"You know," a smiling Tanya murmured as Erica helped her get out of the back seat of the limo then the two women paused for a moment in front of the cameras, "you certainly know how to take a girl out in style." "Thanks," Erica flashed her a smile as bright as the camera flashes. The black haired woman looked good in her form fitting black suit as she offered Tanya her arm. Tanya gently took it, the gorgeous blonde in her white gown almost shining beside her dark companion. "Wonder if we're making enough of a splash for Simon?" she murmured as the two walked into the party together. Erica chuckled softly as she wickedly answered, "Well, I can think of a few other suggestions if we haven't managed it." "Don't you dare," Tanya answered, but a smile tugged at her lips. They walked into the building, noticing only the 'official' reporters at the popular Hollywood restaurant. They had been invited to this party earlier, mostly due to Simon's publicity team, and after some talk they decided to use this as their debut as a couple. "It's so good to see you," Allison stepped up to greet them, the bosomy redhead oozing false sincerity, "though I never expected to see you together!" Erica smiled back, her voice equally insincere as she said, "Lovely to see you, too, Ali." "Didn't you know that we're a couple?" Tanya smiled, carefully hiding her own amusement at the whole situation. Ali got oddly pale but she still kept that smile firmly on her face. "Well," she took a half step backwards, "I hope you have fun." With that she slipped away into the crowd. "What was that all about?" Tanya asked Erica softly. "More people coming," Erica nodded towards the approaching crowd as she added, "I'll explain it later." "Got it," Tanya nodded in return. She beamed at the former child-star and said, "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Howard." The initial meet and greet went on for a while, both of them acting just like a couple should as they shook hands and chatted about relatively inconsequential things with the broad mix of rising stars, b-movie actresses and has-beens that this kind of party usually drew out like bugs to a picnic. Finally they found a moment of relative piece, taking a seat at a corner table watching as the next group of newcomers were swooped down on. "Did you want something to drink?" Erica asked as she waved down a server. Tanya smiled slightly at Erica's almost instinctive gentlemanly behavior. "Just ginger-ale, please," she said warmly. "Two ginger-ale's," Erica ordered the young man with a smile, the boy dropping off the two glasses only a few moments later. "So what was going on between you and Ali?" Tanya asked curiously. Erica took a sip of her ginger-ale. "I ran into Ali at a certain private club a few years ago," she explained, "one for lesbians only." "Isn't she married?" Tanya blinked, searching her memory. "He's gay, too," Erica sighed softly. "Anyway, Ali and him are each other's protection," she quietly explained, "both of them pursuing their own interests while still safely protected by their sham of a marriage." "And she doesn't want to be outed?" Tanya asked. "Exactly," Erica agreed, "she's the closeted type who's afraid to be even seen near an out lesbian, for fear she might be outed." "It doesn't sound pleasant," Tanya mused, sipping her own drink gracefully. Erica watched her a moment, the way her throat worked as she swallowed, then she shook herself. "Don't feel to sympathetic to her," she grimly cautioned, "Ali all but destroyed a girl's career last year, gleefully using her to protect herself." Tanya nodded, digesting that piece of information. She hesitated then asked a question she had been saving, "What's it like, being an out lesbian in Hollywood?" "Not so bad," Erica said, smiling at Tanya's disbelieving expression. "Really," she said, "it helps that I've been out pretty much from the beginning." "How did that happen?" Tanya asked. Erica picked up her glass of ginger-ale, swirling it around before taking another sip. "I first came here with my girlfriend," she finally said, "it didn't work out, though." "I'm sorry," Tanya murmured. "She had an affair," Erica admitted, "because I was spending too much time out on the set." She made a face, "And I found out she had gotten into drugs, too." "You broke it off," Tanya said, a feeling of absolute certainty filling her. "How did you know?" Erica asked, not really noticing how the two of them had bent close together over the little corner table. Tanya smiled a bit sadly as she said, "You wouldn't tolerate that sort of deception coming from someone you loved." Erica nodded firmly, "Got that right." They sat there in companionable silence, sliding back a bit but still intimately close. "So any stories from the love battlefields?" she joked. "Surprisingly few," Tanya conceded, "I guess I've been lucky that way." "Or unlucky," Erica offered, "depending on how you look at it." "Maybe so," Tanya murmured, "or I may just be waiting for the right person to come along." Erica raised an eyebrow, "You said person, not man." "Imagine that," Tanya said, blushing. In the background music had started up, people moving away from tables and groups of talking figures to gracefully dance. It was an odd sight, the beautiful people swaying together, careful not to muss clothes or disturb their carefully shaped hairstyles. "Why do I get the feeling Simon is going to be disappointed if we don't dance?" Erica said softly, looking back at Tanya. The blonde wasn't looking out at the dancers, instead Tanya was looking thoughtfully at Erica. "Do you dance as well as you do everything else?" she surprised Erica by asking. Erica felt a slight blush touch her cheeks. "I like to think that I'm fairly good at it," she managed to get out, a bit unnerved by the warmth of Tanya's gaze. Tanya smoothly got up from her seat, giving Erica a stunning smile. "Let's find out, shall we?" she asked gently. Erica was right behind her, only stopping a moment to straighten her suit coat. "Whatever the lady wishes," she took Tanya's hand, gently leading her to the dance floor. There was a moment of shocked silence in the party as the two women swayed together. The people had heard all the rumors of course, seen the tabloids, but no one had really thought it was true. But the boyish woman cradled her ladylike partner closely, tenderly, and there was something in their eyes as they danced that spoke of a deeper caring. "Tell me, did you sail across the sun, Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded, that heaven is overrated," the song played as they moved gracefully, "Tell me, did you fall from a shooting star, one without a permanent scar, and then you missed me while you were looking for yourself out there..." "Do you think we've made Simon happy yet?" Tanya softly whispered, her breath gently blowing by Erica's ear. Erica let Tanya slip away, turned her gently, then pulled her back again. "Maybe." she answered softly, "but could we keep doing this for awhile?" "I'd love to," Tanya quietly answered. To be continued.... Author's Note: the song that they're dancing to is Drops of Jupiter by Train, the lines I quoted were all taken from the chorus.
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