A/N: Only one review? Sad. Anyway, thanks to Mali, as always. Little steamy this chapter. But I took great pains writing the steamy scene, so it's well written at least. I've written bad sex scenes too, and this one isn't bad.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 39: What Happens After

"This is all so cool," Emma said. Casey sighed. Her enthusiasm was nice and all, but God, the girl was a pain. "I don't mean the party Casey, calm down. Although that is cool, are they like Minnesota Kennedy's or something?"

"No, they just have a lot of money," Casey said. "And family means a lot to Ana Duncan-Riley, and even more to Kelly Riley. Keep that in mind." Emma nodded. "Honey, the wide eyed ingénue thing is going to sell for a little while, but people are going to get sick of it fast."

"People still love Reese Witherspoon and she's been doing it for fifteen years," Emma shrugged.

"Yes, but you're a brunette from Beverly Hills, not a bubbly blond from the south," Steve said walking in.

"Where did you go?" Casey said.

"I was around," Steve said. "Jesus, this house is like the number one reason I hated Jimmy Riley in high school."

"Really?" Casey said. "I thought that he saw Julie naked before you did was the number one reason you hated Jimmy Riley in high school?"

"Excuse me," Steve said. "I saw her naked when we were eighteen months old. I win."

"Hi," Kelly said walking up to them. "Steve, if that reporter friend of yours with the big boobs giggles and tells my husband he's charming one more time, I might take her eyes out with a fork."

"Aw, I've missed you Kel," he said. "Walk with me." She nodded and they walked. "What do you think of Emma?"

"I think she looks freakishly like me when I was seventeen," Kelly shrugged. "Julie and Casey say she's good. What?"

"What do you think of her for RDC?" He said. She stopped. "She's young, she's vibrant, if I do my job right this movie's going to be huge and she's going to be a movie star. You guys could help with that." Kelly sighed.

"Seventeen?" Kelly said. He nodded. "She's a dead ringer for me when I was seventeen." He nodded again. "Do you know what happened to Janet when we were seventeen?"

"Scooter chose you," he said softly. "Which Emma is starring in a movie about."

"Her husband is having an affair with your ex girlfriend," she said. He nodded. "The last thing her career needs is for the world to see her being replaced by a younger version of the girl who she was passed over for in a National Book Award winning novel."

"I get that," he said, "but Kelly, your job is to make sure that RDC has someone to wear the winter line. My job is to make sure that it sells. You can't keep doing everything to protect Janet, I love her too. But you guys kept her on three seasons longer than you should have and now you have to pay for it." Kelly sighed. "Kelly, RDC is not the school project that you and Tammy talked about in her bedroom six years ago anymore. It's a multi million dollar corporation with stock holders and a board of directors, all of whom are begging you to pick a new girl. I'm telling you, from a PR standpoint, I can sell this girl. I can sell other girls too, but I just wanted to tell you that." She nodded. "And I'd rather not talk about what Tammy's doing with Dave Vanderbilt, because your step mother has been really nice to me and I don't beat the shit out of him at her party." She kissed him on the cheek.

"We really wanted you to marry her," Kelly said. He smiled. "Even Tommy, and I think he was the last one holding out for Fulton." He laughed.

"I wanted to marry her," he said softly. "Still do, and I'm working on it."

"Good boy," she said.

Janet bounced happily over to a catering table and sat down with Scooter.

"You seem peppy," he said.

"I think Dave and I are getting back together," she said.

"Yeah, I'll hold my breath," he mumbled.

"OK broody writer boy," she rolled her eyes. "But we had a really nice talk tonight, and I think that,"

"Janet wake up!" He said. She looked at him. "Jesus Christ, do you think that if you two do get back together it'll be any easier this time?" She looked at him. "He's with someone else, and Janet, I know everyone else in my family has tiptoed around it, but you're gay!" She frowned.

"I am not gay," she said.

"Honey," he put his hand on her knee. "It's OK to be gay. I love you anyway, so does Kelly, and Dave will come around to it."

"You're drunk," she stood up and walked away.

"Doesn't mean I'm wrong," he called after her. "You're here, you're queer, we're used to it!" She gave him the finger. "Janet," he said. She sighed and turned around and sat down again.

"You're a nasty drunk," she crossed her arms. He shrugged. "I'm not gay."

"I think you are," he said. "I think that you're a real life lesbian, and that my brother is the Holden to your Alyssa." She frowned. "Chasing Amy, Lane! Jesus, you went to college in New York in the late 90s and you don't know Chasing Amy?"

"I spent most of my college years in New York having sex with your brother," she said. "I didn't have time for pseudo intellectual indie cinema." He laughed. "I saw Kiera."

"And?" Scooter said.

"That was an amazing few months for me," she said softly.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Because you're gay, God, Janet, we just went over this." She frowned. "I'm not saying that you don't love Dave, I know you do, but it's just not enough, for either of you."

"Do you know who it is?" She asked. He shook his head. "Scott," she took his hand. "After everything we've been through, please?"

"You don't really want to know," he said. She sighed. "You don't, honey, it's not about her anyway." She sighed.

"I know," she said. "I just want to look the little bitch in the eye." Scooter sighed. "Wow, apparently I'm a nasty drunk too." He laughed.

Tammy pulled her dress off in her room. No one else was doing second outfits. But she had to. Plus she still found it a lot of fun.

"Hey," Dave leaned against her doorway.

"Hi," she said softly. "Did you have a good night?"

"Tammy," he shook his head. "What was I supposed to do?"

"Nothing," she sighed, "I have to get dressed." He kissed her. She shuddered as his hands pressed against her waist. "I can't." She whispered.

"Why not?" He asked, kissing her again. He pushed her gently onto the bed. She shuddered as he kissed her, but tried to put it off the inevitable some more, she'd made a promise.

"Your wife is downstairs," she said. He looked at her and nodded.

"I know," he whispered, "but don't you see that's how badly I need you? I came here this weekend to be with you." They kissed again and he slid his hands up and groped her breast. She felt strange. She was half naked in lingerie and Dave was still fully in his tux. She pulled at his bow tie, getting it off of his neck, and then slid his jacket off of his shoulders. He undid his belt and fly.

"Dave," she whispered, taking his shirt off.

"Baby," he said. They kissed hard. "God, I love you!" He said. He crawled on top of her. "I am madly and passionately in love with you." She looked up at him, panting in heat. Dave was a dog, he wasn't a liar.

"I love you too," she said and they kissed each other. She pushed his boxers down and then crawled backwards under the covers, she wiggled a little, getting her panties off. He smiled and crawled under too. They kissed hard for a few minutes, groping at each other's bodies greedily. He rolled her onto her back.

"Spread your legs baby," he said gently, whispering in her ear. "Let me show you how much I love you." She shuddered feeling his hand pressing in between her thighs. She whimpered and then groaned as she spread her legs and he pushed inside of her.

"Dave," she groaned. "Baby, oh God!" She arched her back and wrapped her legs around him. He grabbed the backs of her thighs and started nibbling on her neck. She hissed and dug her nails into his back. This couldn't be wrong, it just couldn't be. It felt way too good.

"So soft," he whispered and she groaned. The way he moved inside of her was like nothing else she'd ever felt. "You're so soft." She couldn't form words she was in such ecstasy. She could barely think! He'd never made love to her this way. He said he was going to show her how much he loved her. If this was how much, she wouldn't ever leave him.

"Oh!" She screamed. "Don't stop, don't ever stop." He pushed against her lower back and forced her into a sitting position. She didn't know how much longer it was, or how many times she'd screamed in pleasure when they rolled away from each other. "Oh my God." She caught her breath and ran her fingers through her hair. He wrapped her arms around her from behind. "That was amazing."

"Mm," he said. "Yeah, it was." He kissed her hair and then frowned, looking at the mural. "When did you paint that?"

"Hm?" She said.

"That," he nodded. "Your wall."

"Oh," she said. "Three years ago, about, when Steve and I broke up the first time." He nodded.

"It's the best thing you've ever painted," he said. She rolled over and looked at him. "I know your work better than anyone but you. That's the best thing you've ever painted." She kissed him. "Why didn't you ever downscale it?"

"I don't like talking about it," she said. He nodded.

"OK," he pushed her hair behind her ear. She kissed him and then sat up and started pulling her clothes on. "What are you doing?"

"I have to go to the party," she said. He nodded. "Dave, I love you, but my mother is throwing a party downstairs." He laughed. "Don't leave right away."

"Got it," he nodded. She walked downstairs and saw Steve waiting by the bar. She swallowed.

"Hey," he said. "Took you a while with the costume change, you look great though." She looked down. "So listen, I'm trying to convince Kelly that Emma's a good choice for RDC, what do you think?"

"I think that could work," she said. "Listen, Steve, about tomorrow and going to see Connie and Charlie, if you don't want to come I," she said softly. "It's a lot to ask of you considering we don't know where we stand yet." He looked at her.

"I'm an idiot," he said and pulled back. "Where is he?"

"Steve, don't," she said. "Janet's here and he hasn't told her."

"Did he say he would?" He asked. She looked down. "No, of course he didn't, he didn't say he would talk to a lawyer, so I'm curious what did he say?"

"That he's in love with me," she said. "And he is, and I love him."

"I'm in love with you," he said. "I'm interested in being with you for the rest of our lives."

"You had your chance at that," she shook her head. "You never asked me."

"Yeah," he nodded and reached into his pocket. He tossed the ring box on the bar. "I never asked you." He turned around and walked away. She took it and opened it. She swallowed seeing the diamond resting in black velvet.

"Damnit," she sighed closing it.

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