Elizabeth and Anastasia 2"( Ff FF )[2/8] <> The study sessions with Stacy were grueling to say the least. Everything had to be perfect, every word written, every answer, every paragraph read. It seemed Stacy expected Betty to memorize everything given to her. Period. She somehow managed to zero directly in on anything Betty had skimmed or didn't understand. Her attitude was brusque, almost to the point of rudeness, and irritated the younger girl to no end. Betty thought Stacy hated her. She didn't care much for Stacy either. Things almost came to a head in one particularly brutal session about six weeks after they'd started. Stacy was in fine form, tearing holes in the work Betty had done, picking out small problems and faults, even where Betty could have sworn there were none. Betty had been having some arguments with her dad recently and was in no mood for this. Her temper was beginning to fray, her voice getting louder, her answers getting sharper. After about an hour, Stacy leaned back into her chair, put her hands behind her head, and stretched. She held that position for a while, just seeming to relax. "Betty, I've had enough of this crap for a while. Let's go out for a coffee or something. My treat. We'll get back to it later." There were several firsts for Betty in this. She'd never seen Stacy in this kind of mood before. She'd never been offered any kind of personal connection before, and she'd never ever heard Stacy swear before. She was a little leery of this. "How come the sudden change of pace?" Stacy stayed in the same stretched-out position. There was a pause before she answered. "My workload's been brutal lately. I really need a break, and I'd prefer it in the company of someone pleasant and charming." Pleasant and charming? This was from Stacy, the person who'd spent nearly two months shredding every bit of work Betty had done? The same person who'd been snapping and growling at her the whole time? The one who Betty could swear hated her? "Don't get me wrong on this, but I thought you really didn't like me." "Mmmmm." She stretched a little more, using her hands to rub the back of her neck and scalp. "Betty, Betty, Betty. Whoever said such a nasty thing was both a fool and a liar." "Stacy, you've been harping on me, degrading my work, and chewing me out every chance you got since the day we started this tutor stuff. What the hell am I supposed to think?" Stacy stopped her massage and put her hands down the side of the chair, leaned her head forward, eyes closed, stretching and loosening the muscles in her neck. It was a few minutes before she answered. "You're right. Look, I'm sorry. It seems I've been taking out my personal frustrations on you. If it helps, I'll tell you why. I've got a big workload at school, trying to maintain my grades so I can get a scholarship for college. I've got to work as well, as much as I can, to try and help my dad support me here. My last lover and I broke up a couple of months ago, and I don't have any really close friends here that I can dump my problems on. I guess it's been a bit more pressure than I can really cope with. You've been the unwitting target of my aggravations. I apologize. And yes, I really do like you. I promise I won't bite you anymore. At least, not unless you really deserve it." She said that last bit with a shy half-smile, and a glance at Betty. Betty saw that smile and decided that maybe Stacy wasn't all that bad. "Y'know, you have been acting like a she-devil who's sole mission was to *make*my*evenings*a*living*hell*." Her voice became deeper and coarser as she said those last few words. It was a poor imitation of the announcer on the horror flicks, but still recognizable. "Ouch! I guess I deserved that. I do need to get away from this mess, even if it's only for a little while. You haven't said yes or no yet, Betty." Stacy was still stretched out in her chair, head now hanging back, eyes closed, seemingly relaxed. For some reason, Betty thought she saw Stacy tense up slightly after that last sentence. It was rather odd, but it reminded her of a guy who'd asked her out on a date last week. She'd turned him down (he was a geek) but still felt sorry for him when she'd seen that brief look of pain in his eyes. It was something of a decision. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know Stacy any better, especially with the way she'd been treated for the last while. But then again, maybe the real person was finally starting to show through. It certainly couldn't make these tutoring sessions any worse. 'Oh, what the hell. Why not.' "Yes." Stacy had been tense, waiting for her answer. Betty saw the faint but unmistakable signs of Stacy's body relaxing slightly, especially around the shoulders. Betty changed out of her sweats into tight jeans and a nice blouse. She felt a bit embarrassed about changing in front of Stacy, not really understanding why. Shaking it off as illogical, she still noticed that the older girl was watching her carefully out of the corner of her eye, especially when she was squirming into her jeans. Jonathan didn't even look up when Betty told him they were taking a break and heading out for a cola someplace. It wasn't until they were in Stacy's car and heading down the road that either of them spoke again. Breaking the silence, Betty went first. "Stacy, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you two had broken up. He seemed like such a nice guy, too." "He?" Betty took that as a question of identity, not realizing there could be another interpretation of its meaning. "Yeah, that guy you were with the first night you showed up at my place." Seeing a puzzled look on Stacy's face, she went on. "You know, the tall dreamy looking guy, sort-of italian? Come on, Stacy. I'd never forget a kiss like that in a million years!" "Oh. Right! Woody. He came over that night." "That's the guy." Stacy laughed a bit. Betty saw that the older girl was blushing. "Sorry Betty, I couldn't help myself. That was only a couple of weeks after my breakup. And no, Woody wasn't my lover. He's a dear friend that likes to look after 'his little girl'. Of course, he's got a few dozen little girls to look after, and a couple of them are old enough to be his mother." "Don't worry. I can hear those dirty thoughts percolating through your dirty little mind, picturing all sorts of dirty little scenes. Woody is the maintenance man for the apartment complex I live in. He considers every woman in there, regardless of age or looks, his little girl. And yes, he's done this for me before, and for several other girls that I know of." "I'm sorry if I got the wrong idea, but if I remember correctly, and I couldn't possibly forget this, that kiss he gave you was a far cry from some chaste brotherly peck on the cheek." "Oooo-boy-yeah! You got that right. When that man kisses you, you stay kissed for a week. He's incredible. Who knows. Maybe you'll meet him again. And if you're really, really good, he might give you a kiss too." "No way! After seeing what he did to you, I'd be scared to let him near me! Besides, he might spoil me for life." "You could be right. I've never found anyone else who could kiss like that." "So, who were you going out with? Would I know the guy?" "Look, Betty. Maybe we can talk about this another time, when its not so fresh and painful." Betty watched as several brief expressions ran across Stacy's face. She recognized only two. The first was a short flash of pain, and the other was ... embarrassment? Yes, because she was blushing a little, again. Taking her eyes off Stacy, she looked around, noticing where they were. They'd already passed several of the fast-food joints Betty thought they might be going to, and seemed to be heading towards the university. "Where are you taking me?" "We're going to a little restaurant I know. I really do need a break, and it's one of the most relaxing places in the city." A few minutes later they arrived. It looked like one of those subdued, out-of-the way, expensive places. Annabella's. She'd never even heard of it before. When they walked in, it looked elegant, relaxed, and even more expensive. The maitre'd (yes, maitre'd, not hostess) was an older lady, good looking, well made up, wearing a modestly cut black dress. When she spoke, her voice was soft and low-pitched. Her accent was as clear as it was unidentifiable. Betty couldn't even tell which continent the accent came from. "Good evening. Ah, Anastasia. How nice to see you again. And who is this you brought with you?" "This is Elizabeth. We've been studying a bit too much lately, so I thought we deserved a proper break." "Studying?" This from the maitre'd. "Yes, studying. Schoolwork. Really dry, boring, miserable stuff about people who've mostly been dead for decades. I thought this would be the perfect place for a change of scenery." "Excellent choice. I believe I understand. Follow me please." This was a nice restaurant. It was difficult to estimate how many tables or booths were there because of the strategic placement of potted plants and scattered trellis-works, with pillars and archways that sprang out from nowhere. Everything seemed geared towards making each table and booth as private as possible. They were finally seated in a corner booth, blocked off from view by a large plant and by the corner of the restaurant's bar. The seat was an L shaped booth around a smallish table, leaving not much room for feet and legs. The table was covered with a real linen cloth. Subdued, soft music came from somewhere. As you'd expect in a place like this. They'd seen few other patrons on their way, and those were mostly women. This was not the type of place Betty had been expecting to be treated to for 'a coffee or something'. Then again, she really didn't know anything about Stacy. The sheer elegance of the place left her in awe, neither her mother nor her father had ever treated her to a restaurant this nice. Dad occasionally took her to McDonald's for dinner, as if she were still a little girl, never thinking to take her to the kind of places he took Patsy. "Anastasia? Elizabeth?" This from a rather puzzled-looking Betty. "Look around. Soak in the atmosphere. Get the feel of this place. Stacy's and Betty's don't come here. They go to Denny's. This is where elegant ladies come for fine food and drink. A place where Elizabeth and Anastasia can relax and enjoy themselves. God, I feel better already." "Okay, but, Anastasia?" "What can I say. Back then my mother was a hopeless romantic." They were interrupted by a waitress, dressed identically to the maitre'd, except that the dress and accessories were in blue. She sat several items on the table - linen napkins, linen place mats, a tall pink candle which she lit, and a bud vase containing a fresh pink rose. "Hello Anastasia, Elizabeth. My name is Jacklyn and I'll be your host for this evening. Would you like drinks to start with?" Betty was thirsty so she asked for a cola. A pained expression flashed over both Stacy's and their host's faces. "Do you even have cola here?" asked Stacy. "Of course. We use it for mix behind the bar." "I think I'd better order for both of us. Are you hungry Elizabeth?" Feeling a touch embarrassed by her unintentional faux-pas, Betty stared at the table. "Only a little. Maybe." "It's all right, Elizabeth. I can see you've never been treated to a place like this before. This will be a new experience for you. Don't worry. My first time here was only a couple of years ago, and I was in such awe, the only memory I have of what we ate that night is that it was delicious." "We'll skip the cola, and the meal, and go straight to dessert. I feel like committing a mortal sin tonight. We'll have two house coffees, a half-litre of your dry white, and two slices of that utter decadence you call raspberry cake. I think that should be enough to guarantee our fall from grace." "Very well. I'll be back shortly." "Stacy, what is this place?" "Elizabeth, while we're here, I'm Anastasia. This is a first-class high-quality dining establishment. It has a very select and privileged list of patrons, mostly referrals from other members." "So how come we're here? I'm not rich, and it didn't sound like you were either. I mean, this place almost screams expensive. How come they let us in if it's so exclusive?" "Money and power won't get you in here. Neither will fine clothes. Notice you were let in wearing jeans? Nobody even blinked. Discretion, manners, a nice attitude, and the ability to enjoy a really good meal are all that you need. That and a good referral." "But this place has got to be expensive. How can you afford it?" "Elizabeth, I treat myself here about once a month, just to remind me of why I'm working so damned hard. I LIKE it here. It's usually desserts, like we're having, because I rarely have enough left over for a real dinner. Yes, the prices are high, but not outrageous. And the food is always wonderful." Just then their host (her words, not mine) returned carrying a tray full of food. Two coffee's, a small carafe of wine, two wine glasses, and something that vaguely resembled chocolate cake. Stacy poured two glasses of wine while Betty studied this thing placed in front of her. It did resemble chocolate cake, because the layers of cake were chocolate coloured, as was the icing, what little she could see of it. There were about ten layers of cake, with alternating chocolate and raspberry icing between them. The lowest layer was thick with raspberry filling. So much shaved chocolate had been dropped on top that most of it had fallen onto the plate. This was all covered with a thick raspberry glaze. Looking more carefully, Betty saw that a handful of fresh raspberries (fresh?!) had been sprinkled around the plate, and a gold leaf had been pressed into the back of her slice, on the icing. This resembled the chocolate cake she was used to like a full wedding gown resembled a simple summer dress. "Am I supposed to eat this?" "No. You're supposed to taste it, savor it, enjoy it, revel in it. You can't just eat it. And don't forget the wine and the coffee. They're necessary parts of the whole, if you want to have the full experience. Don't make the same mistake I did. Pay attention to your first meal here. Now, not another peep out of you until we're both done." Betty relaxed and started to eat. It was delicious. She didn't know how Stacy got away with the wine, because they were both underage, but what the heck. It certainly did go well with the cake and the coffee. After they were finished, Stacy poured them both a second glass of wine. Their host came by and cleared the table. "How was your meal, ladies?" "Divine, as usual. I don't know how much you pay the folks that make these temptations, but it's not enough. Thank you." "You're welcome. Will this be your usual?" "Yes. And yours as well." "Thank you. Enjoy the rest of your evening." When Jacklyn left, Stacy slipped off her shoes, turned, and slid into the corner of the booth, draping her feet over the end. Betty didn't mind. It gave her more room for her legs under the table. They'd been playing foot shuffle all night, neither having quite enough room for legs and feet. "C'mon Elizabeth. Kick your shoes off and get comfy." Betty did as she was told. Getting comfortable, though, was easier said than done. The bench was too hard on her feet if she tried to curl them up underneath her, and there wasn't quite enough room to turn and put them on the bench in front of her - they'd poke into Stacy. Finally, giving up on getting comfortable, Betty was sitting up and stretching to put her shoes on. Stacy reached down, grabbed one of the young girl's feet, and pulled it up into her own lap. "Let's have the other one up here too." "What are you doing?" "I'm getting comfortable. You've been squirming around like you had ants in your pants, trying to find somewhere to put your feet. Now they've got someplace to stay, so sit back and relax." Betty put her other foot into Stacy's lap and leaned back. She was a bit startled by what had happened, especially when the other girl started to massage her feet. The easy-going atmosphere, the music and the wine helped her to accept what was happening and just enjoy the moment. They finished their wine in silence. Stacy stared off into the distance, lost in thought. Betty stared at Stacy, studying her face, watching different expressions appear and vanish as her mind moved here and there. Thinking about it for a minute, Betty realized that she felt more comfortable here than anywhere else she'd been, including home, in a long, long time. It was totally relaxing and peaceful, with no nagging thoughts, no guilt about not doing something else, nobody demanding anything of her, and no dad. No dad? That last little trickle of thought made her realize that dad was indeed a major stress factor in her life. Even though they loved each other, her father was a constant reminder of the labor it took to survive, the loss of her mother, and Patsy. Mentally shaking herself to get rid of these thoughts, Betty let her mind go blank. She simply enjoyed this feelings of utter 'rightness', sitting there, doing nothing, getting her feet rubbed, letting the tensions and worries slide away and be replaced by feelings of warmth, security, and, well, caring. She decided she liked the older girl. Maybe more than liked. Eventually Stacy said it was time to go. Neither really wanted to, but both knew they had no choice. Her father would probably be wondering where they went. Slipping on shoes and heading out the door, they were in the car and heading home before a nagging thought in the back of Betty's mind finally stepped up. "Stacy, is it my imagination, or did we just leave without paying the bill?" "It's your imagination." "No it's not. Jacklyn never brought us a bill, and we didn't stop at the front desk to pay." "It's just your imagination. I paid the bill. You just didn't see it." "Stacy, don't play games with me. I was with you the whole time, remember? I never saw a bill, and you never touched your purse. So what happened?" "Honest Betty, I paid. Remember how I said the place had a rather exclusive list of patrons? Most regulars get the payment details done up ahead of time, usually with charge cards. This saves plenty of time and bother, especially if a couple wants to leave in a hurry. Jacklyn asked if I wanted to pay in my usual manner, and I said yes, and told her to add in her usual percentage for a tip. Pay more attention next time and you'll see." "So, how much did this evenings debauchery cost you?" "No, no, no, no. No telling. This was my treat. Don't spoil it by asking too many questions." By the time they got back to Betty's place it was too late to get any more serious studying done. Her dad asked where they'd gone and what they'd had and she'd replied that they'd gone to a restaurant Stacy knew and had some coffee and chocolate cake. They'd spent more time talking about school than they meant to, and didn't notice the time until too late. Betty didn't really know why she'd not told her dad all about it, especially since it was one of the nicer evenings she'd ever had, but guessed that it should be something private between her and Stacy. Dad wouldn't understand. He might even get mad. Stacy was packed up to go in a few minutes. Betty, thinking about it, thought she should thank Stacy properly for what she'd done. "Anastasia, thank you for sharing your special place with me. It was really nice." Stacy looked at Betty, blinking a bit. She seemed unsure about something. "No Elizabeth, thank you. This was one of the nicest evenings I've had in a long time. It was very ... pleasant ... having someone like you to share it with. I've got to run now. Goodnight." Stacy bent over and gave Betty a kiss on the cheek. A soft, tender kiss, not something you'd get from your maiden aunt. Then she rushed out the door and was gone. Betty lay awake a long time that night, wondering about what had happened. The only way she could describe it was that she'd been out on a date, and been given a good night kiss. Stacy had also hinted several times that the two of them would be back in that restaurant, together. Very strange. She didn't know whether she should be excited or afraid. It had been a wonderful evening, one that she hoped to repeat, but it was difficult to understand Stacy. Which one was the real her? Her cheek tingled whenever she thought about that kiss. ********************************************************************** <> "Well, Betty, I know that you and Stacy have been lovers for quite some time now, (She knew? How? I didn't think she had a clue!) and that you haven't seen each other since that disagreement last week. (What!?) What I wanted to know is how you feel about Stacy." "Joyce, how did you know about me and Stacy, and why are you asking me about this now?" "How did I know about you and Stacy? Well, I may be getting old, but I'm neither senile nor blind, and I've seen the type of relationship you two have many times before. I made a shrewd guess. As for why now? Since that row you three had last week you've been miserable. It's fairly easy to tell for someone who's known you as long as I have." "Now, you still haven't answered my question about how you feel about Stacy." Betty looked hard at Joyce for a few seconds before something let go inside. She started crying, sobbing about how she loved Stacy, how she was the most important thing in her life, how she didn't know if she'd ever see Stacy again and how she hated her father for what he'd done to her and to Stacy and to her mother. Joyce never interrupted, just making soothing noises, giving Betty the occasional tissue to sop up the tears, waiting for her to wind down. "There, there, dear. Feeling better now? I always felt better after a good cry when I was your age, especially when the whole world was against me." "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to break down like this. I think I'd better go home now." "Don't be silly. We haven't finished our chat yet. There's lots more to talk about, but most of it will wait for another day. Right now, we're talking about you and Stacy. Is there any good reason why you haven't seen her since last week?" Betty told her about the secret phone calls and the trip to the apartment. "Okay, so you've tried to see her and talk with her, but haven't had any luck. That's what I was wondering about. I may be able to help." ********************************************************************** <> It was the longest five days Betty had ever endured. From Thursday night, when they had their 'date', she had to wait until Tuesday for their next tutoring session. Unsure of whether she was looking forward to it or dreading it made things worse. She knew she was attracted to Stacy, but was very much afraid of those feelings. Betty knew what her father would be like if he even suspected. Also feeding her fear was the question of whether Stacy had any of those same feelings for her, or if her imagination had simply been working overtime. She'd never had these feelings before for anyone, boy or girl. The thought that Stacy might be a lesbian or something like that didn't bother her. Back when her mother was still around, they'd talked frequently about this sort of thing because a number of Mom's friends were bi or lesbian, and it had looked strange to the ten-year-old to see two women necking. Mom had even admitted having a couple of lady lovers before meeting up with dad. Tuesday, when Stacy finally arrived, was a big letdown. All they did was talk about English, homework, and school. She was quizzed several times on the assignments she'd been given, and chewed out for the mistakes she'd made, but that was it. Occasionally, Stacy would get lost in thought, or looked like she was going to say one thing then changed her mind and said something else. She never said one word about what had happened. There wasn't even the fire and brimstone feeling, the hard-edged push that had been there before. As miserable as that had been, Betty missed it. It was as though Stacy didn't feel anything anymore. When the evening was over, Stacy left with nothing more than a perfunctory goodnight. Later that night, in bed, waiting for sleep to come, Betty was running the evening through in her mind, wanting to find something, but not sure what she was looking for. She knew she should feel relieved that nothing else happened, but couldn't figure out why her eyes wouldn't stop leaking. Maybe it had something to do with that empty feeling in her chest. Her cheek tingled, somehow still echoing the feel of those tender lips on her skin. ********************************************************************** <> "Help? How?" "Well, actually, Stacy and I had a long chat today over lunch. Never mind how I managed that because I won't tell you right now. I'm also not going to bore you with the details of what we talked about. Let's just say that she was very unsure about how you felt about her, and wanted some time for each of you to think things over. I've arranged for the two of you to meet later tonight, with me as a chaperone. That is, if you would like to see Stacy again." "Of course I want to see her! When? How did you do this?" "Okay then, it's settled. As far as your father is concerned, you and I will be going out to dinner just to cheer you up. He knows I don't like him, so he won't be surprised at not being invited. You'll just have to do a little play acting to keep him from being suspicious. Come on over at six, and we'll head out." "Now then, you'd better scoot because your father's probably home by now wondering where you are. You also need to change and have a wash-up. See you in a while." When Betty walked out of Joyce's place, she saw the living room curtains at her own house move. 'Oh great,' she thought, 'now dad's spying on me.' When she walked into her house, she worked hard to keep her excitement down, leaving just enough there to make it sound like she was looking forward to going out to dinner with Joyce. "Hello short stuff. Where did you head off to after school?" "The usual. Basketball practice. Joyce asked me over for a cup of tea. We sat and talked for a while about school and stuff. She's invited me out for dinner tonight, said she'd noticed me moping about just a bit too much and thought that some good food might help cheer me up." Her dad looked at her rather suspiciously. He had seen her come back from Joyce's, and it wasn't all that unusual for them to go out to dinner together. Joyce preferred to eat out whenever possible, dragging along anybody she could get to go with her. He still didn't trust Joyce, she'd been too close a friend to his ex-wife, and never hid the fact that she disliked him. "Okay, you can go. Just remember, curfew at eleven, it's a school night. I guess I'll just have to fix my own dinner." He usually did the cooking anyway, so this was no great sacrifice. "Thanks dad. I need to get washed up and changed. We're supposed to be going at six." Betty was relieved that he hadn't created a fuss. She saw that he was suspicious but wasn't going to start anything right now. Six o'clock rolled around. Joyce drove betty almost half-way across town, taking the scenic route and doubling back on herself several times. Betty ignored most of this because she was rehearsing what she was going to say when she saw Stacy. Curiosity finally getting the better of her, she had to ask. "Joyce, where the heck are we going? It's almost like you're trying to get us lost or something." "No dear, I'm not trying to get us lost. I'm just making certain this is a private dinner, with no uninvited guests. It took me a while, but I managed to 'shake him off' as they say." "Shake him off? Shake who off? Off what?" "Well, you're father's been tailing us ever since we left my place, just like in the movies. I don't think he trusts me." "What! My father, following us? Are you sure?" "Positive. I didn't say anything earlier because I didn't want you glancing back and making him even more suspicious. This way it looks like I lost him in traffic. Lord almighty, this is fun! We're going to be a few minutes late to the restaurant but I think we should be okay. Having your father show up would have been a real problem." The rest of the trip was made in silence. Betty was lost in thought, shocked by what her father was capable of doing. ********************************************************************** <> The next several tutoring sessions followed the same pattern, with nothing being discussed except English. Betty was beginning to think that special night had been nothing but a dream, all in her imagination. Then, about a month later, something else happened. It was during a Thursday session again, late, just when they were packing things up for the night. "Betty, how would you like to go out with me on a date Saturday night. These two guys invited me to dinner and we need another woman to make it a foursome." She was sitting in the chair, leaning back, seemingly relaxed, staring into empty space. All the buried thoughts and emotions came pouring back. Betty sat heavily in her chair, too stunned to respond. She wanted to look into Stacy's eyes to see what she was thinking, maybe find what she hoped was in there, but Stacy wouldn't meet her gaze. The young girl's answer was unexpected, both to herself and to Stacy. "Stacy, I thought you didn't like me anymore." After a short pause, Stacy smiled. "Whoever said such a nasty thing was both a fool and a liar." Betty smiled too, her mind made up in an instant. "Anastasia, I'd love to go out with you on Saturday, along with whoever else you're bringing. But if you go on treating me like you have for the last month, I'll hate you forever." Stacy smiled again. "I think I get the picture." Betty was tempted to lean over and give Stacy a kiss on the cheek. She resisted, not sure how the other girl would respond at this time. "Good. Now get out of here. I'm sure you've got things you need to do. Call me tomorrow with the details." Not wanting Stacy to see her eyes getting misty, Betty started cleaning up her desk, putting things away and tidying up. She heard Stacy start to speak a couple of times, but then stop without saying a word. Soon she was alone again. Her tutor was gone. There were new feelings in the pit of her stomach, those of excitement and trepidation. Excitement because she'd be going out with Stacy again, and that same nervousness tinged with fear about what she might be getting into. Is this what she wanted? Is this how her mother got started, years ago? The thought pumped even more adrenaline into her system. Her cheek tingled, echoing that kiss, her memory of it still fresh after all this time. ********************************************************************** <> The restaurant was a decent one, italian, with a rather cozy interior, dim, but bright enough not to interfere with eating. Joyce led stacy into a back corner after talking with the matre'd, stopping at a semi-private booth which was shielded from the rest of the restaurant by a number of large plants. In the far side of the booth was Stacy, looking wonderful in a black satin dress, blonde hair done up in a cascade which framed her perfect face, deep red lips, and gorgeous blue eyes. She looked delicious. Stacy, looking back, saw Betty walking toward her, feeling her emotions stirring and building up inside her. She was in love with Betty, and had been for a long time. It was just that she'd never been able to admit it to herself until this past week. Moving over, she motioned Betty to come and sit beside her, not really knowing what to expect, but glad Betty had at least decided to show up. Betty slid into the booth beside Stacy and turned to look at her. All those carefully rehearsed words evaporated as she looked into her lover's eyes. Stacy held out her arms for a hug, and Betty fell into that warm embrace. She wrapped her arms around Stacy and rested her head on the girl's shoulder. There was no stopping it - she began to cry, letting go of all the fear and loneliness that had built up over the past week. The older girl soon followed, now knowing that she had indeed been sorely missed. It was something they both needed, and the sight of these two rediscovering each other touched Joyce deeply. After they'd sobbed for a bit, Betty pulled back. "I didn't think you wanted to see me anymore." "Absolute nonsense. Who ever would say such a thing is both a fool and a liar." That brought a smile to both their faces. "Of course I did. I just needed some time alone, away from everyone, to think about what had happened. Besides, I was scared to call you after that horrible scene with your father. I thought you'd hate me after that." "Never. I couldn't hate you, ever. You're the most wonderful person in the world." "Nope. Just the second most wonderful. You're the best, my Little Blossom." "My my my. You two sound like newlyweds after your first tiff. Really, you're starting to embarrass me!" Joyce had a big smile on her face, obviously not the least embarrassed by the two of them. "Here, you both need tissues, you've managed to mess each other up pretty good." When they were reaching for the tissues, both noticed that dinner had arrived. Neither remembered ordering anything. "I took the liberty of ordering for all of us since you two had your minds elsewhere. Besides, I'm hungry." "Joyce, " Stacy said, looking into Joyce's eyes, "I don't know how to thank you. I doubt whether I would ever have had the courage to contact Betty again on my own, not with her father there." "Piffle. Think nothing of it. When a person gets to be my age, there aren't too many joys left in life. Seeing you two lovebirds together like this is wonderful, and makes any efforts I made seem like nothing. Now if you two will excuse me for a minute, I think I'll go powder my nose." Joyce got up and left, leaving the two of them alone for a few minutes. "Stacy, how do you feel about me? Honestly?" "Well, Little Blossom, it took me a while, but I finally figured out that I love you." Betty turned her head into Stacy's shoulder and started crying again, this time with joy. "Oh god, Stace, I love you too!" A few minutes later, Joyce came back. "I thought you two were already finished with that mushy stuff. Here, have some more tissues. Lucky I brought plenty with me." It wasn't long before the two of them straightened up and started eating. "Now, I know you two haven't thought about this yet, but what are you going to do after tonight? Having the odd secret dinner together probably isn't going to be enough, is it? And I doubt whether Jonathan could handle having Stacy around or having you pop over to Stacy's all the time. So, both of you need to make some hard choices. If you want to be together, you're going to have to do it properly, regardless of what other people think." "What do you mean?" "I think Stacy knows what I mean, and she doesn't look like she's too upset at the thought. Well, Stacy?"