Into the Dark

Disclaimers: This is an alternative uber story. The characters are my own. They just look and sometimes act like characters that belong to RenPics and USA Studios.

General Disclaimer: This fiction is about professional musicians, so yes, there will be sex, drugs and maybe even some rock & roll every once in a while. I really don't think I need to say much more than that, but I will, just in case.

Adult Subject Matter: One of the main characters deals with an addiction, one that causes her to hit rock bottom and do things that may make some people uncomfortable.

Love/Sex Disclaimer: This story features consensual sexual relationships between adult women, some implied m/f relations, and a bit of BDSM. (Not a whole heck of a lot, but just enough to warrant the disclaimer). There's nothing extremely explicit. If this bothers you, is illegal in the state you live or you are under the age of 18, find something else to read. There are loads of general stories out there in the Xenaverse.

Language: Again, these characters are in the music business so, yes, there is some bad language. UberX seems to want to have a foul mouth for some reason. I don't know where it's coming from cause I really don't curse often, except when I'm at work. Actually, I did happen to write some (okay, most) of this there.

Violence: Yep, there be a bit of violence in this fiction. Nothing gory though.

Hurt/Comfort: Got me some of that here too.

Music Business Knowledge: I can't claim I know very much about the business, so if any of this seems terribly out there to you, it probably is. I do know how to play the drums though, so I can tell you about that.

Many thanks to kas, Yolanda, Peace, Rainne, Denise, Kevin and the pups for beta reading this baby for me. Thank you to Peggy for supplying me with the name of the band, and to Missy Good for giving me permission to use Tropical Storm- the book, in a small part of the story.

Any comments can be sent to: Sasmithhalestorm@gmail.com

Part 2

Chapter 4

The noise sounded like a herd of cattle, as 15 pairs of feet ran through the crowded airport, trying to make the now departing flight. Out of the corner of her eye, Rebecca saw a young girl, no more than 7-years-old, standing in a corner by a group of phones, crying.

The show had run late and they were on a very tight schedule. The band was too caught up in their own lives to worry about someone else's. They all ran right by the young girl, just as Rebecca had expected them to do.

What Rebecca didn't expect was to slam into the back of the drummer, who had also apparently seen the crying girl and came to a sudden stop. Rebecca stood back and watched as Jordanna walked over to the girl and crouched down next to her.

"Are you lost?" she asked the young girl tenderly.

The little girl nodded and started to cry even harder.

"What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Jessie."

"Hi, Jessie." The dark-haired woman smiled and wiped a tear off the girl's cheek. "My name is Jordanna." The girl looked back at her with big, blue teary eyes. "Are you here with your parents?"

"I can't find my mama."

Jordanna pointed to a small, emerald green stuffed teddy bear on the floor next to the girl. "Is this yours?"

The girl nodded again. "Ralph."

Jordanna smiled and picked up the bear. Tucking it under her arm, she held out her large hand to the young girl, who slipped her tiny one in it. "You, me and Ralph are gonna go find your mama now, okay?"

They walked to the closest ticket counter and the drummer said a few words to the man behind the desk. She stood waiting with the young girl, telling the road crew member that came to retrieve her to go ahead without her, that she would take another flight out and meet the band at the hotel in Cleveland.

Rebecca heard the page on the airport PA system announcing the lost child and smiled. She then heard Jordanna calling out to her.

"You missed the flight, Rebecca."

"I know."

"Why?"

The reporter shrugged. "I don't know." She grinned a little. "I guess I'll have to take the next one out with you."

The drummer turned her body abruptly, as the child's hand was ripped out of her own. "Mama!" An obviously terrified, yet relieved woman in her mid 30's had the young girl in her arms within seconds, stroking her hair and kissing her on the forehead.

"Don't you ever walk away like that on me again, Jessie! You had Mama scared like crazy over you, honey."

Jessie pointed to the tall drummer. "She found me and took care of me."

The grateful woman thanked Jordanna, who shied away from the gushing praise the woman was giving her. "Just glad I could help," the red faced drummer replied to the woman, who was still apologizing to her for the inconvenience.

Jordanna waved to the girl as her mother and her walked away, after hearing their flight being announced. "Bye, Jessie."

The smiling girl waved back. "Bye!"

The still embarrassed Jordanna turned around and faced a grinning Rebecca. "Well." She cleared her throat. "Guess we better get ourselves booked on the next flight out to Cleveland."

Jordanna looked down at her watch and sighed. "We've got quite a bit of time to kill and the smell of those cinnamon buns are simply making my mouth water, how about we go get one and grab a cup of coffee while we wait?"

Rebecca smiled at the drummer and the thought of two of her favorite things- food and coffee. "Sure, sounds great to me. What about him though?" The reporter was pointing to Jordanna's bodyguard, who had tried but obviously failed to mix in with the people in the background.

"You mean Lenny?" Jordanna shrugged. "He's a big boy, he can get his own coffee."

They quietly walked through the airport terminal following the delightful aroma until they found the small, crowded food court. Jordanna walked toward the long line and turned to Rebecca. "Why don't you go get a table for us. How do you take yours?"

Around 6 feet tall, long dark hair, incredible blue eyes with a body and voice to die for…

"Rebecca? You okay?"

"Huh?"

"How do you like your coffee?"

"Light, no sugar, thanks."

The drummer winked at her and then got on the line.

Rebecca's body warmed instantly and she held in a sigh.

And my long lost libido still works after all, also.

The reporter was quickly rattled out of her thoughts as a commotion started on the line. "You're Jordanna Fox, aren't you?" she heard an excited young man exclaim.

The drummer looked up, locked eyes with Rebecca and shrugged- a gesture that the reporter took as an apology of sorts. "Yes, I am," she answered and sighed heavily as napkins and paper were thrusted at her for her to autograph.

Rebecca watched as Jordanna talked with the people, signed autographs and posed for photos while she was standing on the line. When it was her turn, she placed her order with the excited teenage girl behind the counter and signed a piece of paper that the girl handed to her, then went back to signing more autographs and posing for more photos for people in the food court. She paid for the items, grabbed the tray and politely excused herself from the crowd, walking over to the table Rebecca was seated at.

"How do you handle that all of the time?" Rebecca asked, as Jordanna set the tray down and slid into the seat across from her.

Jordanna shrugged. "You get used to it. It's part of the job, you know? Actually, it's a very big part of it."

"Well, I don't think I could handle that as well as you just did."

"Sure you could," the drummer replied in response, and placed the reporter's coffee in front of her. "Light, no sugar."

"Thank you."

"No prob, now dig in." The drummer grabbed one of the two cinnamon buns off of the tray, took a bite of it and let out a little moan. "Just heavenly."

Rebecca did the same. "Better than sex." The words came out before she could stop them. She looked up at Jordanna who was smiling like the cat that ate the canary.

"Apparently you haven't had sex with the right wom… person, Rebecca," Jordanna said with a twinkle in her very blue eyes, enjoying the knowing look on the reporter's face.

Rebecca looked at her with the same twinkle in her eyes, her heart rate increasing ever so slightly. "I walked myself right into that one, didn't I?" she said with a slight laugh.

The drummer licked some of the frosting from the bun that was on her fingers off slowly, keeping her eyes locked with the reporters. "Oh yeah… that you did." She leaned across the table with her napkin and wiped a bit of frosting off of Rebecca's face. "Had a little frosting on your cheek," she said as she sat back down in her seat.

Now, not only did Rebecca's heart rate increase, but she felt a heat starting to build between her legs as that libido of hers was getting a real good kick start again. "Um… thank you."

Jordanna leaned back in her seat and took another bite of her bun, still keeping her eyes locked with the young reporter's. "Oh, you're very welcome." And you're very beautiful when you blush like that…

"FLIGHT 1435 TO CLEVELAND NOW BOARDING AT GATE H."

Rebecca snapped out of her haze. "Isn't that us?"

The drummer got up from her seat and put her coffee cup on the tray to throw it out. "Yep, that's us. Let's go."

Jordanna woke up from her short nap as the flight attendant asked her and Rebecca if they needed anything. She shook her head no to the woman dressed in a navy blue suit, who stood in front of her waiting for her answer.

"Do you know if she'd like anything?" the woman asked, pointing to the sleeping reporter who was using the drummer's shoulder as a pillow. Jordanna smiled at the sight, shrugged and then shook Rebecca gently on the shoulder. She was rewarded with a muffled "Just 10 more minutes- that's all I need."

"I would say that's a no," the drummer said to the attendant, who nodded and told Jordanna that if they did need anything, just to ask. She then went on to see if the other first class travelers in the seats behind them needed anything.

Jordanna turned her head and let her eyes travel up and down the flight attendant's firm body, only to turn and see an older man sitting across from her watching. She winked at the man in response, and he quickly looked away. She then turned her own gaze to the woman sleeping beside her. Noticing a few stray golden strands in the woman's face, she gently brushed them away from her eyes.

Rebecca stirred at the sensation and her green eyes opened with a flutter, only to focus into the beautiful baby blue ones looking back at her. She stretched her arms slightly and yawned a bit before saying a word. "I guess I fell asleep."

Jordanna laid her head against the back of her seat and turned to face the front of the cabin. "Did you want something to eat or drink? The flight attendant already came by when you were sleeping."

"Nope, I'm fine, thanks."

"Rebecca?"

"Yes?"

"How is your article coming along?"

Rebecca closed her eyes again and shook her head. She had been hoping that they might have possibly come to a peaceful treaty while they waited in the airport. She guessed she was wrong. "Not very good actually. My subject matter is a real pompous pain in the ass. Why?"

Jordanna burst out laughing. "Just wondering. Pompous pain in the ass, huh? That's a new one, even for me, and I've been called a lot of things."

"I'm sure you have," the reporter answered with a snort.

"I guess we really didn't get off to a good start, did we?"

Rebecca opened her eyes and looked at Jordanna. "I would say that's an understatement."

The drummer laughed. "I was pretty rude to you in the limo, wasn't I?"

Rebecca nodded. "Like I said, a real pompous pain in the ass."

"First time we meet, I'm rude to you," the drummer said and paused, closing her eyes once again. "And then the next time you see me there's a woman going down on me in a bathroom stall. That must have been a real shock to walk in on."

Rebecca's jaw dropped. "You saw me?"

"Nope, I didn't see you. I heard someone walk in," she said and smirked. Even with her eyes closed she could tell the stunned reporter had her mouth wide open. "You can lift your jaw back up, you'll need it to talk."

"How… uh… how did you know it was me?"

"I have many skills, Rebecca… not much gets past me, as you will find out in the weeks to come." She breathed in deeply for effect. "Your perfume, you smell of soft jasmine, Rebecca. Which, by the way, is very, very nice."

"You knew it was me by smelling my perfume?" the reporter asked incredulously. "Weren't there… um, other things occupying your senses at the time?"

"Yep, there sure were."

"Damn… you're good."

Jordanna cleared her throat and grinned. "So I've been told." She turned her head and looked into the stunned green eyes looking back at her. "Like I said, I have many skills." She wiggled her eyebrows at the reporter. "Like reading people's minds, for one thing," she continued.

Rebecca decided to play along with Jordanna's game. "Oh yeah, what am I thinking right now, Jordanna?"

The drummer started to mimic a psychic, pretending she had a crystal ball in front of her. She changed her voice, but with her native New York accent, ended up sounding more like Dracula than the desired psychic voice. "You reporter, have lots of thoughts going around in your mind. Yes, lots and lots of thoughts… Far, far too many thoughts… ouch." She rubbed her forehead. "Gives me a headache."

Rebecca started to laugh at the drummer's goofy antics.

Jordanna continued. "Ah, you laugh at the psycho? I mean psychic… P'shaw. Are you questioning my psychic abilities, young lady?"

"You sound more like Dracula than a psychic, Jordanna," the reporter said with a huge smile, unable to hold one in. "And, no I don't question your abilities, go on."

"I sound like Dracula, eh? Just call me Madam Jorcula then… and don't ask me what I come to suck, but just know that it definitely isn't your blood," she teased, letting her eyes wander down the front of the reporter's body, coming to a stop at her chest.

Rebecca shook her head. "Even the most innocent of statements, you somehow turn provocative. How do you do that?"

Jordanna lifted a brow. "I'm magic."

"You're magic? No, I think you're insane. Now tell me what else I'm thinking, Madam Jerkcula."

"Jerkcula? Ah, that's very funny, Rebecca. So, she has a sense of humor after all. And stop teasing the psychic or she will have to put a nasty spell on you."

"I'll stop. I promise."

Jordanna put her hand on the reporter's forehead. Rebecca raised a questioning brow at her. The drummer shrugged. "It helps for me to connect with my subject." The drummer pulled her hand back suddenly and covered her mouth. "Oh my, you naughty, naughty girl. You could be arrested for thoughts like that."

Rebecca bit her lip trying to stifle her laughter. She noticed the people in the seats around them were starting to listen in on the conversation. Jordanna put her hand back on Rebecca's forehead.

"Ah yes, I see it clearly now… You're thinking that in all of the years you have been in the music business, you've met a lot of pigs, but this Jordanna character that everyone talks about, well she takes the all time oinker cake."

Rebecca looked at the dark-haired woman and smiled. "One out of one right. Very good so far. Go on Madam Jerk… I mean Jorcula."

"And well, you're also thinking that as much as you don't want to like the pompous pain in the ass," the drummer stopped speaking briefly and closed her eyes. "You can't help but like her 'cause there's something about her that you are drawn to. You just can't put your finger on it."

Rebecca started to speak but Jordanna stopped her. "No wait, I'm getting more… like I said, you have lots and lots of thoughts." She leaned over and whispered in Rebecca's ear, so that the nosy passengers around them couldn't hear her next statement. "You have also been thinking a lot lately about something that you never really thought of before."

"Oh yeah, what's that?"

Jordanna turned her head and looked directly into Rebecca's eyes, holding her gaze there. "Being with a woman, and not just as friends."

Rebecca's breath caught for the umpteenth time of the day. As much as she wanted to deny the statement, she couldn't.

"Wait… I'm… I mean Jorcula's getting more," Jordanna continued. "You think I'm totally conceited and completely full of myself, huh?" She looked down and blushed shyly.

Rebecca turned her body to the side, catching a quick glimpse of the shy blush and spoke softly. "I will never question Madam Jorcula's psychic abilities again."

"No?"

"No."

Jordanna held out her hand to Rebecca and gazed into her beautiful green eyes. "Truce?"

Rebecca looked directly into Jordanna's azure eyes, noticing that they seemed more than sincere. She shook the drummer's hand. "Truce."

"Well then, I think I'd like to start all over again, if it's all right with you. It's very nice to meet you, Rebecca," the drummer said, her smile reaching from ear to ear.

"I'd like that very much. And it's nice to meet you too, Jordanna."

They both sat back in their seats wondering what had just transpired between the two of them. The easy bantering that they had just shared seemed more than familiar to the both of them.

"Jordanna?"

"Hmm?"

"What you did for that little girl earlier was a really wonderful thing."

The drummer blinked, but didn't say a word.

"No, I mean it," the reporter admitted. "It really was."

Jordanna shrugged her shoulders. "It was no big deal. I just know what it feels like to be alone and scared, that's all."

Cleveland, OH

Jordanna's eyes started to close as she tried to absorb the last few pages of the latest book she was reading. She sat up on her bed in her hotel room, propped up the pillows against the headboard and then leaned back against them, hoping to keep her eyes open long enough to finish the book.

She jumped at the sound of the phone ringing, stretched her long frame across the bed and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Meet us at the bar next door in an hour."

She took off her reading glasses, rubbed her forehead and looked at the clock. Was it only 8:30? She felt like it should have been 3 am. "Too tired to party, Kel."

"Hell-o?" Kelly tapped on the phone receiver a few times. "Who is this, and what have you done with Jordanna Fox?"

The drummer laughed. "Really, I'm beat, Kelly."

"She helps one small child in distress and she's exhausted. What's gonna happen when you settle down and have children?"

The drummer snorted loudly. "Do you plan on bearing some kids for me, Kel?"

"Not on your life."

"Well, then we don't have to worry about what happens when I have children, now do we?" Jordanna heard other voices in the background as she spoke to the lead guitarist. "Who is there with you?"

"Just Rach and Linda… and Joe and Rick flew out to meet us. Rach says to tell you that there are pool tables there."

"Oh yeah?" the drummer said with a yawn.

"I can see your enthusiasm…" the guitarist snickered. The voices in the background spoke again. "And Rach said she saw a few strawberry blonde babes walking into the bar earlier."

Rebecca's face popped into the drummer's mind immediately, as it had been doing all night. "Strawberry blondes? Now you're talking my game, Kelly."

"I thought you'd see the light. Bar next door- an hour."

Rebecca had her laptop open and was typing away on it when she heard a knock at the door. She jumped up from the chair and went to the door, checking through the peephole first to see who it was. Her breath caught as she saw the tall body of the drummer standing there.

Oh God…

She quickly pulled her hair out of the loose ponytail she had it in and ran her hands through it a few times to straighten it out.

I have no make up on…

She heard Jordanna's voice come through the door. "Rebecca? It's Jordanna. Are you in there?"

"Just a minute," she said, and opened the door up. She looked the dark-haired woman over, and decided she really liked what she was wearing. "You look nice."

Jordanna looked down at her skin-tight black jeans, black and white striped blouse and her black biker boots and shrugged. She threw her leather jacket over her shoulder. "Thanks. Can I um… come in?"

"Oh…. yeah, sure… sorry," Rebecca answered and backed away from the door to let the drummer pass by her. Jordanna walked in and leaned against a table.

"Everything okay?" the reporter asked.

"Oh, um, yeah. I um, just came by to see if you wanted to go to the bar next door for some drinks and maybe something to eat. The rest of the band is there."

Rebecca was just about ready to decline, when she changed her mind. "Sure, I would just have to take a quick shower and put some make up on first. It's right next door?"

The drummer nodded.

"I'll meet you there, okay?" Rebecca grabbed a small travel bag out of her suitcase and went into the bathroom to shower.

Jordanna, in the meantime, decided she would wait for the young reporter to get ready. She walked over to the bed where Rebecca had left her laptop open and on, the document she was working on still up on the screen. With only the slightest feeling of guilt, the drummer picked it up and read the document, smiling as she scanned through it.

It was the article on her and the band. Jordanna was impressed with the writer's work. She had given her very little to work with, most of it all bad to begin with, and Rebecca put a spin on it that she never would have thought to do. After she finished reading the article, she put the laptop back down on the bed exactly as she found it, and sat down in a chair to wait.

I like this little woman.

The bathroom door swung open, and Rebecca emerged in only a towel, stopping dead in her tracks when she locked eyes with Jordanna. "Shit, you scared the crap out of me!" She watched as Jordanna's eyebrow lifted and she looked her towel-clad body up and down. When she finally met up with Rebecca's eyes, she smiled shyly, blushed and looked back down. Rebecca felt her breath catch once again when she saw the drummer's shy smile. It was an incredibly attractive look on the dark-haired woman, and very adorable too. "You didn't have to wait for me."

Jordanna shrugged. "I know I didn't." The drummer looked her over again and grinned. "But some things are worth waiting for, you know?"

Rebecca knew her face was red. She could feel the warmth spreading in her cheeks. "Um, I'll be around another 15-20 minutes."

"That's okay."

Rebecca went to the closet and pulled out a pair of blue jeans and a sweater. She turned to the drummer and held them up. "Are these okay?"

Jordanna nodded. "They're fine. It's not like Studio 54 or anything, I don't think. Kelly said there were pool tables there so I figured casual would be fine." Although I think I prefer the towel you're wearing more.

True to her words, Rebecca was ready 20 minutes later. She walked out of the bathroom and walked to the door. "You ready?''

"Yep."

They took the elevator down to the lobby, walked out the front door and to the bar in relative silence. When the two of them walked in the bar, all eyes turned. Jordanna was an imposing presence, no matter where she went. Rebecca noticed the waitress and a few of the bars patrons give the drummer the once over. Jordanna didn't seem to take notice though, and they went to join the others.

The rest of the band members were at a table hidden in a dark corner of the bar, drinking beer and munching on appetizers. There were a few people there that Rebecca didn't recognize. A tall, blond man that was sitting next to Rachel and a shorter man with dark hair sitting next to Kelly. "Who are those men?" she asked the drummer.

Jordanna looked at the table to see whom the reporter was talking about. "Oh, that's Joe, Kelly's husband, and the other guy is Rachel's boyfriend Rick."

Rebecca blushed. She had assumed because Jordanna and Linda were both gay that the whole band was. "I didn't know Kelly was married." Stupid, Beck, real stupid…you know what they say when people assume things.

Jordanna noticed the young woman's face had turned red. It didn't take much thought to figure out why she was blushing. She thought about teasing the reporter, but decided against it. "She married her high school sweetheart. They have two kids, both boys. I don't know what the hold up is with Rach and Rick. They've been together forever. It's like they are married, anyway. You want a drink?"

Rebecca was feeling a serious case of dãjø vu. Being in this bar reminded her of the night that she conceived Cindy.

Being with Jordanna reminded her of… what? She didn't know, but it reminded her of something.

Jordanna was waving her hand in front of Rebecca's face. "Rebecca…where did you go? Did you want a drink or not?"

"Hmmm? Oh sorry, just…daydreaming. The last time I drank I made the biggest mistake of my life. Well, not really a mistake, Cindy is the best thing that ever happened to me, but…."

Jordanna felt a surge of jealously flow through her. Cindy? Rebecca has a girlfriend? "What are you talking about? Who is Cindy? All I asked was if you wanted a drink."

The drummer was standing directly in front of Rebecca. The reporter looked up into her amazing blue eyes, which at the moment had a confused look in them. Maybe even a look of jealousy in them.

Jealousy? What the hell?

"Damn, I'm babbling. Cindy is my daughter. Shit, forget it…I'll have a coke, thanks."

The drummer nodded. "Why don't you take the table next to them and I'll be right back, okay?" Rebecca slid into a booth right near where the rest of the band was sitting. A few minutes later, she caught sight of the raven-haired woman walking toward her. With the grace of a panther, Jordanna slid into the seat across from Rebecca and handed her the soda before taking a long pull from the bottle of beer she had in her own hand.

"Thanks," Rebecca said as she started to pull some money out of her wallet, her eyes never leaving the blue of Jordanna's.

Jordanna put her hand on Rebecca's, stopping her from pulling money out. "It's on me." The drummer paused for a moment, wanting to know all about Rebecca's daughter. "You have a daughter? Are you um… married?"

The reporter blinked twice and shook her head. "I'm divorced."

Jordanna let out the breath she was holding. "Oh, sorry."

Rebecca smiled. "No, I'm cool with it. Dave couldn't handle my dedication to my job. He said that it seemed like the job was more important to me than Cindy or he ever were. I guess, in a way, I can understand why he feels that way." Her eyes were wet, tears forming at the thought.

Jordanna shifted in her seat, not knowing how to react to the emotional woman. "What, so you spent more time in the office than at home?"

The reporter swallowed hard and closed her eyes. "You could say that."

Confused blue eyes looked at her. "Where did you meet your ex-husband?"

"I met him in college."

"Where did you go to school?"

"New York University."

"Are you from New York?"

The reporter laughed. "Nope- I was born and raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania."

"Ah, home of the Amish. What, um, does your family do, if you don't mind me asking?"

Rebecca took a sip of her soda and then put it down on the table. "Farmers."

A lone eyebrow edged its way upward. "Really?"

Rebecca looked down. "Yeah. They sorta expected me, as the oldest of three kids, to marry this local boy named Scott and take over the farm. They were very disappointed when I told them I wanted to go away to college and become a journalist."

"You're kidding?" Jordanna's eyes opened wide. "Like an arranged marriage?"

"Yeah."

"Shit! Your parents do know it's the 1900's, right?"

Rebecca started to laugh. "Yeah, they do now."

Jordanna looked her directly in the eyes. "So, what happened between you and your ex?"

"Hey, I'm the reporter!" Rebecca replied. "How is it that you're asking all of the questions?"

"Since you are finding out a lot about me on this assignment," Jordanna winked. "I think it's only fair that you tell me about yourself, don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess." Rebecca shrugged. "After I got my job, I had to travel a lot and wasn't home all that often. That's when he handed me divorce papers. We agreed that it was best if Cindy would remain with him. I haven't even had the chance to see her in between my latest assignments." She looked down at the floor.

Jordanna could see the pain that this caused the young woman. "Don't be so hard on yourself. It's obvious even to someone like me that you love your daughter. I certainly understand where you are coming from, even though I don't have kids. I often wonder how Kelly and Joe handle the situation," the drummer said, drawing Rebecca's gaze back up to her by lifting her chin with her finger.

Just then, a tall blonde woman walked up to the table and stood next to the drummer. She crouched down and whispered something in Jordanna's ear. The drummer's lip twitched and her eyes glistened after hearing what the woman had to say.

The woman stood back up to her full height and Jordanna looked up at her. "I'm flattered, really, and that's a very tempting offer," the drummer said and then looked at Rebecca. "But I can't. Sorry."

Rebecca wanted to scream. She couldn't believe that this woman would come and proposition Jordanna right there in front of her. How did the bitch know that Jordanna wasn't with her in that way? What if Jordanna was her lover? Rebecca shivered at the thought. This bitch really has a lot of nerve…

The blonde was persistent. "Oh C'mon, Jordanna, I'll make it well worth your while."

Jordanna shook her head. "I'm sorry, I really can't."

"I'll be by the bar if you change your mind," the dejected woman said before she walked away.

Rebecca put her hand on the drummer's. "You can go with her if you want. You certainly don't have to stay and entertain me."

"But…" Jordanna started to say.

"She's a beautiful woman and I know she propositioned you. I can tell by the twinkle in your eyes."

"But I don't want to…"

Because of her jealousy, Rebecca didn't hear a thing the drummer was saying to her. "Don't let me get in the way of a good time that I can't give you, Jordanna," she said sarcastically. "Just go…"

Good time that she can't give me? I thought she was kinda open to the idea. Fuck!

Jordanna was disappointed. She really thought that Rebecca was beginning to like her but now she knew she was wrong. She rubbed the back of her neck, slid out of the seat and went back over to the bar.

Rebecca watched the raven-haired woman walk over to the blonde and say a few words to her. The blonde smiled back and ran her hand down the buttons on Jordanna's blouse.

That was real dumb. She was opening up to you and because of your jealousy you blew it!

Linda came over and sat with the reporter. "What happened? Was she harassing you again? Did she just leave you here alone and go off with that whore?"

"No, she was charming, like you said she can be. She didn't do anything wrong, Linda. It's just…"

It's just that I think I'm starting to fall for her and I stupidly told her to go be with someone else, that's what.

She stood up and looked at Jordanna with the woman again. They were still standing by the bar and Jordanna had her hand on the blonde's thigh. "I think I'll go back to the hotel, Linda."

Linda put her hand on the reporter's arm. "No, forget about her, okay? Don't go back. Do you play pool? I need a partner cause Kelly and Rach want to gang up on me like they usually do. I suck at pool. Jordanna's the pool shark."

Rebecca was hesitant. "Why don't you ask her to play then?" she hissed at the guitarist. She didn't mean to sound so sarcastic. "I'm sorry, Linda. That was uncalled for."

"It's okay, Rebecca," Linda said and then turned to look in the direction of the room that the drummer was, gesturing for the reporter to do the same. "That's why I won't ask her."

"Oh." Rebecca felt a stabbing pain in her chest when she saw Jordanna sitting at a table with the woman. She leaned up against the guitarist as her weak legs started to give. You told her to go to her…

"Are you okay, Rebecca?" Linda asked, grabbing on to the small woman. She's falling for her, isn't she? They all do.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just got a little dizzy all of a sudden. I must be hungry."

"You should eat then, Rebecca. Forget the game."

Rebecca looked at the drummer again, and winced when she saw that she was now kissing the blonde woman. "No, I want to play."

Rachel and Kelly had already racked the balls up and were waiting at the table. "You wanna bet on this game, Lin?" Rachel teased. She could buy the Taj Mahal with the money she's made off of previous pool bets with Linda. She turned to Rebecca. "You don't look like the type to spend much time in pool halls. You'll probably fool us, though."

"Nope, never really played before." The reporter smiled. They all laughed as Rebecca scratched her first shot. The ball rolled all the way to the edge of the bar. "I told you I couldn't play. Maybe you can give me some pointers or something."

"Jordanna's the one that you would want to teach you." Kelly chimed in. "She sorta grew up in pool halls."

"I don't think she would appreciate me asking her," Rebecca said solemnly. "She's kinda busy with her friend right now."

Kelly laughed. "Jordanna… busy with a woman? Nah, never." She picked up her stick and leaned it against the wall and walked over to Rebecca. "We can interrupt her. Besides," she said in the reporter's ear. "She can always pick another one up faster than you can scratch your next shot."

"I know," the reporter said with a sigh.

The game ended in a slaughter, with Rebecca scratching almost every shot she made. Linda was glad that she didn't bet on it. Rebecca was too preoccupied with what Jordanna was doing to care about the game, anyway. Quite a few times during the game she caught the drummer watching her. Their eyes would meet and they would quickly look away.

"Jordanna?"

The drummer was busy ripping the label off of her bottle of beer and she looked up blankly. "Huh?"

The blonde woman got up from her seat across from the drummer and slid in next to her. "That woman you were sitting with isn't your girlfriend, is she?"

Jordanna sighed and looked up at Rebecca, who was leaning far too comfortably against Linda, as Kelly was racking the balls on the pool table. Unfortunately, no… "Do you think I would be sitting here with you if she was?"

"No, I guess not."

"So, let's get down to business then." The drummer noticed Rebecca was still leaning on Linda. In reflex, she leaned down to kiss the blonde woman. As they kissed, she ran her hand along the girl's thighs, back up to her breasts, then up and down her back and listened to her moan. She closed her eyes, hearing the woman suggest that they go in the bathroom but all she saw in her mind was Rebecca's sweet face. She opened her eyes and moved away from the woman, pushing her out of the seat. "I'm sorry… I just can't. I gotta go."

"Wanna go another round?" Rachel kidded.

"You've got to be kidding! I was pathetic," exclaimed the reporter, blushing.

She didn't see Jordanna leave the table and come up behind her. "I'll teach you how to play," the drummer offered, her sexy and deep voice sending shivers down the reporter's back. Rebecca turned around to face sparkling blue eyes. "If you want me… to, that is," the drummer continued.

The reporter's green eyes told her what the answer was. "Yes," she said instantly. "I would like that." She turned and looked back at the table where Jordanna had been sitting with the blonde. The blonde was still sitting there, but another woman was sitting in the spot that Jordanna had been in.

She looked back at the drummer who shrugged. "She wasn't my type."

Rebecca laughed. "Not your type? She's sitting up and her chest is moving so she's definitely breathing." She looked at the woman again. "She looks like a female. How can you say she's not your type?"

"Ha ha," the drummer said slowly, as the rest of the band got a good chuckle at her expense. She bent down and whispered in Rebecca's ear. "She's a transvestite. When I rubbed my hand between her legs I felt something I've never felt on a woman before."

"Oh my God!" Rebecca's eyes opened wide. "Really?"

"No, but the look on your face is absolutely precious. Do you always believe everything that everybody says?" she laughed. "C'mon, let me teach you the game of pool."

Jordanna walked over to the table, with Rebecca not far behind her and she noticed the sign hanging on it and laughed.

DO NOT MOVE POOL TABLE.

"Who the hell is going to move the pool table?" Jordanna said, turning to face the reporter. "Well, I can think of a few ways to make the pool table move, but it has nothing to do with physically pushing it. And believe me when I say that no balls of any kind are involved," she said and winked at Rebecca.

A blush as red as a stop sign appeared on the reporter's face. Jordanna took that as her opportunity to take the stick out of the reporter's hand and started by showing her how to hold it. She lined two balls up on the table, stood behind Rebecca and guided her through her first shot. The ball bounced, flew in the air and landed on the floor. "Easy…easy... Not so hard." Jordanna whispered in her ear. "Try it again."

This time she wrapped herself around the young woman, putting her leg in between Rebecca's to hold her in place and guided the small woman's hands with her own larger ones. Rebecca could feel the drummer's breath on her neck. Mmm, that feels so nice. She smells so good. The reporter's knees were getting weak, feeling the drummer's body against her.

Jordanna liked the way the young woman felt against her too. There was just something about this woman. Even though she knew she never had, she felt as though she had met her before. Felt that she had touched her like this a million times before. She shook the thoughts out of her head.

This time, Rebecca sank two balls with the shot. "Yes! I did it! I did it!"

Jordanna eased herself off of the reporter. "Good, you are getting it. Want to try it again?"

"Jordanna?" The young reporter turned around and held the raven-haired woman by the arms.

"Hmmm?" the drummer responded, slightly dazed from all the new emotions she was feeling. She felt something that she had never felt for anyone before. She actually cared about this woman. She really was hurt when Rebecca told her to go with the blonde woman.

You're losing your touch Jordanna. What's going on with you?

Let's face it girlfriend, you like her. "I like her," the drummer mumbled under her breath.

Yeah. I like her. I don't just lust after her like all the others that I use…well, I do want her… but it's not just about power or sex with her. I truly like her.

Rebecca still had her hands on the drummer's arms. "Jordanna? Did you say something?"

Jordanna shook her head and lied. "No. I didn't say anything. You were going to say something to me if I recall."

She let go of the drummer. "Oh…yeah. I was just going to apologize for what I said to you the other day about being a pompous pain in the ass."

"You were just being truthful, Rebecca. Let's face it, I wasn't the nicest person I could be when I first met you," she admitted. "C'mon, it's your shot."

Rebecca and Linda won this one. "Hey, no fair." Rachel snorted. "You've got the help of the best pool player I know."

Jordanna laughed. "Fair? Like the first game when you guys slaughtered them. You knew they couldn't play. Let's talk about fair."

She then turned to the reporter. "You hungry?" It was after 11 and they hadn't eaten yet.

"Famished." Rebecca had a slight hunger headache, her stomach was definitely not used to being ignored.

"Me, too. Do you want to stay here and have a bite to eat if the grill is still open or get something from somewhere else? That's if you don't mind eating with me," Jordanna said hesitantly.

Rebecca rewarded her with a huge smile. "I'm kinda craving a unhealthy old greasy cheeseburger. Probably be better here, don't you think?" Her stomach growled at that moment.

"A cheeseburger it is then. Let's go see if we can get a table."

Chapter 5

The next week was a blur for the reporter. The shows, travel, photo shoots, television and radio interviews… She wondered how anyone could keep up with such a schedule.

Jordanna had been more than friendly to her since the night they spent together at the bar. Rebecca was pleased with the progress they were making, since Jordanna willingly found the time to sit with her for the interview. She learned small things about Jordanna that she didn't know. She always found the little details about people interesting, and that they tended to show a good part of a person's character.

She smiled as Jordanna sat telling her that she's seen every episode of South Park, and that the episode where Cartman gets amnesia and thinks he's a Vietnamese prostitute is her absolute favorite.

Rebecca was also shocked to learn that the woman is a well known bookworm, and that she reads just about any book she gets her hands on during her time alone; with one exception- romance novels. She hates romance novels.

Like she has any time alone to read anyway.

The reporter happily deduced that the dark-haired woman must find some free time for herself. They pleasantly sat discussing the many different books that they had read during what Rebecca thought was going to be a painfully long road trip between cities. She was surprised to find that the time flew by and they were quickly at their hotel.

Spending time alone in her hotel room gave Rebecca a lot of time to think. It was really starting to occur to her that she had strong feelings for Jordanna. At first, she was surprised by the revelation. She wasn't sure if she liked the idea or not- or if it was just some sort of romantic notion she was having for someone that she knew she couldn't… or shouldn't have. It was something that she was having a hard time coming to terms with.

Being attracted to a woman was a very new experience for her. The way her body responded when the dark-haired woman was around her was enough to drive her mad. She noticed that she had not only begun to respond to Jordanna's flirtations, she had even initiated some of her own, which was very unlike her.

The final stretch of the tour took them from the West Coast, with shows in Arizona, Nevada and California to the East Coast, where they would finish up in New York.

During the band's stay in Los Angeles, Jerry received a phone call late one night from the San Diego County Police Department. They were trying to get in touch with Jordanna because there had been numerous arrests made on her property. Neighbors called the police to report that there was an all out party being held at Jordanna's home, with music blasting so loud that it could be heard by half of the county.

When the police raided the party, they arrested at least 10 people for illegal narcotic use. Susan was one of them.

Jerry didn't look forward to being the one to break the news to the drummer. He walked down the hall that led to Jordanna's room, saying hello to the guard on the floor that night. "She alone?" he asked. The guard shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I think so. It's awfully quiet in there if she isn't. Jordanna's kind of vocal, if you know what I mean." Jerry nodded and laughed at the comment.

Praying that she was alone, he hesitantly walked to the door of her hotel room and knocked. After a few minutes a groggy and half-asleep Jordanna opened up the door. "Jerry, it's 3 in the morning" she said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "What could be that important?"

"Can I come in?" he asked, looking around and confirming that she indeed was alone. Jordanna didn't like the vibes she was getting from him. "Sure, sit down." He stepped in the room and leaned against the edge of a table. "I just got a call from the San Diego Police. It seems..."

She didn't let him finish his sentence. Rubbing her temple, she spoke softly. "Damn it…what has Susan done now?"

"She's been arrested." He waited for the storm to hit, but none came. He had witnessed many of Hurricane Jordanna's angry outbursts over the years and was glad he didn't have to see another one.

Jordanna shook her head. "What for? Lemme guess, something to do with drugs?" she asked, already knowing the answer to her own question.

"Yep, she was having quite the party at your house. She wasn't the only one arrested." He paused for a moment in thought. "Jordanna, you know that I don't like telling you what you should do but I think you should seriously think about losing the woman. She's been nothing but trouble for you since the beginning. I'm starting to wonder if she is the one behind the death threats you have been receiving."

The drummer looked down at the floor and then back up at Jerry. Her blue eyes were sad and she looked tired. "I know, that thought has crossed my mind quite a few times. The police seem to have come to the conclusion it is some obsessed fan doing it Jerry, but for some reason I don't think so."

Jerry shook his head. "You haven't received anymore have you?"

"No, I haven't," she said to him, turning to look away. She hadn't told anyone about the last threat she had received a few days prior. This one was quite different from the others she had received. It wasn't just a threatening letter, this time it got more personal. It was from someone who had knowledge of her well-hidden past. She just couldn't figure out whom.

After Jerry left she tried to get back to sleep. She tossed and turned for a good hour before she gave in and got up. She went to her suitcase, pulled out a pair of light blue jeans and a navy denim shirt and quickly got dressed.

She really felt like talking to someone… well actually, a specific someone named Rebecca, but she didn't want to wake the young reporter. She had to wonder why, though? What was it about this young woman that intrigued her so?

Her second thought was to go for a run, but she had been warned against going anywhere alone since she started receiving the threats she was receiving.

She was surprised at herself because usually her first thought when she was stressed would be to go find a woman willing to take on her rough sexual appetite, so she could release that pent up energy. But, for some reason, she didn't want to do that this time.

She slipped out of the room, sweet-talked the guards into leaving her alone, and hopped in the elevator, pressing the lobby button. She walked out to the back of the hotel, where there was a built in pool surrounded by tables, chairs and lounges. She realized that she probably wasn't doing the smartest of things at the moment, because whoever was threatening her could easily have a gun pointed in her direction there by the pool, too.

She chuckled to herself. Nobody would miss me if that happened, anyway.

She sat down on one of the lounges, looked up at the stars and thought about the way she was currently living her life. She went through a list of things that she liked and disliked about her life.

She knew she didn't love Susan and Susan certainly didn't love her, but the woman did love spending her money.

Okay, decision number one made. She's got to go.

She knew there also were deeper feelings for Rebecca growing inside her, but she didn't know how the reporter really felt about her and figured she would only just hurt her in the long run, anyway.

Wouldn't she?

If Rebecca did feel the same, could she give up her cheating ways? Could she love the young woman the way she deserves to be loved? She sighed and looked up at the night sky waiting for an answer that only the two of them could answer.

Oh my God… did I just say LOVE HER? I only just met her.

But I've known her forever.

Jordanna's tired eyes closed after her last thought. She fell into a restless sleep on the lounge, with visions of the reporter and herself trying to live a happy life together dancing around in her brain. The next thing she heard was the voice of the woman she was dreaming of.

"Did you sleep here all night Jordanna?"

Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up into the sparkling green eyes of the reporter. "Huh? Did you say something to me?" she said, admiring Rebecca's strawberry blonde hair that was shining brightly in the early morning sunlight after her eyes came into focus.

Rebecca moved closer to the drummer and asked her again. "I just asked you if you slept out here all night, that's all."

Jordanna cleared her throat. "No. Jerry woke me up around 3 a.m. and I couldn't fall back to sleep so I came out here to think and I guess I just fell asleep in the lounge chair. Not the smartest thing to do, huh? My back is seriously stiff now."

The reporter walked up behind Jordanna, put her hands on her shoulders and started to work the kinks out. "Something happen last night that you couldn't sleep?" she said as she was rubbing the back of Jordanna's neck.

"Mmmm God, that feels good, Rebecca…ungh."

The drummer let out a pleased sigh before answering. "Just came out here to think. Jerry got a call from the San Diego police. It seems that my lover and a few of her friends got arrested last night for possession. She decided to throw a big party at my house and it got raided. And she didn't even invite me to the party. Nice, huh?"

"She's an addict?" Rebecca moved her attention to the area in between the drummer's shoulder blades. "You're so tense, Jordanna, just try to relax. She sounds like trouble. She lives with you?"

"Susan does love her cocaine." Jordanna could feel herself relaxing into the reporter's soothing touch. "Yeah, she lives at the house I have here in California."

Rebecca was finding herself slightly turned on by the physical contact with the drummer. "Why don't you lay on your stomach for me? I can get your back better."

Jordanna got up and sprawled out on her stomach, giving the reporter complete access to work on her back. "Oh yeah, right there… Feels so good."

"How did you meet her?" Rebecca pulled Jordanna's shirt up slightly, working her way down the drummer's muscled back. "How long have you lived together?"

"I met Susan at a club in Los Angeles a little over two years ago. She's an actress, came here from Iowa looking to hit it big. You know, the same story that every struggling actor tells. We started dating pretty much right away. She got me drunk one night and she talked me into letting her move into my house.

"Aren't you from New York? Do you have homes elsewhere?"

Jordanna nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm a native New Yorker. My home is on the eastern end of Long Island. I live there during our off time."

Rebecca laughed. "And Susan lives in California? That's some arrangement. I don't know about you but if I lived with someone I would prefer them to be there with me."

"Most normal people feel that way. But neither of us are normal… so, it works out fine for us this way."

The reporter stopped her massage and rubbed her own head. "Doesn't sound like a very loving relationship."

Jordanna burst out laughing. "Love? I'm not in the relationship for love."

"Then why do you stay?"

Jordanna turned around to look the reporter in the eye. "Why do I stay? I don't really know. I know it doesn't make sense, but it helps to know that she is there, even if we don't see each other much. I know all we really do is just use each other."

Rebecca returned the drummer's gaze. "It seems to me that she does most of the using, not you."

Jordanna narrowed her eyes. "Why do you say that?"

Rebecca went back to her message. "Well, she lives at your home for nothing. You are never there. She's a coke addict. That is not a cheap addiction. If she's a struggling actress, where does she get the money from, Jordanna?"

The drummer's head snapped up. "I do not pay for or condone her use of drugs!" she said angrily. "I got her into rehab twice last year to try and get her clean. Obviously, it didn't work."

"I didn't mean that the way it sounded," the reporter apologized. "It's just…well, since she sorta lives off of you, you are in a roundabout way contributing to her habit. She probably wouldn't be able to afford it if she had to support herself."

"That's not true. An addict will do just about anything for their fix, Rebecca. Anything. They always seem to find a way." Jordanna lowered her head. "But I guess you're right, living off of me does make it easier for her. Just the money she saves on not paying the rent or utilities on an apartment she could support her habit."

Rebecca looked directly into the drummer's blue eyes again. "Call me stupid, but I still don't understand how you feel you use her." She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sorry, I really don't mean to pry into your personal life." She moved back behind the drummer and began massaging her temples.

Jordanna grabbed the reporter's hands and stopped her. "Sex," the dark woman said coldly. "I use her for sex. She's um…."

"She's what?"

"She's absolutely incredible in bed." Jordanna blinked a few times and continued. "We have an agreement, of sorts. She lives at my house, rent-free and can see whomever she wants when I'm not home. But when I am home…" she said and paused. "Well, she does anything and everything that I tell her to do. If I want sex, she drops whatever she's doing and we have sex, no complaints, no questions asked. And she takes everything that I give her sexually and knows enough to thank me for it during and afterwards. You get the picture?"

Everything that she gives her sexually? What in the hell does she mean by that? I guess I don't get the picture.

"I can't believe that you feel you would have to practically pay someone to sleep with you. I mean, look at you! You're rich, talented and you happen to be the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on." Rebecca's face flushed with the admission. She couldn't believe that she just told Jordanna that she thought she was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She turned to look at the drummer to see her reaction. Jordanna had a stunned look on her face. "You… you think I'm beautiful, even after the way I've treated you?"

Rebecca sat down on the lounge that was next to the drummer. "Yes," she whispered, unable to look Jordanna in the face.

"I um… I'm sorry about that, by the way," the drummer managed to blurt out. "I shouldn't have treated you like that. You didn't deserve it."

"Are you apologizing to me?"

Jordanna cocked her head to the side and looked at the reporter. "Yes, why?"

Rebecca shrugged. "Just didn't expect that from you, that's all." She cleared her throat. "You know, Jordanna, I can see that you actually do have a heart, although you try your hardest to hide it from people. The question is why?"

"Why, what?" Jordanna asked, not waiting for the answer. "Why I don't show my true self, is that what you are asking me?" She thought about that and chuckled.

"Yes."

The dark woman smiled and ran her hand across Rebecca's cheek. "You're an amazing woman, Rebecca Hurley. Did you know that? NaÞve, but amazing."

The reporter laughed. "Thanks, I think."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Breaking the silence Jordanna turned to the reporter. "And… by the way, I happen to think that you are very beautiful, too."

Rebecca's mouth dropped open. "You do?"

"Yes, I do," the drummer confirmed. She leaned forward and kissed the reporter on the cheek innocently. She heard the reporter's slight gasp. She took Rebecca's smaller hand in hers and pulled her closer. "Can I?" the dark-haired woman asked nervously.

Rebecca nodded her answer. Yes, please! Kiss me before I chicken out.

Jordanna leaned forward again and gently brushed her lips over Rebecca's at first. Since the reporter made no attempt to break away she kissed her more intensely, nipping gently on her bottom lip.

Rebecca could hear herself moaning but couldn't stop it. "Mmm yeah... " Kissing David had never felt like this. Oh no, not ever. "Oh god," she murmured in between sighs.

The drummer was intoxicating to Rebecca; there was no doubt about that. Her face, her eyes, her body… everything about the woman assaulted her senses all at once. The sound of her deep voice, the way she smelled.

Rebecca looked up at her after the kiss ended. "Eternity?" she asked breathlessly. The question came out of nowhere.

Jordanna's heart skipped a beat at the word. She raised a dark brow and repeated what the reporter said. "Eternity?" Something in her heart was telling her to just say yes to the question.

"Your perfume."

"Huh? Oh, yes, Eternity."

"It smells beautiful."

The drummer ran her fingertips across Rebecca's cheek. "You are beautiful."

The reporter shivered. "So are you."

Jordanna leaned forward again and their lips met far too briefly for either of their tastes. They broke away at the sound of Linda clearing her throat and they stood up quickly.

Linda's face turned red from embarrassment and she stuttered. "Uh…s… sorry, but we gotta get going soon, Jordanna. We have that acoustic show that we are supposed to do for the local radio station this morning. You do remember that, don't you?" she asked Jordanna.

"Of course I remember." The drummer lied. She hadn't remembered the show. Her mind was preoccupied at the moment and it was all Rebecca's fault.

The reporter called to the drummer. "Jordanna?"

"Yeah?"

"Before you go to the radio station, I think that you have someone to call and talk to, don't you?" Rebecca said, meaning Susan.

"Yeah, I guess it's time to evict an unwelcome guest." Jordanna walked over to Rebecca, ran her thumb along the reporter's jaw line and then kissed her quickly. "You know, Rebecca, this is the part where Linda warns you all about the big bad drummer. For the record, what she is going to tell you is probably true." She turned and started to walk back in the hotel and stopped just shy of the door. She turned around again and looked at the reporter. "Would you join me later for some lunch?"

Rebecca's heart started pounding and she nodded. "Um, yes… I'd like that."

"Great… see you then." Jordanna smiled at her, turned around and made her way back into the hotel.

Rebecca's eyes followed the drummer's retreating form as she walked away. "So, are you?" she asked.

Linda looked at her and quickly turned away. "Am I what?"

"You saw what we were doing. Are you going to warn me about her?" she asked militantly, standing with her arms crossed, looking as if she was ready for a battle.

With a sigh, Linda considered and answered the question. "I've already told you about her. You know that she cheated on me, and I'm just one of many, Rebecca. But you're both adults and can make your own decisions."

She started to walk towards the door and turned around. "You are a nice person, Rebecca. I just hate to see you get hurt… and mark my words, she will at some point hurt you. I just hope, for your sake, that you are not just another notch on her proverbial belt, like all the others are."

Rebecca sighed. "Linda, I'd be lying if I said that I'm not attracted to her, or that I didn't want to get to know her better. I understand what you are trying to say and I appreciate it, but there is something about her that is so familiar to me, something that makes me feel, no… know that she is worth the risk."

Linda held the door open for the reporter. "I hope that it works out the way you want it to. Just don't say I didn't try to warn you."

"Consider me warned."

Chapter 6

Jordanna finished dialing the number to her California home and listened to it ring. Ten rings. Where in the hell is she? Maybe she's still in jail. HA!

"Uh… hello." Susan's voice sounded like she had just woke up.

"Where were you last night? I tried calling you a few times."

"I was out last night, Jordanna, why?"

"That's not what the San Diego County Police told Jerry." The drummer snorted happily at her lover's misfortune. "So… did you enjoy your night in jail, Susan?"

Silence.

"Are you deaf, Susan? I asked you a question. So tell me, did you enjoy your night in jail?" Jordanna repeated. "How much was the bail set at this time?"

'Shit, what a bitch, ' Susan thought to herself. "$50,000."

"You don't have that kind of money, Susan." Jordanna kept her voice low and hid her anger. "Who bailed you out?"

Silence.

"ANSWER ME!" she screamed. "Who the fuck bailed you out?"

"Diane. My friend Diane," Susan admitted. Her friend Diane happened to be sitting naked in bed next to her at the very moment.

"And tell me, where exactly does Diane live, Susan?" Jordanna asked, drawing her words out slowly.

Susan wasn't the brightest star that ever shined. "She lives here."

The dark-haired woman did all she could to hold her temper. "In my house?"

"Yes, Jordanna, she lives with me in your house. In fact we just finished fucking in your bed right before you called."

Jordanna paced around the room. "Get out."

"What?"

"I SAID GET OUT! I want you and your… friend out of my fucking house by the end of the day!" She waited for Susan to object but got silence. "Oh, and Susan…"

"Whaaat?"

"Make sure you have my house cleaned and fumigated after you leave, you stupid bitch!"

Furious, she threw the phone across the room where it smashed into little pieces when it hit the wall. FUCK! Now I know I was nuts. She paced around the room, trying to tame her anger and release her excess energy.

I need to get laid. That's it.

But what about Rebecca?

Jordanna wrestled with her dark side. She now knew that the reporter felt the same way about her as she did the reporter.

You need to get laid, Jordanna. That's the only way to deal with this.

But I care for Rebecca.

So then fuck her. You know she wants you as bad as you want her.

I'm not so sure of that, and she deserves better. She deserves to be loved, not to be just another victim of my sexual escapades.

There are plenty of women downstairs waiting for you, then. You know what to do.

No. I don't know why, but I don't want to do that anymore. Don't make me do it.

Don't fight with me, you'll lose. You always do. You are not good enough for her, Jordanna, so forget it. Even your own parents didn't want you so why would she? You're a loser.

No. Shut up. That's not true.

Yes, it is true. Go get laid, Jordanna. It's what you know best.

Knowing she lost the fight, Jordanna picked up her leather jacket and quickly exited the room. Pressing the lobby button when she got in the elevator, she headed down to meet with the fans that camped out in front of the hotel, hoping to get a glimpse of the band. When she made her way into the lobby, she was immediately surrounded by at least 20 or so fans looking for an autograph, photo or something more. She surveyed her prospects carefully, finally choosing a small strawberry blonde woman as her next victim.

With nothing more than a look, the drummer headed back into the hotel with the woman following closely behind her. "There," she said, pointing to a ladies room that she hoped was vacant and out of the way of the lobby. They slipped inside. Locking the door behind her, it took no time for Jordanna to get her jeans off and hop up onto the bathroom sink. The woman just looked at her.

"Well?" Jordanna said, her body throbbing and her temper short. "What are you waiting for?"

Rebecca had gone back to her hotel room after Linda had interrupted her and Jordanna at the pool. She lay down on the bed and thought about the events of the morning.

She kissed me. It felt so damn good. I do want her. Oh yeah, there's no denying that any longer. Do we have any chance of a relationship? Remember what Linda said. She will only hurt me. She doesn't know how to love.

I don't care. I'm willing to take the chance. I'll teach her how to love. I wonder if she made that call to her lov… that woman? I hope so. She doesn't need someone like that in her life.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Rebecca grabbed her backpack and made sure the key to her room was safely tucked into her pack before she made her way out of the room. Jordanna's room was a few doors down the hall. As she approached the door, the guard on duty told her that the dark-haired drummer had just left the room and got on the elevator.

I guess she made the call. I wonder if it is time for them to do that radio interview?

Rebecca pressed the down button when she got to the elevator. As she got on she called out to the guard. "Thanks. I'll see if I can catch up with her downstairs."

She looked all over when she got in the lobby of the hotel. She didn't recognize anyone until she saw that Linda, Kelly and Rachel were out front signing autographs and posing for photos. Making her way out to them, she asked if anyone had seen Jordanna. A fan had mentioned that she was outside signing autographs, but went back inside the hotel.

The reporter walked back into the hotel. She looked all over the lobby and did not spot the drummer. Walking down one of the hallways she caught a glimpse of a very sloppy, but very happy looking woman with strawberry blonde hair coming out of a bathroom. Oh man, she should get a good look at herself before she heads into the public. Brush her hair or something at least.

She could barely finish the thought as she noticed Jordanna slipping out of the bathroom behind her. Her face was all sweaty and her clothes were a mess. Huh? What happened to her? Rebecca put two and two together. Oh shit! It felt like someone had punched her hard in the gut.

She didn't know how she got there so quickly but she soon found herself face to face with the drummer. She didn't realize that she had slapped Jordanna across the face until she felt her hand sting. "How could you?" Rebecca looked at the drummer's denim shirt, which was tucked in on only one side. "For Christ's sake, at least make yourself presentable, Jordanna."

The drummer looked down at her shirt and quickly tucked it in correctly. Still reeling and startled by Rebecca's actions, Jordanna didn't know what to say. "What?" She put her hand on her cheek where Rebecca had slapped her. She didn't realize that the small woman could hit so hard.

"What do you mean, what? Didn't you just kiss me this morning? I guess that doesn't mean much to you 'cause you'd screw anything that breathes; but it meant something to me. Don't fuck with my feelings like that, Jordanna! I will not tolerate it!" Hurt, the reporter turned and started to walk away, mumbling something along the lines of 'I can't believe I could be so fucking stupid' as she was doing so.

"Wait." Jordanna grabbed her arm and tried to stop her. "Rebecca, please…"

"Get your hands off of me, you heartless bitch!" the reporter screamed at the drummer.

The woman that the drummer was with in the bathroom stood to the side, watching the whole scene unfold. Feeling the sting of Rebecca's words, Jordanna tried to regain her composure. She looked at the woman standing there. "Do you mind?" she said sarcastically and watched the woman stalk off down the hall.

She turned back to the reporter. "Rebecca, please calm down. I won't touch you again, okay?" Jordanna sighed, not really sure how to express her feelings. "I… I… um, kissing you this morning did mean something to me, just let me explain it to you."

"Yeah." Rebecca snorted in disgust. "It meant so damn much to you that you ran into someone else's arms the first chance you got. I should have fucking listened to Linda's warnings about you."

"No, it's just…"

At that moment they heard the drummer's name being called. It was Kelly, running toward them. "There you are, we gotta go. Jerry's having a cow cause we are running very late."

Jordanna didn't want to leave Rebecca without explaining what had happened. Turning to her, she took her by the hand and walked away from Kelly. "I need to talk to you. I…I'll meet you back in your room when I get back. Please say you will wait for me and hear me out."

Rebecca wanted to believe that what Jordanna was saying was true. "I'll wait for you," she said quietly. The dark-haired woman flashed a quick crooked smile- and ran her hand gently down Rebecca's arm, grabbing her hand quickly and releasing it before she turned and started walking towards the front lobby.

The acoustic cafã show was being held at a small restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. A local radio station hosted the show with an audience of 50 lucky contest winners. Since it was acoustic, Jordanna played percussion, rather than her drums. Her mind was a million miles away and she uncharacteristically made quite a few mistakes. Catching some of the glares she was receiving from her band mates, she shrugged her shoulders in a gesture that was as close to an 'I'm sorry' that they would ever get from her.

She thought about what to say to the reporter. Her mind drew a blank. She wasn't used to having to explain her actions to anyone. Feeling slightly on the defensive, she thought of a few nasty explanations. So I fucked her. It happens all the time. Get over it. Deciding that there was no way she could hurt the reporter like that, she realized that she would have to open her heart and tell her the truth.

And what exactly is the truth, Jordanna? Do you even know?

During a short guitar solo, Kelly walked next to Linda and whispered in her ear. "What is up with Jordanna? She's playing like shit."

"I know. I'll tell you when we are done," Linda answered.

When the band finished playing they did an interview with one of the disc jockeys. Knowing Jordanna's preferences, the female disc jockey made it a point to flirt endlessly with the drummer. Jordanna, surprisingly enough, didn't seem too happy about it.

Kelly grabbed Linda and pulled her to the side. "Lin, what the hell is going on? I've never seen her like this." She looked over at the area where they were doing the interview. Rachel was doing the talking and Jordanna was just staring into space. The disc jockey was rubbing her hand across Jordanna's forearm. Jordanna grabbed it and stopped her.

"That disc jockey is practically throwing herself at Jordanna and not only is she not responding, she's putting an end to it, watch…" she said, pointing to where they were.

Linda didn't have to look. "I think that she is falling in love."

Kelly blinked and laughed. "What?"

"Yeah, you heard me right. When I went outside to get her at the hotel I interrupted her and Rebecca," she said, blushing.

"Interrupted what? What were they doing?" the guitarist asked.

"They were kissing."

Kelly burst out laughing. "Jordanna's kissed most of the women in the United States Linda, including you!"

"This was different. Have you noticed how much she tries to show off when she's around Rebecca, how she flaunts the fact that she's always got a woman on her arms? She's trying to make her jealous."

"But…"

Linda interrupted. "But nothing Kelly, have you ever really seen Jordanna do that before?" She shook her head. "I mean she's always got a woman on her arm but she never flaunts it in front of anyone… all of sudden she's doing that now?"

Kelly sighed. "No, I've never seen her do that before. Come to think of it, I think I interrupted something going on between them before we came here. They both looked kind of tense, though."

When the interview was over the band hung around signing autographs and posing for photos with the winners of the contest. After that, they quickly exited out the back of the cafã. Jordanna had not said a word during the interview and was still very quiet. They all climbed into the limo for the ride back to the hotel.

Kelly turned and looked at the drummer, who was sitting next to her. "Wanna talk about it?"

"Talk about what?"

"What's on your mind, Jordanna. Obviously, something is going on in that complex head of yours. I think in the 20 years I've known you, I heard you mess up maybe twice," Kelly said, with a quick smile.

"So I fucked up a few times today. I'm so sorry," Jordanna answered sarcastically. "Can't someone have an off day every once in a while?"

Kelly turned away pissed. "You know what, Jordanna? Forget I asked."

When the band got back to the hotel, Jordanna noticed that there was a deli across the street. It was lunchtime and she could feel her stomach growling. "I think I'm gonna go to the deli and get some sandwiches instead of eating in the lounge, you guys want anything?"

After they politely refused her offer, she ran to the deli. Now what would Rebecca want from here? Not knowing what the reporter would like, she ordered a few different types of sandwiches and grabbed a big bottle of Coke.

Walking up to the register to pay for her order, the young boy behind the counter recognized her. "You're…"

"I know, Jordanna Fox, right? Everyone always tells me how much I look like her." She lied.

Embarrassed by his mistake, he apologized. "Sorry. You do look an awful lot like her, though," he said, handing her the bag of food.

"That's okay, it happens all the time," she said with a wink and turned around and walked out of the deli.

Her stomach started to knot as she ran across the street and walked through the lobby of the hotel. Stepping into the elevator, she contemplated what she was going to say to the young reporter. She really didn't know. I guess I'll wing it when I get there.

She stepped off the elevator, said hello to the guard on duty and walked to Rebecca's room.

You can do this.

She knocked quietly and waited. She heard rustling and then the door opened. Rebecca looked her up and down. "Come in," the reporter said quietly.

"Thanks." The drummer stepped past Rebecca and walked into the room. "I hope you are hungry cause I brought lunch," she said, putting the bag down on the table. "I wasn't in the mood for lounge lunch today, so I got sandwiches. I hope you like them."

"I do."

The drummer didn't really know how to break the ice. Her heart was pounding so hard, she thought for sure the reporter could hear it. "Rebecca, I'm sorry if I hurt you. I didn't mean to. It's just…"

"Just what, Jordanna?"

"I don't… I don't know what to say to make you understand," she muttered.

"Did you call her?" Rebecca asked coldly.

Jordanna pulled the sandwiches out of the bag. "Yes."

"And what happened?"

The drummer poured two glasses of soda, handing one to Rebecca. "I told her to get out."

Rebecca looked at the drummer. "And that made you do what you did?"

Jordanna looked down. "No." You are not making this easy, Rebecca.

"Then why? Why would you kiss me like you did and then go have sex with some stranger in a hotel bathroom?"

Taking a sip of her soda, the drummer cleared her throat. "Because I was angry."

"What the hell kind of an excuse is that?"

The drummer began to pace around the room like a caged animal. "Because when I get angry, people end up getting hurt. I have to release my energy some way and sex has always been it."

Rebecca closed her eyes and spoke softly. "You could have come to me."

Jordanna put her glass down on the table, walked over to Rebecca and took her hands. "I couldn't."

"But you kissed…"

"That's exactly why I couldn't, Rebecca. I don't want to use you," she admitted and paused for a moment.

You already mean more than that to me. I just wish I just had the courage to tell you that.

"And that's exactly what I did to the woman in the bathroom," she continued. "That's what I do with all the women that I sleep with. I use them."

Rebecca closed her eyes and sighed. "So, did she leave?"

Jordanna picked up a sandwich and handed it to Rebecca. "There are other kinds if you don't like that one."

"You didn't answer my question."

Jordanna ran her hands through her dark hair and sighed. "I don't know if she left. I told her to get out of my house by the end of the day. Tomorrow we head to San Diego so I am going to go and check it out once we are settled in the hotel. The house is not very far from there."

Rebecca played with her sandwich. "Do you want some company when you go?"

"If you want to… I would like that."

The two women finished their lunch in silence. Jordanna nervously looked at her watch and announced that it was time to get ready to head to the soundcheck for the show. "I'll see you in the limo," the drummer said, although the tone in her voice made it sound more like a question than a statement.

"Yeah. I'll be there," Rebecca confirmed, as she watched Jordanna walk out the door.

Closing the door behind her, Jordanna leaned her back on it and let her body relax. "I'm so very sorry I hurt you. How can I show you how I really feel?" she said quietly to herself.

After checking into the Hyatt Regency in San Diego the next day, Jordanna and Rebecca caught a taxicab and headed out to Jordanna's house in Coronado.

Rebecca rubbed her eyes and yawned slightly. The exhaustion between traveling and not being home for weeks was finally starting to wear her down. "How come you take a taxi instead of the limo?"

Jordanna took a deep breath to control herself from yawning. "It keeps me grounded."

"What do you mean?"

Rebecca yawned again. This time it was contagious and Jordanna followed suit. "I don't want to be a spoiled brat rock star."

"But you are…"

"But I'm really not. Spend a little more time with me and you'll see that."

Rebecca found this hard to believe. "Uh huh… if you say so."

Jordanna turned and gazed out the window as the taxi sped down the 5 on its way to the small island just off of San Diego. Rebecca did the same thing, enjoying the view of San Diego. This was her first time in the area. "What is that?" she asked the drummer, pointing to a small inlet where people were picnicing and just enjoying the beautiful sunny day.

Jordanna turned to look at what she was asking about. "Mission Bay. See the little white blimp balloon thingy flying in the sky in the distance? That's where Sea World is."

Rebecca got excited. "I love Sea World. I like it so much better than Universal Studios. I was a little bored there. Although, they do have this one attraction for a television show that I like that was kinda cool."

Blue eyes looked into green. "Maybe we can go there later if we have time," the drummer suggested. "I like it there too." I must like her a lot cause I can't believe I am admitting that.

"That would be cool." Rebecca smiled. "How do you go out in public though? Isn't it rough for you to do that with people noticing you and all?" the reporter asked.

Jordanna thought about the poor boy she lied to at the deli the previous morning. "I usually just put my hair up in a ponytail and put on sunglasses and people don't recognize me. My eyes usually give it away if I have to take the glasses off. I did get brown contacts and I've used them a few times, but they annoy me so I haven't used them in a while."

The reporter thought about Jordanna's beautiful eye color. "I can't imagine you with brown eyes. That must look funny."

Jordanna chuckled. "Takes some getting used to, I must say."

"I'm sure you still look absolutely gorgeous though, no matter what color your eyes are. You're a beautiful woman, Jordanna, but I think that I have already told you that." Rebecca said, her face slightly blushing from the admittance.

"You did," Jordanna confirmed. "But I don't mind. You can tell me that over and over if you'd like," she said, looking directly into the reporter's darkening green eyes. "Whoever said flattery never gets you anywhere was wrong."

The taxi driver looked in his rear view mirror at them. Damn dykes. Is everyone gay in this day and age? I could show them what a real man can do for them… I'll take them both on at the same time. He smiled at the thought.

As they crossed the San Diego/Coronado Bay Bridge Jordanna felt a sick feeling of trouble in her gut.

"What is it, Jordanna?" the reporter asked, sensing her uneasiness.

"I just have a bad feeling all of a sudden."

The closer they got to Jordanna's house they noticed all the flashing lights and activity. "What in the hell could have happened now?" the drummer said angrily. The taxi slipped through the open gate and Jordanna jumped out before it had even pulled to a stop. She ran up to a group of policemen standing in front of the house. "What's going on here, Officers?" she asked. "I'm Jordanna Fox, I own this house," she said to them just as they were about to tell her to leave the property.

The young officer looked her over appreciatively. "Well, Ms. Fox, it seems that someone has vandalized your house. Your staff found it this way this morning and called us right away. Do you know who would do something like this?"

Jordanna's eyes turned to slits. "Yes, I think I have an idea," she said, not bothering to expand any further. She turned around and walked back to the taxi where Rebecca was waiting, not wanting to get in anyone's way. "Are you all right? What happened?" the reporter asked, concerned.

Jordanna shook her head. "Susan happened, that's what." At least I think it was Susan. "The house has been vandalized. Come in and take a look with me…please?"

Side by side, the two of them walked into the house. "Holy fucking shit," Jordanna scowled, upon seeing the damage as soon as they walked in. Rebecca looked around with shock at what apparently must have been a gorgeous home. The carpets were ripped, furniture slashed and turned over and the glass ceiling lighting fixture in the foyer was smashed to pieces and on the floor. "Wow," was all the reporter could say.

The damage got worse with each room they walked through. Jordanna's face was cold and unreadable. She wasn't sure if this was the work of her ex or if this had something to do with the threats she was receiving. "I can't believe this," she whispered to the reporter when they saw the master bedroom. Everything had been dumped out of Jordanna's dresser drawers, cabinets and closets, which made the dark woman wonder if whomever had done this was looking for something. The sheets and her bed were slashed and red paint was poured on it, and that made her think otherwise. She turned and noticed the graffiti on the wall behind her bed in the same red paint that said 'THIS AIN'T OVER MY SWEET.'

Oh, yeah, it was Susan.

The water in the bathtub in Jordanna's bathroom had been left running and it had overflowed. The floor was a mess. The wallpaper in the room was ripped and part of the fan was hanging down. Rebecca looked at it all and shook her head. "Nice piece of work. I won't even ask you about the bra hanging on the ceiling fan in your bedroom."

Despite her bad mood, Jordanna couldn't help but laugh. "You don't want to know."

Walking back into the bedroom, Rebecca picked up a smashed picture frame with a ripped photo of Jordanna and a woman who she assumed was Susan at a party. The woman was tall, but not as tall as Jordanna and her long bleached blonde hair stood out against Jordanna's inky black hair. She had a wild, almost psychotic look about her. Rebecca jumped when the drummer came up behind her. "That's her if you were wondering," Jordanna confirmed.

Rebecca touched her arm lightly. "So, what do you think? You sure it was her?"

"I'm sure," Jordanna said quietly, looking at the graffiti behind her bed. The drummer always hated when Susan used the words 'my sweet,' and she did that quite often.

"She's a sick woman. I can't believe you were with her."

Jordanna snorted, remembering that those were pretty much her last words to Susan when she left to resume the tour. "I know. I told you why I was with her, though."

"And why is that?" came a voice from behind them. Turning around, they saw a tall, muscular man with long, brown hair and glasses coming towards them.

"That's none of your damn business," the drummer said, annoyed at the intrusion. "Who in the hell are you?"

"Sergeant Robert Johnson, San Diego PD," he said pulling out his badge. "I need to talk to you, Ms. Fox. Would you mind coming with us to the station?"

"Why the hell should I go to the station? I haven't done anything. Can't you question me here?" she said, her voice loud. "I'm a busy woman." I have to go to Sea World with Rebecca.

"I understand that Ms. Fox. I know who you are. But you are not above the law." It was apparent to the drummer that he enjoyed throwing his authority around.

"Jordanna?" Rebecca chimed in.

The drummer turned to look at the young woman. Rebecca took her hand. "Cooperate with them please. Don't make it worse for yourself."

Nodding, Jordanna agreed. "Oh all right, let's go," she said to Sgt. Johnson. "Rebecca, can you take the taxi back to the hotel and tell them what happened?"

"I'll call them and tell them what happened. I'm coming with you."

"But…"

Rebecca smiled at the drummer. "No buts, Jordanna. I'm going whether you like it or not."

"Okay," Jordanna said, defeated.

Continued in Part 3.