this afternoon uptown?"
"Jenny wasted no time in contacting Bette, who left me a nasty ultimatum to which I told her to go fuck herself and whomever she chooses in New York if she wants." Tina added and looked angrily at Jenny. "Oh, Alice contacted her to question the stability of our relationship also. It appears that she is still interested in the happenings of your life."
"Wanme talk to Bette?" Tasha asked as their cokes were sat down. "Alice fucked it up, not me."
"Oh I'm sure that she will try to get in your face and I'm sorry in advance." Tina replied and sipped her drink.
"I'm not afraid of Bette. We did nothing wrong so it's cool. Maybe I can help convince her that she has a great lady waiting very impatiently for her to get her shit together." Tasha said and flashed an all to infrequent smile.
As Tina finished speaking, Alice walked in. "Oh, is she still a touchy subject?"
"I still don't understand it all. I don't know where I went wrong and she won't speak to me." Tasha said and glanced at Alice. "I guess I need to forget it and move on. She says it's because we're too different but I don't know."
"Don't give up on Alice if you love her. All the others did, even Dana to a certain extent." Tina said thoughtfully as Alice ordered and walked towards the two women. "Listen, I have a meeting with Helena this afternoon to see if she will be the financial backer of our project and my production company wants to meet you."
"Am I gonna hafta dress up?" Tasha questioned with laughter in her voice.
"Yes and I think that you can handle that on your own." Tina said playfully.
Tasha almost responded with a, that's no fun, comment because she felt at ease to joke around in front of Tina but thought better of it. "Yeah I think I can do that. Listen, I'm gonna have a smoke outside and then will come back and have a drink before I go catch some assholes." Tasha said and got up.
"So is that why you didn't think they belonged together? You wanted to hit on Tina?" Alice asked angrily and looked at Tasha.
"I never said they don't belong together Alice. I said I can't imagine them together, which is simply because I never saw them together." Tasha replied calmly. "Don't fuck with me man. You are the one who wanted to cheat, not me." She turned and walked out the door.
"Girl, you're gonna lose any chance if you don't do somethin' to show her a sign." Kit whispered to Alice, who was watching Tasha.
"Clea and I get along just swell." Alice replied stubbornly.
"And my ass is white," Kit retorted sarcastically as both women looked towards the door where Clea was standing in front of Tasha just outside it. "Alice, Tasha does not deserve whatever that bitch is going to say to her." Kit added adamantly as Alice stood up.
"I want you to stop sending my lady messages," Clea was saying as Alice, Tina, Jenny, Papi and Kit listened by the window.
"Whatcha gonna do about it?" Tasha smirked, it was true that she was not into drama but there was no way some fashion designer was going to push her around. She had too much downtown pride for that.
"Doesn't it make you feel good to know that probably the last time you slept with her, I was on her mind?" Clea threw the words at the officer that she was certain would be a stinging blow, as the group of friends looked towards Alice to see if she was going to defend Tasha.
"You threw away your military career for her, how stupid can you be?" Clea then added to rub salt in the wounds. "Did you really think that a woman like her would stay with someone like you?"
"Alice girl, have you gone stark raving mad?" Kit asked and put a hand on Papi to stop her from going out there and ripping Clea apart from limb to limb, as Tina stepped out of the club and stood next to her friend for a showing of moral support.
"Hey," Tina began to speak. "While you were over here spreading your fashion garbage around, this woman was over in Iraq trying to protect us from another 9/11! She was over in Iraq dragging someone's dying brother out of the fighting zone because she was so dedicated that she refused to save her own life first and leave a dying soldier behind. Then she came back over here and took a stand for who she was, a lesbian patriot so go fuck yourself biotch! Now she's on the streets of LA trying to protect bitches like you from getting hurt. What the hell have you ever stood up for?"
"Alice must be right, you want to bed her ex now!" Clea snapped and raised her hand towards Tina but Tasha jumped in front of her and got punched.
"Do you realize how much trouble you could get into for striking a police officer?" Tasha asked calmly. "You're lucky I don't play vengeful games, nor do I chase after my exes like a lovesick puppy." She added as Kit looked around at all her friends.
"Tina," Tasha said and moved away from her. "I need to get back to work. Gimme a call when you want me to meet your bosses."
"Tasha," Alice said and then Clea took hold of her arm.
"Let's go Alice, your friends are a bore and we will be getting new ones." Clea said and smiled at Alice.
"Save it Alice," Tasha said and got on her bike. "I don't need your pity." She waved at everyone and drove off.
"I think that you really fucked it up this time Alice," Max said and looked at the ground.
"Shut up Max," Alice said and followed Clea away from the club.
