ForevaXena's FanFic . . .

Blue Oblivion

by Jp

© December 1999

_{No part of this text may be reproduced in whole, or in part, without expressed consent of the author}

Disclaimers: Technically, these swinging chicks belong only to me, but…they may resemble a couple of cool ladies that belong to RenPics. This is not for profit just a little fun and what a bad case of writers’ block, a boring job, and a jolt of inspiration can inspire.

Violence: There’s a couple of moments of swift ass-kicking. On a scale of 1 to 5, I’d give it: 3 or maybe 4 buckets of blood.

Sex: Where? When? How much? And how come nobody told me? Nothing too bad, just some sweet grrl on grrl fumbling. If that gets your panties all in bunch then look elsewhere, no harm no foul.

Language: I didn’t think virgin ears was still a concept, so naturally, I ignored it.

Other crap: ‘Charm City’ is my home when I’m not at school, so it inspired me. I’ve taken a few liberties with the landscape, but in an off hand sort of way, it’s right. Uh, I’m supposed to warn about hurt/comfort…so I’m warning.

By the ways and thank yous: Yes, this is my first jaunt into the genre of UBER!!! By the way the Serenity prayer isn’t mine. I’d like to say that I came up with all those wonderful lyrics but actually they belong to: Gershwin (The Man I Love); Young, Crosby, Washington (Ghost of a Chance); Webster/Livingston (12^th of Never); Ellington, Gordon,Mills (Prelude to a Kiss); Strayhorn(Lush Life); (Angel eyes). I don’t really have anyone to directly thank, but special big-ups go to all those kick ass writers (T. Novan, Missy Good, Morrig, LN James, yada yada, the list goes on) who have kept me up way past my bedtime and have made all my last minute paper writing sessions possible.

Lunchtime: Feel free to drop me a line and tell me whatcha’ think, whatcha’ hate, whatcha’ like and all that. Be easy, be gentle, but if it’s constructive criticism give me your best shot. catwoman59@hotmail.com

Suggested reading tips: Fix a Martini and grab a stack of cd’s that include: Diana Krall, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Cassandra Wilson( just to name a few) and then

Chapter 9

After 25 minutes of driving and five more minutes of finding parking on Connecticut Avenue, Conner and Terry stepped into the doorway of Café Aroma. This place was two times smaller than Tony’s club on Eager, but it was definitely not a hole in the wall; at least not on this side of Connecticut Avenue. It was definitely a Martini Bar, which was highlighted by the bar that was outlined with Martini glasses. It made its home among the restored Uptown movie theatre, and shops and bistros that catered to those who didn’t mind dropping $7 for a beer or $3 for a cup of coffee. The ‘Aroma Company’ sang out to the aging college student who considered themselves slightly cultured, along with cigar aficionados, people who regularly paid $4 for cigarettes, and those who didn’t know that Vodka came in plastic bottles.

As they walked in the door, they were greeted by a thin girl on a stool who was taking $3 for the cover. Conner handed over the $6 and smiled as she looked to her right and noticed the band was on break. She did a quick scan of the aisle in front of her, and thanked God this place was small. Conner saw no one with blue-black tresses and she relaxed her shoulders which she didn’t know she had tensed. Terry noticed Conner’s search and leaned in to Conner as they walked up to the bar and sat down.

"She here?"

"Somewhere, whatever." Conner shrugged as she took another look towards the blue glow of the lounge and then faced Terry. "Uh, do you wanna go back in the lounge or stay here?" The lounge happened to be providing the sounds of acid-jazz as the band took it’s break. Terry peered down the length of the bar and looked into the lounge as far as her eyes and low lighting would all her to see.

"Looks groovy, but we can chill here." She turned back towards the bar and did a quick drum roll with her palms on the counter. "Time to buy me a Martini, and ooh, a pack of Dunhills." Terry clapped her hands together as her eyes fell on the red package of cigarettes behind the bar facing them. "I love this place, Con."

A mocha colored black girl laid down napkins in front of them from behind the bar and asked them what they wanted to drink. Terry just shrugged. Conner caught her attention with a smile and spoke. "Hi, um let me get a Cosmopolitan and this young lady-a Chocolate Martini." Terry’s eyes grew wide in amusement and apprehension as Conner placed the order. She grabbed Conner’s arm when the girl walked away.

"Chocolate Martini?

"Ha, you’re gonna love it." Conner smiled wildly.

"What’s in it?"

"Just wait."

"Conner, you little shit, what’s in it?"

"Stop whining, it’s good,"

Terry continued whining and Conner continued to refuse her as Blue walked out of the back room towards the front. Conner was facing the door so she had no clue. Terry did her best not to let her eyes grow wide when she saw the 6foot bronze-hued woman saunter down the aisle, wearing a long black skirt with slits up both sides and a cashmere short-sleeved v-neck that clung to her body. Long blue-black hair danced across her shoulders as she glided to the front. Blue actually made it past Conner, before Terry gave in.

"By Hera’s tits! I do declare that is one tall drink of water."

Conner’s eyes danced with excitement as she sat up straight as a rod on the stool. She was afraid to turn around, so she held onto Terry’s knees. "Did she see me?"

"I don’t know, but she saw me."

"Huh?" Conner looked up to see Terry swivel her body so she could get a better view of the front without breaking her neck.

"Yeah, she just waved to me."

"Bull shit." But sure enough, Terry was waggling her fingers in a sign of hello towards the front. Conner bit her lip and scrunched her brown, as Terry turned her body back towards Conner-she was beaming. "Are you blushing?"

Terry met Conner’s eyes with a glare. "Shut up fool. I am trying to enjoy the show." She rolled her eyes and turned around fully towards the front. Conner sat up straight from the unconscious slouch that she was in and realized that she had been so paranoid she didn’t even hear the smooth plucks of the guitar. Just as Conner focused her attention on the front Blue closed her eyes and began to sing. Had Conner been a second quicker, she may have noticed the glint of surprise and mischief that passed over Blues’ eyes.

             _____________

It had been her plan to be polite. It was just supposed to be a ‘thanks-for-listening-I-don’t-want-to-get-to know-you-who-ever-you-are-leave-me-and-my-hormones-be’, but polite none the less. Instead, a casual thank you turned into a cold shoulder, that melted into a small game of cat and mouse.

Terry did all she could do besides scream her head off to keep from choking on the wall of sexual tension that swam about her as she stood between Conner and Blue. Terry and Conner had chatted together as they watched the band breakdown, and according to Conner, Terry was smiling too much and bound to attract attention. Sure enough, five minutes later, Blue walked up and stood next to Terry. Blue looked directly at Terry as she spoke.

"You look awfully familiar."

"I-uh, we, came to see you sing at Tony’s place on Eager a few days ago."

Blue nodded her head slowly and deliberately ignored Terry’s bait about "we". "Oh yes, the "holy shit" girl." She smiled without showing her teeth and reached for one of Terry’s cigarettes. "May I?"

"Of course," Terry replied as she flipped up the top on the carton.

Before Blue could even put the cigarette to her lips a flame hovered in front of Terry’s face. Its owner leaned across Terry’s body and held out a Zippo lighter that had a classic playboy pinup on the front. Blue touched the small hand with two fingers to steady the flame, as she leaned into light her cigarette. Blue and Conner both willed themselves to stare only into the flame and each others eyes. Blue was surprised that the cigarette didn’t explode in her mouth as she felt a sure-fire jolt of electricity run through her body in response to the brief touch. Conner snapped the top down on the Zippo with a flourish and used the sharp sound of metal on metal to clear her head. She wasn’t sure how long she was going to be able to stay in one spot and avoid this woman’s eyes before she went absolutely insane.

At some point Blue’s plan of politeness went astray. Perhaps, it was where she was standing, perhaps it was the touch, but somewhere in between the time Blue stood next to Terry to the moment she opened her mouth and asked, "so, where’s your boyfriend?"; everything went to hell. Terry sat up straight on the stool that she had reclaimed and practically choked on the smoke she was inhaling. She whipped her head around to face Conner, who was doing her best to keep her jaw from hitting the floor.

Terry watched Conner nibble at her lip and she knew the girl was boiling on the inside. Terry knew that Conner didn’t like to be talked down to, and here was this Blue eyed amazon doing her best to step on Conner. Terry was waiting for the inevitable outburst. She was accustomed to Conner’s reactions, since she had been there for all of Conner’s blow ups. Terry was there when Conner’s rabbit had mysteriously fallen five stories out of the window. She was there when the kiss albums were incinerated. She was present when Conner caught her ex-girlfriend cheating on her, and there when every piece of Sylvia’s clothing found its way into the lawn and was then met by a lawnmower. She was playing lookout when Conner slashed the tires on Sara’s ex’s car. She had been there for all the plans and revenge schemes. She knew the looks, the fury, and when to run screaming into the hills. Terry watched green eyes grow bright and ears redden around the edges. Terry kissed her lips to her cigarette and awaited the onslaught.

She almost burnt herself with the cigarette when her friend of 20 years plus, formed the sweetest sparkling lip gloss enhanced smile, and clearly stated with slow sultry precision: "Well, wouldn’t you like to know." If someone had dropped a 10 megaton bomb on the White House, the blast would have shattered every window in a 20 mile radius, opened up the earth and swallowed D.C. whole-and Terry wouldn’t have noticed. The silence lasted a good thirty seconds. A long thirty seconds. It was a thirty seconds where only the bass pumping from the music in the lounge reminded them all to breathe. Blue was amused and surprised. Conner felt vindicated. And Terry was just confused. She couldn’t tell if Conner was aroused or scared and she absolutely refused to look at the tall woman with the smoldering eyes. Finally, when the ash on Terry’s cigarette became unbearably long, she let out a peep, and dropped the cigarette into the ashtray.

Thank god for Terry’s peep or Conner never would have blinked. She and Blue were engaged in a stare down of sorts, where the winner was the one who managed to keep their feelings in check. It was a dead tie. After Conner broke eye contact, Sam bellowed to Blue from the back. She turned to wave at him and as she turned around, she only got a glimpse of a strategically disarrayed strawberry blonde head walking out of the door.

‘I’m not going to say it,’ she thought as she gestured to the bartender for a drink. Blue felt Sam’s hand on her shoulder as she picked up her Bourbon neat and drained half the glass. Sam’s brown face was all aglow with wonder and his deep brown eyes sparkled with playfulness. She didn’t even look at him as she spoke. "Shut up Sam." He knew better than to rib her know, so he just sat down beside her ordered a Heineken and smiled as if the 64 million door jackpot was an hour away and he had all the winning tickets.

Chapter 10

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