Womanly Wiles Chapter 9

"Argh!" Ria groaned, flexing her foot to try and encourage the feeling to return to it. She was surprised to find a weight on her lower half, preventing her from moving even a little. Looking down she saw Stacy lying across her legs, and looking up found herself in the crook of Shane's arm, yet next to Jeff who was uncomfortably sitting up. She tried to move without waking the others but as she began to draw her legs up Stacy stirred and her eyelids flittered open. "Morning" Ria said quietly, and Stacy smiled in reply, slowly inching away from Ria. She took in the state in which they'd slept, and looked to the single bed of the room seeing that it contained Jay's unconscious form. A quiet snuffle signified Chris's presence on floor. Ria slipped from Shane's arm laying him on Jeff and the two women slithered out of bed, and headed for the bathroom.

"Meet you in the lobby in 1/2 hour?" Stacy asked as she collected her things together. Ria nodded in reply, watching Stacy leave the room before entering the bathroom.

* * * * * * *

She emerged 25 minutes later, freshly showered and dressed, to find the men all still asleep in their respective positions, except Shane who was pushed closer to Jeff. Ria smiled, and crept over to her bag, pulling out the small digital camera she owned and taking a few snaps of the sleeping pair. Grabbing a handbag and dropping the camera in she quickly scribbled a note for the sleepers and let herself silently, out of the room.

* * * * * * *

Stacy surveyed the hotel lobby searching for the familiar form of Ria, who she finally spotted sitting at a table with Bubba. She was laughing happily at something he'd said, though Stacy could tell there was something bothering her. She looked up and spotted Stacy, waving her over. As she weaved her way to the table she saw Bubba become uncomfortable and shifting anxiously. As she took a seat he curtly acknowledged her by her name "Stacy," and slight nod of the head, before rising from his seat and excusing himself. Ria raised an eyebrow at this exchange, before shaking her head in despair. "What?" Stacy asked, laying her bag down on the table.

"You two."

"What about us?"

"The tension, girl, the tension!"

"Well you tend to get tension between ex's who had a messy break up."

"That wasn't a dead feelings kind of tension." Ria stated "That was wistful, wanting each other back."

Stacy gave a bitter laugh and shook her head., "that's all over now." She sighed, looking away.

"Wanna go find a place to eat?" Ria asked as a group of older businessmen walked past leering at them. "Somewhere that's less full of assholes anyway?"

"Yu-huh!" Stacy said rising from her seat.

* * * * * * * *

"So how much of last night do you remember?" Ria asked, setting down her food.

"Everything, I wasn't even drunk." Stacy gave a self satisfied smirk. "Yourself?"

"I think I remember everything, no I KNOW I do."

"Then you'll help me in teasing the guys when they wake up?" Stacy asked with a laugh.

"Yes....but I'll leave Jeff for today - he'll have a killer hangover. Him and Jack Daniels don't mix." Ria replied shaking her head, "He has to be pretty far gone to even consider touching it. Too many bad past experiences." Stacy looked intrigued and raised a questioning eyebrow. "Oh, Nothing more than vomiting for nearly six straight hours." Ria smiled, "Well, nearer three but you get the idea. Incapacitated for a prolonged period of time."

"Poor guy, hope he's not that bad today."

"He won't be, he only had a few shots so it shouldn't be THAT bad." The conversation trailed off, as the pair thought back to the night before. The night pretty much come to an end after Chris had put a movie on, some horror movie rubbish, that Ria could barely remember due more to tiredness than drunkenness. So rubbish was the movie that by the end of it they'd all fallen asleep. Ria's last memory being of the room, in near pitch blackness, save for a white halo of light around the flickering TV set. The sound of the TV was almost drowned out by the deep breathing/snoring of Jay, a noise which eventually stopped as sleep beckoned her.

Stacy was the first to break the silence, by returning to the previous nights interrogation. "You can't have been too drunk, you didn't tell me about you, Shane, and Jeff." Ria just phft'd in disgruntled disgust.

"Damn Straight, somethings are meant to be secret."

"It can't be that bad..."

"That is not the point, I have to have SOME mystery around me don't I?" Stacy realised there was no point trying to crack Ria, she would have to tackle Jeff or Shane. Checking her watch she realised that the aforementioned men would probably be up now, and so would Drew. "We should be getting back."

"Yeah, probably should." Ria agreed making no move to leave. "You want to go shopping later? I need new clothes for my new job."

"Sure, there's nothing I enjoy so much as spending other people's money." Stacy laughed, as they rose from their seats and pulled on their coats.