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Defying Nurture for Nature

Trisha shifted her weight from side to side, waiting for Ronnie's latest pet to respond. She didn't know her mother did it. Ronnie was well known in Vegas. She'd been a show girl for over ten years. But as her boobs started to sag and wrinkles started to form she'd thrown all of her energy into becoming the next Mrs. So-and-so. She'd done it too. Ronnie had landed Mr. Very-right three years ago, her marriage tally now at seven. He'd needed an attractive older woman to play Mrs. Upstanding to his mister. And her mother had agreed. So what she had to put up with housing his mistress while he was in town? What did it matter that she should make sure his mistress was well taken care of while he was away? Ronnie had done what any good mother would do: she'd made sure Trisha stayed on his latest paramour's beck and call. This meant that his latest lady love had a personal servant girl to follow her around.

Trisha knocked on the door to what she'd affectionately dubbed the "Play Room". That's what it was. The women staying there were just toys. Mister's mistresses always stayed there. It was the door closest to the stairs, the room furthest away from the master suite at the end. The positioning of the room was very symbolic, or at least that's what she told her mom when Ronnie would start to get a stick up her ass about having to endure the mistresses. Ronnie stayed in the master suite. It was the one furthest from the front door. It would take a lot to get rid of her. She was bound to him by paperwork. But the room closest to the stairs was also closest to the front door. You could expect that the occupants of that room were guests. They weren't going to stay long. Mister had no ties to them.

Trisha knocked again, slightly louder this time. The cell phone in her pocket chirped. She had ten minutes before she needed to roll off to school. One more month and she'd be free of the public education system, a high school graduate of the great state of Nevada. It wasn't customary for her to wake the occupant of the Play Room before she went to school without permission. But the occupant was new and had arrived so late last night that she had fallen asleep before they could discuss a general schedule or to-do list. The second chirp sounded, so she left. The new one would have to wait till after school.

School ended signaling the end of Trisha's social life. Her evenings were going to be filled with homework and the bidding of Mister's latest plaything. She didn't mind so much but she hoped that this one would be better than Audry-drinks-a-lot, the predecessor. She was tired of holding back a woman's hair while she wretched. Pulling into the garage, she was able to enter the house near the kitchen. She snagged an apple, deciding that she should take a snack break before starting her duties. Ronnie found her in there as she was finishing up.

"Trisha darlin', stop dawdling an' get to know our guest," Ronnie told her. That was code for, dig for dirt so she could get the dish later. Unable to put off the initial meeting, Trisha walked over to the sliding glass doors to talk to the woman sunning nude by the pool. It felt weird to see someone being so open about their body. Trisha wasn't a prude. Between frequenting different dressing rooms and helping the various mistresses with their wardrobe she saw her share of naked women. But her general rule of thumb was that full nudity was usually reserved exclusively for when Mister was around. Turning her head to scan the area, she didn't see any sign of him. Strange. Feeling she should get this over with, Trisha coughed lightly to get the woman's attention.

"You have a cold or something?"

"Uh, no. I'm Trisha, your personal assistant while you live here."

"Wow. He wasn't kidding at all. Personal assistant," she mused, giving Trisha a glance over her sunglasses.

"Yeah. I'm here to keep your schedule, make life more comfortable for you." Trisha kept her duties pretty vague. It would be easier to politely refuse ludicrous requests later.

"So you're my handler. Great, the man found me a zookeeper."

Trisha was confused, "Excuse me?"

"Listen, I'm not an animal. And this don't look like the zoo. So you don't have to keep me." The woman had used her fingers to mime quotations around the word 'keep'. She didn't seem like she wanted or liked the type of help Trisha was offering, but Trisha couldn't give up. There really wasn't a choice. It was Ronnie's job to keep the toys in working order. That meant it was Trisha's job to keep them from bitching, pouting, and being unhappy.

"What's your name?"

The woman stuck out her hand, "Jonalis." They shook. Trisha sat down on the ground near Jonalis's chaise. She wanted to be close enough to whisper if she needed to.

"Jonalis. Think of me as your own personal errand girl. Someone to schedule all your massages, hair appointments, and exercise classes. Someone to make sure you get to fittings or rehearsals. Someone to help keep your wardrobe. Someone to look after your dry cleaning. Make sure you have the best tables at restaurants, get access to the things you need, within reason."

Jonalis frowned, turning over so her back was exposed completely to the sun. She rested her head on her arms, turning to look at Trisha. Trisha felt the assessment coming from her gaze but was surprised when Jonalis removed her sunglasses to stare some more.

"How does that work?" Trisha looked confused at the question, "You know, how do we set this up?"

"Uh. Well I would need your general schedule first. Where you absolutely have to be every day and that sort of thing. And then I would collect your to-do list for the next day before bed every night. You get my cell number in case you forget something or need to make changes to your to-do list when I'm out."

"I see. Why wouldn't you be shadowing me the entire time?"

"I'm still in high school."

"Oh," Jonalis seemed to ponder this a long time, "How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"And how long have you been in this line of work?"

"Three years," Jonalis's eyebrows raised in silent question, "I've gotten more duties as I've gotten older. Having a license helps."

"Are you his kid?" No one had ever asked her so many questions off the bat. Trisha shook her head before explaining. It would save heartache later.

"Veronica's my mother." Jonalis laughed. It was a delighted thing, carefree. It didn't sound practiced like the others had been or like her mothers. She found herself grinning in response. Jonalis stood then held her hand out to help Trisha stand. Trisha instinctively reached for the towel holding it open for the woman to wrap up in. Jonalis's smile dimmed a bit but she let herself be wrapped up.

"Come on let's get this schedule thing done before I leave for work."

Working with Jonalis turned out to be fairly easy. She preferred to do things for herself and she understood her place in the household. Some of the girls had thought that Ronnie's tolerance of them meant that she was to be counted as part of the household staff. Those had been quickly put in their place. Others thought that Ronnie was their equal. They foolishly thought she would be interested in anything they had to say. They got their feelings hurt when they realized that she would never accept them, that she was alpha female here. Jonalis never sought out Ronnie's company, actually making it a point to stay out of the older woman's way.

Trisha was only required to wake Jonalis if it was after four pm. Or if she needed to dressed in time to prep for a night with Mister. But most of the time Trisha was home or up, Jonalis wasn't there. Trisha smiled. Not all of Mister's mistresses had been showgirls. He was equal opportunity that way. This one was the party animal. Ronnie thoroughly hated the girl. Ronnie, as a retired showgirl, looked down on girls who stripped. To her, it wasn't as upstanding as being in a show. Jonalis. The party girl. The stripper. One of the few that loved taking her clothes off.

Jonalis was at work by six and it was customary for her to go out with friends afterwards. She'd climb the stairs around six am, take her shower, and be out like a light when Trisha woke for school at quarter to seven. The to-do lists were practically non-existent. The maid took care of keeping clothes and the house clean. The meals were always prepared by the head housekeeper. Jonalis didn't need her to do anything else, content with what the servants already did. Two weeks went by with more leisure than Trisha was used to.

So Trisha was surprised Saturday morning to hear someone knocking on her door at five am. Ronnie and the others never knocked. Mister was out of town. She fumbled out of bed, opening it cautiously with a scowl. Jonalis stood on the other side, halfway into a yawn, the lace clingy lingerie not leaving much to the imagination. Trisha was overdressed by comparison in her baggy pajama pants and oversized t-shirt.

"Something wrong Jonalis?" Trisha said grumpily. She hated being on this side of the sun. People should always wake up after it, not before.

"Get dressed. We're going on a day trip," she said through another yawn.

"Excuse me?" This had not been on the schedule or the non-existent to-do list.

"You've got half an hour," Jonalis told her before striding down the hall to her room. Annoyed, Trisha showered and dressed. She was sitting on the top step waiting for Jonalis twenty minutes later debating whether she should grab breakfast when the bedroom door opened. The woman gave her a wan smile. They had on the same combination of clothes but looked totally different. Trisha's blue jeans and black t-shirt were a relaxed fit, loose but not baggy. Jonalis's jeans were low-rise and molded to her body, the green t-shirt showing off her stomach and clingy. They both had on Puma's.

"Nice shoes," Trisha grumbled.

"Come on." They walked out the front door, making their way towards the front gate.

"We walking to this mystery place?"

"No. You're worse than I am in the morning," Jonalis commented, yawning again. They were met outside the gate by a white SUV. Jonalis hopped in the passenger side but Trisha hesitated. The window wound down. "Come on."

Trisha shook her head. She could see the rest of the car was filled with guys and girls. The driver, clearly visible without the tinted glass flashed a thousand watt smile at her. She felt weird.

Jonalis laughed, "We're not going to sell you into the sex trade. You'll be fine. Get in." Trisha kept looking at her, wary. "I require your services today."

The work request did it. Cursing under her breath Trisha got in. The guy sped off. Quiet conversation swirled around them but Trisha stared out of the window. It wasn't until they got on I-15 south that she started getting uneasy. They were doing more than leaving Vegas. They were probably going to cross state lines.

"Um, Jonalis," she stammered, "Where are we going?"

The driver laughed, giving an indulgent smile, "She didn't tell you?" The others chuckled too. "This is the express to Rodeo Drive."

"As in California?" She said to confirm.

"Yeah. And since it doesn't look like she'll make introductions, I'm Cory," the driver responded. The others began to introduce themselves.

"Felix," the guy next to her said.

"Reyn," continued the woman behind her.

"Allan," acknowledged the man next to her. He had his arm slung around Reyn's shoulder. It looked like they were together.

"Moira," finished the woman next to Allan. They looked at her expectantly.

"Trisha."

"Can we save the convo for breakfast when we get there? I'm sleepy," Jonalis called out to the group. They laughed again and everyone settled down, Cory turning the music up slightly so he could drive. Trisha watched the road until she fell asleep too.

They arrived in the city by eleven, their first order of business to eat. Trisha was content to observe the behavior of Jonalis's friends. They walked into the greasy spoon taking seats at the counter. Her friends were dressed similar to her, the girls' pants and shirts very fitted, the guys' pants and shirts looser but still cut close enough to showcase their toned bodies. Some of the customers glanced at them. They were worth looking at, but when their eyes found Trisha, they would glance away. She looked normal, not requiring notice. The waitress approached to take their orders. The guys naturally ordered more food the girls. She finally reached Trisha.

"I'll have a Spanish omelet, breakfast potatoes, bacon, and a short stack," Trisha said promptly. The waitress looked stunned, "and a large orange juice," the waitress continued to stare, so she added with a bit more bite, "today."

"Don't think she was expecting that," Cory smiled at her.

"Why not? I'm starving."

"No exchanges or substitution requests," he explained jerking his thumb to point down the counter at the rest of the party, "And it's a little more than the others ordered."

She shrugged, "What can I say? I'm a growing girl." Cory laughed. Breakfast came, halting conversation again. She concentrated on her plate, steadily eating until she was cheerfully popping the last syrupy bite of pancake in her mouth. Looking down at the others, they were still working to finish.

"You weren't kidding around," Allan teased watching the waitress clear her dishes.

"I was raised not to play with my food," she teased back. The guys laughed. It was clear they were going to accept her as one of them. She was less fussy than the women they normally ran into. They piled back in the SUV to make their way to Rodeo Drive. Once on foot, she took in the names of the stores. Valentino. Prada. Vuitton. Hermes. Gucci. Fendi. Dior.

"Ferragamo!" Reyn moaned appreciatively.

Moira tugged on her arm, "Down girl."

"Ok who picks first?" Allan asked, looping his arm around Reyn's shoulders. Jonalis pointed at Felix.

"Let's get BCBG out of the way first," Felix commanded. They entered the store and the girls disbursed. Trisha took a seat next to Cory. Mister probably wouldn't notice or care if she ran up charges for new clothes but these really weren't her style. She watched the girls slowly progress through the store, touching things, cooing over the cuts and colors, pulling outfits to try. This first trip to Los Angeles was not what she would have planned. It looked like it would be interesting. Her plans had centered around a different area and purpose altogether.

"This isn't a spectator sport Trisha," Jonalis told her as she circled the area to peruse the handbags.

"Huh?"

"Means she expects you to buy something while we're in Cali," Cory told her in a mock whisper.

"I'm not a big BCBG fan," Trisha said dryly waving to her outfit. He tossed her his thousand watt smile bringing out her grin in return.

"Let's go. Nothing fits," Reyn pouted. The group moved on. Slowly they began to accumulate baggage. The trip turned out to be very fun. The guys would give opinions on the girls' choices and vice versa. They poked fun at one another. They joked around. No one commented when Trisha pulled out a credit card to charge Jonalis's merchandise. No one treated Trisha like she wasn't a normal part of the group. In addition to clothes each person splurged on a treat. Reyn pouted till she got new Ferragamo shoes. Moira dropped twelve hundred on a Fendi handbag that she absolutely couldn't let stay in the store. Felix was wearing a new Gucci watch which caught the sunlight and made it shimmer. Allan got Dior sunglasses that Trisha really felt lent him an air of arrogance. They found themselves in the Juicy Couture store so Cory could splurge on a jacket. Trisha felt the jeans and shirts in here were more her style, her fingers lazily flipping through the garments.

"Oh, that's cute," Moira nodded at the silkscreen t-shirt under Trisha's hand. She made a noncommittal sound in her throat then walked away to look at some jeans. Miora picked up the shirt and followed.

"Those are cute too," Moira told her as Trisha brushed her hands against a pair of dark blue jeans. Trisha moved on and Moira picked up the jeans too.

"That top might flatter your figure," Moira commented when Trisha stopped to stare at a dressy button up. Trisha nodded absently, walking to the area where the accessories were displayed. Moira picked up the top too before following. Trisha was staring at the handbags when Jonalis approached them. She took at look at Trisha before plucking an oversized clutch off the shelf. Reyn approached them with a belt. Trisha turned to see she was surrounded by women and merchandise.

"What?" she said defensively.

"Gimmie those bags," Allan commanded, reaching for the bags she was carrying for Jonalis.

"And try these on," Moira demanded, stuffing the clothes into her hands. Feeling an overwhelming desire to comply, she went into the fitting room, returning ten minutes later with a small smile on her face. The clothes had been more form fitting than she was used to but she had liked the way she looked, particularly in the low-rise jeans with the belt. They weren't tight, but they were fitted, accentuating that she had a shape underneath those loose clothes she favored. She'd allowed herself a few minutes to run her hands over the fabric as she tried each shirt on with the jeans. She liked the way they felt on her, the way she felt in them. It had been a wrench to put back on her clothes, return to the old her.

"Looks like you liked them," Jonalis smirked. The girl had been in the fitting room longer than they had expected. Trisha nodded.

"Well finally you found something," Allan mused.

"Guess so," Trisha said moving to the area with the jeans, fumbling to look at the size.

"What are you doing?" Reyn sounded incredulous.

"Getting two more pairs. I like 'em."

They laughed. Reyn smiled, "I'll help. For a moment I thought you were putting them back."

The others started bustling around the store, meeting Trisha at the counter with more stuff. Trisha left the store with three pairs of jeans, two belts, two pairs of flats, five shirts, the oversized clutch, and a charm bracelet with two charms. Jonalis promised that she could consider the jewelry a treat. Trisha surrendered the credit card. Mister's money had never bought her anything this pricey. Cory bought his jacket, throwing in another charm for Trisha's bracelet to commemorate her first shopping trip with them.

"Jonalis, you're the only one without a treat," Felix reminded her.

"We still need to stop in Guess before we leave," she reminded him. They stepped into the final store for this trip. Jonalis walked purposefully to the handbags, picking up a signature Tokodoki bag exclusive to the store. It was roughly the size of small carry-on luggage. She paid for it with her own money after giving Trisha a little smile. Treats, in theory, should be paid for out of each person's own pocket. Something nice that you do for yourself. Worn out they piled into the SUV again. The trunk packed with bags from their shopping trip. They stopped at the little diner again for dinner before heading the four and a half hours home. As the lights of Vegas shone in the distance, the conversation switched to evening plans. Trisha let her mind drift. She didn't expect to be included in their late night activities.

"Just call me," Jonalis told Cory as she exited the SUV. He nodded.

"Nice meeting you Trisha," he called out to her. Trisha nodded back.

"Same here. It was interesting," she grinned. Trisha and Jonalis removed their bags from the trunk then waved to the others as the car sped away. They walked in silence to the house, both pausing at the entrance to the Play Room.

"I'll be back to hang your new things in a second," Trisha stated. Jonalis shook her head.

"No need. I'll do it before I go out."

"Oh. Well I need your to-do list anyway," she continued. Today with Jonalis had been fun and she wasn't ready to leave the woman's presence quite so soon.

"Yeah, there is that," Jonalis said before entering her room. Trisha practically ran down the hall to stuff her bags in the closet. She'd get to them later. The desire to be in one of the girl's presence longer than necessary was addictive, new. The woman was tisking at her cell phone display by the time she returned.

"You need more time for your list?"

"I don't have one. But I do have an offer."

"Oh?" Trisha moved to the bed to start removing the purchases from their bags. Jonalis snatched the dress out of her hands then forced her to sit on the end of the bed.

"Cory got himself roped into spinning at a drag club tonight. I was thinking of going. We could visit a friend of mine there," Jonalis said, moving between the closet and bed to hang up her new clothes. Trisha sat back.

"You do remember I'm seventeen right?"

"Yep. If you're going you should piece together an outfit out of your new stuff." Jonalis didn't sound fazed, "Meet me here in twenty ok?"

Trisha popped off the bed. She couldn't believe her luck. She took the quickest shower ever, stuffed herself into the dark blue jeans, the button down top that hinted at her cleavage, her black belt and flats then grabbed the charm bracelet. She grabbed her wallet, keys, and cell phone then raced back to the Play Room. Jonalis was dressed, fiddling with her hair. Trisha tried unsuccessfully to stuff her phone in her back pocket but the pants were not loose enough for that.

"Where's your new bag?" Trisha looked up into Jonalis's laughing face. "Go get it."

After returning with her things stuffed in the oversized clutch, Jonalis produced her own. Trisha copied the woman, stuffing it under her arm and holding it close to her. They got into the Audi convertible Mister kept for his latest lady to drive, speeding into the night towards the strip. They parked in front of the club but walked around the corner to a side door to enter. The bouncer there smiled at Jonalis before letting them in. There was utter chaos in the back. The ladies were in various states of makeup and dress, none of them bothered by two little women clad in jeans and t-shirts. Their destination was a buxom brassy blond whose mirror was stuck in the middle of a long row of stations.

"Joni! As I live and breathe!" They air kissed. "And you brought a baby! How cute!" They laughed.

"Charlene, this is Trisha."

"Charmed I'm sure," Charlene said offering her cheek for a kiss. What the hell. Trisha brushed their cheeks together. "My, aren't you a fast learner."

"Trisha and I are going to find seats and catch your act."

Charlene turned, pointing a brush at the mirror, her voice turning sharp, "Alright bitch. But you better bring your ass back right after. I haven't finished with you."

Jonalis smiled indulgently, kissing her friends cheek again, "Break a leg Charlene."

"Always do," she trilled back, giving them a finger wave before they left. They walked down a narrow hallway, the exit of which was covered by another bouncer that smiled at Jonalis. Moving across the floor Trisha noticed the place was laid out like a lounge. Lots of table and chairs were staggered through the room, all oriented to the stage. The area in front of the stage was clear though, lending space for people to dance. They moved to the bar.

"Two long islands and a coke," Jonalis ordered. Trisha instinctively reached for her purse but Jonalis stilled her hand, reaching instead for her own twenty to pay. "I'd like to keep this off the books. You understand?"

Trisha nodded. Credit card statements held a wealth of information on where you'd been. The drinks came, both long islands pushed into her hands. They walked up the stairs to the DJ booth, passing a third bouncer who winked at Jonalis before letting them pass. Trisha was awed. Cory was spinning, using a crazy combination of laptop and electronics she'd never seen. His brown hair was shaved two steps above being bald. His deep brown eyes were focused on the computer screen, while he alternated between sticking his tongue between his lips, licking them, and biting one corner. He executed a transition, picked a new track then removed his headphones to give his thousand watt smile at them. He blew kisses at each of them before accepting the coke from Jonalis. She turned then to pluck one of the teas from Trisha.

"I thought…" Trisha stammered.

"Oh, Cory doesn't drink when he's working. Cheers," Jonalis told her, clinking their glasses together. The alcohol was strong, making Trisha cough after the first sip. The music eventually faded away and for a moment Trisha thought Cory had messed up. But his smooth voice floated over the microphone.

"Alright ladies and gents it's time for the show to get started. So let's clear the floor, grab a drink, and give it up for the talented performers." The crowd moved quickly to take their seats, the main event here clearly the performances. Jonalis and Trisha moved to the side of the DJ booth to brace themselves against the railing for the show. Music cued up, spotlights came on, and the spectacle began. Trisha loved every minute of it. There was a mistress of ceremonies and an opening act with the entire cast. The individual performances were all interactive. Plans filled Trisha's head. Next time she came here she would insist on sitting near the stage to experience the action. Charlene sang a sad song that broke up the monotony of quick songs. Trisha could have sat there all night watching but Jonalis tapped her shoulder. They waved to Cory who threw them kisses again before weaving back to the dressing area again. Charlene was already in the process of removing her dress, changing into attire suitable for lounging in the club.

"Oh good. You can follow directions," Charlene told Jonalis. Trisha moved her head slightly so she wouldn't stare at Charlene's body. The two other women laughed.

"Ooh Joni, looks like you've got a shy miss on your hands," Charlene teased.

"I think she's confused by the boobs C," Jonalis replied, tying up the top in the back for her friend.

Charlene turned to grab Trisha's hands and look into her eyes. "Not too worry baby. It's simple really. See, it's cheaper to get the hormones to get the breasts. It's more expensive to get the surgery to remove the excess bits down below. I'm still saving up for that." Trisha's eyes got wide. Jonalis laughed.

"Good luck with that," Trisha offered feebly.

"Oh, you are sweet," Charlene said, grabbing her chin between her fingers before tisking, "Child, where is your makeup?"

"I don't wear…"

"Your mama is not taking good care of you. No makeup," Charlene said pulling out a brush and some eye shadow. Jonalis laughed as Trisha submitted to the eye shadow, blush, and lipstick. Makeup job done, Jonalis launched herself at Charlene, the two committing to a very strong hug.

"I do love you," Jonalis said emphatically. Charlene patted her back.

"I love you too bitch," Charlene said without heat. They pulled away and Charlene waved her hand dismissively, "Go now. I'm not mussin' my makeup for you."

This time they went through the front of the club to exit. Trisha expected them to head home but instead the Audi cruised to a club on the outskirts of town. The trip in was quick, Jonalis's face recognized and the door opened before a protest could be raised by the line of people waiting. They wove their way to a corner to see Felix, Allan, Reyn, and Moira relaxing at a large booth.

"What are you having?" Felix called out over the beat to them.

"One long island and a Malibu Bay Breeze," Jonalis called to him. He slid out of the booth, making his way to the bar. Trisha and Jonalis slid in.

"You look good girl," Reyn complemented Trisha. She nodded in response, taking in the flashing lights, the girls dancing on the bars. The people all looked happy some looked extremely drunk in addition to being cheery. Guys were grinding on girls under the pretense of dancing. Bodies couldn't help moving to the strong beat flowing through the floor of the club. Felix returned with the drinks, pushing the pink looking one towards her. Trisha sipped then grinned. This was much better. Tasted like a mixture of juices. She drained the glass quickly.

"Slow down junior," Allan said with a frown, "Those are potent."

But as the night wound on, Trisha downed two more. It happened by accident, during pauses to catch her breath. There had been dancing. Tons of dancing once the two am club crowd started to arrive. Cory had shown up, spun her out onto the dance floor, worn her down. He'd bought her the drinks then spun her back on the floor. By five am though Trisha had begun to close her eyes. They were feeling so heavy. She sat in the booth, her head leaning on the leather back, her eyes fluttering even though she didn't want them to. She heard them discussing her, Jonalis give a short laugh, and someone help her out to the car.

Later that morning Trisha woke up violently. She barely made it to the bathroom to throw up. Feeling like she would like to crawl into a hole, she pulled herself up to wash out her mouth then sunk back onto the bathroom floor. Hours later her stomach felt uneasy but not so much that she couldn't get up and take a shower. She stood under the spray and vowed that she would never, ever, not ever drink in excess again.


Three weeks later Trisha was lying in bed with her mother watching TV. Normally Trisha looked forward to these rare moments with Ronnie but tonight she just wished she could have hung out with Jonalis. Graduation had commenced and Jonalis had allowed Trisha to accompany her on her nights out after work. The fun would begin for them after two am and it wasn't uncommon for them to waltz in even as late as ten am if Jonalis could push herself till then. But Mister was home and was taking Jonalis to a suite at one of the casinos to celebrate his return. And her mother had fallen into an 'hour of need' kind of moment.

"Mama why didn't you ever marry my daddy?" The question popped out as Ronnie had begun to wax poetic about the virtues of her previous husbands. Ronnie paused in the middle of her sentence, gave her daughter a shrewd look. She sighed. Somehow the conversation always came back to this.

"Sweets," she said, running her fingers through Trisha's hair, "Vince…Vince was…" she struggled for words. Trisha rolled her eyes, knowing what was coming.

"I know, I know. Vince was the poorest many you ever loved. I get that."

Ronnie frowned, tipping Trisha's face to hers. She took in the young girl's soulful blue eyes, her black hair, her scowling face, and saw parts of the man who's donated those features. Then she let go and dropped back to the pillows. Trisha lay back on her mother's stomach, waiting for the story to begin or the answer to come.

"I was young, stupid, and ready to start my life as an actress when I went to Los Angeles. I was on my last dollar when I met you daddy. He was virile. Mean. Damaged. He could be downright scary sometimes. But that day he paid for my breakfast at a little café when I tried to run out on the bill. He told me I was pretty. He'd seen me catch some lady's twin boys from runnin' in the street earlier. And he had a kid that needed a mom. But he didn't want to waste time looking for someone decent. He hoped I do.

"He laughed when I told him I wanted to act. He said if I could fool his family, I could do anything. So I went home with him. And I met his boy. Casche. I'll never forget the little heathen. The kid knew exactly how to ride my nerves. He peed on my shoes. He used my favorite lipstick on the walls. But I kept trying to be his mom. I'd started to fall for Vince even though he had no feelings for me. And the sex. Gawd! Vince knew how to work a woman so good that she'd think he loved her. And I pretended for a while that he did love me because I was trying to be an actress and I needed the practice.

"But getting an acting job is tough. And I was starting to feel homesick when your heathen half-brother chopped off a sizeable chunk of my hair. I'd had it. Vince tried to get me to stay but I was too fed up. I caught the first thing smoking back to Vegas. He didn't know I was pregnant, hell neither did I. I married the pit boss a month after I returned and I haven't left since. I've married some doozies in your lifetime but I'm thankful I never made the mistake of marrying your daddy. I don't know if he'd have let me go so easily if we'd taken vows. He probably would have driven his car here to get you if he'd known."

"Mama, he doesn't sound like the type to volunteer to take a kid home," Trisha said softly. She was trying to piece together the man her mother had left behind in California.

Ronnie lay musing, a wistful thought occurring to her, "You know, Vince really didn't have a problem with kids. He liked them even if he pretended he didn't in public."

"But if he couldn't love you, why do you think he'd love Casche or me?" Trisha asked sadly. Her mother didn't have to know that she thought of going to find the man who'd given her his DNA and last name. She felt bad thinking about seeking him out behind Ronnie's back. But she wanted to see him, to measure herself against him. She wanted to know what she had gotten from him, what traits she could blame on her mother. Would he want to know her like she wanted to know him?

"He couldn't love me or any other woman. I think he was always pinin' for someone else," Ronnie explained. There was a bitter edge to her voice. There was probably a lot that she was keeping inside about that part of her past. "But he loves Casche one hundred percent and sugar I know he'd love you too." Trisha vowed to herself as she fell asleep that she would never, ever, not ever have sex out of wedlock or keep a child from his father.


"I wanna get a tattoo," Trisha admitted to Jonalis three weeks later. They were sunning. Correction, Jonalis was sunning nude. Trisha was pretending to read aloud to Jonalis. Her mother had started to get vocal about Trisha's desire to spend all her free time with the stripper. Now under scrutiny, the pair made sure that a to-do list was produced everyday that included an excuse for them to hang out.

"That's what you would do if you could give yourself anything?"

"Yep. I think ink can be very cool, sexy even," she replied before flipping another page. Jonalis shuddered. Ink was an occupational pitfall in her line of work. Lots of the club owners didn't want girls with tattoos feeling it made their outfit choices limited or could easily repel clientele.

"What would you get?"

"Something fairly unique. Not anyone's name."

"You given any thought to when you'd get this fairly unique tattoo?"

"No. It's just an idle thought. Wait. Why?" Trisha was getting suspicious.

"No worries," Jonalis laughed. "Listen don't get too dressed up tonight. We're supposed to go support Felix in his endeavor to be inked."

"Really?"

"Yeah," she wrinkled her nose. "Maybe his experience will help you abstain. Kinda like sending teenagers to witness childbirth." They both laughed. Trisha's phone chirped.

"Time for work Trix," Jonalis said, swinging off the chaise. Smiling at her nickname, Trisha retreated to her room as Jonalis prepped then left. She thought about her father and half-brother more often these days. Reyn had hinted that they needed to do another shopping trip soon and now they were waiting for everyone to get a day off together. L.A. was a big place but maybe she could slip away and find them, at least get a chance to meet.

Feeling a small pang of guilt at what she was about to do, she slipped downstairs into Mister's office. He never minded when she used his office for homework or to search the net. Besides he wasn't home. But if Ronnie caught her looking again, she'd lose her mind. The computer was top of the line, speedy and quiet. Logging on to her desktop account, she pulled out her cell phone to access the notes she'd tucked safely within its memory. Perhaps she should try searching for Casche today.

A search for Vincent Simmons had been frustrating. The most promising information had been a Vince S. who worked at some repair shop, a newspaper article about a Vincent Simmons brought in for questioning over twenty years ago regarding armed robbery, an obituary for a Marlene Simmons who was survived by her son Vincent. But it had taken hours of sifting through tons of worthless information to get that much. Trisha wasn't even sure that any of these men could be her father although she hoped the possible convict wasn't.

Casche, her half-brother, might be easier to get a lock on since his name was so unusual. She typed his name in the search engine, initially groaning at the results. Unwilling to leave a stone unturned she began to shift through all the references to money. She let the cursor pause over a reference to someone's myspace page. Resigning herself, she clicked to read the information scrawled there and look at the pictures. Blah, blah, blah, I love art. Blah, blah, blah, I miss college already. Blah, blah, blah, My hot cousin Casche. The guy in the picture made Trisha's hair stand on end. He looked like a menace. His short black hair was spiky and unruly. He had muscles and a mean jaw. He wasn't smiling. His skin was a darker hue than hers, almost like he had a permanent gently toasty tan. But his piercing eyes were the same deep soulful blue as hers. His nose and mouth slightly sharper than hers but still very much the same. Electrified Trisha scrolled back to the top of the page desperate for a name. Give her a name…

The page was listed under Breebe O. in Los Angeles, CA. Trisha started searching the page in more detail, looking for clues. She was rewarded towards the end of the page as she perused the comments. Casche is hot? I know you've fallen on hard times but you must be desperate if you're pimping him! Don't get roped in at the café. Come chill with me at DT's. C-Ya! N. Feeling she was onto something, Trisha favorite saved the page then clicked on the commentator to visit their page. This person knew Casche too. Mighty O T was another girl listed in Los Angeles. Her page was slightly less girly than the previous one but it was clear the two girls were really close. Breebe and Mighty O T were featured in a lot of pictures together but there were two in particular that made Trisha's heart beat wildly in her ears.

The first was a picture of the girls sitting at a table outside of a café with a group of boys. It wasn't the subjects that had caught her attention but the name on the sign. Toretto's. The second was a picture of the girls leaning on the hood of a car, showcasing a very intricate design along its side. Although it was almost cut off, Trisha made out the name on the sign. DT Automotive. Palms itchy, Trisha favorite saved this page too then scrolled through the notes she'd put in her phone. Vince S. had been linked to the DT Automotive website. Feeling excited, Trisha did a search for the garage. Once on the site she began to click through every page looking for a picture. Instead all she found was the contact page which had listed the mechanics, a telephone number, and an address. She took the information down. Then feeling lucky she did another search for the café. No site popped up for it but the various map programs provided another telephone number and address.

The door to the office opened, Ronnie walking in. Trisha closed the page then locked her phone. She didn't want her mother to find her searching again. Ronnie had given her a dressing down when she caught Trisha the first time, begged her to quit looking, then not spoken to her for a week to drive the point home.

"What are you doing in here?" Ronnie accused.

"Searching for some ideas. I was thinking of getting a tattoo," Trisha lied.

Ronnie flipped out, "No Trisha! Absolutely not! You will not mar your body with those filthy tattoos! You'll never get anyone to look at you twice with those trashy things on you!"

"Okay! Okay. No tattoos. I hear you," she said in a placating tone. But Ronnie wasn't finished with her yet.

"You know, I don't think you'll listen to me but even that stripper should be able to tell you how foolish…"

"Mama stop. Her name's Jonalis. And I do listen to you. I am right now." Ronnie crossed the room and slapped Trisha hard. She'd never hit the girl like this before.

"Don't you ever, ever mention their names again. You hear me! I won't stand for it! Not from you, not ever. I put up with a lot having those whores in my house. He doesn't throw their names in my face. I won't have you doing it," she screamed, finishing off her tirade with a shove to Trisha's chest. Since the girl was still sitting in the office chair, she didn't move but her chest hurt all the same. Ronnie stormed out of the office, slamming the door. And Trisha sat in the chair, knees to chest, until her phone chirped that it was time to go.

The lot to the parlor wasn't very full when Trisha pulled in at two-thirty. She was running late but hoped no one minded. It had taken extra time to fix her face. Ronnie's rings had left two small cuts on her cheek. Feeling it would be futile to cover them with makeup, Trisha made sure they were clean. She took care to brush antibacterial cream on them then rolled out. They would probably start closing by sunrise they were so shallow. The buzz of the tattoo equipment brought her to the present and set her teeth on edge. It was an involuntary response to the sound which reminded her of dental visits as a kid. Trisha recognized the backs of the people standing around, bracing themselves on stools seated along a wall, a section at the top of which had been cut open to act as an open window. She approached, standing between Cory and Jonalis, to see Felix lying on his back while an artist inked his side.

"Hiya Trix," Allan called out to her, his eyes still transfixed on Felix's face. Felix looked like it was unpleasant.

"Hey."

"It's not like you to be late," Moira commented.

"Maybe you're early," Trisha replied without heat.

"What's up your ass tonight?" Allan asked her.

"Probably nothing a little rebellion wouldn't cure," Jonalis shot back. Allan grinned.

"Junior wants a tattoo?" Felix asked during a pause in the artist's work.

"So what if I do?" Trisha sassed. Her mood was all out of whack.

"Get one right now! I'm sure someone here would do you," Felix said grinning before the buzzing on his abdomen started again. His face slowly returned to a grimace.

Trisha shrugged, "Sure. Why not?" She turned away to start looking at the flash they had on the walls.

"I thought you wanted something original Trix," Jonalis said casually, approaching the girl. Something was off tonight but she couldn't put her finger on what it was. Trisha shrugged again. Reyn came to stand beside them, looking at the flash too.

"You know, a piercing might be better. If you don't like it, you just pull it out and the hole closes," she suggested. Trisha turned to look at her a curious look on her face.

"Really?" she said tentatively.

"Yep. There is a line," Reyn told her, motioning to the four other people in the shop, a wicked smile on her face, "But I'm up next."

Reyn flashed her ticket in front of Trisha's face, taunting her with it. Feeling wild, Trisha took it, returning to watch Felix's progress before her number was called. No one followed this time. And when she returned, Jonalis smiled at her.

"What do you think?" Trisha asked defiantly.

"Very sexy," Cory told her immediately, flashing his trademark thousand watt smile at her.

"I'm impressed," Jonalis admitted. The stud winking at them from them an inch above the corner of Trisha's mouth reminded her of a well placed mole.

"Sure beats a hasty tattoo," Moira agreed. Trisha had to agree. Her mood lifted, Trisha continued to trade witty banter with Felix and the others till his tattoo was finished at five am. Then they went to breakfast to celebrate. And when Trisha climbed into bed at seven thirty she felt that her life was starting to separate from her mothers.

At the end of Jonalis's third month she announced that they would be going on another trip to Rodeo Drive. Trisha felt comfortable dressing for the trip this time. Her back was practically healed now. She put on her low rise jeans, Puma's, and a fitted top. She kept tugging the shirt down to keep her back covered. It only had to last until they made it out of the house, away from Ronnie. Cory was waiting for them at the end of the drive, same as before. But this time Trisha didn't hesitate. She ran to sit shotgun, Jonalis laughing when she got in behind her. Hello's were grumbled and one by one the rest of the occupants of the SUV fell asleep.

"Cory?" Trisha asked when she was sure the others were breathing deeply. It was only eight am. Still early. He turned down the music a little to hear her.

"Not tired Trix?" She should have been. They'd tossed back a couple before heading home earlier. She'd gotten into bed at three. Oddly, though, she was feeling keyed up today.

"Would you mind dropping me off somewhere?" She thought of the addresses hiding in her phone, the wad of money in her purse.

"Where do you want to go?"

"Just a little café. Nothing sinister."

"You want us to have breakfast there?"

"No!" Trisha said quickly. Cory's smile fell a little. "I just need to see it for myself."

"Why this particular place? Got a secret?"

"Not really."

Cory turned that over in his mind, "So why are you withholding?"

"I'm not," Trisha hedged, "It's just private."

Cory took a second to look at Trisha's face. She was scowling, the expression making him laugh. "When do you want to go?"

"You'll take me?" Cory nodded. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Cory laughed, "Easy Trix. You'll give me a complex."

"Can we drop them off and go right away? I promise it won't take long. You won't have to wait. And I'll meet you back in Rodeo Drive. I have enough money for a cab and everything," she rattled off.

"Uh Trix, I'm not going to leave you alone in Los Angeles."

Her face fell, and she grumbled, "I'm a big girl. I can handle myself in Vegas. I'll handle myself there."

Cory shook his head, "You're seventeen, a minor I've just transported over state lines. I have a responsibility to make sure you don't end up lost or sporting more ink."

Trisha couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. Cory smiled.

"You'll keep this to yourself?" she asked pointlessly.

"Goddesses honor," he said holding his hand up like he was being sworn in. Trisha felt her face heat up. Cory was the only one who knew about the goddess she'd had tattooed up her side. The goddess climbed up her back, her right leg bent to caress Trisha's right side, her head laying on Trisha's shoulder, her right hand leaning down to pluck Trisha's nipple with her nimble fingers. Cory had sat patiently through two sessions, watching the artist as he created first the outline, then shaded the goddess in. She'd asked him to come to keep the artist from fondling her breasts unnecessarily. She trusted him not to tell Jonalis or the others. Jonalis was already adamantly opposed to the other tattoos that shared Trisha's back.

Trisha finally let sleep overtake her, waking when they stopped at that same diner from before. This time she noticed the gazes lingered on her too as well as her companions. She ordered her big breakfast, giving Allan a high five when he gave her a 'that's my girl'. It felt great to be out of town, out of scrutiny. She let her shirt ride up, knowing that the colors visible on her lower back would catch attention. When they left, Cory gave her shirt a little tug to help it cover more of her skin. Jonalis gave her a playful shove when they got outside. A short ride later Cory pulled up to the street then called for the rest to get out.

"What about you two?" Allan called out suspiciously.

"Quick errand. See you in a few," Cory said dismissively. Trisha watched their stunned faces in the side mirror until they turned the corner. "Where to?" Trisha pulled out her phone to relay the directions to him.

"You know, I do have GPS," he told her pointing to the fancy display in his dash.

"But GPS keeps addresses. I don't want any nosy Nancy's getting any clues." They pulled up to the café a short while later and Trisha took a deep breath. Putting her sunglasses on, she looked at Cory and he shrugged. She knew he'd stay put. The climb out of the SUV felt it was extremely long but her feet hit solid ground rather quickly. She hitched up her pants, tugged her shirt down then walked to the counter. She noticed a young boy sitting at the counter slack jawed. He was absently tugging on the shirt of a large guy with an extreme wealth of muscles. The guy's face was young too but guarded when his eyes traveled up her body. A second guy with brown curly hair gave her an appreciative glance.

"Welcome to Toretto's. What can I get you?" The waitress behind the counter was chipper. She looked like she could be in college.

"Uh, what's good here?" Trisha asked stalling for time. She didn't know what she had expected to happen when she walked in here. She hadn't planned this far ahead.

"Everything's good," the young boy supplied readily, his mouth still agape. The girl was really pretty to him, not looking like any of the girls in his family with her straight black hair and strong nose. Her lips were full but small fitting her face and making her interesting to look at.

"Even the tuna?" Trisha asked the boy.

The man with the muscles frowned, "Shit no. No one likes the tuna here."

The brown haired guy laughed and Trisha found herself joining in. Trisha heard the rumble of cars and turned around to see several brightly colored cars come to a stop in front of the café. Her feeling of unease increased. She really wanted to get out of there but she also wanted to ask them if they knew her half-brother. Pushing herself onto a stool, she ordered a turkey sandwich and a coke. She hoped that Cory wouldn't get impatient waiting. The occupants of the cars started pouring in. The brown haired man's twin came in, ruffling the little boy's hair. A couple of older men joined them on their end of the counter. It looked like they all were related to one another in some way or another. Trisha tried her best not to stare as the sandwich and drink were pushed in front of her. Already full from breakfast she took a small bite then chased it with a large swig of soda. Might as well play the part.

"You from around here?" The first brown haired guy asked. Trisha shook her head. "You need help finding something? I give a great tour of L.A."

"Actually you wouldn't happen to know a good mechanic would you?" The men all laughed at her. Even the girl behind the counter laughed.

"We might," the guy responded in a tongue-in-cheek way, "You have a problem with that truck?"

Trisha shrugged, "I might." She was distracted by another car pulling up to the café. Her pressure shot up. Her position at the counter did not allow for her to covertly look over her shoulder at the new arrival. She didn't think she could handle one more person joining this group at the counter. She took another long pull of her soda.

"Jeez, it must be model day at the café," the brown haired guy's twin joked. Trisha heard the click of heels crossing the concrete and then a beautiful brunette came into view. He hadn't been kidding. The woman was beautiful.

"Cute," the woman said in response, her voice accented. Trisha couldn't place it. The woman turned then pushed her sunglasses up to give Trisha a very long and sexually charged look.

"Can I get you anything?" The waitress called out. The men stopped talking to watch the exchange.

A slow sexy smile worked over the woman's face, "No."

"How much do I owe you?" Trisha asked, pulling out her purse and fumbling for money. She threw a ten on the counter and jumped off the stool. These people were so strange.

"Still need a mechanic honey?" One of the older men, clearly the father of the muscled young man called out. She turned to say no but the SUV door opened and Cory jumped out.

"Trix, let's go," he called to her. He could tell from her body language that she was really uncomfortable. Trisha gave them a feeble smile, shook her head. She turned to look at Cory and walked purposefully to the passenger side. They slid in together and drove away. They didn't talk the entire way back to Rodeo Drive. He parked then whipped out his cell to call for the groups location then got out. Trisha followed him working to put the encounter behind her, to save analysis for a private moment later. There would be plenty of time to kick herself for not asking about her brother. The rest of the group didn't ask them where they went. It was easy to pretend that nothing strange had happened at all.


Jonalis' fall from favor the following month was very sporadic. She claimed it was her own fault really. Trisha had listened to Jonalis regale her with the story as they packed up the Play Room. Mister was home and had taken Jonalis to a show at one of the casinos for her birthday. She'd gone to the bathroom and returned to see his eyes taken by a cute little show girl. Jonalis had still spent the night with him at the casino. But she'd sneaked away and woken Trisha at four in the morning to help her pack. She didn't want or need Mister to tell her to go.

"Couldn't you try to change his mind Jonalis?" Trisha asked desperately as they frantically stuffed clothes into her suitcase.

"Trix, you have a lot to learn about men," Jonalis told her jokingly. Even though Trisha's heart was breaking, Jonalis could be so collected.

"Can I still come hang with you?"

"Will you have any time to?" Jonalis asked shrewdly. They knew it would be a matter of time before someone new moved in, took her place.

"I'll make time." Jonalis laughed at her sulky tone.

"I bet you will Trix." The room now devoid of the occupant, the two trudged down the stairs then out of the house. They rolled the suitcases down to the gate, carefully walking out. The sky was lightening. It would be sunrise soon. Cory got out of the SUV to help them put the bags in the trunk. He looked like he'd just woken from a fitful nap. He smiled at her sadly and the two of them got into his SUV. Trisha wanted to go with her. She couldn't get over the feeling of dread as she watched Mister's best mistress ride away.


Trisha looked down at the party from her perch in the DJ's booth. The club was packed tonight as one would suspect in Vegas. She watched the girls dancing on the bars and strategically placed stands throughout. She shook her head. It always amused her how many girls thought it was sexy or fun to dance up there for everyone to see. And when you didn't feel forced to get up there she was sure it felt that way. Trisha often looked at the carefree vacationers that would come to Vegas these days and wish she could feel that uninhibited. She hadn't felt that way since Jonalis had left.

Eyes focusing on the screen that had just flashed up on her cell phone, Trisha pushed her musings aside. Time to go to work. She waved to Cory and he flashed his thousand watt smile quickly, his head bobbing to the music. She wove through the crowd, no one taking notice of her in jeans and a black t-shirt. She crossed the casino at warp speed to make up time, arriving backstage in time for the final notes of the closing act. The applause started up, as it did every night. The wolf whistles continued until the curtain finally closed on the twenty-five women standing on the stage, their smiles rapidly falling from their faces as they began trooping off the stage.

Flora immediately started pulling her headdress off the moment her heels hit backstage. Trisha sighed. The girl was going to play the prima donna tonight. She thrust it out for Trisha to take then started on her earrings. Trisha hoped that she didn't drop the earrings again. It had taken twenty minutes to find the back of one last night. Luck on her side, she and Flora reached her dressing area without dropping anything. She was getting better at anticipating the showgirl's needs. Help remove jewelry, remove pins from hair. Brush hair. Unzip costume, provide change of clothes immediately. Provide shoes, offer purse. Spritz with perfume. Put up with criticism. Watch her walk away. Clean her station and return all costumes neatly for the show the following night. Tonight had been a good night.

As Trisha drove to her favorite club she had to hand it to Flora. The girl might last longer than the others. She wasn't a heavy drinker like two of the girls had been. She wasn't doing drugs. The worst girl had been heavy into sniffing powder. That one was happiest when she was high, getting really nasty very fast when she couldn't get her fix. Trisha had drawn the line at providing for the addicts habit. Mister had the girl thrown out while he was away after she crashed one of his cars. Flora wasn't trying to date multiple guys. One girl had been stupid enough to bring a random guy home. Ronnie had gotten permission to ask her to leave right away. Flora wasn't even a big party animal like Jonalis. She went out for her obligatory face showing at the casino club but she was usually in, out, and home in an hour. In short, she was more like Ronnie than Trisha had expected.

Knowing that Flora wouldn't need her anymore tonight, Trisha pulled into the parking lot and grabbed her handbag. She nodded to the bouncers and they let her in. It took her a few minutes to change her top in the bathroom from the t-shirt to a halter that showed off part of her back. She took care to pull her hair into a sleek ponytail, brush lip gloss and eye shadow on her face, and secure the little earring that twinkled like an abnormal mole. Feeling better she made her way over to the booth in the corner to wait on the rest of the group. Moira showed up first, a waitress trailing her with a tray of drinks. They were smiling, well into their second martinis when Reyn and Allan found them. They all took shots together, then waited for Felix before they asked for the waitress to replenish drinks. Cory showed up next and they all had another shot.

Trisha was feeling slightly above inebriated now. She so rarely got to hang with them anymore. Cory took her onto the dance floor and they started swaying to the beat. The action wasn't abnormal but his behavior was. Tonight he was touching her all over. He was whispering little comments in her ears, letting his breath tickle her. He was resting his hands on her hips, letting them slide teasingly across her back. Tonight he stared into her eyes, his thousand watt smile shining through them with a hint of something else. When they returned to the booth twenty minutes later, Jonalis was there.

"Joni," Trisha slurred, hugging her tightly.

"Happy Birthday Trix," Jonalis said with a laugh. Trisha felt whole for the first time in two months. Everyone was together again. She hugged Jonalis again.

"Um, you're cut off as of right now," Jonalis joked. Everyone laughed. The waitress came back and they all ordered long islands. Drinks downed Cory pulled Trisha back on the floor. This time the rest filed out to dance too.

"Finally you're eighteen," Cory whispered in her ear. Trisha felt the beginnings of darkness enveloping her. She was definitely not having anything more than water for the rest of the night. They danced closer than ever, and after what felt like an eternity Allan came to tap Cory on the shoulder. Trisha noticed Moira waving her purse. They were leaving! It was so early. Cory noticed Trisha's pout and laughed again. He held her as they walked out of the club.

"Why are we leavin' so soon?" Trisha slurred.

"Don't get bent out of shape junior. We're changing venue," Felix told her. Cory poured her into the passenger seat of her car then got in to drive them to the new location. Allan drove the others to one of the casinos. But Trisha and Cory made a detour. They showed up an hour later at the suite near the top, a bottle of Champagne clutched in her hand. They were both laughing. There was a private party going on in this room with about seventy people milling around. Trisha wanted to keep partying with everyone else but they had a hard time finding them. And Trisha was starting to feel tired, her eyelids heavy.

"Not yet Trix," Cory whispered in her ear. She shivered. He pulled the elastic holding her ponytail out of her hair, running his hands through the silky strands. Slowly his lips met hers. Trisha's first kiss was slow, careful, filled with things that Cory had been whispering to her all night. The first melted into a second, then a third. Trisha was ready to sink into the fourth when she heard Cory mutter an oath. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into one of the vacant rooms, locking the door and the rest of the world out.

"Oh Jesus help me," Trisha moaned the following morning as the pounding on the door increased. Her head was pulsing as badly as the pounding was.

"Open this fucking door Cory!" Felix's familiar voice called out. The pounding started up more insistently and Cory's arm slid off Trisha's naked back. He stumbled around, pulling on his boxers and jeans before unlocking the door.

"You just couldn't help yourself," Jonalis called out icily to him. He rubbed his hand against the back of his head.

"Jonalis calm down. It's not like that."

"Then how is it huh?" Jonalis countered, her voice still icy.

"Please stop yelling. I feel really sick," Trisha begged. There was a beat of silence before clothes started pelting her body.

"Put on your shit. We're leaving," Jonalis spat out. The room cleared and the door slammed. Trisha slowly pulled herself together. She could hear them out there yelling at one another. Damn it. She opened the door to join the group assembled in the main part of the suite.

"I didn't force anyone to do anything they didn't want to last night Joni," Cory explained hotly.

"Yes, because the word of a drunk barely eighteen-year old kid could really be trusted," Jonalis mocked.

"Cory, that was a pretty impulsive thing to do," Moira said trying to diffuse the tension.

"No it was a stupid thing to do," Reyn called out.

"Don't see why everyone's so bent out of shape. Just get it annulled," Allan shrugged. All faces turned to his. He shrugged. "People get it done all the time."

"Yeah, that will go over real well. I guess I should cite my reason as being I just wanted to get laid," Cory said sarcastically.

"I'm sure there are worse reasons," Trisha said in agitation. She was in the throes of a major hangover.

Moira cleared her throat, "Oh good, you're up. Clear something up for us please. Do you remember getting married last night?"

Trisha looked into Cory's eyes and nodded. She didn't. Not really. She remembered feeling turned on at the club. She remembered him asking if they could have sex. She remembered telling him about her vow. He'd laughed. They'd had more to drink. He'd put her in the car. She dimly recalled the Champagne. She vaguely remembered signing paper. She didn't remember much else, not even where they were or why she had been naked alone with him this morning. He looked grateful, she felt sick.

"Here's a better question. Do you even know your new last name?" Felix said meanly. Trisha felt terrible. She grabbed her bag from Jonalis and muttered a lame goodbye. The door to the hotel suite closed behind her. She felt the tears forming in the back of her eyes as she rushed to the elevator. She didn't want to do this here. The doors to the elevator had shut when the call button opened the door again. Jonalis stalked in, jingling Trisha's keys. They didn't speak as they rode down to the main floor or while they waited for the valet to bring Trisha's car. They didn't utter one word until Jonalis pulled up outside of the gate of Mister's house.

"You know why I call you Trix?" she said idly. Trisha didn't say anything so she pressed on, "You're always performing tricks for people. Running behind your stepdad's mistresses, performing your duties to please your mother, running to get married for a quick screw. You're no different than me or any of those girls out there," she explained.

"I didn't realize you'd be so bent out of shape over this Jonalis," Trisha said shamefacedly.

"Honestly, I'm surprised by you. Haven't you learned anything from Veronica? From me? Can't you tell that Cory's no good for you?" Trisha couldn't look Jonalis in the eyes.

"Why not?" It was a feeble attempt to salvage the deteriorating situation.

"Cory is a twenty-eight year old lecherous Vegas DJ who's had his eye on you since your first trip to Rodeo Drive. He's had his hand in every cookie jar while he waited for your little cookies to bake. He's no different than your stepdad."

"I'm nothing like Ronnie," Trisha said angrily.

"You wish. You know where your husband is right now? He's on his way home to his long-term girlfriend and two kids." Trisha's face fell at the information. Jonalis gave a bitter laugh, "She'll be pissed that he wasted his first marriage on you."

Trisha stumbled out of the car and Jonalis followed, catching her before she could press the code to throw open the gate. Jonalis pressed the car keys into her numb hands. The dam broke and Trisha cried. She wanted to get in bed, to pull the covers over her face. She wanted to throw up. She scrambled for the gate and let herself in holding out her hand for her friend. Jonalis shook her head.

"Come with me," Trisha requested.

"I can't. That place is off limits to me," Jonalis laughed with remorse.

"You're my friend. You can come with me. Please I need you," she begged. A car stopped and honked its horn. The two women turned to see Reyn waving at them. Jonalis hugged Trisha hard.

"I do love you," Jonalis whispered to her. Trisha's tears started all over again as she watched her best friend, her mentor, ride away.

Chest aching Trisha climbed the stairs. She just wanted to sleep. To start the day over. But that wasn't meant to be. She entered her room to find Ronnie sitting on the bed, pajamas still on, talking rapidly into the phone. Her mother paused when she saw her, ending the call quickly.

"Gawd Trisha, where have you been!"

"Out." Her voice was wooden.

"Out where? That one has been home for hours."

Trisha snapped, "Fiona! Her name is Fiona. And damn it if you don't like it why do you stay? None of the others flaunted their mistresses in your face! Why do you put up with it? Why mama?" Ronnie crossed the room to shake Trisha but the sudden movement made her head spin. Trisha ran for the bathroom, throwing up.

"Damn it Trisha. I've had it. You've never been right since that stripper left," Ronnie said between Trisha's bouts of illness. "You're so willful now. And I…" Ronnie paused. Trisha had gotten up to rinse her mouth and some of her tattoos peeked out from under the hem of her t-shirt.

"Mama please," Trisha cried. She couldn't make the tears stop coming. She felt so sick and hung over. Her heart ached. She couldn't explain to her mother what she needed. She never had a need to explain things to Ronnie before. She'd never needed someone in her corner this way, for comfort, for solace.

"Clean yourself up Trisha. We'll discuss this after I talk to him. I'm going to hire someone to do the job instead. I never expected them to rub off on you. I thought I raised you better," Ronnie said coolly, striding from the room. Eager to wash the night off, Trisha showered. She stood under the spray until her skin wrinkled her thoughts all converging into one command. Get out. She couldn't stay in this house, with Ronnie, in Vegas anymore. It was no longer fit for her.

Her decision made she threw on jeans and a shirt that was long enough to cover her tattoos completely. She pulled back her hair then set to work on packing. She took all her new clothes, clothes from the era of Jonalis. She gathered the bags, shoes, and accessories. It wasn't much. She rummaged through the bottom of her closet to dislodge a belt when she caught sight of a familiar Tokodoki bag. Jonalis must have left it for her knowing that eventually she'd stumble upon it. The bag was big enough to hold what she had so she filled it, making sure to run through the bathroom for her incidentals. She wasn't coming back. Feeling reckless Trisha wrote down the numbers and addresses in LA for the café and garage. She hoped this would be enough of a lead to find her father and brother. She called a cab then she went into the memory to clear the phone. She didn't want any traces of her whereabouts lying around.

Trisha took a look at the bedroom one last time then paused to look at the charm bracelet on her wrist. There was a new charm attached. It was a small carriage that reminded her of a fancy horse drawn coach. It was whimsical, just like her life had been these last few months. She considered leaving the bracelet here but thought against it. Worst case scenario, she could sell the expensive bracelet and charms when she ran out of money. She left the keys to the house and trudged down the stairs. She didn't look back at the house on her trip down the drive. She didn't look back at Vegas either when she boarded the bus to L.A. two hours later.

It was dark and rainy when Trisha disembarked in Los Angeles. Like her trip to the café three months ago she was confronted with the result of her decisions and didn't know what to do next. She caught a cab to the garage even though she knew it was too late for anyone to be there. Keeping her eyes open for any businesses in the area that might be open she was disappointed to find that the street the garage was on was as empty as her destination. She still paid the cabbie and exited. The rain pelted her body as he drove away, leaving her alone. Feeling it would be stupid to stand so exposed on the street she decided to walk up the drive to hide from the street. Maybe there would a place she could stay dry. In the end she sat on the ground near one of the bay doors, the slight overhang there keeping less water off her than being completely exposed had been. She drew her legs up to her knees, propping the bag in the space between her legs and chest. Resting her head on the bag, sleep finally overtook her.

Trisha woke shivering. The morning was cool and her clothes were soaked through. She didn't have a watch or a phone to tell her what time it was but she felt confident that it was just after dawn. Opening her bag she pulled off her wet clothes, standing exposed to the air. She pulled out the driest of her clothes and put them on. She didn't feel clean but she felt slightly less chilly. Balling up the wet clothes and shoes she stuffed them inside an empty handbag to keep them from completely soaking everything else. Then she brushed her hair, threw it back in a ponytail and set off down the street. She was starving. She hoped that she could find some sort of store that would open soon and was rewarded for her thirty minute trek by the sight of the Toretto café. A skinny lady with long dark hair was standing behind the counter wiping it down when Trisha made it down the curvy little hill.

"Hey, you open?" Trisha asked her voice hoarse. The woman looked startled by her appearance. Trisha looked haggard, like she'd slept outside.

"Sure. What can I get you?"

"Toast," Trisha wanted something warm. The woman looked at her in a pitying way.

"Toast," the woman repeated.

"And coffee. Just toast and coffee."

Trisha let her head droop and eyes close as the woman moved away to fix her order. She passed out for a few moments, waking to find a different woman behind the counter, placing toast, eggs, and bacon in front of her.

"I just ordered toast," Trisha said, her mouth watering. It wouldn't be good for her to spend the meager money she had left on her on lavish meals.

"The owner told me to make sure you ate this. It's on the house," the girl told her.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, seriously. Mrs. O'Connor is like that." Gratefully Trisha polished off her meal, the food welcome to her stomach after a day without it. Her belly full she felt a twinge of guilt at leaving without paying. It reminded her of Ronnie and she didn't want her life in L.A. to start like her mother's story. Trisha left the girl a five dollar tip then slipped off the stool, walking quickly. By the time the girl called out she was across the street, hurrying to scramble back up the hill to the garage. Thunder had started to rumble in the sky. Trisha ended up walking the thirty minutes back in a downpour. Her teeth were chattering again by the time she rounded the corner to the shop. She heard the crackle of a radio station belting out rock music before she picked out the clank of tools, the sporadic spurts of loud laughter. Suddenly feeling nervous at what she was about to do, Trisha hung back. What if this proved to be a dead end? What if they'd moved on? What if she'd been totally wrong? What would she do if they didn't want her around? The enormity of her situation was bearing down on her, temporarily removing the thought of the rain pelting her body. A car pulled into the driveway, temporarily flashing its light over her frame huddled around the corner of the garage. Feeling it would be silly to walk away now that someone had seen her, she took the final steps into the garage.

Trisha felt she had been sucker punched when she spied the muscled guy from her café visit months previous. He was talking to the person who'd just pulled up. Trisha could tell because the second man's suit jacket was wet. Starting to feel anxious, remembering that old visit and how strange those people had acted. She considered leaving but an older Latina woman took notice of her.

"Can I help you with somethin'?" the woman asked, her voice no-nonsense. It was now or never time.

"I'm looking for Vincent Simmons. Is he here?" The woman gave her a sharp assessing look.

"What do you need him for?"

"It's private," Trisha told her quickly.

The older bald, muscled man looked up from the vehicle he was servicing and looked at her, "Kinda young for him don't ya think?"

"Look is he here?" Trisha was really starting to feel uncomfortable. More people were starting to look at her.

"I dunno," the man told her before yelling, "Vince?"

"Yeah Dominic?" came the gruff reply.

"You've got a visitor. And hurry, she's melting," he called back with a half smile on his face.

"Jeez, what now?" Vince called back sounding irritated. He grabbed a rag to hastily wipe his hands while he tromped to the door. Trisha was immediately sure that this man was Casche's father. He had the same piercing blue eyes, the same scowl, the same jaw. He looked a menace, even in his forties.

"Vincent Simmons?" Trisha asked to be sure.

"Yeah."

"You're Casche Simmons' father?" she continued.

"Casche owe you money or knock you up 'cause I'm not getting in the middle of…"

Trisha shook her head. She didn't know what to say. She'd found him but she didn't know where to go from here. Another man, this one shorter with brown hair and a toothpick hanging from his mouth, approached the gathering. This guy looked to be in his forties to but his eyes were friendlier, crinkled in the corners from smiling so much. He gave her a careful look.

"Your eyes are really pretty baby girl," he told her.

"You're hitting on Casche's women now?" the older muscled man, Dominic, commented in his deep baritone.

"Naw dawg, she's not runnin' with Casche, at least not yet," he said with a smirk. It clicked for Trisha. He knew, could see it in her eyes. The Latina woman gave her another sharp look in the face coming to stand in front of Trisha. She took Trisha's face in her hands then started laughing really hard.

"Man Vince, you really spread yourself around," the woman teased dryly. The others laughed too, catching on. Trisha pulled her face away and started backing for the door. She wanted to leave. Vince stared at her slack jawed and tense.

"I didn't know you had a daughter Uncle V," a familiar looking blonde joined in. Breebe O. The girl from the webpage was his niece?

"Who's your mother?" Vince scowled at her. The girl looked really young. If he looked past her haggard appearance he could see how she resembled him. Nose, eyes, hair color.

"Ronnie. Veronica. From…"

"Yeah I know where she's from," he cut across her angrily. That had been a strange set of months living with the showgirl. "What do you want?"

Trisha didn't know. She turned striding back into the rain. She couldn't handle much more heartache. He sounded angry and put out. He didn't sound like the type that would be willing to let her stay with him. Sadness washed over her. She reached the sidewalk and turned to walk the opposite way from the café and garage. She had no idea where she should go. She had no idea how to salvage this mess. Fairly new modeled blue Maxima pulled up beside her the window winding down.

"Get in the car," Vince growled at her. Trisha gave him a nervous look.

"What?"

"I said get in the car. Don't make me tell you again."

Trisha's internal debate ceased at his no-nonsense tone. It didn't matter what happened now so she crossed the nose of the car and entered the car. Dripping she fastened the seat belt. Vince stared at the young girl soaking his interior. She looked pretty bad. He started to head for his condo.

"You hungry?" he asked her, trying for a less harsh tone. Trisha shook her head. "Ronnie gonna come lookin' for you?" She shook her head again, this time meeting his eyes. "When'd you get here?"

"Last night. I took the bus," she explained.

"How old are you, seventeen?" he asked suspiciously.

"Eighteen. I turned eighteen two days ago."

"What's your name?"

"Trisha. But don't call me that," she told him hastily, thinking of her name demotion, "I prefer Trix."

"Jeez us, you a dancer too?" he asked her in exasperation.

"No Daddy, I'm not a stripper or a showgirl," she mocked scowling.

"Or an actress?" he added shrewdly but there was a light smile on his face. The girl had a little of his attitude.

She shook her head, "Nope, not an actress."

"Where did you sleep last night Trix?" She looked away, refusing to answer. "Look you can stay at my place tonight but tomorrow I'm putting you right back on the bus to Vegas where you belong."

"Oh. Then let me out."

Vince whipped his head around to stare at her, "What?"

"I said let me out right here," she said more forcefully. She'd be damned if anyone made her go back.

"Ya ain't gonna sleep on the streets of L.A. little miss."

"And I ain't going back to Vegas," she stated firmly. Vince pulled into the lot and cut the engine. His mind was racing with uneasy thoughts.

"You in some kinda trouble?"

"Not in the traditional sense, no," she hedged. Her issues were more emotional problems, not true troubles. Well maybe the marriage thing was a bit more than an emotional issue. He pondered her answer for a few moments before grabbing her bag and getting out of the car. She followed him quickly into a small courtyard then into his condo. The outside looked like a fussy older woman should have lived there but inside the one story unit looked very masculine, modern, and updated. She wouldn't have taken her father for an interior designer. He gave her a quick tour, ordering her to take a shower before she sat on anything. He dropped her bag in the smaller of the two bedrooms. Grateful she moved her bag into the bathroom attached to the bedroom she said she could use. She noted that the place was much smaller than the mansion she'd lived in before but it felt less hostile than the mansion too.

All of her clothes were soaked completely through. Her shower completed she moved to back to the room to find a black t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants lying on the bed. They were much larger than she was considering they belonged to her father. Feeling pleased by the gesture she walked down the short hallway into the living room where a large flat screen TV was flashing though channels aimlessly.

"Daddy?" she asked tentatively. He turned to look at her. Vince wasn't a man to trust easily. But something about her told him that he had little to worry about. She belonged to him, he couldn't deny it after looking into her clean face now.

"It's Vince."

"Vince." She tested the name out. It suited him. "Vince, does Casche live with you?"

"No. I have a funny feeling you live here now," he gave her a fierce scowl. "I'm not sayin' it's permanent. You fuck up and you're out." She nodded and he stood. "I gotta get back to work. You can dry your clothes or whatever," he said pointing to the kitchen where she knew the laundry closet lay beyond. He walked to the door.

"Hey Vince?" he paused so she continued. "Do you even like kids?"

"Hell no," he lied. They both grinned. He closed the door and she stood there for a long time, hugging herself. She didn't know how things were going to work out but for the moment it looked like she had a place to stay.