Bruh... the next story is totally brutal.

Twelve

Jade came out of the bathroom, toweling her hair somewhat dry, dressed only in a second towel that was barely decent on her frame. She stopped to lean against the door, eyeing the sprawled form on the bed. "Tor?"

"Ungh." Tori had her arm thrown over her eyes. "Shh. Tori isn't here. It's just a prune, masquerading as Tori."

"Uh huh." Jade sat down on the bed next to her, very nearly pulling her towel loose. "That was some downpour. I'm glad we made it back here." She reached over and used the other towel to dry off Tori's head. "What a pain in the ass long day."

Tori rolled over and draped her arm over Jade 's thigh. "We have to do that again tomorrow, Jade . Augh!" She drummed her feet against the sheets and squiggled into Jade 's lap. "Ugh… pooh!"

Not at all displeased by the development, Jade tossed the towel somewhere in the vicinity of the bathroom and concentrated on her armful of cute brunette instead. She was relieved herself that the day was over, and she was very much looking forward to the coming hours alone with her partner.

Accordingly, she slid her hand under Tori's neck to support it as she leaned over and gave her a leisurely kiss, enjoying the simple passion of it. She could taste the last remnants of the lemon soda Tori had grabbed on their way out of the trade show, and as their tongues gently played against each other, she let out a chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Tori asked.

"I had fun in the afternoon session." Jade admitted. "I think I got everything back under control."

Tori tweaked the towel, tugging it free of its tuck and exposing Jade 's torso. "Mmhm." She traced a circle around her partner's navel. "I think you did too. Thanks." She felt the muscles just under the skin twitch. "I have a feeling you're going to make the news, though... I saw reporters there. With cameras."

"Eurgh." Jade made a face.

Tori chuckled. "Not that they needed a scandal to take pictures of you… they do that anyway. You could have been explaining subnet masking and you'd still have gotten a crowd." She let her hand fall to the bed and closed her eyes. "Umph."

"Something wrong?" Jade asked.

"Headache."

"Again?" Jade curled her fingers around the back of Tori's neck and kneaded it gently. "I see my friend Quest found you... that what gave you this?"

Tori remained silent, enjoying the massage. Then she exhaled. "He wasn't that bad." She admitted. "He had some interesting things to say."

Jade kept up the motion of her hands. "Ah." She murmured, surprised. "What did he say? Must have been different than what he told me."

Her cheek was resting against Jade 's leg, and Tori let her fingers stroke the skin there before she answered. "I think it was the same offer."

Jade considered that for a little while. "What did you tell him?" She finally asked. "Did you agree to do it?"

Tori rolled her head to one side and opened her eyes, looking up at Jade with a faintly rueful expression. "Sweetheart, do you honestly think I would go do something you'd already told me you'd turned down on the company's behalf?" She reached up to tickle Jade 's navel again. "I was really, really curious as to why you just turned him down flat, though."

"What I don't get is why he asked you." Jade said. "What's his game?"

"Well... if mom says no..." Tori kidded her. "Just go ask... um... you know what I mean." She closed her eyes again as Jade 's fingers found a knot at the back of her skull. "He asked me if I had the guts to go over your head."

"And?"

Tori opened one eye and regarded her. "What do you think?"

A smile twitched at the corners of Jade 's mouth. "I think right now I trust your judgment better than mine. To be honest, I can't tell you why the hell I just blew him off, Tor. I had no reason for it... no business reason, anyway."

Tori's eyebrows lifted.

"Then when I reconsidered… it was because Telegenics was also bidding, and I wanted to kick their ass. Not because I made a good business choice." Jade exhaled, but looked peaceful. "I think it's time I vacate that office, my friend. I'm just not into it anymore."

"Jade ..."

Jade put her fingers across Tori's lips. "It's the truth, we both know it." She said. "I'm not going to just walk out, Tori, but I'm not doing my job."

Uncertainly, Tori subsided, confused and disturbed by her partner's admission. Jade didn't seem upset by it, but she was, and it was no use pretending she wasn't. "I'm really not happy to hear that." She sighed. "Especially because I think you're brilliant at what you do, and this last year's proved that over and over again."

Jade traced the furrow in Tori's brow. "Anyway... we can talk about it when we get home." She said. "So... what did you tell little Peter?"

Tori rolled onto her back and settled her hands on her stomach. She recognized the change of subject for what it was, and pondered whether to let Jade get away with it. Then the ache in her head made itself felt again, and she decided if Jade didn't want to talk about it right now, that was okay with her.

Maybe she would think about it some more. It had just been a ratty day. "What did I tell little Peter?" She repeated. "Well, I told him it was an interesting proposal, it was something we're very experienced at doing, something we could probably easily handle, and something we'd be interested in getting involved in."

Jade slipped her hands under Tori's head and resumed her massage.

"However." Tori continued. "I also told him I had nothing but the highest respect for your judgment, so if he was looking for a champion to butt heads with you, he picked the wrong Latina."

"Mm."

"He seemed to think that was funny."

"Hmm?"

"I think that's when my headache started again." Tori closed her eyes against the light in the room. "I just told him I'd be in touch and booted him out of the booth."

Jade let the silence lengthen after that, as she kept working on Tori's tense muscles. She watched the skin over her partner's brow smooth out, and her breathing slowed as she relaxed. "You want to do it?" She finally asked, in a low voice.

The tiniest hint of a smile appeared on Tori's lips, and she cracked open one eyelid. "I want us to do it." She replied, huskily.

Hm. "Us as in... you and me, you mean?"

Tori nodded. "I think it would be good for the company, sure… but just to prove I have my head in my workstation just as much as you do, I really just wanted to go there, just us, and whip everyone else's butts."

"Ahhh... Ulterior motives." Jade chuckled softly.

"Something like that." Tori reached behind her and captured Jade 's foot. She ran her fingers over the corded tendons and threatened a tickle, feeling the muscles bunch instinctively. "Besides, I'd like to see New Zealand."

Jade let one hand rest on Tori's stomach. "Ahhhhh." She tapped the edge of her thumb against Tori's abs. "That brings this whoooollllee thing full circle." With her other hand she lifted something from the nightstand and dropped it onto the bed next to her partner. "To this."

Tori turned her head and regarded the box. "Ahh." She mimicked Jade . "You know, sweetheart, if you really wanted to know you could have just opened it."

"That's not my name on the label." Jade wriggled into a more comfortable spot and leaned on one elbow, looking expectantly at the package and then at Tori. "Feeling better?"

How could she not feel better? Tori wondered, as she rolled over onto her side and reached for the box. She was lying in bed, with her head in Jade 's naked lap, with the prospects of what was in the box yet to emerge to look forward to.

Her headache had faded under Jade 's touch, and the feeling of pent up tension was being leeched out of her by a combination of being where she was and being able to feel the affection almost pouring out of her companion as the gentle, feather light stroking traveled over her body.

It would be very easy to just let the world fade out.

But there was her box to open, and dinner to be had, and fireworks to watch from their balcony. So Tori obediently plucked at the box's wrapping, ripping it apart and freeing the box from its bindings. "There. You have two hands free. Open it."

Jade needed no second invitation. She took hold of the box and pried the top off, peering inside. Then she turned it over and let the contents drop into her hand.

It was a jar, with a white top, and a seemingly hand written label. Jade blinked it. "Double fudge body paint?" She read it aloud. "From New Zealand?"

Tori affected an innocent look. "They didn't have it at Sawgrass Mills."

Jade bit her lip, then burst out laughing, flipping the jar over in her hand in delight. "Oooohh…. Housekeeping's gonna be mad at us." She chortled. "Tori, what made you order this?" Her eyes went to her partner's face. "Getting bored?"

For the first time in a long time, Tori turned brick red, the color change very evident against her white cotton t-shirt. "No!" She got out, grabbing the jar. "I was just shopping! On the internet!"

"Shopping for… " Jade teased. "Jars? Fudge? Sex toys?"

Tori cleared her throat loudly. "Did you know they have milk flavored candy there?" She changed the subject. "And hey, look... I've got a canvas all ready to test this stuff on." She tweaked Jade 's bare belly. "To be honest, I was looking for some stuff we could take on the boat, and the pointing and clicking just got a little... ah..."

"Off course?" Jade grinned. "You and a mouse. Dangerous."

"Trackball. I hate mice." Tori corrected her. "Dirty balls – just not my style." She leaned over and nibbled a bit of Jade 's skin. "So what do you say, Dixiecup? Wanna see if I have even one artistic bone in my body tonight?"

Jade set the jar down and picked Tori up instead, curling her body around her partner's and delivering a passionately serious kiss that coaxed a soft groan from Tori's guts and set the brunette woman's' hands wandering over Jade 's skin. "Yeah." She breathed into Tori's ear. "Paint anything you like on me... I won't even check the spelling."

"Spelling?" Tori snicTored, easing her body flat against Jade 's. "Baby, I'm not gonna be writing ANYTHING. You're going to see how us repressed WASPS do finger-painting."

They tumbled together across the bed, laughing as they got tangled in the sheets and ended up almost falling off. Jade clasped her arms around Tori and held her tight, releasing a deeply satisfied sigh. "To hell with all of them." She said. "Let's go have fun."

"Grrwol."

"I'm in heaven." Tori put her bare feet up on the railing next to Jade 's, as they sat and watched the fireworks. Absently, she reached over and took Jade 's hand in hers, as she let her other one rest on a very satisfactorily stuffed belly. "Thank god we don't do this all the time. I can only imagine the amount of gym sweat I'd have to put in to keep up with it."

Jade flexed her toes and leaned closer, pressing her shoulder against Tori's as a new set of colorful lights exploded in the distance. "Mm." She agreed with both sentiments, though it was hard to focus on the question through the beer they'd shared over dinner and the lassitude the warm air was pressing on her. "That was pretty."

"Uh huh." Tori rested her head against Jade 's upper arm. "Jade Giana?"

"Mmm…" Jade peered at her. "What have I done?"

"Nothing. I just like your name." Tori exhaled contentedly. "So... what's our strategy for tomorrow? There's two big panels in the afternoon… one's on the direction of wireless, the others on outsourcing. I think we should be on both of them, don't you?"

"Oh." Her partner mused. "Like I didn't make enough trouble today, you want me to try again tomorrow? Alastair's probably already shredded his desk blotter." She lifted the mug of coffee resting by her left elbow and took a sip from it. "I'm surprised he hasn't called."

"Maybe he hasn't heard." Tori suggested. "It wasn't that big a deal, Jade . Once you started talking them through it, everyone really relaxed."

"Umph." Jade watched several rockets go up, bursting into red and blue patterns overhead. "Yeah, all right. Sign me up. It's more interesting than wandering around in the hall bullshitting." She squeezed Tori's fingers. "Besides, I get the feeling one of the pitches Telegenics made is that they're a lot more cutting edge than stodgy old WesTrek."

"Really?"

A perceptible twinkle appeared in Jade 's eyes. "I got an email today from an old acquaintance at one of the accounts that switched, just passing the time of day." She said. "And a little insider info."

"Ahhh." Tori rumbled softly. "Do I sense some early reservations?"

"Hedging her bets." A grin appeared. "Shirley Applebaum… she's got a lot of sense, and even though we bumped heads when they first signed with us, she's all right."

"Bumped heads… like you and I did?"

Jade laughed. "Victoria, no one in my life ever bumped heads with me like you did." She assured her partner. "No, I'd just started WesTrek, before the shift into Media and game design. You know the stuff I let Sinjin do for me on the back end. When they came onboard... they were my first account."

"Oh."

"Talk about a learning experience." Jade briefly covered her eyes with one hand. "For a while, I thought they were going to be my last account. But it worked out."

"Obviously." Tori admired a sudden burst of color as it spread across the sky. "That really is pretty… but I'm glad I'm not under it. I hate the smell of gunpowder."

They both jumped a little and turned as a knock sounded inside the room, echoing faintly through the sliding glass door. Jade frowned. "Are we expecting anyone?"

"Hell no." Tori got up and shoved the door open, trading the warm concrete for the rough nubble of the carpet against her bare feet. She pressed her hands against the door and peered through the eyehole, pushing back in annoyance when she recognized Michelle's face on the other side. "Son of a bitch." She muttered. "What do you want at ten o'clock at night?"

For a short moment, she debated with herself, seriously considering ignoring the knock and returning to the balcony. Then with a sigh, she grasped the door hand and turned it, her breeding overcoming her baser inclinations for once. "Yes?"

Michelle gazed back at her, for once dressed down in a shirt and jeans and having left most of her pretensions at home, it seemed. "Hi."

"Hi." Tori responded, leaning against the jamb but not allowing the door to open past her body width. "What can I do for you?"

"Can we talk?" Michelle asked. "I know it's late, I know it's been a long day, I know you're not pleased to see me here."

Tori felt a warm stream of air suddenly on the back of her neck, and somehow managed not to jump as Jade 's hands settled on her hips. Her partner remained silent, however, leaving the decision up to her. "If you know all that, why push it?" She asked. "Maybe tomorrow's a better idea."

"It probably is. But I'd like to talk to you anyway." Their unwelcome visitor stated. "Both of you." She added, a little belatedly.

Tori's face twitched a little as she was pinched very gently on the behind. Then the warmth behind her disappeared, and she straightened up. "Make it fast." She backed up a step and opened the door. "We've got plans for the rest of this evening."

Michelle raised her eyebrows as she slipped past, giving Tori's faded t-shirt and bare feet a glance. "Thanks."

Tori followed her inside. Jade had settled on the couch, her long, bare legs sprawled out across the carpet and her arms spread across the back of the cushions. It left just enough space next to her for one other person provided it was someone Jade liked.

Michelle prudently took the chair across from her, and waited until Tori sat down within the spread of Jade 's reach before she crossed one ankle over her knee and cleared her throat. "Okay, I'll cut to the chase, since we all don't want to be here."

"No." Jade let her arm drop down over Tori's shoulders. "We want to be here." She turned her head and regarded her partner's profile. "What I can't figure out is why the hell you don't just follow your business plan and leave us the hell alone." She glanced back at Michelle, raising her eyebrows in question.

Michelle exhaled. "Because you're part of my business plan." She responded. "Look. I know my infrastructure right down to the nuts and screws just like you do." She looked right at Jade . "I know what the capacity is, and I'm at it. I can't expand any more."

"And?" Jade shrugged. "I could have told you that. You've promised the same service level to all the accounts you stole this year. If... " She pointed back at Michelle. "If everything runs perfectly, and no one has any increase in demand, you can provide what you promised."

"Yes."

"But things never do work perfectly." Tori said.

"Except in your network." Michelle concluded. "So that's why I'm here. I know what WesTrek is to you. I also know you've been with them forever, and maybe you're ready for a new set of challenges. I want to hire you per se."

Tori looked at Michelle, then she turned and looked at Jade . "I know she's talking about you, not me." She stated, with a half chuckle.

"Actually, I'm not stupid." Michelle contradicted her. "Both of you. I know what conflict of interest is and I hate wasting money."

Holy crap. Tori kept her mouth shut and waited for Jade 's reaction. She could feel the slow, rhythmic stroking of her partner's fingers against the back of her shoulder and she was close enough to hear Jade 's steady breathing.

Jade sniffed reflectively. "You don't have the money."

"To pay you?" Michelle chuckled. "Mm… you do have an ego."

"You know what my networth is, you want me to by Telgenics from you…"

"I want to partner with you." Michel insisted.

But Jade shook her head. "You don't have the money to put in the infrastructure you'll need to compete, not only with us, but with the rest of the dog pack we run with."

Their visitor got up and walked around the back of her chair, pacing with short, deliberate steps. "If I can get projections justified, I can get the money. I have bacTors lined up who are just waiting… watching to see if we can make it over the top. They were very impressed at the progress we've made so far… but now I need to take the next step." She paused and leaned on the back of the seat. "You are the next step. There is no fuzzy logic involved. Every deep pocket I have behind me knows who you are, and what you can do."

Jade merely watched her, a faint smile on her face.

"So." Michelle concluded, coming around to the front of the chair again and sitting down in it. Dressed as she was, she seemed more like them, than the starched figure they'd been dealing with for the last few days. "That's what brings me here. I'm sorry it's been so uncivilized the past two days. My fault. Stupid choices."

Tori decided to remain quiet. She was in no way tempted by the offer, and she knew despite Michelle's words that she'd been included for reasons that did not wholly encompass her qualifications as an IT executive. However, Jade 's words earlier that evening echoed into her mind, and she had to wonder if her partner wasn't just a little bit flattered and intrigued by the interest.

And in fact, she didn't blame Michelle one bit – far from it. She gave the woman high points for going after a prize she herself valued above all others. In fact, if she'd chosen this approach from the get go, she might indeed have gotten the synergy she'd been hoping for.

However.

"I don't expect any answer." Michelle went on. "I just want to put the idea out there. We've got the rest of this damn show to get through, and it would make my life a lot easier if we could can the feud now."

"It's not my feud." Jade finally spoke, in a quiet voice.

Michelle watched her face closely, but apparently found nothing there. She lifted a hand and let it fall onto her denim-clad knee.

They were all briefly silent. Then Tori cleared her throat a little. "Want some coffee?" She offered, indicating the table. "It's pretty good here."

Michelle glanced at it. "No thanks." She half grimaced, half smiled. "I'd never get to sleep. Doesn't it bother you?"

"Not really, no." Tori shook her head. "Though I generally prefer tea at night." She leaned against Jade unobtrusively. "Why don't we just agree to just behave like professionals for the next few days? I'm sure we can all handle that."

"Mm." Michelle glanced at Jade .

"You didn't get any special treatment." Jade said. "This is how I always act when people get in my face. Have your people stay out of my face, and we'll have a grand old time." She pinned Michelle with a cool gaze. "Your staff has been messing with us since I got here. You made me spend half the night in that damn hall because of your little tricks, and your managers keep harassing my staff. What makes you think any of that makes you or your company even the least bit appealing for someone like me to work with?"

Michelle, surprisingly, didn't counter her accusations. Instead, she ducked her head to one side. "Granted. Like I said, bad choices. I take responsibility for that."

Jade relaxed a little. "All right then." She conceded. "We should have no problems anymore."

"Good." Their visitor put her hands on the chair arms and pushed herself to her feet. "Then I won't take up more of your time. It's late, and it's been a long day." Her eyes fell on the jar, sitting patiently on the table and she blinked, reading then label, then glanced at them, one eyebrow lifting.

Tori smiled kindly at her. "See you tomorrow." She waggled her fingers.

Michelle walked across the room and let herself out, pulling the door to after her with a definite, crisp snick.

Jade drummed her fingers on Tori's shoulder, then tilted her head back and let out a long chuckle. "Oh, ain't this a tangled web."

"Yeah, well... those two black widows can just kiss my ass." Tori snagged the jar and wrapped her hands in Jade 's shirt, tugging her upward. "C'mon, Dixiecup. Hedonism beckons."

Outside the window, the fireworks peaked in silent glory, speckling the room with twinkling lights. They were, however, lost on the occupants.