Michelle coughed, but persisted. She had never been a big fan of smoking, but every now and then she would light one up after sex. Most of the time, the cigarettes were reserved for only the most exhausting sexual encounters, but this time was an exception. Earlier that night, she had told Paul her attitude toward smoking, and now, as they lay next to each other in his bed, she felt obligated to accept his timid offer of a cigarette. The relieved smile on his face made her step toward lung cancer worth it.
"You wanna do something?" he asked.
"We didn't just do something?" she retorted, chuckling.
"No, I mean something else. It's still early. We could go shoot some pool, have a couple drinks."
"All right." Michelle finished her cigarette and sat up, reaching over Paul to put it out in the ashtray on his bedside table. The two climbed out of bed and pulled their clothes back on, then left the hotel and headed down to the parking lot. She reluctantly climbed onto the back of his motorcycle and they took off. They reached the bar in no time, and he immediately ordered two beers as they sat down at the bar counter. He glanced over to see if any pool tables were available, and a familiar face caught his eye.
"Say, isn't that your friend over there?" he asked. Michelle craned her neck, following his gaze, and was surprised to see Jun shooting pool with Anna.
"Yeah... I wonder what she's doing with that slut."
"Jealous?" he teased, winking. She shoved him playfully.
"Of course not. But that woman is bad news." The beers arrived, and she took a big gulp of hers.
* * * * *
"Call a pocket," Anna reminded.
"Um... that one." Jun pointed with her cue, then returned to setting up her shot. Anna shook her head and leaned over the other woman.
"Pull it back like this," she said softly, guiding Jun's right arm. "There you go. Now aim it this way." She hovered over her Japanese friend until the eight ball landed in the pocket. The two women stood up straight. "You won!" Anna cried.
"I won!" Jun exclaimed, jumping excitedly. Anna laughed and hugged her. "I never thought I'd get the hang of this game."
"I was beginning to get the same idea," Anna remarked. She took Jun's hand. "Come on, let's go dance."
"Dance? With who?"
"Each other, silly!" Jun stopped and pulled her hand away.
"I can't dance with you!" she protested.
"Why not?" Anna raised an eyebrow. "Because I'm a woman?" Jun nodded slightly, her gaze dropping toward the floor. "Come on, women dance together all the time. Besides, you have no idea how much it turns the men on."
"Really?" Jun asked, looking up from under her eyebrows.
"You bet." She took Jun's hand once more, and they made their way to the middle of the small crowd gathered near the jukebox.
"I'm a horrid dancer," Jun confessed.
"Don't worry. Just follow me." Jun mirrored her friend as she placed one hand on her hip and the other on her shoulder, then began to sway her pelvis. "See? It's not so hard." Sure enough, Jun noticed men's eyes quickly drawn to the two of them. Giddy from her newfound sex appeal, she pressed her body closer to her dance partner's. Anna grinned and complemented Jun's motions.
By the third song, Jun was beginning to sweat. The dancing was easy; the scent of Anna's perfume was making her dizzy. She found herself enjoying the woman's curvaceous form against her body. Her thoughts drifted back to that afternoon in the hot tub, and her breathing quickened. Before she realized what she was doing, she pressed her lips to Anna's. Her kiss was eagerly returned, and their lips moved passionately against each other's as they danced.
* * * * *
"What the hell?!" Michelle cried, her eyes wide as her pool cue fell from her hand. Paul, seeing what she was looking at, decided it best to keep his mouth shut. Michelle stared openmouthed at the two women kissing near the jukebox. "What is she doing?!"
"Looks like she's kissing her," Paul said flatly, staring openly. Michelle slapped his arm.
"I know that much! I mean... Jun's not a lesbian... is she?"
"So what if she is?" Paul slipped an arm around her waist and nuzzled her ear. "It's her prerogative, isn't it?"
"I guess so... but... why her? Why that Williams woman?"
"Attraction works in funny ways. Sometimes it makes sense, sometimes it doesn't." Michelle processed his words as she watched the two women, who were obviously in their own little world. Paul squeezed her, then let her go. "C'mon, it's your shot."
* * * * *
Jun's lips felt cold as soon as Anna's had left hers. She slowly opened her eyes. Anna was smiling at her. "And you thought the men were fascinated by the dancing," she commented. Jun giggled a little, but she cast her eyes down to the floor. "What's wrong?" Anna asked.
"I'm just not used to this sort of thing, that's all." Anna's hand cupped her chin, tilting her head upward to meet her gaze.
"Never be ashamed of what you feel, Jun. No matter what other people think, never be ashamed." Before Jun could manage a response, Anna had disappeared into the small crowd of dancers. Jun pushed past several couples, scanning the room, but Anna was nowhere to be seen. She considered searching for her, but she knew it would come to nothing. She had heard talk of the Williams sisters, rumours that they were professional assassins. If that were true--and, considering the company she was in at the tournament, she had little doubt that it was--she would not be able to find Anna if she were standing right in front of her. With a sigh, she folded her arms across her stomach and left the bar. She walked slowly, allowing the cool night air to calm her nerves as she returned to the hotel.
* * * * *
A gloved hand reached out and clamped onto Anna's mouth, another snaking around her waist. The attacker pulled her around the corner, and she thrust her elbow into his gut. His arms released her as he stumbled backwards, and she grabbed him by his wrists, flipping him over her head. When she saw him land, she gasped and dropped out of stance, rushing to kneel beside him.
"Fuck, Anna," he muttered, "what the hell is wrong with you?"
"Chaolan, I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was you. Why the hell were you grabbing me like that?" He slowly sat up and hooked his arms around his knees.
"No, I get to ask the questions first. Why the hell were you kissing that Kazama woman in the bar?" Anna's mouth fell open. "Yeah, I saw. The dancing was fine, but you fucking kissed her. Don't you know what kind of trouble that shit could get you into?"
"You've never had a problem with me kissing women before," she reminded him, raising an eyebrow. He rolled his eyes.
"This is different. Kazuya has his eye on that one, Anna. Don't you know anything? Keep your god damned eyes open. You can't fuck around with just anyone."
"Kazuya?" she whispered, raising a hand to her mouth.
"Yeah. He's already got plans for that cop, don't put yourself on the list, too." He gingerly brushed some hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. "I'd hate to see anything happen to you, Anna." She raised her hand to the back of his, pressing his palm against her cheek.
"I didn't know," she told him, her voice quivering. Lee scooted closer to her and wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair and hushing softly in her ear.
"I'm sorry," he soothed. "I didn't mean to yell at you."
She allowed him to hold her as a few tears leaked from her eyes. However, she did not tell him that the tears had nothing to do with him.
"You wanna do something?" he asked.
"We didn't just do something?" she retorted, chuckling.
"No, I mean something else. It's still early. We could go shoot some pool, have a couple drinks."
"All right." Michelle finished her cigarette and sat up, reaching over Paul to put it out in the ashtray on his bedside table. The two climbed out of bed and pulled their clothes back on, then left the hotel and headed down to the parking lot. She reluctantly climbed onto the back of his motorcycle and they took off. They reached the bar in no time, and he immediately ordered two beers as they sat down at the bar counter. He glanced over to see if any pool tables were available, and a familiar face caught his eye.
"Say, isn't that your friend over there?" he asked. Michelle craned her neck, following his gaze, and was surprised to see Jun shooting pool with Anna.
"Yeah... I wonder what she's doing with that slut."
"Jealous?" he teased, winking. She shoved him playfully.
"Of course not. But that woman is bad news." The beers arrived, and she took a big gulp of hers.
* * * * *
"Call a pocket," Anna reminded.
"Um... that one." Jun pointed with her cue, then returned to setting up her shot. Anna shook her head and leaned over the other woman.
"Pull it back like this," she said softly, guiding Jun's right arm. "There you go. Now aim it this way." She hovered over her Japanese friend until the eight ball landed in the pocket. The two women stood up straight. "You won!" Anna cried.
"I won!" Jun exclaimed, jumping excitedly. Anna laughed and hugged her. "I never thought I'd get the hang of this game."
"I was beginning to get the same idea," Anna remarked. She took Jun's hand. "Come on, let's go dance."
"Dance? With who?"
"Each other, silly!" Jun stopped and pulled her hand away.
"I can't dance with you!" she protested.
"Why not?" Anna raised an eyebrow. "Because I'm a woman?" Jun nodded slightly, her gaze dropping toward the floor. "Come on, women dance together all the time. Besides, you have no idea how much it turns the men on."
"Really?" Jun asked, looking up from under her eyebrows.
"You bet." She took Jun's hand once more, and they made their way to the middle of the small crowd gathered near the jukebox.
"I'm a horrid dancer," Jun confessed.
"Don't worry. Just follow me." Jun mirrored her friend as she placed one hand on her hip and the other on her shoulder, then began to sway her pelvis. "See? It's not so hard." Sure enough, Jun noticed men's eyes quickly drawn to the two of them. Giddy from her newfound sex appeal, she pressed her body closer to her dance partner's. Anna grinned and complemented Jun's motions.
By the third song, Jun was beginning to sweat. The dancing was easy; the scent of Anna's perfume was making her dizzy. She found herself enjoying the woman's curvaceous form against her body. Her thoughts drifted back to that afternoon in the hot tub, and her breathing quickened. Before she realized what she was doing, she pressed her lips to Anna's. Her kiss was eagerly returned, and their lips moved passionately against each other's as they danced.
* * * * *
"What the hell?!" Michelle cried, her eyes wide as her pool cue fell from her hand. Paul, seeing what she was looking at, decided it best to keep his mouth shut. Michelle stared openmouthed at the two women kissing near the jukebox. "What is she doing?!"
"Looks like she's kissing her," Paul said flatly, staring openly. Michelle slapped his arm.
"I know that much! I mean... Jun's not a lesbian... is she?"
"So what if she is?" Paul slipped an arm around her waist and nuzzled her ear. "It's her prerogative, isn't it?"
"I guess so... but... why her? Why that Williams woman?"
"Attraction works in funny ways. Sometimes it makes sense, sometimes it doesn't." Michelle processed his words as she watched the two women, who were obviously in their own little world. Paul squeezed her, then let her go. "C'mon, it's your shot."
* * * * *
Jun's lips felt cold as soon as Anna's had left hers. She slowly opened her eyes. Anna was smiling at her. "And you thought the men were fascinated by the dancing," she commented. Jun giggled a little, but she cast her eyes down to the floor. "What's wrong?" Anna asked.
"I'm just not used to this sort of thing, that's all." Anna's hand cupped her chin, tilting her head upward to meet her gaze.
"Never be ashamed of what you feel, Jun. No matter what other people think, never be ashamed." Before Jun could manage a response, Anna had disappeared into the small crowd of dancers. Jun pushed past several couples, scanning the room, but Anna was nowhere to be seen. She considered searching for her, but she knew it would come to nothing. She had heard talk of the Williams sisters, rumours that they were professional assassins. If that were true--and, considering the company she was in at the tournament, she had little doubt that it was--she would not be able to find Anna if she were standing right in front of her. With a sigh, she folded her arms across her stomach and left the bar. She walked slowly, allowing the cool night air to calm her nerves as she returned to the hotel.
* * * * *
A gloved hand reached out and clamped onto Anna's mouth, another snaking around her waist. The attacker pulled her around the corner, and she thrust her elbow into his gut. His arms released her as he stumbled backwards, and she grabbed him by his wrists, flipping him over her head. When she saw him land, she gasped and dropped out of stance, rushing to kneel beside him.
"Fuck, Anna," he muttered, "what the hell is wrong with you?"
"Chaolan, I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was you. Why the hell were you grabbing me like that?" He slowly sat up and hooked his arms around his knees.
"No, I get to ask the questions first. Why the hell were you kissing that Kazama woman in the bar?" Anna's mouth fell open. "Yeah, I saw. The dancing was fine, but you fucking kissed her. Don't you know what kind of trouble that shit could get you into?"
"You've never had a problem with me kissing women before," she reminded him, raising an eyebrow. He rolled his eyes.
"This is different. Kazuya has his eye on that one, Anna. Don't you know anything? Keep your god damned eyes open. You can't fuck around with just anyone."
"Kazuya?" she whispered, raising a hand to her mouth.
"Yeah. He's already got plans for that cop, don't put yourself on the list, too." He gingerly brushed some hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. "I'd hate to see anything happen to you, Anna." She raised her hand to the back of his, pressing his palm against her cheek.
"I didn't know," she told him, her voice quivering. Lee scooted closer to her and wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair and hushing softly in her ear.
"I'm sorry," he soothed. "I didn't mean to yell at you."
She allowed him to hold her as a few tears leaked from her eyes. However, she did not tell him that the tears had nothing to do with him.
