Chapter 5- "Womanizer" Britney Spears

"You bought a gay bar?" Spencer whispered.

"Well no, not a whole one… just 35% of one…"

"Wow!"

"What? Are you freaked? You're freaked aren't you?"

"No of course not… I'm just… Wow!"

"You said that already"

"Sorry… I'm… still processing this…." Spencer sat in silence with her mouth agape for a moment while Ashley sat across from her cringing waiting for a response. "Ok… done processing… this is… really amazing!" Spencer said sincerely "I had no idea you wanted to own a bar… much less a gay bar??… Which is fine… I'm not a businessperson so I have no idea the kind of revenue a place like this would bring… but it's really cool… and when did you actually come and hang out here? … I mean not that I care but I had no idea-" Spencer began one of her infamous rants but Ashley cut her off.

"So do you actually want me to answer or do you just like to hear yourself talk?" Ashley teased. She loved the rants but she needed to get to her confession soon. She was afraid she might explode or much worse run away. She'd never actually said this out loud, well not to anyone that mattered, and the anticipatory nerves were burning in her belly and making her hands jitter.

"Oh sorry…" Spencer began to blush.

"No it's ok… you know I love it when you ramble… it's just… that's not really what I brought you here to tell you" Ashley's words were soft and Spencer could read the sincerity and slight fear in her eyes. It was enough to make Spencer nervous as well.

"Tell me…" Spencer's words were sweet and comforting, making Ashley's heart beat just a tad bit faster. Ashley's nerves got the best of her. She might've thrown up.

"Hi ladies my name is Sandy and I'll be your server this evening… can I start you girls off with some drinks?" For the first time ever Ashley was relieved to have someone intrude in on her Spencer alone time. She needed a drink if this was ever going to happen.

"Oh wow… I haven't even looked at your drinks menu…" Spencer found her self a little flustered.

"It's ok, she'll have a wild berry martini and I'll have…" Ashley interjected

"…a mango mojito right Ashley?" Sandy, the now familiar server finished while staring at Ashley with a coy smile,

A smile which; Spencer noticed and immediately understood its various implications by merely reading Ashley's eyes. A smile which secretly made Spencer rage with jealousy because she didn't think another GIRL should be allowed to look at her like that. A smile, which proved much more than either girl, was willing to admit.

"... make them doubles… " Ashley ordered keeping her gaze away from Sandy, but noting Spencer's displeased trademark head tilt. "uhm… please" she added. The head tilt stayed in place.

"No problem… I'll have them make it just the way you like it" Sandy smiled and added a wink just for Ashley right before walking away. Not surprisingly Ashley was immune to the server's wink, even if she did kind of look like Spencer. Spencer noticed the wink too and confirmed her suspicions, making her seethe even more.

Yeah, Ashley was screwed.

"You order my drinks now?" Spencer asked not budging from the disapproving head tilt.

"No ... Yeah …trust me Spence… you'll love it… you should try the soup here it's really… good…too" Ashley rambled trying her hardest to stray away from the subject her overly inquisitive friend was bound to bring up. This only made her sound guiltier and made the tension grow thicker.

"No thanks I'm not hungry" Spencer said sounding a little upset, no longer looking Ashley in the eyes.

"Oh…. Ok" Ashley could feel her heart tighten and her hands begin to shake even more.

How could she forget that she totally slept with the Spencer look a-like server last week? Or was it two weeks ago? Ok so there were several mango mojitos involved… But how could she bring Spencer to this awkward situation when all she wanted to do was confide in her best friend? This was really the worst possible scenario. Now her friend knew she was gay and a slut.

A gay slut!

Ashley wasn't dense but she could be the blonde one sometimes.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence: Ashley hiding behind her menu and Spencer glaring at Ashley, Spencer broke. "So how do you know her? Well I guess I should ask how she knows you so well"

"uhhmm…" Ladies and gentlemen Ashley Davies is finally speechless.

"Here you go ladies" Thank you Sandy! Her timing was once again impeccable, bringing drinks and interrupting a premature conversation. "Are you ladies ready to order?" Spencer was burning holes into Sandy's smug grin. She wasn't a violent person but she felt like she might punch her and she didn't know why. "Just so you know Ashley, for dessert we actually have those chocolate covered strawberries you liked so much last time… I can have them delivered the same way too." Sandy winked and Spencer knew why she wanted to punch her. Damn you Sandy.

Ashley proceeded to chug her mango mojito, mint leaves and all, hoping to make this all go away. "No thanks we're not hungry but we'll have another round… thanks." Ashley tried to move Sandy along before she started to unravel more details about their previous 'encounter'.

"Actually I'll have one of those chocolate covered strawberries… hold the special delivery though… Ash are you sure you don't want one?" Spencer said smiling through gritted teeth.

"No I'm good" Ashley feeling more and more like she'd been punched in the stomach.

"Are you sure Ash? Because they use the same chocolate they make the syrup with." Sandy added, almost taunting Spencer.

Yup, Ashley definitely might just throw up.

"No thanks. But can you check up on those drinks please?" Ashley now the one with the fake smile and clenched jaw.

"Yes ma'am… and I'll bring that strawberry over in just a few" There was that wink again. Nothing.

Sandy walked away and Spencer glowered at the back of her head while chugging her own drink. Spencer couldn't look at Ashley anymore, that last comment had really sent her over the edge. Spencer felt betrayed and Ashley knew it. Spencer rationalized that Ashley was belittling their friendship since she was living this secret life and didn't trust Spencer enough to tell her about it. Yes, Spencer convinced her self it had nothing to do with the fact that she might be A LOT jealous. That it had nothing to do with the fact that Spencer was no longer the ONLY girl in the deceitful girl's world. That it had nothing to do with the fact that HER Ashley was no longer HER Ashley.

Neither of them spoke for a long time. Once the next round of drinks came Spencer's courtesy was out the window. Sandy felt the tension at the table and exited immediately.

Once again Spencer chugged her drink and once again broke the silence. Ashley knew Spencer was a lightweight and was afraid of the alcohol-induced words that were going to start spewing from her mouth.

"So you've been sleeping with your employees too." It wasn't a question because Spencer already knew the truth. She was omnipotent ...or just plain freaky. No one really knew.

"Spence…" Ashley started but couldn't find any words that would make this better. That would make Spencer not feel deceived.

"What Ash?… What are you going to tell me now? That you have this whole other secret life, but you didn't tell me because you thought that I… would change your mind about it? …What? That you can't trust me to tell me that you're sleeping with girls now?"

"Spence you know I trust you…" Ashley pleaded.

"Obviously!" Spencer laughed a bitter laugh. The alcohol was starting to take effect and Spencer was unreasonably furious. "Whatever Ashley. You know I really thought I knew you, that we were friends… but I guess I was wrong" Spencer was no longer concealing her ache.

"What? Of course we're friends! Spence you know me!" As bad as she expected Spencer to react she hardly imagined this scenario.

"Yeah? Really? …Because I had no idea you broke up with Aiden… I had no idea you bought a bar …and ... and I had no idea you had a GIRLFRIEND!" Spencer was indignant. The box had suddenly been opened and Spencer was flooding with repressed emotions.

"She's not my girlfriend!!!" Ashley scoffed irritated. "..and why are you so mad?"

"Why am I mad?" –Spencer repeated incredulously-"… you don't trust me enough to tell me about the important things in your life, and you're asking why I'm mad?" Ashley suddenly feeling as if she was losing control, tried to alleviate the situation by sitting next to the irate blonde.

"I don't trust you?"-She grabbed the blonde's shoulders forcing her to look at her- "Of course I trust you! … Spence, I trust you with my life… with my heart" Ashley said earnestly.

"Whatever Ashley…"-looking away from the sincere almond eyes pleading their case- "It doesn't matter, I don't even care about your stupid life…" The alcohol was doing most of the talking now …and alcohol was being a bitch.

"Spence don't say that…"-Ashley swallowed the lump in her throat-"…it hurts my heart that you said that" Ashley's eyes began to well up with tears and she was biting her lip in order to stop them from flowing.

"Why does it matter what I say? I'm obviously not that good of a friend to you if you can't even tell me things…" Spencer said callously.

"Spence it's not even like that!" Ashley raised her voice in frustration. She knew this was a fight that she wasn't going to win, not against mighty drunken Spencer.

"Oh yeah well how is it? … Try and make this unworthy being understand"

"God Spence how can you say that!? Do you not know how important you are to me? … Do you know how many times I've tried to tell you? … Can you even imagine how scared I am to lose you?!" Ashley was frantic, she was suffocating, losing control, the thought alone of losing Spencer did that to her. Her life was spinning out of control and she just couldn't cope. The tears she'd been strenuously holding back were suddenly free flowing and Ashley Davies had finally been broken.

Spencer felt her heart break. She'd never meant to make Ashley cry. It was a rare sight and she couldn't help but to tend to her dejected friend.

She turned to her broken half who was now sobbing next to her and wrapped her up in her petite but secure arms.

"Ash no… Don't cry… I'm so sorry I didn't mean it… I'm sorry... I'm sorry…" Spencer crooned in her ear, rubbing her back comfortingly. Spencer if nothing else, was a great comfort to her friend, no mater how drunk or mad she was.

"Say it…" Ashley managed to whisper between whimpers.

"You're not going to lose me…"

"Promise?" Ashley hiccuped.

"Promise" Spencer assured.