A Phoenix Reborn (part 6 of 9)

Note: Bold are thoughtsand Italics are enfaces and flashback.

-----------

Layla and Sora walked from the hotel at a leisurely pace. The stroll was comfortable and both girls relished in the sunlight of the new day.

“What did you have planed for today Sora?” asked Layla curiously.

Sora stopped walking when she realized she didn’t have a plan for today. Her first priority of the day was going out with Layla and she hadn’t mentally progressed beyond that point. “Actually to be honest Layla I didn’t really plan anything. I was so anxious to see you that I forgot what I would do when I did.”

Layla looked at the downcast brunette. The blonde sympathized with Sora, she too wanted to see the other woman so badly that she didn’t care where they were going. “It doesn’t really matter Sora, I just wanted to talk about last night anyway.” said the blonde in a soft voice that was very un-Layla like.

Sora turned towards the blonde and saw a warm expression on Layla’s face. It wasn’t an expression she was used to seeing on the woman who was always all business but it instantly made her feel at ease. Sora could see that Layla really didn’t care where they were going as long as they were together. “Well then Layla, I’ll think of something.” the brunette said cheerfully.

Seeing Sora’s nervousness fade made Layla more at ease as well. “I’m sure you will.”

A light bulb just flashed in Sora head. “ I have an idea.”

“What?”

“We both take turns picking out something to do, that way even though one of us picks out something that the other may not like at least something we do today will be something the other will enjoy.” explained Sora.

The blonde thought it over. “Sound like a good plan, so what do we do first?”

“I go first?” asked a wide eyed Sora. “I was kind of hoping you would go first so I could think of something.”

Layla shook her head and smiled. “Nope, you asked me out so you choose first.”

Sora enjoyed seeing this new cheerful Layla and she decided to just sit back and have fun today. “Fine, since I’m first I think we should go get some lunch.”

Layla thought it sounded like a good idea. “Where to?”

Almost by summons a strong gust of wind passed through the street kicking up a pamphlet that wrapped around Sora face. When she pulled it off and stared at it she couldn’t believe her eyes. There in front of her was an advertisement for a new café on the street they were coming up to. “hmm… how about here?” asked the brunette pointing to the pamphlet.

“Sounds good.” Layla motioned for Sora to lead on. As the two girls headed to the café, Layla couldn’t help but think that the gust of wind was too convenient. “I bet that was your doing Passion.” thought Layla as she did a quick scan over the area hoping to spot the silver haired spirit.

At the same time Sora was thinking the same thing about Fool. “If that was your doing Fool, thank you but don’t mess this up.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

“Neat trick.” said Fool who was floating with Passion far above the two women‘s heads.

“Thank you monsieur, but I think Layla is on to me.”

“I warned you she was crafty.”

“True, but she will thank me when the day is done.” mused Passion.

Fool didn’t like her tone of voice. “You have something up your sleeve don’t you?”

“Why yes, I am a resourceful spirit after all.”

“Do I have to remind you that its not our place to interfere.” said a scowling spirit of the stage.

“Tsk Tsk…I wont interfere but I will help out.” Passion was grinning from ear to ear. “Besides this is what I live for.”

“Fate help them.” thought Fool, almost feeling sorry for the two girls. “Just don’t make me play another persistent suitor, I’m still feeling Sora’s field goal attempt on my privates.”

In the Café

Sora and Layla found a nice table by the window where they could enjoy the view and eat comfortably. They didn’t wait long before a waiter took their orders. Sora was the first to speak up. “I’ll take a latte with extra whipped cream please.”

“Very good, and for you?” the waiter said as he turned towards Layla.

“The same.” Layla smiled at Sora. “It sounded good.”

The waiter left the girls to their much needed privacy. Satisfied they were alone, Sora was the one to finally broach the subject. “What did you want to talk about?”

“I was wondering if we could talk about what went on last night.” Layla was hoping Sora would have been the first one to discuss what happened. The blonde was never good at sharing her feelings but when it came to Sora she was willing to try her best. “The kiss we shared last night meant a great deal to me.”

“It meant a great deal to me too.” Sora drove home her statement by reaching across the table and grasping Layla’s hand.

The blonde was taken off guard by the move. Normally she would have shaken off such a gesture but from the brunette she found it very welcomed. “Kissing never meant very much to me. Before last night, the few kisses I’ve had never felt a fraction as intense as the one we shared.”

Hearing her former partner’s intimate confession caused a lump to form in Sora’s throat but before she could respond the waiter returned with their order. Sora thanked him as he walked off. When she looked back at the blonde she began to get a little nervous, she didn’t know how to say what she really wanted to so she started to nervously lick the cream off the top of her drink.

Layla stood still waiting to see how Sora handled her profession. Self doubting thoughts began to fill the blonde’s head in those agonizing seconds. “Did it mean as much to Sora as it did for me? Was it just a spur of the moment one time thing? Did she regret it happened?”

When Sora looked up to answer she caught the look in Layla’s eyes. She could sense a sea of self-doubt and hesitation flowing in that beautiful head. “Layla I’m glad the kiss happened. I’ve been wanting that to happen for the last month since I realized that I was attracted to you and if I had any doubts before, that kiss washed them away permanently.”

Sora’s confession calmed Layla’s angsty mind. “I’m happy you feel that way. I don’t know how it happened but I’ve felt the same about you. Even when I was at my lowest the only person I wanted to pull me back was you.”

Sora knew there was a strong bond between them but there were other desires in her heart that exceeded mere companionship and she had to make sure Layla was on the same page too. “I need to know which way you want me to be there for you.” the brunette paused and looked Layla directly in the eye. “Do you want me as a friend or a …” the brunette couldn’t bring herself to finish.

Layla knew what Sora wanted. The Kaleido star had already told her she was interested in a romantic relationship with her but Sora didn’t know if Layla was interested in the same thing. “If your wondering if I’m attracted to you physically then this is my answer.” Layla put her hands on the table and closed the distance between them. Before Sora realized what was happening Layla planted a tender kiss on her lips.

>>>>>>>>>>>>

It happened so fast that the other patrons were unaware of what just transpired. All of the customers save for one. A black haired woman, that came into the café shortly after the two girls, saw the kiss as clear as day. When it happened she didn’t say anything except a startled gasp. Just as the waitress arrived with her order the black haired woman was already heading out of the café.

“Miss?” the waitress said as she watched her costumer walk out the door. “Your forgot your coffee.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Sora was in a daze. When Layla’s soft lips touched hers the rest of the world faded into nothingness. It wasn’t until Layla put her hand on top of her own did she finally snap out of it. Sora opened her eyes to Layla’s smiling face. “I can’t believe you just did that.” Sora said playfully.

“Neither can I but at least it answers your question.” Layla couldn’t believe she just did that either. It was an impulsive move for the normally calculated blonde but that was happening more and more in Sora’s presence.

“It sure does.” the brunette said sheepishly. She was giddy with an overflow of hormones and she had to look away from Layla or she might have let out an unbecoming giggle.

Layla watched Sora with amusement. She knew she could make a guy flustered but having that affect on Sora was amusing. The blonde licked her lips, it still tasted sweet after the kiss. She figured it must have been the cream from Sora’s latte that the brunette still had on her lips before the kiss. It reminded Layla of her own untouched drink and she bent down and took a sip. The cream was much less sweeter than she thought it would be, but she figured Sora’s lips enhanced her earlier sample. That thought caused the former Kaleido star to turn a nice shade of red.

“So what are we going to do now?” Sora asked after a lengthy silence.

“I have a few ideas.” the voice that answered her wasn’t from Layla, rather it was from a the foot long spirit of the stage that appeared on the end of the table on Sora’s side. Seeing the unexpected arrival caused Sora to yelp.

Not hearing Fool’s comment, Layla answered the brunette’s question. “I think we should do what we’ve been doing.”

“Yes but more kissing, that was a good move on your part madam.” It was Layla turn to yelp. Passion was sitting near her side of the table once again manicuring her already perfect nails.

The two woman looked at their guardian spirits in panic. Layla stood up from the table. “If you’ll excuse me I need to use the ladies room.” the blonde used her athletic reflexes to quickly snatch Passion from the table before she carried her off to the bathroom. Because Sora was unable to see the spirit of romance she didn’t hear the muffled cries of protest that followed Layla’s exit.

With Layla gone Sora turned her burning eyes towards Fool. “What do you think your doing, you nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“I’m merely here to lend you a helping hand.”

“Last time I checked I wasn’t going on stage so why would I need your presence?” Sora reached for a nearby spoon. She brandished it with the intent to show Fool his arrival was unappreciated.

Fool’s eyes widened to the size of saucers. “Waittttt!” when he saw that Sora wasn’t going to beat him senseless he continued. “You may not be going on stage but your still putting on a show.”

That puzzled the brunette. “What show are you talking about?”

“A show as timeless as Adam and Eve my dear Sora. I’m talking about the dance of love.”

Sora had to lower her voice to avoid any unwanted attention. “I’m not in the mood for your games. I need you to go away before Layla gets back.”

Fool thought about it for a second all the while humming like he was in deep thought “hmm…how about no.”

“No?”

The spirit shook his head to confirm his answer. “As in negative, nada, nien.” Fool floated up to eye level. “I told you I was on vacation so my time right now is probono.

The Kaleido star always thought of Fool to be like a bad cold you couldn’t quite shake. “If your intent on staying just keep your mouth shut.”

“I’ll try my best.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Layla walked into the bathroom with an irate Passion struggling to free herself from Layla’s grasp. After a quick check to see if she was alone, Layla deposited the spirit on the counter. “What are you doing here?”

“You know you have a grip like a badger.” Passion said while straitening her hair.

The blonde was out of patience, she as hoping today would be a spirit free one. “Answer my question.”

Passion sighed, she knew this was going to happen because Layla was always trouble. “I’m here to give you guidance.”

“I don’t need guidance.”

“Oh yes I could see that, nice move by the way.” Passion was impressed by Layla’s initiative. “I’ll remember that one for my future charges.”

“I can’t humor you right now. I’m on an important luncheon.”

“Luncheon?” the spirit thought it funny how Layla worded it. “That smooch told me it was more of a date.”

“It’s none of your business.”

Passion laughed. “Check my card madam, it’s my job.”

“You better disappear before I get back.” Layla didn’t want Sora to find out she had a spirit dedicated to putting the moves on her. “I don’t have the time to deal with you.”

Passion was not one to be brushed off so easily. “I’m sorry madam but I’m here to stay.” Layla gave the spirit the bug eye “Don’t give me that look. Just think of me as a helpful shadow.”

Layla did something she rarely did, she gave up. The blonde figured the spirit was here to stay. “Fine but keep quiet and stay out of the way.”

“I wonder if Sora had to go through this with her spirit.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Sora watched Layla make her way back to the table. “Remember Fool, keep quiet and stay out of the way.”

The blonde sat down and turned her attention to Sora. “Sorry, what were we talking about?”

Before Sora could answer the waiter returned. “Are you ready to order now?”

They both nodded and Layla answered the waiter first this time. “I’ll take the turkey sandwich.”

The waiter wrote it down then turned towards Sora . “I’ll have the chicken please.”

“And to drink?”

Both women told the waiter at the same time. “Tea.”

Passion snickered as the waiter wrote down the order and left.

Fool looked at Sora . “At least your timing is still synchronized.”

The brunette didn’t humor the spirit with a response, instead she decided to answer Layla’s earlier question. “I think we should do what we’ve been doing.”

“You mean dating.”

Sora nodded in agreement. Hearing the blonde say that so openly made the little butterflies in her stomach do flip flops. “Yes, I want us to truly get to know one another. I know we’ve lived together before but we never really talked.”

Layla was overcome by a rare case of shyness. “What is it you wanted to know about me?”

“The stuff you don’t usually tell people.”

“I don’t ever tell people personal things.”

“You’ve told me about your past before.” Sora reasoned.

“That’s because it was you Sora. For some reason I’ve always felt comfortable confiding in you.” Even Sora’s presence encouraged her to be open now.

Just then the waiter returned with their order. After he set their lunches down the waiter left them quickly. He could sense a heavy moment between the two women.

The girls stared at their food without touching it. A few quiet moments pasted before Sora broke the silence. “It may be selfish of me but I’m glad you only feel comfortable sharing with me.”

Layla looked at the brunette warmly. “Then it’s selfish of me for wanting you to fill that way only for me.”

Both women smiled in understanding and went about their lunches. They weren’t the only ones who were grinning widely, two very satisfied spirits sat and watched the couple enjoying each others company.

Cape Mary

Ken placed his hands on his knees and tried to catch his breath. “That was intense.”

Manami, who also looked visibly excited, gave the man an incredulous look. “This coming from a guy who used to swing on rafters.” Manami looked above her head at the sky serpent. It was said to be the most thrilling roller coaster at the amusement park and after riding it they realized it lived up to the hype.

“Do I look like a monkey? I’ve never swung on rafters.”

The Japanese woman gave Ken a look from head to toe. “I don’t know…..you look kind of monkeyish.” Ken smiled and grunted in response. “I was talking about those swing thingies.”

“It’s called a trapeze and it’s nothing like that ride we just went on. At least in the trapeze I had control over my movements and fate.” The ride was pretty intense for Ken. Out of habit he turned away from Manami and checked his pulse quickly. He always wanted to be physically aware. It was his secret fear that he would suffer another heart attack one day and he always wanted to maintain awareness and control over his body.

Ken thought he did it covertly but Manami, who was paying very close attention to him since they met, caught the move. She was afraid this was a bad idea if it was going to hurt her new friend. “You feeling ok?”

“Don’t worry I’m not that fragile.” Ken said trying to lighten the mood. When he realized the current look he was getting was Manami’s resolve face, Ken decided to be open. “It’s just a habit I have. I sometimes check myself to make sure I don’t overdue it but it’s really just me being paranoid. My doctor says I shouldn’t have to worry so much anymore because my heart has strengthened a lot since the accident.”

Manami felt a little better knowing that. “Are you sure you want to stay?”

“Of course, I live for these moments.” Ken comically puffed out his chest to appear more manly.

The pose made the brunette snicker. “You live for those moments? The screaming told me otherwise.”

“I’ll have you know those were screams of courage.” Kens chest deflated with his ego.

“hmm…I don’t think yelling..” Manami put her fingers in the air to mime quotation marks. “I’m going to die, counts as screams of courage.”

Ken tried to make a hasty cover up. “I was saying bonzai.”

The brunette rolled her eyes. “Sure you were.”

After being exposed for his embarrassing display of manhood, Ken decided to change Manami’s focus. “Would you like to go get a drink.”

“Sure, lead on.” Manami was having fun teasing the blonde but she didn’t want the boy to think she was mean. “I happen to think a guy who’s not afraid to scream like a girl is cute.”

Ken laughed. “Your one to talk.” He distinctly remembered a certain oriental girl was screaming out, what could only be very colorful Japanese swear words every time they hit a arch in the sky serpent. “You weren’t the model of bravery yourself.”

“I’m allowed to because I’m not crazy like you and Sora. I couldn’t imagine doing the things you guys did on stage.”

The blonde blushed slightly at the praise. “It’s really quite exciting. There are few experiences in this world that could compare to it.”

Manami walked closer to Ken and bumped him playfully on the shoulder. “I didn’t think you were the wild type.”

“What can I say, I’m full of surprises.”

They both shared a companionable walk until they came across a fruit smoothie stand. When they walked up to it the vendor greeted them. “Can I help you?”

They both looked over the varieties before Ken turned to the brunette. “Would you like one?”

Manami looked at the drinks which were nothing more than iced sugar with food coloring. “I’ll take the red one.”

The red one looked like a cavity in a cup and he wasn’t sure if Manami would like it. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like to get a cola instead?”

“Nah, I’m feeling brave.” Manami pointed to the drink signaling the vender she wanted it.

The smoothie man reached for a new cup. “Good choice, that’ll be one red one coming…” The man was interrupted when Ken spoke up.

“Make that two reds.”

The vender nodded and reached for another cup. “Two reds coming up.” After he filled the drinks he handed it to his customers. Ken reached out and paid the man before Manami could protest.

Ken handed the brunette her drink and she gave a slight bow in thanks. Manami took a sip and grimaced. Ken was curious how it tasted before he tried his own. “How is it?”

“Horribly sweet.”

“That bad?”

Man shook her head. “Actually I think it’s yummy.”

The blonde tried his drink to see what she was talking about and it nearly made him gag. “You must have sweeter tastes than I do.”

Manami gave him a shy smile. “I like to think I do.”

Ken didn’t know how to react to the not so subtle hint. “Is Sora’s best friend interested in me?”

Manami was shocked she said such a thing. The brunette didn’t even think she liked Ken till that popped out of her mouth. But now that she thought about it, she did feel very comfortable with him and he was really cute. “Maybe it’s ok to like him. I don’t think Sora would mind, she and Ken aren’t even on the same planet.”

A loud sound of people screaming made Manami and Ken look to their right. A very intense spinning ride just finished and the people were stumbling out. Ken shook off the earlier vibes to his overactive hormonal imagination. “Lets go try that one.” Ken said while pointing at the ride.

Manami read the rides name. “Super demon spiral.”

Ken laughed at that. “Sounds like one of May’s routines.”

“Who is May?” the brunette asked calmly. “She your girlfriend?” Manami’s nosey question was brought on by a sudden spur of jealousy.

“God no.” The question only made Ken laugh harder. “May’s a performer that used to compete against Sora. She kind of a handful to deal with and the only person I think she would consider worthy enough to be her boyfriend would be our male Kaleido star Leon.”

“Oh.” Manami was relieved to hear that. “Guess he really only likes Sora.” That thought killed some of her mood.

Ken didn’t notice the girl’s sad demeanor so he continued on happily. “Lets go on that ride.” the blonde pointed at the twisting ride from hell. After a few minutes he couldn’t help himself and he turned towards Manami and yelled. “Bonzai.”

That brought a smile back to the brunette’s face and she answered the blondes yell with her own. “Bonzai.”

Boston

“So then Manami slipped off the balancing bar just as the coach walked in.”

“What happened then?”

“She just yelled ‘Bonzai’ and took off before he could find out who she was.” Both girls were having a leisurely walk down the main street while Sora was animatingly telling Layla her old school stories. Layla was amazed at the amount of trouble Sora and her friends got into growing up. Ever since they ate lunch at the café, the brunette had been telling Layla about her past, which greatly amused the blonde. The former Kaleido star had to admit that Sora was a very talented at storytelling. “Then what happened?”

“Then the coach….” Sora’s voice trailed off as she stopped talking in the middle of her sentence. She just realized that she was talking Layla’s ear off for the last hour. “Sorry I get kind of chatty sometimes.”

The blonde didn’t mind the least, she realized that she could listen to Sora talk all day. “I think it’s nice, I don’t usually get to just talk with people so I’m really enjoying this.”

“Yes but I’ve been the one doing all the talking, how about you tell me what kind of fun you got yourself into growing up.”

Layla had to think it over for second. “Around the age of ten I wanted to try out public school even though my father wanted me to attend a private one. After bugging him for a long time he finally let me go. The first day I went there the kids laughed at me for wearing a formal dress. I didn’t know what to wear the first day so I picked out some of my nicer clothes to impress other kids but it had the opposite effect. Lets just say after that day I didn’t get along with my classmates.”

“That was horrible of them.” Sora didn’t like the fact the blonde had to endure that kind of ridicule the first day of school. “So did you dress more informally the next day?”

“Actually I didn’t.” Layla looked introspective before she continued. “I continued to dress like that for the next two years.”

Sora didn’t know what to make of that. She would have tried to fit in to avoid unnecessary teasing. “Why did you do that?”

Layla shrugged. “I didn’t want to give the other kids the satisfaction of changing me so I decided to dress that way to spite them. In the end it didn’t matter, I never got along with them and I realized that my father was right I should have attended private school.”

“Why didn’t you get along with them?” Sora couldn’t picture not liking a ten year old Layla. For some reason she could picture Layla as a little girl wearing a nice blue dress and a bright smile.

Layla laughed at Sora’s question. “Let me ask you then Sora, was I easy to get along with when you first met me?”

The image of the little girl in Sora mind was quickly replaced by a grown up Layla telling Sora to give up and go home before she brought down everyone else around her. “You were just a little hard to get along with.”

The blonde shook her head. “Face it Sora, I was a total bitch to you. Your not the only one, after my mother died that’s how I treated most people.”

A bitch was not a word she would use to describe Layla in any context. She looked over at Layla and saw a girl who was terribly shy even though she had an extraverted outward appearance. “Your not nor have you ever been a bitch Layla, you just have a hard time warming up to people and because you live your life by such high standards, you expect others to act the same and you get disappointed when they don’t meet up with your expectations.”

“I think that’s the nicest way I’ve ever seen someone rationalize me being a bitch.” Layla reached over and gave Sora’s hand a light squeeze. “But I appreciate it anyway.”

The two girl’s leisurely walk came to a sudden halt. Standing before them was a dance club. Sora wasn’t wild about the idea of clubbing but she suggested the last stop so it was now Layla’s choice to decide what to do next. After they finished their lunch it was already late afternoon and Layla suggested a local hot spot to go and have fun. The brunette asked Layla why she wanted to go dancing and she simply said it would be fun to see how good the Kaleido star could dance. Sora didn’t know what kind of expectation Layla had but she hoped she didn’t make a fool out of herself. After the long walk they arrived at their destination when the sun started to arch below the horizon and the townies were flocking towards the club in droves.

Sora shrugged and began walking towards the waiting line of people so they could get in but Layla stopped her with a gentle grasp of her arm. “Sora that’s not necessary.” The blonde then pulled Sora along ahead of the line to the bouncer standing at the door.

The human wall saw them approach “Wait in line like everybody else….” The bouncer stopped in mid sentence when recognized the blonde woman. “Your Layla Hamilton aren’t you?”

“Yes I am.”

The bouncer smiled and stepped aside. “Right this way Ms. Hamilton.” As Layla nodded and began walking through the door with Sora at tow the bouncer put his meaty arm in front of them blocking their way. “Hold on.. Who’s this woman?” The bouncer said as he pointed at the nervous brunette.

Layla put an arm around Sora and pulled her close to her own body. “This is my date.” she illustrated her point by taking the brunette’s face with her left hand, when she turned Sora towards her she gave the other woman a steamy kiss on the lips. She pulled away from the dazed Kaleido star and once again addressed the bouncer. “If don’t have any objections we’d like to go in now?”

“P.pp..please go ahead.” the bouncer was quick to amend any insult he may have given the actress. He removed his arm and the two woman walked past. “Funny… didn’t know she was like that.” the bouncer shrugged. “Movie stars.”

Cape Mary amusement park

“Your possessed.” Manami was running quickly to keep up with Ken who was determined to ride every ride before the park closed.

“I can’t, you unlocked a demon that can’t be stopped.” Ken said as he stopped so the brunette could catch up. He looked at Manami’s skeptical gaze and broke out in a fit of giggles. “What? Your not having fun?”

Manami smiled. “Actually I’m having a blast, but what’s got into you? You haven’t stopped going on rides for the last hour.”

Ken simply shrugged. “Being so high up and moving so fast, it’s almost like being on the trapeze again.”

“You miss it don’t you?”

Ken nodded. “Everyday, but like I said, I wouldn’t trade my current life for anything.”

The two began walking side by side now and Manami once again began bumping Ken’s shoulder playfully. “I’m glad everything worked out the way it did.”

Ken was curious as to where Manami’s train of thought was at. “What do you mean?”

“Think about it. If things were different you would probably end up being some stuck up performer who wouldn’t want to hangout with some ordinary wanabee hair stylist.”

The blonde shook his head. “Your anything bur ordinary Manami, but I don’t think I would have ended up like that.”

“Who knows, you might have ended up like Layla.”

“Layla is not so bad once you get to know her.”

Manami had to disagree. When Sora would describe her life at Kaleido stage she would tell Manami of all the times that Layla put her down and said she didn’t have what it takes to succeed. When she confronted Sora and asked why she took that from the blonde she told her that Layla did it to encourage her to do better. It was painful to see her strong willed friend acting that way. In Japan the other girl would have never let someone emotionally walk all over her but she realized the situation was much more complicated when the stories Sora would tell her became more and more centered around Layla Hamilton. It was then Manami realized that Sora, whether or not she knew it, was infatuated with blonde Kaleido star. “If that’s true how come Layla’s constantly blowing off Sora every time she tries to do something nice for her.”

Ken admitted that Manami made a good point but she wasn’t privy to the newest developments that occurred between the women recently. “I think everything is different now. Layla changed more than you could image and I know Sora had a lot to do with that.”

“I don’t exactly approve but for Sora’s sake I hope your right.”

Boston

Once inside the club the two women pulled apart and Sora finally regained her ability to speak. “What was all that about?”

“I think I went too far.” The blonde thought Sora was talking about the kiss. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have kissed you like that without your permission.”

Sora face turned red. “I didn’t mind the kiss.” the brunette’s racing pulse vouched for that. “I was talking about how you got in.”

Layla shrugged. “Being a movie star has some benefits.”

“What?” Sora had to raise her voice as the two walked farther in the club. The sound of the music was drowning out the conversation.

Layla leaned over and spoke directly next to Sora ear. “I said being in movies has it’s perks.”

All the brunette did in response was nod. The wash of warm breath against her ear made that the only action she could trust herself with.

When they finally reached the main room it hit them both just how big the place was. It was a sea of gyrating bodies and the music was so loud that it made it impossible to think. Layla was no stranger to this kind of scene, over the years she visited these kind of places to unwind after her life got too stagnant. While she was no stranger to these kind of places, her date was. Layla looked at the brunette and realized this was probably the first night club she ever visited. Most of the time Layla would come to clubs looking for a random partners to dance the night away with. After a fun time she would ditch them without ever getting their names. When she would actually go clubbing with someone she knew, it would always be with Yuri and it was never a problem because that man always blended perfectly into this kind of environment. Now she was here with someone who stuck out like a sore thumb and this wasn’t a tease them and leave them kind of date. This was the only person she ever truly cared for and she was hoping this wasn’t going to turn into a disaster.

Sora watched the blonde’s expression and she could tell the other woman was having second thoughts about bringing her here. “I’m going to become Layla’s ideal date if it kills me.” once Sora made up her mind about something then nothing could stop her and if that meant cruising the dance floor and busting a groove then so be it.

“Come on, lets go have some fun.” Sora said suddenly as she grabbed Layla’s hand and took off for the ground.

Cape Mary amusement park

Manami was wondering why Ken acted like this was the first time he’d ridden these rides. “What’s with the child like wonder, haven’t you gone on these things before.”

“You know this is the first time I’ve ridden the rides here.”

Manami didn’t believe him. “How come? Didn’t you live here your whole life?”

Ken nodded. “Born and raised but I’ve never had the chance to ride these before.” He saw the incredulous look on the brunette’s face so he decided to explain. “I don’t usually go on roller coasters, I don’t really like them. It was because of a bad experience when I was a kid. It’s Ironic because that experience was the reason I started practicing trapeze. I guess I always wanted to prove to myself that I could conquer my fears.”

“What happened?”

The blonde put his hands up. “No way, I’m not telling you that one. I’ve already lost some of my manly street cred and I’m not about to waste anymore.”

Manami laughed but didn’t pursue it. “Fine, but why did you agree to come here if you didn’t like ride the coasters?”

Ken tried his puffed out chest pose again. “I was trying to impress you.”

“You were trying you impress me?” the brunette laughed even harder. “I think you failed at the screaming.”

“I’m telling you I was saying Bonzai.”

The two enjoyed the easy banter while they strolled along the park. People mingled about with their families and dates oblivious to the problems of the world. The sun had already set and everyone was happy the artificial light didn’t impede the view of the star filled night.

Both Manami and Ken sighed at the same time. Each one of them was filled with the euphoria of a day well spent. It was Ken who broke the silence. “What are you studying in Boston?”

They both found an empty bench and sat down before the brunette answered him. “I was originally studding to be a computer engineer but I changed it recently to a business degree.”

“Business degree? What did you plan on doing?”

She wasn’t sure if she wanted to tell him. Her family thought it was absurd and the only one that thought it was a good idea was Sora. “I wanted to open a salon someday.” She looked over at Ken expecting a mocking look but the expression on his face was unreadable. “What?”

He finally commented. “You went all the way to college in Boston from Japan to be a beautician?”

“Great, he thinks my dream is dumb like everyone else.” Manami sighed and looked down. “Ya.”

“That’s cool.”

Manami looked up not sure she heard him right. “What?”

“I take it you changed it because being a beautician is your dream?” The brunette nodded in response. “Then I think it’s great that you follow your dream, it worked out for Sora didn’t it.”

“I guess it did.” Manami was happy there was another person out there that thought her dream was a worthy one.

“That’s it!” Ken’s sudden exclamation startled the brunette. The boy stood up and reached out for her hand. “Come with me.”

“Why? Where are we going?”

“I’m going to be your first costumer.” Ken said encouraging the brunette to take his hand.

Manami finally reached out and took his hand and he lead her quickly out of the park. “Where are we going?”

Ken stopped and looked back at Manami “Where else, Manami’s salon, your one stop shop for all things haircutily.”

Boston night club

The two spirits were sitting on the club’s light reflecting ball watching the rhythmic chaos that went about on the dance floor. Fool was grasping his head. “This place is making me nauseous.”

Passion turned towards Fool. “The club?”

He shook his head. “No, I was talking about this poor excuse for a disco ball.” Fool looked over to see if she heard him but Passion was already occupied by watching the girls down on the ground floor. “So what do we need to do now? I personally think they have everything under control.”

“I’ll admit that things are going better than I could have hoped for but it’s still not as far as I would like it to be.”

Fool walked over and joined Passion on the ledge of the ball. “Whatever you decide to do I’m not going to play the same role as the other night, I still feel the pain from Sora’s punt.”

“Perhaps a different approach is needed at a time like this.” the silver haired woman winked at Fool. “Last time we tried the role of the creep but now it’s time to use the role of the seductress.”

“Seductress?” Fool wondered what his partner had in mind. “Your going to play a seductress?”

“Aren’t I always a seductress anyway.”

The spirit of the stage scoffed. “You wish.”

“Whatever.” Passion grumbled but decided to give the man a clue. “I’m not playing the part of the seductress, but I think it’s about time for the our current Kaleido star to put on a different performance.”

“Sora?”

“Who else.” Passion clasped her hands together and when she opened her palm a vial of some pink liquid stood in her hand. “With this our shy little Sora will become a full fledged lady of charm.”

Fool was skeptical. “Your going to drug her?”

The silver haired woman pulled the bottle to her chest. “You would compare the essence of desire to a narcotic?”

“Essence of desire?” That’s just what he thought, another one of Passion’s dirty tricks. Fool decided to humor her wacky schemes. “What does that non-narcotic chemical do?”

Passion didn’t like his sarcastic tone but she always liked showing off her toys. “Most people have rivers of desire that flow through them, the problem is everyone dams it all up for the sake of society and propriety. That’s were this comes in.” Passion once again held up the potion. “You could say it tears down the dam and allows the desires to flow freely.”

Fool sighed. “Is it safe?”

“Of course it is.” Passion let out a loud evil chuckle. “It only lasts an hour or so, but that’s all the time it takes for Sora to give Layla a lasting impression.”

“If Sora ever found out I was a coconspirator in your insane plot I think she’ll probably cut my head off with a pair of rusty scissors.”

“Relax monsieur.” Passion shrugged. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

“Why weren’t you the spirit of Misfortune, because I think you missed your calling.”

Down in the club

Sora led Layla to the bar and sat them down on two available seats. The brunette flagged down the bartender. “Hi, I’ll take two shots of something strong, how about tequila.”

“Do you have ID?”

“On second thought make that two cokes.”

When the bartender walked off Sora turned towards Layla who had been watching the whole scene with smug amusement. “What?”

Layla leaned closer to Sora so she could be heard over the crowd. “I can’t believe you just tried to order tequila.”

The brunette shrugged. “It was worth a shot.”

“Since when do you drink alcohol?”

“I have it when the mood is fitting.”

Layla rolled her eyes. “Liar.”

“Liar?” She didn’t think her fib was that obvious. “How did you know I was lying?”

The blonde reached up and brushed a lock of Sora’s hair from her face. The move made the Kaleido star close her eyes for a brief second and when she opened them she saw Layla’s hand once again resting on her knee as if nothing just happened. Layla smiled shyly before answering. “You have the most expressive face I’ve ever seen Sora, and when you lied just now you blushed slightly and looked everywhere but at me, the fact that you nervously scratched your cheek didn’t help your case either.”

Sora couldn’t believe Layla could read her like a book and she was curious at what other things Layla could decipher just by looking at her face. “Am I that transparent?”

“Yes, you wear your feelings on your face and it’s one of the things I love about you?” Layla swallowed hard after she stopped talking. She couldn’t believe the L-word just came out of her mouth. “Love? What I meant to say was like….Yes that what I meant to say, it definitely to early to even consider love.”

Love was not something Sora expected Layla to say either but she figured it was just the blonde using it as part of phrase rather than Layla’s own deep feelings towards her. “But if Layla meant it like that then….Stop that, it’s just your overactive imagination acting up again.” The thought of Layla loving her scared her and filled her with immeasurable joy all at the same time but she didn’t want to dwell on those kind of heavy thoughts when she was supposed to be having fun. Sora was going to speak up when se realized her throat was suddenly dry. When she was about to inquire where their drinks were she noticed that two colas were already placed in front of them. Sora figured the bartender put them there when both her and Layla were lost in thought. She reached for her drink and took a large sip, after she swallowed she became dizzy for a brief moment before she regained her focus. “I must have been more thirsty than I realized.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Below the bar counter Fool was hiding behind an empty beer glass. He reached for a small crystal that was the spirit world’s version of a walkie talkie. “Passion are you there?”

Passion’s voice came out of the crystal loud and clear. “That’s not my code name.”

Fool‘s eye twitched. “Give me a break Passion.”

“Just use the code names!”

Fate didn’t pay Fool enough to put up with this. After he thought about it, fate didn’t pay him at all. “Fine.” the spirit sighed. “Are you there enchantress?”

“Roger that Minion, I can hear you.”

Fool’s eye twitched again. “Why is my code name Minion again?”

“I put a bunch of names in my hat and that’s what I randomly drew.”

“You don’t have a hat.”

Passion simulated static through the crystal. “I didn’t hear that, your signal just broke up.”

“Stop that, these crystals make communication crystal clear, no pun intended.”

“Forget about that.” the spirit of romance wanted to get to business. “Was the package delivered minion?”

Fool nodded even though Passion couldn’t see him. “Roger that enchantress the package has been delivered.” the spirit said sarcastically.

“Good, everything is going as planned.”

“What plan? Your making this up as you go along.”

Passion simulated static again. “I’m sorry minion but your signal is fading.”

“Whatever, lets just see if it works.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Sora looked towards Layla and had a sudden urge to hit the dance floor and nothing would make her happier than doing it with the blonde. “Layla would you like to dance?” Even though Sora was athletic and coordinated, her one bane was dancing. She might not be the most efficient dancer but she had a sudden desire to impress Layla.

“Sure I’d love too.” Layla noted that Sora was being more take charge and she was really enjoying it.

The lilac haired woman reached out and took Layla’s hand. Slowly the two girls made their way into the sea of dancing people to stake a claim on their own portion of the dance floor.

When they pushed their way through the throng they came to a relatively empty spot near the center of the gyrating masses. It was so crowded that Layla and Sora was forced to dance only centimeters apart from one another. Even though Sora was out of her element a surge of intensity made the music take control of her body. The sound of the music was hypnotic and the two found themselves in an easy rhythm. Sora was impressed just how skilled Layla was at dancing but it didn’t surprise her, Layla was good at everything as far as she was concerned.

Layla watched Sora’s matching movements become more and more bold. It seemed like they were on the tight rope again. Their bodies were becoming in sync without them noticing it. It was like the legendary maneuver all over again. Their movements, their breaths, and even their heart beats were in sync. The dance that they followed was spontaneous but for anyone watching, and some were as people began to take notice, the dance looked coordinated to the point of perfection. The two woman crossed each others path, as their shoulders touched they reached out and grasped each others hands and in one swift motion they spun around to meet face to face once again. The reunion only lasted a brief moment before they pushed away from each other only to resume the dance.

The excitement of the dance was intoxicating to Sora. A rising heat began burning up inside her. The fire would flare even hotter the closer she got to the blonde. She was feeling the need to find more and more excuses to brush up against the other woman or to touch her.

Layla noted Sora’s style of dancing start to change. Before it was about matching each others rhythm but now it was more of a sultry teasing that she had employed countless times on the dance floor to frustrate her partners. The only problem was now Sora was the one doing that to her and she began to realize just how cruel a torture it could be. The other woman’s movements were arousing to say the least and the sweet torture violated the Geneva convention when Sora put an arm around her waist and pulled her against the brunette’s smaller frame. Layla was about to say something when Sora arched her back and pressed herself more firmly against the blonde. Layla head was spinning, the feel of Sora’s body, not to mention her more womanly assets, made thinking an impossible task. Layla realized she didn’t care to think anymore, Layla had been staring at Sora’s face the whole time and she noticed the other woman’s eyes went from excited to hungry. This was more exciting than any meaningless dance she had in the past, Layla figured it had a lot to do with truly desiring the partner she was with. After reaching around to put a hand on the small of Sora’s back, Layla gave into the brunette’s new kind of dance and matched her move for move.

Above the dance floor

“It seems Sora is finally unleashing the inner her.” Passion was pleased to see that her scheming would pay off and the way that Layla responded meant it would pay off very well. “This should loosen up that stick in the mud I call a charge.” Passion wondered why Fool was being so quiet. When she looked over she found her partner frozen in place, his eyes were glued to the dance floor and he was suffering from a bad case of drool. Passion sighed. “Figures.”

Back on the dance an hour later

The concept of time faded from them and they didn’t how long they were dancing like that. A slow song, a fast song, nothing mattered but the feel of their bodies pressed against each other. Layla was perfectly content staying there and enjoying the moment but Sora had other plans. The brunette pulled away from Layla and turned her glassy eyed stare upon the blonde. “Lets go.”

The blonde didn’t understand, she was having the time of her life. “Go?”

The shorter girl came closer to Layla and leaned up to speak up in her ear. “I want to find a place a little more private.” Sora said in a smoky voice that left no doubt to her meaning.

“W.w..w.what do you mean?” Layla wasn’t sure she heard the other girl right. This didn’t sound like Sora.

The other woman giggled. “Let go back to the hotel so we can dance in private.” Sora leaned over and gently ran her tongue from the base of Layla’s neck to her pulse point where she placed a gentle kiss upon it. The move left no doubt that Sora intended to do a lot more then just dance.

“Sora I don’t think….” Layla was cut off as Sora grabbed a hold of her hand and pulled her towards the exit.

The disco ball AKA Spirit headquarters.

Fool and Passion watched as Sora led the blonde out of the dance club. The spirit of the stage had been watching the two ever since they started dancing and he was concerned over the drastic personality change. “What exactly did you put in that potion?”

“A little of this, and a little of that.” Passion answered vaguely. She too was concerned at the turn of events.

“Passion… what did I give Sora?”

The silver haired woman sighed. “The potion was meant to unlock a person’s feelings and give it free reign….nothing more.”

“If that’s the case how come she’s acting like hormone driven teen.”

The silver haired spirit scoffed. “Because she is one.” Three seconds after she said that a vital piece of information triggered the light bulb in her head. “That’s it!”

“What?”

“She’s a teenager.”

“I think we covered that.”

Passion shook her head. “You don’t understand.” The other spirit gave her a look like that was obvious. “I’ve never gave this potion to a teenager before, Sora and Layla are one of my youngest cases I’ve ever had. Normally my charge is more mature and the potion just makes them open up a little but if I gave it to a teenager, which we did, then the effects would be multiplied several times due to their age’s chemical physiology.”

Fool didn’t really understand that but he figured it they left things alone then Sora could do something she would regret later on. “How long till the potion wears off?”

The woman shrugged. “An hour, maybe less.”

“We need to run interference.”

Passion nodded. “Right…any ideas.”

“Whip out your spells, we need to get up close and personal.”

Outside the night club

Layla was pulled to a sudden stop when they reached the street. The blonde figured they would be walking back to the hotel but Sora couldn’t wait that long. As the brunette tried to flag a cab, Layla tried to get a grasp of the situation. One minute they were sharing a very enticing dance the next minute they were in the cold night air trying to get a taxi back to the hotel where Sora planned to take the next step. Layla couldn’t really call it a step, to her it seemed like a hurdle over the grand canyon. “Sora?”

The Kaleido star turned her flushed face towards the taller woman. “Yes?”

“I think you need to slow down a little.”

“Why?”

“I don’t think I’m ready to…”

Layla’s sentence was cut off by the abrupt stomping of Sora’s feet. “Why can’t I ever get a cab when I need one?” said the brunette as she turned her flustered face back towards the street.

The blonde sighed in frustration, it was clear that Sora wasn’t paying any attention to her. Just when she was about to try again the brunette’s attempt to flag a cab proved successful.

The brunette squealed like a little girl and before Layla could utter a response she was suddenly enveloped by a warm body. Sora had thrown her arms around Layla’s neck and just before the taller girl realized what happened, Sora gave her a breath stealing kiss. When Sora pulled away she smiled seductively. “There’s more where that came from, lets go”

Layla nodded her head dumbly and allowed herself to once again be led off by Sora. The brunette wasn’t paying attention when she turned around and she bumped into an elderly man who was standing near an elderly woman that must have been his wife. Sora’s lust driven mind didn’t keep her from ignoring her manners. “Excuse me.” the brunette let go of Layla’s hand and bowed slightly. “I wasn’t watching where I was going. I’m very sorry.”

The elderly man waved it off. “It’s really no problem, were you getting in this cab?”

“Yes, we’re heading back to the downtown district.”

It was the elderly woman’s turn to speak up. “Well then what a coincidence, we’re heading that way too. How about we share the cab?”

The brunette didn’t mind one bit, it just meant that Layla would have to sit closer to her. “Sure.” Sora gave Layla a smile laced with hidden promises and it’s sultriness caused the taller girl to blush.

The old man spoke up. “After you young lady.”

Sora opened up the taxi and made her way to the farthest side. Just as Layla began to follow the brunette into the cab, the two seniors moved in and took up the middle seats making the blonde sit on the opposite side of the cab. Sora let out a bellowing sigh of frustration. “There goes my chance at discreetly coping feels.”

Hamilton Hotel Headquarters

Mr. Richard Hamilton took a sip of his coffee and walked back to his desk. After working long hours he would find time to just stare at the wide open cityscape. In these quiet moments he would remember his beloved wife. Staying at work late at night never happened when she was around. She wouldn’t have tolerated him overworking himself, and it was a common occurrence for her to show up at work and literally drag him home. Richard smiled at the memory, he was always addicted to work and the only thing that he loved more than his job was his departed wife. That was until the third member of his family entered his world. When his beloved wife Rola was alive she would try every trick in the book to get him to take some time off and enjoy life but after she became pregnant the hard part was getting Richard to go back to work. He was going to have a daughter and Mr. Hamilton was a dotting father from day one. Growing up he never had any siblings and when it came to family life the only people he ever had a rapport with were his nannies and maids. Having Rola in his life changed him from a cynical business man to a boss loved by all of his employees, but when Layla came into his life he became a person who craved the family life over all the riches of the corporate world. He believed the happiest moment in his life was when he witnessed his baby girl opening her eyes for the first time after she was born.

Richard let out a small laugh as he remembered the first time Layla started walking, it one of many memories he cherished. After Layla was born he was living a dream he never dreamt of having and Mr. Hamilton loved every second of it. But all good dreams come to an end and that’s what happened when Rola became sick. When they went to the doctor they found out she had cancer and the news destroyed the paradise they were all living in. Most people believed Layla took it the hardest because she was little and she adored her mother very much but if people only knew what Richard went through they would think otherwise. Richard tried everything to be strong for Rola, he shut himself off from weak emotions and stood guard with his wife like a sentinel she could draw strength from. After a day of putting up a fake resolve, he would sit in one of the many rooms of the mansion drinking and crying himself into oblivion. He suspected that Rola wasn’t fooled by his behavior, she knew he was being eaten up in inside and it pained her to know she caused so much worry for those she loved and cared for. In the end it might have been the stress that accelerated her condition, and he blamed himself for it. It caused him to turn bitter and he even took it out on Layla in some ways during the end of Rola’s life. After his wife’s death, Richard became his job. Nothing stopped him from staying at work late into the night doing everything he could to forget about the one woman he would ever love with all of his heart. His relationship with his daughter also changed. Richard was ashamed to admit it but he hated spending time with Layla. Every time he would look at the blonde a bolt of pain would pierce his heart, his daughter looked so much like her mother her very presence cracked the emotional armor that was forged after his wife died. Richard never wanted to open himself up ever again and he pushed Layla away from him without ever realizing it.

He loved his daughter more than anything and Richard still wanted Layla to be happy, but having her follow the path of a performer cut him deeply. It was something Rola never had a chance to share with Layla, and it was something that Mr. Hamilton kept a secret, but his daughter was walking the same path her mother did. He could almost remember the first time he saw Rola perform and it nearly stopped his heart. “She was so beautiful that night.”

Mr. Hamilton shook his head and walked to the desk where he took a seat. He didn’t want to remember those things. They were painful enough memories to have, but knowing his daughter loved and did the same things his wife did was a painful reminder of his loss and that was too much for him to endure. Since she first started expressing an interest in acrobatics, Mr. Hamilton tried to steer her away from it. After a lot of angst he finally relented and allowed her to follow that path, but even to this day he was trying to get her to forget about performing. He figured having a Kaleido star career was a good thing in terms of name recognition, and being an actress was even better but his end goal was to groom Layla to take over the Hamilton empire. It seemed Layla shoulder injury was a blessing and Richard was happy that his daughter was starting to become disinterested in the theater. He was giving her more important task involving Hamilton enterprises to break her into the business world. He even decided to give her the task of finalizing the Paradise hotel merger. It was a deal that had a lot riding on it but he was sure Layla was up to the task.

“Mr. Hamilton, I’m sorry for disturbing you but Mr. Bracken of Paradise hotels is on line one.” came a voice from the intercom at the large oak desk.

Richard smiled, It seemed liked everything was going smoothly. The man reached over and picked up the phone. “Hello Mr. Bracken, I was looking forward to this call.”

“You have some nerve Hamilton.” came an angry voice from the other side of the phone.

Richard didn’t like the other man’s tone. “Excuse me?”

“I waited three hours for the meeting that never happened, I’ve never been more insulted in my life. Is this how you run business?”

“What happened to the contract Mr. Bracken?”

“What contract, your representative never showed up.”

The news shocked Richard. “There must be some kind of mistake.”

“Your right! The mistake was doing business with you.”

“Listen Mr. Bracken lets not do anything hasty, I’m sure we can schedule another meeting.”

“Forget it Hamilton, I’m taking my business elsewhere, lets see how the Sunshine Resorts people like my deal.”

Mr. Hamilton didn’t know what to make of it. “Mr. Bracken…Mr. Bracken.” Richard didn’t receive answer because the furious man hung up. Mr. Hamilton sighed and set the phone down. “Where the hell was Layla?” this was the first time his daughter didn’t come through for him. He reached over and picked up the phone and dialed Layla’s cell phone number. Richard was beyond furious but that soon changed to worry when a disconnected message came through the receiver. “Maybe something happened to her and that’s why she didn’t make it there.”

Boston

“Why is this happening to me?” Layla didn’t think the cab ride to downtown would take this long. It seemed like forever since they got in the taxi. One problem was the white haired woman’s constant talking that was centered around her hundreds of relatives that Layla didn’t give a dam about. The second problem was the dirty old man who was constantly looking down at Sora’s breasts. Seeing someone constantly staring at her date’s cleavage was really starting to piss her off. Layla had to calm her temper or she was going to make the prime time news for throwing an elderly man out of a moving vehicle. The blonde would have been happy if Sora put a stop to it but the brunette was oblivious to everyone except Layla. Since the moment the car began moving Sora was giving Layla heated stares from across the vehicle. The desiring looks went beyond hungry and started entering the realm of starving. There was something going on with Sora, that much was certain. The problem was Layla wasn’t sure she minded. Sora’s attention to her was making her body tingle all over and the thought of their private dance was making her stomach do summersaults. She hadn’t been feeling this alive for so long and Layla wasn’t sure she wanted to stop it.

The old lady waved her hand in front of Layla’s face to get her attention. “Are you listening young lady?”

“No!”

“What? I sorry I can’t hear too well but where was I?” The old lady looked thoughtful before it dawned on her. “Oh yes! there was this one time with my cousin Ingel when he went to….”

Layla zoned out the old woman’s voice. “Please god I never ask for much but please shoot me.” Layla looked at the old woman again. “I take that back, please shoot her.”

Cape Mary

“Are you sure we are allowed to be here.” Manami was worried they were doing something wrong. They were walking through the dark halls of the Kaleido stage and she didn’t know where she was going.

“I’m sure, I work here after all.”

“But your all supposed to be on vacation and I don’t think coming here this late at night applies.” Manami didn’t know why Ken wanted to bring her here. Since they left the amusement park the boy had been vague and evasive. She had to admit this spontaneous behavior was rather exciting.

They finally came to a stop at one of the many similar doors that lined the hallway. Ken cracked open the door and reached in with one hand. He wasn’t moving at out the way, so Manami figured he was trying to surprise her. Ken flipped on the inner light and pulled his arm back. “Close your eyes Manami.”

The woman smiled. “Why?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Manami relented and did as she was told. Ken grabbed a hold of her arm and led her through the doors. “Are you ready?” asked an excited Ken.

His excitement was contagious. “Ready for what, why are we here?”

“OK, open your eyes.”

When Manami opened her eyes she was greeted with the sight of entire roomed filled with salon chairs and mirrors. “What is this?”

Ken laughed at the brunette’s bewildered stare. “Back before Yuri closed Kaleido stage down, he fired our company beautician saying it wasn’t cost effective. After Kalos got the stage back under his control he never got around to rehiring another one so it’s been empty ever since.”

“I can’t believe you guys had all of this equipment.” Manami did her homework when it came to her hobby and she noticed that all of the accessories in the room were top of the line. She knew to most people this wasn’t anything to get excited about but for her it was like a pallet for an artist. “How many people did the stylist get to work with?”

“A few dozen performers used to come in here every month for haircuts and manicures, actually it was quite busy here and it saved the girls a lot of money not having to go to town to get it done.” Ken was hoping Manami would think this was cool. “In fact the busiest time was during the show days. Melissa, our former beautician, was in charge of coming up with new hair styles to fit the shows.”

“That girl must have been lucky, It would have been cool to experiment like that.”

“That wasn’t the best part either, her job was one of the highest paying jobs here and that probably why Yuri cut it.”

Manami didn’t care about the money she would have done something like that for free. “This is really cool Ken but why did you want to show me this?” It was like having a carrot dangled in front of her face that she couldn’t get to. Seeing all of this made her envious of the woman who used to work here.

“I told you I was going to be your first costumer.” Ken waved his arms over the room. “It may only be for one tonight but this place is all yours.”

Manami realized Ken was trying to make her dream come true if only for a little while. She smiled and couldn’t help but feel touched by the boy’s kindness. “So tonight this place is all mine?”

The blonde nodded and sat down on one of the available chairs. “Try not to take too much off the top.”

The Japanese girl walked over to the counter and picked up a comb and clippers. “What kind of haircut would you like?”

“Surprise me.” Ken got comfortable as Manami walked over and ran her finger through the boy’s hair to see which was the best way to proceed. Manami was looking so serious about it that Ken couldn’t help but lighten the mood. “Just be sure to turn me into a babe magnet.”

The oriental girl stopped and looked at Ken through the mirror. “I guess I don’t have to do much work then.”

Ken blushed. He was starting to get impression that maybe Manami like him. The blonde mentally shrugged, “She Sora’s best friend, she’s just trying to be nice.” He let out a breath as the brunette began chopping off pieces of his hair. “I hope she’s as good as Sora said she was.”

Boston

Layla practically jumped out of the cab when it stopped. “If I hear about one more relative I’m committing murder.”

The blonde wasn’t the only one that jumped out of the car, Sora was eager to get to their rooms as fast as possible. Layla noticed the normally energetic brunette was buzzing on a whole new level. She quickly came around to pay the cabby but was stopped when the old lady brushed her hand away. “No need young lady, were going to stay at this hotel tonight so lets split the cab fare.”

Layla’s eye started to twitch. “Your going to stay here?”

“It seems like a nice place, and besides I haven’t told you about my cousin Gertrude yet.”

That was enough to spur Layla into action. The prospect of being with that woman for another second was scarier than getting told she would never perform at Kaleido stage again. She reached into her wallet and pulled out three hundred dollar bills and threw them at the cabby. “Just drive, find another hotel, old folks home, anything, just don’t let them get out here.” with that said Layla slammed the cab door before the old couple could get out and turned back to the cabby. “I said GO!” The cabby took the hint and sped off.

With the cab out of sight the blonde sighed and turned towards Sora but as soon as she did the other woman leaped into her arms and gave her a steamy kiss. The taller woman reacted on primal instinct and returned it. The kiss was intoxicating, but as soon as Sora began brushing her tongue on the blonde’s lips did she finally come to her senses. Layla pulled back from Sora, sure they shared a few kisses but they never came close to turning into French ones, which made Sora attempt to do so all the more shocking. That’s why the blonde stopped things before they went too far. “I think we need to slow down.”

Sora looked away from Layla. “Maybe your right, I guess I got a little too excited.”

Layla nodded in understanding. “It’s not like I didn’t enjoy it, it’s just not something I think I’m ready for.”

The brunette looked back towards Layla. “Your right, lets just go up to the hotel room, maybe we can have a tea and talk.”

“Sounds good.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

When the two woman made their way into the hotel the old couple from before stepped out from the shadows of the alley. The man was the first one to speak up. “I think that went well.”

The woman smiled. “We cooled it down a little and it looks like the potion finally started to wear off.”

The skin of the old man rippled like a pebble striking water and after a moment the flesh folded in on itself until Fool was left with his true form. He brushed off his sleeve and made sure his mask was in place. “That feels much better.”

It only took a minute before the old woman transformed back into the silver haired spirit. “Maintaining that disguise is tiring.”

“It’s a shame that potion didn’t last longer because things were starting to get good.”

Passion looked thoughtful. “Something doesn’t feel right, that potion should have lasted longer than that.”

“Really!” said Fool anxiously. When Passion heard how excited he sounded she narrowed her eyes. The spirit of the stage took the hint and tried again. “Really?” This time he sounded much more nonchalant. “Doesn’t that mean we should go keep an eye on them.”

“Your right.” The spirit of romance floated up and looked back towards Fool. “We need to hurry because if I’ve learned one thing about your charge is that she’s very crafty.”

Fool laughed. “That was the understatement of the century.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The walk to their rooms was a quiet one and Layla couldn’t shake the feeling that Sora was watching her.

The blonde’s intuition was true, Sora was staring at Layla when she knew the former Kaleido star wasn’t looking. Sora didn’t know why Layla was so enchanting tonight but she couldn’t get enough of the other woman. Sora always thought Layla was beautiful, especially with her long golden hair, clear blue eyes and soft full lips, but tonight her appreciation of the other girl was multiplied a hundred fold. She knew the blonde was new to this, just as much as Sora was, but right now she needed to feed the hunger that made not touching the other girl painful.

When the two girls reached their destination it was Layla who finally broke the silence. “Your room or mine?”

“Yours.”

The blonde nodded and opened the door, but when she took a few step into the room she accidentally kicked something that was lying on the floor. Wanting to see what it was, she turned on the lights and there on the floor was her cell phone. “My phone, I guess it fell out of my shirt when I left his morning.” The blonde reached over and picked it up. The lights on device didn’t come on and Layla tapped it a few times with no response. “I guess it’s broken, I hope no one tried to call me.”

Sora nodded and walked past her. When she came to the main room’s sofa she took off her white over shirt and lounged on the couch. “Why don’t you come take a seat.” said the brunette huskily as she patted a spot near her. “Lets get comfortable.”

Sora’s strange behavior was acting back up again and Layla was getting nervous. “What about the tea?”

Before the brunette could answer, Fool’s voice came out of nowhere. “Your acting strange Sora and I have to say I like it.” Sora let out a squeak that Layla thought was a response about the tea.

“I can get something else.” The blonde pointed at the room phone. “Something from room service?”

“Oh the tea will be fine.”

“Ok.” said the blonde as she walked over to the kitchen area but she stopped in her tracks. “Maybe it’s best we call room service. I’m not at my best when I’m in the kitchen.”

Sora had to get Layla out of the area so she could deal with the sudden arrival of the unwanted spirit. “When have you ever done anything poorly, I bet your tea will be tasty, .”

Layla smiled. “I’ll only be a minute.”

After the blonde walked out of earshot, Sora turned towards Fool. “What are doing here of all times?”

“I’m just concerned, your not acting like yourself.”

Sora scoffed. “I feel just fine.”

“Oh really, the Sora I know wouldn’t be so forward on the first date.”

The brunette wondered if Fool saw them kissing earlier tonight. “It’s none of your business Fool, I know what I’m doing!”

When Sora said this her voice was pretty high and Layla turned around to look at the other woman. “Did you say something?”

Sora shook her head. “Nope…Just sitting here relaxing.” satisfied that Layla bought her excuse, she turned back to Fool and started to whisper. “As for you, I think you should leave now or face the consequences.”

The spirit of the stage laughed. “What could you possibly do to me that hasn’t already been done?”

Cape Mary

“All done.” Manami said as she stepped back from the barber chair.

Ken couldn’t believe how nice the haircut was. “That’s amazing, I think you have a gift Manami.”

The other woman took the comment modestly. “Oh please, you’re a guy so all I had to do was make it short and straight and it would of turned out all right.”

“Actually this is the best I’ve ever looked and I mean it.” Ken was being sincere, Sora was right Manami did have that special touch. “I think if you decide to become a stylist then your going to famous, mark my words.”

Manami had a few sarcastic words waiting on the edge of her tongue but her response was cut off with the arrival of a third person. “What are you doing here?” came a voice by the door.

When Ken and Manami turned around they came face to face with Kalos. Ken had been caught. The blonde had always been a good boy growing up and the times he got in trouble could be counted on one hand so when his boss stood at the door with one of his unreadable expressions, Ken started to sweat. “Kalos, what are you doing here?”

“I believe I asked that first.”

“Well you see….I…we…” Ken was at a lost for words.

Manami saw her friend was in trouble so she tried to come to his aid. “I asked him to show me around Kaleido stage and Ken was nice enough to give me a tour.”

Kalos wasn’t born yesterday. The owner of Kaleido stage looked towards the pile of hair that accumulated on the ground. “Since when do tours include haircuts?”

Ken took a deep breath and decided to come clean. “I know we aren’t supposed to be here Kalos but Manami here said she wanted to be a stylist and I thought she might have liked it if I showed her around the old prepping room. And about the haircut, well I thought it would be nice to see how good she was…”

“Did you do that?” Kalos cut off Ken in mid sentence and pointed to the top of the blonde’s head.

Manami nodded her head. “Yes I did?”

The room was quiet as the owner looked over Manami’s work. He walked a half circle around the room all the while looking back and forth between Manami and Ken until he finally spoke up. “I’m impressed Ms.?

“Hoshi Manami or Manami Hoshi in America sir.” The brunette couldn’t help but feel like she was being questioned by a parent. Kalos was just one of those people who gave off a command aura. “And thank you, that’s kind of you to say but I’m really just an amateur.”

“Amateur or not you have some talent.” Kalos paused for a second to give Manami another hard look before he continued. “How would you like a job?”

“A job?”

The owner nodded. “Yes, our last company stylist was let go by a temporary owner and we never got around to hiring another. A lot of the performers have been approaching me about hiring a new one. After seeing your work I think your perfect for the job, that is if your not already employed.”

Ken smiled, he new his boss was famous for his spontaneous employments based on Intuition but he couldn’t have known Manami was from out of town. “Boss I don’t think..”

“I’ll take it!” screamed Manami as she interrupted the blonde. When she lowered her voice to it’s normal level she continued. “I love to but I don’t have a license yet.”

Ken didn’t know what got into Manami and before he could interject, Kalos voice answered Manami. “You don’t need a license to work here because your not at a facility that specializes on cosmetics. And as far as payroll is concerned you will be listed as a staff member rather than a beautician. I know it’s a temporary setup until you can get your license but I have a gut feeling everything will work out.”

“I’ll be able to work here in this room?”

Kalos nodded. “This will be yours to do as you please, you will work modest hours and the pay is good, but I warn you that things will get extremely busy on performance days.”

Manami unleashed a smile that nothing Ken had seen yet could compare to. “I think everything is perfect so when do I start Mr. ?”

“Just call me Kalos, and you can officially start next week when the performers start coming back to practice after their off time but you can come in as soon as you’d like to get yourself setup.”

The owner held out his hand to seal the deal and Manami gratefully shook it. “Thank you Kalos.”

Kalos simply waved if off like it was no big deal. When the owner turned back to Ken he noted the blonde’s shocked expression. “I trust this is the last time you use the Kaleido stage for a late night rendezvous, since both of you are going to be working for me I want you abide the rules and stay out of the main area after closing time.” Kalos turned to look at Manami once more. “As for you, do you need a ride back to your house because Mr. Robbins will be staying here to clean up his hair.”

The Asian girl nodded. “Sure that would be nice.”

Ken sighed, this was all turning out differently then he expected. “Can I have word with her before she leaves Kalos?”

The owner simply turned around and walked towards the exit. “I’ll be out front when your ready.”

With the boss gone Ken turned his steel gaze at Manami. “What are you thinking, in case you don’t remember you live in Boston.”

Manami looked down at her feet with a sheepish expression. “It’s my turn.”

“Your turn?”

The brunette looked up to meet the man’s eyes. The expression was the same resigned expression that Sora got on her face when she was determined to do something. “I’m tired of forfeiting my dreams. Even back in Japan I always did what people expected of me rather than what I wanted to do, but now I have a chance to make something mine. Sora had the right idea when she gave up everything to fulfill her dream, now it’s my turn. I’m not a strong believer in fate but having your boss walk in here and offer me my dream job was definitely a sign that I was meant to be here.”

“But you can’t just quit school.”

“Who said I was quitting school. I’ll find a nice community college here to get a cosmetic license and I don’t care about going back to school in Boston. It’s time I make a change in my life and this is what I’m going to do, no this is what I have to do.”

Seeing her resolve won over Ken’s heart. “Very well Manami, If your serious about this then I want you to know that I will support you and help any way I can.”

“I’ll take you up on that.” Manami was touched by his sincerity. She didn’t tell him but a small part of her sudden decision had to do with spending more time with the blonde. “I should go because your boss, I mean our boss, doesn’t look like the kind of man I should keep waiting.”

“Your right, I’ll clean up here.” The blonde smiled and reached over to place a hand on Manami’s shoulder. “I really had a lot fun today, possibly one of the most entertaining days I’ve ever had in my life.”

Manami smiled shyly and acted on pure impulse. She leaned over and placed a small kiss on the blonde’s cheek. Before Ken could react, Manami was heading out the door. “See you around Ken.” said the woman just before she disappeared from sight.

“Wow.” Ken whispered as he placed a hand over the spot the woman just kissed. That was a first for him and it made him feel like a million bucks. “I could get used to this.”

Boston

Sora returned to the main room where Layla sat on the sofa with two cups of tea that were sitting on the table in front of her. “Sorry just needed to get some fresh air on the patio.”

“It’s no problem.” The blonde had wondered where Sora disappeared to.

The brunette smiled and went to sit down right next to Layla. The couch was very spacious but Sora sat only centimeters from the other woman. The close proximity made Layla gulp. If it was this morning she would have welcomed being so near to the other woman but since Sora started acting strange the blonde only felt anxiety over it. It wasn’t because she didn’t want to be near Sora, it was because she wanted to be near Sora too much. Ever since they shared their intimate dance, Layla was overflowing with pent up desire and she didn’t know how long she could control herself before she did something that she knew she would regret. “What is it you wanted to talk about?”

“This.” Sora grabbed Layla’s face between her hands and kissed her ferociously. At first Layla didn’t react but it didn’t take long before her hormone possessed body took control. Sora moaned into the kiss as Layla pushed harder on her lips and returned her hungry kiss with equal fervor. Sora took the hint from Layla’s response and broke away from their lip lock. Just as the blonde was going to question what was wrong, Sora’s arms slid down and wrapped around Layla’s waste and at the same moment the brunette tilted her head so she could began kissing the other woman’s neck. The blonde’s body was working on autopilot as she tilted her own head to give the eager Sora full access. The lilac haired girl didn’t waste any time lavishing Layla’s neck with playful nibbles followed by cooling caresses from her tongue.

Sora was driving Layla beyond the point of stopping and just before she was going to give in and enjoy the moment a feminine voice called out and interrupted her sweet oblivion. “I advise you to stop.”

The blonde’s eyes flew open and she stared at the silver haired spirit who was hovering just behind Sora‘s head. Layla acted on impulse. “Go away!”

Hearing the other woman’s adamant demand cut through the potion’s effect in Sora’s mind. She pulled back and stared at Layla in shock. “Oh god, did I do something wrong?”

The blonde looked back and forth between the spirit and Sora. She could see the hurt in Sora’s eyes and she would do anything to make it go away. “No…It was my leg.” said Layla as the first thing that came to her mind.

“Your leg?”

“I got a cramp and I wanted it to go away because it was ruining the mood.” The lie wasn’t the best one but Layla hoped Sora would buy it and to her relief Sora smiled and looked relieved.

“That was a lame excuse madam.” Passion said as she tried to get Layla’s attention. “Make up a better excuse and send Sora home because we need to talk.”

Layla tried her best ignore the spirit which was accomplished when Sora once again gained her full focus. “Which leg is it?” asked a concerned Sora.

The blonde was never good at lying but so she decided to go with the flow. “This one.” said Layla as she pointed to the leg nearest to Sora.

Sora smiled and ran her hand gently over Layla’s thigh. The bold move was so sudden it caused Layla to gasp out in surprise. “Would you like me to massage it for you, I’m sure it’ll make you feel all better.”

“That’s not necessary.” came Layla’s response which was a few octaves higher than her normal voice. Whether Sora heard her or not didn’t matter because the brunette began to knead the flesh of her thigh gently. Any response was cut off as Layla let out an involuntary moan. She never thought in a million years that Sora of all people would know how to push her buttons.

Things were starting to get more intimate and Passion once again interrupted the girl’s moment. “If you continue like this your going to regret it later.”

Layla had enough of the meddling spirit who butted in just when things were starting to get good. “Wait right here.” said the blonde as she pulled back from the other woman.

Sora was confused. “Why? Where are you going?”

Layla lied. “I wanted to change into something more comfortable.”

“It that’s what you want.” said Sora but she didn’t stop her caress.

The blonde put her hand over Sora’s stopping it’s movements. “I’ll be right back.” Layla said as she leaned over and kissed the brunette. Sora was startled when Layla got up and snatched out her arm in the air like she was trying to grab something.

“You ok?”

“Just another cramp you can massage later.” said the blonde as she headed into the bedroom. She didn’t catch the eager grin that was plastered on Sora’s face.

“I can’t believe you.” said the blonde when it was just her and Passion in the room alone. “You’re the one that told me to get together with Sora and now your telling me to stop.”

The struggling spirit wormed her way out of Layla’s grasp high enough for her voice to heard. “What I want is for you to have a lasting relationship with her not a one night stand.”

“What’s the harm, Sora wants this as much I do?”

“Sora may indeed want this but not now and definitely not so soon.”

The blonde thought the spirit was blind. “I have reason to believe otherwise.”

Now it was time for Passion to start squirming. “I think I have something to do with that.”

Layla’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“I only meant well.”

“Tell me!” Demanded the blonde.

Passion sighed and decided to come clean. “Tonight I slipped Sora a potion to cut through some of her mental barriers and allow her to be more open about what she wanted.”

Layla was shocked. “You gave her a roofie!”

The spirit was offended. “I’ll have you know it’s an ancient elixir said to be used by the goddess of love herself.”

All of Sora’s actions since the club started to make sense. Part of her was relieved that Sora really wasn’t under her own control but another part of her was disappointed that all of their shared moments weren’t Sora’s original intention. “Why would you give Sora this potion if you knew things would turn out this badly?”

“That’s the problem, I didn’t know. When I gave the potion in the past my charges were more mature and I didn’t account for all of the pent up teenage desires that Sora must have had.”

“Are you saying that Sora acted on her subconscious desires?”

“Yes.”

For some reason that made Layla feel much better. “All of the things that Sora did tonight were things she wanted to do but she would never allow to happen.” That thought caused her to blush.

Passion hoped the blonde understood. “So that means that you need to send her home till the potion wears off or you are going to regret doing something now that you can’t take back later.”

Layla nodded in understanding as she walked over and retrieved an unused belt from the closet. Passion was curious as to what the blonde was doing. “What’s that for?”

Layla didn’t say anything instead she wrapped Passion up tightly with the belt all the while ignoring the spirit’s sudden screams of protest. Satisfied about her work, the blonde opened the patio and stepped out into the cool night air. Walking to the edge she tied the end of the belt on the railing and left Passion to dangle over the ledge. “Consider that your punishment for drugging my date.” With that said, Layla walked back into the room leaving the spirit to stew. What the blonde missed when she left was a shoe string attached to the railing right next to the belt.

On the end of the string was a tied up Fool staring smugly at the spirit of romance. “I see you’ve come to hangout.” said Fool who thought his phrasing was hilarious.

Passion wasn’t amused. “Very funny..ha ha ha, laugh it up because your in the same predicament that I’m in.”

“I’m used to it.” He finally took note of Passion’s arrival. “I take it you were successful.”

“I hope so, the only way to stop it was to come clean with Layla.”

“Ouch. I’m surprised this was all you got.”

“All I got.” Passion was irritated that Fool thought she got off lightly. “Is this your idea of probation?”

The spirit of the stage would have shrugged if he could. “At least it’s nice outside. But think about our situation a little harder and you will be pleased.”

Passion sighed. “How so?”

“Sora and Layla punished us in the same exact way, If that doesn’t say their made for each other then I don’t know what does.”

Passion grunted. “If that is your definition of soul mate then that means your more demented than I gave you credit for.”

“C’est la vie.” said Fool haughtily.

“Arrg, that’s my line.”

Fool stuck his tongue out at Passion and let out a loud bellow of laughter. His laughter died as quickly as it came when a new sound interrupted his mirth. A flap of wind and a coo caused both spirits to look up at the railing. There sitting on the perch was the pigeon from this morning. The bird looked at Fool for a second before it started pecking his feet. The pecking didn’t hurt but it was very ticklish and it caused Fool to scream out hysterically.

It was Passion turn to smile smugly. “Merci monsieur pigeon, Merci.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

When Layla returned to the bedroom she didn’t know how to proceed. “If I turn her down she’s going to think I don’t want her, and god knows that isn’t the truth.”

The blonde sat on her bed and debated on what to do next when she remembered the excuse she told Sora. “I need to change.”

Since it was nearing her bed time Layla reached over and picked up a night gown. She was ready to put it on before she realized what it would looked like. “I guess silk lingerie would send the wrong message.”

She looked through her night attire when she suddenly realized that all of her clothes were considered risqué by normal standards. The only other option was the outfit that Sora gave her but she wore that last night. Layla let out a sigh and settled for a standard T-shirt and jogging shorts. After she looked at herself in the mirror she was satisfied that it looked presentable. Layla turned and walked towards the door.

“What am I going to say? Will she be upset? Should I just tell her the truth about Passion and tell her what happened?” All these questions burned in her mind but proved pointless when she returned to the main room. There laying on the couch was Sora sleeping soundly. Layla let out a sigh of relief as she walked towards the Kaleido star. “Seems the potion wore off.”

The blonde didn’t want to wake the girl so she walked back into her room and retrieved a bedspread. Layla came back and as gently as she could she placed the blanket over Sora. When she was done Layla sat on the edge of the sofa carefully so she didn’t wake the sleeping woman.

Everything that happened in the last two days came to her all at once and afterwards it left her mentally exhausted. The blonde let out a yawn, she figured it was time to go to sleep. She wanted to leave but the lilac haired woman was enchanting. Layla looked down at the woman who captured her heart so utterly and completely. The former Kaleido star noticed how peaceful and angelic Sora looked while she was sleeping and it made the butterflies in her stomach do back flips. “If they ever make a performance based on Sleeping Beauty then I know who would be perfect for the part.” The blonde reached out and gently stroked Sora’s soft cheek. “I’ll just make sure they cast me as the princess who wakes you from your slumber.” Layla couldn’t help herself as she leaned over and stole a gentle kiss from Sora’s lips. “Good night my love.”

To be continued: