Chapter 7 – Paintmachines and Promises

24th December 2012 (Christmas Eve)– 21:45 pm

L'Etale Night Club, Morzine

Lauren was changed and outside the door of L'Etale nightclub within thirty minutes. Streets packed with revellers attempting to get inside any of the clubs and party the night away. Lauren waited patiently while her name was checked. Over four hundred people inside already, and hers the only name not ticked off. It certainly was the hottest club in the small town. Finally, the rope was raised and a paper band placed on her wrist that read 'staff-ground floor only'. Lauren looked around inside and saw a few familiar faces, but none were Bo. The VIP rooms were on the top level, and as Lauren stepped closer, she could see more security guards checking every wrist band. 'Shit', Lauren muttered under her breath. She turned back and decided on another route. Walking outside to the back to where a few smokers were gathered, she spotted what she was looking for: the emergency staircase. No one was watching. Lauren leapt into the air, grabbed hold of the lower step of the ladder, and climbed up to the second floor. Searching until she found an open window and stepped inside the darkened room.

"What the fuck." Lauren jumped back, fumbling for the light switch.

Two naked bodies were grabbing handfuls of clothes from the floor and dressing quickly, making sure they averted their eyes away from the intruder. Lauren blushed, realising what she had halted and recognised, more importantly, who she had halted. Swiftly she turned and exited the door, crashing straight into another person. This was not her day.

Raising her head, Lauren saw a confused looking Bo looking back at her."Where the hell did you come from?"

"Bo." Lauren manoeuvred her to the side as two men ran past them.

"So, I guess you saw that then?" Bo asked, leaning her head back against the wall.

"Your boyfriend bent over another man." Lauren raised her eyebrow, "Yeah, I saw that."

"So, his secret is out." Bo drank the last of her nursed drink in one. "If you're looking for a story, then that one's juicy. Run, tell the press."

Lauren was not expecting that. "Hey, look at me."

Bo looked up.

"We're friends. You can trust me." Laurens' words came out before she had a chance to think about what she was promising, but as soon as she saw Bo, she knew she wasn't going to tell anyone what she'd seen.

"Trust you? You've avoided me since he arrived." Bo couldn't maintain eye contact and looked at the ground. "Friends would have stuck around, then I could have told you about him."

"And I'm sorry, Bo, truly I am." Lauren held out her hand, "Come on, I'll buy you a drink. Tell me now."

Bo took Laurens' stretched out hand. "I get all my drinks for free with this keychain, so I will get you one in the VIP area."

"I don't have the right band to get in," Lauren wiggled her wrist in the air, noticing that Bo didn't have a band on. Not that she would need one, she was famous, and everyone knew who she was.

"Don't worry; they won't stop you when you're with me." They walked to the VIP rooms. Bo was right; no questions were asked, just ropes raised high. They peered inside and saw that Rainer was dressed and in deep conversation with Evony. Massimo was stood at the bar, and Tamsin was surrounded by the show's producers, directors, and writers.

Lauren noticed Bo hesitating by the entrance, "Do you dance?"

"Depends who you ask." Bo smiled, and the dimple was back on show. Lauren became breathless. How stupid had she been to think she could live in a world with Bo in it and not be a part of it, in whatever capacity Bo wanted her to be?

Lauren sped them past security and down the stairs. As soon as they hit the dance floor, Lauren knew they had made a mistake. Bo was surrounded by people wanting photographs with her and completely unable to move. Lauren finally understood why she favoured the sanctuary of the VIP rooms, as although lonely, at least she could breathe.

Lauren formulated a plan and went about making it happen, returning moments later to grab hold of Bo's hand, and leading her towards the toilets. "Bo, are you fond of your clothes?"

Bo's heart pumped, as although she wasn't the type to hook up in a toilet, the idea of even kissing Lauren right now was making her all hot. Her thoughts were interrupted when Lauren took Bo's fur bowler hat off her head and placed it on the head of Nicki, her stunt double. Next, she helped Bo remove her fur vest and put it on Nicki too, who spun around, delighted with her outfit.

"Nicki, wear these, don't look up toward the balcony and charge all your drinks to Bo's account." Lauren held out her hand for Bo's key chain, and Bo obliged. "We'll be back in a few hours, but message me if anything comes up."

Nicki nodded, dancing away.

"You let her wear my fur. You know that costs over a thousand dollars! just for the hat." Bo folded her arms over her chest, pretending to look hurt. "What are we doing?"

"Bo, we're having a night away from this circus." Lauren lifted her eyebrows, smiling suggestively, "You in?"

Bo threw her head back and laughed, "Sure, why not? You've already given away my fur."

Lauren sneaked Bo past the security, staying close to the wall, under the balcony ledge out of sight. Keeping their heads down until they got outside. They ran down the main strip, hand in hand, past all the bars and clubs that were heaving with tourists. On the outskirts, Lauren stopped them just before the old theatre and led them down an alley, pausing in front of some old wooden doors. It was the kind of place you wouldn't know of its existence unless you knew about it.

"Now, before we go in, let's fix this outfit." Lauren looked Bo up and down; she was wearing black leather pants, with a pink cardigan and a turtleneck sweater underneath. "Too many layers. Take off these." Lauren tugged at her turtleneck and cardigan. "What's underneath?"

"Just a bodice top," Bo replied, pulling off her garments as requested.

"Perfect." Lauren removed her black leather jacket and handed it to Bo. Next, she pulled out the pins holding Bo's hair up, allowing her long locks to fall over her shoulders.

"Leather on leather?" Bo questioned Laurens' fashion taste while putting on the jacket.

"You look stunning." Lauren replied, putting on Bo's cardigan and placing the turtleneck in her bag, "Is everything you own cashmere?"

Bo raised her eyebrow and tilted her head, "Been checking out my wardrobe?"

Lauren silently cursed herself for the slip. "Just noticed, that's all."

Bo looked up and down at Lauren's outfit; tight blue jeans only accentuated her long legs and made her ass look top shelf teamed with a white tee and her baby pink cardigan. "You look cute."

"Thanks." Taking an eyeliner from her bag, Lauren applied a thin line to Bo's eyes. "There, you're ready."

Bo looked in the mirror that had been offered to her, "Well, I don't look like my usual self or Payton. So, what's this for?"

"It's Christmas Eve, and we are going to celebrate as normal people do." Lauren took hold of Bo's hand, hearing as Bo took a massive intake of breath. "This is a workers bar, we drink beer from bottles, and you can dance without anyone interrupting you. And if anyone recognises you, you say you are one of the many stunt doubles. "

"Okay."Bo smiled. "And Lauren, in case I forget to tell you later, I had a good time tonight."

They walked into a packed bar; everyone was so busy enjoying themselves that they hadn't noticed them enter. Lauren headed to the bar while Bo soaked up the atmosphere. Bodies were sworn together, and it appeared that clothes and shoes were optional here. Many revellers were dancing bare feet on any surface in the place. The back had rows of benches and tables full of people dancing on top, a DJ to one side and a paint machine on the other side. Lauren came back and handed Bo her beer and followed her eyes to that area, "Yeah, we'll avoid that area and stick to the bar, as I'm sure paint will be hard to get out of cashmere."

Bo laughed at Laurens' joke and took her hand. "No, you're right, Lauren. This will be fun."

Bo ran them toward the backbenches where a cannon shot paint in their direction, splattering both in green, followed by a blue. A handful of partygoers pulled them safely onto the benches. Dancing so close together that from a distance, it would appear that they were only one person. Bo's laughter made Lauren smile, and she loved to see her happy. Although she knew that it wouldn't last, tomorrow she would be the famous Bo Dennis again and utterly unreachable for her. At least for tonight, she was simply 'Her Bo', and Lauren was determined to make the most of it.

"I love this song." Bo threw her hands in the air and turned her back to Lauren, dancing into her.

Lauren could hardly concentrate on the music, only on the sensation of Bo winding onto her. Bo was singing loudly, "I'm old, but I'm not that old, younnnnng, but I'm not that bold."

Lauren sang along with her and wrapped her arms around Bo's waist, joining in their dance.

When the canons had stopped, they moved from the tables to the dance floor, continuing to dance side by side. They only broke away from each other when they took turns to get more drinks from the bar. Bo had not been bothered by anyone at all, and it had been liberating.

Lauren leaned forward and spoke into Bo's ear; the music was so loud. "Are you having fun?"

Bo turned to face her, placing her arms around her shoulders. "Yes, thank you, but would you mind if we got some air?"

Lauren nodded and followed Bo to the back area. A few wood benches were laid out. Finding a spare seat, they sat sideways next to each other to face, knees touching. "So, did you always want to be a famous actor Bo?"

"I'm not famous. Outside Toronto, I'm still unknown. Remember you had to Google me." Bo gulped down her beer. "Truth is if this Christmas special didn't work, then Netflix will cancel us, and we won't reach audiences in America and the UK anymore. Any chance of global fame is bleak."

Lauren placed her hands on Bo's thighs. "Oh, you're so dramatic."

Bo stroked her thumb over the top of Lauren's hands, loving the sensation of her hands on her. "Don't laugh, Lo. I'm serious; everything is riding on this for me. I'm scared something will go wrong, and I'm thrown back in casting and fighting for roles."

Lauren bit her bottom lip; she loved her new nickname, Lo. "You're still so young."

"I'm twenty-three in a few months," Bo replied.

"Wow, Bo." Lauren nudged her with her shoulder. "So old, but I'm guessing you're not that bold?" Jumping up, she sang the rest of the chorus back to Bo, who laughed loudly before pulling her back down, causing her to momentary lose her balance and fall on top of her. Lauren blushed at being on Bo's lap. Looking down, Lauren resisted the powerful urge to kiss her. It was not appropriate, and she didn't want to ruin the night or their friendship.

"Maybe not in chef years." For a brief moment, Bo thought Lauren would kiss her, but when she didn't, she reminded herself that they were just friends. "But as an actor, if you haven't made it as an adult by twenty-five in a long-running show, then you might as well sleep on the casting couch. People will forget about four-year-old me."

"That will never happen. People could never forget you. You'll be famous; you truly are talented. I watch you on set, and I'm mesmerised." Lauren held Bo's hand, "You're the star of that show."

"Thank you." Bo squeezed Laurens' hand in return, "I hope the show's producers think the same."

They sat in silence for a moment or two, just enjoying each other's company and the feel of the other hand in theirs. Bo broke the silence with a question, "How old are you?"

"Seventy-four, I have a great face cream," Lauren replied.

Bo laughed out loud, spitting out a bit of beer in the process. She liked this side of Lauren, the side that was not serious, the side she often saw when it was just them alone talking.

"I'm twenty-four, which means I am only ten years younger than my bra size." Lauren laughed at her own joke before realising that it was Karen's age and not her own.

"Ah, finally, you reveal something about yourself." Bo smiled, "You are so good at being elusive when we chat. You are the host asking questions but never talking about yourself."

"That's not true." Lauren tried to move, but Bo's hands had a tight hold on her. "It's my round. Let's get back inside."

"No," Bo said determined, "not until you tell me something about you that will surprise me."

"Okay, fine." Lauren sighed, "I don't cry."

"Really, never."

"No, not in sad films, when I hear sad songs, read a sad story, when I stub my toe. I didn't even cry the day they told me my mum was dead." Lauren finished her beer.

Bo held her mouth, "I'm sorry, Lauren. I didn't know your mother died. How old were you? What happened?"

"Please don't apologise," Lauren moved her hand, running it through her hair. "It was a long time ago. She died when I was eight years old. I don't know my dad or had any other family come forward for me, so put into foster care. Now we need a drink."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Without realising what she was doing, Bo pulled Lauren into a hug. "I've never met my dad either. It's just mom and me."

Lauren felt warm and safe, two things that she rarely felt. She allowed herself to be hugged by Bo. Her scent was one of mixed spice and honey shampoo and momentarily was lost in her.

Bo pulled away slowly. "And it's my round. Remember you got the shots."

Lauren nodded, and Bo took her hand and led her back to the bar.