Jack watched the two singers complete the duet the studio had insisted on for the TV award show tomorrow afternoon. At first Jojo hadn’t been keen on the idea. Tandy’s style was rather different from hers, but the compensation was that one of the older woman’s songs was being used and there was more than a possibility that the duet would be released into the world after the show. Both of the women had been riding high in the public awareness during the last three months. Tandy with the younger crowd, while Jojo, whose tremendous comeback tour ended on a high note, had a new group of fans. However, personally, it must have been one of the lowest she had ever encountered after some scumbag attempted to violently abduct Fleur, Jojo’s best friend and manager.

At first, Fleur had taken it all in her stride, but shortly after she’d broken down with the strain. Reluctantly, Jojo had insisted she go home to her family for a much-needed rest. After the award show, the singer planned a trip to New York to see her own folks and check up on the woman who was sorely missed in the singer’s life. Reflecting on what he knew of Jojo Lackerly, he shook his head ruefully. When she appeared to be on a roll, suddenly something came along to rock her boat and tip her back into the ocean of life’s uncertainties.

The session came to an end and Tandy flung her arms around the older woman kissing her cheek and shrieking her delight at the way the song had gone. Jack watched the exchange and saw the strain on Jojo’s face. Yep, that girl needs a vacation.

“Great cut, ladies, I think we will wow them tomorrow.” Jack cut in on the squealing from the younger woman.

Tandy grinned at the record producer whispering something to Jojo who nodded her head absently as the young woman left the studio. “Want to go for coffee, Jo?”

She glanced up at the man whom she felt comfortable with on all levels. He was very like a father figure to her though she was sure there wasn’t much difference in their ages, ten years tops. “Yeah, I could murder for a coffee, Jack.” Placing her guitar carefully in the case and locking it, she left the studio meeting him in the corridor.

“You look tired, Jo, have you been staying out late?” His smile warm and friendly; the enquiry could be answered or not, he left it open.

“Nope, just can’t seem to sleep very well.”

As they entered his office suite, he opened the door to his personal space and told his secretary not to bother him, indicating coffee and sandwiches would be a bonus.

Ten minutes later, piping hot coffee and a delicious range of food arrived for them and they both indulged until they couldn’t eat any more.

Settling back on the sofa opposite Jojo, he smiled at her slowly, “Any news from, Fleur?”

“I talked with her last night. She’s doing good, wants to come back to work.” Jojo had a tender expression on her face as she spoke.

“That’s great news. Have the police given her any more indication about when the case will come to court?”

“I think it’s scheduled for arraignment next month. I hope they put the bastard away forever!” The words spit out vehemently.

“Good chance of that considering the circumstances. Will she be required as a witness?”

Jojo sighed heavily, “Probably, the son of a bitch refuses to plead guilty and a trial will require Fleur to give evidence. I was hoping she would never have to face him again. Can you believe the gall of the man, he hasn’t got a chance!”

“Sometimes when people are backed into a corner, they try anything and to him, that’s attempting to circumvent justice in any way possible. You haven’t said much about the guy, but I take it you know him well?” Jack had heard the sordid facts of the event, but not exactly where this guy fit in or why he would want to harm Fleur to take such a public chance.

“Know the slime ball! I wish I didn’t, but yeah, yeah we both do. I only met him around the time I met Fleur in Danvers. He was the banker there and pretty much had the town sewn up on the financial side. He knew everything that went down in that town and had a passion for Fleur. At one stage, they were engaged.”

“Wow, so it was a crime of passion, the abduction attempt?”

“Hardly, the bastard knew he could force his attentions on Fleur when she was losing her livelihood and the last vestige of property she possessed. I intervened and asked her to come away with me when you offered to listen to my music.” Jojo’s mind vividly recalled that totally spontaneous offer. So unlike her and was she glad that for once she’d followed her heart rather than her sometimes suspicious mind.

“I’m glad I could help in a small way. Are Fleur Danvers and the town of Danvers inter-related in anyway?”

“Yep, her great, great grandfather founded the town way back, well whenever it was founded. A family thing she was very proud of. By the time she’d gained maturity, it was all but a note in the local history books. She had few options when she accepted Andrews’ proposal. I came along at the wrong time or the right one, depending on your point of view.”

“I’m glad she accepted your offer.” Jack watched the singer closely. He saw her smile at a memory she obviously cherished came to mind he suspected.

“As am I, where would I be without her.”

“I’ll second that, although I’ll not tell you my thoughts on that subject. What about Tandy?”

“What about her?” Jojo looked sharply at the man. What had the girl to do with her and Fleur?

Laughing at the puzzled expression, he poured them both the last dregs of the coffee and grinned at her wickedly. “You do know she has a crush on you, right?”

“What! Get out of here, Jack. She’s a kid barely out of high school and other than being sometimes a little too over zealous at the sessions, she’s not interested in anything but getting to the top.” Jojo chuckled at the absurd thought. Wait until she told Fleur this one tonight when they talked on the phone.

“Mark my words, Jo, she has her eye on you, I’ve seen it all before.” The man settled back in his chair. A wicked smile traced his lips as he sipped his coffee.

“I’m old enough to be her mother and I’ve never encouraged her!” Jojo pondered that, had she?

“When a kid like that takes a fancy to an older person, it’s hard to stop the force of nature.”

“Jack, if Fleur finds out about this she’s going to go ballistic. I can’t have anything upset her now...not when she’s starting to feel better.” Standing up, she started pacing the room as she wondered why Jack would tell her this.

“Precisely why I wanted to point it out to you in no uncertain terms. Fleur already has inkling about Tandy thinking you are something special. Being in a fragile state at the moment, she might get the feeling she’s no longer important to you.”

Snorting at the ridiculous comment, “Yeah right, Jack! Fleur and I are friends, close friends. She knows that I have no feelings for the kid other than to wish her every success, and I do. Hell, she’s doing me a favour by singing some of my songs. The royalties are flooding in, soon I won’t have to sing for my supper.”

Jack laughed, “You don’t have to now, do you?”

“No, thanks to you I don’t, but I want to do something for Fleur and it will take at least another platinum CD before I can contemplate retirement.” Jojo gave the man the full thrust of her dynamic personality as she saw his jaw drop.

“Hey, I was only teasing! You’re not thinking of retiring, are you?”

“Nope! It’s in my blood, Jack. Until the day you want to get rid of me, I’m going to be singing like a canary or until the day they put the lid on my coffin,” grinning, she made for the door waving goodbye and blowing him a kiss as she left his office.

Jack stared after her retreating back, his mind going over their conversation; it had been interesting. Especially the way she went all defensive over Fleur and Tandy. Even more interesting was the idea that Jojo wasn’t adverse to a gay relationship. Maybe there was more to her and Fleur’s friendship after all. In this day, being gay didn’t matter in this industry if you had talent and Jojo certainly had that in abundance.

~ ~ ~

Karen Adams watched her daughter with a suspicious gleam in her eye. Had she been working behind her back again in the hotel? Walking silently over to the reception area she placed a finger to her lips when the receptionist was about to advise Fleur of her mother’s arrival in the building.

“Ah, I see your up to your old tricks again, Fleur.” Spinning around guiltily, her faced flushed, Fleur grinned sheepishly at her mother.

“Good afternoon to you too, mother and I haven’t done much, have I, Sybil?” Fleur moved around the counter to hug her mother and kissing her cheek in welcome.

“No, no, only arranged the flowers. You know she has a flair that puts my attempts to shame.” The young woman receptionist smiled then picked up an incoming call.

“Hmm, that had better be all you’ve been doing today.” At the look in her daughter’s eyes, Karen’s stance changed as she gave in to the pathetic glance. “Ok, you can do the arrangements until you go back to Nashville. How is Joanna anyway, did she call last night?” She slyly asked knowing that the singer would have called. She did promptly every evening, much to everyone else’s amusement and Fleur’s joy.

“Oh yes, I’m beginning to think some of my scheduling tactics have finally paid off because she calls pretty much the same time every evening.” The wonder that her friend remembered did so promptly despite her busy time in the studio and the awards ceremony amazed her.

“How is she and when’s she coming home to see you?” Karen didn’t mince her words knowing her daughter’s love for the singer, unrequited at that, hurt her deeply. But, no persuasion from her could force Fleur to talk to Joanna about her feelings. Even the singer’s parents approved of the match. Alex took a little longer in understanding Fleur’s feelings, but he loved her as one of his own and decided with great delight that he would gain Fleur as a daughter.

“The awards ceremony is this afternoon and she’ll call me afterwards to tell me how it went. If the studio does well, I’ll have to wait until she gets out of the party atmosphere that’s going to surround her. Joanna never thinks that others want a piece of her attention.”

“Is she due an award?” Karen hadn’t heard anything, even from her friends, Joanna’s parents.

“Hmm, maybe by default. Her song is up for best single of the year.” Fleur grinned at her mother.

“Really, but she hasn’t had a new song out for ages, has she?”

“Sorry, Mom, I meant she wrote the song that’s up for best single. Tandy Radnor sang the song. It was at the top for five weeks, I think. Ask Bradley, he’ll know, he has her pictures in his room.”

“Bradley has Joanna’s pictures in his room, since when, I haven’t seen them?” Karen was surprised she hadn’t and she was in there only two days ago.

“No, Mom! Tandy Radnor’s. Heck, let’s leave it, shall we? I could do with tea what about you, by the way where are Bradley and Grayson?” Looking towards the entrance of the small hotel to check for her half-brother and stepfather.

“Should be back soon, the doctors wanted to do another test. Grayson told me to leave, there was no point in us both staying around.” Karen’s voice held the pain she felt at the current situation of her youngest child.

Fleur saw the tears welling up in her mother’s eyes. Placing a comforting arm around her shoulders she led her inside the office, which led to the small sitting room of the rooms she used when she stayed at home.

“What are they saying now, Mom?” Fleur asked gently as she settled her mother on the sofa. She then switched on the kettle to make them a nice cup of soothing tea.

“Not much really, what can they say. It’s a rare blood disorder even they aren’t sure what will happen next.” Her mother, who was normally so bubbly, seemed to grow old and weary as she watched.

“He’s going to be okay though, Mom, isn’t he? I mean...there isn’t a threat of...” Fleur stopped herself unable to say death though both women knew that was exactly the word left unsaid.

A single tear dropped from Karen’s lashes as she looked up, her expression anguished and sad, “I don’t know, Fleur. This time around he’s been so sick I thought he wasn’t going to make it. I don’t want him to die, Fleur, he’s so young and has so much to see and do. He’s hardly had any life.”

The tears burst out as Karen finally let go of her own overwhelming helplessness. Fleur, desperately wanting to cry too, rushed over and crouched at her mother’s side placing her arms around her in a comforting hold. The boy had such a good heart it was too much to think that he could die so young. This happened to other people not someone you knew.

Both women needed the tears they shed, to stop them bottling up their feelings. At least Bradley wouldn’t know...he hated to see anything making his family upset.

Wiping away their collective tears, they saw the family jeep turn into the parking spot outside the sitting room window. They watched Grayson and then Bradley, a bit more slowly exit the vehicle. The boy’s tall frame emaciated with his months of illness and the once boyishly healthy looking skin now pale and gaunt.

“He looks good, Mom, he’s smiling.” Fleur watched as the two men walked towards the entrance.

“Yes, he is, just like his dad. Nothing phases Grayson.” Karen checked her appearance in the mirror and drew in a deep breath. With a plastered on smile she followed Fleur out of the office area to greet the rest of the family.

“Hi, Brad, I was telling mom that you have pics of Tandy Radnor on your walls. Going to fess up to that one?” the young man gave her a grin, his eyes sparkling at the question.

“Sure thing, Fleur, she’s one cool babe.” Bradley responded enthusiastically.

“I’ve met her, did I ever tell you?”

“Fleur, really! Wow, cool, can you get me a signed photo, please? That would really rock!” Karen and Grayson watched the two siblings talk about pop stars and music.

“What did the doctors say, Gray?” Karen quietly asked the man who was watching the children with a smile on his face.

Turning to his wife at the question. “Same as usual, we have to wait for the results.”

“I know you, Grayson, what aren’t you telling me? It’s in your eyes at least, isn’t it, you never could tell me a lie.” Karen saw her husband visibly gulp this obviously wasn’t the place for the conversation.

“How about we leave our kids to talk music for a short time and we’ll talk in Fleur’s room, okay?”

“Okay.”

“You guys, we’ll be back in a minute, Brad, if you get tired, sit. Somehow I don’t see your sister picking you up off the floor.”

“Yeah, yeah, dad.” The boy grinned at his parents as he and Fleur moved towards the comfort of a sofa in the reception area.

“Hey, Bradley, I was thinking.”

“Yeah?” the young man grinned at his older sister. Gaining a sister so late in life, even if he had known she was around someplace, hadn’t been such a burden as he’d expected. She was so nice and didn’t exactly fit in as a sister, more of a friend.

“Joanna is a good friend...well, friend, anyway, of Tandy’s. Would you like to meet her?” Last evening they had briefly discussed Tandy Radnor’s apparent crush on Joanna, but had decided that they needed to talk one on one over the situation and would once Joanna arrived in New York.

The boy’s face lit up at the possibility. “Fleur, do you know how great that would be?”

“Apparently very, from the expression on your face.” She smiled gently as his face coloured for the first time in weeks. For the moment shaking off the pale tinge.

“When?” Bradley asked eagerly.

Laughing at his enthusiasm, “Joanna is arriving tomorrow afternoon, hopefully, and as soon as she does, we’ll talk to her about it. What do you say to that?”

“I’m going to talk with Jojo Lackerly?” this time Fleur couldn’t help the amusement that bubbled inside and finally tumbled out as she laughed out loud.

“Bradley, you’ve met Joanna before!”

“Yeah, but she’s even bigger now. A real star! Especially now that she’s working with Tandy.” Fleur had to stop herself from getting wound up at the remark. Tandy was, after all, in his age group.

“Oh, working with Tandy, is it? I’ll tell her you approve.”

The boy grinned happily. Their parents watched them, a sad expression hidden in their eyes. They observed the two children they loved enjoying time together, precious time at that.

~ ~ ~

As the award ceremony came to an end along with the luncheon, many began adjourning to other venues...their table included. Having taken three awards, many people wanted them to visit their particular party eager to be associated with the success in any way.

Jack stood up with a wide grin on his face as he turned to a senior executive of the company who had a major shareholding in Trigon records. Fortunately for Jojo, it hadn’t been Lee Weston, her ex-fiancé. “I think we have cause to celebrate and celebrate big time, especially our two starlets here.” He looked over and smiled at Tandy then winked in Jojo’s direction.

“Jack, do you mind if I call it a day? I have to catch a flight early tomorrow.” At the look and disappointed groans from around the table, she rolled her eyes.

“Wouldn’t be a party without you, Jo, you deserve most of the praise. You wrote the best song and had a hand in many of the songs on Tandy’s album.” Knowing that of the three awards: best single, album and new artist, Jojo deserved much of the credit. Hers was the material Tandy sang which had propelled her to the top so quickly and decisively.

While wondering what she should do, Tandy pounced on her and flung her arms around the older woman, “Come on, Jo, let’s party together. I’ll see you have a good time.” The young woman pleaded and unable to get herself out of the leech-like hold she was held in, she nodded her head.

“I’ll be there an hour then I’m going, okay?”

Jack grinned and Jojo had to close her ears to the shattering sound of Tandy’s screech in her ear. What had she let herself into? Roll on tomorrow and back to the peace she felt with Fleur by her side.

~ ~ ~

“Mom, he can’t die! Surely there is something we can do?” Fleur refused to disguise the tears that trickled copiously down her cheeks at the tragic and unbelievable news.

“Grayson tells me the doctors have a very grave prognosis for Bradley. Not much more than three months, less if he picks up another bug. I thought we’d beaten it, Fleur. He hadn’t been sick for several years until that last bout and...oh God, Fleur, what are we going to do!” The words at first had held back the terror Karen was feeling at losing her only son. Now they tumbled out, the pain etched in the tone and the woman’s face. Was this her penalty for leaving one child behind years before? She had often wondered if that was the price she and Grayson had to pay for their happiness. Stupid she knew, but the thought wrapped around her like ivy strangling all other sensible reasoning.

“Have we tried everything, Mom, really everything?” Fleur was pacing the small sitting room in her family space. Bradley was too good to die. It wasn’t fair he was too young. Why couldn’t God take her instead, she’d had more of a life than her brother.

Hanging her head, she sat down heavily on the sofa as she tried to sift through all the tests they’d undergone since Bradley was four years old. Not only was it a virus of the blood they had never seen before, they didn’t know how to treat it. Bradley had done so good over the years, but now it looked like his immune system couldn’t cope anymore.  “Yes, Fleur, there really isn’t anything left to consider. If there were, he’d be there now, even if I had to give up the hotel to pay for it.”

Fleur knew that her family had already mortgaged the small hotel to the limit to pay for Bradley’s treatments over the years and there wasn’t much left they could do financially. She only had a few thousand dollars saved but not enough to make any difference if there was anything left to do. “What about a second opinion, Mom?”

“We have, Fleur. The last time he was sick, about five years ago, we had several opinions and even flew to Europe to talk to an expert in blood disorders. He couldn’t offer us any help either.” Karen’s voice sank low, the hurt cracking her voice. She didn’t know what to do other than watch her child suffer, what else could she do.

“Mom, that was five years ago! Maybe he’s come across something that might help now. It’s possible, can we call him?” Fleur hung onto the only thread of hope she could see, what did they have to lose.

For a moment Karen’s eyes sparkled at the glimmer of hope but soon dulled, “They would have told us, Fleur.”

“Not necessarily, Mom. You need to ask, shall we ask?” Fleur brightened at the thought they could ask. It was worth the phone call.

Karen placed a hand to her mouth as she thought about the possibility. “I’ll fetch Grayson. We’ll do it together, as a family.”

“What about Bradley, does he know?” Karen gave her eldest daughter a watery glance.

“Oh yes, you can’t keep secrets about his health. He has always been part of the conversations with the doctors. He knows everything.”

Fleur turned sharply at the comment, “He knew! But he never said anything when I was talking to him earlier.”

“He wouldn’t, Fleur. He loves you and wouldn’t want you to be upset.” A sob escaped both women as they realised how true that statement was and how unselfish the young man was being.

Karen stood up and smiled at her daughter, “I’ll fetch our family.”

~ ~ ~

Jojo watched the party from the fringes. It was now in full swing and all she wanted to do was go home, take a shower, have a nap and after that take the next plane to New York. As her eyes scanned the revellers, she realised that her heart definitely wasn’t in this room and probably with this kind of function never would be again. If she told herself enough times that people didn’t change that much, she might believe it. However, she’d changed in a big way and she owed it all to her best friend. Sometimes she just wished she could tell Fleur exactly what she meant to her, but every time she thought about it and attempted to strike up that type of conversation, something else would happen and table it for another time. How many more other times would there be to have a serious personal conversation with Fleur? She had the feeling her friend thought she was less than committed in their friendship, but that wasn’t the case, far from it. Ironically enough, she didn’t have the words.

“You look bored, Jojo, want me to cheer you up?” Tandy Radnor grinned wildly at the singer, had she been drinking? This was all she needed...a tipsy youngster to look out for. What was Jack thinking!

“I’m tired, it’s been a long day. We older women like our rest.” Jojo extracted her arm from the enthusiastic grip of the girl.

“Oh, come on, Jojo, no way could anyone say you were old. You’ve been keeping company with the wrong types...take that manager of yours, she’s no fun. Anyone ever tell her she could smile once in a while?”

Bristling at the suggestion that Fleur wasn’t any fun, she turned an icicle glance towards the young woman. “You don’t know Fleur or you wouldn’t say that.”

The girl grinned wickedly as she winked at the singer, “You can keep her, and I’d rather get to know you, how about it?”

Jojo could only roll her eyes at the suggestion. It was comical if you looked at the state of the child. She was just that...a child...and this child had a way to go to grow up. It would hopefully happen without some of the breaks that Jojo had contended with along her journey of discovery, “Jack!” She shouted as the record producer shot past her.

The man turned suddenly and grinned happily at her and why not, he was reaping the rewards of the talent of the two singers he’d had the foresight to sign to his record label. Good fortune came to those that waited and he’d been waiting patiently for a few years now. If only they had both come along together before he’d signed part of the company over to a large corporation. Fortunately for him, they didn’t interfere...too much. “Great party, Jo, aren’t you glad you came?”

“Hmm, let me take a rain check on that question. Who’s plying Tandy here with booze?”

Jack gave the older singer a sheepish glance and then turned his eyes to the younger woman draped over Jo. Well, she was a good-looking woman, they both were. It would be an interesting match he thought then turned his attention back to the singer who was giving him an icy stare. “Sorry, Jo, private party and I can’t keep up with what the youngster does every second. Let me get Steve, he’s supposed to be her escort today.” Leaving the singer to hold onto the drunken child, she suddenly felt hot wet lips travel down her neck, geesh what next!

Next came the glare of a flash from a photographer as Tandy kissed Jojo passionately on the lips just as the photograph was taken. “What the...”

Prizing herself from the hold of the young woman, she forcibly took her over to Steve who was looking perplexed as he was dumped with a scowling, whiny, drunken tantrum induced singing star. Jojo waved her arm in the air and left the room much to the astonishment and cries from Jack asking her not to leave.

Sighing deeply, she leaned against the wall outside the building where the party was taking place. She needed to talk with Fleur before that picture made any of the tabloids. All she had wanted was to go home and leave as soon as possible to see her friend and what had she encountered, more trouble. What had she ever done to have to constantly apologise for everything in life?

Making for the sidewalk, she pulled over a taxi and left for home...or at least as close to home as she could get until she was near Fleur. Hopefully her friend was having a better time.

~ ~ ~

The flight had been uneventful and quiet, very quiet. She’d taken the opportunity of taking an early morning flight, two a.m., which was early even for her. No one else was in first class and had taken advantage of the two-hour flight to relax and nap. The stewardess fortunately looked as tired as she felt and other than breakfast that she actually enjoyed, didn’t bother her for anything. The breakfast had been her first proper meal for a couple of days. The excitement building up inside her towards the award ceremony and she had to admit, the anticipation of seeing Fleur again had diminished dramatically for her demand for food. Now she felt like eating and the food wasn’t bad...for in-flight stuff.

Now sitting in a taxi travelling the partially empty streets of New York, she smiled. Her hometown was never empty. It teemed with all kinds of people at all hours of the day or night. Even the horrific events of September 11th would never dampen the spirits of the true New Yorker. From the lowly bag lady, irrepressible con-men, high powered stock brokers and the essence of the New York family, they would continue to strive for that which they had been brought up to believe. Freedom and the opportunity to be whatever they wanted to be and live peacefully beside their fellow man or woman in a country they loved and called home.

“Hey, lady, mind me saying you look familiar?” the cab driver’s eyes watching her from his rear view mirror held a quizzical expression. His features blurred by day old stubble, not surprising if he’d been working all night.

“Doubt it, unless you live in the neighbourhood we’re going to.” Jojo wondered if he had seen her on TV. It was possible since she was quite well known in the country music scene. It had been a while since she’d played New York though and had it pencilled in for the summer in the park.

“Nope, I’m from the other side, you must look like one of those actress’ or something.” He muttered and turned his attention back to the road. It was a clear morning and as they gathered speed after stopping at a set of lights, Jojo could see the early risers making their way to the sub-way. A glance at her watch told her it was close to five a.m., her dad would be going along to the bakery about now. She’d catch up with him later. Maybe take Fleur for brunch across the street from where her Dad and Mom worked.

“Maybe.” Jojo spoke softly and turned her attention to the streets flashing by as they neared her family home.

Ten minutes later she was standing on the steps of the apartment block where she had been brought up. Other than different drapes at the windows, the place looked the same as it had when she’d left over fifteen years ago and probably not much more changed since she had been a child. Her eyes scanned the deserted street as memories of days playing ball games, regardless of the traffic, and other such kids games that had made growing up fun in such an urban area. They’d been happy times though. For a few moments she could hear the laughter and see the scene, smell the fresh bread baking and remembered old Mrs. Spencer who played the damn piano so loud and off key you could hear it no matter where you were in the street. Her mind vividly recalled Gary Thomas, her first boyfriend and the first to kiss her. They’d been six at the time and that evening the boy had lost his tooth and vowed never to kiss a girl again. He hadn’t, not her anyway. Wonder if he ever had! Something she wasn’t likely to find out since the Thomas’ had left the street for Texas when Gary was ten.

“Jojo, how good to see you. Your parents never said you were coming home.” Mrs. Riker, the apartment gossip though not maliciously and local post person hugged her in a warm welcome then smiled warmly and waved goodbye on her way to work.

Jojo grinned at the familiarity. It was so like the neighbourhood she remembered. Maybe things hadn’t changed that much, obviously she had over time. With the smile still stretched across her lips, she buzzed her parent’s apartment. One thing she knew for sure at this time in the morning was that both her parents would be up and about. Her dad was probably even out of the house. They’d been early birds all her thirty-eight years and she didn’t imagine they would have changed any. Although retirement must be winging it’s way to them sometime soon, which would be a momentous event in itself. There didn’t seem to be anyone to take over Dad’s bakery and Mom’s seamstress business, not like in the old days when kids followed in their parent’s footsteps. Guess things do change after all.

“Hello?” Jojo’s eyes crinkled gently as she heard her mother’s voice. It felt good to be here these days. She missed family more and more each time she left, guess she was getting old and needed to settle down...maybe.

“Hi, Mom, it’s me,” a shriek had Jojo taking a step away from the intercom, a grin plastered on her face as the door opened and she stepped inside the hallway. Within a couple of minutes, she was being hugged and kissed by her mother who was delighted to see her yet admonished her for not telling them she was coming so they could have met her at the airport.

“Low-key, Mom, you know I like it that way. Anyway, Dad needs his sleep, he has to get up early the regulars would never forgive him for having their orders late. Whatever would they do without his fresh bagels and rolls for breakfast.” Jojo was finally allowed a little air as her mother held her away from her for the usual scrutiny.

“You look haggard, Joanna, what have you been doing to yourself? I told Fleur that you would end up looking terrible without her.” Her mother clucked over her appearance, it was after all very early and she had been up all night.

“How is Fleur?” Jojo was unable to stop herself from asking about her friend. She was anxious to hear, from someone other than the woman herself that she was back to normal or as normal as one could be after such a traumatic event.

“In herself, she’s healthy.” The words had a dull edge to them and immediately Jojo felt the nerves tighten in her stomach. Something was wrong; she knew it. That was probably why her gut insisted she get back to see her friend.

“What do you mean, Mom, is something wrong? Fleur hasn’t mentioned anything, and we talk everyday!” The normally gentle expression in her mother’s eyes was replaced by a worried look tinged with heavy sadness.

“Yes, but I think Fleur needs to tell you herself. It wouldn’t be right coming from me.” A strange feeling overcame Jojo at the words. They could mean anything, anything at all. She needed to go now and see Fleur. The sooner she found out what the problem was, the sooner she could solve it. She had to solve it! She was nothing without Fleur in her life; she realised that now. The feeling had been there all along, but now she knew it for what it was...she loved Fleur with all her heart and soul.

“Mom, I have to see her, now!”

The older woman placed a gentle restraining hand on her daughter’s arm as she tried to leave the room. “Fleur wouldn’t thank you for rushing over there looking like you do, Joanna. Take a shower, have something to eat with me, at least a coffee then you can go straight over afterwards, please, Joanna?” The gentle persuasion in her mother’s voice was her undoing she knew she was right and Fleur would only be more worried if she looked haggard.

“Nothing to eat for me, Mom. I’ll take that coffee though after my shower.” Jojo picked up her discarded bags and walked towards her old bedroom. At least that had never changed. As she opened the door, it felt just as it had when she’d left years earlier...home, but only if Fleur was going to be part of her life. She refused to think that her friend wouldn’t be, life couldn’t be that cruel to her, could it?

~ ~ ~

Fleur hung her head as she looked at the bills amassed on her desk. She’d said she would take care of them for her mother, it was the least she could do under the circumstances. They had taken Bradley over to the hospital for a couple of tests for the European expert, Doctor Gruber, who had insisted they ship them immediately to him. The initial discussion with the doctor had been cautiously optimistic. If for nothing more, the man had agreed to look over the case again, a fragment of hope in what had become a hopeless situation. The next priority would be finding the funds to pay for Bradley, her Mom and Grayson to travel with him to Switzerland. They would know by the end of the week if the doctor might be able to help. Even if they decided selling the hotel, which was the only thing left to do, a buyer wouldn’t be found in a matter of days and the bank wasn’t going to stump up any more money. Even the family’s comfortable apartment home away from the hotel was mortgaged to the hilt, no collateral there. That left her few thousand, which she had pledged to her mother who had protested vigorously, but Fleur had held her ground. What was money if you couldn’t spend it on someone you loved? Her mind grinding the numbers in her head failed to hear the dulled conversation outside her door. Picking up the tone she was sure it was familiar, but it couldn’t be, Joanna wasn’t due until tomorrow. Standing up quickly, she opened her door and felt the swell of her heart when she saw the dear, dark head of the woman she loved having a discussion with the receptionist who was looking flustered.

“Are you okay, Sybil?” Fleur’s voice raised a fraction to be heard over the other two people talking. Her eyes were immediately captured by the singer’s who appeared to her to look inside her soul in search of the answer to a question.

“Oh, Fleur. Look, it’s Ms. Lackerly and she...well, she hasn’t a room and we’re booked up and...” Sybil held her hands up at the situation. Why hadn’t someone told her that they had a famous guest due?

“Hi.” Fleur smiled warmly at her friend who had initially gazed at her anxiously, but upon meeting her eyes the expression slightly cleared. The lop sided gentle smile that Joanna always reserved for her appeared and the very presence of the singer made all her worries disappear into the background. Everything was going to be okay, Joanna would see to it...she always did.

“Hi yourself, want to catch up?” Both women’s eyes captured the other and silent messages of 'I’m pleased to see you' passed between them as the receptionist watched fascinated. Did they know each other?

A clearing of the throat to tell the two women she was still there drew Fleur’s attention back to the receptionist. “Don’t worry, Sybil, Joanna’s a friend she doesn’t need a room.” She walked towards the singer until they were inches away from each other. The separation and the events of the previous days then took their toll and they tightly hugged each other both whispering they were glad they were here.

Several seconds later they disengaged and Jojo held the smaller woman away from her doing the same as her mother had done previously. “You look like I do.” Grinning to ease the potentially harsh words.

“Really, well, you look great...a sight for sore eyes. I’ve missed you, Joanna, how I’ve missed you.”

Jojo watched the tear trickle down her friend’s cheek and knew there was more to this than just missing being with her, though she felt the same. Tracing the moisture, she smiled tenderly, “Shall we go someplace and talk?”

“You read my mind.” Fleur gulped back the soft sob and gave her friend a tear drenched glance, “Are you hungry?”

“Not much, although I’ll watch you eat if you want something.” Winking as she placed a gentle hand to the flat stomach of her friend knowing the bottomless pit probably needed to be fed.

Wanting desperately to say that the only thing she wanted was right here with her; she decided that it wasn’t the time. Other things were more important than her selfish desires.

“Okay. Any preference?”

“Manny’s, opposite my Dad’s place, okay with you?” Fleur gave her a bright smile mouthing ‘perfect’. She advised Sybil she could be reached on her cell if something urgent came up after retrieving her purse.

Half an hour later they were drinking coffee and tea while Fleur demolished the remains of her breakfast, having told Joanna the situation with her brother and what it might mean. The singer had listened and although it was a sad state of affairs, she couldn’t help herself not be elated that Fleur was okay and it was just a question of money.

Sipping her coffee and enjoying the feeling of being back in the company of her friend, her mind racing at what she could do to help. “How much money do your parents need, Fleur?”

Startled at the question, Fleur gave her a long look, “You can’t do anything, Joanna, and my parents wouldn’t accept your charity!”

Pulling a face at the comment, “Why not? Isn’t my money as good as any damn bank? At least mine doesn’t have strings attached. Fleur, it’s the most sensible solution and they wouldn’t have to sell the hotel or their apartment.”

Fleur closed her eyes at the generous nature of her friend. She’d always known that Joanna had a vein of solid gold running through her that was hidden to most, but when she showed it, it blinded you with its brilliance. “They will feel terrible for taking your money. What if they can’t pay you back?”

Taking the smaller hand that was wringing a napkin to smithereens Jojo replied, “Fleur, wouldn’t they rather have my ‘charity’, as you call it, than have Bradley know that they have lost everything for him? He still might die.” There, it was said and in the open. Fleur had avoided directly admitting that Bradley would die if something wasn’t done and even if it was, he still might.

The tears now cascaded down the blonde’s face as she stared at her friend. The pain and terror as the thought permeated her conscious tore into Jojo’s heart and she felt her own tears welling up to the surface. The kid didn’t deserve this and if she could do something to help, she would. All it would mean to her was another hit song, especially if Tandy sang it. What was money if you couldn’t spread it about and make the people you loved happy? That’s all this was, she loved Fleur and she wanted her to be happy, simple really.

“I don’t need the money, Fleur, and if I did, I’d have Tandy sing another of my songs. The kid can do no wrong at the moment in the charts.” At the mention of the younger singer’s name, Fleur looked up and gave Joanna a watery smile reminding her of the conversation she’d had with Bradley.

“Bradley would love to meet her, Joanna.”

“A piece of cake for us I should think.” Jojo smiled warmly at her friend as her fingers intertwined with the smaller ones.

“For you maybe, Tandy thinks you’re wonderful.” Fleur replied with a small smile of her own. Joanna was making things so easy and she loved her even more for that.

“Ah, but do you think I am?” Jojo held her breath as she captured Fleur’s eyes. The blonde startled at the question, but the expression she returned gave Jojo her answer. “Good. Now call your parents and let’s get this show on the road because tonight we have an even harder family situation to attend.” She announced trying to make light of the very serious situation for a few moments to allow them both to relax.

“We do, what? Your family is wonderful as are mine.”

Standing up Jojo pulled the blonde closer and whispered in her ear as she left her friend to pay the bill. “Grandmother.”

Fleur could do nothing but grin at the word, Joanna’s Grandmother was a pussycat whatever did she mean. Her heart was still heavy, although not as leaden as it had been, just as she always found it when Joanna was close by, her improbable protector!

~ ~ ~

Rain had a depressing effect on most people, her included; as Fleur listened to her Mother list all the reasons why Joanna couldn’t help them financially. The stupid thing was she knew it would happen too. The very mention of the word ‘charity’ had that effect. Though her friend was trying her best to persuade her mother otherwise. Then Fleur turned as she heard the next words...

“Okay, have it your way. I’ll draw up the papers with my lawyer now and I’ll buy the hotel from you. Simple as that, what’s it worth?” Joanna began dialling a number from the hotel office phone.

All eyes stared at the singer in shock. What would Joanna do with the place? No way was the singer interested in that kind of business.

“Joanna, I don’t think you understand...” Fleur walked over to her friend and placed a hand out to stop the call being made.

Jojo stared back at her friend and saw the worry held in the expressive eyes. She looked so cute when she was worried. Wonder if anyone has ever told her that. With a small smile she continued to dial the number then placed the receiver to her ear waiting for a response.

“Jerry Champion, please. Tell him Jojo Lackerly needs to speak with him urgently.”

Karen looked at her husband. What did they say now? This was her original argument, that she would rather sell the hotel than allow anyone to offer them charity out of pity. “Fleur, Joanna doesn’t understand we have a heavy mortgage on the hotel. It will drain her resources. She doesn’t have a bottomless pit, does she?”

Looking bemused and unable to quite get her mind around the events that were playing out around her, she looked at Joanna then back to her family. The concentrated expression on her friend’s face meant one thing and one thing only she was determined to solve the situation one...way or another.

“Hi, Jerry, yep I’m well and you? Yeah, it was a good show. Jack was pleased with the result. Sure, I’ll do that. Look, Jerry, I’m considering buying a hotel; I need you to run the papers through as in double quick. I want a contract to sign in New York with the owners by Friday latest. Do the searches after the event. Yes, I know the pitfalls. It’s urgent or I wouldn’t ask you to do this.” An amused chuckle reverberated around the silent room as the singer laughed at a comment from her lawyer. “I’ll write in the contract the value when it gets here. Let me put you on to the owner and she will give you the details. Talk to you later, Jerry. Have a great day.” Jojo looked seriously at Karen and held out the receiver.

“It’s up to you, Karen. You can do it this way or my way. At the end of the day, it’s your call.” The singer’s expression never wavered as she gave the older woman the chance to change her mind.

Breathing in deeply, Karen gave her family one last look and made her decision...

~ ~ ~

Joanna’s grandmother’s house, an old colonial two-story style building, was beautifully maintained. The wood looked as good as the day it was first erected. Obviously the place was treated with great respect and love. Whenever Fleur entered the house, she felt that the inside reflected the out. The furnishings had been chosen carefully to compliment the polished wooden floors and immaculately preserved oak panelling in various rooms. It was a wonderful home and like one she hoped one day to discover and own. Though a place like this would cost a fortune in this area just outside of New York City.

“Fleur, Gran tells me you’ve been over to see her every week since you’ve been in New York, you never told me.” Jojo shouted from the kitchen where she was helping her grandmother make a few sandwiches. Neither one of them had eaten much that day since there were too many other things to arrange.

Walking to the open doorway of the room, Fleur grinned as she saw the two of them together. They did look alike except that her friend had a much darker complexion, her Greek heritage probably. “Ah, yes, but do I need your permission to see a lovely woman?” Realising what she said, her cheeks grew red from embarrassment. The singer gave her a thoughtful and appraising stare.

“No...I think your taste is perfect.” Jojo replied softly kissing her Gran, who was tutting at the conversation, on the cheek.

“What have you two been up to today, you both look exhausted?” With twinkling eyes and a peculiar smile settled on her lips, the older woman studied them both.

Much to her grandmother’s irritation, Jojo picked up a slice of cucumber from the dish and popped it into her mouth while given a severe stare for her actions. “We’ve been arranging for Fleur’s family to fly to Switzerland, they leave tomorrow morning. Brad’s going to see an expert there.”

The old woman smiled warmly at the words, “Now that’s good news for a change. I thought there was nothing to be done, Fleur?”

Fleur walked into the room to stand next to the other two women as she looked at the delicious assortment of sandwiches. Her stomach was growling aggressively at the mouth-watering display, only thing was she didn’t have Joanna’s nerve to take one from the plate. “Last week there didn’t appear to be any,” she replied turning to smile tenderly at her friend who returned the smile with a wink. “Now there is or at least we hope there is. Mom, Grayson and Bradley are off tomorrow to make it happen.”

The hope those few words brought to the conversation made all three women silently pray that miracles might happen. “Did she find a buyer so soon for the hotel?”

Jojo and Fleur both giggled and the older woman gave them an interested glance, “Care to share what has suddenly amused you both? The sandwiches are ready, now let’s take them into the parlour and we can talk there.

Ten minutes later they were munching on sandwiches with Jojo’s usual gulping of her coffee far too fast. Fleur and the older woman, both speculating on how long it would be before the singer burnt her mouth at the speed, enjoyed their fragrant tea blend.

“You didn’t, Joanna?” The older woman exclaimed as Fleur giggled once more and almost choking on a sandwich. Her friend looked embarrassed after her explanation of what happened next when Karen was put on the spot to make a decision.

“She did too. I now think my mother understands the powers that your granddaughter holds over us women.” Fleur grinned as she bit into another marvellous sandwich. Her eyes shyly tracked to her friend’s whose expression in the depths of her blue ones was unfathomable.

“Karen understands that my proposal was an act of a friend, a good friend, not pity or charity. I made a deal with her...she’s going to pay me back over time. I agreed to allow her to pay me interest on the outstanding balance if the debt, as she calls it, wasn’t paid in ten years. That was much simpler than buying out her hotel. Why she couldn’t say that initially dumbfounds me, but then, I’m only a dumb country singer, what do I know?” All three women laughed at the remark. Joanna Lackerly was far too intelligent in lots of ways to be called dumb and anyone who did think that was in for a shock, a big shock!

“Thank you, Joanna.” Fleur gave her friend a look that she hoped conveyed all she felt and more. She owed this woman so much more there could never be enough money in the world to compensate the singer for what she meant in her life or all she had done to help her and now her family.

Jojo felt a jolt as if a red-hot poker had touched her heart when she looked into the eyes of the woman who meant the world to her. It was so easy to do things for her and not want anything in return...except just to have her as a friend for the rest of their lives.

“Your welcome and I should be thanking you.” The mutual thanks transmitted across the table and Joanna’s grandmother wasn’t blind, she’d seen that look before. She’d been in love once, a long time ago admittedly, but you never forget the feeling if it’s the love of your life, what a pity they were two women. Still, women could be very good friends and love each other without the romantic side, it had been happening for centuries.

“Now that you two have had your mutual appreciation moment, when are you coming to stay with me, Joanna? Your parents can’t hog all your time I want to see you as well.”

“Gran! Why not come over Sunday for dinner? You know Mom will be thrilled and all the family will be there. Come on, Gran, life is too short, will you bury the hatchet with Dad, please?” Jojo pleaded, she really wanted that. It hurt her to think that the years were passing and nothing had been resolved on this issue and it was so stupid.

“I will not, Joanna, and that is my final word on the matter.” The old woman snorted at the suggestion. The young never knew when to keep out of private business, but this was her favourite grandchild. She had never been slow in coming forward and probably would continue to ask the question every time they saw each other.

“Fine, I was only asking.” Jojo hung her head a little at the caustic rejoinder. Old folks were hard nuts to crack; her Gran must be the hardest one she had ever come across.

For the next two hours they talked about the concert tour, the award ceremony and general things until both the younger women yawned and were told to go home to bed. As they departed, the old woman hugged them both wishing them a safe journey back to the city.

As Fleur drove back into the city, Jojo watched the buildings flash by. She had never felt so relaxed as she did at that moment. It was easy to be in Fleur’s company and neither of them felt like they needed to speak.

As they neared home, Jojo had her eyes closed. Without looking at Fleur she spoke quietly, making her friend jump slightly in her seat. “I’ve missed you, Fleur.”

Smiling at the remark, the blonde replied gently, “I’ve missed you too, more than you will ever know.”

Still with her eyes closed she continued to speak. “I was wondering...after your family leaves,  could we have some time alone and talk about stuff.”

Puzzled at the comment, Fleur turned to the singer as they stopped at a red light. “We can talk anytime, Joanna, you know that. I thought we did.”

Sitting up straight from her slouched position in the car she smiled slightly. “We do...I guess what I want to say is we need a serious talk...privately. No interruptions from the family, phone, crisis or an earthquake even!”

Laughing at the earthquake comment, Fleur realised what Joanna meant. Though she had known they needed to do this and she desperately wanted it to happen, she was afraid too. Things could change dramatically if they had an in-depth heart to heart and she wondered if the singer was ready for it, better yet was she?

“Mom asked me to close the hotel over the weekend so the decorators can spruce up the rooms for next week. She had been working on the closure with the regulars for months now. It means that except for the odd hour or two to check up on them, Sybil can handle the place. We can be alone and talk in my rooms or go someplace else, your call.”

“I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but can we take a trip, I’ve never been to Canada. I hear there are a few parks there. We could hire a cabin for a few days, have a holiday, would Sybil cope with that?” Joanna waited with bated breath. It was her way of making sure they had as un-interrupted a time as possible. The outcome was incredibly important so the place had to be just right...no second chances, she felt, on this one.

“Well, sure I think she can. You arrange it and I’ll let her know. Mom’s chosen all the colour schemes and such, there isn’t really anything for her to do, but recommend other hotels if calls come in.”

“I understand why she’s doing that, but isn’t it rather drastic if she needs the money?”

Turning into the street that housed Joanna’s family home she smiled, “Yeah, it does sound strange, however the guests would probably hate the smell of fresh paint, so it all works out. It’s the slowest time of the year, if there ever is one in New York.” Stopping the car outside the sidewalk.

“Right, I’ll arrange everything and I’ll be in the lobby at nine sharp to see your family off. Goodnight, Fleur.”

With a happy smile Fleur turned just as Joanna leant over to kiss her cheek and their lips met. The pressure and sensual bomb that amplified every nerve in her body couldn’t be explained. As their lips held each other’s and before she knew what was happening, Joanna had her arms around her shoulders dragging her closer. The pressure of Joanna’s mouth seeking an opening to hers and allowing their tongues to become better acquainted was all Fleur wished it could be and more. All she could hear was her soft moan as she relished the touch, a touch she thought would never happen. Then the pressure was lost as Joanna gave a muffled exclamation close to her lips.

“My God, Fleur I’m so sorry!” Jojo struggled with the euphoric feeling. She had been kissing Fleur, the guilt she suddenly felt separating them.

Fleur stared at her friend. This was...was brilliant, a miracle! Everything she could ever have hoped to happen and all Joanna wanted to do was apologise, which was ridiculous. Unable to stop, the thought made her chuckle softly.

Jojo fought her senses while trying to understand why Fleur was laughing, was it at her? My God, she’d really blown it hadn’t she, what did she say now. Her mind grappled with her feelings of wanting to make sense to her friend, “I’m sorry, Fleur,” Jojo opened the door of the vehicle and tried to hastily leave the car.

A smaller hand held her arm firm as the singer tried to flee the vehicle, “Not so fast, Joanna.” Fleur smirked. She couldn’t help it. For once she felt like she had all the power here and she did have all the power if the look on the singer’s face was anything to go by.

“What?” Jojo barked out harshly. This was totally alien territory. She needed to regroup and clear her mind to find a suitable explanation for her behaviour.

“Not exactly the tone I expected after that wonderful romantic interlude,” Fleur knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t help but tease her friend who looked remarkably uncomfortable. Finally taking pity on her, Fleur leaned across and kissed the woman she loved. A startled expression on her friend’s face appeared replacing the guilty one then a look of awe beamed out at her.

“We’ll talk tomorrow, Joanna, goodnight. Oh and I think we can share a room wherever you plan to take me, love you.” She remarked allowing her hand to slide away in a caressing motion over Joanna’s forearm. If it wasn’t for the car door, she was sure her friend would have collapsed in a heap on the floor from her remark.

Gliding out of the stationary car, Jojo stood on the sidewalk watching her friend wave as she pulled away. Certain her mouth was open in shock, Jojo placed her fingers over her lips and as she did, the memory of their shared kisses brought a glow inside her that she had never felt before, ever! Was this what everyone called true love? Turning to enter the apartment building, she arrived at the door of her family's apartment. Her mind and body floating with the feelings that coursed through her. All she wanted to do was stay awake and shout from the rooftops that she was in love with Fleur Danvers. Most important of all Fleur loved her...she said so!

Opening the door, she walked inside or should that be glided inside. Her parents would be in bed, it was after ten and they went to work early. She knew sleep wasn’t an option for her body was on fire, very similar to the adrenaline rush she had after a performance. Maybe if she waited another ten minutes she could call Fleur to make sure it wasn’t all in her imagination. Yeah, she could do that she could...she would.

Opening the refrigerator, she extracted a cold beer and removing the top drank heavily from the bottle. No time for niceties except Fleur...yeah Fleur. The name alone evoked all manner of emotions within and what had she said...they could share a room. Did it mean what she thought it meant? Wow!

Leaning against the breakfast bar her minding doing loops in all kinds of ways, she smiled. As she did, the giddiness within her bubbled up and grew with such intensity that made her smile even more. She was kinda glad that no one else was up because she probably had a goofy look on her face. God this was stupid. She wasn’t a teenager, she was a grown woman with too many relationships behind her to ever think love would be part of her life yet, here she was, totally besotted and absolutely, irrevocably in love with...Fleur. Yep, that name again and if she said the name a thousand times, no a million, it wouldn’t be enough...it would never be enough.

Throwing the empty bottle in the recycle bin she looked at her watch, ten minutes, Fleur would be back in the hotel now. Taking another cold beer, she went to her room, sat down on the bed and dialled the hotel direct line to Fleur’s rooms. Several ring tones later the phone was answered by the night porter.

“Is Ms. Danvers available, please?”

“Who’s calling?”

“A friend,” She wasn’t happy about giving out her name, but realised that the night porter was only doing his job. “Joanna Lackerly.”

“Thank you, Ms. Lackerly, Ms. Danvers is with her mother at the moment. You want me to have her call you back?” For a few moments Jojo wanted that desperately, but decided against it. Tonight was important for her family. There was a lot at stake and she knew her friend would worry all the time they would be out of the country.

“No, no, that’s okay, I’ll catch her tomorrow. Goodnight.” She answered replacing the receiver. Jojo knew the most important thing, Fleur had arrived home safely and tomorrow they would embark on another journey together, together being the operative word.

She picked up her guitar, which at home she often left on her bed knowing it was safe there, no one to touch it and gently strummed a few notes. Before she knew it and while quietly humming a rhythm then adding a few words, she was writing a song...a song for Fleur.

~ ~ ~

Shirley Appleby watched her boss pace in his office. She could see his tall gait indistinctly through the frosted glass. Any minute he’d be asking her to do something on his behalf; yep...here it comes.

The door to Jack Wicklow’s office opened and out stepped the man, a frown on his face as he homed in on his PA. “Shirl, the press blurb that came through yesterday, don’t send it to Jojo or Fleur...especially Fleur. I’ll deal with it when they come back to Nashville.”

Looking at the man in consternation, oops, she’d already done it in last evening’s mail run. “Jack...I already sent it out last night. Thought you’d want that, the review was fantastic.”

The man gave her a long stare. Yeah, the blurb was worth a million dollars in advertising, but the picture...the picture might prove to be a problem for someone and that someone was the heart of the current success of the company, even if he wasn’t going to admit as much to the woman. “Can we retrieve them?”

“Sorry, boss, they were sent by courier, probably already there by now. Want me to call them and find out?”

“God no! Let’s see if we have any fall out, shall we. I’ll have a brandy with my coffee.” The man walked away shutting the door behind him with a thud.

Shirley wondered about the brandy; it was after all only eight in the morning, maybe he has a toothache. Her hand strayed to the folder on her desk. She had been ready to file it but now took a second glance. The blurb was excellent and expected greater things from the two women who had performed a duet. Although praising Tandy because she won the awards technically, Jojo had been mentioned and it was clear the critic wanted to hear more from her on both the song writing and singing front. Then her eyes strayed to the photos, several of Tandy and the awards. A couple of others of the singers together singing and as she flicked over the ones left, she didn’t see anything odd until she saw the one that Jack was obviously worried about. She’d missed that one last night when she’d sent off the packs to the two women. There, in a tight clinch passionate kiss were unmistakably the two singers and from this angle, both appeared to be indulging in the kiss for all it was worth. Closing her eyes for a fraction of second she realised what Jack was worried about. Not that the two would be labelled as lesbians, nope, it was Fleur’s reaction to Jojo in such a clinch. He was right to be worried, so was she now.

~ ~ ~

“Everything’s going to be ok, Mom, trust me.” Fleur wiped her own tears away as she gave her mother a loving hug after having gone over the plans for the hotel in the next couple of weeks.

“I know, darling, I know, but...I guess I’m worried about every little thing at the moment. You’re going to be here on your own and...”

“Not alone, Mom.” A tender smile crossed her lips as she thought of Jojo who had apologised for not seeing Fleur’s family off this morning. She had to take her own Mother to see her grandmother who had fallen in the yard earlier that morning.

A quizzical expression countered the worried one Karen Adams had portrayed seconds before. “Oh yes, should there be something you’re not telling me?”

Laughing at the unusual expression, she gave her mother a wink and wicked grin, “Oh yeah, absolutely! I’ll tell you what, when you get back I might have wonderful news.”

“Really, why not tell me now?” Karen persisted once she saw the warm glow that her daughter emitted. Something she had missed because she’d been too involved in her own sadness over Bradley.

“Because it hasn’t happened yet.” The door opened to the room and Grayson came forward with a smile.

“The taxi is here, Karen, time to go. You take care, Fleur, and we’ll call you when we land in Switzerland.”

“You’d better!” Fleur kissed the man and gave him a reassuring glance. He was a pillar of strength, but sometimes pillar’s themselves needed someone to lean on.

“Take care, Fleur.” Grayson took Karen’s arm and led her gently away. As they were about to shut the door, Fleur called to them softly.

“He’s going to be well, I know it.” The couple turned back and gave her a smile nodding their heads in agreement as they left. Bradley was already in the taxi. He and Fleur had said their farewells at breakfast and didn’t want the tears or the fuss and she understood that. Ribbing him gently that boys don’t cry, he’d smiled at her then admitted sometimes they did.

She watched the taxi leave the driveway heading on the journey that would confirm one way or the other if Bradley would live beyond the limited time the doctors here suggested. Her mind then turned to Joanna. Fortunately, the indications were that her grandmother was severely shaken, but hadn’t broken anything. They were going to check up and see for themselves, even if the stubborn old woman didn’t want them to attend to her. A lot of Joanna’s traits she’d noticed in her grandmother and it wasn’t a surprise that they actually got on so well. They were both so sure of what they wanted and how to go about it...that was until last night. A warm sensual feeling began flooding her body at the kisses she’d enjoyed in her friend’s arms. So much so that she had to shake her head of the increasingly salacious thoughts or she would be unable to work today.

Walking towards her desk she flipped through her mail and picked up the envelope that had arrived by courier from Trigon Records. Great, the review of the awards ceremony, she and Joanna had talked briefly about the event, but hadn’t gone in depth. She expected that they would when they went away for a few days. At least she could have a heads up on what the critics thought. She knew her friend wouldn’t tell her much in that department; she was very un-conceited in that area. Not like some she had come across, Tandy being one of them, so full of themselves and their talent.

Picking up the envelope, she ripped open the strip and photos and a blurb landed on the desk. She picked up the blurb and glanced down at the first photos, they made her smile. She saw Joanna trying desperately not to be bored sitting at the table.  Reading the leaflet she grinned at the praise, especially the part about Joanna’s contribution. The critic must have been taken with her friend, shame she was taken. The glow began again as she drifted into a sensual haze at the mere image of her friend. Her fingers picked up the photos and flicked over them until finding the ones that interested her most; those could only be the ones with Joanna in them. Her eyes caught on one that had been taken with her and the younger singer, presumably during the duet. Joanna was happy you could see it in her expressions as she strummed the guitar. Another when she was singing, when the singer was involved in her music it spoke volumes as nothing else could about the woman and the real love of her life. Hard to compete with she knew, but she wasn’t in there to compete with it, she was there to share it and watch her friend rise to the heady heights of success she deserved. The phone rang as she began to pursue the rest of the photos.

“Hi.” Fleur’s breath caught in her mouth when she heard the voice of the woman, who was constantly on her mind; speak at the other end of the phone.

“Hi, yourself, how’s your Gran?” Her attention was totally on the singer, the photos discarded on her desk forgotten for the moment.

A deep chuckle answered, “You know Gran, she’s fine. A little shaken and Mom actually stood up to her for a change, it was awesome.”

“I bet it was, how are you today?” Fleur asked softly, her voice dropping into a sexy drawl. Not that she knew that, but if she had seen Joanna’s face she might have got a clue.

Jojo gulped at the comment crossing her legs in reaction. She was in real trouble here if a simple enquiry could get her going, “Good, what about you?”

“I’m a little sad that I couldn’t go with the rest of the family, but I have compensations.”

Jojo didn’t mistake the information her friend was conveying, “Can you be ready to leave at lunch?”

She smiled stupidly at the phone cradled close to her cheek. This was ridiculous she felt like a teenager, “Yes, what do I need to pack?”

Jojo really wanted to answer that with as little as possible refraining from making the crass comment. “We’re going to a cabin in the hills. It’s still reasonable weather, but you’ll need a jacket for the evening, do you like hiking?”

“Oh yeah, love it.” Maybe she was being a little too enthusiastic. Hiking wasn’t a pastime she’d ever really indulged in before, however for Joanna, she’d climb Mount Everest if the woman asked her.

“Great, I’ll pick you up at noon, be ready.”

“I’ll be ready, hope you are.” Fleur heard the sexy laughter at the other end. Oh yeah, was she ready!

“See you later, bye, Fleur...oh and I love you.” The phone went dead before Fleur was able to collect her scattered thoughts. All other things became lost in the tornado her mind had churned up at the words.

Joanna loved her!

The door opened and Sybil popped her head around the door, “Have you time to speak with the contractor?”

“Yeah, sure, I’ll be right out.” She responded picking up the discarded photos. She’d look at them later. She slipped them back into the envelope and dropped them into her desk drawer.

~ ~ ~

Their meeting at noon had been an anti-climax to the feeling they had both been experiencing during the morning in anticipation of the trip. As Jojo arrived to collect Fleur, she’d become embroiled in signing autographs for a few of the guys who were working on the renovations in the hotel. Fleur had looked on with a smug expression on her face as she retrieved her belongings for the mini-trip as well as giving Sybil last minute instructions and where she could be reached in a dire emergency.

Jojo finally extricated herself from the enthusiastic contractors giving them a brilliant smile of farewell as she finally climbed into the four-wheel vehicle she’d hired for the trip, and with an apologetic grin to her friend, drove away from the hotel.  For the next hour, while they fought the flow of traffic out of New York, they remained in a companionable silence until Jojo turned to her friend and gave her a warm smile.

“I’m looking forward to this break, Fleur. It seems like ages since we spent any time together alone.”

Fleur’s breath caught in her throat sure that when she replied it would show her hyped up emotions. “I know exactly what you mean. Where exactly are we going?”

Chuckling at the question Jojo winked and wagged her finger, “I thought you deserved a surprise...if you don’t mind?”

Unable to stop the beat of her heart’s increasing tempo, she looked down at her hands clasped together. What she could do with right now was holding onto something and although her wildest dreams would be the singer, the steering wheel right now would help. “Not at all, want me to drive as well?”

Smiling warmly at the offer, Jojo shook her head, “No, you drive me around enough. I thought I’d show you another of my skills, I can drive.”

“Never doubted it, lo...Joanna.” Holding back the need to speak in a more familiar term.

Fleur began to ask about the award ceremony and what had happened. At first Joanna was tentative but then opened up and clearly described the event.

“Tandy must be riding on cloud nine at the moment with all those accolades.” Fleur remarked absently.

For a split second Jojo wondered if her friend knew anything about what had happened at the party afterwards...no way. It hadn’t been in any publication that she’d seen that morning. She had purposely gone to the newsstand and looked over all the music and entertainment press. Anything, in fact, that had any reference to the award ceremony. Frank, who ran the stand, was about to strangle her for messing up his merchandise, but she’d known him all her life. She had bought her first comic from him when she was five years old. Anyway, she’d given him a handsome bonus for the privilege. “Yeah, I guess, didn’t really see much of her afterwards.”

Fleur gave her a long look. There was a tentative tone in the answer, was her friend trying to hide something from her? No, they had gone way past that in their friendship these days. “Didn’t Jack make you stay for the party?” She asked knowing that the producer wouldn’t let the singer off the hook that easily. Appearances were what made an entertainer, even if they were loaded with talent as her friend was.

“You know me and Jack too well. Does he know that you can read his mind? He’d be even more worried when you negotiate on my behalf in the future.” Smiling as she negotiated a steep bend taking them towards the mountain ranges and the cabin she’d arranged for them.

Fleur laughed at the thought though she had to admit Jack was pretty transparent in his dealings with her in regards to the singer. She often wondered if he was like that with everyone. Probably why his business had needed a silent partner with money. “We shall keep that a secret between the two of us I think. Can’t have Jack getting the upper hand, I have your interests to look after remember.”

“Oh, I know that and let me tell you, there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t thank God that you do look after my interests. Thank you, Fleur.”

The words touched her deeply. She stared out at the beautiful scenery while a warm glow made her feel at rest and peaceful with the world. This was going to be a marvellous time and if God really was being good to them, then by the time they left this vacation, who knows, they might be a couple...a romantic couple. She could hope anyway.

Half an hour later they pulled up outside a beautifully restored log cabin. It had a wonderful deck that looked out onto the lake, which was teeming with various bird life and glorious vegetation. “Oh, Joanna, it’s beautiful!” Fleur breathed out her pleasure and opened her door jumping out of the vehicle stumbling, but not enough to fall. Although Jojo did smile indulgently at the younger woman who rushed towards the cabin while she climbed out slowly collecting their possessions and walking towards her friend. This was an excellent start to what she hoped would be the start of a wonderful new phase of their partnership in what she hoped would be the rest of their lives.

“You like it?” the grin was tolerant, as one would be with a child. The smaller woman’s reaction reminded her of a child. Jojo’s eyes glowed in pleasure then she was suddenly engulfed in a suffocating hug that gave her the answer she wanted.

“I guess you do, I’m glad.” Jojo’s voice was muffed as she drank on the wondrous feeling of having Fleur held tightly in her arms. It was so right, so very right.

“I love you, Joanna. When I think you can’t surprise me anymore, you do just that.” Fleur turned glittering eyes to her friend and was swamped with the emotion that gathered force in her body when their gazes met. Was it getting hotter, because she was...steaming, at least that’s how she felt?

“I love you too, Fleur.” The whispered words floated between them as they continued to gaze deeply into each other’s eyes. There was no doubt that they both felt the same way, but which one had the courage to take it that next steps forward.

Lips hovered a fraction of an inch away from the kiss that they both wanted so badly, but just as they were about to meet, they heard a clearing of a voice from the side of their vehicle.

“Sorry to disturb you, young un’s. I wanted to check that you have everything before I go?” A man of about fifty with a grizzled face covered in a brown beard with streaks of grey running through it asked gruffly.

Jojo all of a sudden became protective of Fleur again. Who was this guy and why was here? “Who are you?”

At the tone, the old man gave a long stare with a piercing gaze taking in her protective stance towards her friend. He pulled at his whiskers for a few seconds before he replied equably. “You Lackerly?”

“Yes!”

“I’m Chandler, this is my cabin, and we talked on the phone.” The man waited for the penny to drop and saw a look of relief pass over her face when she realised who he was.

“Hi, sorry, wasn’t sure if anyone would be here to greet us.” Jojo walked down the steps towards the man her hand held out.

“No problem. I’ve set up the logs for the fire and if you don’t want that, there is the modern heater on the wall.” He said the last scathingly. Obviously he preferred the traditional means of heat.

“Great, thanks.” Jojo smiled at the man then turned back to Fleur who was peering inside the cabin, her eyes like saucers.

“My goodness, Joanna, you should see this place!” Her awe clearly defined in her voice.

Chuckling at her friend, “Looks like you’ve won her over and that’s the main thing.” Jojo turned back to the man who gave her an odd look and then smiled slowly.

“Yep, seems that way. My numbers is on the refrigerator. If you get into any difficulties, I can be here within the hour.” He turned away and left as silently as he arrived.

“Thanks,” the singer replied then moved towards the cabin following Fleur inside and quickly becoming as enchanted as her friend. It had all the traditional adornments, but just as equally the modern conveniences to make it as luxuriously easy a weekend as you wanted it and she wanted that, oh yes she did. There were definitely better things to do with their time, if she was lucky.

“Joanna, we have everything we could possibly want here, it’s marvellous.” Fleur enthused as she opened the fridge. Her eyes goggled at the produce inside including a bottle of champagne chilling alongside several bottles of other wine.

Walking over to the blonde she peered inside and grinned as she thought of sharing the champagne with her friend. Not that she needed the intoxication. Being this close to Fleur was making her feel drunk and she was as sober as hell. Her nose picked up the faint traces of the woman’s perfume as she rested her chin on the smaller woman’s shoulder, “Is it too early to open that, do you think?”

Fleur felt Joanna’s nearness and was sure her friend could feel her heart racing. She must, the singer’s hearing was very sensitive. Turning slightly so they were facing each other, the singer’s face was as close as they had been outside on the deck. Mesmerised once more at their closeness, Fleur decided that this time she really did need that kiss and tentatively placed her lips on those of her friend’s. As she did so, the spark that had always been between them ignited to a flame that seared them together forever!

For the next few minutes they indulged in the wonder of the moment and crazy sensual emotions that whizzed around in both their bodies. Finally Jojo pulled away resting her head on Fleur’s forehead. “I love you, Fleur, I needed you to know that.”

A beautiful smile was initially her answer as they indulged in another long hot passionate kiss, “I love you, Joanna, and I always have. I think from the first moment I saw you.”

Both women had tears in their eyes, not of sorrow but deep joy. They kissed again then decided that they needed to talk. Collecting their belongings, Jojo hesitated when she opened one of the bedroom doors. Should she place them both here or...but decided it was best to have their talk before she took that step, it might be too early.

“I’ll make us a snack, you open the champagne.” Fleur called out loudly when she saw the hesitation then smiling as Joanna placed her things in the room then went to the second bedroom and put her own things inside.

“Great idea, I’m starving.” Jojo grinned. She felt the easy camaraderie they always had no matter the tension between them. Even way back when they had first met, it was uncanny, but wonderful all the same.

Ten minutes later toasting the vacation and eating the snack food Fleur had found, they sat close together on the sofa. Unable to resist the temptation, Jojo placed her arm around the smaller woman’s shoulder and they settled together as close as possible on the sofa. Talking about insignificant things initially, Fleur made the first breakthrough when she whispered that she had loved Joanna for a long time now and that that was the reason she had left Danvers on the bus with her. Jojo smiled tenderly when she heard the confession and wondered how she could have been so blind. But, blind she had been in many ways and had almost made a major mistake.

“Did you love him, Joanna?” Fleur asked having always wanted to know the truth about her friend and Lee Weston. It had niggled away at her for a long time now. Shuffling uncomfortably for a few moments, Jojo settled back and sighed heavily.

“I thought I did, but now I know it couldn’t have been.”

Holding her breath and closing her eyes for a fraction, Fleur asked the only question she could that was important. “Why is that?”

Fleur felt the strong arms tighten around her and a tender kiss on the top of her head, “Because I know what it feels like to love you and believe me, everything and every other emotion pales into insignificance. I now know what love is and I have you to thank for that, Fleur. As God is my witness, I’ll love you for the rest of my life.”

Once again turning to stare at the singer who had opened her heart and laid it bare for her to do with as she chose and knowing the power it gave her. Fleur felt even more humble as she revelled in the emotion of being so important to the singer. This wasn’t going to be a short affair and Joanna would not grow tired of her, this was for keeps. “I’m honoured you feel that way, Joanna, because I don’t know what I’d do without you in my life, I love you so much!”

Tears chose that moment to appear and Jojo took the opportunity to kiss them gently away whispering words of love as she did so. Soon, they were entangled in a passionate embrace that wouldn’t be broken until they had fulfilled each other’s desires to the fullest.

~ ~ ~

“Anyone ever tell you that you are the sexiest woman in the world?”

“Hardly! Joanna, you are something else.” Fleur’s laughter caused a tingling sensation in Jojo’s body as she watched the woman standing watching the birds glide over the lake.

“I’m in love, indulge me.” Placing her longer arms around the smaller woman’s waist and hugging her close. This was like a fantastic dream that you didn’t ever want to end. If they were lucky it wouldn’t, not for them.

“Anytime, love, anytime. What shall we do today?” Fleur looked up and kissed her new lover’s chin.

“Whatever you want, I’m completely at your disposal.”

Turning so that they faced each other, Fleur grinned wolfishly, “Really...completely?”

“Yeah, for the rest of my life if you want.”

The words spoken softly had that tone about them that meant exactly what Joanna was offering her...a total commitment...and she was at a loss for words.

“Too much for you?” Grinning at the startled amazed look in her lover’s eyes.

“I...I...”

Swooping in to take a light passionate kiss, Jojo laughed heartily, “I...want. That’s all you have to say, darling.” Winking wickedly at her friend who went a bright red as she realised how goofy she looked.

“I want you, Joanna Lackerly, forever.” There, she’d said it. They both lost themselves once more in kisses that had them sinking to the ground at the overwhelming sensations it created within them. Another word was insatiable, but who cared.

An hour later, sated for the moment, a larger hand trailed gentle caresses over small perfectly formed breasts partially bared from their previous lovemaking. They enjoyed the sun and tranquillity of the area and the feeling that for the moment the world was made up of just the two of them.

“Do you think it will always be like this?” Fleur asked her voice tremulous. She moved to rest her body invitingly on top of her lover’s relishing the chance to stare, without embarrassment, at the ample breasts of the singer. She recalled doing the same thing back in Danvers a long, long time ago and the same emotions she felt then had now multiplied a thousand fold, but now she knew what it was. Her lips then gave the voluptuous globes her full attention.

A low moan escaped Jojo as she felt the caress and then was lost in the reaction.  Eventually strangling out a reply, “We’ll make it so, Fleur, I promise.”

Unable to leave the delicious breasts that she feasted on, her hand trailed down to the singer’s trousers, which were undone from their previous encounter. Fingers quickly found their mark feeling the soft curls and Fleur revelled in the moans from her love at her touch. Before long, they were lost inside each other, conversation not required on this journey of discovery.

~ ~ ~

Jojo watched Fleur checking everything over for the tenth time before satisfied. Fleur finally looked at her lover and smiled announcing, “All tidy. Just as when we arrived.”

Laughing at the comment, Jojo shook her head at the woman. “Fleur, trust me, no one will care how we leave it. It’s the same as a hotel, you pay your dues and that’s the end of it.”

Scowling at the sentiment, Fleur gave the woman she loved a hard stare. “You forget my first love is the hotel business.”

Unable to stop herself Jojo felt her stomach move in laughter, but tried desperately to stop it. Placing a hand on the blonde’s arm they stared at each other willing the other to give in, neither did. “Did anyone tell you that you were stubborn?”

“Would anyone dare?”

Giggling like a schoolgirl, Jojo gently lifted her lover’s face and snatched a kiss. “Never! I thought maybe I’d replaced your first love.”

Fleur knew she was being teased as she glimpsed the devilment in Joanna’s eyes. How she loved this woman and most importantly, how great it was that they could do this with only the boundaries of love as an obstacle...though love had no boundary, did it. Reaching up to caress the lines around her lover’s face she smiled tenderly, “There is nothing that means as much to me as you do, Joanna. You’re a part of me for the rest of my life and am I glad that you found me.”

For a split second Jojo considered the situation, would she want it any other way? All the freedom and money she ever wanted, any person she wanted too, nothing to stop her. Could she be faithful? Could she be the person that for the last four days had taken over her life? Could she?

“I have only one thing to say love. Please love me no matter what happens because I never want to let you go...ever!”

Fleur smiled and kissed Joanna deeply knowing that this was the real thing, whatever that meant.

“I don’t care what happened before, you’re mine now and I know it.”

Jojo smiled wryly while turning her face away a little hoping that was the truth. It should be. She hadn’t done anything wrong in her life for a long time now, since Fleur had come into her life, her heart and mind for once agreeable.

“I’m glad because I’d die if you ever forgot.”

“Never going to happen, Joanna, never...trust me.” They collapsed into an embrace that made everything pale into comparison. This was the truth; nothing could change that, nothing.

~ ~ ~

The hotel interior looked great and all the regular customers appeared to welcome the facelift of the old building. Strange what a little paint and tender loving care did to a place...a person come to that. She had to admit the time alone with Joanna had not only heightened her senses to the singer whenever she was around, but also made her realise that the love she felt for her could only get better. They’d been in the city for a week and Joanna was being pressed by Jack to travel back to Nashville, he wanted her to cut the duet with Tandy as soon as possible. As usual, her lover had been less than enthusiastic, but after a long discussion, she’d agreed to go back tomorrow insisting she would be back at the weekend.

Fleur had known that was a bravado statement. Once she was back in the studio it would be hard to prize her away and why would she want to, that was Joanna’s passion second to her she hoped, but certainly they held equal footing these days. She recalled the morning events of waking up in the tender embrace of the singer who was wide-awake watching the gentle breeze billow the filmy curtains at the window. Making love was a desire that both had been unable to quench whenever they had the privacy and lying in bed in her private rooms in the hotel served the purpose in many ways. A smirk she was unable to prevent flashed across her face just as the door to the office opened.

“Dare I ask what you were thinking about, Fleur Danvers?” Jojo grinned wickedly seeing the smirk on her lover’s face. She had a good idea why too. It was happening to her too often at the most embarrassing times. Take this morning, when she’d gone to her parent’s apartment and sat with her mother discussing family and friends, the dopiest expression must have come across her face because she then had to explain that ‘Aunt’ Marge’s gall bladder operation wasn’t something to laugh at.

A stunning smile was her reward. Shutting the door behind her she stood on the other side of the tidy desk winking suggestively at the smaller woman who burst out laughing at the action. “You’re bad to the bone, Joanna, have I told you that before?" Fleur stood up and quickly enfolded the taller woman in a loving welcome followed by a long indulgent kiss that made both catch their breaths at the emotion it brought.

“Nope, you never have, other’s might have, but...”

Giving the woman a close look, she tipped her head on one side and asked, “But?”

“Never for the same reasons as you probably do.” Smirking at the slowly dawning expression then gently being cuffed on the chin for her teasing.

“Time for lunch, dear?” Still smiling broadly her heart fluttered as she wondered if lunch might be a long affair. Affair, hmm, what a nice thought.

Giving the singer an apologetic glance she shrugged her shoulders. “Can’t, Joanna, Mom is calling anytime with the news. She left me an email message to be around at lunchtime, sorry.”

“No worries, love,” just then the phone rang and Fleur rushed around the desk to answer it giving her lover a mouthed apology for the interruption.

Jojo had an idea and waving her hand at the blonde, who was engrossed in conversation, not with her family by the sound of it, left the room.

Five minutes later Fleur had completed her call from the main contractor who was asking about his money. Fortunately, she had the payment ready for him, but was disappointed that Joanna had left so hurriedly. Oh well, maybe she had someplace else to go. She sank down to the chair and opened the drawer to her desk seeing the envelope that contained the award ceremony photos. As good a time as any to check them over at least until her mom called.

Flicking over them she smiled at several. Jack looked very handsome dressed up to the nines and wondered if he had a wife or partner. The man was cagey about his personal life though who wouldn’t be in that business. She pulled a face when she saw one of Tandy smiling winningly for the camera. She was one confident and showy cookie that one. God help anyone who ever got involved...

The rest of the photos splayed out like an unwanted deck of cards onto her desk as she lifelessly held one photo in her hand. Her mind falling like a stream over a waterfall...this was a fake! It had to be! Joanna wouldn’t have been seen like this in public, especially with her! The picture screamed to her that it was all wrong, but clearly both women appeared to be enjoying the clinch. How could Joanna not mention this to her, especially now? Didn’t she think it was worth mentioning? Of course it was. It had far reaching consequences if the media blew it out of proportion and started labelling the singer. Not to mention it had a profound effect on her too!

She whispered into the empty room as an errant tear trickled down her cheek. She wondered if the situation with Joanna was temporary. She’d always said that love wasn’t for her and none of her relationships had ever worked. Could this be the reason why, she wasn’t faithful? God, had she been a fool to believe that the singer wanted her and only her in her life? She had, hadn’t she...she was a fool.

As her mind played scenarios with her fragile feelings and the insecurities of old resurfaced, the phone rang once more and she picked it up abstractly. “Hello.”

“Fleur? Is that you, Fleur?” Karen Adams asked quickly her voice holding a tone of excitement. Immediately Fleur pushed down her overwhelming need to strangle Joanna for not telling her about this picture so she could listen to her mother.

“Yeah, mom, how are you? And Bradley, what’s the score?” Fleur refused to allow her tangled emotions to transmit over to her mother. She didn’t have time for this right now Bradley was the most important one at the moment.

The door to her office opened and Jojo walked confidently back in the room, her arms full of sandwiches and snacks along with a couple of Starbucks coffees they both enjoyed.

Glancing up at the intrusion, Fleur melted all over again as she came face to face with the woman who held her heart and could crush it so easily. “My mom.” Fleur informed the singer who grinned then sat down on the chair opposite her friend and carefully opened up the impromptu lunch offerings.

“Is Joanna with you?”

“Yes, she’s brought me lunch and by the looks of things, dinner too. You should see the stuff she’s brought in.” It was hard to do anything but smile as she heard her mother laugh at the idea of a mountain of food. Sure enough the singer knew Fleur’s appetite well enough.

“Fleur, we have some news.”

“Good news?” sitting closer to the desk as she pulled the receiver into her cheek.

“Cautious good news. The specialist says there may be a chance that Bradley can be helped.”

“Cautious? Mom what does that mean, he either can or can’t?”

“Don’t be so black and white, Fleur. Some things are more complicated than others and in your brother’s case, that’s a fact. The treatment he plans will take about a year, but already Brad’s picking up and looks much better than when he left New York. They have a blood cleansing treatment that has removed the toxins that were killing him. The next step is to work out how to stop them from coming back.”

“Mom, that’s wonderful! That means Bradley has a good chance of enjoying a normal life?” Fleur was excited. Her eyes sparkled and her voice picked up the tempo as she rushed on.

Jojo, her heart feeling light from what she had heard so far from the one-sided conversation, gazed at the love of her life looking happier than she had when she had first walked through the door. Fleur must have been fretting over taking the call, but things looked like they were getting better all round. As she half listened to the conversation, her eyes strayed to the photos on the desk and leisurely picked a few up. Wonder where Fleur got these? While picking up them up, Fleur pushed the one offending photo, which attempted to crush her world into little pieces, towards her. She glanced at the smaller woman whose eyes held a question. Glancing at the photo quickly, she blinked rapidly when she saw the evidence of that stupid situation at the party stick a finger in the air to her. Leaning back in her chair she sighed heavily and closed her eyes. This had to happen now, didn’t it? Just when she thought everything was finally coming together for her and for once in her life a relationship was going to work out, a spanner gets pushed in the works.

Fleur completed her call with a hasty goodbye since the phone disconnected at the other end. Phone cards were great, but could be awkward when they ran out unexpectedly, as her Mom’s had. Never mind. She now knew what was happening and it was all good news. Next up, what of her lover and could she explain herself or was this picture the black and white situation it appeared to be.

“Do you want to tell me what this is all about?” Crossing her arms over her chest and wishing she were someplace else, Fleur waited for the answer. She would be unable to eat the delicious food in front of her until she knew one way or the other what she meant to Joanna.

Instead of being suitably embarrassed and apologetic about the situation, Jojo became angry. What was this, a trial? The tone and stance of her lover indicated that she had done something wrong and she hadn’t! “Do I need to explain anything? It was a party and people get carried away.”

Swallowing hard at the comment, Fleur didn’t know what to say to that. She was being driven by jealousy much like the time she had left the singer before, when she was engaged. Was this going to happen a second time around? “I guess not.”

Jojo listened to the clipped voice of her friend. Okay, she had been stupid not to mention that the kiss happened, although she had no idea that Fleur would find out this way. She would have told her...eventually; if she remembered, or it was important. It just hadn’t been important, not to her. Tandy was a kid and couldn’t hold a candle to Fleur in anything. “Good, what’s the deal with Brad?”

Fleur, having heard that tone before, gave the singer a long hard stare. That was Joanna’s way of saying the subject was ended, but was it. Should she dare let it go and leave it to simmer in the background of their relationship? Not this time!

“Tell me one thing, please, Joanna. Do you love me?” The singer shook her head slowly as she shrugged her shoulders unable to comprehend why Fleur thought she didn’t. Hadn’t they shown each other exactly how much in the last couple of weeks?

Standing up Jojo walked towards her lover, a small smile on her face and an unfathomable expression in her eyes. Kneeling beside her friend, she took the slender smaller hand in hers and stared unflinchingly into the woman’s eyes. “I love you, want you, need you and most important of all, I will NOT cheat on you!”

Gulping back a sob of happiness Fleur flung her arms around her lover and whispered incoherently into her ear. The situation put Jojo off balance making her fall backwards dragging Fleur with her and collapsing onto the floor in a heap. Both women were laughing at how ridiculous this would look if anyone came into the room. Staring deep into Fleur’s eyes, Jojo’s filled with happiness along with a dangerously smouldering look just beneath the surface. “Have you ever thought about making out on the floor?”

A chuckle and red-cheeked response was her answer. Jojo kissed the woman lying on top of her with deep tender passion. “We can’t, Joanna, not here. Someone might come in.” She struggled a little to extricate herself from the strong, but loving arms that held her, that after a playful time allowed her to move away without a problem.

Sitting up, she grinned wickedly while Fleur stood over her offering her a hand to get up. “Someone might come that’s true, another time perhaps.”

Unable to stop the flush from returning to her cheeks, Fleur shook her head as she smiled wickedly, “Perhaps.”

Standing beside her lover Jojo looked towards the food on the desk, “Can I interest you in a little light lunch instead?” she asked with an exaggerated wave towards the fare on the wooden table.

Giggling at the gesture, “Light lunch? Joanna, there’s enough there for five people not two.” She exclaimed relaxing and allowing the destructive thoughts to dissipate for good. After all, she had the real thing and all Tandy had been a photo, no contest. Picking up the offending photo she tore it into the smallest of shreds and with a satisfied grin on her face, tossed it into the bin, much to Jojo’s amusement and relief.

“Got to keep my girl well fed, can’t have anyone thinking I neglect her. Now tell me, what’s the situation with young Brad?”

~ ~ ~

Standing and watching Joanna perform her latest hit on stage from the side lines, Fleur couldn’t help but feel enormously proud of her and all she had achieved since they met that incredible fateful day in Danvers over four years before. They’d had their ups and downs as most people do. Perhaps theirs wasn’t exactly the conventional ones, but they’d seen the good and bad sides of each other’s characters. Perhaps that was the wrong term, their human failings would be better and they both had those as everyone did at times. Because of the business they were in, the situations became exaggerated, but they would cope because they cared about each other on every possible level.

The first few weeks of their flourishing love for each other had been strange in many ways. At first they decided to keep it private. Not even telling their closest family, but who could have kept it from Joanna’s family, especially her grandmother, who after the initial shock, had been interestingly enough their staunchest supporter. Then again, it could have been because her lover’s father had doubts, which Joanna had inadvertently mentioned one day, about them settling down as a family unit instead of roaming the world. She hadn’t known if Joanna had sown that seed on purpose because she knew how her grandmother might react, it worked whatever strategy she’d decided on. Her own mother had welcomed Joanna into the family with open arms. She knew what it meant to be in love and have obstacles in the way of that love succeeding. Anyway, as she put it, there were other more important issues in the world than petty squabbles over same gender love.

As the song on stage became wistful in melody, so Fleur’s mind did too, her thoughts on the sale of the hotel. When her family had arrived back from Switzerland, it was only to sell up and embark on the long and expensive road of treatment for her brother. That had been six months ago and the sale had been finalised a few days earlier. All she knew was that an unknown company had purchased the building and nothing more was known. A part of her felt sad at the hotel being sold, but as she had found out in Danvers, it was another opportunity to sample another life. In this case, it was going to go towards saving her brother’s.

Jack had been a pillar of strength when they admitted their love. He agreed that for the moment they should take a private view on it, he was grateful they had told him, especially if the press caught hold of the story and decided to make a big thing of it. Fortunately for them, Tandy was making bigger waves in her own world. She had a whirlwind affair with a roadie on tour and ended up marrying him and divorcing him within the month. The kid was running at full throttle into every experience she could and although she knew Joanna had a soft spot for the girl, it was her desire to see the girl didn’t make the same mistakes she had when she had first started out. The evidence was that Tandy would make her own mistakes, at least she knew Joanna was there if she needed her.

That of course left them!

Crashing applause followed the song as it ended and she smiled. Her lover would be finished in a few minutes and they could go home and indulge in...well the singer was always hyped up after a concert and she had lots of restless energy to expunge.

“Hey, Fleur, are you in a daydream? Our girl wants you on the stage.” Pete tells her pushing her towards the stage area. What was going on, she never went on stage...ever!

“Ah, there she is. Come on out here, Fleur, the folks out here are dying to meet you.” Jojo grinned winningly at her manager, best friend and most important of all...lover.

Unable to do anything else but slip out on the stage, she was amazed as the crowd applauded and wolf whistled her. Wait until Joanna got home, she was in big trouble this time.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I met this lady a while back and she is the other half of what makes Jojo Lackerly the woman she is today. If you will indulge me, I have a song especially for her.”

Eyes bulging in surprise, she was mesmerised by the singer’s coaxing eyes, which gently led her to sit on the stool next to her while she whispered three words to her, “I love you.” She knew the surprised look was replaced by a goofy smile. God what love did to you.

From the tips of your ears, fingers and toes there’s a map I have of you
All of you with every breath and beat of your heart
Watching you shake your head then that smile, which is just for me
Someplace deep inside I’ll be waiting and together we know
No matter how long it takes you will be mine completely, loving you for eternity, improbable protector of my heart

Your clothes peel off as you take a shower
My eyes wonder at the sight relishing every splash
Deliciously exciting, demanding my attention
I’m amazed at your power you take me ensnaring me in your tower
No matter how long it takes you will be mine completely, loving you for eternity, improbable protector of my heart

Sometimes the road is rough it takes us to the far side
Darkness might greet us on the way
Love never leaves me behind now that you are part of my heart
Luminosity invades like a brilliant star scorching me inside with your light
No matter how long it takes you will be mine completely, loving you for eternity, improbable protector of my heart

Echoes of loneliness can invade recalling times and other ways
Now I know for sure that you are here to accompany me through all my days
No longer lonely but filled with tender love to share
No false promises can ever be good enough for you
No matter how long it takes you will be mine completely, loving you for eternity, improbable protector of my heart

Take your time now darling as you watch me leave for a time
Because you know I’ll be back
No one can ever replace you in my heart and the love we share
In every way in any way I’ll not let anyone take you away
What I feel is real and will last eternally
No matter how long it takes you will be mine completely, loving you for eternity, improbable protector of my heart

As the final chords of Jojo’s guitar completed the segment, she bent towards Fleur, “All yours, love.”

Fleur was unable to do more than stutter. Did Joanna know what she was doing, that was a love song!

“I...I can’t believe you did that, are you mad?”

Grinning wickedly she shouted above the applause, “Yeah for you, do you mind?”

Shaking her head she dropped down from the stool and gave her partner a long-suffering look as she left the stage.

Pete was watching from the wings with a big smile on his face. Walking towards him, she glared half-heartedly at him. “Did you know she was going to do that?”

“Tell the world she loved ya?”

Embarrassed at the good-natured way he said what she was thinking, “I guess.”

“Nope, but she sure pulled it off. Next best thing to a proposal in this business I’d say.” He grinned at her and left the area as she bemusedly watched the love of her life give a final encore.

~ ~ ~

Snuggling into the well-muscled shoulder of her lover, Fleur reflected on what had happened last night. After the concert, reporters had plagued Joanna and she hadn’t gotten away from the skirmish either. They had repeatedly been asked if anything was going on between them, but both had declined to comment fuelling the situation even more. They’d called Jack to tell him what had happened and he had said not to worry, he’d handle the press.

After that she had stood and watched the singer pour them a drink, snatch a few sandwiches from the refrigerator and settle into the large sofa. Then Joanna looked directly at her with a puzzled expression on her face wondering why she hadn’t settled in next to her.

“Am I in trouble? Last time you looked like that it was over that photo of me and Tandy.” Jojo laconically asked as she bit into a snack being ravenous after the performance.

Fleur sometimes wondered about her friend. She didn’t always see past what she thought was okay and giving little regard to what others felt. “I was surprised at you, that’s all, I hate being made a public fool.” There, it was out. She’d felt like that when she’d had time to get her riotous thoughts under control.

“What!” startled at the comment Jojo pushed away the food and drinks and stood up walking over to her lover unable to comprehend the situation. Had she done that, made a fool of Fleur? It certainly wasn’t what she had in mind, far from it.

“Joanna, I’m not like you. I hate the limelight, you know that!” Fleur stood her ground because she knew if the singer kissed her, she would lose her powers of deduction and go to pieces. Sensual pieces...incredibly pleasurable pieces, but pieces all the same.

Mulling over the sentiment Jojo realised that she’d made a mistake. It was true, Fleur preferred to be in the background, but she wanted, no needed to let the world know how important the blonde was in her life, so important she wrote songs about her and for her. They might not be able to do the conventional stuff heterosexual couples did, but at least she could shout it or sing it, in her case from the rooftops. “I wanted the world to know I love you. I’m sorry it didn’t sit right with you, Fleur.”

The words tinged with sadness sent a simple yet powerful message to her heart, “Was this your way of proposing to me?” Recalling Pete’s observation of earlier that evening.

Both women looked at each other and the glum expression on Jojo’s face cleared up as she smiled brilliantly, “I couldn’t have put it better myself. Do you have an answer for me?”

Fleur stepped towards the singer and tenderly traced the lines around her lips that the smile created, “I love you no matter what and if you need an answer then there can only be one, yes.” Flinging her arms around the taller woman who held her tightly as they deeply kissed igniting the passion immediately.

Several minutes later they breathlessly parted. Jojo swung Fleur up into her arms and strode purposefully towards their bedroom. “Don’t you want to eat first?”

“Hmmm, sure. I have a wonderful appetiser in my arms right now that is waiting for me to take my pleasure and...” The gurgle of sexual pleasure left Fleur’s throat, as she knew exactly what that meant.

“And?” She asked while wickedly teasing her lover by placing delicate tiny kisses along her collarbone and neck.

“And eating her might be an option.” They both laughed as they landed on the bed and made love until dawn.

Now, as she felt the tender stroking of the larger hand on her abdomen, she marvelled at how life can change and bring so much happiness into it. She was happy, so very much that sometimes it was hard to take and her heart felt like bursting.

“Want to share what you’re thinking?” Joanna’s voice rumbled softly up from her chest as Fleur lay there contentedly.

“How did you know I was awake?”

“Easy, your breathing changed. You forget, my love, I have sensitive ears and they are very, very sensitive with regards to you.” The hand that had been doing a circular movement over her stomach now teased her by caressing the underside of her breast. Damn it, but Joanna could turn her on in a second.

“Oh, just about us and how happy I am.” Fleur moved slightly so that she could partially see Joanna’s face.

“I’m glad you’re happy because I know I sure am and it’s all because of you.”

Giggling at the comment, Fleur countered with, “No, please, it’s all because of you.”

“Oh, no, please, it’s all because of you, my love.” For several minutes they traded like for like until the passion that they held in check bubbled over and they found that making love was far better than trading metaphors.

As their passion ignited to a flame, improbable protectors went about their work...protecting and nourishing a love that had grown from an improbable meeting.

Anything in life was possible!

The End

your call of course…and it won’t do the new record release any harm. Promise me if at any time you decide you’ve had enough, let me know, we will work it out, okay?”

Jojo knew he would do exactly that if he had to for he had a compassionate nature that refused to allow him to feed off others. He was a true gentleman.

“How would it be if I did the world tour and then had a three month vacation for real?”

Looking her over, Jack knew she needed more than a break. Jojo needed to find the spark that was lacking in her life. He wasn’t sure if it was the loss of her manager and friend or her fiancé that was the missing link, although he had a good idea. Whichever it was, she needed to make her peace and have it back in her life, no matter the cost. Not that he would tell her that, oh no, she was too valuable a commodity to upset. Currently they only had a handshake type of contract, which was how he liked it for both parties.

“How about you go home to bed and see what you feel like in the morning. Tomorrow is another day.”

“I have the flight to New York tomorrow and that stands.”

Walking over to the concerned man she grinned, bending to kiss his cheek, winking as she left. “How come you’re still free and single?”

“Away with you and that virus, I don’t want it. I’m older than you remember? We aged types can’t take the strain anymore. Anyway, who says I’m free and single?”

They both laughed as she vacated the office, Jack continued to smile at her remark. Maybe one day he might let her into that secret.

 ~ ~ ~

“Fleur have you a few minutes to spare?” Grayson Adams smiled warmly at his stepdaughter. She turned out to be one fine woman in every way, even if that son-of-a-bitch father had brought her up.

“Yes, of course Grayson, what can I do for you?” Fleur liked her mother’s choice in a husband. When she was ten she hadn’t understood and through her teenage years she hated him for taking her mother away from her. Now, she empathised or at least partially. She might never understand properly since they refused to discuss the situation fully…something held her mother back. Grayson was a decent man who loved his wife and family, including her in the family, immediately when she arrived. Making her wonder at how he must have loved her mother to become embroiled in a situation, which pitted him against the hatred of others.

“I know it’s short notice but I need someone I can trust to go out to Hartford.”

“Why not send a courier?”

“I could but I wanted it to be personal. I can’t go because Karen will think I’m going to disappear and never return for the anniversary bash, you know I hate parties.”

“Even so, why not a courier?”

“It’s a special guest for Alex and Stella. They will never think she’s going to come, if you can persuade her, I know she’ll come!”

“Grayson why me?”

“Fleur, let me explain. This person is part of their family but has been estranged for so long I’m afraid she wouldn’t bother. I need someone…no the party needs someone of your calibre to get her onboard. Will you do it Fleur?”

Her calibre and what would that be exactly she wondered as she saw the pleading in the man’s eyes…she knew the only way to answer his request.

“Okay I’ll do it, what’s the address and who is it?”

“Ah, now you will be surprised it’s….”

 ~ ~ ~

The flight had been terrible!

Jojo was suffering from every attack of sinus problems you could think of, coupled with the fact that she had to evade a rather delightful pack of fans that had seen her board the plane. What she needed now was a protector!

As the word entered her brain it triggered off the memory of her friend. Hadn’t Fleur once said that she would be her protector and she’d laughed at the outlandish suggestion, or it had been at the time? Well, I sure could do with the help now, so where are you Fleur when I need you?

It is stupid to keep thinking that Fleur will come back…she isn’t going to ever! That’s the bottom line Lackerly get used to it!  Her grip on reality was leaving her to fantasise and it wasn’t going to help her now or in the future…I have to move on…just like when I ditched Lee, so it has to be with Fleur. There’s only going to be this one shot at fame and fortune and I need to prove all the old doubters wrong! All those that said I would end up wasting my life…nothing more than a drifter without a goal. Well, I have a goal now! It is just proving a little harder to remember what it is when I wake in the morning.

“Jojo, Jojo!” Glancing around she saw several fans rushing towards her and she wasn’t up to the adoration. How did they recognise me or know I’d be here? I’m not that well known, am I? Then she looked around at the newsstand and saw at least two magazines with her picture on the front. Perhaps I should have paid more attention to Jack when he extolled my new status in the music world.

Fifteen minutes and two security guards later, she was rushed into a VIP lounge and out of the airport without further interference.  This wouldn’t have happened if she had taken Jack’s advice and agreed to engage another manager who could take care of these situations for her. However, she had been her usual independent self and said she could do it all on her own and anyway she still had a manager. Bringing to a close the discussion, Jack knew any mention of Fleur was taboo and he, for the moment, didn’t cross the line.

Although she felt like shit, she had to be here. She made a promise she refused to break. No one knew why she had refused to stay home and rest, as the flight to Europe wasn’t for three days, refusing to say anymore than it was a family matter.

Whistling for a cab, which streaked forward comically like a cartoon depiction. Under other circumstances she would have laughed at the situation but now she felt so ill all she wanted was a bed to drop into. Hopefully that wasn’t too far away and she knew a welcome was heading her way as she hoarsely told the cab driver the destination.

 ~ ~ ~

Fleur muttered a few choice words as she negotiated another bend on her way to convince the person to attend Alex and Stella’s anniversary party. How could she refuse? After all, they were wonderful people and if she could help in anyway she would. Although, it was only hours before the event, wasn’t that pushing for a miracle?

As she glanced at the note of the address on her passenger seat, she tried to make out the various street signs. Finally coming to Apple Blossom Drive, now to find number ten, shouldn’t be difficult. Two minutes later, she pulled up the short drive to the neat house that had a large plaque indicating the number ten, so this was it!

Knocking on the door she sucked in a nervous breath and hoped at least the woman wasn’t the ferocious type to a stranger. If she was estranged from her family that could be the reason because no way could you say that Alex or Stella were anything other than friendly.

The door opened and a tall woman stood there, grey hair flowed to her shoulders and the most piercing blue eyes caught hers. “Yes?”

The one word was barked out and Fleur drew back a fraction from the doorway as she once more surveyed the imposing woman, something about her was familiar, drawing her to the older woman but why?

“My name is Fleur Danvers, I’m from New York...”

Before she could finish the older woman smartly replied, “New York? I hate New York. Far too claustrophobic, why do I need to know anything about New York?”

“No! No, I’m from New York and it isn’t about New York…at least it is but it’s about someone you know.” Fleur was faltering, the woman was so forthright with a hint of steel about her manner reminding her of…

“I don’t know you or anyone in New York, you have the wrong address!” The door was about to be shut in her face as Fleur tried again.

“I’m sorry, are you Mrs. Stephens?”

“Yes.” There was arrogance about the woman that Fleur was familiar with. Why was that? Having never met this woman before, it must be her connection to Stella.

“Then I haven’t the wrong address. I need to speak to you about your daughter!”

Blue eyes surveyed the small younger woman and Fleur thought she saw a twinkle in the depths. “Go on.”

“Well, actually, I’m here to invite you to your daughter’s diamond wedding anniversary.”

“Really? You are too late, she invited me two months ago and I said no.”

Fleur’s compassionate nature kicked in her face-mirrored disappointment, “why?”

“Why? Why should I tell you, a stranger?”

“You don’t of course, but Stella is so wonderful. How could you not want to go to her anniversary party?”

“I didn’t approve the match forty years ago and I don’t now! Is that reason enough?”

Green eyes flashed at the blue ones and suddenly it clicked where she had seen them before…Joanna!

“You remind me of a friend, she was stubborn too!”

“Then my dear, you should be used to it, so why not go back to New York and enjoy your party.”

“Doesn’t forty years together count for something? That it was a good match and they love each other?”

A sharp laugh that bordered on cynical, another reminder to her of the singer, returned at her words, “it could also mean they didn’t have any other choice and made the best of a bad choice!”

“They didn’t, they love each other very much!”

“As you want to see it now, I have things to do.”

Fleur didn’t know what to say next, this woman was beyond reason. “I’m sorry I bothered you, goodbye.”

“Goodbye.” The door shut before Fleur could say anymore.

Why? Why had her stepfather assumed she could make the old hag see sense? It wasn’t one of her talents obviously, never would be. She was too much a coward for the confrontational things in life.

Walking away towards her car she turned back wondering if she should try again and saw the shadows of two figures in an upper window.  Probably talking about the foolish stranger who didn’t know anything about them or the situation with the family. Climbing into the vehicle, she wondered if she would ever have the courage to stand her ground instead of taking everything on the chin. Would she ever fight back for something she wanted?

A stray thought gathered momentum…there’s still time to fight for Joanna!

 ~ ~ ~

 “Gran why not go and bury the hatchet?”

“You ask me that? I thought you would have understood that I don’t like your father, never have and never will! He was a foreigner and not good enough for my only daughter, she could have done better!”

A snort of laughter was heard in the room as the two women faced each other, their similarities only disguised with the ageing process.

“Yep, my upstanding Gran the racist! Do they know this at the church gatherings you attend?”

Skin weathered with age stretched across high cheekbones as the older woman scowled at the inference. “You are not to mention this to anyone do you hear me and why would you care, when was the last time you saw your parents?”

A good question and one the younger woman tried desperately to find the answer for, “eight years ago but I stay in touch.”

“In touch? You call the odd postcard from a town not even mentioned on any map contact? And you ask me about family loyalties, take a break and look at your own. For your information my girl, its almost ten years since you last saw your family, not that I can blame you with a father like yours.”

The laughter turned to a sneer as the younger woman walked across to her grandparent, the only one she had and had had that she could recall. Gran didn’t like her Dad; no, better yet, she hated him. However, that didn’t mean she did, far from it and her father had been a wonderful role model.

“Guess its time I made up for that and visit them. Better yet, it can be a surprise at the party, I’ll take your invite.” Picking up the envelope that the person who had come to the door earlier had left behind. It had to take some courage for anyone to take on her grandmother over her parents and not go away unscathed. She had to make a point of meeting up with the woman and apologising for her grandmother’s rudeness later. Now to get ready and call a cab, if the party was in three hours she was going to be pushing it to be there on time. Guess better late than never might be the rule of the day.

“Who says you can have my invite?” The old woman answered contrarily.

“Are you going to need it?” Standing her ground, the younger woman smiled as they traded blue sharp glances. Years ago she would have dropped her gaze but now she could and did stand up for herself.

A nasty coughing bout raked her body as she sat down heavily in the chair nearest to her, bravado her only asset at the moment because she didn’t feel that well.

“You shouldn’t be going, you’re not fit enough.” The old woman walked over to her granddaughter and placed a cool, leathery hand on her forehead she was burning up.

“I’ll be fine, a hot bath and a shot of brandy to warm up the body will revive me anyway. I can come back early.”

“We will see.”

At the few words, she looked up and captured the worry that transmitted from the world-weary eyes and winked at her. “Don’t worry Gran, I’m made of stern stuff, remember who I take after.”

“Humph, just as well you do. Now go take that bath and I’ll call you a cab for just over an hour from now.”

Grinning, she slowly stood up and hugged the frail woman, pity she still had such a ferocious tongue on her because she really was quite a caring woman. “Thanks Gran.”

As the younger woman mounted the stairs to her room, she heard her grandmother call her once more. “Don’t use up all my best bath essence Joanna!”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Smiling, Joanna walked into her room to find something suitable to wear.

 ~ ~ ~

The party was in full swing and the guests of honour were amazed at the turnout. To them it looked like the whole of New York had decided to pay homage to their celebration.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything to help change Stella’s mother’s mind, she was one stubborn woman.”

Grayson Adams grinned as he hugged Fleur to him, she was one tenderhearted lady; he wished he had done more to help get her back in their lives earlier. However, she was here now and that was all that mattered.

“No problem Fleur, to tell you the truth, it was a long shot but worth a try and who knows maybe the old crone might change her mind, there’s time yet. Even if she doesn’t, I think they are enjoying all the fuss, don’t you?”

They both looked at the laughing couple that were talking to their son and his wife. Their four year old grandchild happily dancing nearby not quite in time with the music but she was entertaining.

“Yeah, they are and there’s no legislating for family, is there.”

“Would you do me the honour of having this dance with me?” Her stepfather held out his hand and Fleur took it with a smile as they joined the mass of people swaying to the music.

Karen Adams was standing at the door watching her husband and daughter dancing happily as their son munched on all the delectable food. Typical teenager, the boy was astounding her at his growth rate; he now towered over them all. At six foot and growing like a weed, it certainly wasn’t from Grayson’s side of the family or hers.

Just then the door to the hotel entrance opened…must be a latecomer.

A tall figure appeared much the same size as Bradley except this was a woman with midnight black hair cut to shoulder length that shone in the glare of the artificial lights of the foyer. Shaking away the rain that had settled briefly on her leather coat. It had been raining heavily for the past hour and was expected to last all night and through to the morning.

Walking towards the woman who was looking around the room with a curious expression and something else as her eyes wandered to the fresh cut flowers that Fleur insisted were a part of the hotel these days. An expensive addition but one that strangely enough she felt the guests appreciated in the often-unwelcoming harshness of the city.

“Can I help you?” Karen wondered if the woman needed a room. She would be out of luck this evening…every one was taken.

Turning to the voice, blue ice sparkled into green and held the glance far longer than necessary. Huskily the woman replied.

“Yes I hope so. Is this the venue for the Xianthos wedding anniversary celebration?”

Karen had seen this woman before, she was sure of it, where? Karen didn’t think she was from around these parts. Maybe she was a cousin of the family? Having the familiar Grecian complexion.

“Yes, you’re a little late, it's well underway but you haven’t missed the cutting of the cake yet, just in time. May I see your invitation?”

Jojo felt as if she had come home here in this hotel. It had the hallmark of Fleur stamped all over it. The use of the flowers, and the general friendly cosy ambience of the place, but she couldn’t be that lucky could she, to see Fleur here of all places? No probably wishful thinking and the medication her Gran insisted she take before she left.

Reaching inside her jacket, she drew out the invitation and handed it over.

Silently watching the woman, Jojo felt drawn to her, those green eyes were just like Fleur’s, remarkable how almost a year had passed and she could see them so vividly, even in a strangers eyes.

Eyebrows rose as they looked at the name on the card, it was made out to Mrs. Stephens, Stella’s Mother and this certainly wasn’t an octogenarian.

“I’m sorry but this invitation is made out…” Before Karen could finish the woman smiled and lifted her hand to prevent the question.

“My grandmother’s, my parents don’t know I’m in town. I guess I wanted to surprise them. What better day huh?”

Karen was astounded and she looked it as she tried to gather her scattered thoughts, this was the long lost daughter! Although she wasn’t lost, she just never came home. Can it be true? Could Joanna Xianthos finally have a conscience and turn up? Wow! Wait until they see her, it will make their day!

“I’m sorry for staring but it’s rather a shock, I’ve heard so much about you!”

Jojo smiled graciously as she inclined her head, the woman appeared genuine enough and her eyes were friendly, nothing false there, or was it the reaction to seeing the woman’s eyes so like Fleur’s. “Yeah, I guess it will be a shock for them too.” A wracking cough stopped Jojo for several seconds and Karen Adams saw the dark circles now beneath the vivid blue eyes. She was obviously ill, what on earth possessed her to get wet?

“Oh my dear, are you alright? I’ll go fetch my daughter, she will find something dry for you to wear if you are soaked.”

“No! No problem, I came by cab, it caught the jacket that’s all. Can’t seem to shake a cold I’ve had recently, nothing to worry about. If you don’t mind, I’d just rather see my parents, thanks for the offer.”

“Of course, of course, how stupid of me to delay you.” Karen walked to the side door, to the conference room that was now more like a concert room with the music and laughter emanating from it.

Jojo sucked in a breath that hurt her chest, damn virus wouldn’t shift no matter what she took or how much rest she had. She was here now and an hour with her parents today, of all days, was better than no hour at all.

Walking into the room behind the older woman, she wouldn’t be noticed she guessed at first, as the lights were dim with people dancing on the floor. Then she scanned the place for her family and saw them at the longest table in the room, her heart fluttered at the sight of her parents and her kid brother, had it really been ten years?

“They’re over there Joanna, why not join them?” The voice sounded so much like Fleur as she glanced sharply at the woman at her side that was smiling warmly, waving towards the table and her parents.

“Thanks Mrs…?”

“Karen, Karen Adams, I own the hotel and your parents are good friends of mine.”

“Thanks Karen.”

Striding towards the long table, she was given odd glances, accompanied by whispers, which floated around the room, of those who were seated at tables watching the dancing and chatting.

“It can’t be! Can it?” Echoed around the room as the music finished and people began to slip back to their tables with friends and families.

Fleur grinned at her stepfather as the song came to an end, “ Grayson I have to go check something in the office, I’ll be back in half an hour for the cutting of the cake, I promise.”

“I’ll tell your mother, she won’t be happy, she said you had to enjoy yourself tonight and she would take care of the hotel.”

“I know she did and trust me she can, this is personal business Grayson. I have to make a call to a friend, someone I haven’t seen in a while and it’s long overdue.”

Smiling, the man winked, he had a feeling that there was a skeleton in Fleur’s cupboard and she didn’t want to let the secret out. Perhaps tonight had made her come to a decision after seeing how happy people can be together for a long, long time.

“Half and hour or I send your mother after you. Go, she’s heading in our direction.”

Winking back at him, Fleur left the room by one of the service entrances rather than face her mother near the hotel foyer door, which would have been quicker to the office.

“You’ll never believe this Gray…!”

Fleur heard no more as she left the room to make that call to Joanna. Alice had given her the number Joanna left with her and seeing how people were so happy together and the love they shared, she had to at least try and make contact again with her friend. She needed it, her heart hadn’t stopped bleeding since she left the apartment they shared and possibly it never would, somehow she had to fight for this, it was too important to give up.

~ ~ ~

“Papa?” the low husky voice asked as blue eyes sparkled with unshed tears as she looked at the tall figure of her father. He still looked so handsome and now with his hair liberally peppered with grey, he was very distinguished also.

The peppered grey head looked up at the voice, as did Stella who had to put a hand to her mouth to stop herself sobbing. This might not be real, so many times they hoped Joanna would come home and she never had.

“Joanna? My god it is you, isn’t it?” The aged eyes that now shimmered with tears as the head shook from side to side in astonishment.

“Yes Papa, your black sheep has turned up at last.” This time Jojo rushed forward and was engulfed in a hug as fierce as any she had experienced in her lifetime. Listening to words in her father’s native language unable to decipher them as he cried them into her hair, stroking it in disbelief.

“Stella, Stella our daughter has returned to us. Look, here she is and she’s real darling, she is!” the man choked out as his wife joined the hug and they all dissolved into tears and laughter with plenty of kisses being exchanged.

Pulling away slightly, Jojo smothered her laughter and self-consciousness as she realised every eye in the room had turned to them and were waiting. “Hey papa I want to live to see another day not be suffocated.”

Alexander Xianthos laughed at the remark and drew her to arms length as he looked at her closely. He shook his head and then placed a kiss on her cheek, “thank you Joanna for making this evening even more special than it already is. Come, your brother will want to see you too! And the family, you have a niece you have never seen, come Joanna come.”

“Okay, okay Papa I’ll come, I’m here for a while, I promise.” Smiling, she wondered why she had left it so long to come home. Here at least, they loved her for nothing more than being their daughter, why had she taken so long to realise that?

~ ~ ~

Fleur couldn’t stop the tears that drenched her cheeks as she let the receiver fall from her dead fingers.

Why, why was this happening to her? The number Joanna had given to Alice was being answered by a messenger service and they informed her that Ms. Lackerly had left the country for a tour and wouldn’t be back for three months, would she care to leave a message to be forwarded to the singer?

No! No she needed to speak to Joanna not leave some stupid message that might never get to her friend or if it did it might not be for weeks. This wasn’t fair, it really wasn’t!

Her head fell towards the desk as she cried for the heartbreak she knew might never end. What did you do in these circumstances? She had thought she could live and start afresh without Joanna in her life but now a year later, the pain of the separation was as acute as the day she had left. No, now it was worse because she had to listen to her friend sing on the radio and in the shops she frequented, even in the privacy of her own rooms. Now to make it worse, posters of her friend and TV ads were promoting her to the general public. Soon her friend would be the property of everyone and she would only ever see her through the anonymity of being a fan of the singer’s.

It was all her fault! She should never have left. She should have confronted Joanna with her fears and discussed the problems she perceived, face-to-face and not run like a scared rabbit. She was no better off now than she would have been had she stayed in Danvers town and married George Andrews.

The door to the office opened and she looked up, the ravages of her tears plain for anyone to see and it would have to be her mother, Grayson had warned her!

“Fleur, darling, what’s the matter?” Karen flew around the desk and pulled her eldest child into her arms to comfort her. She hadn’t been able to do that in years and now more than anything she needed for Fleur to know that she was there for her, had always been there, if only her ex-husband hadn’t made it impossible.

“Nothing, it’s nothing mom I promise its…” the tears poured down as she sank her head into her mother’s shoulders.

“You can tell me Fleur, it can’t be that bad and if it is, I’ll help you solve it, I promise you that.”

“Mom if only you could, if only you could, its impossible now, I can’t contact her!”

Karen heard the anguish and pain in the words. Someone had upset her daughter and it appeared to be a woman. Who could do that to her gentle child, she was so sweet and innocent? “Is it someone you knew before you came here Fleur? Perhaps she’s just out of town?”

Fleur looked into the green eyes that mirrored her own. Saw the compassion in the depths, how could she tell her mother how she felt about Joanna, would she understand? “Yes, I knew her before, she was my friend. No she was more than that, she was my protector mom she looked after me when I left Danvers town. Oh mom, you wouldn’t understand, even I find it hard to understand, she’s out of the country and I really needed to speak with her one last time.”

The pathos was hard for Karen to bear, it struck at her heart and she wanted to strangle the woman who had hurt her child in this way. “Did she leave you alone Fleur, is that why you had to find us? Did she abandon you alone in Nashville?”

“No! No mom, that’s just it, I abandoned her! Joanna did everything for me; she looked after me, kept the roof over my head, fed me and even paid me to help around the house. You wouldn’t understand mom she was perfect, I loved her…”

Karen moved away slightly and looked carefully at the distress in her daughter. Now she understood the problem, her daughter had a woman for a lover and she thought they might not understand. Placing her arms back around the frail shoulders, Karen hugged her child and soothed her gently.

“Everything will be fine Fleur trust me. Now we have a cake to watch being cut by special friends of ours, are you up for that?”

Green washed out eyes looked into the concerned ones of her mother as she shook her head. “I’m sorry mom, I have a headache. Will you apologise to Alex and Stella for me and I’ll see them tomorrow. I really can’t face people celebrating right now, I’m too miserable, do you understand?”

“Yes darling of course I do, they will be disappointed though and especially after the special surprise they had a little earlier.”

Karen was about to inform Fleur of the arrival of the black sheep of the family when she saw the fatigue and sadness in the small face turned to her. “I’ll apologise and tell you all the gossip tomorrow. Now you go have a nice scented bath and have an early night. Tomorrow everything will be clearer, you see if it’s not.”

Pushing Fleur towards the private door to her rooms she gave her daughter a cheery smile, not that she felt that cheery about the situation. However, she would take advice from the only person she knew gave it without judgement as he always had ever since she’d met him, Grayson. Yes, Grayson would know what to do for Fleur and as a family they would work it out together. Her daughter was no longer alone…she had them to help now!

The door to the office opened and a dark head popped inside as Karen put on her business smile to the black sheep herself.

“Hi, how can I help you?”

“My parents insist I sing for them tonight. I wondered if you had a decent microphone?”

“Why yes, of course we do. You will have to give me a few minutes to find it. My daughter runs all the equipment she would go straight to it, however me, I have to look around.”

“Your daughter isn’t here? She wouldn’t be the lady who came over to my Gran’s home earlier today, would she? I wanted to apologise to her for my Gran’s abruptness. ”

“Actually yes she did, a foolish thought of my husbands but well meant. Unfortunately, that’s not possible, she has a migraine and has had to go to bed early, you know how these things happen.”

“Yeah I do. A nice hot bath and an early night would be kinda welcome about now for me as well.” Smiling as she coughed again, Karen realised the woman meant every word.

“Maybe after the song you can go do that and come back and see your parents tomorrow?”

“I wish I could, I’m afraid I’m going abroad tomorrow. This is my one and only chance for three months, although I’ll be back in the fall to see them again and visit longer.”

“Well, in that case, I’d better find the microphone for you hadn’t I.”

Karen walked out of the room and switched off the light as she went out to find the equipment.

Tomorrow they would tackle Fleur’s problem and she was sure they would find a solution. There was always a solution to every problem, you had to find the key that was all and in Fleur’s case that key was an unknown woman called Joanna.

~ ~ ~

The flight to Amsterdam was tedious but allowed her to reflect on her family situation from the previous evening. All those years she had slipped in and out of small towns peddling her singing talent making a meagre living, thinking her parents wouldn’t understand. When at the heart of it they had and she hadn’t understood the value of a family connection. Last night had been the breakdown of her own battle with being a loner, something she had always thought had to be if ever she was going to be a success in the music world. That wasn’t the case at all, her family would have happily supported her wandering ways and had by default. Now all Jojo wanted was for Fleur to come back home and she would be happy.

Happy!

What a strangely innocuous word that packed an enormous punch for anyone who was happy in this life, a feeling you never wanted to end. She desperately wanted her happiness with Fleur to begin again and to continue indefinitely. Who would have thought the petite woman with the green eyes and shy smile would come to mean life to her. So why was she on a flight taking her thousands of miles away from that goal?

Glancing out of the window she looked at the blue skies and the dashing white clouds and realised that what she wasn’t doing was facing up to her ultimate dream to have someone who made her happy share her life. Here she was running away as she’d done time and time before. When would she finally come to terms with the fact that it wasn’t going to solve her problems, never had before and certainly wouldn’t in this instance.

No, Fleur might have a wonderful new life and be so happy herself that Jojo turning up on her doorstep would wreck everything for her friend, which she had no intention of doing. Good reason why she was flying away, maybe when she came back in three months Fleur might have contacted her and they could meet up for coffee and talk about old times…yeah and pigs might fly!

A wracking cough caught up with her and one of the cabin staff in first class immediately came over enquiring if she needed anything.  Accepting water, she drained it adding a couple of pills to help her sleep for a few hours before they arrived at the airport.

Swallowing the pills and settling her headrest back with a blanket curled around her like a cocoon, she closed her eyes as a couple of conversations floated around her from the previous evening.

“She’s never going to let dad be a part of her family mom! Look, forty years later she hates the sight of him so much she wouldn’t come tonight.”

Jojo wryly spoke as her mother turned distressed eyes to her eldest child; looking at her she was the image of the woman they were discussing but obviously forty years younger.   Jacqueline Stephens had never approved Stella falling for Alexander Xianthos; he was an upstart foreigner who was taking her only surviving child away. He wasn’t even American! He couldn’t speak the language properly and was penniless, why would her daughter fall for such a man?

A staunch American patriot, Jacqueline Stephens had lived through her husband George’s demise in World War Two and her only son killed in action in Korea. No one, especially a foreigner was going to take her daughter away, hadn’t the foreigners taken enough from her already in this lifetime!

Not even Joanna’s birth had softened her attitude and when their son George was born, named after her father, nothing changed. Jacqueline had refused to be any kind of maternal grandmother, except for always remembering birthdays and Christmas. There had been a glimmer of hope when Jacqueline had taken an interest in Joanna in high school but that had only been because she was rebelling and it was her mother’s way of saying I told you so. Things changed when George became a police officer and Jacqueline thawed enough to allow Stella a morning a week with her mother and gradually in the last five years things had been a little better, for some reason her mother always had the most up to date information from Joanna.

Stella felt betrayed that Joanna was staying with her mother but thankful also, because otherwise she might never have come here this evening. The fates, as Alex would say, were clearly on their side this evening, although it would have been the icing on the cake if her mother had for once buried the hatchet and come too. However, one miracle was enough for anyone in one evening and they had that this evening.

“I know but I can hope can’t I?”

“Yeah, you can hope mom but please don’t hold your breath, forty years plus since you met dad she hasn’t thawed and you know what they say about the older generation…”

“Oh please Joanna what do they say?” Stella hugged her wandering daughter to her and laughed, this felt so good. At times she had wondered if she would ever see Joanna again and now here, for this special evening, she was in her arms.

Chuckling, Jojo winked at her mother and turned her blue gaze around the room. “Seems that the whole neighbourhood is here, did you leave anyone out?”

“Really Joanna, how could we leave anyone out! You know how close knit we are and there would be sullen faces and petty feuds for months afterwards.”

Smiling Jojo agreed and muttered, “more like years.”

“I wish they wouldn’t stare at me like that, I feel like something being inspected under a microscope!”

Laughing at the comment, Alexander Xianthos placed a loving arm around his daughter as he replied. “They have never seen anyone they know so well become so famous. Before long they will ask for your autograph.”

“Dad, don’t be ridiculous!” Smiling at the young woman who was starring so intently at her and who looked away in embarrassment.

“Fan’s everywhere Joanna. The newest country music sensation taking the world by storm, here in this small hotel and they don’t have to pay for the appearance.”

“Dad you talk rubbish, you were always such a romantic.” He had been too, of her parents her dad was the one who would sing love songs to their mother on Valentines Day and shower her with flowers and gifts if he could afford it on her birthdays. Most of all, he showed he loved her everyday and that was something that Jojo had forgotten until now.

“That’s what the papers say!”

Raising a sceptical eyebrow to her father she smiled and was about to respond when her brother joined the fray. “He’s right sis, it’s exactly what they say and dad should know, he buys anything with your name in it.”

A lump stuck in her throat as her brother nodded his head affirming his statement. Her dad bought everything that had her name on it and here she was thinking that they had never approved of her lifestyle or her obsession in continually pursuing her music career. Just goes to show how wrong you can be in lots of things.

“How about in the future dad I call you and tell you all my news, from the horses mouth so to speak?”

Grinning with happiness he hugged her to his broad frame and nodded, “you could also come see us more often, your mother would like that and…?”

“And?” Joanna waited for the response a gleam of mischief in her eyes.

“I would too! Now are you going to sing for your parents this evening?”

“Sing? Oh, now if I’d known I was going to have to sing for my supper…”

“Yes?” All her family's eyes were on her waiting for the reply. Had they asked too much? She was famous now perhaps she wouldn’t want to sing for them in public.

“Alex, Joanna isn’t well, she shouldn’t be taxing her voice.”

“Mom, if I was on my deathbed and you wanted a song you got it.”

“Please don’t say things like that darling. Although we would love a song.”

“Then a song you shall have, I need a microphone.”

“Karen is with her daughter, they will find one for you, George go ask for your sister.”

Standing up she grinned at her kid brother and slapped him gently down. “I’ll go, after all George doesn’t know what I need. I’ll be right back to sing for you.”

She had too and wowed yet another appreciative audience.

Joanna opened her eyes a fraction and pulled down the blind to the window. She would get some sleep…the pills were kicking in now. She’d call her parents when she arrived at the hotel, hey she’d promised her dad updates and she didn’t mind at all. It gave a sense of belonging that she hadn’t felt since Fleur had left. Maybe this would fill the chasm of her friend’s leaving her.

 ~ ~ ~

Feeling guilty at having left the party early, she had tried to call Alex and Stella several times but they weren’t home. Not surprising really, she had heard that they had received a special surprise when their daughter had arrived unexpectedly and made a special evening that little bit more special.

Her headache had been genuine, especially when she cried for an hour before she eventually succumbed to a restless sleep and endless dreams not one of which she could recall. The party had been a marvellous success, not just for their friends but also the small hotel, which had been booked solid for the weekend and today as people left, they had remarked on how well they had been treated and would recommend the hotel to friends. If only a fraction of the platitudes came to anything remotely like a booking they would be doing very well, very well indeed.

Her mother had stayed on hotel duty until midnight and then joined the party as the night porter they employed took over until Fleur came to work at seven. She felt better in herself having at least admitted she had a problem to her mother. Even though she wasn’t entirely sure how her mother had taken it, her mind had been so upset with not having caught up with Joanna.

Now it was almost five and her mother was due to take over for the early evening shift. It wouldn’t be the right time to discuss the problem she had and now she hoped that her mother wouldn’t, not at the moment anyway.

“You know, my mother always said if I frowned like that the lines would never go away.”

Laughing at the remark, Fleur turned and grinned at her mother. “You look like you could do with a coffee.”

Karen sheepishly nodded her head, she was still feeling the effects of having drunk far more than she would normally but it had been a special occasion and you had to take them when you could in this game. Hotel work was not exactly easy on a regular social life; retirement was something she was seriously thinking about now that Fleur had come into their lives.

“Thanks I will, black and strong, need to keep me awake, can’t have the guests arriving thinking I’m asleep on the job.”

Fleur placed a cup of steaming black, strong coffee in front of her mother, “I could take your shift for you and you could take the morning one from me one day this week?”

“Fleur, you are way too good to me but it was self inflicted and therefore it shouldn’t stop me working. I think if I’m a little slow it isn’t going to be too much of a risk now is it.”

Knowing how her mother was such a speed person in everything she did, no one would know if she was taking it slow, they would probably just see it as a regular pace. “Okay but call me if you change your mind, I’m going to have dinner and then watch an old movie.”

“I will and last night Fleur…”

“Oh, sorry about that mother. I was over reacting, everything is cool, I promise.”

Karen was surprised by the comment…she had been about to tell Fleur about Alex and Stella’s famous daughter. Obviously, this wasn’t the time. However, they would catch up tomorrow over lunch. Monday morning was their mother-daughter get together.

“Okay darling no problem, go have dinner and I’ll call you if I need you, otherwise have yourself a wonderful relaxing evening.” Bending to kiss her daughter she saw the smile that wavered and the split second of sadness that shone out of usually bright green eyes.

“Good night mom see you tomorrow.”

Fleur walked into the office and towards the door to her suite of rooms and wondered if this was all that life had to offer her now. Was this it! Every evening she was going to leave work and arrive home alone to have a solitary meal and watch TV to relax?

Shouldn’t she get on with her life and make a new one as Joanna obviously had. There was no sign the singer was going to make any attempt to contact her. Perhaps it was time to move on as she’d implied in the letter she’d written to her friend. Find out what life had to offer her other than pining away for a person who would probably never have accepted her love anyway.

How did life get to be such a mess?

~ ~ ~

One Month Later

“Alice great to see you!” Hugging her friend as she walked into the hotel foyer.

“Great to see you too Fleur, you look wonderful.” Alice held the smaller woman away from her to take in the sophisticated business look that Fleur exhumed. She had also cut her hair into a fashioned style, which complimented her oval face.

“Thanks, you look stunning yourself.” Laughing, the two women hugged again.

“Thanks my friend and guess what, I have a surprise for you.” Alice pointed towards the entrance of the hotel and for a few moments Fleur was sure she wasn’t breathing, as she hoped against hope that someone had answered her prayers. The doors opened and her prayers were dashed against the rocks as they had been so many times before.

“Calum? Calum how wonderful, what brings you here? Did you travel together or meet up outside? ”

The young man grinned and swung Fleur up in his arms and gave her a resounding kiss on her cheek. “Great to see you Fleur, you look marvellous.”

“Hey, hey put her down you big hunk.” Laughing, Alice came over to them and placed a hand on the leather-clad arm of the man who turned his gaze to her and winked at her, his eyes filled with love.

Oh, so that’s how the land lies.

“Don’t tell me, I’m being dense here, you two didn’t meet up, you came together because you are together?

“Well, yeah that about sums it up. I wanted to tell you personally not in email or over the phone but this great lug wanted to come too. Is that okay with you Fleur? I know its short notice and all but…”

“No buts. Wow, this is fantastic news and it couldn’t have happened to two better people. Do I get an invite to the wedding?”

“The wedding?” Calum squeaked out and was given a loving glance from Alice.

“Where do I put him Fleur, so you and I can go out and catch up?”

Concentrating for a moment she went over to the reception and spoke to her mother.

“Guys, I want you to meet my mother. Mother this is Alice and Calum, the friends I’ve spoken about.”

“Hi Alice...Calum, I’m Karen. Hope you have a great time here in New York. Calum do you enjoy baseball?”

“Sure, who doesn’t?”

“Well, it’s your lucky day, while the girls go off and have their girl talk. How would you like to go with my husband and son to see a game? I need to work so I can’t go and we have a spare ticket.”

Fleur flashed a grateful look in her mother’s direction. That was the first she had heard of it. Her mother was more of a fan then the men and they had season tickets.

“Are you sure they won’t mind?”

“No, they would welcome another male and if you are a friend of Fleur’s, even more so.”

“Thanks.”

Two hours later, Alice watched her friend order their coffee and some pastries from the small homely café in the neighbourhood about a block from the hotel.

“Great ambience here Fleur. I can see why you enjoy living here. Your folks, by the way, are real nice people.”

“Yes, it’s very welcoming. A little daunting at first because everyone knows each other. Takes you back to a small town feel in the middle of a heaving metropolis. Weird but wonderful I think is the expression. My family is kind of neat.”

“I didn’t think anywhere like this still existed.”

“It exists Alice, even if it’s just in our mind.” The words wistful and Alice knew Fleur enough to know that she was thinking about something else too.

“You look great truthfully Fleur, meeting your folks again and the work at the hotel agree with you obviously.”

“Yeah it does but I miss you and …other stuff.”

“I’m sorry I never told you about Calum Fleur, it happened by chance and I wanted to tell you face to face.”

“Oh god, don’t be sorry that’s really wonderful news. I’m so happy for you, he’s such a lovely man, under all that show of brashness he’s like the rest of us just trying to find a place in life.”

“Have you found yours?”

Green eyes looked at the bakery establishment across the road, Alex talking to his customers with such ease she could almost hear his banter from here. Stella at his side smiling along with something he said.

“I think maybe I have.”

“If you need to think about it Fleur, I’d say there is doubt...is it Jojo?”

Sharp eyes glanced at her friend wondering what she meant.

“Of course not, Joanna and I went our separate ways and that’s how it will stay, especially now.”

Alice gazed into the café latte she had as she pondered that remark. “What do you mean especially now?”

“Well, she’s famous and wouldn’t have time for someone as insignificant as me. Lets face it, she’s gone onto better things, she doesn’t need me now.”

“Did she ever say that?”

“Well, no of course she wouldn’t say that. Joanna never said anything like that, it wasn’t her way.”

“No it wasn’t and you would know that. Stalemate I guess, both as stubborn as mules.” The last said under her breath.

“I’m not stubborn! I called her last month, she had left for Europe.”

“I take it she never returned your call?”

“She couldn’t, I didn’t leave a message with her forwarding people.”

“Maybe it's time you moved on. That’s why you left her in the first place to do that, right?”

“Right!”

“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”

Laughing softly, Fleur grinned at her friend, “both.”

“Okay, I’ll go with that. Now tell me why you didn't mention you had a handsome brother?”

“Really Alice, what would Calum say?”

“Oh, he would smile and say…typical woman, never satisfied with the man she has.”

“Would he be right?” Fleur drank her cappuccino and smiled, yes it would be something Calum would say jovially, watching with a discreet serious expression the reaction.

“No, he wouldn’t, not with me anyway, would you believe I think I loved him from the first time I ever saw him on that monster of a bike of his.”

Fleur’s jaw dropped marginally, “you loved him before he dated me Alice, why didn’t you tell me?”

Smiling shyly, “you were my lucky charm Fleur. If he hadn’t met you, he would never have noticed me. I tend to blend into the background you know.”

“How can I be lucky for you, I was dating him? Not seriously you know but …”

“Hey my friend, don’t worry, he told me it was more a brother sister relationship. Although he confessed that he would have taken more if you had allowed it. We’ve found an understanding about that episode in his life and decided it was fate that led us to each other.”

“Am I fate?”

“Yep! Got that in one Fleur, perhaps for more than Calum and I.”

Fleur scrutinised her friend’s features and saw the glimmer of amusement in her eyes. Knowing full well whom she meant.

“Maybe we will never know that for sure.” Her eyes automatically scanned the pavement outside the café as she saw Alex and Stella rushing out of the bakery as if they had the hounds of hell at their feet.

“Is there a problem Fleur?” Alice watched the expressive features of her friend change from contemplated to concern.

“I don’t know. Some friends have rushed out of their store and gone off like the very devil down the street. It's probably nothing to worry about, I’ll ask my mother, she’ll know when I get home.”

“If you want to go check it out no problem to me?”

Turning concerned eyes to her friend she smiled her thanks. “No, it will wait, what won’t wait are all the details of your romance with Calum, you have to tell me everything…”

~ ~ ~

“I told her but would she listen? Oh no, stubborn, that’s what she is as stubborn as a…mule.” Jack paced his plush carpeted office as he waited for another call from Antwerp where Jojo had been due to go on stage.

Belinda Orkney watched and listened as her boss furiously gathered speed with each length of the room. She had worked for the head of Trigon records for five years and at no time had she seen him this agitated. Then again, it wasn’t that often a star with the potential that Jojo Lackerly had shown came through the door.

“I’m sure she’ll be fine Jack, she’s a young woman.”

Turning towards the woman who had run his private office diligently for several years and who rarely commented on anything to do with the business dealings or the artists associated with the company, now had found a tongue.

“How do you know she will? I should have insisted she stay behind until she was fit, not leave and end up in the hospital, with god knows what wrong with her!”

Walking over to the man she considered a very thoughtful employer and one of the nicest men she had ever come across in this industry.  She laid a hand on his arm in compassion, because that was what he was himself, a very compassionate man who cared about the people he worked with on all levels.

“Could you have stopped her?”

His eyes gave a rueful expression as he shook his head. “No! Jojo is a loner. She wouldn’t have anyone tell her what to do…well maybe one person but it certainly isn’t me.”

Jack was feeling every one of his fifty-five years as he impatiently waited for a call from the European tour manager in Antwerp who was at the hospital where they had taken Jojo.

“Have you contacted that person, it might be wise if they knew before the media broadcasts it.”

“I’ve informed her parents, they are on the next flight out of New York and should be with Jojo as soon as the transportation allows.”

Belinda heard the resignation in his voice. Were they the important link in the singer’s life, the only one she would listen to? Didn’t sound like it to her.

“Do you want me to inform anyone else?”

Jack stared at the ground for a few moments and then turned to gaze unseeingly out of the window onto the busy street below. “I’d love to but I don’t know how.”

“Is it Ms. Danvers?” Jack’s shoulders stiffened as his personal assistant hit the nail on the head immediately.

“Why do you say that?”

Belinda smiled wryly at his words, call it feminine intuition, call it a hunch, or a shot in the dark, whichever it was it worked. “Sometimes you can see the chemistry between two people and believe me, sparks flew when they were together. I felt sorry for them both when I heard Ms. Danvers had left town, it can be scary aiming for the big time in the music industry without at least a friend you can trust by your side. Jojo lost both a friend and manager, not to mention a fiancé all in the space of a week. Not surprising she’s in this state now, the work load she had undertaken was going to tell on her eventually.”

“She was working to forget the break-up of her personal life! That’s what I thought anyway and how could I complain, she’s revived the company's fortunes single-handedly but at what price?”

“Want me to try and locate Ms. Danvers and contact her as soon as I do?”

“You can try but I doubt she wants to be found. Let me know if you do, I would like to inform her personally. By the way, why did you think it was Ms. Danvers who she missed the most and not Lee Weston?”

Chuckling, Belinda replied as she opened the door to his office, “Easy really, Jojo has had contact here in the office with Lee, Fleur hasn’t been seen since the TV show that set Jojo on her way a year ago and you said you didn’t know how to contact her!”

Jack had to accede that point rushing over to the desk as his phone rang.

“Wicklow.”

“Yes, yes I understand and she’s in which hospital?”

“Got that, her parents are on the way…” “They’ll get there. I’ll charter them a flight if necessary.”

“Thanks Andre, keep me informed.”

Sinking into his chair, he leaned back and wiped a weary hand across his eyes. Double pneumonia, exhaustion and an unknown viral infection! God help me Jojo girl, what have you been doing to yourself?

Andre said the doctors indicated the next forty-eight hours would be critical and that her family should be with her if possible. Well, he’d done his best…they were on the way. Let’s hope Belinda finds Fleur Danvers, he had a soft spot for the small green eyed woman and his gut told him that she was the key to Jojo’s well being in the future…if there was a future for the singer!

 ~ ~ ~

Fleur saw Calum waiting in the foyer of the hotel, strange that she expected him to still be at the game with her family. “Let me check with my mother for a few minutes. You check on Calum, looks like he didn’t go to the match. I’ll catch up with you two shortly.”

Alice nodded and headed towards the young man who had a pensive look on his face as Fleur ducked behind the reception desk and went into the office.

“Mom, I was in the café across from Alex’s bakery and he left with Stella hastily before closing. Is there a problem that you know of?”

Karen Adams stared at her daughter her eyes saddened. Nodding her head as she answered. “ You know they have a daughter, she came over for the anniversary party?”

“Yes, you told me, I didn’t see her because I left early, but yes.”

“Appears she’s critically ill and they’ve had to leave to be with her. I don’t know any details other than that George said he would let me know when he knew the facts.”

“Oh no, they will be gutted! I’m sorry to hear that, I’ll pray for them. By the way, I saw Calum did he change his mind about going with Grayson and Bradley?”

“He said something came up and that he needed to see you and Alice, he looked kind of shocked. I hope he hasn’t had bad news too.”

“I’d better go check.” As she headed for the door, the phone peeled out and Karen answered.

“Fleur, do you know someone called Belinda Orkney?” Karen looked at her daughter with interest, the woman sounded official.

“Orkney? No I don’t think so…Orkney…now it does ring a bell.” Fleur concentrated on the name, where had she heard it before?

“She said it’s important, that if you could spare a few minutes her boss would like a word with you.”

“Her boss? Who’s that?”

Karen asked the question and placed her hand over the mouthpiece. “A guy named Jack Wicklow.”

Fleur paled as she heard the name, why would Jack want to speak with her? “Shall I tell her you are out?”

Unable to decide for a moment what to do, she opened the door to the office and saw her friends talking and as they heard the door open she saw shock and upset mirrored in their eyes. As if in slow motion she turned back to her mother and listlessly reached for the phone listening intently for a few seconds and whispered heart-brokenly…

“No, not Joanna!”

~ ~ ~

“I didn’t know that Fleur’s Joanna was in fact my good friend’s daughter and the famous singer too! What a small world we live in? Who would have thought my little girl was a friend of Jojo Lackerly.” Karen voiced to the young couple that were sharing supper with her.

Having taken the call from Jack Wicklow and almost passing out from the news that Joanna was critically ill in hospital in Europe. Fleur had picked up her purse and the keys to her mother’s car and said she needed to be alone for a while. Rushing out of the hotel with a few words to her friends that she would be back soon and she was sorry for leaving them but she knew they would understand.

“Well, Jojo wasn’t always famous Mrs. Adams. She and Fleur shared an apartment in Nashville and that was before anyone knew of the name Jojo Lackerly. They were very good friends though and they looked out for each other.”

Karen gazed down at her half-eaten chilli, it was good but her appetite wasn’t quite on form this evening. “When you say good friends…how good?”

“Oh they were good friends Mrs. Adams believe me, I would know, I courted Fleur for a short time…” Alice put a hand on Calum’s sleeve to halt his ramblings knowing full well what Fleur’s mother was asking. Men could be so dense at times!

“They shared lots of things I think Mrs. Adams. I think they had a history that they never talked about. At least not to Calum or I, Jojo and Fleur were…are very private people. If you are asking if there was a special friendship, then I think there could be but other pressures got in the way.”

Calum glanced first at Alice quizzically then Fleur’s mother and back to Alice, is there a double meaning in Karen Adams question?

“I know I’m the token man here but ‘special friendship’? Anyone mind letting me in on this particular phrase?”

Alice gave the man a smile he was so lovable when he was confused, just like a small boy. “What Mrs. Adams was actually asking Calum was did Fleur and Jojo love each other.”

“Well sure they did!” Calum remarked astonished that anyone needed to ask.

Karen spluttered over her coffee as she swallowed the mouthful quickly, “really? Did they have a fight? Is that why they split up?”

“Calum you don’t understand.”

“Okay what don’t I understand?” Exasperated at the comment why did women make simple conversations complicated.

“Were Joanna and Fleur lovers?” there it was out in the open and now that she had said it, she realised how much of an invasion into her daughters privacy this was and it wasn’t her business. Fleur was old enough to have her own life and make her own mistakes and triumphs. It was a little late for her to go all motherly on her daughter, perhaps if she had stuck around…

Alice clutched Calum’s hand as his face went pale, obviously the thought had never crossed his mind and now that it had, he was in shock or so it seemed. “Wouldn’t I have known?”

Feeling sorry for her lover, Alice kissed him on the cheek tenderly and laid her forehead against his. “Not necessarily Cal, they were very private when it came to their life behind closed doors. I think we should leave that particular question behind closed doors and if it ever gets answered our friends will answer it themselves. Shall we all agree on that?”

All three nodded their heads as each had their own thoughts about that very question, not to mention where Fleur had rushed off.

~ ~ ~

Fleur had driven the busy streets of New York and eventually ended up in Central Park, the car abandoned at least three blocks away so she could walk and settle her shattered emotions.

Joanna, her Joanna was in Europe critically ill and she couldn’t do anything to help her. No matter how mixed up their lives had become, they were friends and would always be. It was a connection they shared from the first day they met and would last until they each drew their last breath.

Now, as the tears streamed down her cheeks unchecked, she sank into a bench and gazed out over the lush green grass, unable to see the happy children playing or the bird that came close expecting to be fed.

Her friend would be smiling at her sentiment if she saw her. Joanna had never been one to dwell on fantasy or romantic notions and she was quite hardheaded in that respect. Probably the life she had led in the past, especially with the guys she used to travel with made her that way. Although with her, she felt that Joanna started to dream again. Then Fleur had done a most unforgivable thing and threw it all in her face by leaving so abruptly.

What should she do now? Go home and wait for news as if it didn’t matter or take the next flight out to Antwerp and try to see her friend. Although there was no guarantee that she would be let within a mile of the singer, after all, she wasn’t family was she?

Jack had said he would keep her informed and if there was anything he could do to let him know. How could she ask to have him arrange for her to see her friend, if not in Europe, then when she came back to the States. The question begging to be answered was would Joanna survive to come back to the States? She’d heard a report on the radio as she drove that the singer was critical and that the next twenty-four hours would be crucial.

Her heart bled for her friend’s pain and at the same time her own, even if hers was of her own making. At the end of the day she blamed herself and that was the bottom line, Joanna was sick and it was her fault. If she hadn’t been so selfish of her own feelings and left, none of this would have happened!

Yeah right, what about her fiancé, doesn’t he come into the equation? Her mind drove that point hard home and she winced as she recalled that it was Weston coming into the singer’s life that had turned hers upside down.

Bottom line was she loved! No, she was in love with Joanna. She had known it in Danvers town and battled with it a year ago leaving the singer with her new life and love and now she experienced the emotion even more profoundly. If all she could do was to say hi one last time, then that’s what she had to do and would be thankful the rest of her days for that second chance.

A year, month, week, day, hour, minute or a second spent with Joanna would be a cherished moment for the rest of her lifetime.

She would go back and talk with Alice and Calum not to mention her mother who would want all the gory details once the tension eased. Her mother meant well but she was rather protective and at her age it really wasn’t necessary…unless the protector was Joanna.

Standing, she looked up at the sky, it was a clear day without a cloud to be seen. Perhaps that was a good omen, as she started back to the car and her vigil waiting for news of her friend. At least she wasn’t alone, people cared and that meant everything.

Joanna I love you, please come back to me and this time I promise not to leave you unless you tell me to go.

~ ~ ~

The virtual silence of the sterile room would have been a nightmare for the singer had she been in a position to wake and take it in. For noise was something Jojo had grown up with, be it the hustle and bustle of her neighbourhood where she played as a child or music she had dedicated her life too.

Only the muted fans whirling inside the monitoring and oxygen machines gave any evidence that life stirred inside the white walled room.  The body encased in a summer blue-sky blanket, which topped a pristine white cotton sheet that had to be changed every two hours because of the singer’s condition, lay motionless, drugged ensuring she didn’t move any of the drips or other equipment attached to her body.

Nurses monitored the unconscious woman from a station, yards away, along with two other patients who were in the intensive care unit in a critical condition.

The pale features, drawn and haggard, could never be described as the vibrant singer who days before had been singing to thousands of people at a concert in Hamburg. No one had known of her fatigue, or the number of painkillers she had taken to numb the pain, as the ever-increasing illness gripped her dangerously drained body.

Some would say that having your dream come true should bring happiness and the vigour to go onto better and bigger things. However, she had been caught in a spiral of her own self-doubt and something more! Which she refused to share with anyone, Jojo was a loner in a big way.

“How is Ms. Lackerly?” Andre Kransky asked the nurse who smiled politely at the man, who appeared to have forgotten to shave and change his clothes. He looked decidedly unkempt.

“Holding her own sir.”

“Thanks, can I go sit with her?” His blue eyes were gentle as he gazed at the bed that could be seen through the glass window.

“Yes, of course sir.” He had been the person who brought her in and the only person so far since her arrival fourteen hours earlier to visit her. Of course, they knew she was American and she was quite famous, as the local tabloids had remarked on her illness.

“Thanks, I’ll be good.”

“I’m sure you will sir.” This time the nurse smiled as she saw the quiet laughter in his blue eyes. He was quite handsome once you got through the week’s stubble.

Andre, a few minutes later, settled down in the armchair beside the motionless singer’s bed and placed his head in his hands briefly pushing distracted fingers through his hair. This had been his first European tour that he had managed on behalf of a named American artist, and now look what had happened.

This was definitely not going to do his reputation any favours if people thought he couldn’t take care of the star performer. Though anyone who knew this particular singer would know how difficult it was to care for her, she never let up or let anyone in. She’d looked so good in Hamburg, a shining star, when really she had been a comet exploding before it fragmented into thousands of tiny pieces.

Wicklow had been shocked but not accusing and her parents were due to arrive in the next two hours, he would collect them from the airport and bring them here.

Gazing at the singer he wondered why she hadn’t given in and allowed someone to know she was ill. They could have done something far earlier and she wouldn’t be in the state she was now. Typical American breeding, always think they know best! Well, he didn’t really mean that, he knew many Americans and he loved their work ethic and especially how they spent money, very generous he’d found.

The popular music world was at this woman’s feet. Having the looks, voice and general manner to make it into super stardom and stay there if she wanted. The country fans were very loyal and she had the added talent of writing her own songs to make her great. Though, if she had a death wish, that wasn’t going to be a long career. Funny how so many talented people go off the rails and never get back, these days it was usually drugs but exhausting yourself to the point of death worked equally as well. He’d seen it from time to time in the last fifteen years. When he’d met her, he didn’t think Jojo was in that frame of mind; she certainly hadn’t come across that way. Strange how people could be so deceptive and you never really knew them until it was too late.

It reminded him of a song she had sung three days before silencing the crowd for a few moments before they burst out in thunderous applause. A good possibility for a record release he’d thought at the time. Now, now he wondered how much of the song was what Jojo had been feeling.

A lifetime hidden with borrowed dreams waiting for a special chance
To create for real the happiness and love I know exists deep inside me

You take a chance at times
Never knowing if it could be your last
Or if it will bear fruit along the way
How we learn in this life with the chances we take or those we mistake
We may simply forget and break them apart before they arrive.

A lifetime hidden with borrowed dreams waiting for a special chance
To create for real the happiness and love I know exists deep inside me.

I never realised you were my chance
Now I know and things have changed
Knowing that you’re out there my life will never be the same
Yet a lifetime of fears and disillusionment keep us apart

A lifetime hidden with borrowed dreams waiting for a special chance
To create for real the happiness and love I know exists deep inside me

For as we ducked and dived creating a shallow life
We both thought we were happy never taking the time to say how we feel
Letting it slip away the chance to be with you allowing us to be free
Now we walk alone never to experience the warmth you gave
Losing you has chanced my way to allow only despair to remain

A lifetime hidden with borrowed dreams waiting for a special chance
To create for real the happiness and love I know exists deep inside me

If one day a second chance comes my way
I’ll take it in my hands and to my heart for all to see
That you are my chance to be free inside
Where happiness blooms and dreams come true
You will see it too my love once we take the chance forever more

A lifetime hidden with borrowed dreams waiting for a special chance
To create for real the happiness and love I know exists deep inside me .

As he watched the uneven breathing he shook his head, maybe he was being too harsh on the singer, perhaps she had been taken ill suddenly, the doctors had indicated an unknown virus. When they finally found out what it was they could treat that as well.

Standing up he placed a comforting hand on the pale skin of Jojo’s arm and left the room. He’d better go shower and change to meet up with Jojo’s parents. He doubted that they would welcome some scruffy individual being in charge of their daughters' affairs in Europe. Probably blame him for all that had happened to her…not that he didn’t already.

~ ~ ~

Fleur paced the lobby of the hotel waiting for her friends to come down for dinner, not that she was hungry but she had to eat or she would be of no use to Joanna when she came home. It would be foolish for them both to be ill and anyway her mom would never let her starve herself. A vision of Karen standing over her with a glower on her face made Fleur smile slightly.

“Hi Fleur.”

“Calum hi. Where’s Alice?”

“Oh you women are always late. Thought I’d talk you into having a drink before dinner, until Alice catches up with us.” He showed her his boyish flashing smile as he took her arm and led her to the small bar area of the hotel and a much needed drink he suspected.

“Well I…” Attempting to protest unsuccessfully as he ordered himself a beer and a vodka and lime.

“You remembered?”

Calum blinked at her with a steady smile on his face, “why sure I did Fleur. I’ll never forget anything about you.”

A faint tinge of red streaked her cheeks at his genuine comment.

“I…I was going to say how pleased I am that you and Alice are a couple, she’s a real nice person.”

 “Yes she is and a handful too. She has a lively intelligence that leaves me behind at times. Guess I’m going to be a lawyers' husband one day.”

Grinning warmly Fleur thanked him for the drink as Max the bartender brought their drinks to them.

“What about your plans for a career, what are you doing now?”

“I decided that my dad needed a hand. He had a mild heart attack a couple of months back and I decided to give it a chance.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, and…?”

Laughing softly Calum grinned back at her, “I love it. I think I’ll be staying and anyway, Alice will want to go to college full time if she wants to be a high flying lawyer.”

“What do your parents think of Alice?”

How could his parents not like the woman, she had a wonderful personality and worked hard to achieve what she wanted. It was good to hear the young man thinking in terms of Alice being in his life permanently. How love changes all your preconceived ideas about what you want in life.

“They think she’s marvellous. My mother is already planning the wedding, haven’t told Alice that yet, but I will.”

“You love her very much don’t you Calum?”

“Yes I do. I confess I was falling for you Fleur and thought Alice might be my rebound affair. However, the more we went out, the more I didn’t want to let her leave and in the end I realised that she’s the woman for me and am I glad she agrees.”

The way he spoke was like listening to a poet narrate a love poem. He spoke so lyrically about her.

“What about yourself, are you dating anyone?”

Glancing quickly down at her drink and then placing it to her lips to take a sip, she ruefully shook her head. “No, too busy here at the hotel and somehow I’m just not interested at the moment.”

A silence stretched between them for a couple of minutes and then Calum decided to take the bull by the horns, I know they said they would leave the question alone but he had to know.

“Is it because of Jojo?”

Green eyes full of sadness met his compassionate ones, should she answer truthfully? He was her friend after all and now it was becoming harder and harder to disguise her feelings for the singer.

“Yes.”

“We thought so.”

“We?”

“Don’t look so surprised Fleur. I think Alice has always known and she hasn’t broken any confidences, your mother and I speculated.”

Fleur didn’t know if she should be mad, upset or relieved a fraction of all went through her at that moment. “You speculated?”

Calum held up a hand hoping he hadn’t stepped over the line. Alice had warned him that Fleur would be in a fragile state of mind at the moment.

“Actually, your mother started it and we just discussed it….”

“My mother started it?” Now Fleur was mad, this was her personal business not for all and sundry to discuss behind her back!

“Well, yeah but it wasn’t for long we just….” He didn’t finish as Fleur left the bar and stalked off towards the office and her mother, she had things to discuss now!

~ ~ ~

“Alex, look at our baby.” Stella whispered, her throat thickening as the tears trailed down her cheeks.

“They are looking after her well darling, she will come back to us, she will, I know it.” The tall man spoke quietly, his own eyes brimming with unshed tears as he saw the wax like figure lying in the bed covered with various tubes and leads not to mention the oxygen that a nurse was arranging as they entered the room.

“Will she?” Stella beseeched the nurse who was about to leave the patients room.

“I will bring the doctor, he will answer your questions.”

Closing her eyes as the tears flooded out; she had not wanted to break down so quickly, Joanna would not approve. Her stoic child would have frowned and shook her head at the show of emotion in public. This wasn’t public though was it! This was a hospital room where her child lay fighting for her life with only her husband at her side.

Alex stood behind his wife who was sitting in the armchair clutching their daughter’s hand hoping it would bring her back to them. How had she let herself become so ill? Surely others would have seen her condition and not allowed this to happen.

The doctor duly arrived and informed them that Joanna wasn’t responding as well as they had hoped. The added complication of a virus that they had now only just identified hadn’t helped but now they had a chance as they could give her medication that would help her to fight it. He insisted that the next twenty-four hours would be crucial for if she didn’t fight soon her body would find it difficult to pull back from the brink.

“She’s always been a fighter doctor.” Alex remarked absently. He couldn’t understand this…it wasn’t like his Joanna.

“I’m afraid that at the moment your daughter appears to have given up the will to live. Now you are here, I’m sure that will all change. Perhaps if you talked to her it might help.”

“Yes, yes we will.” This time Alex didn’t stop the tears, which had been stinging the back of his eyes, from falling.

As the doctor left them alone and shut the door behind him, Stella hugged her husband she knew his pain. Joanna for all her faults had always been his favourite and to lose her again now would cripple him beyond any consolation she could offer him.

Sitting back down in the armchair with her husbands' hand clasped firmly in her hand,  “Joanna do you remember when your dad fell into the pond trying to find your favourite fish, what were you, six at the time? My, it was funny wasn’t it…”

~ ~ ~

Grayson watched the flight take off as he turned to make his way home. He had been greeted two hours before with both the women in the household crying and that wasn’t a good sign. Having managed to find out the general situation from Fleur’s friends, he had asked if Bradley could join them for dinner while he tried to clear up the problem with the women.

It had been one humdinger of a problem too! Fleur was accusing her mother of prying into her private life without any regard for her feelings and Karen had been upset at the turn of events however attempting to give Fleur advice not that she had been listening.

Finally both women stopped crying and Grayson eventually managed to get them to talk. The final outcome being, he called an old friend at the airport and within an hour had seats on the next flight to Amsterdam for Fleur and Karen. They would then take a domestic flight to Antwerp and be met at the airport by someone who Jack Wicklow knew to escort them to the hospital.

What a day!

Now to go back to the hotel and have a much-needed nightcap with Fleur’s friends and see that Bradley went to bed or he wouldn’t get up for school tomorrow. The hotel fortunately had a wonderful staff that would cover for Karen and Fleur. He himself would take a week off and make sure everything went like clockwork. Fortunately, working for himself he could do that without any hassle.

Turning once more to watch the plane fly out of sight he smiled ruefully. Who would have known that Fleur was such a dark horse and that the world was such a small place that the parents of her friend were their friends too, who would have given you odds on that one.

~ ~ ~

Watching Stella sleeping awkwardly beside her daughter having spent the last seven hours retelling every childhood story she could remember, disconsolately Joanna hadn’t responded in anyway at all. Alex had a great faith in lots of things and the fates were one of them, surely they hadn’t decided that the child he loved laying like a pale shadow of herself in a hospital bed, was now to leave this earth for good? He couldn’t believe it, wouldn’t believe it either, now when life beckoned her she must fight, she must!

Walking out of the room, he approached one of the nurses at the monitoring station.

“Hello, could you tell me where I might get coffee?”

“There’s a machine at the end of the corridor but I’ll order anything you require sir.”

Smiling briefly, Alex realised that would be the case. This was a private hospital and therefore nothing was too much for the staff to do for the patients or their visitors, after all, they would be paying for the service.

“Perhaps later, for now I will find the machine I need to stretch my legs.”

As he turned to leave, “Has there been any change in my daughters condition?”

The nurse checked the monitors again, although she knew the answer to the question. “I’m sorry sir, nothing so far.”

“Thanks.” He left to go check the machine out.

Waiting was so very hard to do especially if it was someone you loved.

~ ~ ~

Karen watched as Fleur talked with the flight desk confirming their onward journey to Antwerp. It had been a very quiet six-hour flight to Amsterdam, the occasional small talk but otherwise silence. Not that she blamed Fleur, she didn’t. If the roles had been reversed, she doubted she would have allowed her to accompany her but her daughter was a very special individual and had that insight into pain and hurt along with happiness and love that was very rare. Life may have been cruel to her to have her fall in love with someone who was highly unlikely to return that love, through it all, her child would be there for the woman, regardless of the pain she felt inside.

Unrequited love! What a statement. Numerous stories, movies, poems had been written and screened on just that topic. Romantic overtones and contrived happy endings often the goal but with this particular story, could that be the outcome? Karen had her doubts; once she had known it was Joanna Jojo Lackerly, her active research mind had come into action.

The woman was deemed to be a pinup figure for young and old alike and she had read an article that indicated the woman had had numerous affairs…all with men. Her last being a broken engagement with a businessman from New York and the picture taken of them together made Karen wonder why. He had been a very handsome guy and they looked happy together when the photo was shot.

How could her daughter expect a woman who was by all accounts actively heterosexual change! Then again, Fleur didn’t want her friend to change. Karen had finally realised why her daughter had left the singer.  How could she live in the same apartment with a woman she loved who would never love her in the same way back? It was like having heartbreak thrown in your face twenty-four seven.

“Hey baby, are we set?”

“Yes Mom, the next fight is in thirty minutes. It will take about an hour.”

Placing a comforting arm around her child’s shoulders, she smiled warmly. “We’ll be there soon Fleur and you can talk to Joanna and tell her how you feel.”

Fleur looked at her mother in surprise. “I can’t do that Mom, Joanna doesn’t care about me that way.”

“We’ll see, won’t we? Faith darling, faith, that’s what it takes and believe me, I know what I’m talking about.”

For a moment Fleur didn’t understand but she heard the undertones in the voice. “You never did tell me the truth about your affair with Grayson when you were with dad.”

Karen sucked in a breath and exhaled gradually. “Nope, I never did, maybe now is the time to tell you the truth.”

“I think I deserve the truth mom, dad’s dead now, it can’t hurt him.”

Karen glanced at her daughter in compassion, no it can’t hurt him darling but it can still hurt you.

~ ~ ~

“A few of our friends came by the next morning and sent us on a trip to Vegas and even gave us spending money. You were gone by then of course but you met some of the friends, Karen, Grayson and Bradley. You would have liked their daughter she’s so nice! Not like you of course but almost a daughter to us too. When you come home you must meet her. Alex thinks she’s…Fleur?”

Alex was hugging the small blonde who had tears running down her cheeks as she listened to Stella speaking to her daughter. “Why? Why are you here?”

Karen shrugged and smiled at her friends, “a long story.”

As Alex released Fleur, she made her way slowly over to Joanna’s bed and knelt at the side taking a lifeless hand in her warm one. Picking it up and placing it to her lips reverently kissing the palm she lifted her hand to stroke away the dark bang that always strayed across Joanna’s face.

“Joanna, what will I do with you?”

Stella watched fascinated, as did the others in the room as the blonde tenderly stroked the face of the pale dark haired woman, it was almost hypnotic.

“Don’t leave me Joanna please. I’m sorry I left you but I'm here now and I’m here to stay I promise.”

Stella stood up and turned to her friend with a quizzical expression. Karen motioned for them to go outside the room and she would explain.

Fleur, unaware that the other’s had left, stared mesmerised at the waxy complexion of her friend and the woman she loved. “I love you Joanna. Isn’t it time you talked to me, it’s been over a year?”

“A year when I wished I could see you, speak to you, help you and be with you! Do you know that every single minute since I left you, I wanted to come back and be part of your life? I miss you so much Joanna, can we start again?”

Silence

“You are all I’ll ever want in life. I’m a shell without you Joanna. Will you let me come home?”

Silence

“I’ll be your housekeeper, manager, whatever you want I’ll be. Please come back to me!”

Unable to stop herself Fleur cried the sobs wrenching at her soul.

Laying her head on the bedclothes, she drenched the blanket with her tears. This was ridiculous…she should be more in control.

Minutes or was it hours, passed when she felt a hand on her hair stroking it and a croaky voice murmured. “Fleur?”

It was Stella or her mother trying to soothe her but they couldn’t, no one could…well one person could and she wasn’t able.

“Fleur you know I hate it when you cry.”

It was her voice! No, she was dreaming again as she did every night. Please god, don’t torture me so, I haven’t done anything wrong but love her.

Glancing up at the face in the bed, she was shocked to see the ice blue eyes of her friend staring at her. Is this real?

“Joanna?”

“That’s me.”

“Joanna you’re awake! Joanna, oh hell, I love you!” Fleur was on a high as she placed several kisses on Joanna’s cheeks. Then released her as the reality that her friend was very ill broke through the euphoric mist.

“Why, its good to see you too! And yeah, I’m awake, feel strange though, where am I?”

“In a hospital, you’ve been, real sick. We were worried.”

“We?”

“Yeah, your mom and dad are here, let me go get them for you.”

As she moved away a hand grasped hers and Fleur was surprised at the strength. “Not yet.”

“They will be disappointed. Do you want the doctor or something?”

“Something…you. I want to talk to you. I’ve missed you in my life Fleur, so very much.”

Fleur felt the tears fall again but this time for a different reason, “I’ve missed you so much too Joanna, will you come home with me?”

Once, what seemed like another lifetime ago, Joanna had asked her to go with her…now, Fleur asked the same? Of course it wouldn’t be the same, how could it, Joanna was now on the brink of stardom.

“Home?”

“Yes, home with me?”

“Where you are is my home Fleur, didn’t I ever tell you that?”

“No, you never did.” Fleur watched as Joanna’s eyes shut again, was she okay?

Rushing out of the door she challenged the nurse who had been watching the monitors.

“Ms. Lackerly is sleeping peacefully we called the doctor when she woke, he’ll be here shortly.”

Fleur sighed heavily and was then enclosed in a hug that took her breath away as Alex’s arms surrounded her.

“Thank you, thank you Fleur for bringing her back to us.”

Emotionally drained, all Fleur could do was lay her head on his broad shoulder and cry like a baby, her mind in a whirl.

She had actually said she loved Joanna and to her too and the singer hadn’t flinched at all. Maybe there was hope for them yet.

~ ~ ~

Two Months Later

“She’s my grandmother not an ogre!”

“Yeah but she can be ogre like, if she doesn’t approve of what she sees or hears.”

“Remind you of anyone?”

Fleur glanced at the woman at her side, except for the fact she tired easily in the evening, no one would know she had been seriously ill. Having been discharged to a doctor in New York and living with her parents over the convalescent time, she was looking good.

“Yeah, both stubborn as mules.”

“How can you say that?” Jojo asked in mock seriousness.

“Easy, I lived with you remember.”

“Yeah, I remember.”

Fleur negotiated the next bend before responding to the wistful note in the last comment.

“When does Jack want you back?”

Jojo looked at the houses that lined the suburban area as she digested the question.

“He has a TV show lined up next week and a couple of concerts in Nashville before I go back to Europe and finish the tour.”

Screeching to a halt, Fleur turned to her in astonishment. “All this is already planned?”

“Well yeah, I made commitments. Got to make good on them.”

“You’ve been sick! How could they expect you to go back to such a heavy schedule?”

Jojo ignored the question, “Gran’s place is next block.”

“I know where you’re grandmother lives!”

“Good.” Jojo smirked as she saw the pink tinged cheeks indicating the anger mounting in her friend.

“You never answered me.”

“I guess…I’m not good at being my own manager.”

“What do you mean? Lee told me that you would get the best!”

Jojo felt the hackles rise on the back of her neck. So Lee had been instrumental in Fleur leaving, she had wondered about that!

“I already had the best!”

Joanna’s grandmother’s drive was insight as Fleur manoeuvred to a stop without crashing into the house.

“What? What do you mean by that, I was your manager?”

“Yeah and your point would be?”

“You said you had the best, I was a raw recruit.”

“Sure you were but you also had my best interests at heart, I call that the best.”

“I did, I would, always.”

Jojo turned to her friend and winked, “love you too Fleur. So come on, Gran will be waiting.”

Fleur was flabbergasted as she watched her friend leave the vehicle, had she really said those special words. ‘Love you’ or was it a flippant retort?

~ ~ ~

“She was wicked!”

“Yep and now you know where I get it from.” Laughing as they drove towards home having spent what turned out to be rather an enjoyable dinner with her grandmother.

“I do, I do, wow, I never would have expected it.”

“You doubt my American roots?”

“No, no of course not! She’s lovely though isn’t she, pity she doesn’t get on with your dad.”

“Yeah, but I don’t stress myself, it’s life after all, not everything can have the sugary happy ending can it?”

“Guess not.”

As Fleur drove, the rain pattered on the windscreen as she concentrated on the road silence descending until Joanna began to hum a tune.

“Sing for me, please Joanna.”

Jojo smiled self consciously not realising she was humming aloud, as always being with Fleur made her relaxed and content with her lot in life. They had smoothed over the cracks in their relationship over the weeks of her recuperation and she figured that Fleur might consider going back to Nashville with her when she went back.

The scene was set for Fleur to leave without causing a problem. Karen had taken on another permanent member of staff to cover for Fleur over the long periods of her convalescence. All she had to do was convince Fleur it was the right choice, although she had a good idea that her friend wouldn’t object. They hadn’t discussed Fleur’s profession of love at the hospital because it had never seemed the time or place, she was sure they would explore just what type of love Fleur had for her one day.

For now, she was happy to sing, if that’s what her best friend asked for.

Days are uncertain we don’t know what to expect
Will we know what to do will we ever know who
There’s a place in our heart that knows the answer
Can we recall it and know for sure what saves our souls

In my heart I’ll give you the sun though it may rain
As I walk the day I’ll follow the road you take
The night crosses our path and I’ll be there
Holding your hand and yearning for you to take me inside

Thoughts of you flood my mind
As always I’m putty in your hand
Foolish that may seem to you
Yet you smile and allow me to blindly follow

I’d give anything to know you love me for what I am
Stars shine above and give me the confidence to say
How I love you each day.
Come rain or shine please be mine

“That was beautiful Joanna.”

“Yeah, another ditty. I was thinking there’s a club east side of town, shall we go?”

Never having ventured out to a club or even across town, Fleur was dubious. “Are you sure you are well enough?”

“Sure I am. Pop’s not expecting me until midnight at least.”

Glancing down at the clock on the dashboard it was nine thirty.

“Okay, where?”

~ ~ ~

Fleur had heard about clubs like these but she had never been to one before, it was quite an eye opener.

“How did you know about this club?”

“Fleur, you forget I was brought up in these parts.”

“Come on Joanna, this is a gay club!”

“Yes it is, any objections?”

“No, no of course not, I’m very broad minded.”

Winking at her, Joanna held her hand as they moved towards the bar.

“What do you want to drink?”

“I’ll have a club soda, I’m driving remember?”

“Oh sure you are, we could get a cab later?”

“Joanna, please don’t forget you’ve been ill.”

“How could I, you keep reminding me.” The singer muttered good-naturedly as she asked for a scotch and a club soda.

Fleur frowned, what did that mean exactly? She’d ask when they sat down.

Turning to look for a table, she was amazed at the number of women in one room. It was crowded, some laughing together, other’s standing watching the dancers. Others were in very close contact, nothing between them. Here she was with the woman of her dreams, in a place she never in her imagination expected to be, feeling inadequately prepared to deal with the challenge.

“There’s a table over in that corner.” Fleur motioned towards the tiny alcove away from the dance floor.

Piercing blue eyes surveyed the area, a sardonic expression crossed her face, typical unobtrusive position for Fleur.

“You couldn’t have found us a place any more discreet, I see.”

“What do you mean?” annoyed at the remark.

“Nothing, lets sit and have a drink.”

Settling into the tiny booth they both looked away from their drinks towards anything but each other.

“Fleur…”

“Jo Xianthos? Or should I say Jojo Lackerly? Wow, what a coup in my club.”

A willowy woman with brown wavy hair and a wonderful tan pounced on them.

“You haven’t changed Liz. I see the place is still thriving.”

“Why of course Jo and why shouldn’t it? Did you think it would nosedive once you stopped playing here?” the woman replied her tone arrogant.

“Nope, never considered it, I haven’t your ego Liz.”

“I see you can still pick them, she’s good looking but a little old don’t you think?”

Jojo stood up confronting the woman but before she managed to say anything, Fleur came between them and replied. “Jo simply has taste!” Giving the very young woman at the club owner’s side a quick glance.

Fleur twinned her hand in Joanna’s and felt the gentle appreciative response. This was turning out to be a very unexpected evening.

“Didn’t know you needed anyone to speak for you. Then again, you are some big shot now, aren’t you? Do they know about you and your association here Jo? Think that might cause a few raised eyebrows?”

Squaring up for the catfight that usually occurred with this woman, they might not have seen each other in several years but the antagonism was still there.

“Hardly think so…Liz wasn’t it? Well, Liz, Jo doesn’t need to pretend anymore, she’s earned her freedom in whatever she wants to do. Isn’t that right Jo?”  Fleur turned to see speculative blue eyes capture hers and the smile she gave was both sensual and filled with admiration. Flipping the smaller woman’s stomach as it slowly covered the full length of her body.

“That’s right.” The slow seductive voice captured Fleur as she lost herself completely in the blue smouldering eyes.

“Oh I give up with you Jo!” The other woman stalked off in a huff as green eyes continued to be snared by blue in a hypnotic gaze.

“She wasn’t happy with you.”

“Nope, she wasn’t. Never has been since we were five and I accidentally pushed her off the swing in the park and she scraped her knees, never has forgiven me.”

“Five?” This was a new facet for Fleur, something from Joanna’s childhood. Although she had been regaled with some stories from the singer’s parents over the weeks of her convalescence. This was different and how!

"Yep, Liz and I grew up in the neighbourhood, you might know her folks Jim and Ellen Clancy, they own the grocery store, at least they did last I recall.”

Fleur knew the local store was called Clancy’s but it was a young couple that now worked there. “It’s called that but…Frank and Lisa run it now.”

“Frank? Really, he was so dumb in school.”

“Joanna that’s not nice.”

Winking at her friend, she slugged back the drink and waved for a waitress to replenish it as she grinned at the memory. “Frank is the youngest son of the Clancy’s, Dave probably went onto bigger and better things and as you can see, the only daughter wound up here.”

“Speaking of which, do I take it you used to perform here?”

Laughing at the expression, which could be taken several ways. Fleur realised her mistake as her face coloured up at her slip.

Taking pity on her friend she placed a warm hand over the small one on the table.  A warm feeling flooded Fleur’s whole body at the touch, if only…maybe it wasn’t so far removed a wish, hadn’t Liz said something about…

“The band was close to breaking up and I‘d decided to try it on my own. Liz was opening this place and it was a good venue. The ladies appeared to enjoy the performances and I got paid, not to mention the fringe benefits.”

“Fringe benefits?” Now this really was getting interesting.

“Plenty of ways to get hold of drugs and the company wasn’t bad either.”

“Joanna!”

“Come on Fleur, I was only sassing you. Look at my track record, it speaks for itself doesn’t it?”

Fleur saw the glimmer of amusement in the blue eyes and she smiled, sassing me huh? “Well, it’s time you settled down with someone you loved, that’s all I can say, regardless of gender if they make you happy.”

“You make me happy, should I settle down with you?”

My god, this isn’t happening. I’m in a dream...it has to be a dream! Fleur’s heartbeat thumped rapidly in her chest as she stared wide-eyed at her friend.

“Don’t be ridiculous! Drink your drink, I need to go home, I have to work remember?”

Chuckling at the affronted and flustered expression of her friend, grinning Jojo downed the recently delivered drink and standing unsteadily, Fleur had been right she wasn’t up to this yet. As she did so several women crowded around them, all staring at her in disbelief.

“Jojo Lackerly, it’s’ Jojo Lackerly!” The scream went up from several women and then before she knew it, Jojo was being surrounded by a mass of bodies.

Fleur watched, momentarily helpless, as her friend was lost in the morass that appeared from nowhere.

As the screams increased and the number of women converging on the spot multiplied, Fleur decided enough was enough and used her small frame to good use. Sidling her way through the ten-deep line, she managed to end up close to the besieged singer.

“Need any help?”

Jojo had never needed help more than she did at that moment and was astonished as the next words passed her friends' lips.

“Hey ladies, she’s mine! If you want her autograph see the owner and maybe she might get Jojo to perform one evening if you let her be now.”

A rousing cheer went up as the crowd turned to check out the owner’s whereabouts. And all but a few remained, soon disappearing as Fleur glared at them. Taking hold of Joanna’s hand she lead her towards the exit.

Exiting the building, they both took in a gulp of air at the near disaster of Joanna being set upon by adoring fans, glancing at each other and bursting out laughing.

“I was thinking that maybe when I went back to Nashville, I could rely on you being my manager again?”

Closing her eyes briefly, Fleur had hoped to hear that for months and now when the singer had finally asked, she didn’t know what to say. Assuming her invitation unwanted, Jojo shrugged her shoulders and they drooped as if she had the weight of the world on them.

“I guess that’s selfish of me. You have a new life and you’re catching up with your long lost family, so I can’t expect you to…”

“Joanna, shut up your babbling!”

Fleur giggled as she saw the astonishment in her friend’s face at her comment. Standing still for a moment beside the car without opening it, she fixed her green gaze on the troubled blue one of her friend. “You know, we did make a great team didn’t we?”

Jojo’s face beamed as she saw the laughter and warmth filling her friend’s features. She’d so missed this friendship and connection, a bubble inside her chest wanted to burst whenever she made this woman smile. How could she let it go now that she knew what it meant to her life? “Yeah we did and we can go onto greater things together in the future, what do you say?”

Fleur knew that life with Joanna might not be all sunshine and roses, quite the opposite probably. However, they had a bond that when broken bled them both to the point of death of the soul. Who knew what life held and how fate would meter out the years? All she knew was that in the year that Joanna wasn’t in her life, she merely existed and it had taken a near fatal illness to bring her to her senses. Now she had a family, a home she could come back to whenever she wanted. Although in her heart, she knew the only place she wanted, no needed to be, was beside this woman. A woman she loved with every fibre of her being and if all life offered her was a deep friendship, she would take it and be eternally grateful. After all, how many people could boast such a relationship in their lives and know it would stand the test of time, for theirs would, it was in the stars.

Smiling as she opened the door of the vehicle and as Joanna opened the passenger side to sit inside, she replied, “You need a protector.”

“Me?” Jojo felt a sense of wonder and pride as she recalled Fleur mounting a defence on her behalf. She’d done it and didn’t care what other people thought about what she said. If the paper’s got hold of it, what would she think if it was splashed all over the tabloids for the world to see? Whatever happened, it didn’t matter…she would remember the scene for the rest of her life.

“Yes, you.” Fleur had been relieved that her ruse in the club had gone as well as it had, anything could have happened and her friend was still frail, even if she didn’t believe it.

“I already have one, you!”

Looking up suddenly, green eyes were captured by blue as a silent message passed between them.

“I guess you have, you always did, as you are mine.”

“Improbable protectors.”

“Yep, improbable but a wonderful team!”

Both women felt the rightness of the situation. Smiling, they settled inside the car for the drive home.

They didn’t know what the next stage of the journey was going to be but with their track record, anything could happen.

There's more in Book 3 ---