Part Four
Laurie was standing outside the school pacing back and forth along the lawn and the sidewalk as she waited for Lori to meet her and as she turned to look back at the main doors for the 50th time, she saw Joni walking slowly towards here. Just the fact Laurie's smile was covering her face said a lot about how happy she was to finally see Joni after a very long and boring day of school, "Hi Joni. I'm so glad you're here." "Why is that?" Joni asked assuming something must be wrong from the urgency in Laurie's voice.
Laurie was confused as to why Joni would need to ask that, "Why, because I missed you that's why." Laurie smiled and held back her desire to kiss her. "Oh, I missed you to. I don't think I heard a thing in English today because my mind was wandering. I kept picturing you and I at some secluded beach, lying in the sand, catching some rays and holding hands, " Joni reached down and let her hand touch Laurie's, "It didn't take long before we were doing way more than holding hands and each time we started we would get interrupted by Adam of all people." "Adam Chandler? Why on earth were you thinking of him?" Laurie asked as the two girls slowly made their way of the school grounds and walked towards the park.
Lori couldn't answer that, "I don't know. I mean, I think it was because he's always been the voice of NO and I kept thinking how someone would always stop us when we wanted to be alone. That really ruined what might have been a very fun little dream." "We're alone now, sort of." Laurie said as two kids from school past them in the car and waved, "So tell me Joni, what was I wearing in this dream of yours?" Joni quickly closed her eyes, went back into the dream and remembered the details, "You were wearing a very sexy light blue bikini and a cute little sun hat and you looked gorgeous of course."
"Thank you. Could you tell what you were wearing or is that possible in dreams?" Laurie asked, confused by her own question. "Good question. I think I saw myself in a mirror once and had on my favorite white bikini because I wanted to look my best for you." Joni said proudly. "I really can't wait to see you in that. I guess I never expected you to own a bikini." Laurie said as they made it to the park and sat down on the bench.
Joni wasn't sure what to make of Laurie's comment, "You really think of me as quite a little prude don't ya?" "Don't be mad or anything, I just think you come across as a prude. I just wasn't sure your parent's would allow that." Laurie said trying to explain what she meant. "I know for a fact you'd look amazing in a white bikini and honestly can't wait until summer is really here and we can go down for a swim one day so you can show me for real." "I'd like that." Joni sat down on the bench and Laurie sat down beside her.
They sat and talked for a good hour and were about to get up and head home when JR walked into the park and spotted them, "Hi there. Long time no see." Laurie was in shock and jumped off the bench. Moving away from Joni in a hurry as she searched for something to say, but none came. Joni, in spite of being a bit annoyed at how quickly Laurie rushed to get away from her stood up and broke the ice, "Hi JR. How was your trip?"
"It was amazing. I saw a lot of new places and did way more work than I've ever done before and had a blast." he moved closer to Laurie and tried to give her a hug and she pulled away slightly. "Sorry, I'm just getting over a cold." Laurie said as she turned to Joni for some help. Joni covered for Laurie again, "Oh yes, she hasn't been feeling good for the last couple days. Anyway, are you here to stay or just passing through?" "I'm not sure. All depends on if I have something to stay for I guess." he said turning his attention directly at Laurie, "Are you seeing anyone?"
Laurie looked at Joni again and then back at JR and then to the sky and then the ground before finding something to say, "What I do is none of your business anymore. You left me remember?" JR knew that was coming, "Well I guess your right, but as I recall you were the one kissing Jamie when you claimed to want to be with me?" "Oh that's nice. Well, I guess that explains why were not together doesn't it?" Laurie said defensively.
"Maybe it explains why it didn't work out before, but that was then. I think we could start over if you want to." JR tried to get close to Laurie but again she pulled back and stood behind Joni. Joni could see this wasn't going to solve anything right now and she didn't want to get in the middle of it either, "Listen, it's your first day back JR and it's great to see you again, but maybe we should all take a break and we can talk later." "Okay, that's fine. I am back in Pine Valley for now so I hope we can work something out so were not always fighting. I did miss you Laurie. It's good to see you again to Joni. I'll leave you two alone." JR then turned around and left the park the same way he came in.
Laurie was frantic and pacing back and forth and Joni was just sitting on the bench waiting for her to stop or say something. It took alot of pacing before Laurie finally looked back at Joni, who was now reading a book to keep her busy, "Oh that's great. You're reading at a time like this?" "A time like what?" Joni laughed. "It's not funny. I don't know what to do. What should I say to him?" Laurie asked as she finally sat down again.
Joni looked back at Laurie, "I can't answer that. What do you feel right now?" "I feel guilty. Then I wonder why. I have no idea why, but I feel like I owe JR some explanation about how I feel about you, but I know don't owe him anything. Then I think I should give him another chance because that would be fair." Laurie did a good job explaining how confused she was. "What do you feel about me?" Joni asked, this time listened very closely for Laurie's answer. "Please don't ask me that now. I'm confused enough as it is." Laurie shook her head and then looked over at Joni and saw that she was trying to give a nice fake smile, but could tell she wanted a different answer.
"I won't ask again." Joni said a bit harsher than she wanted. "Please don't be mad." Laurie felt like everyone was pressuring her at once and couldn't take that from Joni, "I like you, A lot. I do want to spend time with you and I can't stop thinking of how it feels to kiss you and I just want you to try and be patient with me while I deal with all this." Joni could see that Laurie was very emotional right now and she just pulled her close and Laurie rested her head on Joni's lap, both girls thinking about what would happen next.
Lena was standing outside Erica's office trying to think of the best way to approach what she thought was an impossible task, seducing Erica Kane, the woman with countless husbands and who was only now beginning to accept Bianca for who she was. It was then that Erica walked in looking beautiful and elegant as always, "Hi Lena, were you waiting for me?" Lena opened the door for Erica, as she had her hands full with a large box, "Actually yes I was. I wanted to talk to you about a new idea I had for promoting Enchantment's new line of perfumes. I've been working on it for a long time and think your going to like it."
"I'm always open to new ideas. Come on in. Let's here it. Maybe we should call Bianca and Boyd so we have some different opinions." Erica said as she sat down the box on her desk and sat down in her very comfortable chair. Lena moved forward and stood right in front of Erica's desk, "I was hoping to do this in private. If you like it, then perhaps we could bring the others in. If not, there's no sense wasting their time." "You have a point there. Alright, why don't you begin." Erica then placed a call to her secretary and had all her calls held for the next hour.
With a deep breath and some fast-talking Lena was making her pitch. She kept her eyes on Erica to try to gauge her interest as she continued. Over the next 20 minutes, she was able to make a very strong case for herself and her idea. Erica was all smiled when Lena was finished her presentation, "Well I'm very impressed Lena. You have done a great deal of research and I think you have the exact demographic we had in mind when designing this new line. I don't need to check with anyone else on this. I'm going to have you go down to our marketing department right now and give them the same presentation you gave me."
Lena was surprised at how excited Erica seemed to be and couldn't help but feed off her energy, "Thank you so much. I'll try not to let you down." Erica was not hearing any of that, "I wouldn't agree to this if I thought that was possible. Make this happen and when it does we can go out and celebrate." "Of course. I'd love that. I will get right on this." Lena gave Erica a very friendly smile, walked slowly out of Erica's office and closed the door behind her. It was a small step, but it was still something for Lena to build on so she was pretty happy with herself and it showed in her walk and in her smile as she sashayed on down to the marketing department.
Greenlee was holding on to Kendall's waist as she helped her to the front door of her apartment. Kendall rested against the wall as Greenlee found her key and opened the door and the two girls walked inside. There were a number of take out pizza boxes on the coffee table in the living room and even more Chinese food containers on the kitchen counters and Greenlee watched as Kendall spotted each and every one of them with her eyes, "Sorry the place is a mess. I haven't been up to cooking for a long time."
"That's okay. I was just seeing if you ordered from the same place as I do." Kendall picked up one of the menu's from the table and smiled, "Looks like we have the same taste in take out foods. Who knew?" "They always say brilliant minds think alike, so it makes perfect sense to me." Greenlee smiled, then helped Kendall get comfortable and then walked into the kitchen and took out her cell phone "Hello?"
"Michael, where have you been? Kendall was released from the hospital today and you were nowhere to be found. What's the matter with you?" Greenlee fumed. "Calm down Greenlee. I was on my way over there and something came up. Where is Kendall now? Let me talk to her." Michael said as he was surfing the net looking for more information on Erica Kane. "No." Greenlee yelled then quickly lowered her voice, "You can come over to my place and see her in person. It's the least you can do."
"Oh stop being so dramatic. Kendall understands I have a business to run. Listen, I have to go now but I'll try and stop by before the night is out. Bye now." Michael hung up, turned his cell phone off and sat it neatly beside his briefcase on the table. Greenlee was still furious and had to take her time before she walked back into the living room so she didn't show her anger to Kendall. Kendall was already asleep on the couch and Greenlee went and got a blanket from her closet and covered Kendall up and sat across from her in the love seat and just watched her sleep.
Simone was closing up the Fusion office while Mia was downstairs assuring the other residents of the building that there wouldn't be any more false fire alarms and explaining about Kendall's attack and the tempers soon died down and within minutes the crowd had subsided, just as Simone joined Mia. "Well, I think the other tenants will allow us to stay here after all. So what do want to do now?" Mia asked as the two girls left the building. "I just want to go home and have a nice hot bath and relax with you in my arms." Simone took Mia's hand and they rushed to the car and were home in record time.
Mia opened the door, walked slowly towards Simone, stepped out of her skirt and top and stood in front of her in her white lace bra and panties while Simone looked on with a sexy grin on her face. "Aren't you in a sexy mood? I do like though. Not sure we will make it to the tub if you keep making it so hard to concentrate." Simone walked up to Mia and put her hands behind her, grabbed her firm ass and pulled her in closer, "Now about that bath...." "I can't wait." Mia smiled and they rushed to the bathroom. Simone was having no trouble removing her clothes as Mia was right there helping her remove every last piece and soon they were both naked and ready for that very relaxing bath.
There was something so perfect about feeling Mia's soft hands around her stomach as she lie back with her head on Mia's shoulder and her hands caressing her long legs. Mia was slowly washing Simone's arms moved even slower over Simone's small but oh so firm breasts, caressing each one as she rubbed her nipples between her fingers, causing the cutest little moan to escape Simone's mouth. Simone turned her head to the right and Mia leaned down and kissed Simone's soft lips. Slow and soft first, but soon the kiss increased in speed and passion. Simone let her hands move up to caress Mia's pretty face then moved down her soft neck to her shoulders before finding Mia's round breasts with her small hands.
With her thumb rubbing Mia's hard nipples Simone slipped her other hand down Mia's stomach between her creamy thighs and as Mia's head tossed backwards and she let out a loud moan the doorbell rang and they both stopped and shook their heads at the awful timing. Mia got up, put on her robe, walked out of the bathroom and into the living room and answered the door. "Hi Mia. I'm sorry to bother you so late but I need to talk to you. Now." Adam didn't wait for an answer he just barged into her apartment and walked over to the couch and sat down.
Mia closed the door and walked over towards Adam with a puzzled look on her face, "What is it Adam? Did something to Liza?" "No, nothing like that, she's fine." Adam reassured Mia then got to the point, "I just want to know if she's going back with Tad." Mia tried not to roll her eyes, but it's what she was thinking as she once again had to deal with Adam's jealousy and his need to know everything, "I really don't know Adam. I only see Liza at work every now and then or if I baby-sit for Colby."
"If you're babysitting that means she's going out. So is it with that low life Tad?" Adam persisted. "Adam, if you need to know this so bad please ask Liza. She won't hide it if she is. I honestly don't know. Now I was in the middle of something so if that's all...." Mia walked towards the door and opened it wide as a very big hint for Adam. "I see. Well, I'm sure whatever it is you were doing can wait. This is important. Now please think. Have you ever seen Liza with Tad?" Adam said as he began to lose what little patience he had.
Simone came walking out of the bedroom in her robe, saw Adam sitting on the couch and Mia standing looking very annoyed and could tell something wasn't going well, "Sorry to interrupt, but I thought I heard the door close again." "It's okay Simone, Adam was just leaving." Mia said with a fake smile as she again held the door open for him. "So I guess Simone is what you are in a hurry to get back to? Interesting, gotta love those Martin men. I don't think either of them has kept a woman for long. Obviously Jake wasn't satisfying you quite the way Simone can." Adam began walking past Simone and towards the door.
"Good-bye Adam." Simone said with a smile. "Yes, nice seeing you again, next time use the phone." Mia added bluntly. "Why of course. Would hate to disturb your little love nest here. Have fun girls." Adam was barely out the door when Mia slammed in behind him. Simone walked up to Mia, put her arm around her waist and led her back to the bedroom, "Let's forget Adam for now. I think we need to get back to where we were before he showed up." Mia just nodded and smiled and they went back into the bedroom and closed the door.
Maggie was now the one on display as she stepped out of the bathroom wearing a very conservative black dress and showed it off to Bianca who didn't seem to impressed by it so she turned around and found something else to wear. This time she came out in a much shorter red strapless dress that came up above her knees and was cut to show just enough cleavage. Bianca was definitely enjoying Maggie in this and it showed. "Yes, this I like. It's sexy and yet not slutty. I think you should wear this." Bianca said as she hopped off the bed and had a closer look.
"Really?" Maggie questioned, not sure if she agreed with Bianca, "I don't know. Not sure it really works for me." "What? Are you kidding?" Bianca said in mock surprise, "It's gorgeous. You look beautiful. Just look in the mirror again and take a better look." Maggie stood in front of the mirror, turned sideways and then had her back facing the mirror and looked over her shoulder at the dress again and finally faced the mirror head on and still wasn't sure, "I guess it's not bad. You're wearing red though right? I don't think we both want to go somewhere in the same dress do we?"
"Oh right. I forgot. Sorry." Bianca knew Maggie was right but was still in the mood to keep on trying, "Okay, let's see something else. How about that white dress you bought a couple months ago, I really liked it." "I can try that. Be right back." Maggie smiled then went into the bathroom and changed into the sexy white dress and minutes later, she popped out and spun around a couple times for Bianca's eyes. "Now that is very sexy, but elegant to. I think you look great in this to. You can't help but look good." Bianca was unable to contain her excitement.
"Thanks. I kind of like this one to." Maggie then had one last look in the mirror and looked back at Bianca, "I guess I'm ready to go. So you need to get into your dress and we can finally start this night." "Great. I'll be right out." Bianca went into the bathroom, changed and returned, much to the delight of Maggie. "Wow, I forgot how sexy that dress was." Maggie was doing that staring thing again and had to stop and look away as soon as she felt Bianca's eye's on hers. "Well thanks. I feel sexy in this to." Bianca smiled, "I guess were ready. Onward." "Indeed." Maggie smiled back at Bianca and they grabbed their things and were off.
Lena was waiting in Erica's office when she got back from her meeting, which was a surprise to Erica, "Lena? What are you doing here?" "I'm sorry, I just wanted to give you an update on my meeting with the marketing people. They were very cooperative and we worked out a concept for the commercials and they will begin shooting them on the weekend and have a number of different versions ready for you to see come Monday morning." "That's very good news. You do work fast Lena. I'm impressed." Erica took off her coat, hung it up and sat down at her desk.
"Thank you." Lena said with a smile, "I really am enjoying working for you and this was such a great opportunity and I didn't want to let you down." "As long as you give me an honest day's work you will do fine." Erica then checked her messages and sat up with a gasp as she read one. "What is it?" Lena asked, not sure what Erica had just read. "I can't believe this." Erica said with her usual sense of drama, "It's that Michael Cambias again. I've just received a very reliable bit of information that he is going after both Enchantment and Fusion. He really is a greedy bastard."
"That's terrible." Lena made her way around Erica's desk, trying to comfort her with a simple touch of her arm, "Is there anything I can do?" Erica paused as she felt Lena's hand on her arm, then stood up and walked out in front of her desk, "I'm not sure you can help. He's a very dangerous and powerful man and I think it's time he was stopped." Lena didn't let this opportunity go to waste so she walked over to Erica again, "Maybe there is something I can do. When I was in Europe, I worked for a man who had extensive dealings with Mr. Cambias and seemed to get the better of him on many of those occasions. I was his personal assistant and have met Mr. Cambias and do know a little about how he works."
"I had no idea. I'm trying to recall your references but can't remember the name of the man you used to work for?" Lena was more than happy to refresh Erica's memory, "It was Sergei Volkov. He is the CEO of numerous worldwide businesses, but first made his mark in the computer industry, specifically the internet. His current project is designing software for some of the largest companies in the world." "Oh yes, I've heard of him." Erica said, recalling a business deal her company had with him about 5 years ago for some internet software to get Enchantment online, "If I remember correctly Cambias tried to takeover his company and failed?"
"Yes, that's true." Lena said with an excited tone, "Sergei was aware of Michael's reputation and as soon as he found out he was sniffing around his company he began taking counter measures against Cambias Industries and with some shrewd business moves put some pressure on some of their major holdings and they ended up backing off." "Well then, perhaps you and I should get together and discuss this further." Erica went over to her desk and looked at hr appointment book then looked at her watch. "I have a short meeting right now but if it's okay with you we could talk over dinner tonight?" "That sounds perfect." Lena agreed instantly. "I'll call you later and set up the time and place." Erica then was out the door in a flash. Lena was smiling widely and then walked out of Erica's office with a jump in her step.
Joni was walking Laurie to work and they hadn't said much to each other since they ran into JR, but Joni finally broke the ice, "It looks like you have quite a few options to consider. Two guys want you and I might add a pretty cute girl does to and you have to decide what you want to do next." "Oh Joni, stop teasing. I'm with you aren't I?" Laurie said as she opened the door to BJ's and walked behind the counter. Joni followed and sat on one of the stools out front, "I know you're with me, but I know this is tough for you since JR was your first boyfriend and I don't think you ever resolved things with him because he just took off."
"I guess, but I'm not even mad at him anymore. I just feel guilty. I do hate that. I will have to talk to him and Jamie both. Or I should say we do." Laurie smiled at Joni then walked into the back room. Joni followed and pinned Laurie up against a wall, "Hey, what's this about me being with you when you do this?" Laurie easily lifted Joni's arm and quickly turned her against the wall, "Well, it's only fair I introduce them to my new girlfriend isn't it?"
"Oh I know. I was hoping to get out of that part though." Joni smirked then looked around and leaned in and kissed Laurie's welcoming lips. "That was sure nice. But, you're not going to get out of this with a kiss you know." Laurie kissed her back then grabbed her apron, "I think we should talk to both of them tomorrow after school." Joni had a pretend frown on her face as she followed Laurie back out to the front counter, "Fine, tomorrow it is. This is going to be very interesting to say the least. Call me when you get home okay?" "I will. Bye Joni." Laurie said with a big smile.
Kendall woke up and looked around the room and it took her awhile to realize where she was. After she tried to sit up she was also reminded of her very sore stomach. Greenlee walked out holding a plate full of something and sat it down in front of Kendall with a big smile on her face. It was some kind of food. Kendall just wasn't sure what it was supposed to be. "Um, it was really nice of you to cook this for me Greenlee and I really do appreciate the effort, but at the risk of sounding rude, what in the hell is it?"
Greenlee didn't get upset, she just sat down beside Kendall and grabbed the fork from the plate and began pointing to the food, "This is a potato and this here is some chicken and this here is some fun little frozen vegetables." Kendall grabbed the fork from Greenlee and began poking cautiously at the food none of it seemed all that soft. She grabbed the knife, cut a piece of chicken, put it in her mouth and tried to bite it and spit it out in a hurry. "OMG. Are you trying to break my teeth? It's a rock." Kendall said as cracked the piece of chicken against the table, making a very loud noise as she did.
Greenlee had a puzzled look on her face as she watched Kendall's reaction, "Really? I followed the directions on the package perfectly. I wonder what went wrong." "Something did. Now I hate to be a bad patient, but GET ME SOME REAL FOOD." Kendall made the last part very clear to Greenlee. "Okay, okay. No need to scream." Greenlee said then took the plate back into the kitchen and decided to try a bit of the chicken herself just to see. She put a piece in her mouth and spit it out just as fast as Kendall did.
She couldn't help but laugh at the mess she made of the food and quickly called her next door neighbor who is a wonderful cook and told her about Kendall's situation and she agreed to help her out. Greenlee then walked back into the living room and sat down beside Kendall, "So the food wasn't perfect, I do get point for trying don't I?" "Yes, it was very sweet of you." Kendall grinned, "If I ever need to kill anyone I'll just have you cook for them."
"Very funny." Greenlee replied and was about to tickle Kendall when she saw the bandages around her stomach and decided against it. "So, here we are. I gather Michael is a no show?" Kendall asked, knowing full well what the answer was, "I really don't get this at all. One minute he says I'm the only thing he thinks about and then when I need him the most he totally deserts me." Greenlee seethed every time she heard his name mentioned, "I know you care about him, but I think this has shown him for what he is. A selfish man who puts his own needs well ahead of anyone else's, even yours."
"I guess so. Am I really that gullible? He manipulated me from the start. I fell for it, hook, line and sinker. I'm such an idiot." Kendall meant it and was almost in tears again thinking about Michael again. Greenlee brushed away a tear from Kendall's face, took her hand and looked her right in the eye, "Stop that. He's not worth it. There is nothing wrong with trusting someone. It's wrong what he did. I hate what he did to you." "I hate what I did to me. I fell for it. Everyone was warning me about him but I wouldn't listen. Nope, I knew better." Kendall looked over at Greenlee who was giving her the evil eye, "Okay, I'll stop feeling sorry for myself. I will learn from this and that's what counts, right?"
"That's right. You really do deserve so much better than that creep." "I hope so. I sure haven't had much luck so far with my love life." Kendall said, this time stating only the facts. Greenlee wasn't sure what to say about that, "Well, the past is the past. Let's worry about the now." "Good idea. I'm all for that." Kendall finally had a smile on her face and that was a start.
Michael Cambias walked up to Greenlee's apartment, grabbed his cell phone and placed a call, "It's time to set the next phase of the plan in motion. You know what to do. I expect to hear from you when you've initiated this phase." "I'll get right on that sir." was all the voice said in return before he hung up. Greenlee heard the noise from outside and opened the door to see Michael standing there, "Well, I didn't expect to see you here. I figured you had much more urgent business to take care of." "I'm not here to talk to you, so just show me where Kendall is." Michael ordered as he stepped in front of Greenlee and walked into the living room where he saw Kendall lying on the couch.
Kendall didn't say a word just lie back and looked away from him. Greenlee left the door open and rushed in front of Michael again, "You're not wanted here. Kendall is still recovering from surgery. Something that didn't seem to concern you all that much when it happened. Now if she changes her mind I'll call you. Now get out." Michael was growing irritated by Greenlee's interference and this time just pushed past her and stood beside Kendall, knocking Greenlee off balance as he did, "Kendall, you have to listen to me. I wanted to be here so bad. I was just caught in the middle of an emergency and I couldn't get away. I told Greenlee to tell you all this and I hope she did, but I know it doesn't make up for the fact I wasn't here when you needed me the most."
"No, it doesn't. Now, I'm tired and I need some rest. Please go." Kendall said then covered her head with a blanket. "Kendall, don't do this. I don't like to be brushed off like this. Don't throw away what we have over something so silly." Michael made one last plea, but could see Kendall wasn't buying any of his charm today. Greenlee watched, as Kendall didn't say a word, and then stepped in and began pulling Michael out by his arm, "You heard her. It's time to leave."
"Fine, but don't think this is over." Michael then leaned down and whispered in Greenlee's ear, "If you interfere with my relationship with Kendall again you'll be sorry." "Very nice, if you think your threats scare me, you're wrong. Get out." Greenlee gave him a push and slammed the door on his face. Kendall pulled down the blanket, sat up and looked over at Greenlee with a worried look on her face, "What did he say to you?"
Greenlee put a smile on her face, moved over and sat down beside Kendall then had her lie back down, "It's nothing. He was just telling me to stay out of his way where you're concerned." "I won't let him hurt you." Kendall said without thinking, then quickly added, "Or anyone I love and care about. I can't believe he thinks he can just come into my life when it's convenient for him but he's never around when I need him. Why do I still care about him? I hate this." "I think you need to relax for a bit. I don't want your stitches to come apart. Forget about him for now and try and get some rest and I'll go check on that food okay?" Greenlee asked and waited for Kendall to nod yes and then helped her lie back on the couch.
Now, for anyone who is reading this I have a question for you. Would you like to see the story continue on from this point and take it's own unique path or fast forward to the present, which is October 2003, and continue from there, taking in all the events that have happened since April 2003. Either way works for me. Also, if I skip ahead, do you still want to read about Joni/Laurie since they are off the show now? Send any responses to buffyfaith19@yahoo.com Thanks for reading.
Laurie was standing outside the school pacing back and forth along the lawn and the sidewalk as she waited for Lori to meet her and as she turned to look back at the main doors for the 50th time, she saw Joni walking slowly towards here. Just the fact Laurie's smile was covering her face said a lot about how happy she was to finally see Joni after a very long and boring day of school, "Hi Joni. I'm so glad you're here." "Why is that?" Joni asked assuming something must be wrong from the urgency in Laurie's voice.
Laurie was confused as to why Joni would need to ask that, "Why, because I missed you that's why." Laurie smiled and held back her desire to kiss her. "Oh, I missed you to. I don't think I heard a thing in English today because my mind was wandering. I kept picturing you and I at some secluded beach, lying in the sand, catching some rays and holding hands, " Joni reached down and let her hand touch Laurie's, "It didn't take long before we were doing way more than holding hands and each time we started we would get interrupted by Adam of all people." "Adam Chandler? Why on earth were you thinking of him?" Laurie asked as the two girls slowly made their way of the school grounds and walked towards the park.
Lori couldn't answer that, "I don't know. I mean, I think it was because he's always been the voice of NO and I kept thinking how someone would always stop us when we wanted to be alone. That really ruined what might have been a very fun little dream." "We're alone now, sort of." Laurie said as two kids from school past them in the car and waved, "So tell me Joni, what was I wearing in this dream of yours?" Joni quickly closed her eyes, went back into the dream and remembered the details, "You were wearing a very sexy light blue bikini and a cute little sun hat and you looked gorgeous of course."
"Thank you. Could you tell what you were wearing or is that possible in dreams?" Laurie asked, confused by her own question. "Good question. I think I saw myself in a mirror once and had on my favorite white bikini because I wanted to look my best for you." Joni said proudly. "I really can't wait to see you in that. I guess I never expected you to own a bikini." Laurie said as they made it to the park and sat down on the bench.
Joni wasn't sure what to make of Laurie's comment, "You really think of me as quite a little prude don't ya?" "Don't be mad or anything, I just think you come across as a prude. I just wasn't sure your parent's would allow that." Laurie said trying to explain what she meant. "I know for a fact you'd look amazing in a white bikini and honestly can't wait until summer is really here and we can go down for a swim one day so you can show me for real." "I'd like that." Joni sat down on the bench and Laurie sat down beside her.
They sat and talked for a good hour and were about to get up and head home when JR walked into the park and spotted them, "Hi there. Long time no see." Laurie was in shock and jumped off the bench. Moving away from Joni in a hurry as she searched for something to say, but none came. Joni, in spite of being a bit annoyed at how quickly Laurie rushed to get away from her stood up and broke the ice, "Hi JR. How was your trip?"
"It was amazing. I saw a lot of new places and did way more work than I've ever done before and had a blast." he moved closer to Laurie and tried to give her a hug and she pulled away slightly. "Sorry, I'm just getting over a cold." Laurie said as she turned to Joni for some help. Joni covered for Laurie again, "Oh yes, she hasn't been feeling good for the last couple days. Anyway, are you here to stay or just passing through?" "I'm not sure. All depends on if I have something to stay for I guess." he said turning his attention directly at Laurie, "Are you seeing anyone?"
Laurie looked at Joni again and then back at JR and then to the sky and then the ground before finding something to say, "What I do is none of your business anymore. You left me remember?" JR knew that was coming, "Well I guess your right, but as I recall you were the one kissing Jamie when you claimed to want to be with me?" "Oh that's nice. Well, I guess that explains why were not together doesn't it?" Laurie said defensively.
"Maybe it explains why it didn't work out before, but that was then. I think we could start over if you want to." JR tried to get close to Laurie but again she pulled back and stood behind Joni. Joni could see this wasn't going to solve anything right now and she didn't want to get in the middle of it either, "Listen, it's your first day back JR and it's great to see you again, but maybe we should all take a break and we can talk later." "Okay, that's fine. I am back in Pine Valley for now so I hope we can work something out so were not always fighting. I did miss you Laurie. It's good to see you again to Joni. I'll leave you two alone." JR then turned around and left the park the same way he came in.
Laurie was frantic and pacing back and forth and Joni was just sitting on the bench waiting for her to stop or say something. It took alot of pacing before Laurie finally looked back at Joni, who was now reading a book to keep her busy, "Oh that's great. You're reading at a time like this?" "A time like what?" Joni laughed. "It's not funny. I don't know what to do. What should I say to him?" Laurie asked as she finally sat down again.
Joni looked back at Laurie, "I can't answer that. What do you feel right now?" "I feel guilty. Then I wonder why. I have no idea why, but I feel like I owe JR some explanation about how I feel about you, but I know don't owe him anything. Then I think I should give him another chance because that would be fair." Laurie did a good job explaining how confused she was. "What do you feel about me?" Joni asked, this time listened very closely for Laurie's answer. "Please don't ask me that now. I'm confused enough as it is." Laurie shook her head and then looked over at Joni and saw that she was trying to give a nice fake smile, but could tell she wanted a different answer.
"I won't ask again." Joni said a bit harsher than she wanted. "Please don't be mad." Laurie felt like everyone was pressuring her at once and couldn't take that from Joni, "I like you, A lot. I do want to spend time with you and I can't stop thinking of how it feels to kiss you and I just want you to try and be patient with me while I deal with all this." Joni could see that Laurie was very emotional right now and she just pulled her close and Laurie rested her head on Joni's lap, both girls thinking about what would happen next.
Lena was standing outside Erica's office trying to think of the best way to approach what she thought was an impossible task, seducing Erica Kane, the woman with countless husbands and who was only now beginning to accept Bianca for who she was. It was then that Erica walked in looking beautiful and elegant as always, "Hi Lena, were you waiting for me?" Lena opened the door for Erica, as she had her hands full with a large box, "Actually yes I was. I wanted to talk to you about a new idea I had for promoting Enchantment's new line of perfumes. I've been working on it for a long time and think your going to like it."
"I'm always open to new ideas. Come on in. Let's here it. Maybe we should call Bianca and Boyd so we have some different opinions." Erica said as she sat down the box on her desk and sat down in her very comfortable chair. Lena moved forward and stood right in front of Erica's desk, "I was hoping to do this in private. If you like it, then perhaps we could bring the others in. If not, there's no sense wasting their time." "You have a point there. Alright, why don't you begin." Erica then placed a call to her secretary and had all her calls held for the next hour.
With a deep breath and some fast-talking Lena was making her pitch. She kept her eyes on Erica to try to gauge her interest as she continued. Over the next 20 minutes, she was able to make a very strong case for herself and her idea. Erica was all smiled when Lena was finished her presentation, "Well I'm very impressed Lena. You have done a great deal of research and I think you have the exact demographic we had in mind when designing this new line. I don't need to check with anyone else on this. I'm going to have you go down to our marketing department right now and give them the same presentation you gave me."
Lena was surprised at how excited Erica seemed to be and couldn't help but feed off her energy, "Thank you so much. I'll try not to let you down." Erica was not hearing any of that, "I wouldn't agree to this if I thought that was possible. Make this happen and when it does we can go out and celebrate." "Of course. I'd love that. I will get right on this." Lena gave Erica a very friendly smile, walked slowly out of Erica's office and closed the door behind her. It was a small step, but it was still something for Lena to build on so she was pretty happy with herself and it showed in her walk and in her smile as she sashayed on down to the marketing department.
Greenlee was holding on to Kendall's waist as she helped her to the front door of her apartment. Kendall rested against the wall as Greenlee found her key and opened the door and the two girls walked inside. There were a number of take out pizza boxes on the coffee table in the living room and even more Chinese food containers on the kitchen counters and Greenlee watched as Kendall spotted each and every one of them with her eyes, "Sorry the place is a mess. I haven't been up to cooking for a long time."
"That's okay. I was just seeing if you ordered from the same place as I do." Kendall picked up one of the menu's from the table and smiled, "Looks like we have the same taste in take out foods. Who knew?" "They always say brilliant minds think alike, so it makes perfect sense to me." Greenlee smiled, then helped Kendall get comfortable and then walked into the kitchen and took out her cell phone "Hello?"
"Michael, where have you been? Kendall was released from the hospital today and you were nowhere to be found. What's the matter with you?" Greenlee fumed. "Calm down Greenlee. I was on my way over there and something came up. Where is Kendall now? Let me talk to her." Michael said as he was surfing the net looking for more information on Erica Kane. "No." Greenlee yelled then quickly lowered her voice, "You can come over to my place and see her in person. It's the least you can do."
"Oh stop being so dramatic. Kendall understands I have a business to run. Listen, I have to go now but I'll try and stop by before the night is out. Bye now." Michael hung up, turned his cell phone off and sat it neatly beside his briefcase on the table. Greenlee was still furious and had to take her time before she walked back into the living room so she didn't show her anger to Kendall. Kendall was already asleep on the couch and Greenlee went and got a blanket from her closet and covered Kendall up and sat across from her in the love seat and just watched her sleep.
Simone was closing up the Fusion office while Mia was downstairs assuring the other residents of the building that there wouldn't be any more false fire alarms and explaining about Kendall's attack and the tempers soon died down and within minutes the crowd had subsided, just as Simone joined Mia. "Well, I think the other tenants will allow us to stay here after all. So what do want to do now?" Mia asked as the two girls left the building. "I just want to go home and have a nice hot bath and relax with you in my arms." Simone took Mia's hand and they rushed to the car and were home in record time.
Mia opened the door, walked slowly towards Simone, stepped out of her skirt and top and stood in front of her in her white lace bra and panties while Simone looked on with a sexy grin on her face. "Aren't you in a sexy mood? I do like though. Not sure we will make it to the tub if you keep making it so hard to concentrate." Simone walked up to Mia and put her hands behind her, grabbed her firm ass and pulled her in closer, "Now about that bath...." "I can't wait." Mia smiled and they rushed to the bathroom. Simone was having no trouble removing her clothes as Mia was right there helping her remove every last piece and soon they were both naked and ready for that very relaxing bath.
There was something so perfect about feeling Mia's soft hands around her stomach as she lie back with her head on Mia's shoulder and her hands caressing her long legs. Mia was slowly washing Simone's arms moved even slower over Simone's small but oh so firm breasts, caressing each one as she rubbed her nipples between her fingers, causing the cutest little moan to escape Simone's mouth. Simone turned her head to the right and Mia leaned down and kissed Simone's soft lips. Slow and soft first, but soon the kiss increased in speed and passion. Simone let her hands move up to caress Mia's pretty face then moved down her soft neck to her shoulders before finding Mia's round breasts with her small hands.
With her thumb rubbing Mia's hard nipples Simone slipped her other hand down Mia's stomach between her creamy thighs and as Mia's head tossed backwards and she let out a loud moan the doorbell rang and they both stopped and shook their heads at the awful timing. Mia got up, put on her robe, walked out of the bathroom and into the living room and answered the door. "Hi Mia. I'm sorry to bother you so late but I need to talk to you. Now." Adam didn't wait for an answer he just barged into her apartment and walked over to the couch and sat down.
Mia closed the door and walked over towards Adam with a puzzled look on her face, "What is it Adam? Did something to Liza?" "No, nothing like that, she's fine." Adam reassured Mia then got to the point, "I just want to know if she's going back with Tad." Mia tried not to roll her eyes, but it's what she was thinking as she once again had to deal with Adam's jealousy and his need to know everything, "I really don't know Adam. I only see Liza at work every now and then or if I baby-sit for Colby."
"If you're babysitting that means she's going out. So is it with that low life Tad?" Adam persisted. "Adam, if you need to know this so bad please ask Liza. She won't hide it if she is. I honestly don't know. Now I was in the middle of something so if that's all...." Mia walked towards the door and opened it wide as a very big hint for Adam. "I see. Well, I'm sure whatever it is you were doing can wait. This is important. Now please think. Have you ever seen Liza with Tad?" Adam said as he began to lose what little patience he had.
Simone came walking out of the bedroom in her robe, saw Adam sitting on the couch and Mia standing looking very annoyed and could tell something wasn't going well, "Sorry to interrupt, but I thought I heard the door close again." "It's okay Simone, Adam was just leaving." Mia said with a fake smile as she again held the door open for him. "So I guess Simone is what you are in a hurry to get back to? Interesting, gotta love those Martin men. I don't think either of them has kept a woman for long. Obviously Jake wasn't satisfying you quite the way Simone can." Adam began walking past Simone and towards the door.
"Good-bye Adam." Simone said with a smile. "Yes, nice seeing you again, next time use the phone." Mia added bluntly. "Why of course. Would hate to disturb your little love nest here. Have fun girls." Adam was barely out the door when Mia slammed in behind him. Simone walked up to Mia, put her arm around her waist and led her back to the bedroom, "Let's forget Adam for now. I think we need to get back to where we were before he showed up." Mia just nodded and smiled and they went back into the bedroom and closed the door.
Maggie was now the one on display as she stepped out of the bathroom wearing a very conservative black dress and showed it off to Bianca who didn't seem to impressed by it so she turned around and found something else to wear. This time she came out in a much shorter red strapless dress that came up above her knees and was cut to show just enough cleavage. Bianca was definitely enjoying Maggie in this and it showed. "Yes, this I like. It's sexy and yet not slutty. I think you should wear this." Bianca said as she hopped off the bed and had a closer look.
"Really?" Maggie questioned, not sure if she agreed with Bianca, "I don't know. Not sure it really works for me." "What? Are you kidding?" Bianca said in mock surprise, "It's gorgeous. You look beautiful. Just look in the mirror again and take a better look." Maggie stood in front of the mirror, turned sideways and then had her back facing the mirror and looked over her shoulder at the dress again and finally faced the mirror head on and still wasn't sure, "I guess it's not bad. You're wearing red though right? I don't think we both want to go somewhere in the same dress do we?"
"Oh right. I forgot. Sorry." Bianca knew Maggie was right but was still in the mood to keep on trying, "Okay, let's see something else. How about that white dress you bought a couple months ago, I really liked it." "I can try that. Be right back." Maggie smiled then went into the bathroom and changed into the sexy white dress and minutes later, she popped out and spun around a couple times for Bianca's eyes. "Now that is very sexy, but elegant to. I think you look great in this to. You can't help but look good." Bianca was unable to contain her excitement.
"Thanks. I kind of like this one to." Maggie then had one last look in the mirror and looked back at Bianca, "I guess I'm ready to go. So you need to get into your dress and we can finally start this night." "Great. I'll be right out." Bianca went into the bathroom, changed and returned, much to the delight of Maggie. "Wow, I forgot how sexy that dress was." Maggie was doing that staring thing again and had to stop and look away as soon as she felt Bianca's eye's on hers. "Well thanks. I feel sexy in this to." Bianca smiled, "I guess were ready. Onward." "Indeed." Maggie smiled back at Bianca and they grabbed their things and were off.
Lena was waiting in Erica's office when she got back from her meeting, which was a surprise to Erica, "Lena? What are you doing here?" "I'm sorry, I just wanted to give you an update on my meeting with the marketing people. They were very cooperative and we worked out a concept for the commercials and they will begin shooting them on the weekend and have a number of different versions ready for you to see come Monday morning." "That's very good news. You do work fast Lena. I'm impressed." Erica took off her coat, hung it up and sat down at her desk.
"Thank you." Lena said with a smile, "I really am enjoying working for you and this was such a great opportunity and I didn't want to let you down." "As long as you give me an honest day's work you will do fine." Erica then checked her messages and sat up with a gasp as she read one. "What is it?" Lena asked, not sure what Erica had just read. "I can't believe this." Erica said with her usual sense of drama, "It's that Michael Cambias again. I've just received a very reliable bit of information that he is going after both Enchantment and Fusion. He really is a greedy bastard."
"That's terrible." Lena made her way around Erica's desk, trying to comfort her with a simple touch of her arm, "Is there anything I can do?" Erica paused as she felt Lena's hand on her arm, then stood up and walked out in front of her desk, "I'm not sure you can help. He's a very dangerous and powerful man and I think it's time he was stopped." Lena didn't let this opportunity go to waste so she walked over to Erica again, "Maybe there is something I can do. When I was in Europe, I worked for a man who had extensive dealings with Mr. Cambias and seemed to get the better of him on many of those occasions. I was his personal assistant and have met Mr. Cambias and do know a little about how he works."
"I had no idea. I'm trying to recall your references but can't remember the name of the man you used to work for?" Lena was more than happy to refresh Erica's memory, "It was Sergei Volkov. He is the CEO of numerous worldwide businesses, but first made his mark in the computer industry, specifically the internet. His current project is designing software for some of the largest companies in the world." "Oh yes, I've heard of him." Erica said, recalling a business deal her company had with him about 5 years ago for some internet software to get Enchantment online, "If I remember correctly Cambias tried to takeover his company and failed?"
"Yes, that's true." Lena said with an excited tone, "Sergei was aware of Michael's reputation and as soon as he found out he was sniffing around his company he began taking counter measures against Cambias Industries and with some shrewd business moves put some pressure on some of their major holdings and they ended up backing off." "Well then, perhaps you and I should get together and discuss this further." Erica went over to her desk and looked at hr appointment book then looked at her watch. "I have a short meeting right now but if it's okay with you we could talk over dinner tonight?" "That sounds perfect." Lena agreed instantly. "I'll call you later and set up the time and place." Erica then was out the door in a flash. Lena was smiling widely and then walked out of Erica's office with a jump in her step.
Joni was walking Laurie to work and they hadn't said much to each other since they ran into JR, but Joni finally broke the ice, "It looks like you have quite a few options to consider. Two guys want you and I might add a pretty cute girl does to and you have to decide what you want to do next." "Oh Joni, stop teasing. I'm with you aren't I?" Laurie said as she opened the door to BJ's and walked behind the counter. Joni followed and sat on one of the stools out front, "I know you're with me, but I know this is tough for you since JR was your first boyfriend and I don't think you ever resolved things with him because he just took off."
"I guess, but I'm not even mad at him anymore. I just feel guilty. I do hate that. I will have to talk to him and Jamie both. Or I should say we do." Laurie smiled at Joni then walked into the back room. Joni followed and pinned Laurie up against a wall, "Hey, what's this about me being with you when you do this?" Laurie easily lifted Joni's arm and quickly turned her against the wall, "Well, it's only fair I introduce them to my new girlfriend isn't it?"
"Oh I know. I was hoping to get out of that part though." Joni smirked then looked around and leaned in and kissed Laurie's welcoming lips. "That was sure nice. But, you're not going to get out of this with a kiss you know." Laurie kissed her back then grabbed her apron, "I think we should talk to both of them tomorrow after school." Joni had a pretend frown on her face as she followed Laurie back out to the front counter, "Fine, tomorrow it is. This is going to be very interesting to say the least. Call me when you get home okay?" "I will. Bye Joni." Laurie said with a big smile.
Kendall woke up and looked around the room and it took her awhile to realize where she was. After she tried to sit up she was also reminded of her very sore stomach. Greenlee walked out holding a plate full of something and sat it down in front of Kendall with a big smile on her face. It was some kind of food. Kendall just wasn't sure what it was supposed to be. "Um, it was really nice of you to cook this for me Greenlee and I really do appreciate the effort, but at the risk of sounding rude, what in the hell is it?"
Greenlee didn't get upset, she just sat down beside Kendall and grabbed the fork from the plate and began pointing to the food, "This is a potato and this here is some chicken and this here is some fun little frozen vegetables." Kendall grabbed the fork from Greenlee and began poking cautiously at the food none of it seemed all that soft. She grabbed the knife, cut a piece of chicken, put it in her mouth and tried to bite it and spit it out in a hurry. "OMG. Are you trying to break my teeth? It's a rock." Kendall said as cracked the piece of chicken against the table, making a very loud noise as she did.
Greenlee had a puzzled look on her face as she watched Kendall's reaction, "Really? I followed the directions on the package perfectly. I wonder what went wrong." "Something did. Now I hate to be a bad patient, but GET ME SOME REAL FOOD." Kendall made the last part very clear to Greenlee. "Okay, okay. No need to scream." Greenlee said then took the plate back into the kitchen and decided to try a bit of the chicken herself just to see. She put a piece in her mouth and spit it out just as fast as Kendall did.
She couldn't help but laugh at the mess she made of the food and quickly called her next door neighbor who is a wonderful cook and told her about Kendall's situation and she agreed to help her out. Greenlee then walked back into the living room and sat down beside Kendall, "So the food wasn't perfect, I do get point for trying don't I?" "Yes, it was very sweet of you." Kendall grinned, "If I ever need to kill anyone I'll just have you cook for them."
"Very funny." Greenlee replied and was about to tickle Kendall when she saw the bandages around her stomach and decided against it. "So, here we are. I gather Michael is a no show?" Kendall asked, knowing full well what the answer was, "I really don't get this at all. One minute he says I'm the only thing he thinks about and then when I need him the most he totally deserts me." Greenlee seethed every time she heard his name mentioned, "I know you care about him, but I think this has shown him for what he is. A selfish man who puts his own needs well ahead of anyone else's, even yours."
"I guess so. Am I really that gullible? He manipulated me from the start. I fell for it, hook, line and sinker. I'm such an idiot." Kendall meant it and was almost in tears again thinking about Michael again. Greenlee brushed away a tear from Kendall's face, took her hand and looked her right in the eye, "Stop that. He's not worth it. There is nothing wrong with trusting someone. It's wrong what he did. I hate what he did to you." "I hate what I did to me. I fell for it. Everyone was warning me about him but I wouldn't listen. Nope, I knew better." Kendall looked over at Greenlee who was giving her the evil eye, "Okay, I'll stop feeling sorry for myself. I will learn from this and that's what counts, right?"
"That's right. You really do deserve so much better than that creep." "I hope so. I sure haven't had much luck so far with my love life." Kendall said, this time stating only the facts. Greenlee wasn't sure what to say about that, "Well, the past is the past. Let's worry about the now." "Good idea. I'm all for that." Kendall finally had a smile on her face and that was a start.
Michael Cambias walked up to Greenlee's apartment, grabbed his cell phone and placed a call, "It's time to set the next phase of the plan in motion. You know what to do. I expect to hear from you when you've initiated this phase." "I'll get right on that sir." was all the voice said in return before he hung up. Greenlee heard the noise from outside and opened the door to see Michael standing there, "Well, I didn't expect to see you here. I figured you had much more urgent business to take care of." "I'm not here to talk to you, so just show me where Kendall is." Michael ordered as he stepped in front of Greenlee and walked into the living room where he saw Kendall lying on the couch.
Kendall didn't say a word just lie back and looked away from him. Greenlee left the door open and rushed in front of Michael again, "You're not wanted here. Kendall is still recovering from surgery. Something that didn't seem to concern you all that much when it happened. Now if she changes her mind I'll call you. Now get out." Michael was growing irritated by Greenlee's interference and this time just pushed past her and stood beside Kendall, knocking Greenlee off balance as he did, "Kendall, you have to listen to me. I wanted to be here so bad. I was just caught in the middle of an emergency and I couldn't get away. I told Greenlee to tell you all this and I hope she did, but I know it doesn't make up for the fact I wasn't here when you needed me the most."
"No, it doesn't. Now, I'm tired and I need some rest. Please go." Kendall said then covered her head with a blanket. "Kendall, don't do this. I don't like to be brushed off like this. Don't throw away what we have over something so silly." Michael made one last plea, but could see Kendall wasn't buying any of his charm today. Greenlee watched, as Kendall didn't say a word, and then stepped in and began pulling Michael out by his arm, "You heard her. It's time to leave."
"Fine, but don't think this is over." Michael then leaned down and whispered in Greenlee's ear, "If you interfere with my relationship with Kendall again you'll be sorry." "Very nice, if you think your threats scare me, you're wrong. Get out." Greenlee gave him a push and slammed the door on his face. Kendall pulled down the blanket, sat up and looked over at Greenlee with a worried look on her face, "What did he say to you?"
Greenlee put a smile on her face, moved over and sat down beside Kendall then had her lie back down, "It's nothing. He was just telling me to stay out of his way where you're concerned." "I won't let him hurt you." Kendall said without thinking, then quickly added, "Or anyone I love and care about. I can't believe he thinks he can just come into my life when it's convenient for him but he's never around when I need him. Why do I still care about him? I hate this." "I think you need to relax for a bit. I don't want your stitches to come apart. Forget about him for now and try and get some rest and I'll go check on that food okay?" Greenlee asked and waited for Kendall to nod yes and then helped her lie back on the couch.
Now, for anyone who is reading this I have a question for you. Would you like to see the story continue on from this point and take it's own unique path or fast forward to the present, which is October 2003, and continue from there, taking in all the events that have happened since April 2003. Either way works for me. Also, if I skip ahead, do you still want to read about Joni/Laurie since they are off the show now? Send any responses to buffyfaith19@yahoo.com Thanks for reading.
