DISCLAIMER: This is an Otalia-Uber fiction. The characters in this story portrays the physical and some personality attributes of the characters Olivia Spencer and Natalia Rivera from Guiding Light but they belong to me.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks to Blue for her great beta-ing skills!
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.

Burnt Sugar
By damnation

Prologue

Mist hung over the Hoan Kiem lake in the early hours of dawn. A pair of jeans clad legs raised slowly onto a bench seat and pulled close to a heaving chest, wet cheeks and quivering lips, bracketed by a pair of arms.

There was hardly anyone around this part of the lake even though most of the Old Quarters in Hanoi had already awakened to a new day. Frances Russell blew out a breath before wiping a sleeve across her face. It was the third anniversary of her mother's death but she wept as though no time had passed since Marie Garcia was taken away from her in a fatal car crash. Indeed, the long months after her mother's death had flown by in such a blur that there were times Frances had to question if she had dreamt it all up.

Frances lowered her right leg briefly as she dug into her jeans pocket for a folded piece of paper. It was something that she had written for her mother. Upon locating it, she leaned forward on the bench and ignited her lighter. The naked flame caught the paper and ate up her words slowly. Then, before it fully burned away, Frances stood up and dropped the very last bit of the still burning paper into the lake.

She pressed her palms flat together and brought her hands to touch her nose and lips as she murmured, "I miss you, Mum," under her breath. Then she stuck her hands in her jeans pockets and blew out a heavy breath.

She was on the next flight back to Australia and it wasn't exactly a trip she was looking forward to.

1

Kevin Russell shot a disdainful look to his soon to be ex-employee, Alison, when she threw her apron onto the bench in a huff. She was the third girl in a fortnight to have quit, not turned up for work, or thrown a hissy fit before stalking out of Taters. He just managed to smother a yawn when she stormed out, leaving a trail of obscenities in her wake.

"Show's over, folks," he announced to the stunned patrons of his little restaurant. "You can return to your meals now."

Stalking back into the kitchen, Russell reached for the bottle of bourbon on the shelf beside him and took a swig.

"Uh... Boss?" a tentative voice interrupted him mid-swallow. "I don't mean to say this but... there's no one out front now that, uh, you- Alison's gone...."

Russell finished swallowing the bourbon and slowly wiped an arm across his lips. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled loudly. Good help was extinct these days. He turned around to meet the rather frightened gaze of John Ramsey, one of the two chefs who worked under him.

"You can go take the orders. If it gets too much then tell them arseholes to go on home and learn to fry an egg or sumthin," Russell stated evenly, his deep baritone voice carrying well into the dining area. Ramsey threw a fearful gaze over his shoulder, hoping that none of their patrons heard his boss. "I'm sick to death of making this crap anyway," Russell continued, much to Ramsey's despair. Russell flipped a pan over on the stove to drive his point home.

"Um... order up?"

Two pairs of eyes swivelled around at the uncertain sounding voice.

"Frances?" Russell said in a tone of disbelief. Ramsey looked from the young woman standing on the other side of the counter that separated the kitchen from the rest of the restaurant to his boss and cautiously moved to one side of the kitchen just in case casualties ensued from the exchange.

The woman quirked her lips in what seemed to Ramsey as a nervous smile. "Hey Dad."

2

The woman quirked her lips in what seemed to Ramsey as a nervous smile. "Hey Dad."

Dad?! Ramsey thought incredulously to himself. In the two years that he had worked for Kevin Russell, he had never heard the man speak of any woman, much less kids--a full grown daughter at that!

Ramsey tried to be as inconspicuous as he could just so that he could witness the unfolding of what would seem to be... drama. Drama in Taters? a bemused voice quipped in his head. Never!

"How you been?"

"I- Fine, fine. You?" Russell stuttered, much to Ramsey's cautious amusement.

Russell's daughter seemed to possess her father's penchant for nonchalance. She shrugged in reply and shot a look in Ramsey's direction. Busted, Ramsey thought to himself. Russell followed her gaze and straightened up unconsciously when he noticed his employee with his back pressed up against the wall.

"Ramsey, put up the close sign and make that last order," Russell said gruffly. "We're closing early tonight." He met his eyes to his daughter's and jerked his head. "You, uh, come out back with me."

"Please?" Frances added, not budging. Ramsey widened his eyes at the woman, not sure if she was being courageous or suicidal. When Russell did not blow her head off instantly, Ramsey turned to stare at his boss.

"A-" Russell threw his employee a quick glance before mumbling, "Come on, lass. Please."

Well, hell's bells! Ramsey's mind was so turbulent from what he was witnessing that a cool part of it wondered at how much of a life Ramsey had to find this little exchange so stimulating. He went over to the counter and picked up the docket when his boss exited the kitchen with his daughter in tow. The order was for a hamburger. A hamburger! How droll was a hamburger after all that excitement?

Ramsey slapped on a beef patty on the grill and emptied the last of the frozen chips into the deep fryer basket before making a beeline for the entrance of Taters. He flipped the 'Open' sign over and dimmed the light that lit up Taters' wooden signboard on the outside. With a spring in his step, he made his way back to the kitchen. This would be the first time in his entire working history at Taters that they were closing earlier than the appointed closing time of ten o'clock.

The kitchen's backdoor led to a small leafy yard that was cluttered with boxes, buckets, mops and industrial brooms. Frances stuck her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, trying to contain her discomfort and nervousness at being in close proximity to her father.

Russell kicked at an overturn milk crate and sat down. He fumbled around the breast pocket on his chef jacket for his packet of cigarette and lighter. Frances pulled up another milk crate, turned it over to its side, and sat down beside him. When he could not seem to locate his lighter, Frances leaned over with her own and lit his cigarette. He looked at his daughter in surprise.

"You smoke now?"

Frances shrugged and pulled out a bag of tobacco.

"Oh for-" Russell threw her his packet of cigarettes.

He could not look at her lovely face for too long; she had her mother's eyes--dark orbs that reminded him of his loss. Her hair had grown out, much to his relief; in place of a short hairdo with long, haphazard locks of colourfully dyed hair was a simple ponytail the colour of midnight sky. Now a young woman of twenty-seven, she had grown in other ways too, but he did not want to think about them. Frances would always be his baby girl and that would never change, no matter how long she stayed away, how much of the world she'd seen on her own.

"Thanks." Frances wanted to return the packet of cigarettes to her father, wanted to tell him that she didn't like tailored cigarettes, but his obvious discomfort that mirrored hers stopped her.

"When did you get back?"

"This morning. It'll only be for a few weeks," Frances said, preempting his next question. "I need to get a new visa, get a medical check up... and then I'll be off again."

Russell nodded silently to that. "Your room's still intact," he said gruffly. "Bit dusty but."

"Thanks." Frances tapped her cigarette and wondered how it was that she could keep on talking in a class full of students who had no grasp of the English language but was reduced to speechlessness when it came to her father. "It's Mum's death anniversary yesterday."

Russell clenched his jaw as he sucked in a sharp breath. Then he let it out slowly. "I know."

They finished their cigarettes in silence.

3

The house that she had grown up in looked smaller and older now that she had seen a little more of the world. It no longer held any warmth either; Frances noticed that there were no family pictures at all around the house. Even though she had moved out from her parents' home years ago, they still kept her room for whenever she visited.

Frances almost choked on the big puff of dust that invaded the room when she dropped her backpack on the huge rug that dominated the floor of her room. Stalking over to the windows, she quickly opened all four of them to air the room. Her father found little need to spend any time in her room; the thick layer of dust covering the bedroom furniture held testament to that.

After spending the night at Nell's, one of her best mates, she arrived at her father's doorstep in the afternoon and let herself into the house with the key that he had given her the night before.

Two hours of vacuuming, dusting, wiping and rearranging later, Frances stood back with her hands on hips as she assessed her handiwork. Her long, dark hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and her bangs were kept from her face with a navy bandana. The sleeves of her faded T-shirt were pulled up and her jeans were rolled up. She wiped the back of an arm across her forehead.

Suddenly feeling exhausted, Frances hauled the pail of dirty water over to one of the windows and tipped it out, knowing that her father was at Taters and there would be no one in their garden. Thus, she was completely unprepared for the shout of obscenity that followed her action.

"What the fuck!"

Heart racing, Frances peered over the window ledge to meet a flashing pair of green eyes. She clamped a hand over her mouth and backed up to dash down the stairs and let herself out into the garden.

"I'm so sorry, I thought no one was-" Frances started apologizing.

"Who the fuck are you and what the hell were you thinkin?"

Frances stuck her hands in her pockets and grimaced. "I'm sorry," she repeated in a soft voice now that her pounding heart slowed down to beat normally.

The woman standing before her looked like a mess. Frances cringed again when she thought about the colour of the water she had tipped out. Finely arched brows emphasized the woman's sputtering anger. "Stop apologizing and tell me who you are," the woman demanded with all the dignity that she could gather in her drenched state. "What were you doing up there?"

"This is my Dad's house. I was, uh, cleaning out my old room." Then Frances crossed her arms and returned the query. "And you are...?"

"Your Dad's?" The woman's eyes rounded. Frances began to wonder if there was actually anyone around who knew of her existence. The chef at the restaurant the night before had seemed equally surprised when she had greeted her father. "Now I know you're lying," the woman muttered, her eyes narrowing as she closed in on Frances.

"Hey, back off!" Frances said, backing up herself. "Not that I need to prove anything to you but Kevin Russell lives here and he's the owner of Taters. He's got a battered old Vee Dub which I doubt he's gotten rid of and if you call him Kevin, he'd lop your head off." When the woman halted her advance, Frances swallowed. "Now that I've kinda established my identity, who are you?"

"I don't have to explain anything to you," the woman hissed. She picked up a mug of what had probably been tea before the invasion of dirty gray water--Frances grimaced again at that--and stormed off.

4

Russell was counting the number of covers that they did that day in the small yard behind Taters but his heart was not in it. When he lost count for the third time, he threw the stack of dockets onto the ground, muttering furiously under his breath, wondering where Ramsey was and why it was taking him this long to procure some alcohol from the bottleshop just down the road. Tammy, the single long standing waitress-slash-restaurant supervisor of Taters, approached him cautiously from behind.

"Sorry to bother you, Russell, but there's a man here looking for you. Says it's very important. He told me to pass you this," Tammy said nervously, holding out a slip of business card.

Russell looked up at Tammy and bit back his frustration. This had nothing to do with the poor woman. He snatched the card from Tammy wordlessly and gave her a nod. Knowing better than to linger and risk being on the receiving end of her boss' temper, Tammy scurried away as quickly as she could.

In the year and a half that she had been at Taters, Tammy had learnt to read her boss' mood. Beneath all that bristle, there resided a genuinely good fellow, even if Russell tried to keep him hidden. It was that and the fact that Russell had given her a job when no one else would once they learnt that she had no work experience in the hospitality industry at all that kept Tammy at Taters.

After the initial month of hanging in there despite Russell railing at her each time she made a mistake, the working environment took a turn for the better. Once Russell saw that she wasn't one to throw in the towel the first moment she got shouted at for something that she had done wrong, he ceased picking on her and let her be.

Tammy learnt the ropes of being a floor staff quickly and quite honestly excelled in it. She had a sweet disposition and an unassuming air about her. All the patrons loved her and all the chefs did not mind her. The only thing that gave her a cause for headache was to get another service staff to stay. And they also needed to hire a kitchenhand. Business was booming at Taters and it was no longer viable for the floor staff to do the dishes on top of service.

Russell had a well-known temper and an infuriating arrogance to match. In the past fortnight alone, they had lost three girls. Tammy sighed as she once again sifted through the resumes that she had received for the position and considered calling all of them to come in, one after the other, to see if any of them had any staying power.

Long, tapered fingers entered her sight, reminding her of their owner's existence. She looked up hurriedly and flashed the dashing man who looked to be in his early forties an amicable smile. "I've given Russell your card, Mister," Tammy said pleasantly. "I'm sure he'll be out soon... he's in the middle of some-"

"That's quite all right. Thank you," the man said with a toothy smile. "And the name's Richardson. Edwin Richardson."

Tammy was about to say something but she felt the looming presence of her boss behind her and clamped her mouth shut.

"Yes?" Russell's voice was tight, gruff.

"Mister Russell!" Edwin greeted, extending an arm. "Thank you for seeing me. I was wondering if I could have a second of your time?"

Russell looked at the man in his flashy suit and took an instant dislike towards him. But his curiosity was piqued; the business card stated that the man worked for Canning & Cameron, a big food franchise. Russell secretly hoped that the man had a proposition for him so that he could throw it back in his face. That would make his day better. He motioned for the man to sit down and joined him at one of the empty tables in the now shut restaurant.

Tammy followed her boss and the stranger with her eyes but lost interest quickly when their voices became muffled. She blew out a breath and finished cleaning up the coffee machine. The floors still had to be swept.

Moments later, Tammy looked up when Russell's chair scraped along the floor. He face looked thunder black and Tammy imagined that she could see the artery in his neck pulsing. She strained to hear what was going on and was not disappointed.

"Thanks but no thanks. And don't think I can't pick out a threat when I hear one, veiled or not," Russell informed the man who was still sitting down.

"Now, Mister Russell, I wouldn't be so quick to jum-"

"And don't you be telling me what I should or shouldn't do," Russell informed Edwin. "Get out. We're closed." With that, Russell spun on his heels and disappeared into the kitchen.

Tammy could see that the man looked a little embarrassed and a lot angry. He adjusted his tie and stood up. By the time his eyes met hers, however, the anger and embarrassment were gone. "Have a good night, young lady," he said with an asinine smile.

"I think you heard my boss," Tammy said stiffly. If Russell didn't like the man, then neither did she. In the short time that she had been working for Russell, she had become fiercely loyal to him. "We're closed."

"And if I were to stoop as low as you and your boss, I would say I fucking heard you. But seeing that I'm not, I'll just see myself out." He gave Tammy a condescending nod before exiting Taters. Tammy let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding and went to lock the door, just in case.

She wondered what all that was about.

5

Frances stirred the pot one last time and glanced at the clock. She wasn't sure what time her father was going to be home but she had made a huge pot of stew in anticipation of his return. She had a sudden craving for her mother's stew today and decided to make it. Marie used to make a big pot of it and they would have it whenever they were hungry.

She hadn't seen the angry woman all day after the incident, and for that she was glad. She hadn't been able to think about much else the entire day; the woman's flashing eyes kept appearing in her mind's eye and she would alternate between feeling guilty to amused and back to guilty for feeling amused.

Frances stepped out of the kitchen when she heard the key turning in the lock. "Hey Dad."

"Huh." Russell looked surprised to see her still up. He had been drinking and he knew that she didn't like it when he did so he was hoping that she would be in bed by the time he got home. Then his nose twitched. "Something smells good," he said. Indeed, the smell was clearing his alcoholic haze a little.

"I made stew. Are you hungry?"

Before he could answer her, Frances went back into the kitchen and began ladling out the stew on some jasmine rice. Russell allowed a ghost of a smile to seep through his stern countenance and followed his daughter into the kitchen. Marie used to do that--push plates of food before him regardless of whether he had already eaten.

He sat down at the stout dining table and suddenly felt out of place. He hadn't spent much time in the kitchen since Marie passed. Even though--or perhaps because of the fact that he was a chef by trade, the kitchen at home was Marie's territory. Sitting there, looking at the slender figure of his daughter from behind... he could almost pretend that Marie was still here. Then Frances turned around and his illusion shattered into a million pieces.

"Here," she said, oblivious to the pain lancing through him. "Made it just like Mum used to. Well maybe not exactly, but...." she trailed off, shocked by the wetness on her father's cheeks. "Dad?"

"I-" Russell quickly wiped his eyes. "Thank you. It smells lovely."

They dug into the stew wordlessly after that, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Then Frances broke the silence with a question. "Is there someone else living here? A woman?" She wasn't sure if her father was seeing anyone after....

"Ah, yes. I forgot to tell you about Kristen."

Kristen. Frances tried to push away the feeling of betrayal at her father's words. The man had the right to see other people; after all, he was only in his late forties! Nevertheless, it was still hard to envision and swallow. Her father loved her mother, was crazy about her even though they had been together for more than half of their lives. To have someone else take her place.... No! her mind shouted. No one would ever take her place!

"She's the other chef at Taters and she's renting the granny flat out back." Russell stopped talking when he saw the blank look on Frances' face. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Chef. Renting. Granny flat. A sense of relief rushed through Frances and she felt silly. "No, no. Um. We kinda had an altercation today while you were at work." Then, to be sure, she added rather fearfully, "She's not your girlfriend or anything, is she?"

Russell's eyes rounded, then he let out a rusty laugh. "Girlfriend? I'm too old to have girlfriends! That makes me sound like a paedophile!" Russell scratched his bearded chin in amusement.

"You know what I mean, Dad," Frances said as she rolled her eyes.

"Kristen would have a fit if she heard you," Russell continued as though he hadn't heard Frances. "She's very confident, astute. And an excellent chef."

"Sounds exactly like your type," Frances joked.

Russell shook his head as he took another bite of the stew. It wasn't Marie's stew, but it ran close. "My type is your mother. There could never be anyone else."

Frances bit back a sob at the simple words. She lowered her face and stabbed at her stew, her appetite suddenly gone. "It doesn't get easier, does it?" she murmured softly. And even though she did not elaborate her words, Russell knew exactly what Frances was referring to.

"No, it doesn't. I don't expect it ever will."

6

Nell Hutchins waved at the familiar figure crossing the street. She was into her third cup of cappuccino at Bad Manors and was wondering when her friend was going to show.

"Hey you," Frances greeted her friend, leaning over to place a kiss on Nell's cheek. "Sorry, the medical check up took forever," she explained. "I'm starving!"

"How's your Dad these days, Darl? You doing all right living back there with him?"

Frances shrugged. "It's okay, I guess. We don't talk much."

Living in that house again with constant reminders of her Mum was hard. Even though her Dad had taken away all the photographs of her, Frances could still imagine seeing her mother standing on the landing with a hand on her hip, sitting on the couch folding laundry, or stirring something at the stove; it was the main reason why she had dreaded her trip back.

As for the other reasons.... Mainly, there was guilt. Guilt at leaving her father to his own devices. She was not proud of that but in her own defense, she could not stay and see him destroy himself with his drinking.

"I heard Taters is looking for staff. I met Alison last week and she said she walked out. Says your Dad's an arsehole."

Frances frowned but she knew first hand how bad her father's temper could get, so she let the comment slide. "I'm sure they'll find someone else more suited for the position," Frances said diplomatically.

Her parents had bought Taters shortly before Marie left them. Frances had taken off before the restaurant was open; in all honesty, she had her doubts as to whether it would ever be open. She was glad that her father had picked himself up to do that at least.

"Maybe you could go help out while you're here," Nell suggested. "Alison's been telling anyone who would listen to stay away from Taters, that the food's bad." Nell gave her friend a sympathetic look.

"What? What a fucking bitch!" Frances said, her voice raising. It was one thing to bitch about her Dad's reowned temper and another to blemish the quality of Taters' food... which... she had yet to try herself but that was besides the point.

"Sorry Darl. I told her that if she couldn't handle the heat, to stay out of the kitchen--or, in this case, the line of your Dad's fire. Told anyone who would listen too, that the food's great, and everyone should know that chefs have God complexes. Bitchy waitresses who've just been fired, on the other hand...."

Frances felt her anger dissipate and chuckled at Nell's words. "Thanks." She quickly placed her order then turned back to her friend. "God complex, huh?" At Nell's nod, she wrinkled her nose and grinned. "That he sure has."

Taters was bustling when she dropped by the establishment on her way home. A quick glance at her wrist watch told her that it was dinnertime. Plenty of hungry people to feed. She felt a little better knowing that the popularity of the place hadn't gone down despite Alison badmouthing it.

"Hi there! If you could grab yourself a seat, I'll be with you as soon as I can!" A cheery voice greeted her.

Frances looked at a slightly flustered looking redhead and responded with a smile and a nod. She grabbed a menu and made her way to the beer garden that was to the far right of the restaurant. The beer garden was separated from the small yard behind the kitchen by a thatch fence but it looked like a whole different world to the cluttered little yard.

Taters wasn't a big place. Indoors, it held two large oblong tables that were made out of heavy oak doors and two comfortable looking couches. The beer garden held two four-seater and two two-seater tables. Frances spied an empty two-seater table and went to help clear it.

"You don't have to do that, hun," a woman behind her said.

"That's all right," Frances said over her shoulder. "I don't mind."

"Well then, thank you! We're a little short-handed around here these days."

Frances went to the kitchen with the few stacked up plates and cutlery. There, she noted that the bench around the dishwasher looked like a disaster area. Her father and Kristen were bent over their stations, hard at work. It took her but a second to make up her mind. She began rinsing some plates and stacking them on the tray to put through the dishwasher.

"Oh, now that's just too much!" the same waitress cried out when she spied Frances at the dishwasher. At her exclamation, the two chefs looked up from their work and Frances froze, unsure if she had crossed any boundaries.

Russell's expression softened when he saw his daughter. "It's okay, Tammy. That's my daughter, Frances," he said gruffly.

Tammy looked like a deer caught in headlights at the revelation. Frances gave her a dimpled smile and resumed what she was doing. "All right then. Well. I'll just get back to work then," she stuttered before hightailing out of the kitchen.

Frances snuck a look at the kitchen behind her and quickly looked away when the woman whom she had very recently emptied a pail of dirty water on looked up from her chopping board. She hoped to stay under the radar tonight.

7

"No, Dad, I really don't mind. And you don't have to pay me. I was happy to help."

"You get paid or you don't help," Russell answered gruffly. Frances rolled her eyes and pocketed the cash that her father had placed in front of her. She made a mental note to leave him some money before she left.

"Thanks then. And for the record, I didn't do it for money." When her father didn't answer her, Frances trudged on. "So, uh, Tammy said that you guys are short-handed?" she inquired casually. "I'm not busy till I leave.... I could help."

"I don't want to trouble you. It's your time off. We'll find someone soon."

Frances rolled her eyes again. "Well, until you find someone, I wouldn't mind earning some extra cash," she said, putting herself out there. If getting paid was the only way her father would accept her help, then she could play it his way. "I could come in before the dinner rush and stay till close."

She took his silence for consent and she went to the kitchen to put the kettle on boil. She peered out of the kitchen window when she caught movement in the granny flat across the lawn.

Kristen Black.

The woman, chef, tenant, was reticent at best. Whenever she spoke, it was either to say something monosyllabic or scathing. Frances could see how her father would get along with the woman. Personally, she found Kristen rude and bossy.

"If you can lean, you can clean," the woman had informed her dryly when Frances finished with the dishes and was standing to one side, looking for something else to help with.

Frances scowled at the memory and she slammed the kettle onto the stove with more force than necessary. Then she reached up on tiptoes for two mugs. She spied more movement across the lawn and saw the door to the granny flat open and close. Kristen had exited the flat and was coming towards the house. Soon enough, a knock sounded on the door just beside the sink. Frances went over to see what Kristen wanted.

"Oh, it's you," was the first thing the impudent woman said. Frances narrowed her eyes as she held the door with one hand.

"Yes?" she asked, injecting as much frost as she could into that one word.

Kristen caught sight of her employer and landlord behind Frances and addressed her next words to him. "Hot water's acting up again, Russell."

Frances felt her hackles rising. It was one thing to lash out at her when she dumped all that water on her by accident. She could even handle Kristen bossing her around at Taters; after all, a commercial kitchen was the chefs' domain. But here, in her home, in her Mum's kitchen....

"Excuse me, I'm standing right here and I'm asking the question so if you would look at me when you're answering, I would appreciate that," Frances said in a rush before she lost her nerve.

An elegant brow rose and Kristen scrutinized her. Then she repeated herself, word for word, but with her eyes on Frances.

"My name's Frances."

"I assume your last name's Russell too," Kristen said with a shrug. Kristen had a point and that pissed Frances off even more.

"To assume is to make an ass of you and me," Frances grinded out, feeling slightly foolish at uttering the first thing that came to her head. Now she was sure she would have lost any chance of gaining the woman's respect. She sounded like a sixteen-year-old when she said that.

"Is that right?" Kristen asked, trailing her eyes over Frances' features. Her voice had dropped an octave and it sent a tremor through Frances for reasons she could not pinpoint.

"I'll have a look at it, Kristen," Russell said from behind Frances, effectivly ending their conversation. He shot his daughter an amused look when he walked past her, his toolbox in tow.

Frances stomped her way back to the now whistling kettle and took it off the fire. Huffing loudly, she decided that a shower was in order--damn the tea!

Kristen peered over Russell's shoulder as he fiddled with the hot water line that led from the water storage tank on the roof of the granny flat to the bathroom. She sighed as she rolled her head left and right, wishing that she was washing away the grime of the day that very moment.

"You know, Kristen, you're welcome to use the bathroom at mine when I check this out," Russell said over his shoulder. Almost as though he knew that Kristen was going to reject his offer, he continued with, "There's a tub...."

Kristen bit her lower lip as she considered his offer. "Are you sure?" she asked tentatively, knowing that he knew that she had already caved with that question.

"Go for gold," Russell said, bestowing her the gift of a rare smile.

Kristen couldn't help but notice the difference in Russell. It was slight but there, nevertheless. And Kristen noticed that Russell didn't take as many swigs from his stashed bottle of bourbon after Frances appeared at Taters that evening. Speaking of whom.... "You never mentioned a daughter, Russell," she commented before she could stop herself. She, of all people, should know a thing or two about the need for privacy. Her own closet wasn't exactly devoid of skeletons. She was busy lamenting at her slip of tongue that she almost missed what he said. "Huh?"

"She's a beauty, ain't she?" Russell said softly. "Looks just like her Mum. Even more so now that her hair's all grown out and no longer streaked with all the colours of the rainbow."

"Rainbow?" Kristen echoed her boss dumbly as a mental image of Frances in a punk emo outfit and multi-coloured hair flitted into her mind. Oh, no, wrong image. What kind of image went with rainbow coloured hair anyway?

"She said she was making a statement. You know," Russell threw Kristen a look, "for being gay."

Eyebrows crawled up Kristen's hairline. "Gay. Huh."

"Some lucky woman is going to be with her one day," Russell said ruefully.

"Um...." Kristen didn't know what to say to that and chose to change the topic. "I'll go grab that shower then. If you're sure," she reiterated. At Russell's absent nod, she rummaged her drawers for something to change into, grabbed her towel, and made her way to Russell's house.

8

Steam filled up the bathroom on the landing. When the sound of running water petered away, mutterings could be heard coming from within the bathtub, where Frances was standing under the showerhead.

"Is that so?" Frances said under her breath in a snide voice completely unlike Kristen's low timbre voice. She scrubbed her hair furiously before turning the water back on for a rinse. "To assume is to make an ass of you and me. God, Frances, what the hell were you thinking?" she admonished herself as she stood under the warm spray of water. "I hope the hot water problem doesn't get righted for you, Miss!" she huffed at the tiled wall of the bathroom.

Satisfied that her evil wish might just come true, that the chef might just have to have a cold shower that night, Frances turned off the tap and stepped out of the tub. The cool air touched her wet body and she gave a shiver. Even though it was the tail end of winter in Sydney, it was still too cold. Reaching for her towel, Frances gave her hair and face a quick rub before wrapping herself in it. She turned the knob of the bathroom door and pulled it open to come face to face with the recent object of her thoughts.

"Whoa!" Frances' first reaction was to slam the door shut.

"Fuck!" came the exclamation of pain from the other side of the door.

"What the hell are you doing here!" Frances shouted through the door. Then, feeling guilty, she opened the door slightly to peek out. "Are you okay?"

"You are such a jinx!" came the muffled response. Kristen was holding a hand to her face; Frances wasn't sure what her action had damaged. "Fuck!" Whatever it was, it must really hurt.

"Just yours, I reckon," Frances said with a grimace when Kristen removed her hand to reveal a teary eye. The bridge of her nose and the area under her left eye were already red. "I'm so sorry. I'll get you some ice," Frances volunteered.

"Christ! No, don't help me, you'll just end up killing me!" Kristen grumbled. She eyed Frances warily. "I'm going to bend down slowly to retrieve my towel and clothes. Please do not make any big or sudden movements."

Frances bit her lower lip in the attempt to keep an insane bark of laughter from escaping her. She was startled to find that Kristen was actually waiting for an answer from her. She nodded mutely and took a step back from the bathroom door. Adequately satisfied that Frances was going to keep her end of the bargain, Kristen cautiously bent her knees and gathered her things into her arms.

"All right. You coming out?" Kristen asked suspiciously.

Frances bit back another bark of laughter and nodded innocently. She wrapped her arms around her upper body as the other woman pushed open the bathroom door and leaned against it. Frances took the cue and sidestepped her way past Kristen. Their eyes met for a split second just before Frances stepped out of the bathroom fully and before she could contemplate the look of intent on Kristen's face, Frances felt her towel being tugged at from behind and let out a loud yelp.

"Hey!" Frances frantically made a grab at the loose knot of material between her breasts as she swivelled around, her heart racing.

The door slammed shut in her face but not before she caught the wicked look on Kristen's face, complete with an arched brow--a look just slightly marred by the redness on the bridge of her nose and under her eye.

Taking a deep breath, Frances gathered the towel more firmly in her hands and stomped back to her room with as much dignity as she could gather, thanking all her lucky stars that the towel hadn't slipped off her completely. She didn't know how she would have lived that down.

9

It was a Saturday night at Taters and everyone was getting slammed, left, right and centre. It was nothing new to the staff at the busy little enterprise, however, so everyone plodded along as they knew how. With the addition of Frances and a new girl on the floor, Russell noted that things were running smoothly--scarily so. It made him uncomfortable because it felt too much like the calm before a storm, and he reacted the only way he knew how. He drank. And he abused.

"The food's getting cold by the second, Missy!" he bellowed at the new waitress in between swigs of bourbon. "Do you think the plates can walk themselves over to the tables?"

"We're out of plates, Frances! If your intention is to slack off, don't bother coming in! It's not like I can't afford someone who can actually do the job!"

"Tammy, turn that annoying music off! How can you bear it? I'm surprised no one's complained yet. Do you want to chase everyone away with your bad taste in tunes?"

Kristen did not help matters much either. Frances couldn't help but feel that the woman would send dirty utensils her way after just using them once. Either she was a cleanliness freak or she was trying to get on Frances' nerves. Frances raised her eyes skyward for a second as she wondered at the intelligence of her offering her services to her father, who was being really unpleasant this evening, not only to her but to everyone else... save Kristen.

"Move it, Jinx!" Kristen called out from behind her. Frances whipped her dark head around to scowl at one of her tormentors. "Can't you see that the girls are getting slammed out there? If you have time to rest, then run these plates out!"

Wiping her wet hands on her apron, Frances stalked over to the counter for the meals there. She backed into the swinging doors that separated the craziness of the kitchen from the zoo of hungry patrons waiting to be fed and was met head on by Missy, who was hurrying towards the kitchen with a stack of dirty plates. Frances watched in slow-motion horror as everything clattered onto the floor, effectively silencing the conversation in the restaurant.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" Missy squealed, almost in tears. Frances could only gape at her, knowing that shit was going to rain on them in just... one... second....

"Frances, get your ass back in here!" Russell bellowed. Frances squeezed her eyes shut and resigned herself to an ugly fate. Tammy made a beeline for the mess and helped a shaking Missy clean up the mess.

"What the hell are you doing? Are you blind?" Russell roared as he slapped two more pieces of rump steak on the grill.

Frances had just about enough and was about to go off in her own little tirade when she caught sight of Kristen's smug looking face. Frances forcibly clamped her mouth shut and lowered her head. She was not going to give Kristen the satisfaction of witnessing her blow her top.

"What are you still standing there for? Go apologize to the customers those meals were meant for and tell them that they'll be ready in five minutes!" Russell plated two fish and chips and located the docket with the meals that he had to re-make. "Kristen, I need another chicken risotto from you."

"Got it, Chef."

"Yea, got it, Chef," Frances couldn't help echoing Kristen; her words, however, were dripping with sarcasm. She threw both her father and the woman at the stove dirty looks when they swivelled around to glare at her cheek. "Sorry Chef, yes Chef, doing it right now, Oh Great Ones!" she mumbled under her breath as she exited the kitchen. God complexes indeed!

"I heard that!" Kristen's voice floated past the swinging doors.

"Good!" Frances mouthed, wrinkling her nose at poor Missy, who was wiping the floor with a damp tea towel. "You're doing great, Missy. Don't let the shitty chefs get to you," Frances said as she hooked a thumb in the direction of the kitchen, eliciting a watery smile from the new girl.

Frances had always prided herself in being someone who had a lot of patience. After all, wasn't it a pre-requisite for teaching English to people who did not understand a single word of it? But working in the kitchen, in this kitchen, under her bellowing, arrogant, drunk father and his infuriating, tormenting, sadistic sous chef gave the word 'patience' a whole new meaning.

She took a deep breath and tried to swallow her irritation as she made her way to the patrons of Table Two.

At a quarter to eleven, Taters was finally quiet, empty and spotless. Its staff sat outside in the prettily lit beer garden, each with a beverage of choice in their hands--everyone but Russell, that is. He had finished a bottle of bourbon during service and was already halfway through his second and he was drinking straight from the bottle.

Frances blew out a breath and was met with a shy smile from Missy. They had bonded over the shift; in a way, Frances was glad because this meant that Missy wasn't going to quit just yet. If Tammy could survive this long without leaving, maybe things might get better for Missy if she hung in there. She wondered how badly Missy needed this job and hoped fervently, for her father's sake, that she needed it badly.

"A hundred and ninety two covers, everyone," Tammy announced cheerily.

Frances crossed her legs as she leaned back into the seat. She stank of kitchen grease, dirty dishwater, and sweat. It was gross. She lifted her glass of red wine to her lips and took a small sip. The alcohol warmed her up slightly, as did the stand up outdoor heater. Her mobile phone went off, indicating a text message from Nell. It was an invitation to join her friend and a few other girls at the Courthouse pub in Newtown. Frances mulled over her answer. She was tired and she stank. But she could totally use a drink with her mates.

"Plus the two that Frances and Missy fucked up, that's a hundred and ninety four," Kristen said dryly.

Frances sat up straight at this and shot Kristen a withering look which would have worked better if the woman was looking her way. "Yes, Chef," Frances said in a deceptively demure voice. Kristen's eyes snapped to her face immediately. "Sorry Chef. Please punish me, Chef. I'll do better next time, Chef," Frances continued snarkily, her eyes dancing.

She caught the edges of Kristen's lips twitching before the woman averted her eyes and lifted her glass of wine to her lips. Could it be that she was showing appreciation at Frances' sarcasm?

Perhaps Miss Black was all bark and no bite after all. Frances trailed her eyes over the shiner on Kristen's face and had to stifle a laugh at the memory of the Bathroom Incident. Kristen had a beautifully straight and sharp nose, Frances noted.

And elegantly shaped brows that rose each time the woman was being infuriating. Which was often.

And full, ripe lips that curled up in arrogant sneers... or lovely smiles, like the one that was playing around her lips right now as she sipped at her wine.

Lovely? Frances had to shake her head when she actually stopped to reflect on what she was thinking about. Full, ripe lips?

"I must be overworked," Frances mumbled feverishly under her breath. Bemused green eyes met hers and Frances looked away. She quickly typed out a text message to Nell and stood up. "All right everyone. Have a good night."

Russell put down his bottle of bourbon with a dull thud. "Where're you off to, lass?" he rumbled.

"Home. Then out," Frances said with a shrug. She felt a tad uncomfortable announcing her plans to everyone.

"What, this company not good enough for you?" Russell asked. Frances wasn't sure if he was joking or not. Russell took another swig from the bottle. "Can't have two seconds with you. You're always disappearing on me," he grumbled.

The atmosphere turned awkward with those words. Tammy and Missy exchanged a look and made themselves scarce. Kristen was about to follow them when Russell slammed down his glass on the table. "What. Now my company isn't good enough for anyone? Everyone gotta leave?" Kristen sat herself back down and looked from father to daughter warily.

"I think you've had a bit too much to drink, Russell," Kristen started slowly.

Russell threw her a dirty look. "Don't you be telling me what to do."

"Stop being so rude, Dad!" Frances snapped at her father, not sure why he was being such a jerk now that service was over.

"You're not old enough to lecture me, lass!"

"Oh, yea, cos you're a fine example of a parent! You're nothing but a drunk! Mum would be ashamed of you if she saw you right now." Even as the words tumbled out of her mouth, Frances knew that she should not have uttered them.

"Well she isn't here now, is she!" Russell roared.

Frances was not sure when she had started crying but she was. She wiped the back of her arm across her face, angry at herself for her show of weakness. When had the conversation changed so drastically? And there was that woman, sitting there, witnessing it all. Frances felt like screaming, running away... anything but standing here on the receiving end of Russell's anger and heartbreak.

"Why did you have to come back?" Russell muttered into his bottle, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings. "You come back and you make things okay for a little while... and then you'll go again. You'll take that smile with you... her smile... her eyes... Why?" Russell's voice broke at the end. "I want her back."

"So do I."

It was nothing more than a whisper but Kristen heard the words.

"And maybe you're right. I shouldn't have come back."

With those words, Frances did an about turn and left.

10

"... maybe you're right. I shouldn't have come back."

Her dirty, sweaty state of dress forgotten, Frances made for the Courthouse pub, which was a mere ten minutes trek from Taters. She hadn't even picked up her jacket before leaving and the night was cold. Frances shivered but going back to Taters was not an option, so she gritted her teeth and trudged on with her arms wrapped around her waist. She hadn't gone too far when she heard running footsteps coming from behind her. Her first instinct was to veer to the left of the sidewalk to allow whoever it was to pass her by but the footsteps slowed to a walk as they came near her.

Frances spun around suspiciously and was met with familiar green eyes over a dark piece of clothing. Surprised, she took her jacket from her unlikely Samaritan and slipped her arms through the armholes gratefully. "Thanks," she said when she finally found her tongue. The night air felt cold against her damp cheeks but at least her body was thanking her for the extra bit of warmth.

"Yeah, no problem. Are you, uh, gonna be okay?" Kristen asked after she caught her breath.

Kristen had planned to drive her very drunk boss home before she realised that Frances had taken off without her belongings. After muttering a string of curses under her breath at being unwittingly stuck in the middle of this family drama, she had handed Tammy the keys to Russell's beat up Volkswagen and had gone after the woman herself.

Frances shrugged, her head hanging low. "I'm sorry you had to witness that. Thanks for the jacket. You should go. It's cold."

"Where are you going?" Kristen asked instead of abiding to what Frances had suggested.

Another shrug. Kristen had to keep herself from rolling her eyes at this defeated, sullen side of Frances. "Well," Kristen started, seeing that she wasn't going to get anything out of Frances, "do you want to keep walking then? Because you're right, it's cold."

Frances turned her heels wordlessly, and was surprised to find Kristen walking beside her in companionable silence. "What are you doing?"

Kristen frowned. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

Frances blew out an irritated breath and a bit of fire came back into her eyes. "Well, it looks like you're walking, but then I'm not so sure. Are you? I need confirmation on this. Is what you're doing walking?"

Frances wasn't sure but she thought that she caught a flash of smile on Kristen's face.

"Your Dad was drunk," Kristen began, only to be cut off by Frances' snort.

"Tell me something new."

Okay.... Sarcasm I can handle, Kristen thought to herself. "Tammy's sending him home."

"Whoa, did you just obey me?" Frances' tone was incredulous. This time she was sure that Kristen smiled. It made her chest feel lighter. When they got to the lights, she bit her lower lip and met Kristen's gaze shyly. "Thanks. For making sure that he's taken care of. And for coming after me with my stuff." Frances looked as the jumble of lights from shops, street lamps and cars were reflected across Kristen's face. The woman had surprised her with... caring.

"So where're you going?" Kristen asked again, as though she was uncomfortable with Frances' gratitude and chose to ignore it.

"The Courthouse." Frances snuck a peek at Kristen. "You're welcome to join me," she said, hardly believing her own words. But the events of this night had taken such an acute turn, it seemed apt to follow the trend.

They crossed the street silently before Kristen shrugged. "Could use a drink."

Frances smirked. "You and me both." Then as they turned into Australia Street, she said, "First round's on me."

Kristen arched a brow in Frances' direction. "You sure? You might not be able to afford it with the lowly kitchenhand wages you're pulling."

Frances scoffed. "Oh, excuse me! You can get the first round then. And all the rounds after, if that's what makes you feel butch and all... God complexified!"

Kristen paused for a moment. "What the hell does that even mean?" She shook her head.

"I don't know," Frances said weakly. "It sounded better in my head." Then she tried to backpedal and correct herself. "You know, chefs and God complexes...?"

As they entered the pub, Kristen turned to smirk at Frances. "Butch, huh?"

Frances flushed and didn't know what to say. Amidst all that verbal fuck up, 'butch' was what she fixated on?

"I can do butch," Kristen said, tugging at the lapels of her leather jacket. Even though she was still in her black work pants that sported a few faint splotches and only had a simple turquoise U-neck top under her jacket, Kristen knew that she didn't look too shabby. She might have to make a trip to the ladies but if there was one thing Kristen was confident of, it was the way she looked.

Frances' jaw dropped as she followed the woman further into the pub, not knowing what to make of what had to be Kristen's doppleganger.

"What drink do you want?" Kristen asked, snapping Frances out of her reverie.

"I- I'm buying us drinks and don't you argue with me on this," Frances said firmly as her mind reeled in confusion. She tried to focus it by concentrating on simpler things, like drink preference. "You staying on red or moving on to beer?"

If Kristen was surprised that Frances had noted what she was drinking at Taters, she did not let on. "All right, I'll let you do the butch act and go powder my nose instead," she said with a smirk and the arching of an elegant brow.

Frances watched as Kristen sauntered away and had to pinch herself to make sure that she hadn't sunk into a slumber and was actually dreaming this up. Then she scratched the back of her neck as a reluctant smile stole up upon her. Was Kristen just flirting with her? Then she frowned. That woman had gone off without answering her question.

She decided to get them a bottle of red to share, then went off in search of her friends.

"How was work, darl?" Nell asked, giving Frances a hug when she finally spotted and approached them. Frances gave the two other women at the table hugs before setting down a bottle of wine and two wineglasses on the small table that they were seated around. "That bad, huh?" Nell asked with an arched look towards the bottle of red on the table. "Two glasses? Just how bad was it?"

Frances chuckled as she looked around them for a spare chair to pull up to their table. Her friends had saved her a seat but Kristen didn't have one. "A, um, friend came along." She thanked the people at the table behind them when they allowed her to relocate one of their chairs.

"Anyone we know?" Teagan asked, combing a hair through her thick blonde locks.

Frances shook her head. At this point, Kristen showed up at their table and Frances glanced up at the woman. "Kristen, this is Teagan, Nell, and Eleanor. Guys, this is Kristen."

Kristen shook everyone's hands politely and noted an openly appreciative look that one of the women at the table directed at her. She smiled to herself, flattered by the unfamiliar attention. Her experiences with the dating game had been limited to men. It pleased her to know that some women found her sexually attractive as well. Then Frances slid a glass of red in front of her and she murmured her thanks.

Nell covertly gave the newcomer a once over. Kristen's dirty blonde hair fell past her shoulders in gentle waves. Her brows were shaped in sharp arches that intensified the sultry look the curve of her lips created. Who the hell was this woman and how did Frances land herself with her in the short time that she'd been back?

"So how do you know Frances?" Teagan asked Kristen; Nell tuned in to the conversation with interest.

"I work for her f- I work at Taters."

Nell frowned at the way Frances was gazing unseeingly at her wine glass. She leaned closer to Frances and tapped a finger on her wrist. "What's up, darl?"

Frances gave an unconvincing shake of her head and pushed her chair backwards. "I'm going to the loo. Everyone good for drinks?"

At everyone's acquiescence, Frances made a beeline for the ladies. She was relieved to find herself alone when she entered and she finally let the mask that she had been holding in place slide.

After splashing her face with water, she pulled off the elastic band that held her hair up in a ponytail and slipped it around her wrist as she combed shaky hands through her long, dark hair. Her eyes looked slightly puffy and her countenance a little grey but apart from that, she didn't look too distraught. She wanted to talk to Nell badly but it would have to wait. Her mind was still reeling from everything that had transpired that evening, from the crazy fight with her father to the walk to Courthouse and the bizarre conversation that she had with Kristen along the way.

Suppose she was tripping and forgot that she was on acid?

She pursed her lips at her reflection and sighed. While that was entirely possible, it was also impossible to ascertain. So effectively, it would not help matters an iota to pose that question.

She gathered her hair was in the middle of tying it up with the elastic band when the band snapped. Frances swore under her breath. She threw the elastic band into the bin forcefully, dissatisfied with the lack of impact it made. She had no choice but to leave her hair down.

Then her gaze in the mirror wandered lower and she gingerly pulled her T-shirt away from her body as she lowered her nose for a sniff. She felt gross. Even though she had worn a full body apron, the dirty kitchen water had still managed to soak through it and her top. Suddenly needing to feel cleaner, Frances threw a look at the door and hoped that no one would enter the ladies until she was done with her sprucing up venture.

Frances removed her jacket and peeled off her top. Then she grabbed a bunch of napkins, ran them quickly under the tap, and began to wipe herself. It wasn't until she had her jacket back on before the door to the ladies swung open.

Frances nonchalantly zipped her jacket up to the point just above her breasts and fussed with her hair a little. She tucked a side of it behind her ear and pursed her lips again, flashing a dimple briefly as she scrutinized herself. She felt a lot better now that she had cleaned up a little. Even though it was going to be chilly with just her jacket on, she was sure that the damp piece of T-shirt would not have served much purpose.

When she returned to the table, she was glad to see that Kristen was engaged in conversation with her mates. At least the woman wasn't bored.

"So when are you off again, Frances?"

All eyes swivelled on her and Frances felt a little self-conscious. "I have to wait for my medicals and if all's good I'll have to apply and wait for a visa. Month or two maybe?"

"What's it like living in Vietnam?" Teagan asked. Kristen lifted a brow in interest. She didn't know anything about Frances save the fact that she was her employer's daughter who had just gotten back from... elsewhere.

Frances played with a lock of her hair as she shifted in her seat. She felt self-conscious talking about this in front of Kristen. "I-It's different. It made me realise just how fortunate we are to be born in our society. The roles that women play in Vietnam are so... well, maybe the roles themselves are not different, but what is expected of them is so different from what is expected of us."

"And when we say we're poor... we don't know half of it. Some of the peddlers I meet, they work all day, every day, for fifteen American dollars a month. They get ten days off after months of working to go back to their hometowns to see their families. Fifteen bucks.... We spend that in a day, if that."

Everyone was looking at Frances intently and she suddenly felt silly for rambling on about something so droll. "Anyway. I love my students. My classes hold kids from as young as five to adults; they rank them by their English standard, not by age. It gets a little tricky because it's really different teaching kids and adults and hard, really, to get them interested with the same materials...."

"What about you guys? I don't wanna be talking about myself all night," Frances said nervously when everyone's attention did not seem to shift.

"You just made me feel so superficial, Fran," Teagan said.

"I- Sorry...." Frances started saying, irritated at herself for saying all the wrong things that night.

"Don't be sorry, darl!" Nell said, and Teagan shook her head vehemently.

"You just made us think, Fran, it's not a bad thing at all," Teagan said earnestly. "How often do we feel sorry for ourselves? We should be thankful that we're sitting here with people that we love having a drink and not have to worry about not having enough money to feed our families. I admire you for what you're doing."

Frances drained her wine glass. When she focussed on helping others, she got to forget about her own problems. It was kind of selfish, in a way, and she said so.

"Honey, that's not selfish. That's better than most of us," Nell chided her.

Kristen was listening silently, taking sips from her wine glass intermittently. She had learnt more about Frances in the past five minutes than she had in all the time they were in each other's vicinity. Frances was a good person. And Russell... Russell was a broken man but he loved his daughter; he just failed miserably at showing it. They share the pain of losing someone they love dearly but they were unable to comfort each other because both of them probably felt that they had to be strong for each other. Neither of them knew how to communicate their grief to each other and ended up pushing each other away.

Teagan was now talking about the state of the world and Frances had fallen silent, content to sip at her wine. Eleanor, a voluptuous redhead, frequently threw subtle glances at Kristen as she spoke. Kristen, who had found the attention flattering initially, was beginning to feel a little self-conscious.

Usually, with men, she would have given them the go ahead by now to buy her a drink and they would be hamming it up, trying to charm her pants off--literally. But with women, well, first off she had no experience whatsoever. And second of all, she wasn't sure she was attracted to them in a way to want to reciprocate any sort of advances. It probably wouldn't hurt to have a go--Kristen was always open to new experiences--but she was here because she wanted to make sure that Frances was okay and it would hardly seem appropriate to go off with one of her mates.

Kristen glanced over at Frances, who looked like if she concentrated hard enough on her wine, it would start bubbling over or something. "You okay?" Frances turned to her blankly, then smiled briefly with a tiny nod of her head. "I might leave then."

"Oh. Okay. Thanks. Again." Frances said, motioning to her jacket.

"Thanks for the wine. Next time it's on me." Frances gave Kristen a funny look at that. "What?" Kristen asked, her eyes narrowing.

"You're being so nice it's freaking me out a little," Frances confessed. "Is that what wine does to you? If so, I'll buy you a bottle every time I have a shift with you," she joked.

Kristen snorted. "You wanna turn me into an alcoholic like your Dad?" she said without thinking and then froze. "Uh- shit. I-" she stuttered, feeling incredibly dumb and inappropriate.

"Don't be. He is an alcoholic. And a lousy, horrible drunk. He can be mean and abusive and he is also in a lot of pain."

Kristen's impression of Frances rose as she watched the woman struggle with the words to express what she was feeling.

"But I don't think I can be there for him. I just don't know how. I don't even know how to... Oh, God. You know, I- I can get through to people who don't understand English. I can get them to understand me. But when it comes to my Dad, I can't find the words. I- You must think that this is incredibly ironic," she said with a mirthless laugh.

During the course of their conversation, both women had shifted in their adjacent seats so that they were facing each other. Frances kept pushing her hair behind her ears unconsciously. Kristen did not know what to say to that. She wasn't sure how the dynamics of their relationship had shifted so much in such a short time that the younger woman would be confiding in her like this. Frances probably felt the same way because she said, "Sorry, that was totally... sorry. Anyway, I'll catch you later. I hope I didn't ruin any plans you might have had for tonight."

"What, a long, hot shower, a cup of tea and some drawing? They're overrated," Kristen said uncomfortably, trying to sound flippant.

"Oh, what do you draw?" Frances asked, then she rolled her eyes. "Sorry, you've been wanting to go since forever and here I am rambling on like some-"

Kristen reached over and placed her hand over Frances'. "It's okay. I don't have to go. I just thought I might leave you to your friends, seeing that I kinda gatecrashed."

"You're all right," Frances said. "We're all just hanging out anyway, no pressure. So if you don't have anywhere to be, you're welcome to stay."

Kristen shrugged but gave Frances a small smile.

"So you're staying?" Frances asked innocently. Her emotional moment had passed with what she had unloaded and she was somewhat back to her normal self. At Kristen's nod, Frances' smile became cheeky. "Then I think 'next time' has arrived." At Kristen's uncomprehending stare, Frances motioned to the empty bottle of wine on the table between them. "You said next time it's on you. I believe it's 'next time', Chef."

Kristen sighed loudly but could not help smirking at Frances. The woman had switched from sombre to cheeky in a heartbeat. "Uh huh. Another bottle?"

Frances shrugged. "Why not."

Kristen pushed her chair backwards and slapped her palms on her thighs when she got up. Eleanor followed Kristen's movement with her eyes and mimicked it. "I need another drink too. Another Carlton Draught, Nell? Teagan?" When her friends nodded, Eleanor hurried after Kristen.

11

Kristen liked working on Sundays. Taters was only open for service from five till nine on Sundays, giving the staff a good lead in to their unanimous day off on Mondays as well as a few hours in the afternoon for the chefs to bake the cakes that they would need for the following week. Even though Kristen loved all aspects of cooking, the patisserie side of it was her real passion.

As Kristen stirred the saucepan of water and sugar, Ramsey entered the kitchen with a tray full of vegetables for his prep.

"Been a busy few days?" Ramsey asked as he sliced into a tomato. "Tammy says you guys had almost two hundred covers last night. Must have been hectic!"

The man tended to answer his own questions. Kristen looked up briefly from the stove but did not say anything. Her mind was on other things, like the burnt sugar syrup that she was making.

"Looking forward to your days off?" Ramsey tried again.

"Mm hm." Kristen wasn't on until Wednesday and she was rather looking forward to the time off.

"So what did you get up to last night?"

Kristen shrugged. "Had a few drinks with some friends." Even as she said the words, she could feel the dull throb in her head spike. She grimaced slightly. At the tender age of thirty-six, she was finding herself too old for late nights. But in all honesty, it had been an interesting one.

Frances' friend, Eleanor, had been single-minded in her pursuit of Kristen. She had trailed her to the bar and they had struck up a bit of friendly conversation; Kristen found herself falling into the familiar rhythm of courtship dance rather easily, despite her suitor being a woman. Of course, there were noted differences in the approach.

Men tended overcompensate with their confidence. They would offer to buy her a drink, compliment her hair, eyes or dressing, and then they would try to impress her with what they did, owned and regale her with tales of the exciting things that they did on weekends. Then they would lean in casually, place a hand on her thigh or waist, and try for a kiss.

Eleanor, though unsubtle, wasn't too full on. She had seemed to know when the time was good to press on and when she should pull back. She had teased Kristen with her body language, leaning her body close and initiating body contact when they spoke. Kristen had to admit that Eleanor had managed to intrigue her. So when Eleanor had finally closed the space between their lips, Kristen had allowed the kiss to transpire, curious as to how it would feel to kiss a woman.

It was soft, warm and all the cliché things she had heard about two females kissing. There were no stubble to scrape her face, none of the overpowering scent some men had, but no spark of lust igniting in her either. It was pleasant and enjoyable and she might even do it again but there was nothing more to it.

"Here, drink this," Ramsey offered, breaking Kristen out of her reverie. She looked at him in surprise and at the unknown concoction in suspicion.

"What is this?"

"Secret family recipe," Ramsey said. "Trust me."

Kristen sniffed at the beverage suspiciously and tasted it tentatively. When it did not make her barf, she braved a sip, then a gulp. When she was halfway through the glass, Tammy entered the kitchen with a flyer in her hand.

"Look guys, a new restaurant's opening across the street from us in a few weeks!" Kristen listened to Tammy's reading of the flyer with disinterest until the woman exclaimed at the name of the company who owned the franchise. "That's the company the guy who came by the other night was from! Canning & Cameron!"

Kristen's stomach lurched nastily at that and she felt the insane urge to duck and hide her face. Squelching the notion, Kristen quickly finished Ramsey's secret family recipe and prayed that it would work just as he said it would.

"Russell kicked him out. He must have tried to buy over Taters or get Taters to join their franchise or something," Tammy speculated while Ramsey scanned the flyer casually.

"Russell kicked him out?" Kristen wanted to be sure.

"Yup. Told him to get out. He can be good like that, protecting what he loves," Tammy said with a warm smile. She had a soft spot for her stern employer. Kristen exchanged a quick smile with Tammy at that. "Oh well. No sense worrying about it, I guess. Time will tell if they have any impact on our business. Erskinville Road is a busy one after all. One more restaurant shouldn't make much difference."

Kristen wasn't worried about Taters' business at all. There was no way the new restaurant would have too much of an impact on them. What she was concerned about was getting recognized by someone who either worked at the new restaurant or by C&C personnel who came to the franchise. She knew she was being paranoid--C&C was a huge company after all--but it was a valid concern and she had to rethink her options.

Her heart fell when her mind fast forwarded to one of the options. She liked working at Taters and it seemed unfair if she had to leave because of the new C&C franchise.

"Hey Kristen. How's the head feeling now?" Ramsey asked, peering at her. Kristen shook herself out of her stupor and blinked a few times. Ramsey began to grin.

"Wow, that did the trick, Ramsey. Thanks!" Kristen exclaimed, forgetting her previous worry for a moment. "What was in it?"

Ramsey shook his head. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret recipe anymore," he said with a sage look.

Kristen rolled her eyes. "Fine. Just as long as you promise you'll make it for me every time I get a hangover, I don't care what's in it."

Ramsey chuckled. "Deal."

Kristen turned back to the stove and groaned at the dark mixture in her saucepan. She had burnt her burnt sugar syrup. Despite its name, burnt sugar syrup did not actually involve burning the sugar. It was going to take her ages to get that muck out of the saucepan.

12

Frances was in the yard when Kristen got home from Taters. She must have been reading before falling asleep in the hammock. Kristen's lips curled up in an amused smile at Frances' slightly parted lips and the crazy angle of her arm. The yard was lit by solar lamps that cast a faint glow on everything in their paths, including Frances.

Curious as to what Frances was reading, Kristen went closer to take a peek at the title of the book that Frances held against her chest. Huh. The Alchemist. It was one of Kristen's favourite books.

An annoying buzzing sound caused Kristen to slap at her arm and the sound stirred Frances. "Hey," Frances said groggily. She rubbed her eyes with her fingers.

"Mozzies," Kristen said simply. "You must be eaten alive out here."

Frances moaned when she tried to move her left arm which she had been sleeping on and mumbled something unintelligible. Kristen lifted a brow as Frances swung herself upright in the hammock and massaged her left arm gingerly. "I eat Vegemite by the tubful," Frances said more coherently. "It's been suggested that eating Vegemite wards off mozzies. Must have some truth to it cos I hardly get bitten by mozzies."

"True?"

Frances nodded and yawned ungracefully. "Mm. Sorry. What time is it?"

"Almost ten."

"You're home early."

"We shut at nine on Sundays."

Frances nodded and hopped off the hammock. "You hungry? There's still some stew left in the kitchen. Come have some after you shower."

Kristen looked at Frances' retreating back in surprise. Their relationship seemed to have evolved. She was about to reject the kind offer when her tummy growled audibly. "And I'll throw some fresh bread rolls into the oven," Frances threw over her shoulder before disappearing into the house.

Best not to look a gift horse in the mouth, Kristen thought as she sauntered towards her granny flat for a much needed shower.

The stew was good. Thick, rich, but not overly so. Kristen dipped chunks of freshly baked bread into the gravy and hummed happily when the flavours came to life in her mouth.

"Good?" Frances asked, and was satisfied by the look on Kristen's face. "I take that as a yes."

"Did Russell make this?" Kristen asked when her mouth was empty.

"No. I did. It's my Mum's recipe," Frances said in an even voice. Kristen peered at Frances, trying to gauge her temperament. "Dad thinks it tastes a little different but I reckon everyone puts different energy into what they make, so...." Frances shrugged as she sat down at the kitchen table across from Kristen.

"Have you... spoken to Russell today?" Kristen asked casually.

"You want to know if we've talked about what happened last night," Frances said bluntly. When Kristen nodded, she shrugged. "Then say that. I hate when people beat around the bush." Sensing that Frances wasn't trying to get her hackles up intentionally and was merely letting out some of her frustration at the situation, Kristen let the comment slide. "I don't think he remembers. If he does, he didn't let on. He's his same gloriously grumpy self. Went fishing."

"Why didn't you go with him?" Kristen dunked another chunk of bread into the stew and paused to let it soak up the gravy.

"I need more time to get over what happened... because I know it's still there and it'll happen again and again and I just... I don't want to say things I might regret," Frances said truthfully. She looked at Kristen oddly.

"What?"

"You're civil and acting concerned. Are you okay?" she teased in a serious tone.

"I generally take to people who feed me good tucker," Kristen said dryly, popping the drenched piece of bread into her mouth.

Frances chuckled. "More?" she asked, tipping her head at Kristen's empty bowl.

"I can help myself -"

Frances was already up from the table and collected Kristen's bowl smoothly. "It's okay. I like doing this," she said quietly. She placed the bowl of stew in front of Kristen and got her another bread roll from the warm oven.

"Thank you. This is lovely," Kristen said uncomfortably, not used to such treatment, especially from someone she didn't think she would ever take a liking to. She brought up a new topic quickly. "'The Alchemist' is one of my favourite books. How far along are you?"

"I'm reading it for the ten billionth time," Frances said ruefully. "I... like to read it when I'm feeling a little..."

"Lost?" Kristen supplied.

"Yeah."

They sat in companionable silence as Kristen finished her second bowl of stew, exchanging a look or two in the process. When Kristen was done, Frances shooed her out of the kitchen and proceeded to do the dishes, flustering Kristen with her behaviour.

"You don't have to-" Kristen started, only to be cut off with a firm look by Frances.

"Please. It... calms me. My Mum used to... it calms me. And I'm happy to do it. Next time, you get to serve me and clean up my dirty dishes. But today, just... why don't you make us cups of tea?" Frances suggested.

Nodding dumbly, Kristen did as she was told. She half expected a smart arse comment from Frances regarding obedience, but it seemed like the woman had tucked her artillery away for the day. It served Kristen well. She had things on her mind as well and it felt comforting to be around someone else without having to make small talk.

She had expected to have a long, fretful night thinking about what she should do, perhaps eventually resorting to drinking too much tea and watching mindless television to take her mind off things. All this... getting fed, having company, receiving comfort from both the food and the companionship... she did not expect at all.

Even if she had to leave Taters, Kristen decided, she would continue renting the granny flat. It was her home and she would be damned if C&C were to take that away from her as well.

13

"How gorgeous is she?"

"I wanna take her home."

"I bet you do," Frances chuckled at Eleanor's enraptured expression. "Don't use and dump her though. That would be cruel."

"I would never!" Eleanor exclaimed, but shot her friend a guilty look anyway. "I tend to do that, don't I?"

Frances did not say anything. She just shook her head at Eleanor. "Remember the last one?"

Eleanor buried her face in her palms. "I am a horrible person," she said, her voice muffled.

The yellow-faced, orange-cheeked cockatiel cocked her head at the two humans before her, seemingly aware that they were discussing her.

Eleanor and Frances were at a pet shop; they could never resist going into the little shop on the corner of Erskinville Road. Teagan would always lecture them about how pet shops were an exploitation and they were better off going to the pound and saving an unwanted animal--most probably one that had been sold by a pet shop in the first place--from imminent death. But Teagan wasn't with them and it was Eleanor and Frances' thing to do their ritual pet shop walkaround.

"I gotta go soon. It's close to six," Frances said regretfully. Tammy said that they had someone coming in to try out for the kitchenhand position at Taters on Thursday but until then, Frances was on the roster.

"Oh. Right. So, um, is Kristen at work today?" Eleanor asked casually.

"I don't know. Why?" Frances stuck her hands in her pockets as they exited the pet shop. "I hope not. She's a pain at work," Frances mumbled. Even though their sarcastic sparring had come to a hiatus, she wasn't sure if the truce would hold at work.

"What? If she's a pain to you then why were you hanging out with her?" Eleanor asked, interested to know anything about Kristen.

Frances did not want to go into detail about the other night and settled for glossing over the truth. "She's all right otherwise. You know how chefs are all obnoxious to a certain extent. My Dad's awful at work too."

"Ah." Eleanor seemed to accept Frances' explanation. "I think she's hot. We, um, had a little kiss the other night," she confessed. She had been dying to tell someone who knew Kristen about what had happened the other night.

Frances' eyes rounded. It hadn't even crossed her mind that Kristen might be this way inclined. "Really."

"Uh huh. She's hot. I totally wanna see her again...." Eleanor trailed off, hoping that Frances would pick up on her not so subtle hint.

"Well maybe you should arrange something with her," Frances said. "Didn't you get her number before you kissed her?" she teased.

Eleanor had the decency to blush. "You know it doesn't always work like that, Frances. It just happened, out of the blue. And then we got so trashed and I kept meaning to ask her for her number but...."

Frances sighed. Eleanor always got who she wanted and this time it seemed like it would not be an exception. "Okay, okay, I'll think of something."

Eleanor squealed and hooked her arm through Frances as they made their way towards Taters.

Kristen wasn't rostered on so a dejected Eleanor had left Taters after securing a promise from Frances to create an opportunity for them to hang out again. Frances put on rubber gloves and got ready for work, idly wondering how she could accomplish that. It would require catching Kristen at the right time and make the invitation casual enough so Kristen wouldn't suspect something was up. Perhaps they could have a barbecue? First of all, she had to check out Kristen's roster to see when the woman was free.

Russell glanced at his daughter's form and sighed under his breath. Even though she was physically not more than five meters away from him, he felt as though they had an unbridgable gulf between them.

His recollection of the other night was blurry at best. It had been Tammy who had hinted at what had happened and he had been mortified.

Russell looked distastefully at the bottle of bourbon in its usual spot beside the grill. He wished that he was not dependent on the drink but he was. He only had a few weeks before Frances would disappear again for God knows how long and he knew he had to do something to repair their relationship; he just did not know what. He scratched his stubbly cheek in silent despair. His fingers itched for the bottle, to feel its comforting weight in the palm of his hand, to savour the hot trek of liquid down his throat. He spared another glance at Frances' back and stopped himself.

When he got home after work tonight, he would see if Kristen was up so that he could perhaps clarify what transpired the other night.

"Order up," Missy called out, handing over a few dockets to Ramsey and breaking Russell out of his reverie. According to Tammy, the new girl was also present the other night. It made him very uncomfortable that he had conducted himself so badly in front of his employees. Russell cleared his throat and moved his hands. Now was not the time to mull over things; he had work to do.

Ramsey peered at his boss as he put the dockets up. This was the first time he was working with Russell and his never-heard-of-until-now daughter and he was interested to see how they worked together. Tammy had told him how surprised she had been when Frances had walked in one night, helped clear a table and started doing the dishes like it was the most normal thing in the world to waltz into a kitchen and be a part of it.

That was an impressive feat in itself, Ramsey opined, because God knows how quickly employees passed through Taters. Her being Russell's daughter might have had something to do with her still hanging around but Ramsey suspected that it wasn't just that.

Taters had seen many employees in her day. Ramsey was her longest standing employee, having been there since the beginning. Doug Tang was the other chef that Russell had hired around the same time he hired Ramsey, but Doug did not make it to six months before he threw in his apron and stalked out of the restaurant. A string of chefs then went through the kitchen until Kristen appeared and miraculously managed to not get on Russell's nerves and stay. And Ramsey hadn't even gotten started on the number of supervisors and waitresses who ripped through the restaurant like tornadoes.

Right about this time, six dockets came through at once and Ramsey did not have anymore time to waste on musing.

14

"I said that? I actually asked her why she had to come back?" Russell said in disbelief.

Kristen looked uncomfortable as she nodded. It hadn't been difficult to answer Russell's questions; the events of that night prior to their drinking session at the Courthouse pub were still fresh in her mind.

"Ever so charming, aren't I?" Russell muttered ruefully to the surprise of Kristen, who had never witnessed the self-depracating side of her boss. "Marie would be so disappointed in me," he continued, as though he had forgotten that Kristen was there.

"I think you both have a lot of things to work through," Kristen started hesitantly, not sure if she was speaking out of turn. "She loves you. That's why she's still here."

Russell almost snorted at that. "She's still here because she's waiting on her medical results. As soon as she gets that cleared and gets her visa, she'll be gone again. Love has nothing to do with this."

"Well, yes, maybe those are the circumstances around her visit, but she could have gone and stayed with a friend after the other night. But she's still here, isn't she?"

Russell did not answer, but Kristen's words soothed the ache in his chest a little. "Well. Thank you for that. Good night," Russell said as turned to go back into his house.

"Um, Russell?"

Russell paused.

"Tammy said that a man from Canning & Cameron turned up at Taters not long ago," she started, not sure if this was the best time to broach the topic but she wanted to know what the visit was about.

"What about it?" Russell's voice was gruff but not foreboding.

"Can I ask what he wanted? It's just that I've had some run-ins with the company before...." Kristen said, hoping that the explanation was sufficient and that Russell would not think that she was just being nosey.

"He wanted Taters to be a part of the franchise. I told him to get out," Russell stated simply. "I'm not interested in being a part of a franchise."

"That was all he wanted?" Kristen had to be sure.

Russell arched his bushy brows. "What else could there be?"

Kristen nodded, relieved but tried not to show it. "Good night, Russell."

She remained in her chair in the yard to finish her tea as she watched Russell let himself into his house. If trying to buy over Taters was what C&C wanted, then Kristen's cover was definitely not blown. However, knowing how C&C worked, Taters would have some cause to worry.

Taters had been mentioned in several eating guides and was a popular restaurants in the area. People were beginning to make reservations to ensure that they got a table and the small restaurant was consistently doing almost two hundred covers a day. Kristen knew that C&C wouldn't stop at just opening a new franchise across the road from them.

"Hey."

Kristen looked up. Pretty popular with the Russells tonight, Kristen thought as she eyed Frances.

She must have just had a shower because her dark locks were rather damp and fell haphazardly around her shoulders and down her back. It was a good look; Frances was actually rather beautiful, Kristen thought idly when Frances flashed her a dimpled smile. She was taken back to the night at the Courthouse where Frances had also had her hair down.

Somewhere between their second bottle of wine and Jäger-bombs, Kristen distinctly recalled someone coming over to chat Frances up and the embarrassed smile that she had given her friend, Nell, after the woman left her a slip of paper that had to hold a number. Kristen wondered if Frances had given the interested party a call.

"How was your day off?" Frances asked, taking a seat beside Kristen. She had noted Kristen's and her days off this week and had decided to ask her out on Sunday.

Shaking herself out of her reverie, Kristen replied, "Good. How was your day?"

"Filled with dirty dishes." Kristen's face broke out in an amused smile but before she could comment, Frances casually asked, "Are you free on Sunday? I was thinking of going snorkelling with a few mates. Do you wanna join us?"

Kristen took another sip of her tea and glanced at Frances. She felt like something was up. Her mind quickly ran through the possibilities and quickly came to the most likely one that Frances' friend, Eleanor, had put Frances up to this. "Maybe," she answered noncomittally. On the other hand, she could be wrong and snorkelling did sound like a really nice way to spend her next day off.

"It'll be fun," Frances persisted, hoping that she could get a definite answer from Kristen so that she could set it up. "Have you been to Gordons Bay?" Kristen shook her head. "Well then I'll have to insist that you come," Frances said tucking an errand hair behind her ear. "It's beautiful there. You won't regret it. Actually, you might even thank me for it."

"Huh." Kristen chewed on her upper lip as she considered. It had been too long since she had a social life of any kind. When she had an itch to scratch, a venture to the club would do the trick. But those connections were never lasting. And to be honest, there wasn't much 'socializing' in those escapades. That night at the Courthouse was the first in a long while since she was a part of a social gathering and it had actually been fun.

"So what do you reckon, Chef?" Frances asked, her head slightly tilted as she anticipated Kristen's answer.

Kristen's eyes crinkled as she smiled. Frances was pulling out the big guns.

In a way, she was glad that Russell had his drunken outburst the other night because that had been the catalyst for this blossoming friendship between Frances and herself. She hadn't realised how much she was lacking in the friendship department until this moment. She narrowed her eyes playfully. "Should I be suspicious about why you seem to want me to come along so much?"

Frances shrugged innocently. "Just thought you'd enjoy it."

"You're not hitting on me, are you? And this is not some roundabout way to ask me out, is it?" Kristen teased with a smirk. She began to chuckle when Frances widened her eyes in alarm.

"What? No!" Frances all but blurted. Me? Asking Kristen out? As if! "Eleanor's the one who's interested in you, not me!"

Kristen arched a brow at Frances. "Aha! Gotcha! Knew there must be a motive," she said, shaking her head as she rolled her eyes. The knowledge flattered her, of course, but it also changed things. She did not want to be spending her day off at a gorgeous bay trying to dodge someone's advances the entire time. "I'm really flattered by your friend's... attention but I'm not... interested in her," Kristen said regretfully.

Frances could have kicked herself for disclosing that information. She sent her friend a mental apology. "Ah, I didn't mean to let that slip," she confessed ruefully.

"It's a pity, because it would have been nice otherwise to check this place out," Kristen said wistfully as she picked up her now empty mug. "Well I'm off to bed now. Good night," she said playfully as she got up from her seat.

"Hey. I meant to go to Gordons Bay regardless and... I haven't invited anyone else other than you at this point, so do you wanna come with? Just you and me?" she suggested.

She did not want Kristen to feel as though she had only asked her out for Eleanor's sake. Well, she did but now that she had and had heard Kristen's reason for rejecting the invite, she felt a little bad. Before Kristen could say anything mocking, however, Frances hurriedly added, "For the record, I'm not asking you out. I mean, I'm asking you to hang out with me, not out on a date."

Kristen smirked. She stood there with a mug in one hand and her other hand on her waist. "You're cute when you're all nervous and flustered," she observed.

Frances' eyes widened. "Wha- I'm not nervous or flustered!" she exclaimed, not liking what the woman was insinuating. "God!" she huffed.

"Well, now, how can I say no to someone who calls me 'God'?" Kristen said with a smug look on her face. This was just too easy. Frances was definitely losing her touch. Must have been all those dirty dishes.

Flabberghasted, Frances could not reply and watched as Kristen went back to her flat. Then she sighed and scratched the back of her neck. Oh, wait. Was that a yes? She must be too tired; her brain felt like mush. Did she just arrange for herself to hang out voluntarily with Kristen for an entire day?

Russell was still up in the kitchen when Frances let herself into the house. She glanced at him in surprise. "I was thinking maybe you wanna come fishing me next week," Russell said abruptly. "We could hire a boat out to sea. You're not leaving yet, are you?"

"Um, no, not yet." Frances leaned against the kitchen bench. "Yea, okay, when?"

Russell shrugged. "I don't know... Monday, maybe. Everyone gets Monday off."

The awkwardness between them grew as they lingered around the kitchen, looking at everything but each other. Frances couldn't bear the thought of having to spend an entire day with her father in such a manner. What if he got drunk again? She wouldn't even be able to escape if that happened because they would be on a boat!

"Hey, Dad, I- That'll be really nice. Shall we ask the Taters crew to come along with us?" Frances suggested, hoping that her father would be open to the idea. "Do you guys hang out much outside of work? I mean, you know, it'll be nice to have some kind of team bonding experience...." Frances trailed off, knowing that she was rambling.

Russell got up from the kitchen table. Knowing that his daughter did not feel comfortable being around him made him sad but he had to acknowledge his own sense of relief when she suggested adding company to their outing. He felt the same way she did. At least this way, they could spend time together without the pressure of only having each other to talk to. "Good idea, lass. I'll tell them tomorrow. Now get some sleep," Russell said as he turned to go up to his room.

Frances felt the urge to run over and give her father a hug, to erase the lines from his face, to hear his hearty laugh again. But instead she stood rooted to the spot beside the kitchen bench as she murmured, "Good night, Dad." She could not even bring herself to tell him she loved him.

15

Kevin Russell sat up in his bed, knocking over several things on his bedside table as he reached out blindly for his mobile phone, all the while mumbling under his breath. His heart was racing as he peered at the small mobile screen that had lit up because of his fumbling fingers. It took him several tries to get it to unlock and he quickly scrolled down the list of numbers in his phonebook. He was still groggy as hell and a little intoxicated but he had to get hold of someone at the Metro because he had forgotten to order sausages for the restaurant!

When an operator finally picked up his call, Russell barked, "I need five kilos of lamb and rosemary sausages for Taters."

His busy brows furrowed. "What do you mean what do I mean? I need sausages!" Good help was extinct these days! "Lamb and rosemary sausages!" he reiteriated.

"Huh? What? Mastercard?" Russell finally opened his eyes and hit the 'end call' button before scrolling down his phonebook again. He had called Mastercard instead of the Metro grocery shop. Letting out a groan, Russell slammed the phone back onto his bedside table and looked around. He was at home, in his bed, and... he had better check to see if he had ordered those sausages.

After a quick shower and a few painkillers, Russell left his room and was surprised to smell the aroma of food in the air. Following his nose, he was led into the kitchen, where Frances had her back to him at the stove.

"What's cooking?"

"Hey Dad," Frances greeted. "I felt like chorizo burrito for brekkie so I made us some." She slipped a tray into the oven and turned to face him with a tentative smile playing on her lips, flashing her dimples briefly. Russell felt guilty and uncomfortable, surprised and happy in rapid succession. "Coffee?" she offered. Russell nodded mutely and went to sit down at the table.

Frances brought two steaming cups of coffee over to the kitchen table and slid one over to her father. Then she lifted her own mug and blew on the hot liquid before taking a sip. The welcomed bitterness enveloped her mouth.

Russell gazed at his daughter for a second before pulling his eyes away. He felt awkward if he looked at her for too long. "So tell me about what you've been doing abroad."

"Other than teaching and sightseeing? Nothing much," Frances said, lowering her coffee mug. "I didn't think I was going to stay anywhere in particular until I landed myself a job in Vietnam. It's... different. I feel very privileged. And I feel like I'm making a difference. Life there is... simple, for the lack of a better adjective."

Russell was silent for a long time as he took in what his daughter had just told him. Pride swelled in his chest; Frances had matured. Oh, she was still hot-headed and had a quick temper to match but he could see and feel the difference... almost as though she was calmer. Then his inspection turned inward and the pride was quickly replaced by shame. What had he done with his life in the same amount of time?

"I'm glad," he said gruffly, brushing away an invisible tear when Frances' back was turned.

"Burrito's ready," Frances announced, plating up for both of them. "Here, Dad. Extra chili for you."

Russell chuckled and dug in. Sausages be damned! It was his day off, he was eating a breakfast prepared by his only child and it was good.

When Russell stepped into Taters, he immediately picked up on the vibe that something was not right. Missy was setting up for service; Russell was glad that the girl had stuck it out. She seemed like the good sort and everyone seemed to like her. She looked up from what she was doing to flash him a quick smile which he attempted to return. He also recalled Tammy telling him that they were trying out new waitstaff that evening. He was glad to leave the administration part of running Taters to the woman. Maybe he should give her a raise.

"Hey, Russell," Ramsey greeted him when he entered the kitchen. He was about to go to the cool room and check on the sausages--it had been niggling at him the entire morning--when Ramsey made like he wanted to talk to him. Kristen was on her side of the station finishing up some prep but Russell could see that she was tensed up about something.

"What is it? I forgot to order the damn sausages, didn't I?" Russell grumbled. Ramsey gave him a blank stare which annoyed him further. "No? Then what is it? Spit it out already!"

"Nothing, nothing," Ramsey said hurriedly. "Just that someone from Canning & Cameron came by again today and left this." Ramsey handed an envelope to his boss. "The man said something about a friendly cooking competition."

"What man?" Russell asked, grabbing the envelope from Ramsey and ripping it open unceremoniously.

"Oh. Uh. I forgot his name. But he left his business card...." Ramsey patted down his pants pocket and finally retrieved a business card from one of them. "Uh, Steve Johnson," he said, handing the card over to Russell who made no move to receive it. Ramsey ended up placing the card on the bench in front of Russell. Kristen had come up to stand beside Ramsey; both of them were curious about what C&C wanted.

Russell placed the envelope and its contents on the business card and shrugged. "What do they want?" Kristen asked, a tad concerned. He motioned for them to read it for themselves and they did. "Huh. A cooking competition," she murmured after Ramsey and she did a quick scan of the document.

"Wonder what they're up to," Ramsey said, stroking his chin.

C&C was proposing holding a friendly cooking competition at their new franchise across the road to mark the opening of the restaurant in a few weeks. Apparently, it was a practice that they had adopted a while ago, inviting popular eating establishments around their restaurants to compete with their kitchen.

"Lush, A Small Fish and Mexicana were invited as well," Ramsey said. "I guess it could be fun."

"It's a gimmick. That's just gonna draw them crowd," Kristen said, trying to keep the annoyance from her voice. "Are you gonna say yes, Russell?"

"It's my day off. I'm checking on the sausages and then I'm going fishing," Russell announced.

"What's wrong with the sausages?" Ramsey asked, confused.

"Nothing! I just need to make sure that-" Russell stopped himself when he realised that he was actually explaining himself to his subordinate. After he saw that there were plenty of sausages in the cool room, he slammed the door shut behind him cleared his throat. "Let everyone know that if they're up for it, I'm taking everyone fishing. Monday. On a boat."

Ramsey and Kristen exchanged a raised brow look when their boss left the establishment as quickly as he had entered it. "Maybe he had a dream..." Ramsey started.

"About us running out of sausages?" Kristen continued.

"And in his dream he felt so guilty, he had to offer to take us out to sea to make up for it!" Ramsey concluded. They snorted at each other and shook their heads. "He's never done that before. Ever."

"What, forget to order sausages?" Kristen said drolly. They exchanged another look and laughed before turning back to their work.

16

Her lips were warm and soft as they trailed across Frances' face, along her jawline and down her neck. Her hands mapped out familiar territory as they slipped under Frances' top, lifting goosebumps along the way. When she touched the undersides of Frances' breasts, Frances let out a low moan, followed by a throaty chuckle.

Nell's head jerked up. "What's so funny?" she asked, kissing the pulse point just below Frances' ear. She loved how Frances' eyes darkened into fathomless pools when she was aroused.

"I- Nothing. It's, oh, that feels good," Frances breathed when Nell scraped her nails along her torso. Nell's ministrations, combined with the alcohol that they had been drinking, made her head spin. Then she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to clear her head of treacherous wisps of desire. "No, wait, we can't do this. Nell?"

Nell pushed herself up from the mattress and rested her chin in her palm. "Why not?" she asked with a pout. Her fingers were still circling Frances' stomach, hoping to coax her back into the loving mood.

"Because... it doesn't feel right anymore...." Frances said softly. She leaned forward to plant a chaste kiss on Nell's face. "I think our time has passed," she said regretfully. "And we can't keep picking up where we left off whenever we want. You know I love you, right?"

A month before Frances returned from Vietnam, Nell had called it quits with Gerard, who she had been seeing for a while. Frances' unexpected return had given Nell the familiar shoulder to lean on. They had been lovers, and then best friends with occasional benefits when neither of them were with anyone special, so falling back into old habits hadn't been too difficult.

Nell narrowed her eyes but respected Frances' wishes. She pulled Frances close, however, and rested her forehead in the crook of Frances' neck. "But I'm horny...."

Frances chuckled as she relaxed in Nell's embrace. "I know, hon, we'll just have to find someone for you. What about that woman the other night at the Courthouse? She seemed pretty keen to hang out," Frances suggested, her fingers playing idly with Nell's hair.

Nell pulled her head back to roll her eyes at her friend. "She was interested in you, not me!"

"She said she would love to hang out with us," Frances reminded Nell.

"Before handing you her number," Nell retorted.

"Huh. Well then maybe I should give her a call," Frances said, her eyes dancing. She broke out into a laugh when Nell flashed her an indignant look. "Okay, okay, I won't! Christ! Heaven forbid if I chose anyone over you, Missy!"

"I need a smoke! If you can't satiate my beast, then I need nicotine!" Nell said as she scrambled off Frances' bed. "You coming?"

Frances smirked at Nell and crawled off the bed to follow her friend out of her room. "Not in the way I'd like to, but yes," she said under her breath, her lips twitching.

It wasn't that she didn't find Nell attractive anymore but her heart just wasn't into it. Like she told Nell, perhaps their time was truly over. She loved Nell and she loved their closeness but falling back into a sexual relationship with Nell would mess with her head again and she could do without that. What she needed right now was for everything to be uncomplicated.

"Hey," she said softly as she approached Nell, who looked so small sitting there on the grass beside the hammock. "You forgot your wine." Frances set down their bottle of wine and glasses and ruffled Nell's hair before dropping herself down next to her. They were facing opposite sides of the yard with their thighs touching. Frances leaned gently into Nell and they shared a smile. The night air was chilly. Frances was glad that she had her jumper on.

"I love you too," Nell said when Frances lit a cigarette. She drained her glass of wine and proceeded to top it up.

Frances rested her cheek on Nell's shoulder. "Maybe I shouldn't go back to Hanoi. I've forgotten what it's like to be in Sydney. If I'm here, then maybe Dad and I can actually build a relationship." She blew out a line of smoke as she ruminated out loud.

"You know I'd love to have you here all the time," Nell said. "I missed hanging out with you. But do whatever you need to do, darl. Do whatever you feel is good for you. I know you're still hurting."

Frances felt her breath catch. "I don't think it's ever gonna stop hurting, Nell. Maybe I should stop focussing on trying to get that to stop and start working on what I have with my Dad. Which isn't much. And if I continue to make myself absent in his life, he'll probably drink himself to death and... and I'll have no one." She didn't expect to get melodramatic but the alcohol was making everything seem so dire.

"Then stay," Nell said simply, bumping Frances' shoulder with her own. She grinned. "I'd be glad to have my sidekick back in full time action."

"I'll think about it," Frances said, feeling lightheaded now that all the heaviness in her chest had dissipated. "You always help me make sense of things." She leaned closer to Nell as she mirrored her grin. Their noses were almost touching.

Footsteps caused them to pull apart slightly and Frances looked up to see Kristen trudging across the yard with a tentative look on her face. "Hello, Chef," she greeted lightly. "How was your day?"

"Busy." Kristen didn't know if she had stumbled on anything private; it looked like a cosy setting and Frances was sitting very close to her friend... Nell, was it? Had they been kissing? She didn't think that they were involved. Kristen hoped that her discomfort did not show.

"Come have a glass of wine with us," Frances offered.

Kristen was about to reject her offer when Nell piped up. "Yeah, come on over. I didn't know you live here. Kristen, right?"

Frances shifted her sitting position so that she was also facing Kristen. "Come on! I've got wine, so you'll be nice to me tonight," she added cheekily.

Kristen rolled her eyes and gave in. "Are you guys drunk?" she asked suspiciously, coming to stand in front of them. Frances and Nell had matching grins on their faces. "I have to work tomorrow."

"Oh, pffttt...." Frances said, rolling her eyes. "Me too. Here." She handed Kristen her own glass with the last bit of red wine from the bottle. "Uh oh. We're out."

Nell sighed dramatically at her friend. "I told you we should have gotten two bottles."

"Yeah, yeah, you're the wise one. Will you run down to the Bottle-O for another? I'll shout...." she said coaxingly. Kristen watched the familiar exchange in amusement, feeling slightly out of place. She was about to tell them that they didn't have to do that when Frances looked at her sharply. "Why are you still standing?" she demanded.

Kristen lifted a brow. Nell caught the look on Kristen's face and started chuckling as she got up. She patted the seat of her pants and shook her head, directing a long suffering sigh at Kristen. "Sometimes I'm not sure myself why I'm friends with such a bossy bitch." Kristen smirked.

"You, sit," Frances said, enjoying herself immensely as she pointed at Kristen, ignoring her arched look. "And you, wallet," she said to Nell, handing over the item. "More wine. Two bottles. Three. Whatever you like."

Nell swung around with her hands on her hips. "Please."

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?" Frances said, peering up under her long dark lashes, her deepening dimples making her hard to resist.

Nell managed to look mollified as she sauntered off, leaving Kristen with her tipsy friend.

When Frances noticed that Kristen was still not doing what she was told to do, she sighed, reached over, and grabbed the woman's hand. A sharp yank later, a surprised Kristen came to sit down beside her. "That's better," Frances said to herself, pleased.

"How much have you had to drink?" Kristen asked, not sure what to make of Frances in this state. Sure, they had gotten drunk together before. But then, they had been on equal footing. She had always found it amusing to observe inebriated people when she herself was sober.

Frances' forehead wrinkled. "Not a lot. I'm just behaving badly because I can." She grabbed Nell's glass and lifted it up between Kristen and herself. "Cheers."

Kristen reached for her glass of wine and clinked it against Frances'. They each took a sip and Kristen sighed when the liquid made its way into her stomach.

"I hope you don't mind drinking out of my glass," Frances said belatedly. "Heh. Too late. I've most probably given you lesbian germs."

Kristen almost snorted at that. "Hardly," she quipped dryly before taking another sip of the wine.

"Oh. Well. One can try," Frances said with a shrug of her shoulders. Kristen shot her a bemused look at that but did not comment. "Uh... so my Dad's home too?"

"Uh huh. Should we ask him to join us?" Kristen said teasingly.

"And have him tell me I shouldn't be hitting on his chef? No way!" Frances laughed. When Kristen did not say anything, she hurriedly backpedalled. "I'm just kidding. Swear," she said, lifting her hands up to show that she was harmless. "It's just that I've got sex in my head at the moment and -"

Kristen's brows jumped to her hairline at that. Frances slapped her palm against her forehead. "Oh, God! It's all coming out wrong like it always does with you, isn't it?" she groaned.

"Huh. Here you are calling me 'God' again. How can I begrudge that?" Kristen said, a smile twitching her lips. She found an inebriated Frances very entertaining. "And why do you have sex in your head at the moment?" she asked, dropping her voice into a whisper. Her voice came out lower than she had intended; Frances shot her a quick look and pursed her lips in a guilty smile.

"Oh. You know," Frances said vaguely as she sipped her wine, wondering why Nell was taking so long. The bottle shop was only two blocks down the road.

"No, I don't. Therefore the question," Kristen pressed on, enjoying herself. This definitely beat whatever she had planned to do tonight to unwind.

"Can we change the topic, please?" Frances pleaded. "I gave you wine...." she trailed off, hope colouring her voice.

Kristen bit back a chuckle. "Uh huh, and I'm supposed to be nice to you because you gave me wine?" At Frances' nod, she continued wickedly, "Exactly how nice do you want me to be?" she said suggestively, giving Frances no room to doubt what she was alluding to.

Frances would have choked on her wine if she had any in her mouth at that moment. But she didn't, so all she could do was to gape at Kristen; her mind was racing with a hundred different ways of answering that question but she wasn't sure how far she should take this unintended flirtation before the woman ran back to her flat screaming. "What, are you offering to be nice?" she asked in what she hoped was a skeptical tone, her voice breaking slightly.

Kristen shrugged as she reached over for Frances' packet of cigarettes. "I don't know. It depends. On what you mean by 'nice'." She whipped out a cigarette and put it between her lips slowly, conscious that Frances was tracking her every move with her eyes. It made her blood rush like it always did whenever she knew that she had someone's undivided attention. She lit the cigarette but instead of blowing out the smoke, allowed it to leak out slowly from between her lips. Her voice was low and a tad scratchy when she said, "I don't usually do 'nice'."

Frances could only stare at Kristen's lips as her brain attempted to catch up with what she was saying. Her way she curved her lips, slanted her eyes, lowered her voice.... The woman knew what she had and how to work it. Then she snapped to attention--Kristen was obviously baiting her as usual. Two could play this game.

Frances plucked the cigarette from Kristen's fingers and took a drag from it to give herself time to think. "Let's start slow then," she said finally, leaning closer to Kristen so that she looked right into her eyes. Then, with her heart in her throat, she lowered her eyes to Kristen's lips. Her meaning was also clear.

Kristen knew that if she wanted to stop this game that they were playing, she had to do it now. Now was the time to pull back, chuckle, and change the topic. But to pull back now would somehow mean that she had lost the challenge. And she was curious to see if Frances would carry it through. Frances, who seemed so vanilla, somehow.

Frances licked her lower lip unconsciously. Her gaze flickered from Kristen's lips to her eyes, then back to her lips. What was she doing? I absolutely cannot be thinking of kissing Kristen Black right now, she thought. But their breaths were intermingling and the cool night air was wrapping itself around them. She found herself drawn to the warmth emanating from Kristen.

She brought a hand up to push an errant lock of hair away from Kristen's face and let her fingers linger on Kristen's cheek. It was their only point of physical contact and Frances was very aware of it. "Kiss me," she challenged softly, looking back into Kristen's eyes. This had to be Kristen's choice.

For someone who had never entertained the thought of kissing women in her life, Kristen could see the irony in having her second kiss with a woman in a week. All right, she decided, she would show Frances 'nice'. She touched her lips to Frances' softly, then with more pressure. A wisp of Frances' hair tickled her face and she was reminded again exactly who she had her lips pressed against. She was about to pull away--surely that was nice enough--when Frances caught her lower lip between her lips and slid a warm tongue across it.

Frances concentrated fully on the kiss. She moved her lips gently, but sensually and firmly. Her fingers splayed open on Kristen's cheek and slid onto her neck as she gently pulled Kristen closer. Without removing her lips from Kristen's, Frances slanted her face and touched her tongue to Kristen's, deepening the kiss. Then she lightly nipped at Kristen's lower lip--was that a catch in her breath?--and finally sank into the warmth of Kristen's mouth.

Kristen could not help comparing the kiss that she had shared with Eleanor with the kiss she was currently engaged in. That had been enjoyable, but this was hot, dark and wet. Her eyes had fluttered shut when their kiss deepened. She could taste a heady mix of wine and tobacco. When Frances' tongue tangled with hers, she felt a shiver go down her side. Frances was intimately stroking her face, stroking her tongue, breathing into her mouth--nothing was hurried. It could have gone on for a minute or ten, Kristen could not be sure.

The kiss finally wound down and they pulled away from each other, both breathing a little heavier. Frances dropped her hand from Kristen's face and the chill of the night air hit her slightly flushed cheek. Kristen opened her eyes and saw a nervous smile playing on Frances' lips. Kristen did not know what to say. That was... a little more than enjoyable.

"So what did I miss?" Nell's approaching chirpy voice splashed over them like a bucket of cold water.

"Huh? Nothing!" Frances said quickly.

"I was just gonna go take a shower," Kristen said as she started to get up.

"But I got us more booze!" Nell said with a frown, raising two bottles of wine as proof.

Kristen bit on her lower lip and its silky smooth texture reminded her that she had just been very thoroughly kissed by no one other than Frances Russell. "I'll... be back," she said in a casual tone as she walked away.

"Well hurry back!" Nell said, already twisting open a bottle of wine.

The hot water system was working fine on this occasion when a cold shower would probably be more suitable. Kristen stood under a warm spray of water, staring idly at the soap suds circling the drain. Her mind flashed back to her very recent kiss and she brought a hand to her lips unconsciously. She shook her head to clear it. So Frances was a good kisser--what about it?

She had to admit that she had developed a grudging liking for Frances, but purely in a platonic manner. Frances had a good heart and a quick tongue--oh, her tongue... Kristen shook her head again to dislodge the thread of thought her mind was taking. Turning the water off, Kristen stepped out of the shower stall and quickly dried herself with a towel. The shower had relaxed her. She felt languid and no longer like socialising. She would tell Nell and Frances that she was really tired and had to go to bed.

Wiping the vapour from the bathroom mirror, Kristen scrutinized her reflection. It had probably been too long since she had had her itch scratched. Perhaps she should have a night out on her next day off. A part of her wished that she had kept the number of at least one of the men she had slept with so that she could give them a booty call but that would be breaking her rule of not keeping contact with any of her one night stands. No repeat performances meant no hassle.

After putting on comfortable sleeping attire, Kristen contemplated jumping into bed without going back out into the yard. But the thought of them sitting there, waiting for her.... Kristen sighed.

She called back the image of Frances and Nell sitting really close to each other earlier in the night and wondered for the second time if she had interrupted them making out. Frances did mention that she had sex in her head. It had been the comment that had led to them kissing.

Kristen frowned. Even though she did not want the kiss to mean anything, she did not relish the thought of Frances making out with first Nell, then herself, just because she was sexually frustrated. She felt impelled to investigate.

The women were at the hammock, where she had left them. There was a respectable distance between them, an observation that satisfied Kristen. Frances was giggling hysterically at something Nell was saying. Kristen felt her own lips curl up in response.

Frances collected herself and noticed Kristen approaching them. "Hey. Good shower?"

Kristen nodded. "Yeah, really good. In fact, so good that I'm gonna crash instead of hang out."

Frances and Nell sported matching pouts at that. "One glass of wine before you go? A nightcap!" Nell coaxed with a glass of wine in her outstretched hand.

"Yeah. You're all clean and nice smelling now so you can sit on the hammock," Frances added persuasively, patting the hammock next to her.

Kristen smirked. She realised that she had anticipated feeling awkward around Frances but it wasn't the case. If she sat down now and had a drink with them, the night would not end with the kiss and it could be swept under the rug.

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

"That phrase often work for you?" Kristen asked sardonically, nodding her thanks at Nell for the glass of wine. She went over to the hammock and carefully put her weight on it. Her legs dangled beside Frances, who was sitting on a patch of grass next to her.

Frances chuckled but it was Nell who answered, "To date, all the time. That phrase and those dimples are a lethal combination."

"Hey! Stop giving away my secrets!" Frances said, slapping her friend's arm lightly.

"So Kristen, what's it like living here?" Nell asked conversationally, ignoring Frances.

"Like living anywhere else, I suppose," Kristen said with a shrug. She caught Frances' eyes and smirked. "Until this one here came into the picture. She's emptied filthy water all over me and slammed a door in my face since she's been here. Frankly, I should ask Russell to give me a week's free rent to make up for all that."

Nell snorted disbelievingly at Frances, who was visibly reddening despite the pale lighting in the yard.

"I said I was sorry," Frances mumbled in a piteous tone.

"That she did," Kristen said grudgingly. "And she made me supper one night. I guess we're even."

"Really? We're even?" Frances' eyes narrowed as she gazed suspiciously at a smirking Kristen. She rested a hand on Kristen's knee before turning her gaze on Nell. "She's been torturing me at work ever since," she said, hooking her thumb behind her at Kristen, "so it's not like she's been nice or anything."

At the mention of 'nice', Frances and Kristen were both reminded just how nice Kristen could be. Frances quickly pulled her hand away from Kristen's knee as though it was scalded and Kristen flushed slightly. Nell lifted a brow at the interesting development.

"All right, I think I'm done for the night," Kristen said, handing her empty glass to Nell. "Thanks for the nightcap, ladies," she said, getting up from the hammock just as Frances turned her body to bid her goodnight. Her hand holding the wine glass connected with Kristen's knee; red wine splashed onto Kristen's pyjama pants.

"Uh oh," Frances said in a small voice.

Kristen rolled her eyes at Frances and sighed. "I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. You fully earned your nickname, Jinx."

"Oh God...." Frances mumbled, covering her eyes with her free hand.

"Put down your glass of wine and slowly move your hand away," Kristen said, her voice low and laced with amusement. Satisfied that Frances was not going to empty the rest of her wine on her, Kristen stood up and stepped away from the hammock. "All right, this is goodnight for real now."

Nell chuckled at the display between Frances and Kristen. "Goodnight, Kristen. And can I say, it has been a pleasure."

17

It was a good week for Taters. Since hiring Missy, Tammy had managed to acquire another staff member, Liam, who seemed to fit in well with their existing floor crew, as well as a new kitchenhand, Sandra, to replace Frances. Russell's invitation to go out to sea had been well received by everyone, and even though he hadn't said anything about whether they were going to take part in C&C's cooking competition, Tammy was sure whatever Russell's decision was, it would not affect Taters' patronage.

Russell plated up two meals and hollered when the new floor staff was nowhere in sight. He was sporting a headache that the painkillers he had taken did nothing for. That, on top of his sore stomach was making him grumpier than usual, if that was possible.

Frances, on the other hand, was nursing her own hangover and was attempting to concentrate on the pile of dishes before her. She was rarely addressed during service unless Russell or Kristen had a bone to pick with her so she was determined to make herself as small and efficient as possible so as not to be noticed. No such luck.

"This is not a socialising venue!" Russell shouted from his station when the new guy, Liam, once again lingered too long at the dishwashing station to talk to Frances. "Lad, if I see you hovering again, I'll put you on dishes and Frances can have the day off!"

Frances immediately wished for it to happen. Liam, on the other hand, didn't. "Sorry, Boss!" he called out. "Won't do it again," he said before exiting the kitchen, but not before giving Frances a conspiratorial wink.

Half Irish and half Chinese, Liam was a good looking lad with charm to boot. Frances would not be surprised if he had all the women at Taters wrapped around his little finger by the end of the shift. Even she was warming up to his charm. Then she snuck a look at Kristen and corrected herself. All the women but Kristen, that is. She could not imagine Kristen being wrapped around anyone's finger.

Almost as though she knew that Frances was thinking about her, Kristen looked up and arched a brow at the kitchenhand. "Jinx, stop dallying and get on with your work!" she called out with a smirk. "Otherwise you might still be here tomorrow doing those dishes when you could be snorkelling with me at the bay."

Oh yeah. It would be a shame if Kristen ever let herself be wrapped around anyone's finger. Frances spent the rest of the shift trying not to think about Kristen, wrapping and fingers. It wasn't easy but it did make her forget about her hangover.

The Taters crew was gathered in the beer garden as usual at the end of the night. Liam was still in high spirits and was entertaining Tammy and Missy with his antics. He occasionally sent a smile or a wink Frances' way. Frances had to admit that she was flattered by his attention.

"I want to talk to you all about the cooking competition," Russell said abruptly. All conversations lulled immediately at his gruff voice. "I've spoken to the owners of the other restaurants and we've decided to go along with it."

Kristen shifted in her seat.

"Kristen, you and Ramsey talk about which one of you wants to join the competition with me. They're just asking for two chefs so it'll be me and one of you."

"Okay," Kristen said, feeling a rush of relief. She would make sure that Ramsey joined the competition, not her. On the day, she would make some excuse to not show up.

Russell nodded and took a swig from his bottle. That signified the end of the announcement.

"So, Chef, how long have you been working here?" Liam asked Kristen conversationally. Apart from the people not on roster that day and the boss, she was the only person at Taters he hadn't made a connection with.

"A while," Kristen said. She had things on her mind and did not feel like conversing.

"You make good food," he continued, flashing Kristen a genuine smile. "The food here's amazing. I've been here a few times with mates and everyone raves about it. I can't tell you how awesome it is to get a job here."

Kristen gave him an absent smile as she sipped her wine. She caught sight of Frances circling the rim of her glass of water with her index finger, seemingly deep in thought. She took the opportunity to look at the woman, trailing her eyes over dark lashes, a well defined nose and smooth complexion before lingering on Frances' lips.

Frances' hair was tied up again in a ponytail, exposing a wide expanse of neck. Kristen's gaze wandered up Frances' jawline. Frances only ever wore one earring--a black hooped stretcher earring on her right ear. Kristen wondered if the stretching process had been painful.

Frances met Kristen's gaze and gave her a questioning look. Kristen gently shook her head but held Frances' eyes with her own, her lips curving into a small smile. Frances began smiling too, self-consciously, and quickly finished her glass of water before turning her attention to Liam, who had asked her a question.

"Uh, no, I don't think so. I'm still recovering from last night's drink session," Frances said sheepishly to Liam's invitation to grab a drink with Missy and himself. She found herself searching out Kristen's gaze again at that and they shared a grin. "Speaking of which... Dad, can we go? I'm tired," Frances said to her father.

Liam's eyes rounded. Apparently he hadn't known that Frances was the boss' daughter.

"You're driving," Russell said gruffly, throwing her a bunch of keys. "Kristen?"

Kristen nodded and quickly finished up her wine. She was still trying to decide if she wanted to go prowling tonight, taking into account that Frances and she were going snorkelling the next day. Regardless, she had to go home and grab a shower. She stood up and bade everyone goodnight before trailing behind Frances and Russell.

Liam looked even more confused. "Kristen lives with Frances and the boss?" he asked Tammy and Missy when they left. "And why didn't anyone tell me that Frances is the boss' daughter?"

"What does it matter?" Tammy asked, chuckling as she got up herself. "Come on, you two, I'm closing up."

18

"Well, now, how can I say no to someone who calls me 'God'?"

They had taken the bus to Coogee and walked to Gordons Bay. The sky was clear but the occasional breeze was cool so it wasn't a bad day for strolling. Kristen tried to keep up with Frances who was bounding from rock to rock as they looked for a spot to set down their bags but the woman must have been a goat in her past life. When Kristen finally made it to where Frances was standing and waiting for her, she shot her a dark look.

"What?" Frances asked innocently.

"You're evil."

Frances chuckled and stretched out a hand to help Kristen up the last rock to where she was. "I can't help it if you're older and slower," Frances teased, earning herself another dark look. She held on to Kristen's hand for a tad longer than needed before releasing it. "Isn't this amazing?" she said softly, sweeping her arms out on either side of her.

"I would have turned back already if that wasn't the case," Kristen grumbled, but she could not keep from smiling at the awed expression on Frances' face.

"Eleanor was disappointed that I didn't manage to get her a date with you," Frances said cheekily. "I told her you're straight but she was just too pretty and you couldn't resist kissing her back."

"What!" Kristen stopped in the middle of kicking her shoes off.

"She understood," Frances carried on as though Kristen hadn't said anything. "It's hard to be hot like Eleanor. She gets straight women falling for her all the time... and then they can't deliver." Frances shook her head sadly.

"Did you really tell her that?" Kristen groused but she didn't mind it that much. It wasn't like it was completely untrue--although, personally, she would have worded it a little differently.

Frances smirked as she took her top off. "Of course I didn't. I told her you're PMT-ing and it's not the best time to hang out with you. Actually, you act like you're PMT-ing all the time so there's no good time really."

Frances squealed when Kristen poked her stomach. "Careful with the merchandise, Miss!"

"Oh yeah? Then why are you here with me?" Kristen retorted. She liked how they could banter about the silliest things.

Frances bit her lower lip as she tied her hair back into a bun. "Charity work," she quipped, then yelled when Kristen began tickling her bare sides. "Stop it!" Frances let go of her hair to swat Kristen's hands away.

"You look good with your hair down," Kristen commented when they stopped laughing.

"Only with my hair down?" Frances asked playfully as she began gathering her hair up again. "Shame."

This was a side of Frances that Kristen had only had a glimpse of the other night. Suddenly curious, she asked, "When was the last time you were with someone?"

The question surprised Frances. "When was the last time I had sex or was in a relationship?" she wanted to know.

Kristen chuckled at Frances' forthrightness. "In a relationship."

"Can't remember. Years ago," Frances said vaguely. "Come on, let's go for a dip," she said, bounding down towards the water with her snorkelling gear in one hand. Kristen sighed and followed Frances slowly.

The water was chilly but beautiful. Kristen's teeth chattered a little but she kept on swimming, knowing that her body would warm up soon enough. Frances swam past her in her flippers, mask and tube, occasionally disappearing underwater for a look. Kristen looked around her, took a deep breath, and smiled. It was a beautiful day.

She flipped over onto her back and allowed her eyes to fall shut. The sun felt warm on her skin. She thought about the night before; she had decided to go out after getting home from Taters. It had been fun getting dressed up. She had taken her time putting on make up and styling her wavy tresses, and had worn her favourite navy blue dress with a plunging neckline her Diana Ferrari heels. By then, however, her inclination to go out had dissipated but she had felt compelled not to waste her dress, shoes and make up on the television.

She had gone to a few bars but every one was like the one before. Sometimes she would get through a drink without any interruptions but more often than not, someone would come over to strike up conversation with her. Even though that had been the whole point of the night, she had found it tedious to have to think of new things to say to keep a conversation going; once or twice she even wished that she had someone that she actually liked to drink and talk with. She had gone home alone, feeling rather disappointed at how the night had turned out. There had been no one interesting enough to hold her attention.

Frances broke the water surface just beside Kristen and removed the tube from her mouth as she flailed her free arm about excitedly. "Here," she said, handing her tube to a bemused Kristen. "Put on your goggles and follow me!"

Kristen did as she was told and stuck her face into the water, trying to see what Frances wanted to show her. A few fish swam past them. The underwater view was amazing. Frances pointed excitedly at a school of weird looking fish and Kristen shook her head, trying to tell her that she didn't know what Frances was so excited about.

"Aliens!" Frances sputtered when they broke the water surface. "Don't you reckon they look like little alien fish?"

Kristen removed the tube from her mouth and rolled her eyes behind her goggles. "Is that it?" She wasn't sure what she thought she would be shown, but Frances had looked so excited she had expected something big or incredible. Certainly not little alien fishes.

"Let's go over there," Frances said, pointing to the rocks on the other side of the bay. They swam side by side for a bit before Frances disappeared again. Reappearing near a cluster of rocks, she beckoned Kristen over.

"What now?" Kristen asked when she swam to Frances' side, putting on a bored voice even though she was secretly amused.

"Touch this." Kristen put her face into the water again and touched what looked like algae on a rock. "Feels like velvet, doesn't it?" Frances said, happiness colouring her voice. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and soon enough, Kristen felt as excited as she was over every little thing.

Frances loved the water, the odd looking fish, even the algae, and Kristen couldn't remember the last time she had had this much fun.

"My medical results came in the mail," Frances announced when they were sunning on a flat rock.

Kristen was reminded that Frances was not going to be around for much longer and she was surprised that it bothered her. A little over a week ago, she hadn't even liked the woman. "All right, cough it up. Exactly how many things are wrong with you?"

Frances shot Kristen a bemused look. "I'm thinking of staying."

Her revelation surprised Kristen but she hid it behind her sarcastic humour. "That many things, huh."

Frances finally gave up trying to have a serious conversation with Kristen and smacked her lightly on her tummy. "Yeah, I gotta go have my head checked again for hanging out with you."

"Ouch." Kristen felt ridiculously pleased at Frances' comeback. Her eyes fluttered shut as she lay there on the rock, feeling quite content.

"I'm hungry, Chef. Feed me," Frances said suddenly, sitting up.

Kristen slowly opened her eyes as she turned to Frances, who was towelling her hair dry. She caught herself looking at Frances again and wondered fleetingly if Frances had given their kiss much thought. She watched as Frances felt her boardies, seemingly satisfied that they had dried up some in the sun.

"Wanna have fish and chips?" Frances asked hopefully as she looked around for her top.

Frances had her hair loose to dry in the sun and it fell haphazardly over her shoulders. Her skin was golden brown and smooth all over; her cheeks had a tinge of pink on them and her lips.... Kristen noticed that Frances liked to bite her lower lip quite often and the action would reveal a dimple--a ridiculously attractive look on her. Kristen had never given dimples much thought before.

"Hellooo..." Frances said, waving a hand in front of Kristen's face. Kristen's eyes met hers and Frances lifted her brows. "Food?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm all sunned out anyways," Kristen said, sitting up. She put her black spaghetti strap top on and retied her sarong around her waist when she stood up. She listened to Frances rattling off the places that they could eat at with a faint smile on her face.

They ended up at A Fish Called Coogee, a small establishment offering an array of fish steaks marinated in mouthwatering mixes which sent Frances into a frenzy, because she could not decide what to order and wanted to try everything. In the end, they settled for three portions of fish and several potato scallops to share.

"Oh, this is good," Kristen murmured as she chewed on a piece of sea bass marinated in lime juice and coconut.

"This is good too," Frances said, pointing her fork at the lemon, herb and garlic salmon steak she had just sampled. "What's this other one?"

"Swordfish. Some soy marinade," Kristen said, spearing a chunk of the fish and sliding it into her mouth. "Mm...." Her eyes fluttered shut as she savoured the taste and texture of the fish.

Frances swallowed the fish in her mouth, suddenly mesmerized by the sight before her. Kristen was a beautiful woman. Frances liked the way her hair framed her face, the way her eyebrows arched, the way her lips moved when she chewed on her fish....

"Thank you," Kristen said finally when her eyes opened.

Conscious that she had been perving at the poor woman while she was eating, Frances suddenly found the potato scallops very interesting. "What for?" She picked up and bit into a deep fried potato disc.

"Today. It's been awesome. All of it. Well, except the climbing bits...."

Frances smiled. "Noted. No more climbing for Kristen." Kristen gave her a funny look when she said that. "What?" she asked self-consciously.

"I don't think you've ever said my name before. Sounds a little weird," Kristen said with a shrug. Then her brows furrowed as she tried out Frances' name. "Frances."

Frances wrinkled her nose. "That sounds odd coming from you. I think I'm more used to you calling me 'Jinx' or nothing at all."

"And I'm more used to you calling me 'God' or 'Chef'--synonyms, in my case," Kristen said with a smug look.

Frances chuckled and made a show of rolling her eyes at Kristen. "Oh hail the mighty woman who cooks in a restaurant!"

"Huh. When you put it that way, it doesn't sound quite as impressive," Kristen said, her lips twitching. Then her tone turned serious. "So why are you thinking of staying? I thought you loved what you were doing."

"I do...." Frances said slowly, "But I love my Dad more."

Sometimes Frances would say or do something that would make Kristen stop and realise that her liking for the woman had grown. This was one of those moments. Frances' words made her think about her own family.

Almost as though she was afraid that Frances could hear her thoughts, Kristen quickly pushed it out of her mind and speared a chunk of sea bass instead. "Here. Try this one," she said, offering it to Frances and smiling when Frances ate it from her fork.

Kristen hadn't lied when she told Frances that she had had an awesome day. Suddenly her flat felt empty and too quiet. Kristen pottered around, collecting unwashed mugs and straightening things around the place.

Frances had gotten under her skin quite unexpectedly and she wasn't sure what to make of it.

The only person that she had gotten along this well with had been her grandmother. Growing up, Nan had been the only person who challenged her and made her think about things that she would not have considered otherwise. She missed her immensely.

She felt fortunate to have found a footing in Sydney, a job at Taters, and a place she could call home. But it was only after Frances had come into her life that she realised how much she had missed being able to connect with someone on an intellectual level. Being attracted to her, well, Kristen wasn't sure how that happened or if it would have happened if Frances wasn't gay but she didn't see the point in mulling over that. Nan had always said to work with what you had. It did not matter how she got there, only that she did.

The kiss the other night could have potentially driven a wedge of discomfort between them but instead, it only proved that Frances enjoyed spending time with her regardless. She felt respected. She felt seen. And, as much as Kristen hated to admit it, Frances' lack of reference to their kiss had been an aphrodisiac. It was all she could think about.

They had been heading home after their day at Coogee when Nell called. Frances had left her at Newtown to go meet her friend and Kristen had been appalled to find herself missing the other woman's presence shortly after.

"Crap," Kristen mumbled under her breath, wondering when everything had changed so drastically in her world. She grabbed her drawing pad, made herself some tea, put Katie Melua on her hi-fi system and sat down to sketch.

19

The traditional fishing boat that Russell had hired could hold up to twenty people; Frances was surprised her father had gone all out for the fishing trip. She supposed he felt the Taters crew deserved it and it gave them the chance to bond and get to know the new hires.

Everyone had made it, including Liam and Sandra, the new kitchenhand who had only done a single shift at Taters. Lunch was provided by the boat hire company and Russell had gotten all the grog. He did not, however, get any bourbon for himself. A part of him wanted to remain clear headed for as long as possible to enjoy the time with his daughter; another part of him wanted to see if he could do without the spirit for a day.

"You cast it like this, lass," Russell said, demonstrating to Frances and Tammy the right way to cast the fishing rod. "Press the line down with just one finger... it's easier to let go that way."

Tammy mimicked Russell's movement and got it immediately. Frances, on the other hand....

"Hey! You will be the death of me one day!" Kristen cursed, holding a hand to her head. Frances had managed, somehow, to hit her on her head with her fishing rod.

Frances turned around with a grimace on her face. At Kristen's look of exasperation, she started chuckling. "You again? Honestly. You're just a masochist at heart, aren't you?"

"You should be apologising, not dishing out snarky comments!" Kristen huffed.

Frances snickered. "Sorry," she said unapologetically. "Now give me a wide berth because I'm gonna do this again," she said, waiting until Kristen backed away a few steps before attempting to cast the rod again. It did not go far and plopped ungracefully into the water. "Dad!" Frances whined.

Russell smiled indulgently at his daughter before taking the rod from her and reeling in the fishing line. "All right. You do this...."

Kristen observed her boss and Frances from a distance. She hadn't seen Russell drink at all today, which was good. He looked like he was enjoying himself, which was even better. Russell was a different person when he interacted with Frances, and Frances was... childlike almost when she whined for Russell. It made Kristen smile.

"Having a good time, Kristen?"

Kristen turned to Ramsey, who had come up beside her without her noticing. "Yeah. You?"

"Mm hm. Nice day. I have to say, when Russell said this was going to be a fishing trip, I really did not expect all this!" Ramey looked very relaxed in a blue and white printed Hawaiian shirt and black shorts. His cheeks and arms were slathered in sun block and his dark hair was hidden under a grey baseball cap.

"I have to agree."

"Oh hey, about the competition...."

Kristen took a sip of her pineapple juice and nodded. "What about it? I thought we decided that you should be the second chef."

"Are you sure? Cos', I don't know...."

"Yeah, I'm sure. It's not my kinda thing, really." She adjusted her sunglasses and changed the subject quickly. "Hey, do you think Tammy has a crush on Russell?" She had caught Tammy studying Russell several times when she thought no one was looking. "I don't think I've ever heard her talk about anyone special before."

"Tammy? Hm. Now that you've mentioned it...." Ramsey tapped a finger on his lips and mused. "She does always only have nice things to say about him... and we all know that there just aren't that many nice things to say about Russell...."

Kristen snorted. "Don't let him hear that."

"Hey guys!" Liam greeted them cheerfully as he came to stand next to Kristen with a drink in his hand. "What're you guys looking at?" he asked, following their line of sight.

"Nothing," Kristen said rather irritably. She did not like it when people joined in conversations taking for granted that they were welcomed. She was probably the only person who did not take to his boyish good looks and charm immediately. When she saw Russell moving away to get another rod for himself, she went over to Frances and Tammy.

"Killed anything yet?" she asked as a way of greeting. She slid her sunglasses onto her head and squinted at Frances and Tammy.

Frances wrinkled her nose at Kristen. "No... and if you don't act nice, I won't share my catch with you." Kristen lifted a brow at that and Frances, reminded of the other nights conversation which had led up to them kissing, flushed a little. Her reaction did not go unnoticed by Kristen, who was pleased by it.

Tammy touched Frances' arm as she pointed to the tip of Frances' rod. "It's moving!" she said excitedly. "Does that mean you got something? Russell!"

Russell came over with a few fishing rods. "Something's nibbling the bait but it's only when the rod bends a fair bit that you kinda give it a yank to set the hook," he explained. "There, now," he said when the rod bent sharply. He gave it a sharp yank and the rod bent more. "Here, it's your rod, you reel it in," he said to Frances before depositing the rod in his daughter's hands.

"Oh shit!" Frances mumbled. "How the hell do I do this?" she all but yelled out. She could feel the pull at the other end of the line and she was straining her arm muscles to reel it in.

"You're doing good," Russell said encouragingly. "Okay, now relax and stop reeling for a second, then start reeling it in again," he instructed.

"Like this?" Frances asked, trying to do as she was told. She let the line go slack for a tad too long, however, and suddenly the pull was gone. "I think I lost it," Frances said, disappointed. She continued reeling it in to reset the bait.

"That's okay, lass. That was really good for your first attempt. Next time you'll get something," he promised. The hook and sinker on Frances' line was gone. The fish was due for an uncomfortable time before the hook disintegrated. "You just have to be patient. Soon enough you'll know how to read the signs and know when to relax and when to pull. You know, once, this bloke I was fishing with spent almost eight hours reeling in a fish."

"Eight hours? Was it a big fish?" Tammy asked. She looked rather comely that day, with her red hair loose around her face. She was wearing a white summer dress and just the barest hint of make up. Frances had never seen her out of Taters' uniform of black top and pants before.

"Yup. He wasn't interested in catching it. He was in for the sport of it. It takes a lot of control and skill to battle with a fish for that long," Russell said as he rummaged around for a sinker and a new hook.

Frances frowned. "That's just cruel, isn't it? Imagine how awful the fish must be feeling, fighting for its life all those hours." Kristen, Russell and Tammy looked at her but no one said anything. "What? Don't you think so?" she demanded, feeling sorry for the poor creature. "Don't you ever do that, Dad," she said hotly.

"Not in front of you, I won't," Russell rumbled, much to Kristen's amusement. Russell, in fear of someone who was almost half his size.... Who would have thought?

"What! No! You won't ever do something like that! Promise!" She stuck out her little pinkie for a deal.

Russell paled, as though he had just seen a ghost. He stared at Frances' finger for a long moment and Kristen feared to witness moisture leaking from his eyes. She exchanged a look with Tammy and went over to her side to give Russell and Frances some privacy.

"Promise," he said finally, hooking his pinkie with hers briefly. It brought back bittersweet memories of his Marie striking deals with both himself and their daughter. Once you hooked your pinkies, according to Marie, the deal was sealed. His mind opened to the many promises that he had made to his late wife and he felt engulfed in shame. What was he doing other than drinking his life away?

"Dad?" Frances called softly, sensing the change and knowing that her father was thinking about Mum. She wanted to tell him that she was sorry for not being around all this time but the words just would not come.

"Yeah. Okay. Ready for more?" Russell said gruffly, pulling his hand away to resume tying the hook onto the line.

Frances nodded with a small smile as she took the rod from him. This time, she managed to cast it properly and she gave her Dad a brilliant smile.

"So, you're gonna be the second chef in the competition, huh," Liam said conversationally to Ramsey. "Have you discussed what you're gonna be making on the day?"

Ramsey shook his head. "It's not a big thing, really. It's just some friendly competition to get to know each other."

"Fair enough." Liam grinned, stretching out his hand to clink his beer bottle against Ramsey's. "Cheers!" Ramsey took a swig from his bottle.

"Is, uh, Kristen always this unfriendly?" Liam asked. He caught the look that Ramsey gave him and shrugged, giving Ramsey a sheepish look back. "She is very beautiful...."

Another one's fallen, Ramsey thought. "She is," he said.

Liam gazed in Kristen's direction as he took another swig of beer. "How long has she been working at Taters?"

Ramsey shrugged. "Almost a year?"

A squeal from Tammy grabbed Ramsey's attention and he chuckled at her frantic attempts to reel in a catch. Liam joined in, laughing and cheering. Russell was on her side, as was Frances and Kristen. Even Missy and the new kitchenhand had their heads turned towards Tammy, sharing a laugh. Everyone looked like they were having fun.

"I think the fishing talent skipped a generation," Frances sighed to Kristen. She had yet to catch a fish. Tammy, on the other hand, was reeling in her second catch of the day.

Kristen chuckled. Frances had an uncanny way of making her laugh. "Come on, let's get a beer."

Frances nodded. "Dad? Dad, I'm taking a break. Do you want anything to drink?" At Russell's shake of head, Frances trailed after an amused Kristen.

"Don't look so sad," Kristen said mirthfully.

Frances smiled. "I'm actually having a good time. Except I think I might be getting a little burnt. All this sun, yesterday and today...." Frances shook her head with a heavy sigh. "What a hard life I lead," she deadpanned.

Kristen laughed and found herself thinking how carefree she felt when she was in Frances' company.

"You have a nice laugh," Frances commented when they each got themselves a beer.

Kristen lifted a brow, her lips still curved up. "Among other things."

Frances slapped Kristen on her arm playfully. "Stop using that flirtatious tone with me. I might get the wrong idea, you know?"

"And what idea would that be?" Kristen asked, enjoying herself immensely.

"You know," Frances said, flushing a little, wondering why she had set herself up for this.

"No, I don't."

Frances narrowed her eyes at Kristen, who was giving her an innocent look. "You're doing it again. Stop flirting with me!"

They found a shady spot to sit in, away from the rest of the crew. Sea gulls dotted the blue sky and the breeze blew hair into both their faces when they sat next to each other. Frances drank her beverage greedily, relishing the coolness of it as it slid down her throat.

She was feeling a little nervous around Kristen but she could not think of anyone else she would rather be next to that very moment. Kristen was like the forbidden fruit--there, but not for the picking. It did not help that they were so in tune with each other either. Conversation flowed so easily between them; insults were traded in such a quick and witty manner that sometimes it made Frances' head spin.

"Why?"

The single word broke her reverie and Frances frowned at Kristen. "Why what?"

"Why do you want me to stop flirting with you?"

Frances considered evading the question but decided not to. "Cos' I might fall for you." Her stomach did a funny lurch when she said that and suddenly she found the beer tab very interesting. She picked at it, half hoping and half fearing that Kristen would change the topic.

"And that would be a bad thing because?"

Frances stared at Kristen, who was looking too smug for her own good. "Last time I checked, you weren't interested in women."

"No..." Kristen corrected slowly, "Last time you checked, I wasn't interested in Eleanor."

"Oh." Frances' mouth felt dry. Her eyes darted all over Kristen's face, trying to get a hint of where this conversation was going.

Kristen leaned closer and her voice dropped to the octave that sent shivers through Frances' body. "You're a much better kisser than Eleanor."

"Oh." She blushed.

"You know, if I had known that it would be so easy to reduce your vocabulary to one word and make you so much more agreeable, I would have done this sooner," Kristen said, smirking. She wasn't sure where she was going with this but it felt right and comfortable, emotions that she was starting to associate with Frances.

Frances did not know what to say. Kristen had succeeded in making her head spin once again. So she did the only thing she knew to do. She closed the space between their faces and took Kristen's lips in hers.

Kristen's gasp of surprise died in her throat and her eyes fluttered shut. She had unconsciously been looking forward to this and now that Frances' lips were on hers again, she wanted to savour it. A part of her was also curious as to whether the memory of their first kiss was embellished.

Frances lifted a hand to slide into Kristen's dark blonde locks, thrilling at being allowed to do so. She kissed Kristen's lips thoroughly before Kristen deepened their connection, sliding her tongue into Frances' mouth. Frances pulled Kristen's face closer as she lost herself in the kiss. When Kristen's tongue stroked the roof of her mouth, Frances let out a low moan in the back of her throat.

The sound from Frances sent a faint tingle through Kristen's body. Her hand snaked around Frances' waist, finding purchase in the small of her back. She tried to pull Frances closer and gasped when Frances nipped her lower lip. Her eyes flew open as she smiled against Frances' lips. "I like that you do that," she murmured, her voice sounding thick and foreign to her own ears. Frances was making her feel a little hot and bothered and she did not want the kiss to end just yet.

Frances, on the other hand, was feeling quite breathless. She remembered thinking to herself that she did not want anything complicated but here she was, kissing her father's straight--or previously straight, at least--employee slash tenant! But one look at Kristen's smoky gaze was her undoing. She traced Kristen's slightly swollen lips with a finger until they quirked into a smile, which she mirrored.

"I think I might have given you lesbian germs after all," Frances said finally, unable to keep the smugness from her voice.

Kristen laughed.

20

Frances wasn't sure how it had happened. She certainly wasn't looking for it. One minute she was sitting in a café, minding her own business, and the next minute she landed herself an interview with an English school for intermediate English speakers in Pitt Street.

If Nell had come in five minutes earlier, or if she had sat at a different table, she might never have started talking to a Japanese woman, Keiko, who ran the school. Keiko had been impressed by her experience and was keen to sign her up as a tutor. By the time Nell arrived, Frances was beside herself.

"Oh, that's wonderful, darl!" Nell said, throwing her arms around Frances. Frances was still holding on to the business card that Keiko had left with her. "And guess what?"

"What?"

"Naomi's moving out. Would you like to be my new housemate?"

Frances squealed excitedly and they were hugging and laughing again. "I thought you'd be stoked," Nell said, pleased that her news had gone down exactly as she had imagined it would. "Ruth and Mellow would be delighted when I tell them the news."

Frances bit her lower lip excitedly as she tried to keep her happiness in. Ruth was Nell's other housemate in the three bedroom terrace and Mellow was Ruth's ginger and white striped tabby. "I'll tell Dad tonight that I'm staying. I'm taking him out for dinner."

"How was the little team bonding experience?" Nell asked. She caught the secretive smile that played on Frances lips for a single brief moment. "Something interesting happened?"

"I think Dad's trying to cut down on his drink," Frances said. She wanted to keep Kristen and what might be happening between them to herself for the moment. "He didn't get drunk but he was really cranky. But I can live with that. I've been doing some reading on how to help alcoholics and it says I have to be around to give him the support he needs when he needs it. I can't force or shame him into stopping but I can be there... and I will."

Nell squeezed Frances' hand. "Oh that's great, darl. I hope everything works out. Your Dad and you both need a break."

"Not quite so much me," Frances said guiltily. "I feel like I've just run away...."

Nell shook her head. "And so has he, in his own way. Tell me how drinking is not running away? You have to stop being so hard on yourself. You're only human."

Frances fell silent for a long time. Then she smiled gratefully at Nell. "You always make so much sense."

"That's why you keep me around," Nell said with a sigh. "Come on, let's go hang at mine. Beth and Jaz are coming over for a jam in an hour. You've got time, haven't you?"

Frances nodded. "I'm meeting Dad at eight."

Nell drove them back to hers in her green truck that Gerard had fixed up and given to her while they were dating. Gerard was a mechanic; from what Nell had told her about him, Frances thought that he sounded like a good fellow.

"He's great but I'm not ready to settle down and have kids," Nell said with a shake of her head. "And when I do, well, somehow I think it'll be with a woman, know what I mean?"

Frances bit her lip. "Shouldn't it be about the person?"

"It is. The person's not Gerard, I guess," Nell said with a faint smile. "He's a real sweetheart and I enjoy spending time with him but there's always something lacking.... Put it this way, even if he was a she, I would still have broken up with him if the idea of having kids with him made me want to run away screaming."

"All right. I get that," Frances said, smiling. "There was someone like that in Vietnam and it was nice and all but it wasn't ever right."

"You didn't tell me about that!" Nell exclaimed.

Frances shrugged. "That kinda speaks for itself, doesn't it?" she said by way of explanation. Nell grudgingly agreed. "Anyway, when's Naomi moving out?"

Russell had tried to occupy himself the entire day so that he would not think about drinking but it did not work. It was the only thing he could think about: the comfortable weight of the bottle in his hand, the touch of the liquid, its path down his throat, the warm sensation that it gave.... He finally took a swig from the familiar bottle and hated himself for it. But the buzzing in his head ceased immediately and he told himself that he would just have another taste before he went to meet Frances.

Half a bottle later, Russell knew that if he did not leave, he would not remember anything until the next morning. And he could not, would not, do this to his daughter. So he forced his hand down, recapped the bourbon bottle, and quickly left the house before it could call out to him again.

Twilight had passed; night had fallen. Russell scratched his beard absently as he waited at the lights.

Frances' return had been a wake up call of some sort for him. The last few years had gone by in a blur of work and alcohol that if she hadn't come back the way that she did, he probably would have continued his downward spiral with no hope of salvation.

It had hurt, seeing her. It had hurt to have someone share his memories of Marie and confirming the reality of her death. It seemed so final somehow. Life wasn't supposed to go on without her. But it had. Seeing her eyes and her smile on Frances had shocked his system but it had given him strength at the same time. He had something to live for. It wasn't a sudden revelation but seeing Frances here had put everything into perspective for him.

Russell saw the light turn green in his peripheral vision and he depressed the accelerator. He might have gotten it wrong; it could have been another set of lights. After all, he had been drinking. The last thing he saw was a glaring set of headlights coming straight at him.

21

The number listed on Russell's Medicare card was Taters'. When the staff at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital had finally managed to get through to the restaurant, Tammy had dashed into the kitchen in a state of shock, and they had closed the restaurant immediately. Kristen had been the least flustered of them all; she had gotten Tammy to lock up, Ramsey to help Sandra bring in all the dirty plates and cutlery, and she herself had gone to get the phone. Tammy had been in no state to inform Frances of Russell's accident.

After most of the trash was taken out and the dirty plates and cutlery were soaking in a sink of soapy water, the crew headed to the hospital.

Frances and Nell were already at the hospital when the Taters crew arrived. Tammy was the first to wrap her arms around Frances.

"Hey, have you guys heard anything?" Kristen asked Nell in a low voice.

Nell shook her head, her brows furrowing. "We only just got here. Frances was frantic. This is reminding her of what happened to her Mum."

Kristen swallowed as she looked over at Frances' pale countenance. She wasn't crying but she didn't look all right at all. In fact, she seemed to have gone from being frantic to shell-shocked.

"Hey, darl, come on, let's wait over here," Nell said coaxingly with an arm around Frances.

Frances did not respond verbally but allowed herself to be taken over to a row of seats. Her mind was racing and the same feeling of dread that had engulfed her on the day her mother had died threatened to swallow her whole. This was one of her worst nightmares come true.

Kristen sat herself down beside Frances, feeling at a loss. "Hey," she said softly, not sure if her touch on Frances' hand would be welcomed.

Frances met her eyes to Kristen's and seemed to register her presence. For a split second, her face looked like it would crumble and the look tore at Kristen's chest. She held onto Kristen's arm and pressed her forehead against it for a brief moment. Then she pulled away to wipe at her cheek angrily.

"Oh, darl...." Nell murmured as she cradled Frances' head softly. Kristen held onto the hand that Frances had left in hers and prayed that Russell was all right.

"Who's Kevin Russell's next of kin?" A nurse asked. Frances felt faint but she stood up and braced herself for the news.

"The patient's fine...." Whatever words came after that went right over Frances' head. She began sobbing into her palm.

"Where is he?" she asked abruptly, not caring that she had cut the woman off. They were directed to the Orthopedic Ward.

Russell was conscious when they got to his side. Frances tried to control her tears but her smile was watery. "Dad...." she called softly, feeling relieved that he was all right and dismayed at the sight of bandages around his head and arm.

"He was over the limit so the coppers would want to talk to him when he feels a little better," the nurse said in a soft voice to Kristen and Nell, whom she presumed were close friends of the patient's daughter.

"Thank you," Kristen said sincerely. Tammy had an arm around Frances and Ramsey stood by Kristen and Nell, sharing everyone's relief.

"Bloody headache," Russell rumbled, eliciting a shocked laugh from Frances.

"Oh, Dad, you scared the hell outta me...." Frances said, finally allowing her tears to fall freely.

Ramsey was the first to leave with Sandra and Tammy. Frances convinced Tammy to return in the morning during visiting hours. Having to go to work early next morning, Nell was the next to go after eliciting a promise from Kristen to ring her if they needed anything at all. Kristen pulled up a chair beside Frances after getting them some coffee.

"You should go. You must be tired," Frances said softly when she remembered that Kristen had just spent an entire day at work. Russell had only managed to stay conscious for a few minutes but it had been sufficient to put Frances at ease.

"I'm good. It's barely ten thirty," Kristen said with a smile. She took Frances' hand in hers tentatively, not sure if the contact was welcomed and was relieved when it wasn't rejected. She had never been a hand holding person. But then again, she had never been a woman person either.

"Thank you," Frances said finally, giving Kristen a ghost of a smile. She stroked the hand in hers absently, deriving strength from it. "You have strong hands," she commented, feeling the muscles under the smooth, warm skin.

Kristen smirked. "Cooking is hard work," she quipped, trying not to shiver from the repetitive up and down motion Frances was performing along the length of her arm. "You look really tired. Do you wanna go lie down on the couch? It's more comfy."

Frances shook her head, then changed her mind when she shifted uncomfortably in the chair. "Will you come sit with me?" she asked in a small voice.

"Of course."

They migrated to the couch at the foot of Russell's bed and settled side by side on it. Frances tucked her legs under her and snuggled into Kristen's side, sighing at the warmth emanating from the woman. Then she caught herself and straightened perceptibly to Kristen's amusement. "Is that... sorry, I was getting a little familiar with you there."

Kristen chuckled, careful to keep the volume of her voice low. "More familiar than having your lips on mine?" she teased.

Their eyes met and Frances could not help the smile that crept onto her face. "I like that you do that," she said finally.

"What? Kiss you?" Kristen asked with a lift of her brow. She liked how close they were sitting, but more than that she liked how her personal space did not feel invaded when Frances was this close.

"No... I like how you make me smile."

Kristen felt a warm feeling expanding in her chest at Frances' words. "How quickly things change huh." Not too long ago, they were constantly butting heads. Who would have thought? Frances' face was tantalisingly close and Kristen once again wanted the feel of Frances' lips on hers. She planted a chaste kiss on Frances' lips, mindful of the situation.

Frances sighed and smiled against Kristen's lips. She shifted slightly so that she could continue the kiss. Now that she knew her father was going to be all right, her heart felt light and grateful. Kristen had surprised her once again by being there. Sure, Russell was her boss, but a part of Frances knew that Kristen was there for her as well as for her father.

Kristen moaned into the kiss that was slowly heating up and had to make herself pull away. She did not want things to get out of hand in a hospital ward, at the foot of her employer's bed, no less. Her eyes fluttered open and was pleasantly surprised to see the desire she was feeling reflected on Frances' face.

"You should stop doing that," Frances said when she opened her eyes.

"Doing what?" Kristen asked, confused. Had she read the signs wrong?

"Kissing me. I might start to think that you actually like me," Frances said teasingly.

Kristen smirked as her confusion faded. Frances must be feeling a lot better to be bantering. "Oh, heaven forbid! You really shouldn't make assumptions like that. Someone once said, 'To assume is to make an ass out of you and me'," Kristen quoted.

Frances' eyes rounded and she hid her face in her hands as she shook uncontrollably with laughter. "Oh God, that was.... That's so embarrassing! I can't believe I said that!"

Kristen chuckled and suddenly felt like a teenager again, sneaking kisses on a couch while the adults--or in this case, adult--slumbered on. "Yeah," she said drolly, "I wasn't too sure about that line either." Frances wrinkled her nose at Kristen and Kristen felt her heart skip a beat at the look. "But you're kinda cute, so I'm happy to let that one slide."

"True. Oh, lucky me then."

Kristen looked down their hands on her lap and threaded her fingers with Frances', marvelling at the way Frances' hand felt in hers. "I do, you know. Like you," Kristen said nervously. She felt funny, like her ears were ringing, but it wasn't a bad feeling.

The smile that Frances gave her made it all worth it. "We'll have to get you to work on that delivery, but you're kinda hot, so I'm happy to let that one slide."

22

"Hot, huh?" Kristen said, puffing up a little.

Frances leaned her temple against the backing of the couch, smiling. "Don't forget butch," she added.

"Oh, I don't know about butch," Kristen said, shaking her head. "I much prefer being wooed."

"Oh come on, 'Chef and God are synonyms'?" Frances retorted, drawing quotation marks in the air with her fingers.

"No, that's just egotistical. Egotistical does not equate to butch," Kristen insisted, trying not to laugh.

"Great. A hot egomaniac. We all need one of those in our lives," Frances said drolly, rolling her eyes and throwing a hand up in the air for emphasis.

Kristen snorted. "Try not to sound so enthusiastic!"

Frances rearranged herself so that she was more comfortable on the couch. The caffeine from the coffee was wearing off and she could feel herself drifting off. Kristen noticed what she was doing and got up from the couch to get them a blanket. "Thanks," Frances said sleepily when Kristen sat back down on the couch.

"We could get them to bring in a bed for you, you know," Kristen said.

Frances shook her head. "This way I can snuggle with you legitimately."

Kristen lifted a brow in amusement. "I guess it would be too much if Russell woke up and saw us on a bed together."

"He might think something's up," Frances said playfully. She looked at Kristen in surprise when Kristen motioned for her to lean back on her. "You... are really okay with this?" she asked tentatively.

"Yeah, if you are," Kristen said softly. "Visiting hours aren't till eight. I'll set my phone alarm for seven."

Frances did not need to be asked twice. She sidled between Kristen's legs and arranged the blanket to drape over both of them. Then she rested her head on Kristen's chest and slid an arm around Kristen's waist, thrilling at the intimate contact. Her heart was doing double time; she wasn't sure if this position was conducive to her falling asleep but she wasn't about to say so.

Kristen lifted a hand and began combing it through Frances' ponytail hesitantly. Frances' proximity was doing funny things to her. Not long after, she let out a shaky breath, stilled her hand and tried to fall asleep even though her mind and her body were very much awake.

Frances was woken up by the sound of someone coughing. She pushed herself up to survey her surroundings and her heart skipped a beat when she realised who her pillow was. Another cough shook her out of her reverie and she scrambled off the couch, careful not to wake Kristen. She went over to Russell's bed.

"Hey... how're you feelin'?" she asked her father softly. She poured him a cup of water.

"Like I've been hit by something big," Russell groused after taking a few sips from the plastic cup. "Ugh." He was aching all over and he really felt like some bourbon instead of water.

"Do you want me to call the nurse?" Frances asked worriedly.

Russell grunted. "Don't fuss, lass. I'm okay."

"I'm glad you're okay," Frances said softly. Russell's expression softened at the words. "Dad, I'm staying. I'm not going back to Hanoi."

Russell did not know what to say. "Something wrong with your medical?" he asked gruffly.

Frances smirked, recalling Kristen's similar response. "No. I want to spend more time with you. I want to be around."

"I'll get better. You don't have to stay for me."

Frances rolled her eyes. "I'm not staying for you. Well, I am. But not because of your accident. I was going to tell you over dinner last night but...." she trailed off, her eyes watering. "You really scared me, Dad."

Russell frowned. "I'm sorry."

Frances shook her head. "It's not your fault some dickhead ran a red light and plowed into you," she insisted. "But Dad... about your drinking...." She did not know the right way to approach the topic; she wasn't even sure there was a right way to do so.

"I know." Russell breathed out heavily.

An attendant wheeled in then with a trolley. "Mister Kevin Russell. Time for your meds. How are you feeling?"

"Like crap! How would you feel if you were me?" Russell grouched.

"Dad!" Frances murmured in amused exasperation.

"What? He asked!" Russell mumbled, swallowing his pills.

"These pills will take the pain away and put you to sleep. Sometimes there're side effects, so let us know if it gets uncomfortable and we can adjust the medication," the attendant said before wheeling off.

"Tammy, Ramsey and Sandra were here earlier," Frances informed her father. "Tammy's coming back soon. She was really worried about you."

Russell merely grunted at that. "I bet they closed the restaurant early."

"Dad!"

The exasperation in her voice finally made Russell chuckle which, in turn, made him grimace in pain. "Yeah, yeah. Everyone gets a day off tomorrow, on me," he said grudgingly before he drifted off.

Frances smiled faintly as she studied her father's countenance. She never thought she would welcome his gruff manners but listening to him being his grumpy self made her unbelievably happy. She exited the room and went in search of the toilet and some coffee.

Kristen awoke to the sound of her alarm. She hit the snooze button and sat up groggily. Frances was not around and Russell looked like he was still out. She swung her legs onto the floor and stood up, stretching. Her neck ached, but that was nothing surprising considering how she had spent the night.

Frances entered the room with two paper cups and a paper bag. Her eyes lit up when she saw that Kristen was awake. Kristen smiled at her shyly, running a hand through her messy hair and feeling conscious of her rumpled appearance.

"Hey. I got us some bagels and coffee," Frances said softly after glancing quickly at her father. "Dad woke up earlier. He is fully grumpy and I have never been happier to hear him grouch."

Kristen chuckled and cleared her throat. "I'll just go wash up," she said, her voice still husky with sleep. When she walked past Frances to exit the ward, she touched a hand to the woman's cheek briefly.

Kristen splashed some water on her face before frowning at her reflection. Her hair was in a mess and she looked tired. Her black T-shirt was rumpled and her black pants were splotchy. She was in dire need of a shower. She gathered her hair and tied it up, trying to look tidier. Then she thought back to the night before and her frown faded.

It had surprised her how good it felt to fall asleep with Frances in her arms. Their bodies had fitted so well together; even Frances' weight on her hadn't been too uncomfortable. She hated the circumstance that had led to it but she was glad that her presence was welcomed and that she had managed to provide some comfort.

It was a closeness unlike anything she had known with the men in her life.

Her stomach rumbled and she remembered that she had had nothing to eat since noon the day before and she hurried back to the ward where Frances was waiting for her with some breakfast. The thought put a spring in her step.

The sight that greeted her when she entered the ward made her smile. Frances was slouched on the couch with her head on her arms. Her eyes were shut and she looked so innocent. Kristen crossed the room in three steps and Frances' eyes fluttered open.

Time froze for a second as they looked at each other wordlessly, then Frances smiled. "Hungry?"

"Yeah," Kristen replied, not quite sure herself what kind of hunger she was referring to exactly.

"Here," Frances said, handing Kristen a bagel.

They ate in companionable silence.

23

Russell's car was totalled. And even though the accident hadn't been his fault, he still got demerit points, a big fine and three months loss of licence for driving over the limit. Russell couldn't care less; he had more things to worry about, like not having had any alcohol for three full days now.

He had started getting the shakes, and that was the least of his discomfort. He had woken up one time certain that there were ants crawling under his skin and worms wriggling around mercilessly in his brain. He could not escape them, not even in sleep. If there was a hell, he was certain that this was it.

"Dad?"

Frances. His daughter was not leaving anymore. He tried to derive some comfort from the knowledge but it wasn't possible. He tried to smile for her sake but he feared that it came out looking more like a grimace.

"Can I get you anything?" Frances was worried.

"No." He squeezed his eyes shut. Then a clear thought made its way into his mind. It might have come in the form of Marie's voice, he wasn't sure. "I need to be checked into rehab," he said finally.

So instead of being discharged, Kevin Russell was admitted to rehab instead.

Frances wandered around the house listlessly. She knew that she should be feeling more hopeful now that her father was receiving treatment but she could not shake off the depression that had snuck up on her in the days that followed his accident.

She had not felt like seeing anyone--not Nell, not Kristen, not anyone from Taters. She knew they were concerned but she needed space and time for her mind to process everything which had occurred in the short span of time. Eleanor and Teagan had both rung her after learning of her father's accident. They had suggested coming over to keep her company but she had refused their kind offers.

Taters was open for business again. Russell had left Tammy and the chefs in charge. Frances had told Tammy that she would be happy to help out with a shift or two if she needed, but Tammy had been adamant not to burden Frances if she could help it. The most urgent thing for Tammy was to look for someone to help out in the kitchen; until then, Kristen and Ramsey would have to be on six days a week.

Then there was the cook off. Kristen would have to take Russell's place in it if they did not end up pulling out instead, which was what Kristen was pushing for, stating a rather convincing case that they had more important things on their plate than a silly cook off.

The knock on her front door caused Frances to frown. She was in no mood to see, much less talk to, anyone. She hoped her lack of response would deter them but the knocking continued, much to her annoyance.

She finally flung the door open to reveal Nell and Eleanor. They wore worried but determined expressions. "Don't you guys have to work?" she asked, surprised to see them at her house in broad daylight. She had expected it to be the postman.

"And hello to you too, Missy!" Nell huffed as she walked into the house with Eleanor. Eleanor chose to take a softer approach and leaned over to give Frances a hug. "To people like us who take note of time passing, it's a Saturday. What are you doing?"

"Nothing," Frances replied dully. Saturday? Had she been cooped up in the house for that many days? "I'm thinking maybe I should rearrange the furniture in this house. Do some spring cleaning."

"Honey, are you okay?" Eleanor asked, taking in Frances' unkempt appearance.

"Yeah. I'm just tired, you know? A lot's happened," Frances tried to explain.

Nell stared at her and allowed her stern expression to soften. "We know, darl, but you're not doing yourself any good by cooping up in the house."

"I don't feel like going out. What's wrong with that?" Frances said defensively.

"I spoke to Kristen; even she hasn't seen you," Nell said accusingly. "And she lives on your property!"

"What? You spoke to Kristen? Since when were you chummy with her?" Frances asked irritably, not liking the fact that her friends were checking up on her.

"She's worried about you too," Nell said finally. "We all are. What can we do to help?"

Frances sighed. "I don't know. Nothing. I just need some space, you know? From everything that's happened. Dad's okay. Or he will be, at least. I can't even visit him till they say I can. It's a little freaky and my head's imagining crazy things like maybe they're keeping him locked up and away from me against his will." At Nell's panicked look, Frances shook her head. "I know. I know it's not true. There's nothing wrong with me. I just... my mind just needs to process what's going on. I'll be fine in a day or two."

"It's been five days since your Dad's gone to rehab. We're not trying to be unreasonable, darl."

Frances' shoulders slumped. She knew that Nell was right. "Okay. I'm just gonna grab a shower and we can get out of here for a bit, okay?" she acquiesced. Nell and Eleanor smiled at her suggestion and suddenly Frances felt much better about her decision.

Her shower was quick but cleansing. She threw on a simple black dress with thin shoulder straps. It fell just past her knees. She left her damp hair down to dry. Nell and Eleanor flanked her as they left her house. The fresh air immediately made her feel so much better. Sandals in hand, she walked to Nell's truck barefooted, enjoying the feel of grass under her feet.

Nell took them to a café in Marrickville. After a coffee and some food, Frances felt almost normal again.

"So where do you wanna go now?" Eleanor asked, squeezing Frances' arm softly. It was a beautiful spring day and Nell could take them anywhere they pleased in her truck.

Frances thought for a moment. "Taters."

Nell looked at her worriedly. "Darl..." she started.

"I just wanna go let everyone know that I'm fine, and then we can go somewhere else, okay?" Frances explained.

"All right. Everyone'll be glad to see you, I'm sure," Nell said, relenting. "Maybe we can go to the beach after that. It's a beautiful day for the beach. What do you reckon, Eleanor?"

Eleanor nodded. "And there's an open house tonight at a gallery on Albion Street. Would you be interested in that, Frances? Teagan finishes work at six. We could all grab dinner together before heading down."

Frances shrugged agreeably, a small smile on her face. "Sure. Sounds good."

Taters was a hive of activity. They normally got a good lunch crowd in on Saturdays and today was no exception. Frances had butterflies in her stomach at the thought of seeing Kristen. She wasn't sure what her reception would be like.

For a brief moment, Frances wondered if she might have inadvertently pushed the woman away in her quest for space. The fear made her quicken her step.

"Oh, Frances! How are you doing, sweetie? You look gorgeous," Tammy said, giving Frances a hug the moment she entered Taters. Liam was on that afternoon. He gave her a cheerful wave and wink when he saw her. He was in the middle of taking someone's order.

"I'm good. How are you coping? Have you found anyone for the kitchen yet?" Frances asked.

"Someone's on trial at the moment. But I don't think Kristen likes him very much...." Tammy said, trailing off. Frances' heart lurched at the mention of Kristen's name. "Hey girls, do you want something to eat or drink?" Tammy asked Nell and Eleanor.

Frances made a beeline for the kitchen. Nell and Eleanor trailed behind her after telling Tammy that they had just had lunch. When Frances approached the counter that separated the kitchen from the restaurant, she could hear Kristen's distasteful voice asking a poor fellow quite rhetorically if he would eat the salad that he had just prepared. Frances pitied him when the fellow actually said 'yes'. Kristen tipped the bowl of salad into the bin, telling him, "If I wanted your opinion, I would give it to you."

A smile stole over Frances' features. She enjoyed Kristen's snark way too much.

"Now I see what you mean when you say she's obnoxious at work," Eleanor murmured beside her. Frances smirked at her friend. "Damn, she is hot."

Frances was reminded once again that Eleanor fancied Kristen. She had to agree with her friend's assessment. Kristen was in a black chef jacket with the sleeves rolled up and matching black pants. Her hair was tied up in a tight ponytail, making her sharp features all the more prominent. One of her hands was on her hip while the other was scratching a temple.

"Hey Chef," Frances called out nervously. Kristen's green eyes snapped up at the sound of her voice.

"Hey," Kristen responded before flickering her eyes to Nell and Eleanor. She gave them a small smile before returning her attention to Frances. "How're you doing?"

Frances swallowed. "They finally got me out of the house," she said sheepishly, pointing to her friends. Kristen's expression softened and she looked faintly amused.

"That's what friends are for eh, Kristen?" Nell chirped. "Make you do shit you don't wanna do." She slipped an arm around Frances and pulled her head onto her shoulder affectionately.

"We're thinking of going to an art gallery tonight if you wanna join us, you know, after you finish here," Frances said nervously.

Kristen felt put in a spot. She shot the fellow on trial, Tony, an annoyed look when she caught him checking out the girls and listening in to their conversation. "Actually, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something?" She directed her question at Frances, wanting to get her alone and away from Tony's roving eyes. Frances looked really good in that dress; it was the first time Kristen had seen her in one.

"Oh, okay. Sure," Frances said quickly. She threw her friends an apologetic look and followed Kristen out into the small yard.

Kristen shut the door behind Frances so that no one could hear their conversation. "Hey," she said again, this time in a warmer tone.

"I'm sorry I haven't seen you. I've been a little messed up and I -"

Kristen shook her head. "You don't have to explain. I understand."

Frances bit her lip nervously. "So what did you want to talk to me about? Is everything okay?" she asked.

Kristen reached a hand out to pull Frances closer to her. Her action made Frances' heart skip a beat. Kristen wasn't mad or annoyed with her. She had understood her need to hibernate. "Yeah. I'm glad you're doing okay," Kristen said as they hugged.

Frances closed her eyes and sighed softly. "So, the new guy's no good?" she asked, her lips twitching when she recalled Kristen's cutting words earlier.

"Nuh uh," Kristen murmured as she pulled away. She was secretly thrilled their hands were still linked.

"Maybe you can make him close up with Ramsey and you can come out with us," Frances suggested, swinging their hands a little.

Kristen lifted a brow. "Now that is a brilliant idea."

"I'm pretty good like that, I've been told," Frances said with a cheeky smile. Why hadn't she wanted to see Kristen for this long? Being around the woman made her feel tons better. But she knew that she had needed that time away from everyone.

"Are you really okay? I've been worried," Kristen said seriously. She had tried so hard to stay away, to not knock on the door to the house each time she passed it.

"You're really quite sweet, you know?" Frances said teasingly. Kristen looked uncomfortable at the comment and Frances chuckled. Then her tone turned serious too. "I'm sorry. It's how I cope," she said by way of explanation. "Thank you for caring."

Kristen was disappointed when Frances released her hand but the feeling faded away quickly when Frances leaned in closer and linked her hands behind her neck. "Is this okay?" Frances asked softly.

Kristen could only nod mutely in response. Her breath had caught in her throat. She slid her own hands around Frances' waist and pulled her body against her own. Frances was smiling at her in a way that made her body very warm. She could feel Frances' breath on her face as their lips hovered around each other's, teasing, not touching. Kristen's smile widened, revealing the edges of her straight, white teeth; her eyes were fixed on those curved lips and accompanying dimples.

Finally, their lips met--gently at first, then more forcefully as their hunger for deeper contact grew. Frances' arms wound themselves tighter behind Kristen and Kristen ran her hands up and down Frances' sides and back; she could feel Frances' soft warm skin through the thin fabric of the dress. Frances' dark hair fell forward and enveloped them. The fruity smell of Frances' shampoo sent Kristen's senses into overdrive. She felt addicted to this woman in her arms. It was an insane sensation.

Frances whimpered when Kristen pulled away with some difficulty. When she licked her lower lip unconsciously, she could swear that Kristen growled. And then they were kissing again, their faces slanted and their tongues searching. Frances trailed her fingers down Kristen's cheek and she stroked the smooth skin there softly. She bit down on Kristen's lip gently and felt Kristen smile.

"What are you doing to me?" Kristen asked breathlessly when their kiss broke again.

"Kissing you," Frances replied, wishing that she could be doing more than that.

"You look- I want to tear this dress off you," Kristen said in her low, husky voice, sending a spike of desire through Frances. "I have never wanted to tear anyone's dress off."

"Oh." Frances felt weak at the words and the tone in which they were delivered. "I wish you could get outta here," she murmured, leaning her forehead against Kristen's.

"So do I," Kristen answered in kind. "You are evil," she said finally as she untangled herself from Frances reluctantly. How was she supposed to go through an entire shift after that?

"Will you come out tonight? If you feel up to it...." Frances trailed off.

"It'll be late," Kristen said, looking into dark pools of desire... that was directed at her. The knowledge made her weak and feverish and she had to collect her thoughts. "I can't just dump Tony on Ramsey."

Frances nodded. "If you're still not done by the time I am, I could come to Taters and we could go home together," she offered.

Kristen smiled. "Yeah, I'd like that." She had missed Frances. Knowing that her absence was going to be a thing of the past made her happy.

They went back into the kitchen. Frances smiled when she saw Ramsey and went over to give him a hug before she left the kitchen. Kristen followed Frances' passage with her eyes. She smiled when Frances turned back to wave at her. Then she caught Tony's inquisitive eyes and rolled her own.

"What are you looking at?" she snapped at him, feeling extremely frustrated at the turn of events.

24

Tabou was a restaurant in Surry Hills that served traditional French cuisine. It wasn't a big place; Eleanor had rung them up after they left Taters that afternoon to make a reservation for the four of them. Teagan had rushed down after her work wrapped up, eager to see Frances. Frances was touched by her friends' concern and support.

The food was exquisite. By the end of their meal, all four women were more than a little tipsy. They had indulged in several glasses of pink champagne each.

"Is Kristen coming to join us?" Nell asked as she finished off the last of her Bombe Alaska dessert. "Oh my, I am stuffed," she said, sliding a little down her chair as she patted her stomach with a sated look on her face.

"Not sure. Depends on what time she finishes work."

"So... you're chummy with Kristen now, huh," Eleanor commented. She had recently straightened her flaming head of hair and the new look had given her a lot of attention. She looked stunning, dressed casually in a sleeveless blouse with floral prints and fitting jeans.

Frances flushed a little as she smiled, hoping that her friends would attribute the colour on her cheeks to the alcohol that she had consumed. "Yeah, she's... nice," she said lamely, stuck for adjectives that would not give away her attraction to Kristen. It wasn't that she wanted to hide what was going on between them; she just wasn't sure if Kristen would be comfortable with it.

"Among other things," Eleanor said with a lift of a brow. The conversation sounded like the one Frances had had with Kristen on the boat not too long ago and the memory of what had occurred right after the conversation made Frances smile distractedly.

"Are you still hanging out for her?" Nell asked Eleanor in disbelief. Eleanor's rebound rate was legendary. If someone wasn't interested, Eleanor would be in the arms of another, very interested, woman in two seconds.

Eleanor sniffed. "She's a looker but hey, she's not interested so I won't push. If she changes her mind, however...."

"You'd snap her up in a heartbeat," Teagan finished Eleanor's thought with a smirk. Teagan was the only one of the four who was in a functional long term relationship; Teagan and her girlfriend, Andrea, had been together for over four years now. Once, when asked the secret to the longevity of their relationship, Teagan had replied, "Having a separate group of friends."

"Hell yeah," Eleanor said, laughing. "Wouldn't you?"

Nell finished her glass of champagne and shrugged. "I think she's great and she's stunning but... nah, she's not really my type."

"What about you?" Eleanor asked, turning her attention to Frances.

"Huh?" Frances was at a loss. She did not want to lie outright to her friends but.... She chose to be as truthful as she could. "She's gorgeous." And sexy. Intelligent. Sarcastic. Exasperating. Infuriatingly hot. She could go on.

"I believe the question was whether you'd go for her," Teagan reiterated.

Frances nodded without a second thought. "Of course." Nell looked a little surprised at Frances' answer.

Frances' phone went off and the conversation was terminated effectively. It was a call from Taters; for a moment, Frances felt a sickening lurch in her stomach.

The last time she had gotten a call from Taters, it had been Kristen telling her that her father had been in an accident. She told herself not to be silly; Russell was in the hospital and he was doing well. She had spoken to someone from the rehab programme that afternoon and they had updated her on her father's progress.

Kristen had had a lot of incentive to get out of Taters as early as she could. She had worked Tony and herself hard to achieve that goal and had snuck out back with the phone the moment she was done. After getting an address from Frances, she hurriedly went to the bathroom to make herself look presentable.

The cab ride from Erskinville to Surry Hills took less than ten minutes. Kristen paid the driver and exited the cab. Frances had said that they were getting ready to head for the gallery soon. She spied them coming out of Tabou and jogged over to where they were.

"You're here!" Nell called out to the approaching woman.

Loosened by alcohol, Frances' three friends each gave Kristen a hug before Kristen's eyes came to rest on Frances. "Hey," she greeted softly as they began moving away from the restaurant.

"Hey," Frances returned, leaning in for a hug. Kristen's lips brushed lightly against her cheek when she pulled away, making her breath catch.

"So where's this gallery?" Kristen asked, turning to Eleanor, Nell and Teagan.

"This way," Eleanor said with a tilt of her head and the group started moving. "How've you been, Kristen? It's been a while."

Kristen smiled. "Pretty good. You know the deal with Russell...." Eleanor nodded and they both threw a discreet look in Frances' direction. Frances looked like she didn't have a care in the world at that moment; she was giggling at something Teagan was saying and Nell had an arm wrapped around her waist. Kristen frowned when Nell leaned in really close to say something in Frances' ear, eliciting another bout of giggles from her. "Anyway," she said quickly, turning back to Eleanor, "Other than that, things have been good."

"We were pretty worried about Frances. But she looks like she's having fun now. I'm sure her Dad's gonna be fine. Did she tell you that she's not going back to Hanoi?"

Kristen nodded happily. "Yeah. I'm glad she's staying."

"Yeah, maybe Nell and she will get back together again now that she's decided to stay," Eleanor continued conversationally.

"Huh. They were... involved?"

Eleanor nodded. "On and off. They're always chasing each other, you know? Nell would be ready and Frances wouldn't and vice versa. It's been frustrating to watch."

Kristen looked over to Frances, who was incidentally also gazing at her. Their shared smile quietened any insecurities that might have snuck up on her during her conversation with Eleanor.

"What about you? Are you seeing anyone?" Eleanor asked casually.

Kristen did not know how to answer that question. "There's... someone," was all she could say. She knew that she did not owe Eleanor any explanation but she was also aware that Eleanor might hit on her again and she wanted to make sure that it didn't happen.

"Lucky guy," Eleanor said with a smile.

Kristen considered for a brief moment before she corrected Eleanor. "Girl." At Eleanor's look of confusion, Kristen reiterated. "Lucky girl."

The Ann Snell Gallery was very tastefully done up. Despite the lateness of the hour, there were still a few people milling around, flute glasses in hand. Teagan and Eleanor knew the organisers of the open house and went in search of them. Nell made her way to the first painting--a stunning canvas of dots that formed streaks of lightning across a dark sky. Feeling blown away by the simple beauty of it, she turned to voice her sentiment to an absent Frances. Nell looked around for her friend.

She saw Frances talking to Kristen with a shy smile playing on her lips. They were standing close to each other--not quite touching, but close. Frances was an inch or two shorter than Kristen, so her face was tilted up slightly. It was a normal stance but Nell looked away, feeling as though she had intruded on a private moment.

Frances was talking to Kristen about the new guy at Taters. "Is he coming back after today?"

Frances' smile was driving Kristen to distraction. She had been replaying their most recent kiss at Taters the entire day; it had been frustrating, to say the least. "Uh. No. I don't think so," Kristen said firmly.

"Can you guys cope? I mean, will you and Ramsey be too tired doing six days a week?" Frances asked, concerned.

Kristen shrugged. "Gotta do what we gotta do."

"You're full of these one liners, aren't you?" Frances commented, smirking. At Kristen's return smirk, she continued, "I've offered my services to Tammy. If you want, I could come help you in the kitchen," she offered. She had yet to call Keiko to make an appointment for an interview; that could wait.

'Offered my services'--such innocent, blameless words. But strung together, falling from Frances' lips.... Kristen shook herself mentally and wondered for a moment if she was going crazy. Sex in the head, indeed. If she had known that drinking from Frances' wine glass one night would pave the way to all this.... Well, in all honesty, she would probably still have done it.

"So...?"

Kristen realised belatedly that Frances was waiting for a reply. "Sure. Why not. You already know that I'm a bitch to work for, so... jump in at your own peril," Kristen said with a shrug.

Frances sucked in a breath. "You know, those words should not sound so hot. But they do, coming from you," she said, her voice a low whisper. Kristen wanted to kiss Frances senseless but proper decorum stopped her from doing so in public. Frances touched her hand to Kristen's, linking a finger with hers loosely. "Let's go check out the paintings."

Kristen allowed herself to be led around by Frances, enjoying their closeness. Their hands would touch, separate, and link up again easily. They met up with the other women and Kristen broke away from the group to get herself a drink.

Two glasses of champagne in rapid succession later, Kristen felt much better. She stood by the long table that held several platters of hors d'uvre with a third flute glass in her hand. She knew she wanted Frances; how it came to be this way, she had no idea. She was familiar with lust. It was the other feelings that rocked her a little.

She watched as Frances felt her absence and began scanning the room for her. Her heart quickened when dark eyes found her own and she lifted her glass of champagne in salute. She definitely wanted Frances. She watched as Frances said something to her friends and crossed the room to where she was.

"We're thinking of going," Frances said lightly. "More drinks at the Crown?" she asked, not sure if Kristen would want to join them. She had to work the next day after all.

"Only if you kiss me," Kristen said, much to both their surprises.

"Come again?" Frances asked, wanting to be sure that she had heard right. Kristen took her response to be a polite way of saying no and squirmed uncomfortably. "I thought I heard you ask me to kiss you. Right here. In front of people."

"I did."

"And you would be okay with that?" Frances asked, searching Kristen's face to see if it was the alcohol or the woman talking. "Because I would love to kiss you right now."

"You would?" Kristen asked uncertainly.

"I would," Frances confirmed, moving closer to Kristen. "I wasn't sure how you felt about PDA and I wasn't sure if you were comfortable in front of my friends -"

Kristen lowered her face and interrupted Frances' sentence with a chaste kiss. She sighed when Frances' hand fluttered to a rest at the back of her neck. Her touch tingled. Frances smiled as they pulled away. "So?" Kristen asked, lifting a brow.

"So what?" Frances asked.

"I said I'd go only if you kissed me. You didn't kiss me. I kissed you," Kristen said, shaking her head at Frances as though she was a slow child.

Frances rolled her eyes. "Anal! Guess it's an occupational hazard." Kristen tickled her side lightly, making her squeal. But she leaned in anyway. "Yes, Chef, whatever you want, Chef," she said before pressing her lips to Kristen's firmly.

"Oh yeah," Kristen breathed when they broke apart. "Always agree with the chef, I say."

Across the room, Nell, Teagan and Eleanor watched the exchange with open jaws.

25

"No, you do it this way. Hold the knife this way," Kristen said, showing Frances what she meant. "There's a pivotal point between the blade and the board. You kinda slide it as you go. That's right. Hold the cucumber down and lean the blade against your knuckles," she instructed.

Frances frowned in concentration as she imitated Kristen's actions. It came rather easily to her; after all, Russell and Marie loved to cook and she had started cooking a fair bit when she lived overseas. She may not have as much experience but she had the passion and the inclination to learn.

"It'll feel a little awkward in the beginning but you'll get used to it and it'll be smoother. Go slow. It's better to get the fundamentals right. Speed will come later."

Frances sliced a cucumber to the satisfaction of Kristen. They were standing in the kitchen at Frances' for their impromptu lesson. They had Taters' menu opened on the kitchen table and Kristen was running through the list of things that they had to prep for service. She liked how easily they worked together. Frances was used to and, dare she say it, liked Kristens sharp tongue. It helped that they were no longer butting heads every two seconds.

"A lot of working in a kitchen depends on you taking your initiative to make service as smooth as possible. You see something that's not done, you do it. It's as easy as that. And when it's time to roll, you do things fast but you never trade quality for speed. You communicate with the other chefs, let them know if you need help, if you're running behind. I'll be there to help if you have any questions."

"Uh huh, got it," Frances said. Her look of concentration amused Kristen.

"Wanna take a break? Go for a walk or something? It's my only day off after all."

"Let's go watch a movie," Frances suggested, rinsing her hands. "There's this Japanese animation I want to catch."

Kristen smiled, leaning against the kitchen table. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"Depends. Are you saying yes?" Frances played along as she turned the tap off. She folded her arms with a speculative expression on her face.

"How's that dependent on my answer?" Kristen asked, frowning.

"If you say yes, then I'm asking you on a date. If you say no, then it's just me taking pity on a lonely chef and trying to get her out of her hole... unsuccessfully," Frances explained. Kristen laughed. Frances' quick wit never ceased to entertain her. "So?" Frances asked impatiently.

"So what?"

"Am I asking you out on a date?"

Kristen chuckled. "That would be... yes."

Kristen hadn't been to the movies with someone else in a long time. Mostly, she would make a trip down to the theatres alone as a treat. Frances had insisted on getting popcorn and a beverage, saying that she wanted to give Kristen the full movie date experience. Kristen was just amazed that she could still fit things into her stomach after an entire day of eating as they mucked around the kitchen.

Kristen learnt that Frances liked to go barefoot and would do so any chance she got. She waited for Frances to make herself comfortable in her seat with her legs folded up. She felt all warm and fuzzy when Frances leaned close and breathed in sharply when Frances trailed a hand down the length of her arm absently to show her affection.

Kristen turned her face to Frances and wondered for the umpteenth time what the woman was doing to her and if she knew the effect that she had on her.

"How's the date so far?" Frances asked, catching her eyes.

"Nice. Lacking," Kristen said with a playful shrug.

"Lacking!" Frances frowned at Kristen before understanding dawned upon her. Kristen was staring at her lips. It made her smile. She cupped Kristen's cheek in her hand and brought her face closer. When Kristen's lips opened slightly in anticipation, Frances grabbed a kernel of popcorn and fed it to her, much to Kristen's surprise.

"Hey!" Kristen grumbled.

"Oh, that wasn't what you wanted?" Frances asked innocently. "Drink?" She lifted the cup of soft drink, smiling when Kristen caught the straw between her lips and took a sip.

Kristen pressed her lips to Frances' smiling ones and surprised Frances with the cool liquid that she was still holding in her mouth. The beverage trickled slowly into Frances mouth until there was none left. She moaned when Kristen tangled their tongues together. Their tongues and mouth felt cold, making the kissing experience a different one. Kristen blindly relieved her of the cup of drink and bag of popcorn as their kiss heated up. Frances sank her hand in silky tresses before sliding it down to cup a breast, making Kristen gasp with the action.

Frances rubbed a thumb against Kristen's breast, searching for her nipple through the fabric of her shirt and bra. When she found it, she gave it a little squeeze and Kristen groaned in Frances' mouth. Frances broke their kiss and trailed her lips along Kristen's jawline only to pause at Kristen's pulse point. She bit down on it lightly before licking the area, thrilling at the sounds that Kristen was making.

Kristen slipped her hand under Frances' top, wondering at the smoothness of her skin. Her hands slid higher and found a naked breast. She drew a breath of surprise at her discovery. Frances pulled her face away at the contact and was breathing raggedly when their eyes met in the dim cinema theatre.

"I want you," Kristen said. Her voice sounded rough and low to her own ears.

"Right here?" Frances breathed, a nervous smile playing on her lips.

Kristen looked around. The cinema was far from full but it wasn't empty either. Moreover, there were several kids and teenagers around. "I wish...." At least the area around them was unoccupied. They hadn't scarred any young kids for life.

"Okay. Now I need you to take your hand out slowly from under my shirt," Frances said softly. Kristen's eyes rounded at that, then narrowed wickedly. "Oh... don't you give me that look," Frances said breathlessly.

Kristen had never touched another woman like this before. Instead of adhering to Frances' wishes, she mirrored Frances' move earlier with her thumb and received a gasp for her effort. Her eyes darkened with desire as she watched Frances look at her helplessly. "You are incredibly attractive to me," Kristen husked out.

Frances placed a hand on Kristen's which was still under her shirt to halt its movement. She swallowed audibly. "You're driving me insane." She tugged at the hand and Kristen let go of her prize reluctantly.

Frances took a deep breath and reached for the bag of popcorn that Kristen had placed on the seat beside her. Then she grabbed a handful of it and threw one, then two kernels of popcorn at Kristen. "Evil," she commented, shaking her head at her companion.

Kristen chuckled and picked the kernels off her shirt before popping them into her mouth. The movie started and they turned their faces to the big screen but Kristen's mind was on other things, like the warm arm pressed against her own and the soft lips on her shoulder.... Frances was one to talk about evil. She tried to ignore the lips on her shoulder, but gasped when sharp teeth grazed her skin through the fabric of her shirt.

Frances shifted in her seat and pulled Kristen closer, trailing her teeth along her clothed shoulder to her bare neck. She could hear and feel the low hum in Kristen's throat. Kristen moaned when Frances' teeth found purchase in a sensitive spot on her neck. Finally, when she could not take the teasing anymore, Kristen crushed their lips together. Her hand snaked around Frances' waist and was about to slip under Frances' top again when a firm hand stopped its trek.

"No...." Frances breathed against her lips. "Let's just stick to kissing while we're in public, okay?"

Kristen growled but she stilled her hand. Laughter broke out in the audience, reminding Frances and Kristen that they were very much not alone. Frances placed the bag of popcorn in the empty seat beside her, its appeal forgotten. Then she took Kristen's face in her hands and touched their lips together again.

"Why are we not watching the movie at the movies when we can be somewhere more private, doing more than this?" Kristen husked out.

"Because... this is so much fun," Frances whispered back. "And who says we're not watching the movie? I know exactly what's going on," she said teasingly. "You, on the other hand, need to learn how to multi-task."

Kristen kissed Frances to shut her up.

They strolled down King Street, bumping shoulders and exchanging grins. They were so caught up in each other that they did not notice the man staring at them and quickly getting out his mobile phone before punching in a familiar number.

"You're not going to believe who I just saw," Edwin Richardson, C&C's Head of Acquisitions said into the phone.

26

The granny flat wasn't very big. It had a good sized lounge area, a small kitchen and an en suite. There were no doors within the flat itself, save the sliding door that separated the bathroom from the bedroom. Kristen did not have much furniture; there were a few large cushions on the floor of the lounge room, a small dining table for two that Frances could tell was hardly used for dining, judging by the books and drawing pads stacked on it, and a wooden bookshelf. A few sheets of painted canvas lined the walls. The dominant colour used was red; they gave warmth to the room.

After the movie, they had taken a long, leisurely stroll back from Newtown. Not particularly wanting to cook, Kristen had suggested getting pizza for dinner.

"Did you paint all these?" Frances asked, scanning the canvases on the walls.

"Yup."

"She draws, paints and cooks," Frances said, turning around with a smile on her face. "They look incredible."

"Thank you," Kristen said simply. She was shy about her art. "Did you want something to drink?" She felt a little nervous having Frances in the flat. She hardly had visitors, if ever.

"Okay. What do you have?" Frances rested her arms on the kitchen counter, watching Kristen move around in the small kitchen, procuring glasses and plates.

"Wine, water, juice, coffee, tea, milk," Kristen said off the top of her head.

"Ooh. Wine," Frances said immediately.

Kristen threw her a look. "You're not going to start behaving badly if I give you wine now, are you?"

Frances bit her lower lip as she smiled. "I don't know... maybe you'd want me to behave badly."

Kristen smirked but did not reply. She poured them each a glass of red and mirrored Frances' stance so that they were facing each other. "Food?" she asked.

"Kiss."

Kristen smiled and closed the distance between their lips. She could not seem to get enough of Frances and she felt justified in believing that Frances felt the same way about her. It gave her a head rush. Suddenly, there was too much distance between them. Kristen broke the kiss and went around the kitchen counter. She backed Frances up against the front door before resuming the kiss.

Kristen lifted a hand to tug at the elastic band that held Frances' hair up. She pulled it off and sighed in approval when Frances' hair cascaded down her shoulders. She combed her hands through dark locks, revelling in the feel of thick, silky hair. Then she felt Frances' fingers unbuttoning her shirt and her mouth went dry.

Cool air hit her bare shoulders when her white shirt slid off. Moments later, Kristen gasped in surprise when her bra came off as well. She wasn't even aware of Frances undoing it. Frances wore a smug expression. "Am I behaving badly enough, Chef?" Frances asked innocently.

Kristen narrowed her eyes and grabbed the hem of Frances' T-shirt, pulling it off her in one fluid motion. Her eyes darkened at the sight of Frances' breasts and she crushed her lips to Frances' again, making Frances moan at the roughness of it all.

Frances ran her hands over Kristen's shoulders, down her back, around and up her waist, only coming to a halt at the undersides of Kristen's breasts. Then she slowly pushed Kristen back and down on the cushions and adjusted herself so that she was tucked snugly between Kristen's legs. She broke the kiss abruptly. "It's a little warm in here," she said casually, trying to keep her breathing under control.

"You talk too much," Kristen ground out, missing the feel of Frances' lips on her. She let out a gasp when Frances bit down softly on her neck. "And you like to bite," Kristen commented breathlessly.

"Among other things," Frances murmured wickedly. She dragged her nails across Kristen's torso, eliciting a loud moan from the writhing woman beneath her. "Are things heating up yet?"

"Stop. Talking," Kristen commanded, and was rewarded with more kisses and teeth grazing down her neck. Frances was gentle but forceful at the same time; it was driving Kristen insane. Frances nipped the side of Kristen's full, rounded breast and slid her tongue against the soft skin. Kristen felt as though her body was on fire and she groaned when Frances' hot, wet mouth covered her nipple and sucked on it lightly. When Frances scraped her teeth across the sensitive area, Kristen felt a sharp spike of desire shoot through her body. Moisture gathered between her legs.

Somebody's phone was ringing, but neither of them cared. Kristen flipped Frances over and straddled her waist. She pushed her hair behind her ears and bent down to give Frances' breasts the same treatment Frances had given hers. "Oh God." Frances tangled her fingers in Kristen's hair as her eyes fluttered shut.

"That good huh," Kristen said, lifting her face, eyes dancing.

"Oh yeah. You're a quick study," Frances said, opening her eyes. She touched a finger to Kristen's cheek and followed its trek down Kristen's neck, shoulder and arm with her eyes. Kristen shuddered at the light touch. Frances threaded their fingers and brought Kristen's hand to her lips. "I really, really like you," she murmured.

"That's lucky. Because I feel the same about you... sometimes," Kristen said with a lazy smile. Her heart had skipped a beat when Frances kissed her hand; it was such a simple yet sweet gesture.

Frances shifted and sat up, pressing their naked upper torsos together. Kristen moaned at the feel of Frances' breasts against hers. The incredible softness of it all astounded her. "You feel so hot... against my stomach," Frances husked out, making Kristen's eyes widen briefly at the shock of desire those words sent through her. "Take your pants off," she said, tugging at the offending article of clothing.

"You take them off," Kristen challenged.

Frances narrowed her eyes, then pushed Kristen down on the cushion. She unbuttoned Kristen's pants and hooked her fingers into the waistband of her knickers, pulling both articles of clothing off Kristen at the same time. She flung them over her shoulder, not caring where they landed. Then she pressed herself against Kristen's nakedness, delighting in the moan that escaped her. As she touched their lips together, Frances raked her nails up Kristen's inner thighs, past her hips, and along her waist.

"Fuck!" Kristen growled, tearing her mouth away from Frances' so that she could breathe. Who knew that biting and scratching would turn her on this much? She was so wet, her body was tingling all over, and Frances hadn't even taken her own pair of jeans off yet.

"Is that a request?" Frances asked, capturing Kristen's nipple in her mouth again without waiting for an answer. Kristen's slammed her head back onto the cushion and Frances' hand came up to tend to her other nipple. She didn't know that she could feel so much all at once. It felt as though Frances was stimulating every part of her body and the feeling was deliciously frustrating.

Just when she thought she could not take it anymore, Frances scraped her teeth down the length of her body. "You're trying to kill me," Kristen whimpered as she opened her eyes to see what Frances was doing.

"So you keep saying," Frances smirked from between her legs. "And you keep letting me. I guess you are a masochist after all." That thought brought many interesting things to Frances' mind and she tucked it away for future reference. She bit a spot on Kristen's inner thigh and the woman bucked under her. Before Kristen could think of a comeback, Frances touched her tongue to Kristen's centre and all thoughts fled from Kristen's mind.

Frances hooked one of Kristen's legs over her shoulder and continued her ministrations, thrilling at the sounds that Kristen was making. Kristen sounded, tasted and smelled intoxicating.

Kristen thought she might explode from the pleasure of it all. Every stroke of Frances' tongue on her sent waves of need rippling through her body. She felt so wet, so warm, and so very frustrated. The tingling sensation in the pit of her stomach built and began spreading through her limbs. Then there was the moment when everything froze as she teetered over the edge before her orgasm crashed over her like a wave.

Frances felt the body beneath her tense and shudder. She left her tongue pressed against Kristen, savouring the intimacy of the contact. She only moved up Kristen's body after she felt her relax.

"Fuck," Kristen breathed weakly. Frances nuzzled Kristen's neck, smiling. Green eyes fluttered open. Kristen brought Frances' face up and touched their lips together. "That was amazing," she said throatily.

"Why thank you," Frances murmured, pressing a kiss on Kristen's forehead. She pushed Kristen's hair away from her face and caressed her features with her eyes. "All right, Chef. Food, now," she said finally, her stomach growling.

Kristen lifted a brow. "Food? But you- I haven't...."

"Food, now. More sex, later," Frances said in a low voice that sent a tremor through Kristen.

"Say that again?" Kristen breathed, smiling faintly.

"What?"

"'More sex'."

Frances smiled and Kristen touched a finger to her dimple. "Sex. More sex. A lot of sex." Kristen let out a throaty chuckle and Frances' eyes glazed over with desire. "You are very sexy. I could fuck you over and over."

Kristen's breath caught and she bit back a moan at Frances' words. She had had her fair share of sex so it was saying something that sex with Frances was quite an experience. She thought back to the first time they had kissed. How did she ever think that Frances was vanilla?

Frances nuzzled Kristen's neck again, breathing in her scent. If Kristen did not feed her soon, she would make a meal out of Kristen... again. She rubbed her cheek against Kristen's breast, making Kristen gasp at the sensation.

"What are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing?" Frances breathed in Kristen's scent. Her skin smelled so good.

"I thought you wanted food," Kristen said breathlessly, trying to stop her eyes from fluttering shut. Frances' cheek was so soft and she was trailing it all over her body. "Are you... smelling me?" Kristen asked, her breath catching.

"Mm." Frances face came back up and docked at its new favourite spot at the juncture of Kristen's jaw and neck. "You smell good."

"Better than pizza?" Kristen asked, her lips quirking into a smile.

Frances moaned against Kristen's neck before chuckling. "Much better."

It had been Kristen's phone that had rung while they were getting hot and heavy. Ramsey had called to let her know that he had fallen sick. Tammy and he thought it would be better if they just closed Taters for another day instead of letting Frances handle a section on her own without prior training. Frances caught the pleased look on Kristen's face when she got off the phone.

"No work tomorrow, Ramsey's sick," Kristen announced as she sat herself down on the floor beside Frances.

"Does that mean you'll have time to do your laundry, tidy up the house and do some grocery shopping?" Frances asked innocently. Before Kristen could say anything, however, Frances' phone rang and she wrinkled her nose at Kristen before digging the phone out of her pocket to answer it.

Kristen bit into her slice of pizza as she watched Frances talking on the phone. Frances had a great smile, Kristen decided. Frances flicked her hair over her shoulder absently. Kristen's eyes fell on slender fingers that moved gracefully. Frances was smiling again with her dimples showing. Kristen corrected herself: it was a hot, beautiful, wonderful, fantastic smile. She realised belatedly that Frances was talking to her.

"Sorry?"

"Nell invited you to her gig tomorrow at Sando's."

Kristen hummed. "I don't know.... Don't you want to spend time with your friends without me hanging around like a bad smell?"

Frances tapped her chin with a finger. "First of all, you're hardly a bad smell. And second of all, it's a gig, not a D&M." Frances sidled up next to Kristen, planting a kiss on her cheek. "I'd really like to hang out with you... that is, if you want to and don't have any other plans. I know I kinda hogged your day off today."

"You didn't hog it." Kristen traced lazy circles on Frances' waist. "Okay, I'll come with."

"Okay?"

"Okay." Kristen nodded, pleased when she received a kiss for her answer. "You have the nicest lips," she commented.

"Funny. I think the same about yours," Frances said before stifling a yawn. "Mm. Sleepy," she murmured before standing up.

"Where're you going?" Kristen asked.

"Home. Bed." Frances stretched slightly. "Thank you for a lovely day," she said softly, gazing down at Kristen.

"You promised more sex," Kristen said with a small frown.

Frances chuckled. "And we will have more sex. I hope. I'd like to," she said, suddenly feeling a little shy.

Kristen got to her feet and slid her arms around Frances' waist, pulling her close for a kiss. "So would I."

Frances smiled and moved towards the door. "I'll see you tomorrow night," she said, letting go of Kristen's hand. "Sweet dreams." She let herself out of the flat and closed the door softly behind her.

Kristen closed her eyes for a second with a faint smile on her lips. Then she turned off the lamp in the lounge room and went to her bedroom. She changed into comfortable sleeping attire, thrilling at the knowledge that she still had Frances all over her, and fell onto her bed. She pressed her face into a pillow and imagined it to be Frances as she drifted off to sleep.

27

Frances woke up to images of tangled limbs and memories of throaty sighs. She quirked a smile and burrowed deeper into her pillow. Minutes later, her body was wide awake and conscious of its surroundings. She had to give the hospital a call to check on her father's progress. The last time she had spoken to someone, they had told her that he was still going through physical withdrawals.

Frances flipped onto her back and opened her eyes. The overhead light fixture in her room came into focus.

She was still planning to move into Nell's share house. Naomi would be leaving in a week so she had till then to pack. She did not foresee having to take too many things with her. She was going to be around her Dad's a lot, especially since there was a very hot someone living just a few meters from his house.

Kristen's sultry smile flashed in her mind's eye and Frances sighed happily as her eyes fell shut. She wondered if Kristen was up already and if she was thinking naughty thoughts as well.

Sitting up abruptly, Frances made herself get out of bed. She had a few things she wanted to do that day before their date tonight, and she wanted to get started.

Kristen had spent the entire day trying to remember if Frances had told her what time they were meeting that evening. She tried to replay their conversation but her mind kept wandering to other memories that she had of the night. They weren't very helpful at all and they made her feel all hot and bothered while she walked down the supermarket aisles.

"Hey, Chef! Uh, Kristen!"

Kristen turned at the cry of her name and saw Liam approaching her with a dimpled smile on his face. She sighed inwardly; she had never taken notice of dimples before Frances and now, every time she saw them, she would be reminded of her. She flashed him a polite smile and hoped that he wouldn't want to conduct small talk.

"How're you going?"

"Good. You?"

"Yeah, good. Bummer that Ramsey's sick ay! But I guess it must be nice for you to have an extra day off," he said conversationally.

Kristen nodded and gave him another polite smile, hoping that he would move along.

"Mind if I walk with you?" he asked.

Kristen sighed in defeat. "Sure," she said, "Why not."

Liam was really quite harmless, Kristen thought to herself as she listened to him rattle off the things that he did over the weekend. At least he was doing a good job of keeping her mind off Frances for her to do her shopping.

"What about you, Chef? Where're you from?"

Kristen scratched her face. "You can call me Kristen when we're not at work," she said uncomfortably. "I grew up in Victoria."

"True! Whereabouts?" Liam looked interested but Kristen wasn't interested in sharing. "Do you still have family back there?"

Now he was treading on forbidden territory. "Nope. Liam, I'm done with my shopping so I'm gonna go. I have something on tonight. But it was good seeing you. I'll catch you at work." Kristen hoped that she didn't sound as abrupt as she felt.

"Yeah! Sure! I was gonna ask if you were free this arvo but...." He shrugged with a smile. "Maybe we could go out for a drink sometime. You know, after work or if we have the same day off?" he asked with a hopeful expression.

Kristen nodded. "Yeah. Maybe," she said noncommittally before she made a beeline for the cashier. She hadn't gotten everything she wanted but she could always do it another time.

At six o'clock, Kristen decided to give Frances a call. She had not wanted to seem too eager but it was driving her crazy not knowing what time they were meeting. She felt silly; it was Frances for God's sake. She could not believe that she was feeling this way about her.

"Hey you...." Frances sounded happy to hear from her. It made Kristen smile.

"Hey. I was just calling about tonight...." she said, trailing off.

"You're not piking on me, are you?"

Kristen could hear the apprehension in Frances' voice and was flattered. "No. What time were we meeting and where?" There was a lot of noise Frances' background. She was definitely not across the yard from Kristen.

"Oh! Right! Uh... the gig starts at nine. Would you want to meet a little earlier for drinks? Nell's gonna be there at seven thirty to set up and I'll be giving her a hand so... anytime after?

"Okay. Sounds good," Kristen said lightly.

An awkward silence followed. Then Frances said, "Hey Kristen."

Kristen's heart skipped a beat. It sounded odd hearing Frances call her name. "Yeah?"

"This might sound totally psycho but I've been thinking about you." Kristen smiled and she bit on her lower lip. She must have taken too long to say something because Frances said, "Okay, um... I'll see you later."

"Okay," Kristen said with a smile in her voice before hanging up.

28

Nell looked really good that evening in her blue vest and loose gunmetal grey pants. She had just gotten a haircut; her short, newly coloured hair framed her pixie looking face, setting off the crisp blue of her eyes.

"You are such a spunk," Frances complimented her friend when she saw her.

Nell grinned. "Flatterer," she said, but she was pleased. "Thanks for helping us set up, darl. Beth is running late as usual." Nell cast a sly glance Frances' way. "And is Kristen joining us tonight?"

Frances felt a smile creep up her face at the mention of Kristen's name. "Yup."

"So it's going well?" Nell probed. "I thought she was straight."

Frances shrugged. "Maybe I'm just too hard to resist," she joked. In actuality, she was a little fearful of the whole 'being an experiment' thing. But it wasn't as though she had planned for this to happen. It just did.

"Have you guys... you know."

"Done the dirty?" Frances wrinkled her nose at Nell as she smiled shyly. "Yeah."

Nell chuckled at Frances' expression. "You still moving in when Naomi leaves?"

Frances nodded. "Yeah, I was just thinking about it this morning. Of course I am."

Nell grinned. "Awesome. Come on, we're done. I'll buy you a beer." She linked her hands with Frances' and pulled her in the direction of the bar.

Frances looked down at her outfit--a blue wifebeater with red lining, a pair of denim short shorts and her old pair of sneakers--and hoped that she didn't look too shabby. She had planned to swing home and change before meeting Nell but she had fallen asleep at the park, listening to her ipod.

Frances let go of Nell's hand when they reached the bar. She leaned against it as they waited for their drinks. "I see a few ladies checking you out," Frances teased Nell as she glanced around.

Nell smirked. "I'm sure they're checking both of us out." They brought their beers to a vacant table with only one high stool.

"You go," Frances said, and Nell took the seat. Nell pulled Frances closer so that they could speak without having to shout. "How's your Dad?"

Frances bit her cheek as she rested her hand on Nell's waist. "Still going through withdrawals. They say it'll take two to three weeks before he physically beats it... and it's gonna take a lot longer mentally," Frances said sadly. "But they say his injuries are healing well."

"Oh, that's good," Nell said comfortingly. "Hey. At least he's starting the process, right?" She looked up and caught sight of Kristen approaching them. "Kristen's here," she said in Frances' ear.

Frances turned around and her breath caught in her throat. She definitely looked shabby compared to Kristen, who looked hot and curvaceous in a long sleeved, sea green top with a plunging neckline and dark blue jeans. "Hey you," she greeted with a smile. She reached out a hand to touch Kristen's. "You look really nice," she said shyly.

Kristen felt a little out of place whenever she was around just Frances and Nell. It had bothered her seeing Frances standing so close to Nell, looking perfectly comfortable in the circle of her arm.

"Did you want a drink?" Frances asked, oblivious to what was going through Kristen's mind.

Nell excused herself to take a phone call from Beth, their lead singer. She winked at Kristen and gave her arm a squeeze when she passed her. Kristen breathed out slowly and told herself she was being absolutely silly. "I'd love one. What are you having?"

Frances frowned. "I think it's Coopers Pale Ale. That's what Nell always orders."

"I like your outfit," Kristen said after she returned with her beer, hooking a finger through a belt loop in the front of Frances' shorts.

"Thanks. I thought I looked a little shabby. I was going to go home to change for our date but I fell asleep at the park...."

Kristen smirked at the slightly whiny tone Frances had taken on, a lighter version of the one she had heard her use around Russell. It was endearing. "I'm not complaining. You don't have much on at all," Kristen teased. Then her eyes caught sight of the tail end of a tattoo on Frances' right thigh. "I've never seen that before," she murmured, trailing a finger over the inked flesh.

"Well, you haven't seen me naked yet," Frances teased, making Kristen swallow hard. Frances had never worn anything shorter than her pair of boardies before tonight. Kristen found the new bit of information titillating.

Frances felt Kristen tug at her with her finger that was still hooked in her belt loop and let herself be pulled towards her. Nuzzling Kristen's neck, Frances smiled and placed a kiss on the soft skin there before pulling away.

Smoldering eyes met hers, surprising Frances with their intensity. Frances lifted a finger to trace the sultry smile that was playing on Kristen's lips. They were about to kiss when Nell returned.

"Beth's just making her way down now," Nell complained in frustration, totally missing the looks on the two women's faces. "I am so stressed!" She scrunched her fingers in her hair.

Frances hopped onto the high stool and pushed Nell's schooner of beer towards her. "Drink," she commanded. With her other hand, she pulled Kristen closer to her side and smiled when the woman's torso rubbed up against her. She lifted her own schooner of beer and clinked it against Nell's and Kristen's before taking a healthy sip from it.

"Hello hello!" Jaz, the band's drummer, and a few others swooped in on them. Frances watched Nell being pulled into friendly embraces, wishing her luck for the gig. Nell was always amazing on stage with her guitar. She leaned her head against Kristen's arm, feeling very much content with her lot in life at the moment.

"By the way, I'm moving out next week," Frances said, lifting her face to Kristen's.

An elegant brow lifted. "Moving? Where to?"

"Nell's. One of her housemate's moving out and I'm gonna take over her room."

Kristen felt... she wasn't sure how she felt about that. "What about your Dad?"

"I'll be around. But if I'm gonna be staying in Sydney, I need my own space. I can't live with my Dad." Kristen nodded grudgingly. "And I need a place to take hot women back to without them having to fear running into my Dad," Frances said teasingly.

"Huh."

Frances finished her beer and jumped off the high stool. "Come on," she said, grabbing Kristen's hand.

"Where're we going?" Kristen asked but she followed Frances with her beer.

"Upstairs."

It was a lot darker and quieter upstairs. Music was playing in the background but no one had to shout to be heard up here, unlike the bar downstairs. Milk crates acting as stools littered the place. Frances led them to a spot against the wall and sank down on the floor.

"It's easier to talk up here," Frances explained as Kristen lowered herself to the floor beside her. The moment Kristen was seated comfortably, Frances met her eyes to Kristen's and smiled shyly. "I'm glad you're here."

Kristen tried to feel the same but she could not shake a niggling feeling in her chest. "What kind of music does Nell's band play?" she asked.

"Bit of gypsy, bit of hip hop."

Kristen lifted a brow. "That's an unusual mix."

Frances grinned. "Nell's an unusual girl."

Kristen clenched her jaw and realised in dismay that she was jealous. "Eleanor said that you and Nell used to go out," she couldn't stop herself from saying. She rolled her eyes discreetly at herself for starting the conversation. Frances did not owe her any explanation. They had slept together... once, for God's sake. And now she was acting all jealous?

She was becoming the people she used to run away from. The thought appalled her.

"Yeah...." Frances drew out slowly, not sure where the conversation was leading.

"Nothing. I don't even know why I brought that up," Kristen said lamely.

"There's nothing between us anymore," Frances said cautiously. "We're just really comfortable around each other." She didn't think it appropriate to tell Kristen about them mucking around not too long ago.

Kristen wished that she hadn't said anything at all. "I can see that. Sorry, I don't know why I brought it up. It's none of my business."

Frances narrowed her eyes at Kristen. "Is everything okay?" Kristen nodded, feeling immensely silly. Frances took her hand in hers and pulled her closer. "Hey." Kristen met her eyes to Frances'. "Give us a smile," Frances coaxed, relaxing when Kristen did as she was told. "What did you do today?"

"Housework. Grocery. Boring stuff," Kristen rattled off. She was distracted by the gentle stroking motion of Frances' finger on hers and she wondered at how easily Frances managed to snap her out of a funk. She lifted Frances' hand to her lips.

Frances smiled and leaned closer for a kiss. She played with Kristen, pulling away when Kristen wanted to deepen the kiss and returning to bestow more playful kisses. Kristen whimpered in frustration, then got frustrated at whimpering, and generally got very annoyed with herself before Frances took pity on her and cupped her face in both her hands to kiss her properly.

Kristen moaned into Frances' mouth and ran her hands up Frances' side. Her hands found Frances' breasts and she pressed her palms against them, marvelling at how well they fitted in her hands. Frances wasn't wearing a bra again; Kristen was now fully convinced that Frances was trying to kill her.

Frances pulled away, breathing raggedly. "No doing that in public," she husked out, reminding Kristen where they were.

"Wear a bra next time then," Kristen retorted. She slid her lips down Frances' neck and sucked on it gently, eliciting a moan from Frances. Her hands massaged their prize, making Frances squirm uncomfortably on the floor.

"Baby, Kristen, stop," Frances said weakly in her ear.

Kristen felt her lips quirk into an amused smile. "What did you just call me?"

"Hm? 'Kristen'," Frances said dazedly. She swallowed hard and removed Kristen's hands from her chest.

"No..."

Frances thought back hurriedly and her breath caught in her throat. "Sorry, is that too familiar?"

"No..." Kristen's voice was low but lilting.

"Stop sounding so coy and sexy. You're totally stirring me up and it's not fair!" Frances said with a pout.

Kristen felt empowered by the knowledge that she could make Frances feel this way. And she was determined to hear that endearment from Frances again that night. Maybe more than once.

People started coming upstairs as it neared the start of the performance. Kristen's brows rose when Frances stood up and sat back down in front of her. She accommodated Frances between her legs and smiled when Frances pulled her arms around her own waist. Kristen found a comfortable resting place for her chin on Frances' shoulder.

In the days after Russell's admittance to rehab when Frances had holed herself away, Kristen had had a lot of time to think about what was going on between Frances and herself. A part of her had been skeptical that she could be physically attracted to a woman but the night before had dispelled any doubt she might have had regarding that issue. Images from the night before came to her mind's eye and her eyes fluttered shut for a brief moment as she brought her drink to her lips.

"Having a good night?"

The question brought Kristen out of her reverie. She glanced at the man who spoke it and smiled. "Yeah. you?"

He had a nicely trimmed goatie and a head full of curls. Tall, lean and in a smart looking attire of pressed white shirt and pants, he was an attractive man. He also looked like he had stumbled into the wrong venue. "Good music, alcohol, beautiful women...." He looked pointedly at her and smiled. "Yeah, I'm having a great time."

When she merely smiled without saying anything, he continued, "You here with friends?"

Kristen licked her lips. "Mm hm." Frances was barefoot on the dance floor; Nell was trying to step on her toes and she was giggling and trying to get out of Nell's way. Kristen's lips curved up unconsciously.

"What's your poison? Would you like another drink?"

Kristen shook her head. "I'm good for the moment, thanks. Actually, I might go join my friends. You have a good night," she said distractedly and gave him another smile.

"Hey, my name is Andre," the man said quickly, not wanting Kristen to leave just yet.

Kristen took his outstretched hand. "Kristen. Nice to meet you."

"Pleasure's all mine."

Kristen threw a smile over her shoulder before making her way through the dancing crowd. Frances was distracted by the sight of an approaching Kristen and Nell finally got her toes.

"Ow!" Frances slapped her friend lightly on her arm, much to Kristen's amusement.

"Yes!" Nell smirked. She turned around to Kristen. "Good work, partner!" she called out, eyes twinkling.

Kristen chuckled at their antics and all her insecurities dissipated. Just because she wasn't friends with any of her exes didn't mean that it wasn't possible. Then Frances grabbed her waist and pulled her close and Kristen's body tingled wherever it came into contact with Frances.

"Hi," Frances said, to which Kristen responded with a kiss on her nose. "If I haven't told you this before, you look amazing."

Kristen felt warm all over at the compliment. "Thank you."

"And I want to fuck you, so bad," Frances whispered hotly in her ear.

The statement sent the tone for the rest of the night.

29

They were back in Kristen's flat again. This time, Kristen was determined to finish what they had started the night before. Even though it was close to midnight and both of them had to go in to Taters the next day at eleven, Kristen couldn't care less.

They were in the middle of an intense kiss when the phone rang. Kristen was inclined to let it ring out until Frances pulled away long enough to point out that it could be Ramsey or Tammy ringing to let them know that they didn't have to go in the next day.

"Fuck!" Kristen cursed under her breath when the call ended.

"What's wrong?"

"Someone broke into Taters and vandalised it." Kristen could not believe their luck.

"What?" Frances sobered up immediately. "Who was that? The cops?"

Kristen shook her head. "Tammy. The security alarm went off so the police went down to check it out. When they saw the front door ajar, they went in and saw the state of the place. Tammy was contacted by the security company." Frances pulled Kristen into her arms and stroke her hair.

"Does she need us to do anything" Frances asked softly.

"We'll have to go down tomorrow, check out the damages and see what we can do. I'm sure it's covered by insurance. It's just... all this bad luck...." Kristen said, shaking her head. "No way in hell are we still gonna enter that stupid cooking competition." At least that was one thing in her favour.

"And we'll have more days off...." Frances said softly.

Kristen raised her head and caught the look on Frances' face. "Huh. I'm starting to see the positive side to things."

"I'm a horrible person. My Dad's restaurant just got vandalised and all I can think about is having more time with you," Frances mumbled, burying her face in the crook of Kristen's neck.

"Well... I don't think they did too much damage before the police got there. Perhaps we'll be back in business in a few days. And you're not a horrible person. You're just... in lust," Kristen said, chuckling.

"Speaking of which...." Frances leaned back on the cushions and pulled Kristen on top of her. Kristen gasped at the quick change of positions and had to close her eyes briefly at the feel of Frances under her. "There's nothing we can do about Taters at the moment, right?" Frances asked breathily to be sure.

Kristen nodded mutely.

"And it would be silly to waste the night worrying about something that we have no control over, right?"

Another nod.

"Good." Frances pulled Kristen's face down to resume their kiss, sucking in a breath when Kristen nipped her lower lip. "Hey!" she cried out softly, faintly amused.

Kristen stood up and pulled Frances up with her and into her bedroom. There, she slid a hand around Frances' neck and brought their faces together. She swatted at Frances' hands, not wanting to get naked before Frances did, fearing that she would lose control before she accomplished what she wanted to do. Finally, she grabbed both of Frances' wrists and held them tightly behind Frances.

The action caused Frances' breasts to push into hers and Kristen groaned. "I need you to stop moving," Kristen growled as she tried to collect her scattered thoughts.

"What, you like starfishes?" Frances teased.

"Has anyone ever told you that you talk way too much and you're much too smart for your own good?" Kristen mumbled as she pulled Frances' top off of her.

She was working on the button of Frances' shorts when Frances stopped her progress. She frowned. Frances pushed away from Kristen slightly and tilted her face up with a finger under her chin. Kristen was only confused for a second. When she saw the seductive look on Frances' face, she licked her dry lips and sucked in a breath. Frances shook her hair loose, knowing that Kristen liked it down, and reached for the button of her shorts slowly.

Kristen felt as though her heart was going to thump out of her chest at the erotic display. She could no longer recall a time that she wasn't turned on by this woman in front of her. The button popped out and Frances let her shorts slide down her legs. The action revealed the tattoo that started just below Frances' pelvic bone and covered the outside of her upper thigh. It was a swirling mass of feathers that formed an intricate looking phoenix.

Then Frances' thumbs hooked onto the waistband of her black knickers and Kristen's interest in the tattoo vanished. Frances stepped out of the pool of clothing at her feet and advanced on Kristen. She wrapped her hands around Kristen's neck, tearing a whimper from Kristen's throat with the look on her face.

"Like what you see?" Frances asked, trailing her hands down Kristen's body. She felt powerful in her nakedness.

"Mm hm," Kristen managed. She allowed Frances to divest her of her clothes and push her onto her bed.

"Do you want to fuck me?" Frances asked in a deceptively casual tone, as though she was asking about the weather.

Kristen closed her eyes and breathed deeply at Frances' words. "Uh huh." Then her eyes flew open when Frances straddled her hips. Frances reached for Kristen's hands and pressed them palm down on her breasts. Kristen was rocked into action by that move.

She flipped them over and cupped Frances' breast, rubbing her thumb over a nipple. Frances' eyes fluttered shut and lifted a hand up to rest on the back of Kristen's neck, bringing it closer to her chest. Kristen covered a breast with her mouth and sighed at the sounds Frances was making with every stroke of her tongue.

She alternated between Frances' breasts, taking her time to get to know every inch of them. Frances' hand bunched up in Kristen's hair and she forced her eyes open. She was breathing raggedly, wondering when Kristen was going to stop her torture. "Baby, I need.... What?" Even in the haze of desire, Frances could not miss the look of triumph on Kristen's face as she looked up.

"Say it again," Kristen said, nuzzling Frances' neck. The endearment had sent a tingle through Kristen's body.

Frances groaned. She was a writhing mass--wet, hot and very frustrated. She did not have time to play word games with Kristen Black. She grabbed Kristen's wrist and flipped them over so that half her body was on Kristen's and their legs intertwined. Then she pushed Kristen's hand towards her centre. Frances spreaded her legs. All the air in her lungs rushed out when Kristen caught on to the game and entered her in a swift motion.

"Fuck," Kristen breathed out, amazed by the hot, silky wetness that she was experiencing. She flipped them over again and pushed deeper into Frances, fascinated by the reaction she was getting from her with every move.

"Oh... God..." Frances rasped out, her hips moving in sync with Kristen's hand. She could feel Kristen slide in and out of her, filling her up again and again. Her eyes flew open when Kristen added another digit and she met hooded green eyes hovering above her face. Frances' hand on Kristen's face caressed Kristen's cheek. Her other hand bunched up the sheets beside her.

"You are so hot," Kristen murmured in a low, husky voice. She lowered her face and touched their lips together as she continued moving in Frances. Then she pulled away, wanting to continue watching Frances' face.

Frances was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. She was burning up with each stroke of Kristen's hand. When she closed her eyes, she could only see a patch of red as blood rushed into her head and down to her centre. The red behind her lids got brighter and she finally opened her eyes again to look down between their bodies. The combination of the sight and what she was feeling finally tipped her over the edge and she gasped, holding onto Kristen as she shuddered.

Kristen nuzzled Frances' neck, feeling the rapid beating of her heart under her lips.

"You and I...." Frances murmured after her heart rate slowed down. Kristen raised her head to look at Frances. "We are so fucking good together." Kristen hummed in agreement and wrapped her arms around Frances and threw a sheet over them. Her eyes fell shut and she began breathing in deeply and evenly, not caring that the lights were still on.

After a short while, Frances shifted and said, "Don't get too comfy." She captured an erect nipple in her mouth and bit down on it gently, sending a rush of wetness through Kristen's body. Kristen's eyes flew open as she reflexively pushed herself deeper into Frances' mouth. She moaned softly.

"Cos' you're not going to sleep anytime soon," Frances promised.

30

Taters was... in tatters. Ramsey looked at the place in dismay. Tammy, Kristen and Frances mirrored his expression.

The walls of the restaurant had been vandalised with spray paint. Pots and pans lay strewn on the kitchen floor. Tables and chairs were overturned and some of them looked splintered. The fairy lights in the beer garden were ripped off the thatch fence, which was slashed through and sprayed on.

"Who would do something like this?" Ramsey growled angrily.

Tammy looked like she was about to cry. Frances rubbed the woman's shoulder comfortingly.

Kristen clenched her jaw but her ever so practical mind told her to remain cool and control the situation. She relaxed her jaw and blew out a breath. "Tammy, do you have all the insurance information?" At the woman's nod, Kristen said, "I think you should give the insurance company a call. I brought my camera; we'll take photos of the damage just in case they need evidence of it. We've got the police report. It'll be fine, guys."

"We'll just have to call everyone in after all that's done and get them to help clean up the mess. The fence, lights and furniture are easily replaced. The walls just need a new coat of paint...." Kristen walked around the restaurant, taking note of everything.

Ramsey nodded. "You're right," he breathed out shakily. "It's not that bad."

Tammy finally gave everyone a watery smile. "Have I ever told you guys how much I love working with you? You're an amazing bunch," she said, sniffling. Kristen and Ramsey smiled warmly at her.

"I don't think Dad's gonna be able to hear about this," Frances said regretfully. Russell was not allowed any outside contact during his rehab programme. "But it's probably better this way. He'd just blow his top and probably tear the rest of the place down."

Tammy giggled at Frances' weak attempt at humour. Everyone felt a little better now that they had assessed the damage and was able to start doing something about it. "I'll call the insurance company straightaway," Tammy said.

Kristen spent some time snapping away with her camera and Ramsey went to check on the food in the cool room and dry store. Frances walked around the restaurant, grimacing each time her eyes found something else which was damaged. Why would anyone do this?

"Hey." Frances turned to see Kristen behind her. "How're you holding up?"

Frances couldn't believe that Kristen was actually concerned about her wellbeing at a time like this. Even though she loved Taters, she had only been around for a few weeks. Tammy, Ramsey and Kristen had a lot more invested in this place than she did. "I'm fine. It's you guys I'm worried about," she said, sliding a hand up Kristen's arm.

"We're a hardy bunch," Kristen said with a small smile. "But I'm so mad at whoever did this right now, it's not funny."

"You were amazing earlier," Frances said softly. "You handled it really well."

Kristen shrugged the compliment off nonchalantly. "I'm a bossy bitch."

Frances smiled at Kristen adoringly and Kristen rolled her eyes. "What?" Frances asked, not understanding Kristen's reaction.

"Don't smile at me like that. I'm trying to stay mad," Kristen huffed.

Her comment made Frances smile even wider and Kristen sighed. "That smile? Your smile? It's my undoing," she murmured. They gravitated towards each other unconsciously only to jump apart at Ramsey's voice.

"Those bastards emptied all the sauce buckets all over the food in the cool room and dry store! If I ever find out who did this, I'll, I'll... " Ramsey sputtered, red in the face.

Kristen took a deep breath to try and reign in her own anger. "Sit down before you burst an artery, Ramsey. I'll go take more pictures," Kristen ordered. She could not figure out how the perps managed to do so much damage before the cops got to the scene. It was almost as though they had gotten in without triggering the security alarm and had only done so on their way out.

Then she remembered something--her knives! Stalking to the kitchen, she went to the shelf where her knives were normally stashed away after service only to find them missing. Her control snapped and she grabbed an innocent pan that was in her vicinity and threw it on the kitchen floor, causing a loud bang.

"What's wrong!" A few heads peeked into the kitchen.

"They took my knives!" Kristen growled. If it was physically possible, steam would be coming out of her ears. The thought of her knives being in someone else's possession made her see red.

Ramsey ran to where his knives were kept and cursed loudly. "This is fucking war!" he roared.

Tammy and Frances looked at the two chefs fearfully.

Kristen began to calm down at Ramsey's outburst. "Fuck this shit," she muttered, wanting to get out of the place. "I'm over this."

"Guys, it's all covered by insurance. We'll get your knives replaced," Tammy said, trying to placate them.

Kristen and Ramsey fumed silently. It wasn't the same but it wouldn't be fair to take out their frustrations on Tammy. Ramsey had had his Shun knives for over six years now, and Kristen's chef knife was given to her by her Nan and it had a little engraving on its blade.

An hour later, the four of them stepped out of Taters, feeling emotionally exhausted by the afternoon.

Kristen slid her sunglasses on. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail and, to Frances, she looked breathtaking in a white T-shirt and jeans.

"Do you guys need a ride anywhere?" Ramsey asked.

"I'm just gonna talk a walk, guys," Frances said, looking from Kristen to Ramsey and Tammy, then back to Kristen. "I'll catch you later, maybe?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Yeah, sure," Kristen murmured.

"Ride, Kristen? Tammy?" Ramsey asked, looking from one woman to the other.

"How about grabbing a beer before we go?" Tammy asked. She still felt wound up by the morning and was hoping to take some of the edge off with a drink.

Ramsey and Kristen looked at each other and shrugged. "What a great idea," Ramsey said. "Lead the way, Tammy, our fearless... restaurant supervisor!"

Frances wanted to do something nice for the Taters crew to cheer them up but she wasn't sure what, exactly. She wandered down King Street, hoping that something would catch her eye or inspire her.

Trailing her fingers along a shelf in a Vinnie's, she began crossing things out in her head. She couldn't knit or crochet so knitting needles were useless to her. Combs, ribbons, plastic jars...? Frances paused.

The once loved white plastic jars had clear windows on their lids and along their lengths to show what they held. Frances liked the look of them and began thinking what she could make to put in them. Then a bulb went off in her head. There were four of these jars on the shelf; Frances took them all.

She returned home with her jars, some string, a few stalks of gerbera, and the ingredients to make brownies. She wondered if she could get some to her Dad and made a mental note to check with the hospital. Then she turned on the stereo, put the kettle on, and began baking.

Tammy, Ramsey and Kristen did not stop at just one beer. Two hours into their impromptu drink session, Tammy and Kristen started feeling a little tipsy. Their conversations turned more personal.

"So, Tammy. Is there... anyone special in your life?" Ramsey asked casually.

Tammy blushed prettily. "No, no one special," she said with a wistful sigh.

"Is there anyone you fancy, then?" Kristen pushed. She was as interested as Ramsey was with regards to Tammy's possible crush on Russell. Tammy bit her lower lip and shrugged. "That's a yes?"

Tammy finally met her eyes to Kristen's and Ramsey's. "What's with the sudden interest in my love life--or the lack thereof?" she demanded. "What about you guys? Well, not you, Ramsey, you're married. What about you, Kristen?"

"I'll tell if you tell," Kristen challenged, leaning back in her seat with an arched look. She crossed her jeans clad leg and wondered what Frances was up to.

Tammy took another sip of her beer as she considered Kristen's trade. "Swear this stays between the three of us?"

Kristen and Ramsey threw each other triumphant looks. It had to be Russell if Tammy was swearing them to secrecy. They gave her their promise and Tammy took a deep breath. "Okay. I'm kinda... I'm sleeping with...." Kristen's and Ramsey's eyes rounded at that. "It's Liam!" Tammy finally blurted out.

"Liam!" Ramsey sputtered in disbelief.

"Liam, Liam?" Kristen had to confirm.

Tammy sighed. She hadn't known what reaction to expect from Kristen and Ramsey but this felt about right. "Yeah. Liam, Liam."

"What... how did that happen?" Ramsey asked, then hurriedly shook his head. "I mean, we, that is, Kristen and I, we thought you had a crush on Russell," he confessed.

"Russell!" Tammy flushed again. "I- I did. I do. Oh, I don't know! It just seems so impossible, you know? And Liam's been really sweet and all.... I know he's kinda young but he's so charming and funny.... We both know it's just a bit of fun."

Kristen and Ramsey looked at each other again. Neither knew what to say. They hadn't expected that! And the thought of Liam and Tammy together... Kristen grimaced at the mental image and had to shake her head slightly to dislodge it.

"And anyway, I think he's got a crush on you, Kristen!" Tammy continued.

Kristen's brows jumped. "What? No way."

Ramsey scratched his face. "Actually I thought he had a crush on you too, Kristen."

Kristen frowned. "Come on," she said uncomfortably.

"He was all stuttery and asking about you and saying how beautiful you were..." Ramsey shot Tammy a quick look. "Sorry, Tammy. I'm sure that was before you guys hooked up."

Tammy shrugged. "He does ask about you a lot. He seems pretty interested in your going-ons."

Kristen thought back to their chance encounter at the supermarket and felt a little creeped out. "Okay, that's just weird."

Tammy peered at both their faces nervously. "Oh, you guys don't approve, do you?"

"No, no! Of course it's not that, Tammy. Like I said, we were just surprised, you know," Ramsey said hurriedly, not wanting Tammy to feel bad for confiding in them.

"Yeah," Kristen said nodding. She did not want Tammy to think that they were judging her at all. "We were just surprised. And you'll be giving me the same reaction--if not worse, when I tell you who I've been hanging out with."

The attention shifted fully to an unusually loquacious Kristen.

Kristen had never shared any personal details with her co-workers before, perhaps because there were none she could or had wanted to share.

"You're seeing someone?" Ramsey asked incredulously. Just that alone had surprised him. He had thought that Kristen said what she said earlier to get Tammy to reveal her secret; he didn't think that she was actually for real! In all the time that he had known her, she would very rarely drop hints about having hooked up with some bloke or other but that was the extent of it. It must have been a recent occurrence, Ramsey thought--that, or Kristen was an expert at keeping things under wraps.

"Well, yeah." It sounded good to say it out loud. "It's only new," Kristen said, her lips twitching in a smile.

"Tell all!" Ramsey demanded, much to Kristen's amusement.

"You're worse than a woman," she said, snickering. "Oh, hang on. Mobile." Kristen's mobile had gone off at the crucial moment, leaving Ramsey and Tammy to protest loudly. Chuckling to herself, Kristen moved away from them to take the call from Frances and returned to the table with a big smirk on her face.

"That was him, wasn't it!" Tammy said slyly. "I can see it all over your face!"

"It's Frances."

Tammy's face fell. "Oh, it's not him? Is she all right? She's such a sweetheart. I feel so bad for her. It's been one thing after the next since she's been back." Tammy shook her head.

"No... well yes, that was Frances on the phone. And it's also Frances," Kristen said.

"What do you mean?" Ramsey asked, confused. "Your fella's name's Francis?"

"There's no fella." At Tammy's and Ramsey's continued confusion, Kristen smirked, waiting for them to come to the conclusion themselves.

"You're... you're seeing Frances? Russell's daughter? You're sleeping with the boss' daughter?" Ramsey looked so comically worked up that Kristen almost burst out laughing.

"Yup."

"Oh my God!" Tammy exclaimed. "I would never in a million years have seen that coming!"

Kristen still hadn't stopped smirking. "Told ya," she drawled, finishing up her beer. "Another jug?"

31

Frances hurried down the street to Taters. She had gone down to the hospital that morning with a batch of brownies for her father. Somehow, knowing that her Dad was in the building somewhere had made not seeing him hard. But she had to let the rehab programme take its course. She hoped that he was doing well and that the support group meetings were helping.

The Taters crew had gotten together at the restaurant to help clean the place up. Everyone, with the exception of Sandra, who had found another job, was going to be there.

"Hey sweetie!" Tammy was the first to spot Frances when she entered Taters.

"Hey Tammy, how's it going?" Frances went over to Tammy with her bag of goodies. Her eyes scanned the place. "Wow, this place is looking pretty good compared to before," she commented.

Tammy grinned. "Kristen's got her system down pat. She led and we followed. We're pretty much done for the day." Tammy smiled knowingly at the searching look on Frances face. "She's in the yard, last I know."

"Oh! Thanks. Um. Hey, I've got something for you." Frances took out a jar of brownies with a gerbera tied to it and handed it over to Tammy. "I thought you guys needed some cheering up."

Tammy's eyes rounded. "Aw, that is so sweet of you!" she exclaimed. "Come here!"

Frances smiled, leaning in for a hug from Tammy. "These are for everyone else to share," Frances said, placing a large plastic container of brownies on a salvaged table. "The other two jars are for the chefs."

"Well, go on then. I'll take these out for the others in the beer garden. They're putting up the thatch fence," Tammy said helpfully. "I'll give Ramsey his and you can take Kristen's to her."

"Thanks, Tammy."

Frances made her way through a bare but clean kitchen. Kristen was rolling up the hose in the yard, with her back to her. Frances stood at the doorway, waiting for Kristen to notice her presence.

Kristen wiped an arm across her forehead and turned around, getting a little scare when she saw Frances. "What are you doing sneaking around?" she asked, but her lips curved up in a smile.

"Well, there's this hot woman, you see, and I was perving on her."

"Huh."

"Now that my evil plans have been thwarted, I think I might switch tactics and ask her out instead."

"I don't know if she'd wanna go out with a perv though," Kristen said with a frown on her face.

"Guess I'll just have to ask her now, won't I? I happen to know that she's got masochistic tendencies. Maybe that would work in my favour."

Kristen narrowed her eyes and Frances chuckled at the look of derision on Kristen's face. She placed her bag on the floor, walked over to where Kristen was standing and wrapped her arms around Kristen loosely. "Hello. Can I take you out to dinner tonight?" she asked softly. She felt Kristen's arms snake around her.

Kristen looked down at Frances in her loose embrace and smiled. "I don't know... This girl I'm seeing might get jealous."

"Well I think you should ditch her for me," Frances cajoled.

"I don't know..." Kristen could not stop smiling now that Frances was here. "She's pretty hot."

Frances curved a brow at the compliment. "True. Maybe you should give me her address so I could go perv on her instead."

Kristen chuckled at that. "I won't take too kindly to that, I think."

"I really, really think you should come out with me. I've been told that I'm a good kisser," she said, enjoying their banter. "And I'm pretty good in bed too."

Kristen pretended to consider. "Huh. You drive a hard bargain." Then she looked down at Frances pointedly. "But I think I need proof before I make any decision."

"Oh," Frances breathed out. She began backing an amused looking Kristen to the fence. "If it'll help, I'll be more than happy to demonstrate." She pulled Kristen's head down for a slow kiss, sliding her lips across Kristen's, making Kristen's breath catch with the friction. Tangling their tongues together, Frances slid her hands under Kristen's top and up her back. She curved her fingers when they reached Kristen's shoulders and dragged them down the smooth expanse of skin slowly, making Kristen moan deep in her throat.

A loud exclamation and a crash and broke them apart. Ramsey had tripped over Frances' bag when he realised he had walked in on a private moment.

"You okay, Ramsey?" Kristen asked. She was a little breathless but the sight of Ramsey sprawled on the kitchen floor made her lips twitch.

"You two should get a room!" Ramsey complained as he picked himself up. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack? That was something I did not have to witness!"

Frances chuckled and pulled Kristen against her back as she walked towards Ramsey, dark eyes dancing. "Are you guys done for the day? Because I have other plans for this woman now."

Kristen's brow lifted at Frances' words and began snickering when Ramsey sputtered, "Oh, my ears hurt..."

"Mm, this is good," Kristen said as she munched on a square of brownie that Frances had made. It was rich and dense, contrasted wonderfully by the crunch of walnuts; Kristen closed her eyes for a moment as she savoured the taste.

Frances smiled, pleased, then scratched her forehead absently as she averted her eyes from the sexy picture Kristen made. The kettle whistled, distracting Frances momentarily and she went to make them cups of tea.

Frances jumped lightly when she felt Kristen's arms wrap her waist from behind. "Thank you," Kristen murmured in Frances' ear, tickling her with her breath. Frances squirmed slightly, then smiled when Kristen kissed her neck.

"You're welcome. I hope everyone likes them as much as you do."

Kristen smirked. "I'm sure they do. They just better not show their appreciation the way I do."

"And which way is that...?"

Kristen kissed Frances' neck again in answer. Then she lifted Frances' T-shirt and continued trailing her lips down her back. Her hands slid up Frances' front as she righted herself again, stopping to cup Frances' breasts under her T-shirt as she resumed her assault on Frances' neck.

Frances sighed and reached a hand behind her head to tangle in Kristen's hair. She placed her other hand on Kristen's, which was driving her to distraction with its movement on her breast.

Kristen's heart pounded in her ears. It fascinated her how quickly their interactions went from bantering and flirtatious to intense desire. She pulled Frances' T-shirt off her completely. After doing the same with her own shirt, she pressed herself against Frances, delighting in the soft, breathless sounds that Frances was making. Their bodies felt hot against each others'.

"What are you doing?" Frances husked out weakly when she felt Kristen fumbling with the fly of her jeans. She moaned when Kristen planted a trail of kisses down her side as she slid her jeans off. They were in her Dad's kitchen, for God's sake. Her mind warred with the rest of her body, which was wet, hot and tingling.

"What do you think I'm doing?" Kristen murmured. She wanted to do so many things to Frances that it made her mind reel.

Frances turned to face Kristen, and the look of arousal on her face sent a shockwave of desire through Kristen's body. Kristen bent down slightly and lifted a surprised Frances to sit on the kitchen bench. Their eyes met and when Frances understood what Kristen intended to do, she blushed slightly. "Maybe we should go upstairs," she breathed out.

Kristen lifted a brow and settled between Frances' legs, making Frances bite her lower lip in nervous anticipation. When Kristen slid her tongue across Frances' wet, soft length, Frances threw her head back and pushed herself closer to Kristen. She felt as though her heart was going to beat out of her chest. Her frustration mounted when Kristen continued to ignore the spot that needed to be touched most.

"Oh, God, please...." Frances choked out, tightening her grasp of Kristen's head, hoping that Kristen would understand what she needed.

"What did you say?" Kristen asked, lifting her lips and tongue from their task momentarily, knowing that she would frustrate Frances with her action--or in this case, inaction.

Frances' haze of desire lifted briefly and she growled, "I said if you don't get back to what you were doing, I will kill you."

Kristen smirked. "I thought I heard something else," she said tauntingly. Her fingers caressed the tattoo on Frances' thigh. She leaned forward to kiss Frances' stomach lightly, feeling Frances twitch under her lips.

"Baby? Please?" Frances all but whimpered and it was simply not possible for Kristen to deny her anything at that point. She touched her tongue to Frances' centre and Frances moaned as she instinctively spreaded her legs wider, pushing herself forward as her head fell back.

The pressure in her lower belly increased as the stroking of Kristen's velvet tongue sped up, and for a moment, Frances was suspended in darkness before she came crashing back down.

"Hey," Kristen said softly as she kissed her way up Frances' limp body. Frances was smiling and breathing heavily, and Kristen nuzzled her neck.

"That was unexpected," Frances murmured. She wrapped her bare legs around Kristen and pulled her closer. Kristen hummed at the intimate contact. "Oh God, I can't believe we did it in Dad's kitchen," Frances mumbled, hiding her face in Kristen's neck. Kristen chuckled, lightly trailing her fingers down Frances' back.

"I can. And I'd do it again," Kristen said, her husky voice so close to Frances' ear sent shivers down Frances' side.

"Really," Frances said breathlessly.

"Uh huh."

Kristen smiled when she felt Frances' fingers wrap around her wrist but when Frances lifted her hand up to slide two of her fingers into her mouth, Kristen sucked in a breath and her eyes darkened. She began to breathe more heavily at the sight and feel of Frances tending to her fingers.

Frances dragged the now damp digits slowly down her chest, following the curve of a breast, hissing when it went over her nipple, and across her stomach. Kristen's eyes followed the track her fingers were taking and she licked her suddenly dry lips.

Frances touched her other hand to Kristen's chin and green eyes flicked up to meet hers. Frances inched her face closer to Kristen's until their breaths mingled. Holding Kristen's eyes with her own, Frances pushed Kristen's fingers into her wet darkness and Kristen moaned, both at the contact and at the raw desire on Frances' face. It was almost as though Frances knew exactly what to do and how to look to turn her on.

Kristen watched as Frances tried to keep her eyes open as they moved together; the act excited her for some reason, and Kristen growled as she pulled Frances closer to her. One of Frances' arms was flung around Kristen while the other was bracing herself on the kitchen bench.

"I love the way you make me feel," Frances said hotly in Kristen's ear. She bit down on Kristen's neck softly. "Harder, baby," she urged, her eyes falling shut when Kristen adhered to her request.

"I could do this forever," Kristen murmured, catching Frances' lips with her own in a rough kiss. "You drive me insane." Frances was breathing hard and whimpering in her ear; the sound was turning her on even more, if that was possible. And then Frances' body tensed and Kristen froze deep within Frances. She pressed her lips to Frances' neck as Frances shuddered. Their bodies were slick with sweat.

She waited until Frances' eyes fluttered open before she made to remove her hand. Frances stopped her. "Wait," she said breathlessly. "I like the way you feel inside."

Kristen's breath caught, not quite sure how to respond to that. Frances held Kristen's face with both her hands and touched their noses together. Kristen mirrored Frances' smile, loving the way Frances' cheeks dimpled, lips curved, and nose wrinkled ever so slightly.

32

Kristen felt weak in her knees. They had done as Frances suggested--dressed up to go for dinner. She just wasn't prepared for her reaction to Frances' transformation.

There was no doubt that she found Frances beautiful. But she had only ever seen Frances in casual attire--short shorts, jeans, boardies, and that one time in a dress. Her appeal was largely in the way she was so comfortable in her skin; the clothes that she put on were merely accessories. So when a smokily made up Frances appeared at her doorstep in a white halter neck dress that exposed her entire back and hugged her lightly curved figure in all the right places, Kristen's heart almost stopped.

"And hello to you too," Frances said, smirking. Her hair enveloped her bare shoulders and hung down her back; she had even put on an uncomfortable pair of strappy sandals that wound halfway up her calves. The expression on Kristen's face was worth every minute she had spent trying on her entire wardrobe looking for the right outfit. In the end, she had settled on one of her Mum's favourite dresses. She was dressing to kill, after all, and her Mum had had awesome taste in clothes.

"Maybe we should stay in," Kristen murmured faintly.

"What, don't I look good enough?" Frances teased.

Kristen let out a shaky breath as her eyes raked every inch of Frances' body ravenously. "Oh, you look good enough and you know it," she said breathlessly. How she could still feel this way after their raunchy session in the kitchen, she did not know.

Frances bit her lower lip and smiled shyly. "Thank you. Are you ready?" Kristen looked really good in bold colours. Her red dress brought out the green in her eyes and contrasted stunningly with her dark blonde locks. Frances watched as Kristen slipped on her heels and her mouth went dry. The image of having sex with Kristen in nothing but her heels almost short circuited her brain.

"Where are you taking me?" Kristen asked, pulling her door shut behind her. She sucked in a breath when Frances leaned into her, rubbing the full length of her body against hers. Kristen felt her eyes flutter shut for a moment as she inhaled Frances' scent. Frances felt warm and silky smooth.

"Oh, I want to take you right here," Frances murmured, "but since you said you like to be wooed, we're going to Darlinghurst so I can wine and dine you." She pulled her body away from Kristen's abruptly, and Kristen whimpered.

"You are going to kill me one day," Kristen hissed in frustration. Frances' soft laughter and the seductive glance that she threw over her shoulder as she walked away sent a wave of tingles through Kristen's body. "But I will die a happy woman," she conceded in a low, husky voice.

Their entrance to Santorini, a Greek restaurant, attracted more than a few appreciative glances. They were led into the restaurant by a friendly Aboriginal waitstaff named Tash. Tash took their bottle of wine from them and left them to peruse their menus.

"How are you affording this?" Kristen asked, scanning the menu before her.

Frances smiled. "I have savings. They don't pay too well in Vietnam but the standard of living there is low and I don't need a lot. I volunteered as well as worked, so I really didn't have much time to go spend any of my money. I spent something like a dollar a day, if that, on food."

"Yeah, but you don't have a job now...." Kristen trailed off, not wanting Frances to think that she had to splurge on her.

"I got paid working at Taters, remember? And I'm going for a job interview next week." Frances paused. "I like taking you out to dinner," she said with a shy smile.

Kristen felt spoiled. Frances didn't have to do any of this. She didn't have to bake them brownies, package them beautifully, or take Kristen out to dinner at fancy restaurants. But Kristen didn't feel as though Frances was doing any of it to impress her and that made it all the more meaningful.

"Job interview?" She looked up when Tash returned with their bottle of wine. "Thank you," she said after Tash took their order.

Frances nodded and resumed their conversation. "Teaching English. I met this woman last week and she told me to call her to arrange for an interview. With everything that's happened, I only called her yesterday." She reached out for her glass of wine. "I told her I won't be able to start immediately but she still said to come in...." Frances shrugged. "So I can still help out at Taters if you need me to, okay?"

Kristen reached for Frances' hand and clasped it lightly in hers. "I think you're wonderful," she said simply, smiling when Frances blushed.

Between their main and dessert, Frances excused herself to use the bathroom. Kristen occupied herself by refilling their wine glasses.

"Hey, Kristen, right?"

Kristen looked up and saw a familiar looking man by her table. "Yes?" She couldn't place where she had seen him before.

"Andre. I met you at Sando's?" he reminded her, then smiled ruggedly when she recognised him. "How are you doing? You look gorgeous."

Kristen smiled uncomfortably. "Thanks. I'm good."

"So, are you... here on a date?"

Before Kristen could answer, however, Frances returned to their table and Andre lifted an appreciative brow. "Not one, but two beautiful women," he complimented. "I'm Andre," he said, stretching out a hand. When Frances put her hand in his, he lifted it to his lips and Kristen narrowed her eyes. "And you, are stunning," he said, looking at Frances, who was quirking an amused smile at his antics. She quickly pulled her hand away. "Would you ladies like to join my friend and I?"

"No thanks," Kristen said in a clipped tone, drawing roving eyes away from Frances. "We're in the middle of our own date and you're interrupting."

Andre's brows rose and he looked from one woman to the other. "Pardon me, I didn't realise," he said. "I hope I didn't offend either of you."

"Have a good night, Andre," Kristen said with an arched look. When he left, she turned her gaze on Frances.

Frances bit her lip as she assessed Kristen's reaction. "You must get that all the time. Men coming up to you, propositioning you...?"

"He's attractive and all but..." He was looking at Frances in a completely inappropriate manner! And that kiss on her hand? Kristen was not impressed. "He kissed your hand!" Kristen looked annoyed.

"Oh, you're just annoyed cos' he kissed my hand, not yours," Frances said, shaking her head and rolling her eyes, trying to cover up her uncertainty.

Kristen frowned. "No, I was annoyed because he kissed your hand, period."

Frances's dimples deepened at the statement. Kristen had not wanted to reciprocate his advances. "I can go wash my hands again, if it'll make you feel better."

Kristen was coaxed into smiling by that. She loved how Frances could make her feel so appreciated so effortlessly.

"I guess I can see why you'd find him attractive," Frances murmured, casting a backward glance at Andre and his friend. Then she glanced back at Kristen, who looked absolutely ravishing across the table from her. "But I understand his attraction to you better." Frances dropped her voice as she stroked Kristen's wrist lightly. "What do you say we skip dessert and go back to yours?"

Kristen's breath caught and she smiled seductively. "Whatever would we do when we get there? You just wanna get out of buying me dessert."

"Oh, trust me, you'll have dessert," Frances promised. "You'll be begging for it."

33

Kristen felt lighthearted as she rolled the final coat of paint onto the wall. In a few days, Taters would be up and running again. Ramsey was stocking up the cool room and dry store with the help of Liam and the new furniture was coming in the day after. Everything was looking good. And while the insurance company had to complete their investigations before approving the claim, Kristen could not foresee any problem cropping up there.

She peeked out of the kitchen when laughter sounded and caught sight of Frances and Missy dodging each other's paintbrushes. They were also on their final coat of paint. The crew had decided to give Taters a well deserved makeover. The kitchen walls remained white but the rest of Taters had now been painted ochre, making it look warmer and cozier. Tammy had been watching Frances and Missy good naturedly, then squealed when they turned on her. Kristen smiled to herself.

Images from the night before flashed across Kristen's mind and her eyes fluttered shut briefly at the sensation some of them caused in her. She cleared her throat and tried to concentrate on what she was doing but her mind kept wandering.

The cab ride back from Santorini's had been torturous. The atmosphere had been so sexually charged that Kristen was sure the cab driver had caught on to it. They had just barely made it into Kristen's flat before their seams of control unravelled.

The look on Frances' face when Kristen was stripped down to nothing but her heels.... Kristen shuddered at the memory. Frances made her feel weak, desired, frustrated and delirious. She could not seem to have enough of Frances; her craving grew instead of lessened each time it was sated. Kristen could not wrap her head around it.

Outside, things had gone quiet. Kristen exited the kitchen to investigate.

Her stomach lurched nastily when she caught sight of an unexpected face and was about to sneak back into the kitchen when Tammy saw and beckoned her over. Edwin Richardson followed Tammy's line of sight and his eyes rounded.

"Do my eyes deceive me? Kristen Canning?"

His voice made Kristen's skin crawl but it was what he said that made her heart freeze.

In what she hoped was a calm, imperious tone, she said, "Oh. You. What's your name again? I don't think I ever caught it." She felt a brief moment of triumph when she saw anger flicker across his face.

"It's Edwin Richardson. How quickly we forget! But it's been a while since you've jumped ship now, hasn't it? I guess you've got more important things to remember," he said.

Tammy, Frances and Missy watched the exchange, looking wary and extremely confused.

"Do Jack and Benjamin know that you're here? Oh, right, of course not."

Kristen's spine stiffened at the words and Frances caught the panicked look in her eyes. She hoped that Kristen did not mind her cutting in when she said, "Look, Mister, I don't care who you are and what you want, but the restaurant's not open and you're not welcome here."

Richardson turned his attention to her. "And who are you?"

"I own this place. Get out."

Richardson lifted a brow. "Last time I checked, Kevin Russell owns this place."

"I said, get out. Or I'll get Ramsey and Liam to escort you out," Frances said unflinchingly. She saw Ramsey and Liam approaching them, looking slightly confused but picking up on the animosity immediately and moving toward the stranger.

Richardson saw Ramsey and Liam in his peripheral vision and smiled. "No need for that. I'm leaving anyway. I just wanted to say, great job with the walls. Must have taken a while. You know, Jaycee's opening next week. You'll be in for some tough competition."

"Are you deaf or stupid?" Frances asked bitingly, shooting the man a look of disgust. She was trembling with the exertion of keeping hold of her annoyance. "You're trespassing. I don't give a shit about your stupid restaurant. If you're the person running it, well, I actually feel sorry for its staff."

Ramsey placed a hand on Richardson's shoulder and he shrugged it off. "Don't touch me," he hissed, and went to the door. He looked pointedly at Kristen. "Good to see you again, Ms Canning... or have you reverted to Cameron by now?" He threw her a smug look and left.

Taters was silent. "Cameron? Canning? What the hell is he saying? What's going on, Kristen?" Ramsey asked, turning to Kristen, who looked pale.

Kristen did an about turn and went back into the kitchen. Everyone else looked at each other uncomfortably, not sure what had just taken place. Frances wasn't sure if Kristen wanted to be alone.

"Thanks guys," she said haltingly. "Um. I guess... You know what? How about we just call it a day?" she looked at Tammy, not sure if it was her call to make. "And the whole owning the place thing I said earlier..." she trailed off uncomfortably.

"Oh, honey, that was brilliant what you said," Tammy said reassuringly. "And you do own this place."

"Yeah. And did you see that man's face?" Ramsey said lightly. "Maybe you should go check on Kristen."

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Liam asked, frowning slightly. "That man might come back."

"Good thing we've got that new security system then, huh?" Frances said with a small smile. "I don't think he'll some back. I think he already did what he came here to accomplish."

Liam studied Frances for a long moment, processing what she had just said. Then he nodded in agreement. "I think he did, too."

As the crew packed up to leave, Frances lingered in the restaurant, wondering if she should go out into the yard. Finally, she went in search of Kristen, hoping that she wouldn't be sent away.

"Hey," she said softly. Kristen was sitting on a milk crate, staring into space. Frances felt like she was intruding but she could not leave not knowing if Kristen needed her to stick around. "Do you mind if I join you or would you rather I not? I've sent everyone home," Frances said tentatively.

Kristen shrugged and Frances took that as a positive sign and sat down across from her on the grass. "So... what are you up to tonight?" Frances asked.

Kristen looked at her in surprise. She had expected hard grilling for what had transpired not so long ago. "Uh... nothing. What about you?"

Frances shrugged. "Nothing. Wanna hang for a bit? Drink, movie, dinner, maybe?"

Kristen finally smiled. Frances was not going to demand she answer to anything, or say anything that she didn't want to. "Yeah. Sounds good."

"Cool. It's cheap Tuesday. Do you have a Blockbuster card?"

Kristen looked amused. "No."

"Dammit! Let's go home and get a bill of yours to sign up. Oh, and what do you think about pizza? It's like, one for one night as well. What's so special about Tuesdays anyway?" Frances asked, frowning.

Kristen couldn't help but chuckle.

They ended up staying in when they got back to Russell's. Frances brought a few DVDs down from her room to choose from before insisting on making them dinner.

Her favourite stew would have taken too long, so she was making meatballs and yellow rice pilaf, another dish her Mum used to make frequently. Kristen smiled from her perch on the kitchen bench beside the stove as she watched Frances move around the kitchen, enjoying being cooked for. Frances had forbidden her to lift a finger, so she was sipping her glass of wine.

"You know, I'm having to lift my hand repeatedly in order to drink this glass of wine anyway, so I don't see your point," Kristen said in a mock serious voice.

Frances looked up at Kristen with narrowed eyes. "Are you getting lippy with someone who's making your food? Really? Do you really think that's the smart thing to do?"

Kristen rounded her eyes and smirked but did not comment. She absolutely loved this side of Frances. When Frances held out the wooden spoon for her to taste the sauce, Kristen leaned forward and took the tip of the spoon into her mouth. "Mm. Spicy." She caught the look of desire flash briefly across Frances face and smirked. "How did that simple act of tasting turn you on?" she asked in a low voice which she knew would turn Frances on.

Frances rolled her eyes as she returned her attention to her task on hand. "It's not what the act is. It's who's doing the act. And don't use that tone of voice with me, young lady. You know what happens when you do."

Kristen lifted a brow, feeling incredibly amused. She felt as though that few minutes spent with Edwin Richardson at Taters was a figment of her imagination. The feeling of distaste was a distant memory. "What happens exactly, Frances?" she pressed, in the same tone of voice.

When Kristen saw Frances' dimples showing, her own smile widened. Frances was refusing to look at her so she slid off the kitchen bench and placed her wine glass on the space that she had just occupied. "Frances... you do know that it's impolite to ignore someone, right?"

Frances held the wooden spoon in front of her, as though she was trying to ward Kristen off. "I'm trying to finish cooking our dinner, thank you very much!" But she let Kristen wrap her arms around her waist and pull their bodies close together. She rested her forearms on Kristen's shoulders, careful not to touch the spoon to Kristen's shirt. "Now you're trying to distract me and when dinner tastes bad, you're gonna blame me for not allowing you to help because you wouldn't have burnt the meatballs!"

Kristen sighed when their lips touched. She reached out a hand to turn the flame on the stove down. "They won't get burnt," she said softly before kissing Frances again, loving the playful smile on Frances lips. "I won't let that happen."

Frances rolled her eyes skyward. "Oh yeah, how can I forget? God is gracing my Dad's kitchen with her presence." She got another kiss for her comment.

"Gimme that spoon. I'll mind the meatballs, just in case," Kristen murmured, reaching for the wooden spoon.

Frances nuzzled Kristen's neck as she relinquished the utensil. "You're a kitchen nazi, you know that?"

"Me? No.... I'm just doing this for the greater good. This way, we can make out while dinner's cooking and dinner won't get burnt while we're making out," she said sensibly. Frances did not comment. She stroked Kristen's cheeks with her hands, loving the way Kristen had to tilt her head down ever so slightly to look at her. "When you look at me like that, though, I'm not sure I can keep this 'not let dinner get burnt' thing going for too long," Kristen murmured.

Frances smirked and brought their lips together once, twice, smiling, then a third time. She turned to the stove and rested her head against Kristen's chest, eyeing the meatballs in bubbling liquid. "Can we eat now, Chef?" She felt Kristen's chuckle vibrate through her frame.

"Why are you asking me? It's your creation."

"Yeah, but you're holding the fort now with the spoon and all, so it's your call. Taste?" Kristen dipped the spoon into the sauce and brought it to Frances' lips. "The meatball, Chef," Frances said, throwing a long suffering look at Kristen.

"Oh. I knew that," Kristen mumbled, splitting a meatball in half to see if it was cooked. "Looks good." Kristen brought the spoon back to Frances' lips with a portion of meatball balanced on it.

"Mm. Let's eat, I'm starving."

Kristen turned the stove off and placed the wooden spoon on the pan gently. "I think we should let it sit for a minute so the sauce can thicken slightly," she informed Frances with a nod and a sage look.

Frances smirked. "Oh, you do, do you?"

Kristen chuckled as she gazed at Frances. "Uh huh. I do cook for a living, you know."

Frances slid her arms around Kristen's neck and brought her face close for a kiss. "I like spending time with you." She thought she sounded a little breathless.

"Me too," Kristen murmured, sliding her hands into the back pockets of Frances' jeans. "I... think I need to tell you something about what happened this arvo at Taters," she continued, sounding a tad uncomfortable.

"Um." Frances' eyes flickered away from Kristen's face, then back. "Okay," she said slowly, pulling away from Kristen to lean back against the kitchen table. She had expected a talk of some sort but she didn't think that it would be this soon.

Kristen swallowed hard. "I own a small part of Canning & Cameron... and I was married to one of the other two people who own it."

Frances' eyes widened. "Married?" She hadn't meant to sound so incredulous but she was truly taken aback, more because it had never crossed her mind that anyone she was seeing might have been married before.

"Was," Kristen stressed hurriedly. "We're separated. I can only file for a divorce after a year of separation, so...." Kristen shrugged. At Frances' nod, Kristen continued. "And the other guy who owns the company... is my brother, Benjy. We kinda had a falling out. Jack... that's um, my ex, he and Benjy are best mates." It was the first time Kristen had spoken about Jack in such a manner and had felt nothing more than an oddness at hearing herself say his name.

"Okay, before you go on, I have to tell you... I'm not very good at D&M's," Frances said slowly. She saw Kristen peer fearfully into her eyes and cocked her head. "What?"

Kristen looked at Frances incredulously. "That's it? You're not angry? Not asking me why I changed my last name and lied to you guys?"

Frances was stumped. "Well, not really, no. Why should I be angry? I'd like to think that maybe you don't see the need to lie anymore about who you are to the rest of the crew, but that's your choice." She held Kristen's face in her hands. "You did what you felt you had to do. Why should anyone be angry at you? You didn't hurt anyone."

Kristen let out a breath of relief. "And I didn't want to be in that cooking competition because I didn't want all this to happen," she said quickly, thinking she might as well get it all out in one go.

"Oh. Okay. You didn't vandalise Taters to avoid the competition, did you?" Frances teased.

"What? Of course not!" Kristen exclaimed before realising that it was Frances' attempt at humour. It reminded her of the random thought she had the day they went in to Taters to take stock of the damages. "I was thinking, the time between the security alarm going off and the arrival of the police was too short for all that damage to have been done to the place. Someone who knows the security code might be behind it or helped in some way."

Frances looked skeptical and reached for her glass of wine. "That would be you, Ramsey, Tammy and Dad." She shook her head at Kristen. "It can't be any of you."

"Yeah, but someone close enough to any of us could get that code. I would have told you." Kristen's mind was racing with the possibilities.

Frances frowned. "Only because I'm my Dad's daughter."

Kristen paused, shrugged, and scratched her temple. "Okay... maybe you have a point there." She gazed at Frances with a small smile then. "Well, Russell's daughter, thank you for what you did today. I don't think I've had anyone stand up for me like that before. And that bit where you asked if he was deaf or stupid? That was gold," Kristen said, shaking her head.

Frances ducked her head, feeling embarrassed. "So, can we eat now?" she asked, flicking her eyes to the stove. She was hungry and eager to change the topic.

Kristen sighed loudly. "Fine, let's feed the monster."

"Oh good!" Frances said. "I get fed too since I'm dining with her!"

It never ceased to amaze Kristen just how quickly Frances delivered her smart ass comebacks. It was as though Frances had read a script prior to their interactions. Frances sat her down so that she could serve their dinner.

Kristen recalled the first time Frances had invited her over for supper. It felt like ages ago but in reality, only a few weeks had passed since then. She loved that Frances cooked to comfort--be it herself or the people she cared about. She felt fortunate to be included in that circle.

Frances looked at Kristen, waiting for her to start eating. Kristen tried a meatball first. "Mm. This is great. Was it just garlic, onion and tomato in this sauce?"

Frances smiled. "And chili."

Kristen rolled her eyes at herself. "Of course. I really like it. It's got a smokey flavour to it. How... oh, that's why you roasted the tomato and chili before hollowing them out."

"Eat, Chef," Frances said in an aggrieved tone. Then, smiling, she said, "I'm glad you like it."

34

Kristen was scribbling in her drawing pad with her stereo on. She had called up the image of Frances' tattoo and was trying to put it down on paper. Her mind wandered as she drew, flitting from the image of Frances to that of Jack. Not that long ago, she could not even call up his face without flinching, but now she felt... indifferent.

Indifference was a good feeling. It meant he could not hurt her anymore. Indifference was the absence of love.

A knock on her door shook her out of her reverie. Kristen put down her pencil and glanced at the clock. Frances and she hadn't made plans to meet that day but she supposed she wasn't opposed to surprise visits. She flung the door open with a smile on her face; it froze when she registered who the visitor was.

"Hey, Sis."

"Benjamin," Kristen said, surprised.

Benjamin Cameron looked uncomfortable. "You... haven't called."

Kristen bit back a bark of laughter at his inane comment. "No," she said in an even tone, "I haven't."

Benjamin cleared his throat. "Can I come in?"

Kristen stepped out of her flat and closed the door behind her softly. "I don't think that's a good idea." At the disappointed look on his face, her heart softened. "We can talk out here if you want. There's a hammock and some chairs over there," she said pointedly.

"All right. Sure thing." Benjamin scratched the back of his neck awkwardly as he trailed after his sister.

Kristen glanced at Russell's house, wondering if Frances was in. She took a seat in one of the chairs and Benjamin followed suit. Kristen eyed his starched black shirt, checkered shorts and leather loafers. Benjamin had always looked dapper. His styled hair was a shade lighter than hers; she briefly wondered if he had gone to the hair salon before looking her up.

"You look good," Benjamin said when he finally sat down in the chair facing hers. "You look a lot calmer."

Kristen snorted. "Calmer is right. I was off the rails when we saw each other last and even that wasn't good enough for you to take my side," she said bitterly.

Benjamin grimaced. "I'm sorry. I was a jerk. I didn't... I wasn't thinking. I didn't think you'd just leave without a trace. I tried looking for you."

"What for?" she asked guardedly.

"At first, to talk sense into you," Benjamin admitted haltingly. "And later... much later... to apologise." Kristen's felt a stab in her chest at his words. "You're right. I should have been on your side, no questions asked."

"What changed?" she asked, trying to keep her tone nonchalant.

Benjamin sighed. "He turned on me. Jack is trying to buy me out."

Kristen clenched her jaw. "Is that what made you change your mind?" She could not believe her ears. Her very own flesh and blood.... His betrayal should hurt more than Jack's infidelity did but for some reason, Kristen merely felt the dull sting of disappointment. She shot him a look of disdain. "You're unbelievable, Benjy. What do you want from me? My share of the company?"

"I know I have no right to ask anything of you..." Benjamin started saying.

"Save it," Kristen cut him off. "Get the required documents written up if you haven't already and I'll sign at the dotted lines. You can mail it to me, save yourself another trip down," Kristen said, getting up. Then she paused and shot him a frosty stare. "Or do you have them with you right now?"

Benjamin frowned. "It's not like that, Sis."

"Whatever. I have things to do. You can see yourself out, I'm sure." Kristen effectively blocked out anything that her brother said behind her and went back into her flat.

She shut her eyes briefly and took a deep breath. Then she exhaled and looked around. Everything in her flat was intact. Nothing had changed. Benjamin did not have a place in her new life and therefore nothing in it was affected by his appearance. It was slowly becoming clear that her past could not touch her now.

Frances heard the doorbell chime. Her heart leaped and she scrambled down the stairs.

"Dad!" she exclaimed in surprise when she opened the door. "What are you doing... why didn't you tell me... I could have gone and got you from the hospital!"

Russell grunted. "Forgot I don't have my keys on me," he grumbled.

Frances backed up to let her father enter the house. She felt like giving him a hug but he seemed rather unreceptive and it wasn't their normal behaviour anyway so she let the moment pass. "How are you?" she asked, trailing behind him. He didn't even let her help him with his bag.

"Tired."

"Do you want some tea?" Frances asked. She watched as he deposited his bag in the lounge room. Her mind was racing. He looked good physically. "Or a bath? I could run you a bath if you want. You should have told me that you were coming home today so I could tidy up your room -"

"Stop fussing, lass," Russell rumbled. Then he breathed out heavily. "I'm sorry, lass. My head's hurting and I don't mean to snap. It's good to be home," he said finally.

Frances smiled. "It's good to have you back, Dad."

"All right, go make us some tea. Maybe I'll feel better after I have some tea."

Frances was glad to occupy herself with the task of tea-making. She had so many questions to ask her father but she knew that it was probably the last thing he needed at the moment. Then she thought about Taters and the vandalism and wondered if she should tell him about that.

"How are you?"

Frances turned to Russell in surprise. "Good. I'm thinking of moving to Nell's soon. Her housemate's moving out and... I was thinking, if I'm gonna be living in Sydney, I should find a place of my own."

Russell grunted. "You can stay here for as long as you want."

"I know, Dad. And you know I'll come around heaps." What about Kristen--should she mention that she was seeing Kristen to her father? This was all too confusing. "I want to be around for you, Dad."

Russell remained silent. Frances pushed him his cup of tea and sat herself down at the table across from him. "I'll need help," he said finally, much to Frances' surprise. She had never heard her father speak this way before. "I'm sorry for not being a good father."

Frances felt tears welling up in her eyes at his words. "What? That's not true, Dad."

"Your mother left us and I didn't want to feel anything anymore. So I drank all the time."

Frances wiped at her eyes, aghast that she was actually crying. "And I went away. I'm sorry too, Dad. If I had stuck around...."

"If you had stuck around, I still would have drunk," Russell said ruefully. This was one of his steps to recovery: seeking amends from people whom he had hurt because of his habit. He didn't have a long list; his world consisted of only Frances, Taters, fishing and drinking.

Frances saw that he needed to make his peace and nodded.

"It's going to be a long, hard road for me," he said, drinking his tea. "But I'm going to try and make things right."

Frances gave him a watery smile and drank her own tea. They sat in companionable silence after that. Frances decided that she could wait until the next day to fill Russell in about everything that had happened. The doorbell chimed again and Frances jumped up nervously to get the door.

Once again, the person standing on the other side of the door was not Kristen.

The man standing on her doorstep looked to be in his early forties. He wore a white starched shirt under his grey blazer and pants. "Hello. You must be Miss Russell."

Frances lifted a brow. "Who's asking?"

The man stretched out a hand and flashed her an apologetic smile. "Forgive my rudeness. I'm Jack. Jack Canning."

35

Kristen was banging around the kitchen at Taters, trying to get back into the groove of working. Ramsey and she were at Taters prepping for their opening. At least it was taking her mind off other things, like Benjamin's unexpected visit.

"You know, Jaycee's holding the first of their cook offs tonight," Ramsey said conversationally.

"Huh."

"Kristen... I don't want to pry. I just want you to know that if you wanted to talk about that visit we had the other day, I'm here." Kristen bit her lower lip but did not stop cutting the cucumber. "Tammy and I, we're on your side. Don't ever forget that, all right?"

Kristen finally turned around. "That means a lot to me. Thank you."

Ramsey nodded. "And we reckon 'Black' is a much better last name than 'Canning' or 'Cameron'. Or 'Canning-Cameron'," he said lightly, eliciting a smile from Kristen. "Hey, maybe one day you'll think about changing it to 'Russell-Black'. Man, that actually sounds pretty cool."

Kristen rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Shut up."

"Well, you have good taste in women, that's all I can say."

Kristen returned to her prep, smiling. "I'm glad I've got your stamp of approval," she said wryly. Her mobile buzzed then and her smile widened when she saw who the caller was. She went out into the yard to take the call.

"Russell's back," Kristen informed Ramsey when she returned to the kitchen.

Ramsey looked up in surprise. "Was that him?"

Kristen shook her head. "Frances. He showed up at home. Just like him to not tell anyone anything," she commented, shaking her head. "She was wondering if we could drop by with Tammy tomorrow. She hasn't told him about what happened to Taters yet."

Ramsey frowned. "Yeah, sure. I'll call Tammy. Russell's not going to like it."

Kristen shrugged. "Wait till we tell him that his knives are gone too."

Ramsey groaned loudly. "Shit! It's not gonna be pretty. Maybe we should bring raincoats."

Kristen snorted. "More like bulletproof vests."

The small Taters crew huddled in Russell's kitchen, watching Russell fearfully as he processed what he had just been told in silence. Kristen's eyes landed on Frances, who was looking a little frazzled and distracted. She wondered what was up.

"I should have been here," Russell said finally. "Thank you for sticking around," he said gruffly, not quite meeting anyone's eyes.

"Oh, Russell. Like we would have left," Tammy said gently. Then she took an uneasy breath. "The insurance company called me today. I think we have a little problem." All eyes fell on Tammy when she said that.

"They're beating around the bush but I get the feeling they think it was an inside job," Tammy said, her eyes darting around the room nervously.

"What!" Russell roared before Kristen and Ramsey could do the same.

"They knew about your accident and the fine that you incurred, Russell," Tammy said in a small voice.

"As if I'd tear up my restaurant to pay off that sum of money!" Russell needed a drink so much then that he shook. Frances swallowed hard from her spot by the kitchen sink. She was the only one who wasn't seated.

"Actually I was thinking the same thing," Kristen started. All eyes swung on her then. "Not that any one of us here did it," she said hurriedly. "But between the alarm going off and the cops arriving at the scene, there was too little time for all that damage to be done." Frances met her eyes then and Kristen frowned when Frances looked away quickly.

"How many of us know the security code to Taters?" Ramsey asked, looking around. "There's all of us...."

"Liam does," Tammy said suddenly. "I gave it to him to open up once."

"And there's Doug," Ramsey said, shrugging. "That chef you hired with me, Russell, remember? But that was so long ago." Ramsey scratched his chin. "I don't think any of us here would do anything of the sort."

"I don't think it was Liam," Tammy said hesitantly, feeling like she had to defend him somehow.

The silence that ensued was awkward. "Let's just focus on the problem at hand. Are we able to afford all the damages if the insurance company decides not to pay us out?"

Tammy handed a bunch of papers and receipts to Russell. "I've got all the expenses here," she said.

Russell sighed as he took the documents from Tammy. He pushed his chair back. "I'll have a look at them. Then we'll talk again." He lumbered out of the room abruptly, leaving everyone else to look at each other.

"It's getting late," Ramsey said. "And I need a drink," he continued, in a softer tone. "Want a ride home, Tammy?"

After they left, Kristen looked at Frances uncertainly. "Hey," she said softly.

Frances gave Kristen a half smile. "Hey."

"How're you doing?" Frances shrugged. Kristen could not help but suspect that there was something Frances wasn't saying but she didn't want to push. "How's your Dad?" she asked instead, attempting to tread on safe territory.

Another shrug. "You saw. He's back to his old self, sans the drink."

"He didn't even flinch when we told him about his knives," Kristen commented. "Ramsey and I were expecting an explosion of some sort."

"Maybe he's exploding in his room, who knows," Frances murmured distractedly, moving to pick up all everyone's used cups.

Kristen frowned. "You don't seem okay. Did something happen?"

"I'm sorry. I... need to think," Frances said vaguely. She went over to the sink and began filling it up with hot, soapy water.

"What about?" Kristen asked, confused.

"Stuff. Moving out. Dad. Taters. Us."

Kristen's frown deepened. "What about us?"

"Can I talk to you when I'm ready?" Frances felt caged. "I can't do this right now." Kristen felt a shiver of fear. She went to stand beside Frances, needing to know that everything was all right. She didn't speak. After a long while, Frances stopped washing up and gazed at Kristen. "I'm not good at this," she said finally.

"At what? Washing up? You're a dishpig," Kristen said weakly.

Frances looked down at her soapy hands. She didn't even crack a smile. "Your husband came here yesterday afternoon, shortly after Dad got home."

Kristen's eyes narrowed and her stomach lurched uneasily. "Jack? What did he want?"

"Can we do this another time? Please? I need to think," Frances said again.

Kristen sighed. "Okay," she said in defeat. Her mind was racing with all the possibilities and none of them was good. She leaned closer and pressed her lips to Frances' dark head, heartened that the woman did not pull away from her when she did so. Then she left Frances to her thoughts.

36

Kristen thought she would go out of her mind wondering what Jack wanted with Frances. It angered her that he had looked Frances up. He was already creating trouble for her even though he hadn't made any contact with her.

She tried to think about what she had with Frances and what Frances had come to mean to her. Whatever this was, she did not want to lose it. When had things become this complicated? Not too long ago, she only had her work and art. Now, she could not and did not want to imagine her life without Frances in it.

Kristen was not used to not being in control. When things had spun out of control in her marriage, she had left. When Benjamin had disappointed her, she had closed up and ceased contact with him. With no facts, however, Kristen had nothing to work on. She could not plan her next course of action, and that shook her.

She was back to square one: what did Jack want with Frances? And when was Frances going to let her in? Knowing Frances, it could be hours--days even. Kristen hated not knowing. It frustrated her. So she did the next best thing. She called her brother.

Benjamin Cameron had always felt charmed in life. Kristen and he had lost their parents when they were much younger and had lived with their Nan ever since. Being five years older than he was, Kristen had always taken care of him. He had travelled around the world before he had turned twenty five.

Benjamin had made fast friends with a much older and worldlier Jack during his travels. Jack had come with Benjamin to Australia bringing nothing but his backpack and his winsome personality. The moment Jack had laid eyes on Kristen, he had pursued her with a single minded conviction that someday, she would be his wife. Theirs was a passionate relationship that had started and ended with the same explosiveness.

When Kristen had left without a trace, Benjamin had felt betrayed. Thinking back, he could not help feeling ashamed. Kristen had every right to never want to see him again. So when Kristen had called to ask for a meeting, Benjamin jumped at the chance to remedy things.

Benjamin finished his double shot espresso nervously. He was early. Just as he was getting up to order himself a flat white, he saw Kristen walk in. He waved her over.

"I was just going to order another coffee," he said by way of greeting. "What would you like?"

Kristen automatically said, "Soy latté."

Benjamin nodded and went to place their order. When he got back, Kristen was playing with a packet of sugar. He sat down and gave her a small smile. "How are you going?"

Kristen replied with a question of her own. "What's going on?"

Benjamin sighed inwardly. It was just like Kristen to skip all the small talk and jump into the heart of the matter. "What do you mean?"

"You and Jack. What's going on? Why are both of you here?" Kristen demanded to know.

"Jack's here?" Benjamin was truly surprised. "I didn't know... I'm here because of you."

Kristen narrowed her eyes. "How did you know I was here? How did you find me? Did Richardson tell you?"

Benjamin frowned. "No. I told you, I was looking for you. I hired a private investigator and he tracked you here. I didn't want to foil any plans you might have at not being found, so I was biding my time before looking you up. My source told me that Richardson located you. That must be why Jack's here too."

"Your source? Who's your source? What the hell is going on, Benjy?"

Benjamin sighed. "Jack's trying to buy me out of the company. Now that he knows where you are, he's probably trying to get your share of the company," Benjamin said with a shrug. "Have you seen him?" Kristen shook her head. "Then how do you know that he's here?"

"He looked up... he looked my girlfriend up," she replied, using the terminology for the first time.

"Frances," Benjamin supplied, nodding.

Kristen frowned. "How the hell... Right. Your source." Kristen added sugar to her coffee and stirred it absently. "What does he want with her?"

Benjamin shrugged. "No idea. Her Dad owns Taters, so he might have a plan to get to you through the restaurant."

Kristen did not know what to believe but she didn't think that Benjamin was lying to her. She felt off balance that he knew so many details about her new life. "I really don't give a shit about my share of the company," she said finally. "I just want to be left alone. I want Taters to be left alone."

Benjamin looked sorry. "Maybe you should just look Jack up and tell him that he can have your share of the company in exchange for being left alone," he suggested.

"Huh. And let him run the company? Isn't that what you don't want?" Kristen asked suspiciously.

"I was selfish. So you have every right to not help me," Benjamin said, trying not to sound sullen. "I know you're mad at me and I am sorry for what I did--or didn't do. But I bust my balls for the company and I hate the way he's turning it into an acquisition firm."

Kristen pinched the bridge of her nose. She was starting to form a picture of what was happening but she still wasn't getting any concrete answers.

"Why don't you just ask Frances what he wanted?" Benjamin was curious.

"I... Don't say her name like you know her," Kristen snapped.

Benjamin rolled his eyes. "Then what am I supposed to call her? Miss Russell?" he asked incredulously. Kristen did not answer. She did not know what to say. "Well?" Benjamin pressed.

"She won't tell me. She does this hiding thing. It's how she copes," Kristen said finally, remember how Frances had put it when she was explaining about her disappearance after Russell was admitted to rehab. She drank her coffee, feeling deflated. "That's why I called you. I wanted some answers. But it seems like you're just as much in the dark as I am about what Jack wants."

Benjamin shook his head. "Oh, I know what Jack wants, all right. He wants the company. And you."

Kristen threw Benjamin a skeptical look. "Me? Jack doesn't want me. It's over between us." She had never said it out loud before but as the words tumbled out of her mouth, she knew them to be true. She could not even imagine being anywhere close to the man, much less being married to him.

"He says you're the love of his life," Benjamin said.

Kristen snorted. "So he goes out and cheats on the love of his life and tries to buy her brother out of a company that they started together? He hasn't even looked me up. He just wants C&C."

"I don't know, Sis. I just don't want to lose everything that I've worked for all these years. And I don't want to lose you either."

"Well it's too late for that, isn't it?" Kristen said, knowing that she sounded bitter. "Right now I'd give up my share of the company to have my life back. And that means you'll lose everything you want."

Benjamin swallowed and his voice turned hard. "You'd choose a woman over your own brother?"

Kristen looked incredulous. "There is no choice, Benjamin. And I didn't abandon you. You abandoned me when I needed you most," she all but choked out. She was furious. "And now you come into my life again and make all these demands of me? I don't owe you anything!"

Benjamin nodded, his countenance stony. "Fine."

"This conversation is over. Have a good life, Benjy." Kristen got up and threw a five dollar bill on the table. "You can keep the change." She stalked out. Benjamin scrunched up the five dollar bill angrily and slammed it into her half finished cup of coffee.

That had gone well.

37

Her new room looked sparse. Frances glanced around desolatedly and flopped onto her bare bed. She had moved into Nell's that afternoon, thinking that some physical space might help. In a way, it did. She felt removed from the situation and therefore less panicked.

She wasn't lying when she had told Kristen that she wasn't good at this. The moment she felt overwhelmed, her first instincts were to flee.

Jack Canning had been polite--friendly even, throughout their conversation. His offer was clear and simple. Somehow or other, he had caught wind of the insurance company's reluctance to pay her father out; maybe he even had a hand in it, she wasn't sure. In exchange for Taters to be out of debt, Jack had wanted her to leave Kristen.

He still loved her. And by law, she was still married to him. He wanted to work on their marriage. He did not want to give her up.

Frances wasn't sure how she had managed to get caught up in something like this in the short time that she had been back, but here she was, in the middle of someone's idea of a big joke. She hadn't known what to say to Jack. She could not fault him for wanting to fight for Kristen. She just wasn't sure where she stood in all this.

"Knock knock!"

Frances looked up and her face relaxed into a small smile when she saw Nell. "Hey."

"How're you going, darl? I got us some takeaway for dinner if you're hungry."

Frances shook her head. "I'm good. I... I was just thinking."

Nell nodded. "Should I leave you alone?"

Frances had called her up, asking if she could come over after work to help her move. One look at her friend's face and Nell knew not to ask. She knew that Russell was back but that was it. A part of Nell wondered if something had happened between Kristen and Frances.

"No, actually, I'd love some company. Just not in here, though. Let's go out on the veranda," Frances suggested.

They went out on the veranda with smokes and cups of tea. Frances blew out a breath as she took in her new home's quiet surroundings. Mellow leaped down from the brick wall and walked over to join them on the couch. Frances smiled, reaching out a finger to run through short ginger fur.

"Okay, do you wanna talk about it?" Nell asked finally.

Frances shook her head. "What have you been up to?"

Nell shrugged. "Same old. Work, jam, attend workshops... Oh yeah, Andrea and Teagan just bought a house!"

Frances lifted a brow and smiled. "True! That's a big step. They've been together a while now though, hey." Mellow mewed and went to look for something more interesting to do. Frances sank back into the couch and pulled her knees closer to her chest.

Nell nodded, sipping her tea. "That's commitment for ya." She looked over at Frances. "Did you have a fight with Kristen or did you guys break up or something?" she asked abruptly.

Frances looked surprised. "What? No, we... we're not even..." Frances frowned. She had wanted to say that Kristen and she weren't even together, but it wouldn't be true. "No, we didn't break up." She glanced at Nell's questioning look. "We didn't have a fight either." Frances drank her tea and stared at the darkening sky. "A few things have happened, is all. You know how I'm like."

"You're vague, that's what you are," Nell said with a sigh.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you just what's been happening," Frances mumbled. It sounded like a script from a movie in her head.

"Try me," Nell said adamantly. She sidled closer to Frances and touched her cheek. "You know you can tell me anything, right? Cos' I'm always on your side."

Frances smiled as she turned to her friend. "Yeah. Well." Frances took a deep breath. "Dad's restaurant might be in more trouble because the insurance company might not pay him out. Kristen's... soon-to-be ex-husband looked me up and wants me to leave her in exchange for helping Dad out of this situation. And I'm afraid that Dad's gonna start drinking again because of everything that's happened in his absence."

Nell looked incredulous. "Are you pulling my leg?"

Frances saw her friend's expression and began laughing. "No... That's the sad bit. It's all real."

"Kristen was married?"

Frances nodded, exchanging a look with Nell. "I know."

Nell shook her head. "Well tell her ex to go to hell because it's Kristen's choice who she wants to be with. Your Dad will sort his shit out. Otherwise it's just money, really. You guys'll pull through, I'm sure of it. You have friends. And in reaction to fearing that your Dad'll start drinking again, you move out? Really?"

Frances stared at Nell for a moment. "I'm terrible, aren't I?"

"You're an escapist. It's not that I think moving out is a bad idea but really, you could have chosen a better time, darl," Nell said reproachfully.

"There would never be a good time though," Frances tried defending herself. Then she grabbed her head with her hands. "I do this all the time. I panic and I run. But running gives me space and I stop panicking," she tried to reason.

Nell shrugged. "Different strokes for different folks. Some people might think that talking about it with the people involved might prevent a lot of unnecessary angst. And some people might be waiting for you to stop running and talk to them about what's happening? I don't think you stopped long enough to tell Kristen that her ex looked you up?"

"Hey, that I did."

"What about the reason why?" Nell pressed. Frances bit her lip and shook her head to that. "So she's probably freaking out right now. Waiting. For you. To stop panicking and talk to her."

Frances groaned. "Why do you make so much sense? I am such a screw up!"

"Fix it."

Kristen pottered around her flat listlessly. She felt hopeless and useless. Russell had mentioned that Frances had moved to Nell's; she was hurt that Frances hadn't even thought it important to tell her that she was leaving. Kristen drained her glass of red wine and refilled it immediately. She wasn't sure how her life had changed to drastically in such a short period of time.

When the knock on her door came, Kristen was half afraid that it might be Jack on the other side of it. Then she took a deep breath and decided that if it was indeed Jack, maybe she would get some answers from him. She stalked to her door and flung it open. Her breath caught when she saw Frances.

"Hey," she said. All the anger and purpose in her flowed out with the word.

Frances took Kristen's face in her hands and pressed their lips together, pushing Kristen back into her flat. Kristen's eyes widened for a split second at the unexpected action but Frances' lips were so soft and her body was so warm that Kristen could do nothing but reciprocate the kiss.

Frances backed Kristen against the wall, kissing her hungrily, like her life depended on it. She felt Kristen's arms snake around her and she sighed into their kiss. Kristen smelled so good and tasted like wine. Frances lost herself in the kiss and her hands began wandering. She dragged her nails down Kristen's back, thrilling at the hiss that she elicited with the act. Her hands slid under Kristen's white T-shirt and roamed upwards until deft fingers unclasped a bra. She trailed her hands around Kristen's body and slipped them under loose bra cups to mould smooth, perfect breasts.

Kristen moaned into Frances' mouth when she felt Frances' hand on her breasts. She had had so many questions that she had wanted to ask Frances but right now, she could not even call a single one to mind.

Frances steered them towards Kristen's room. She ripped Kristen's shirt off wordlessly before pushing her onto the bed. Emboldened by the look of lust in Kristen's eyes, Frances climbed onto the bed herself and backed Kristen up until she was against the wall. She relieved Kristen of her bra and, with the aid of her hands, took both of Kristen's nipples into her mouth in one swift motion.

"Ah, fuck...." Kristen growled as she arched her back.

Frances grazed her teeth against the sensitive nubs, moaning deep in her throat. She dragged her nails down Kristen's torso, only coming to a halt at the waistband of Kristen's jeans. She made quick work of the unbuttoning and slid herself down Kristen's body to divest the woman of her jeans and knickers. With every additional bit of exposed flesh, Frances' breath hitched. She sunk her teeth into delectable flesh and dragged her mouth down the length of Kristen's leg.

Kristen's head was reeling and her breaths were coming out in short spurts. She wanted Frances to touch her everywhere.

Frances crawled back up Kristen's body and proceeded to unbutton the vest that she had on slowly, not taking her eyes from Kristen's. She flung the article of clothing onto the floor and sank her teeth into a luscious breast, eliciting a fierce groan from Kristen.

Separating Kristen's legs with her knee, Frances covered Kristen's centre with her hand, whimpering at the soft heat. Kristen sucked in a breath at the intimate contact. "Frances..." she husked out, lifting a hand up to let Frances' hair loose. She sighed as she tangled her hand in long, dark, wavy tresses.

"God, you feel so good..." Frances whispered hotly in Kristen's ear as she coated her fingers with Kristen's wetness. "You are so wet... I could take you right now, fill you up and fuck you senseless. Is that how you want it? Hard and rough?" Kristen shuddered and moaned at the sound of Frances' voice. Her mind was split between trying to comprehend what Frances was saying and the sensations that were going through her body.

Frances bit down on the tender flesh between Kristen's neck and shoulder and rammed her fingers into the writhing body beneath hers, smiling ferally at the sharp intake of breath and the loud moans that followed when she started moving in and out of Kristen. She rubbed her thumb against Kristen's intimate spot and Kristen's eyes flew open at the contact.

"Oh, fuck, yes."

Frances had one hand on Kristen's breast and the other moving deep within her. She took Kristen's other nipple between her teeth and bit down gently, making Kristen arch up and into her. Kristen held onto Frances as she moved wildly, wanting more of Frances on her, in her, consuming her, setting her aflame.

Frances lifted her face to watch Kristen. Her heart was racing and she was panting. Her own throbbing centre was rubbing against her shorts and Kristen's thigh. Lust clouded her and she had to stop herself from ripping Kristen's flesh with her teeth.

"I love fucking you," Frances growled into Kristen's ear.

Kristen felt another rush of wetness at Frances' words and she whimpered helplessly as she moved against Frances.

"I want to tear you up and put you back together. I want to rip into you and stay in you forever," Frances rambled on feverishly, caught up in the moment.

Kristen gasped. The combination of Frances' words and voice with the sensations that Frances' actions were causing in her was too much. Her over stimulated body went taut and she felt herself falling. She buried her face in Frances' neck, breathing in her scent as she held onto her.

When Kristen opened her eyes again, she was still breathing heavily and in quick spurts. The aftershocks of her orgasm thrummed through her body. Frances' head was resting in the crook of her shoulder and Kristen could feel a hot dampness on her thigh.

"What was that?" she asked shakily.

Frances lifted her face. "That was me missing you," she murmured softly, stroking Kristen's cheek gently. "Did I hurt you?"

Kristen shook her head and she blew out a breath. "I missed you too." She looked into Frances' dark eyes, wondering what the woman had come to mean to her. When Frances smiled, revealing her dimples, Kristen felt her heart melt.

Frances nuzzled Kristen's neck before placing a kiss on it. She hadn't planned on doing this; she wasn't sure what she had planned on doing when she had come over to see Kristen but her instincts had taken over the instant she had laid eyes on Kristen, looking so beautiful at the door. She wasn't good at D&M's; she hoped that Kristen could know how she felt through her actions.

"I'm just glad you're here," Kristen murmured, combing her fingers through Frances' hair.

"I am too," Frances said finally. It felt right, being here. Her eyes fell shut. "I'm sorry I freak out and disappear sometimes. I'll try and work on that... because I want to be with you."

Kristen's lips curved up and she pulled Frances closer. She trailed her fingers down a warm, smooth back, reveling in the feel of the touch. She could feel Frances' lips moving against her neck. Frances' presence kept her insecurities at bay.

"Touch me."

Kristen's breath hitched at the soft request. "I am touching you."

"Touch me here." Frances pulled Kristen's hand to her breast. "And all over," she husked out, needing to feel Kristen everywhere. She lifted her face for a kiss and was met halfway by Kristen. "I love the way you touch me," she breathed out when they pulled apart.

"I am so crazy about you," Kristen murmured, kissing her way down Frances' neck.

Frances moaned when Kristen's lips touched her nipple and her eyes fluttered shut. She stopped thinking about what was right and wrong and simply... felt.

38

They lay wrapped up in each other. Frances smiled even before she was fully awake, feeling safe in their tangled limbs. She knew that there were things to be said but right now she was content.

Her eyes fluttered open and sought Kristen's face immediately. She trailed a finger down a smooth cheek and pressed her lips to Kristen's full ones softly. "I love you," she whispered to the still slumbering Kristen.

Kristen was having the nicest dream. Her skin was tingling. Whatever was happening to her, she was happy to let continue. She released a soft moan, half fearing that the sensations would disappear the moment she opened her eyes, so she left them closed. When she felt a comfortable weight settle on her as she was pushed onto her back, however, she knew that she wasn't just dreaming.

"What are you doing?" Kristen murmured huskily, her voice heavily laced with sleep.

"Just trying to get comfortable," Frances answered, trailing soft kisses down Kristen's body.

"Mm. You're making me very uncomfortable, though," Kristen said, smiling. Frances stopped what she was doing and rested her head on Kristen's chest. "I didn't say to stop," Kristen said, opening her eyes finally.

Frances smiled. She traced Kristen's shoulder with her finger. "Maybe we should talk."

Kristen lifted a brow as she peered at the dark head resting on her chest. "Talk? You? Never!" she teased, chuckling when Frances scratched down her waist in response.

"I know 'sorry' is just a word," Frances started haltingly, jumping straight into it before she lost her nerve or changed her mind. "And words don't have to mean anything. I can't even promise that it'll never happen again because, knowing me, it would. But I'm going to try and let you in... when I panic... or feel overwhelmed." Kristen was silently stroking her hair. "And if I can't do that, I hope you can trust that I just need time and space, that it's got nothing to do with how much you mean to me. And that... I'll... I'll always come back to you."

Frances lifted her head so that she could see Kristen's face. She always felt uncomfortable broaching on sensitive topics. She took a deep breath. "And you do, you know, mean a lot to me. I just wanted you to know that."

"Thank you," Kristen murmured, smiling when Frances kissed her cheek. "I think I needed to hear that."

"And for the record, I don't like talking about how I feel all the time so..." Frances trailed off, biting a tender spot on Kristen's neck and smiling wickedly when Kristen yelped softly. "Whatever you've heard about stereotypical lesbian relationships, get it out of your head now."

"Oh, is this what it is? A relationship?" Kristen asked, unable to keep the full blown smile from invading her face. "I have to think about this."

"Too late, Chef. It is what it is," Frances murmured, catching an ear lobe between her teeth.

"Your last relationship," Kristen rasped out, trying to pull away from Frances and keep her talking, "Tell me about your last relationship." Frances had been vague when she had asked her about it what felt like so long ago, at Gordons Bay.

Frances blew out a breath. "Um. It's Nell, I guess."

Kristen lifted a brow. "You guess?"

Frances smirked. "Yeah, well, I dunno, I've been with people since then but... I don't think I'd call any of them my girlfriend or anything," she mumbled.

"Okay. Tell me about it then. You and Nell," Kristen said, shifting so that she was in a more comfortable position.

Frances scratched her face. "There's not much to tell. I love her to death. She's my best friend." She shifted when Kristen did, sliding off Kristen so that most of her weight was on the bed. "We would still hook up from time to time after we had broken up."

"Why did it end?"

"Oh, I don't know. There's never just one thing, is there? Well, it wasn't just one thing with us anyway. It was the way she was, the way I am... there never was any real ending. Does that make sense?" Frances wrinkled her nose. "It's easier to try and speculate what wasn't right about it now, but it wouldn't mean anything. It just didn't work."

"So it still might? One day?"

Frances frowned. "One day I might marry a man. One day I might strike the lottery. One day I might decide that I look better blonde."

Kristen began chuckling. "You are so good at not taking responsibility for anything, aren't you? Just let life take its course. You're not responsible, no."

"No, I..." Frances bit her lip and rolled her eyes. "Fine. You wanna know why it didn't work? We were younger. We wanted to see more of the world. We wanted to experience things independently. We wanted to sleep with other people. We loved each other... still do, and I guess a part of us thought that we'd always find each other again, somewhere down the track."

Frances took a breath and tried to look for the right words. "Maybe I'm a little older now. Maybe I've learnt how it feels like to lose someone important to me." She pushed her hair over her shoulder as she considered her next words. "I love Nell, but we can't go back anymore. Because... whatever I might have thought I wanted with her... I now want with you."

Kristen was rendered speechless by Frances' declaration. When she finally found her tongue, she said, "Don't go blonde. I don't think it's your colour."

Frances snickered, nuzzling Kristen's neck, relieved by the change of topic. "Oh, I don't know. I think I'd look pretty hot no matter what colour my hair is."

"Like the rainbow coloured hair you used to have?" Kristen teased, laughing when Frances stared at her in surprise. "Your Dad mentioned it... some time ago."

Frances narrowed her eyes. "I'll have you know that I pulled a lot of chicks during that time."

"Ooh. Maybe they were just attracted to someone who could give absolutely no regard to how they looked."

"Hey!" Frances scrambled onto a grinning Kristen. "You're having way too much fun taking the piss outta me."

Kristen was chuckling when she combed her fingers through Frances' dark hair. "I love your hair," she said, smiling indulgently at the petulant look on Frances' face. "It is hot and sexy. You are hot and sexy."

Frances lowered her face to Kristen's. "Good answer. Keep on going."

"I love your smile, your dimples, your scent, your body, your skin... I love that you're a smart mouth..." Kristen yelped playfully when Frances bit her gently for the comment. Then she could not think anymore because Frances was kissing her way down her body, distracting her with the sensations that she was creating with her lips. "Oh..."

"Keep going if you want me to keep going," Frances murmured.

"You're trying to kill me," Kristen protested weakly.

Frances paused and smiled wickedly. "About that..." She climbed up Kristen's length, grabbing her wrists on her way to hold over Kristen's head. She loved how Kristen's eyes were dark with arousal. "I think we should try something that I've been fantasizing about."

"What's that?" Kristen breathed out, her heart racing.

"How do you feel about... being tied up?"

Russell stared at the papers strewn all over his table. He was definitely in some trouble financially if the insurance company decided not to pay him out. Taters had lost a fair bit of money staying shut for over a week and he wanted to compensate the crew for their time spent on cleaning up and renovating Taters. There was also the hefty drink driving fine to think about.

Russell sighed. When it rains, it pours.

Taters was reopening the next day and he did not want this hanging over everyone's heads longer than it had to.

The knock on his door surprised him out of his reverie. "Frances?" he called out before rolling his eyes at himself. Of course it had to be Frances; she was the only person other than himself with keys to the house.

The door pushed open. "Hey Dad."

"What are you doing here?" Russell asked, then cleared his throat. "Not that it's not okay," he mumbled gruffly.

"I was wondering if you wanted to grab a bite to eat. With me."

Russell wasn't hungry at all but he could not reject spending time with his daughter. "I'll get changed."

"I'll be downstairs," Frances said with a smile that made Russell sigh. "Don't take too long, Dad! I'm starving!" she called out on her way down to the lounge room. Russell shook his head, smiling.

"Where are we going?" Russell asked when Frances and he strolled down the street.

"I was thinking of having Thai," Frances said, biting her cheek. "I know this place in Glebe. Shall we go there?"

"All the way to Glebe for dinner?" Russell asked, frowning. "How do we get there?" He hated not having his car. He had had his Volkswagen for longer than he could remember. The thought of it all smashed up made him sad.

Frances smirked at her father. "There is such a thing called public transport, Dad. Come on. You won't regret it. They have this stuffed king prawn entreé that's to die for," Frances said, getting more and more excited about her choice. Russell smiled indulgently at his daughter but did not comment. "Oh, and Dad? I found a job teaching English four days a week."

"That's good." Amidst everything that had happened, he hadn't had the time to fully absorb the fact that Frances was going to be around. The knowledge heartened him.

"So, uh, if anything happens to Taters, you'll have me to support you," Frances said half jokingly. This was the first time she was bringing Taters up with her father since his return from the rehab program.

Russell frowned. "You don't have to worry about my wellbeing. Just take care of yourself," he said gruffly. He was her parent, after all.

"I will, Dad. I just want you to know that you can count on me too. You're not on your own," Frances said, feeling slightly awkward but wanting her father to know that she was there for him.

Russell did not answer but for the first time in a long time, he did not feel alone.

39

Frances was jolted awake by her ringing mobile. She fumbled for the gadget and cracked open an eye to see who the caller was. Her head registered the time and she sat up on her bed quickly, realising she had overslept. Kristen was probably calling from outside the house. She scrambled off the bed and went to the door.

"Hey, sleepyhead," Kristen greeted, smiling indulgently at Frances' rumpled appearance.

Frances smiled blearily, pulling Kristen into her room. All the blinds were drawn so everything was painted grey. Kristen could detect the scent of sandalwood. "Sorry I overslept. We stayed out pretty late last night after Nell's gig."

"I could go, let you sleep," Kristen offered, pulling Frances into a hug. The lingering trace of sandalwood on Frances skin made her breathe in deeper. "You smell nice."

Frances smiled, sighing in the embrace. She could get used to having Kristen this close to her all the time. "I want you here. But do you mind if I sleep for another fifteen minutes?" Without waiting for an answer, Frances pulled Kristen onto her bed with her.

"You can do whatever you want," Kristen murmured, running a hand through Frances' hair after they settled into a comfortable position.

"Mm, true?" Frances asked in a low, lazy voice, sneaking a hand under Kristen's top to trail up a warm torso. Frances shifted closer to Kristen, placing her face in the crook of her neck and inhaling her warm, clean smell.

Kristen hummed softly at the touch and her lips curved up. "I thought you wanted to sleep."

"I do." Kristen could feel Frances smile against her neck. "But having you in bed with me makes me want to do other things as well."

"Not that I'm complaining but..." Kristen shifted and Frances opened her eyes. "Are you always like this?"

Frances trailed her finger down Kristen's face as she took in her features. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind Kristen's ear. Up close, Kristen looked even more beautiful. "Like what?" Frances' gaze stopped on Kristen's lips. She liked the way they curved up, moved and sometimes reveal the tips of Kristen's teeth when she smiled.

"So..." Kristen looked for the right word. "Amorous."

Frances bit her lower lip and narrowed her eyes as she considered her answer. "Only with certain people." She leaned forward to place a lingering kiss on Kristen's lips. "You just happen to be one of them," she said as she pulled away.

They were speaking in low, secretive tones even though there was no one else in the house. Being this close to Kristen sent faint tingles through Frances. Her room and the sheets felt cool; she snuggled closer to Kristen, twining their legs together under the doona.

Kristen looked amused. "Huh. Who are the others?"

"Oh, you know, one or two other girls I have on the side... like the one who was here last night..." Frances said playfully, yelping when Kristen poked her side. "She had claws, I tell you," Frances continued, giggling at the arched look that Kristen was giving her. "Conversation wasn't very good though. She could only mew and purr."

"You were getting amorous with a cat?" Kristen asked, touching her nose to Frances'. "Should I be worried?"

"Oh yeah," Frances breathed out. Kristen's hand was doing some wandering of its own. "I'm really starting to like sleeping with Mellow..." she trailed off, chuckling when Kristen's light touch tickled. "She doesn't snore, unlike someone..."

Kristen growled and nipped at Frances' shoulder lightly. "I do not snore."

"Uh huh. Keep telling yourself that, lady," Frances teased, catching Kristen's lips with her own. Kristen moaned and pulled away.

"I don't, do I?" she asked, feeling a little self-conscious.

Frances bit back a laugh at the look on Kristen's face. "Baby, there's nothing wrong with snoring. I snore when I'm tired. But no, you don't snore. I was just teasing. Now come back here." She pressed the length of her body into Kristen's, liking the way their bodies seemed to fit so well together. She traced Kristen's lips with a finger. "You are so beautiful."

"Thank you," Kristen whispered, her eyes falling on Frances' smiling lips.

"Even on the occasions when you do snore," Frances added wickedly before squealing and bucking from the bed when Kristen tickled her mercilessly.

"Stop, stop, please," Frances begged, trying to breathe.

Frances hated being so ticklish; it was an unfair disadvantage. She swallowed, trying to calm her racing heart, and registered the new position that they were in. The back of her head and shoulders were pressed against the bed's headboard, with Kristen's body wedged snugly between her legs.

Frances wound a hand around Kristen's neck as they shared a smile, feeling as though the world outside of her room had fallen away. Leaning forward the same time Kristen did, their lips met and their eyes fell closed. Frances felt the familiar tingle of arousal through her body as their kiss deepened and she moaned in her throat. The fabric of her t-shirt suddenly felt scratchy against her sensitised skin.

Frances broke the kiss after long moments, trying to gather her thoughts. "What did you wanna do today?" she asked in a husky tone. She stroke Kristen's cheek softly as she searched her face. "Cos' if you wanted to do something other than have sex, we have to stop right now."

Kristen's green eyes was dark with intent and her voice was low, sending sparks of desire through Frances. "Oh, we're not stopping."

Kristen and Frances had just enough time to do some grocery shopping before Kristen had to go in to Taters. Kristen snuck a peek at Frances, who was barefoot as usual, looking carefree in a red summer dress. Her damp dark hair fell past her shoulders in gentle waves.

"What are you looking at?" Frances asked, shooting Kristen a teasing look.

"My hot girlfriend," Kristen replied, her lips twitching. She enjoyed the blush that crept up Frances' face at her reply. Then she blushed herself when Frances pressed a kiss onto her cheek quite unexpectedly.

"Frances?"

Kristen and Frances whipped their heads around at the same time at the call of Frances' name. "Izzie?" Frances said, surprised. "Hey. When did you get back?" Frances looked from Kristen to Isobel. "Kristen, this is Izzie. We worked in Vietnam together," she said to Kristen. "Izzie, Kristen."

Kristen shot Frances' friend a polite smile but the woman did not acknowledge it.

"I emailed you a coupla times," Isobel Tang said. "You never called. A mass email saying that you won't be going back to Hanoi? That's all I get?" She sounded hurt and a little angry. Frances bit her lower lip, wincing.

"Sorry, I didn't think..."

Isobel shook her head. "No, you didn't." She finally shot Kristen a look and shook her head. "Have a nice life, Frances," she said before stalking off.

Kristen cleared her throat. Frances looked torn between wanting to run after Isobel and in the opposite direction. "I think I should talk to her," Frances said finally, looking like it was the last thing in the world she wanted to do. "You should start on your shopping and I'll come look for you in a bit."

Kristen nodded. She could more or less guess what was going on. She took Frances' bag from her. It had Frances' work clothes and shoes in it.

Frances squeezed Kristen's arm softly and smiled. "I won't be long," she said before breaking into a jog after Isobel. "Izzie, wait up!"

Frances pulled her hair up into her usual ponytail when she caught up with Isobel. It felt dry enough and she hated having it down for too long a time. "Hey," she said tentatively. Isobel was standing with her arms crossed at the lights. "Izzie, I didn't realise... so many things have happened since I've been back and I haven't had the time to think about -"

"Oh, you couldn't spare five minutes to give me a call or send me a personal email?" Isobel shot back before Frances could finish her sentence.

"I..." Frances trailed off weakly, not knowing what to say to that. "Some stuff happened to my Dad and his restaurant when I decided not to go back to Hanoi and I've just been a little overwhelmed."

Isobel still looked sullen but she didn't walk away. "I thought we had something," she said in a softer tone.

Frances bit her lower lip. "I'm really sorry," she said uncomfortably. "I shouldn't have disappeared. I didn't mean to cause any grief."

"Well, you did." Isobel's anger deflated at Frances' apology and breathed out heavily. They stood awkwardly in the middle of the street for a few moments before Isobel sighed and extended an olive branch. "Do you wanna grab a coffee or something?"

Frances shook her head. "I can't. I have to go look for Kristen. But another time, for sure."

Isobel shrugged. "Well... call me. I'll be around for a bit. I'm still trying to decide what to do next."

"I will. Promise." Frances stretched out her pinkie, which Isobel took in her own. She was relieved when Isobel cracked a smile.

"All right, I have to go," Frances said with a tentative smile of her own. "It's good to see you, Izzie. Catch you soon, okay?"

Frances found Kristen at the juice section of the supermarket, trying to decide between cranberry and apple juice. "Cranberry," Frances said, and Kristen looked up.

"Huh. I was leaning more towards apple." Kristen put both juices into her trolley. "Problem solved," she said with a smirk.

Frances slid an arm around Kristen's waist and rested her head briefly on Kristen's shoulder before pulling away. "Sorry about earlier."

"That's okay. Is everything okay?"

"Yup," Frances said, not wanting to go into detail. She glanced over at Kristen and smiled. "What else are we after next?" she asked, peeking into the trolley.

"Mm..." Kristen thought for a moment. "Hommous." Frances hooked a finger through Kristen's belt loop as they walked down the aisles towards the sauces and dips section. "You know, there's all this drama unfolding around us and here we are, shopping for groceries. Do you find that a little weird?" Kristen asked.

Frances bit her lower lip as she scanned the different hommous labels, trying to decide which one to get. "So... we shouldn't be shopping for groceries?" she asked distractedly. "Ooh. Spicy hommous. Wanna try it?" She picked up the container and Kristen wrinkled her nose. Frances put it back with a smile and picked up a container of the plain variety.

"But it's weird, right? I mean, our exes popping up one after the other?"

"Izzie's not an ex."

Kristen rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine. Whatever. You still haven't told me what Jack wanted with you."

It surprised Frances that she had completely forgotten she had meant to talk to Kristen about Jack's visit--especially after the drama that it had caused. "Sorry, I completely forgot about his existence," she said with a grimace.

Kristen had to admit that she had also put Jack's appearance on the back burner ever since Frances' unexpected visit the other night. It was almost as though it didn't matter anymore after Frances told her how she felt about her.

"He... wanted me to leave you. He knew about Taters and the insurance company. He said... if I leave you, he'll get Dad out of debt," Frances said, sounding a little uncomfortable.

Kristen could not believe what she was hearing. "He what?" She was appalled and disgusted that Jack would resort to something like that. Then her eyes narrowed. "And you were considering it?" she asked, feeling a little hurt.

Frances frowned. "It was more like I needed the time to process the information and what I felt. I wasn't considering anything," she said, trying to explain herself. It was tiring her out, especially after the little episode with Isobel. "Can we not do this?" she asked finally.

"Fine," Kristen answered in a clipped tone.

Frances sighed and touched her hand to Kristen's cheek. She did not want to fight. "Baby..." Frances tipped Kristen's chin so that she could peer into her eyes. "Give us a smile?" she asked coaxingly. Kristen felt her annoyance seep away and she managed a half smile.

Frances nuzzled Kristen's neck in slight relief and felt Kristen's arm wrap around her waist. The half smile became a full one when Kristen felt a soft kiss just below her ear. It was impossible for her to remain in a foul humour when she was around Frances and she decided to let it go for the moment.

"Do you need anything?" Kristen asked when they resumed shopping.

Frances shook her head. "Between your pantry, Nell's and Dad's, I think I'm good for the moment," she said lightly.

Kristen smiled and pulled Frances close again, not caring that there were other shoppers about, some giving them discreet looks. "You're a very distracting shopping companion," Kristen murmured, her gaze falling on Frances' smiling lips. "I'm gonna be late for work if I keep getting distracted."

"Well, get on with it already, Chef!" Frances said, amused.

"In a minute," Kristen said, unable to let Frances go without a kiss. She touched their lips together, thrilling at being able to do so whenever she wanted. Frances felt soft all over; Kristen could feel the warmth of her skin through the fabric of the dress and she wished that she didn't have to go to work.

"Stop," Frances mumbled as she pulled Kristen's hand away. "You're turning me on," she murmured, feeling slightly embarrassed at having almost forgotten where they were. Kristen's lips quirked into a smile at the flustered look on Frances' face. "Okay. We have to get to the frozen food section. Now."

Kristen chuckled as she watched Frances hurry away, her ponytail bouncing behind her and her red dress hugging her in all the right places... Images of what had transpired earlier on that day on Frances' bed danced into Kristen's mind and she took a deep breath. Yup. Frozen food section is right.

40

No one could have predicted that Taters would be so busy on the day it reopened. Kristen was glad Russell was back in the kitchen. Even though they were all a little rusty from their time off and more than a few mistakes were made, his presence made her feel grounded and almost safe.

Kristen glanced at the dishwashing station and smiled to herself when she saw Frances wiping a forearm across her forehead.

When Frances had told Kristen what Jack had wanted with her, Kristens old insecurities had risen and she had immediately assumed Frances had considered trading her in. She hated that Jack had managed to rob her of her self worth because of his infidelity.

In hindsight, her reaction wasn't completely fair and she was glad that Frances had put a stop to the conversation at the supermarket. The possibility of Frances having considered Jack's proposal bothered her but if she had to be honest, they had only been going out a few weeks when Jack had shown up. Sometimes she forgot that this was only new.

"Five minutes before we go with Table Six, Kristen," Russell bellowed from the grill.

Kristen shook her head slightly to focus on her task at hand. She glanced quickly at the docket for the table. "Yes, Chef." She caught the mischievous look Frances shot her at the phrase and her lips twitched.

"I need more pans, Frances!" she called out. When Frances came over with the requested items, Kristen stole a quick kiss from her and grinned when Frances blushed, shooting a look at Russell's back.

"You don't really need the pans, do you?" Frances whispered, wrinkling her nose at Kristen.

Kristen lifted a brow. "Are you calling me a liar?" She tried but failed to look affronted.

"Sneaky is what you are," Frances replied, shooting another guilty look at her father's back. She grazed her teeth against Kristen's shoulder lightly before wandering back to the dishwasher, a smile playing on her lips.

Kristen smirked as she placed the pans on the stove, feeling rather pleased with her deviousness.

Ramsey poked his head into the kitchen then. "Damn, guys! It's a full house out there!" he exclaimed, eliciting a thunderous look from his boss. Ramsey smiled sheepishly. "I'll help run food out," he volunteered.

"And close the restaurant. No more customers!" Russell bellowed. There was still an hour to their normal closing time but he had had enough.

"Are we really closing now?" Tammy asked, poking her head into the kitchen a brief moment later.

"Have I employed idiots? Yes!" Russell roared, making Kristen snicker under her breath. It was good to have Russell back.

The crew gathered in the beer garden at the end of the night. Frances opted to have a soft drink instead of her usual choice of wine. She did not want her father to feel tempted or uncomfortable. Everyone else seemed to be on the same page; no one was drinking anything alcoholic. It warmed her to know how much everyone cared for Russell.

"I guess Jaycee isn't that much of a threat after all, huh," Ramsey said, looking around. He sounded pleased. "You guys got slammed tonight!"

Speaking of which... "I think I owe you guys an explanation about what happened the other day," Kristen said, glancing around at everyone nervously. She shot a look at Russell. "Someone from C&C came in the other day and recognised me," she explained.

"C&C is run by my brother and my ex," she said, looking around awkwardly. "I'm a minor shareholder... I left them pretty abruptly almost a year ago and... I didn't want to be found, so I changed my last name."

Ramsey and Tammy had more or less figured out her connection with C&C anyway so she was really just confirming their suspicions and letting Russell know about what had happened. "I was reluctant to take part in the cooking competition because there were people I didn't want to see but now..." Kristen shrugged.

"Now that it's all out in the open, we could go kick some ass!" Ramsey said. Kristen shot him an affectionate smile. "Man, I'd like to wipe the floor with Richardson's mug."

"Has the insurance company contacted you, Russell?" Tammy asked, looking with concern at her boss.

Russell shook his head. "Don't worry about that. I've got it covered," he said gruffly. "And if I can't, Frances here says she'll cover the rest."

Everyone turned to look at Frances, who slid down her seat. "Huh?" She looked at her father, confused. Then she realised that he was actually making a joke. "Yeah. I'll just sell my ass and everything'll be covered ten times over," she said cheekily.

"Like Kristen'll let ya," Ramsey said, chuckling. When everyone else froze, he realised what he had said. Russell probably did not know about Kristen and Frances yet. "Uh..." Open mouth, insert foot.

"What's Kristen got to do with Frances selling... whatever she wants to sell?" Russell asked, raising his bushy brows. Another awkward silence ensued.

"Just cos' I'm going out with Kristen doesn't mean she owns my ass, Ramsey," Frances said finally, wanting to save Ramsey from further discomfort. She shot her father a tentative smile.

Russell grunted as he processed the information. Ramsey looked sheepish. Kristen's lips were twitching as she looked from Ramsey to Frances. She felt ridiculously happy at Frances' words.

"If Kristen lets you sell your... she'll have to answer to me," Russell said gruffly. Kristen lifted her brow, amused.

Frances rolled her eyes skyward. "Everyone's taking this a little too seriously. Can we change the topic, please?"

Tammy took pity on Frances. "If we're going ahead with the cook off with Jaycee, then we're on in two weeks."

"They even got media coverage!" Ramsey added quickly, happy to aid the change in topic. "Their cook off with A Little Fish was in the local papers."

"Who won?" Missy asked, curious.

"It's a friendly competition so there wasn't a winner or a loser, but I think they're hoping to go in that direction. They're opening it up to public voting for their next cook off with Lush!"

Russell watched them interact, noticing their bond. He could not recall the last time he had a conversation after work with his crew; he would have been too drunk by then. It actually felt nice being part of a conversation instead of being alone in his head.

"Maybe we should go check it out. You know, see how the cook off's being run," Tammy suggested. "I'll see if I can get us all in for free because I'm so not going to give them a cent!"

"Yeah, that's a good idea, Tammy. What do you reckon, Kristen?" Ramsey asked.

Kristen thought for a quick moment and realised that whatever worry that she had previously about being found by anyone to do with C&C was gone. She didn't even care if she saw Jack now because he couldn't hurt her anymore. Her eyes found Frances' and she smiled faintly. "I'm easy," she said with a shrug.

"Great!" Tammy clapped her hands together. She was glad that things were looking up now that Russell was back. "I'll set it up and let everyone know. Oh, I've called Sandra, Frances. She's keen to come back and work with us. She just has to finish out the week with her other work."

Russell let the conversation wash over him as he thought about Taters' financial situation. He had decided to sell the house if the insurance company did not pay Taters out. Glancing around him, he took in happy faces and friendly banter. His own lips quirked in a small smile that he hid behind his glass of soda.

Selling the house would be a small price to pay for this.

41

Teagan and Andrea's new place was amazing. Simple yet elegant, the terrace house was tucked behind leafy foliage. It opened out into a deck that overlooked a deep pool with a fake rock waterfall. Frances was impressed. Nell was still gaping when she sat down with her second drink.

"This place is gorgeous, darl!" Nell exclaimed, punching Teagan lightly on her arm.

Teagan smiled self-deprecatingly. "It's not very big but it's pretty lush," she admitted. "We've got our own rooms, a study and a guest room. It's a sweet set up."

"Oh my God, Teagan. How much money do you make exactly?" Eleanor asked as she joined them. "This place is gorgeous!"

"Isn't it!" Nell could not let it go. Frances chuckled at her friend's wide eyed expression and reached out a hand to stroke her cheek fondly.

It was Teagan's and Andrea's housewarming and the four good friends were gathered on the deck, hiding from most of Andrea's friends who were either in the pool or taking over the kitchen. "Where's Kristen?" Teagan asked, glancing around. "I hope she didn't get swallowed up by Drea's mates."

"Your girlfriend is definitely a social butterfly," Eleanor said, brows raised appreciatively at a few women who ran across the deck to the pool. "There are some very hot women here," she commented. "You should hold more parties, Teagan. That way, I can get to meet more of Andrea's lovely friends."

"They're not all gay, Eleanor," Teagan said, then rolled her eyes. "Why am I saying it like that matters to you?" she asked no one in particular.

Eleanor smirked. "Hey, I'm not the one going out with a straight woman," she said, looking pointedly at Frances.

Nell shook her head. "If she's straight, she wouldn't be going out with Frances, would she, Eleanor? You're just jealous cos' you couldn't get Kristen."

"What are you guys saying about me?" Kristen asked, catching her name as she came up behind Frances. She was in a red bikini top and a pair of black fold down pants. Her hair was pulled away from her face with an elastic band; stray blonde locks fell haphazardly onto her shoulders. She had a few bottles of beers which she distributed between Teagan, Frances and herself.

"That Frances is lucky she got you," Eleanor said quickly. Nell smirked and Frances rolled her eyes.

"You're gonna give her a big head to go with her huge ego if you keep throwing compliments her way, guys," Frances said, squealing lightly when Kristen jabbed her side playfully.

Kristen went over to the empty seat beside Eleanor and took a sip of her beer. "That's an amazing kitchen youve got in there," Kristen commented.

Teagan chuckled. "Thank you. Neither of us likes to cook, though, so I think it's gonna go to waste," she said regretfully.

"No it won't," Nell piped up. "Frances will come over and cook for us, won't she?"

"I've been cooking for you almost every day since I've moved in!" Frances laughed at Nell's enthusiasm.

Nell sighed and smiled in contentment. "True that. I love you, Frances. I worship the ground you walk on. I adore your cooking..." Nell grovelled comically, leaning in close to Frances, who was chuckling at her. Frances braced herself against her friend with a hand against her shoulder.

"Hey guys, are you all having fun?" Andrea asked as she stepped out onto the deck with a few friends. Nell and Frances turned to look at her and Frances' brow lifted in surprise when she saw Isobel. "Hon, you remember Jessie from work? This is her friend, Isobel. She's just come back from teaching in Vietnam."

"These are my partner's mates. Eleanor, Nell, Frances and... Kristen, right?" Andrea said, pausing at Kristen, whom she had only met briefly that day.

Kristen leaned back in her seat as she took in Isobel's appearance from a safe distance. She looked to be of mixed Asian heritage; her mahogany hair framed her heart shaped face and full lips. Her eyes looked to be the same colour as her hair. When Isobel smiled, Kristen sighed. She was surrounded by people with pretty dimpled smiles.

"Frances also just got back from teaching in Vietnam," Teagan said, looking from Frances to Isobel.

"Yeah. We know each other," Isobel said, glancing at Frances. Then she flicked her eyes to Kristen. "Hi Kristen," she said. "Sorry about the other day."

Kristen cleared her throat and shrugged. "No worries."

When Isobel went towards the pool, Nell poked Frances. "I sense a story here," she whispered. "Who is she and why did she apologise to Kristen?"

Frances rolled her eyes. "Later," she whispered back before gulping her beer. "You are such a gossip monger," Frances murmured, chuckling when Nell screwed up her face in response. "Aw, I love that you're a gossip monger, dearest."

"Come on, let's go check out the rooms," Nell said, pulling Frances up with her. Frances grabbed her beer and allowed herself to be pulled into the house.

Kristen tried not to pay too much attention to Nell's and Frances' interaction. Even though she knew that this was just Nell's and Frances' way of being around each other, she still could not help feeling slightly jealous at their easy closeness.

"Don't worry about them," Eleanor said, noticing the look on Kristen's face.

"Huh?" Kristen said quickly.

"Nell and Frances. I saw the look on your face. Everyone who's gone out with them and seen them together gets that same look," Eleanor said and Teagan nodded.

Kristen did not know what to say. She hated that she was so obvious and she hoped that she wouldn't become a statistic.

"So what's the story with Isobel?" Teagan asked Kristen, curious.

"Yeah, why did she apologise to you?" Eleanor chipped in.

"She kinda dismissed me the first time we met," Kristen said truthfully. She did not want to elaborate why, however, because that was not her story to tell. "I don't think she was in a very good mood then."

"Okay, don't look over guys, but I think this chick in a white tank top and shorts is checking me out," Eleanor murmured. "She's by the pool, near the waterfall. Can you see her, Kristen?"

Kristen looked at the girl surreptitiously. "Brunette?" Eleanor nodded. "I see her. She's kinda cute. Ah. She's kissing the girl beside her..." Eleanor's face fell slightly. "Oh, wait, she's glancing over this way. I think she was looking to see if you were looking."

Eleanor lifted a brow. "True? Maybe I'll go over and find out," she said, getting up. "Come on, Kristen. Walk over with me. Teagan?"

"No, no, you guys go. I'm happy here in the shade. I hate getting freckles," Teagan said, sipping her beer. "I'll guard our seats with my life."

Nell and Frances found the study easily. Frances sighed when she breathed in the smell of books. Teagan and Andrea had a huge collection of books and they were displayed on a ceiling to floor bookshelf beside the desk. "This is just amazing," Frances murmured, running her fingers across the book spines.

Nell sank into a soft leather chair and pulled her legs up in contentment. "Why didn't I hook up with Teagan when she was single?" she complained playfully. "All this could have been mine."

Frances smirked. "Um... because you were with me then?" she supplied helpfully.

Nell cracked open an eye. "Oh. Yeah. Right. I ask again: why didn't I hook up with Teag -" Frances smacked Nell's arm playfully. Nell snickered. "So what's the deal with Isobel?"

"Izzie..." Frances finished her beer. "Remember I told you I hung out with someone in Vietnam?"

Nell's eyes rounded. "No shit! Darl, your life is like a movie!" Nell chuckled at the look on Frances' face. "Oh dear. We'll have to normalise it somehow. So how about... you make dinner for me tomorrow night?"

Frances chuckled. "You are incorrigible."

Nell scrunched up her face. "You love me."

Frances shook her head and smirked. "I do."

42

Nell looked out at the pool from the second level balcony. Being at Teagan and Andrea's newly bought house made her reflect on her own life. She was turning thirty in a few months but she didn't own much. She liked not having many things; aside from her guitar and music, everything was replaceable.

She had travelled a fair bit around Australia, lived in various places around the country, and met people from all walks of life. In a way, that was worth so much more than acquiring assets. If she had the choice between her life and Teagan's, she would still choose her own. Nevertheless, this was really a beautiful house.

Nell wandered back to Teagan's study and picked up her guitar, which she had brought to the housewarming. Strumming one of Beirut's pieces lightly, she began singing softly under her breath. She stopped abruptly when she realised that she had an audience.

"Hey." She swept a lock of reddish brown hair away from her eyes and absently reminded herself she was due for a hair cut soon.

"Please don't stop. Do you want me to leave you alone? I was just passing by..." Isobel trailed off awkwardly. She had just been to the bathroom and was led to the room by the sound of music.

"No, no, it's cool. Come on in. Isobel, right?" Nell asked with a friendly smile. She pulled at the neckline of her green muscle shirt and shifted the guitar in her lap.

"Yes. I'm sorry, I forgot your name," Isobel said with a faint smile. Andrea had introduced them earlier but there had been so many new faces and names to remember.

"Nell," she supplied helpfully with a slight tilt of her head and a crooked smile.

"Nell. That's right. Frances mentioned that you're in a band," Isobel said, recalling the few times that Frances had mentioned Nell when they were in Vietnam. "Was that one of your songs? It's really good."

Nell shook her head, glancing down at her hands briefly before returning her eyes to Isobel. "It's called The Penalty, by a band called Beirut. Heard of them?" At Isobel's shake of head, Nell strummed a few more chords of the song and stopped. "Here's another song I really like." She began the opening chords of Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah.

Isobel inched into the room and smiled faintly when she recognised the piece. She clapped lightly when it ended. "That was amazing," she said, impressed. The haunting melody and Nell's soft voice had given her goose bumps.

"Thank you," Nell said with a grin. "So uh, how you goin'? Having fun?" she asked, putting the guitar down beside her.

"Yeah, I am, actually. Everyone's really friendly and the house is beautiful."

"Isn't it!" Nell agreed for the umpteenth time that day. "I think Frances got sick of me gushing about the house and left the room," she said with a sigh, eliciting a smile from Isobel. "Think I might go back down myself."

"Thanks for the private performance. You play really well," Isobel said, getting up too.

"Pretty lady like you must be used to getting serenaded," Nell said with a wink.

"Was that a serenade?" Isobel asked, looking faintly amused.

Nell scratched her nose, suddenly embarrassed. "Um. No. I don't think Hallelujah's a good choice of song to seranade someone with." She grabbed her guitar and eased it into its case.

"What is, then?" At Nell's questioning look, Isobel rephrased her question. "What's a good song to serenade someone with?"

Nell thought for a moment as she zipped up her guitar case. Finally, she said, "For me? Bad Things. It's sexy, seductive and to the point." She had only recently learnt the tabs for the song and she really liked it. She considered her answer again and nodded firmly. "Yeah, totally."

Isobel quirked a smile. "I'll be sure to remember that."

They wandered onto the deck and Nell spotted Frances jumping into the water beside Kristen. Frances broke the water surface with a smug smile, shaking water off and palming wet hair from her face.

"You!" Kristen sputtered, her heart still racing from the sudden sound of impact so close to her. She narrowed her eyes and reached out a hand to grab at Frances' waist to pull her closer. Eleanor rolled her eyes at Frances but returned her attention to Katia, the brunette she had been flirting with for the better part of the hour.

Frances curled an arm around Kristen's shoulder and allowed herself to be pulled against Kristen's warm, wet body. "Hello..." she drawled, peering up from under dark lashes. She trailed the back of her fingers down Kristen's face, an amused smile playing on her lips.

"Had to make an entrance, huh?" Kristen half growled. At Frances' look of suppressed laughter and dancing eyes, her heart flipped, but for a different, more pleasurable reason this time.

"Always. What are you up to?" Frances asked in a lilting voice.

Kristen smiled when Frances rubbed her wet nose against her cheek. "Making friends," she murmured. Her brain tried to call up the names of the women whom she had been talking to but it had apparently short-circuited the moment Frances started sliding her body against hers in a slow, tantalizing manner. "Where's Nell?" she asked, trying not to act on the sudden impulse that demanded she find a deserted spot and have her way with Frances.

"About." Frances placed her mouth just beside Kristen's ear and spoke softly into it. "Why? Miss her?" She felt Kristen shudder and smiled wickedly.

"Yeah..." Kristen breathed out. "Immensely."

Frances lifted her brows. "Should I be jealous?" she teased.

"Huh. I kinda like it when people get jealous over me," Kristen said in a low voice. "It's very... flattering."

"Okay. Where's Nell? I'll fight her for you," Frances said, looking around her playfully.

"Ooh." Kristen's lips twitched. "If you win, I'll let you come home with me," she said magnanimously.

"Sorry, can't do that," Frances said, shaking her head.

"Why not?" Kristen wasn't sure if they were mucking about still and was ready to feel disappointed and more than a little frustrated if Frances was not coming home with her.

"I have a girlfriend. Don't think she'd like it if I just took off with random women... especially scantily clad ones I meet in swimming pools," Frances said, trailing dark eyes down Kristen's front, pausing briefly at Kristen's ample cleavage before raising them back up.

It took Kristen a second to register what Frances said but when she did, her lips curved up. It felt odd to be called someone's girlfriend again--odd, but pleasant, too.

"Huh. Where's your girlfriend? I'll fight her for you." She nipped at Frances' jawline lightly.

Frances squirmed smilingly at the ticklish touch. "You don't stand a chance. She's an evil, bossy, knife-wielding, egotistical self-proclaimed deity."

Kristen began chuckling and lifted a hand out of the water to stroke Frances' cheek. "Stop with all the flattery already."

"With beautiful eyes, a sexy laugh, and an awesome rack..." Frances continued, a smile playing on her lips as her voice dropped into a seductive whisper.

"Ooh. That's better," Kristen said laughingly. Frances hooked her legs around Kristen's waist underwater and rested her arms on Kristen's shoulders. Kristen moaned involuntarily as she slid her hands to a comfortable rest on Frances' thighs.

"When you make that sound, I just wanna tear your clothes off," Frances said with a sigh, grazing her teeth against Kristen's neck none too gently, dragging another moan from Kristen.

"How do you do that?" Kristen asked breathlessly as she searched Frances' face with eyes a darker shade of green. "You make me want you all the time."

Frances smirked softly. "I'd like to say it's magic but it's probably just pheromones," she said wryly, eliciting a throaty chuckle from Kristen.

Kristen's laughter quickly transformed into another moan when Frances captured her lips with her own and tangled their tongues together. Frances dragged her nails down a wet expanse of back lightly as she shifted against Kristen, liking the feel of water lapping around their embrace. She heard the catch in Kristen's breath and their kiss grew more urgent.

Suddenly, they found themselves doused with water and their eyes flew open as they pulled apart, sputtering. Nell was looking down at them with an empty pail in her hands and a wicked look on her face. Laughter floated around them. "Thought you guys needed help cooling down. Mum used to do this to Nob when he was in heat."

Frances and Kristen narrowed their eyes at Nell as they palmed water off their faces. "Wait till I get my hands on you, Missy," Frances growled, scrambling out of the water. Nell dropped the pail and backed away hurriedly.

"Now, now, Frances. Take it easy," Nell said, hoping to placate Frances, who was stalking towards her with a devious gleam in her eyes. "Oh fuck," Nell mumbled before Frances barrelled into her midsection and tipped her over her shoulder easily. She yelped when Frances dumped her into the water unceremoniously before jumping in herself.

"My hero," Kristen murmured when Frances resurfaced. She was chuckling and Frances thought she never looked more beautiful.

"I love you," Frances said softly before planting a quick but firm kiss on Kristen's lips. She smiled when she pulled away and threw herself backwards in the water, her eyes never leaving Kristen's face. Kristen's heated look was making her stomach feel all kinds of funny. Then Nell's arms found her and Frances had just enough time to take in a mouthful of breath before she was pulled underwater.

43

Kristen did not want to wake up but something was interrupting her sleep. She burrowed her head deeper into her pillow, hoping that the interference would go away if she ignored it long enough. She slumbered on briefly but the interference returned and she groaned in annoyance. The bed shifted. Not long after, silence reigned and Kristen fell back asleep again.

When Kristen finally opened her eyes hours later, it was because she smelled something good; her stomach rumbled in appreciation. A male voice floated into the bedroom. Kristen frowned and scrambled out of bed. She hastily pulled on a shirt and track pants before exiting her room to investigate.

"Hey Sis."

Kristen's frown deepened. Her brother had made it past her front door and into her flat. She glanced at Frances, who was sitting on the floor, looking up at her with a tentative smile on her face. "What are you doing here?" she asked, directing the question at Benjamin.

"Good morning to you too," he replied conversationally. His brows furrowed. "I think your shirt's inside out."

"Are you hungry?" Frances asked, getting up from the floor. "I made omelettes," she said, striding over to the small kitchen to fix Kristen a plate of food.

"Yeah," Kristen mumbled. She glared at her brother.

"I'm going back to Melbourne. I came to say goodbye," Benjamin said to Kristen. "I didn't want to leave things... the way we did," he said, looking uncomfortable.

"I'm just gonna go give Dad some brekkie, guys. I'll be back later," Frances said after placing a plate of toast and omelette in front of Kristen. She leaned down to brush her lips lightly against Kristen's before pulling away, smiling faintly.

Kristen tugged Frances back to her for another kiss before she let her go fully. She noticed that her brother was looking everywhere but at them and her lips curved up.

"I like her," Benjamin said, trying to fill the awkward silence between them after Frances left. He was missing Frances' presence already. She had made him feel so welcome.

"Well, lay off. She's mine," Kristen snapped, tucking into her breakfast.

Benjamin chuckled, surprised at Kristen's response. "Um. Okay... I have to say I never thought I'd ever hear you say that."

"What?" Kristen asked, looking up at Benjamin.

"'She's mine'," Benjamin said, looking amused. "Never thought you're inclined that way." Kristen frowned as she chewed her food, looking like a disgruntled animal with her rumpled hair and grouchy expression. "Not that there's anything wrong with it, of course," Benjamin added hurriedly. "She's really nice. Nan would have liked her too."

At the mention of their grandmother, Kristen's expression softened. "Yeah, she would have," she mumbled, her mouth still full of food.

"So, uh, are things... serious between you two?" Benjamin asked, hoping to ease into a conversation with his sister that would not end up in a conflict. Kristen frowned again. "Come on, Sis. We used to talk about everything," Benjamin beseeched.

Kristen scratched her cheek as she played with her food. "Maybe," she said noncommittally. She did not feel comfortable talking to Benjamin about her life yet. "When're you leaving?" she asked, pushing her plate away.

Benjamin sighed. "Tomorrow afternoon. I didn't know if you were gonna be at work and I really wanted to patch things up before I go. That's why I popped round so early."

Kristen glanced at the clock. She didn't have long before she had to go in to work. On the plus side, they were only going to be open for lunch that day because Tammy had secured them three tickets to watch the cook off between Lush and Jaycee and it was decided that Russell, Ramsey and Kristen would attend the event. "Is that really the only reason why you're here?" she asked suspiciously.

"I'm over it. I don't want to fight anymore. Do what you want with your share of the company. I'll start again if it comes down to it," Benjamin said, sounding resigned. "I just don't want you to stay angry with me."

Kristen felt soothed by his words but she wasn't ready to trust him yet.

"Hey, you gonna eat that?" he asked, pointing at the rest of her omelette.

"Why?" she asked, frowning. "Stop eyeing it. It's mine."

Benjamin rolled his eyes. "Mine, mine, mine. You're such a spoilt brat," he teased, finally eliciting a faint smile from Kristen. "You got the golden goose. Maybe you should share the egg?" he asked hopefully. "Pun intended."

Kristen grudgingly pushed her plate towards Benjamin. She watched as he dug into the omelette. He could always pack it in. Kristen was fairly certain that he had already eaten his share.

"You should come to Taters for lunch if you want," Kristen said finally, deciding to accept the truce from Benjamin.

Benjamin paused in his shovelling motion and looked at her in surprise. "Um. All right. Sure thing."

"I have to grab a shower and get changed for work," Kristen said brusquely to mask the unexpected wave of emotion that had welled up inside her.

"I could give you a ride to work. I have a rental car," Benjamin offered.

"Yeah, okay," Kristen said. "You'll have to give my boss a ride too."

"Sure thing. What about Frances?" Kristen narrowed her eyes. Benjamin rolled his eyes at her expression. "Christ, Sis! Can't I even say her name? I was just asking!"

"Huh. See you in an hour or so," she said, exiting her flat with him in search of Frances. She did not have to look far, because Frances was just coming out of Russell's house.

"Thank you for breakfast. I'm sorry my brother woke you up," Kristen said after Benjamin left.

"He seems nice," Frances commented as they went back to Kristen's. "Good looking, too. I guess it's in the genes, huh?" Kristen smirked, pleased by the compliment. "So... you slept in and now you have to go to work," Frances observed.

"What would we have been doing if I hadn't been sleeping?" Kristen asked innocently as she wrapped her arms loosely around Frances.

"Well, I'd have woken you up in a very pleasurable way," Frances said coyly, chuckling when Kristen nuzzled her neck. "That tickles," she said, squirming in Kristen's arms.

"There's still time. Benjamin is coming back to give us a lift to Taters in about an hour," Kristen said with a seductive lift of her brow.

"We have about fifty minutes then." Frances threaded her fingers through Kristen's dark blonde locks and gasped when Kristen angled her face, bit down on her neck and began sucking softly. "Are you giving me a hickey?"

"Like you said, I have fifty minutes. I don't want to waste time talking," Kristen growled, pushing an amused Frances down onto the cushions on her floor. She nudged Frances' oversized shirt up and smiled when Frances' breath caught. The grip in her hair tightened when Kristen scraped her teeth across Frances' nipples.

Frances trailed her free hand down Kristen's shoulder and tugged at Kristen's top, making Kristen pause in her task to take her shirt off.

Wanting to feel Frances against her, Kristen pulled her up and onto her so that Frances was straddling her lap upright. Frances took her own shirt off and smiled as she touched her lips to Kristen's, sighing softly when their breasts rubbed against each others'. Kristen whimpered at the maddening sensation the touch created.

"You are so soft," Frances murmured. "So soft and warm and smooth and beautiful." She trailed her cheek down Kristen's front and caught a nipple between her teeth, making Kristen groan in her throat as sparks of desire shot down to her centre. Wanting to regain control, Kristen pressed her fingers against Frances' centre, stroking the length of it through the fabric of her shorts. Dark eyes fluttered shut at the intimate contact.

Kristen tried to calm her breathing as she slipped her fingers through the leg hole of Frances' shorts. A warm wetness rushed to her own centre as she trailed her fingers through Frances' damp curls unhampered. She growled softly.

Frances' head lolled back, exposing a smooth expanse of neck that Kristen had to kiss. Frances felt silky smooth and hot. Her hips were moving persuasively, trying to entice Kristen to sink her fingers into her.

"Baby?" Frances whimpered when Kristen held off giving her what she wanted. "Fuck me," she rasped out, feeling frustrated beyond belief. Kristen was teasing her and she was aching with want.

Breathing raggedly, Kristen moaned as she pushed past Frances' opening, thrilling at the loud groan the move elicited. She loved how their bodies were meshed against each others, how she no longer knew where she ended and Frances began. Her lids were heavy but she strove to keep her eyes open for as long as she could. Her centre was throbbing in reaction to the look of abandon on Frances' face.

Frances fell forward, sinking her teeth into Kristen's shoulder as she rode her, revelling in the saltiness of Kristen's skin. She licked the bit of flesh between her teeth before dragging her mouth across Kristen's shoulder. Her hand slipped past the waistband of Kristen's track pants of its own accord and went straight to the spot she was becoming familiar with.

Kristen's eyes widened then fell shut as her breath escaped parted lips. Frances was drawing circles on her; she could not believe how quickly she was about to come. She tried to focus on Frances' wetness against her fingers but that just succeeded in turning her on more.

"Baby, stop. I need... I want you to come..." Kristen said with a great deal of effort. Her body was screaming that she was crazy to put off the relief that was so close at hand.

"You feel so good, I don't want to stop," Frances panted as she moved against Kristen. She increased the pressure on Kristen's centre and sank her teeth into Kristen's shoulder again.

"Oh, fuck," Kristen mumbled as the waves of orgasm crashed through her body. She wrapped her free hand around Frances and her head fell against Frances' chest. She could hear Frances' racing heartbeat and knew that her heart was beating just as quickly.

"I can't get enough of you," Kristen growled in frustration when their eyes met. She trailed a finger down Frances' dimpled cheek as she slid her other hand out of Frances slowly. Her breath caught at the look of arousal that flashed across Frances' face. "Fuck work and life. I just want to keep on doing this."

Frances chuckled shakily, pushing Kristen's damp hair away from her face. She ran her finger down Kristen's straight nose and over full lips. "You could quit your job and we could move out bush and live on berries," she suggested playfully. "I don't know how you're gonna get around though, cos' you hate climbing."

"Huh. Figures there would be something against me." Kristen glanced at the clock, annoyed that she felt so rushed and conscious of time ticking past.

"That's okay. That way you'll be all mine. No frolicking naked in waterholes for others to see," Frances said, nuzzling Kristen's neck.

"And we'd have sex all day, every day?" Kristen asked, smiling dreamily.

"Till you're sick of me."

"Ooh. What an attractive goal to work towards."

Frances smacked Kristen lightly on her arm. "You should get changed for work. Your brother will be back soon." Frances kissed Kristen softly before she hurriedly threw her clothes on. "I'm going to use the shower in the house so we don't get sidetracked," she announced before fleeing.

Kristen leaned back on the cushions and gave herself a minute to think about just how great her life was before she went to grab her shower.

44

The cook off was a simple yet effective way of attracting customers. Everyone loved to watch chefs at work these days. Cooking shows were rising in popularity; it was no wonder that people would pay to watch the chefs of two restaurants cook against each other and get to taste their creation at the end of it.

Jaycee was set up so that everyone was seated around the action. The contestants faced each other at the centre of the restaurant. Kristen had to admit that this was a brilliant strategy to market a newly opened restaurant.

The chefs were given a theme ingredient to work around in the sixty-minute cook off. They had to improvise a multi-course meal around the ingredient and were judged on their ability to best express its qualities.

Kristen scanned the crowd, unconsciously looking for Jack. The restaurant was filling up quickly but there was still no sight of her ex. She breathed out shakily, trying to calm her jittery nerves.

"People pay thirty five dollars for a set meal, two non-alcoholic beverages, a live cooking show, and they have to fork out extra for alcohol?" Ramsey said, raising his brow. "That's smart."

Russell grunted, unimpressed.

The host for the evening appeared and Kristen leaned back into her seat, waiting for the cook off to begin. Basic introductions were made and the rules of the competition were outlined.

"Hey, that's Doug!" Ramsey said in surprise to Russell. He caught Kristen's eye and explained, "Doug's that chef I told you about--the one who walked out of Taters."

Kristen arched a brow and looked at the chef closely. He seemed to be the one running the two-man team. The theme ingredient that evening was cod, a mild flavoured fish with dense, flaky white flesh. The audience watched as the chefs picked out their accompanying ingredients.

Halfway through the cook off, Kristen felt a presence beside her and she stiffened. Her stomach lurched nastily as she turned her head to identify the person standing there. When her eyes met a familiar yet unexpected face, Kristen lifted a brow. "Hey."

"Hey, how're you?" Isobel said with a smile. She was returning to her seat after a trip to the bathroom when she saw Kristen. Not wanting to be rude a second time, she decided to greet the woman.

"Yeah, good. You?" Kristen answered politely.

"Good. I'm here to support my brother," Isobel said, hooking a thumb in the direction of the makeshift stage.

"Oh. Which one is he?"

"The head chef of Jaycee. Doug," Isobel said, pride colouring her voice.

Kristen was surprised at how small the world was. Sydney easily held four million people but almost everyone whom she knew was connected somehow. "Um, Isobel, this is Russell, Frances' father, and Ramsey. Isobel is Frances' friend. They taught together in Vietnam.

"Oh!" Isobel said in surprise. "Nice to meet you." Russell gave her a faint smile. "Well then, have a good evening," Isobel said, running out of small talk.

"Yeah, you too. See you around," Kristen said, inclining her head. After Isobel walked away, Kristen's stomach gave another nasty lurch. The moment that she had dreaded had arrived. Jack was looking straight at her.

"Hello, Kristen."

"Jack."

The cook off had ended and the audience was asked to sample the dishes that the chefs had done up. Ramsey gave Kristen a look of concern.

Jack Canning exuded confidence. He was dressed smartly in a black collared shirt that was tucked into a pair of crisp black trousers. Even though he was wearing a smile, Kristen could see the underlying tension in his face. "You're looking well."

"Thanks. So are you."

"Where's your little girlfriend?"

Russell gave him a dark look at that. "That's none of your concern," Kristen replied icily, reminded of what he had wanted with Frances. "And I'd appreciate it if you stayed away from her."

"With all due respect, she's the third party in this situation and I'd appreciate it if she stayed away from my wife," Jack said smoothly. Kristen could not understand how she had once found his clipped British accent attractive; it grated on her nerves now.

"We're separated. In a month, I'll be filing for divorce, so I'd like you to stop addressing me as your wife." Kristen punctuated the term 'wife' with a sneer.

"You are still my wife," Jack said calmly. "And I don't think this is something we should be discussing here," he said, looking pointedly at Russell and Ramsey.

"I wasn't aware that it was up for discussion. You'll be hearing from my lawyer soon," Kristen said dismissively and looked away, signalling the end of the conversation. Her heart was racing a million miles an hour but she tried to remain cool outwardly.

"I do not take kindly to sharing what is mine," Jack said in an even tone, angered at being disregarded. "Your little girlfriend will learn soon enough."

Before Kristen could think of a reply, Russell stood up and grabbed the front of Jack's shirt, bringing his face an inch from his own. "You will not talk about my daughter that way," Russell said in a low growl, ignoring the murmurs of confusion around him.

"Ah shit," Ramsey mumbled under his breath. Kristen looked shocked at the turn of events. Russell let go of Jack none too gently, making the man stumble backwards with the force.

"Kevin Russell," Jack said, his eyes narrowing as he smoothed the front of his shirt. Aware that every pair of eyes in the restaurant was on them, Jack looked around with a smile. "Just a misunderstanding, folks," he said loudly.

"Come on, Russell," Ramsey said in a low voice. "Let's go."

Russell gave Jack one last look before turning swiftly and walking out of Jaycee.

45

"In a month, I'll be filing for divorce..."

Jack Canning flung his empty whisky glass against the wall, feeling a sense of satisfaction when it shattered. It angered him immensely not to get his own way. He was simply not used to it. His marriage could not be over. It wasn't. She was still his wife. All he had to do was to get rid of all the obstacles between him and Kristen before the month was up.

If she had nothing to run to, then it stood to reason she would come back to him.

He flipped open his mobile and hit a number on his speed dial. "Get over here right now and tell me everything you know about Taters. I want it off the fucking map."

Kristen was on her third glass of wine when Frances showed up. "Hey. Sorry I took so long. I wanted to check in on Dad first," Frances said, reaching for Kristen's hand that was dangling from the hammock.

"That's okay. How's Russell doing?" Kristen asked, already feeling better now Frances was there. Frances squatted down on the ground beside her and lifted Kristens hand to her lips. At the feel of Frances' lips brushing softly against her knuckles, Kristen's breath quickened.

"He told me to take care of myself and to stay away from Jack Canning. What happened?" Frances asked, trailing the fingers of her free hand down Kristen's cheek. "More importantly, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, now that you're here," Kristen said huskily. She pulled Frances closer to her and breathed in the scent of her shampoo. The alcohol was beginning to relax her and she could feel the knot of tension between her brows loosen.

"Oh baby," Frances murmured, pressing a kiss on Kristen's jaw. "Maybe we should all just stay away from Jaycee and pretend your ex doesn't exist." She pulled away from Kristen to look into her eyes. "Can I do anything?" she asked sympathetically.

Kristen shook her head, smiling faintly. "You're here. That's good enough for me," she said, leaning closer to touch her forehead to Frances'. "I'm sorry you had to come over. I know you're busy with your lesson planning."

"Don't apologise. I want to be here. I wanted to see you." Frances peered at Kristen through her dark lashes as she pursed her lips together, revealing a dimple.

"How did you get here?" Kristen asked, shifting herself on the hammock to make space for Frances.

"Nell drove me over. I was gonna walk but she insisted," Frances said as she rose up to sit on the hammock, leaning back against Kristen's midsection.

Kristen frowned slightly. "Is there anything that woman wouldn't do for you?" she asked before she could help herself.

Frances picked up on something in Kristen's tone and her brows knitted. "Is there something wrong?" she asked cautiously. It was nothing new that people Nell and she went out with expressed discomfort at their closeness, but with Kristen, Frances felt inclined to make things clear.

"Nothing. Just sayin'," Kristen said, attempting to brush her insecurities aside.

Frances lowered her body onto the hammock so that she was lying down, facing Kristen. The hammock swayed and sank lower at the additional weight but held firm.

"I know it's... unusual... that Nell and I are so close despite having been together. I don't..." Frances stopped as she searched for the right words. "We've been told numerous times on different occasions by different people we went out with that it's not cool. It never really used to matter, what they said. Maybe because they didn't matter. But you..." Frances stroke Kristen's cheek gently. "You matter a lot."

Kristen felt guilty. "I'm sorry. I-"

"No." Frances touched a finger to Kristen's lips, effectively silencing her. "Let me get it out first, okay?" At Kristen's mute nod, Frances replaced her index finger with her thumb, smoothing Kristen's lower lip gently.

"This is new to me and I really don't want to muck it up. We haven't been together all that long and you could even say that we don't know each other very well. But I need you to trust that I meant what I said, when I said I loved you."

Kristen's heart leaped at that and she leaned in to catch Frances' lips in hers tenderly.

"I think it's an entirely overused phrase these days but I reckon everyone means something different when they say those words," Frances murmured when Kristen's lips left hers. She splayed her fingers on Kristen's cheek, feeling ridiculously exposed; they had been in numerous more intimate positions than this but Frances had never felt this vulnerable in front of Kristen.

"You have to know that I love Nell very much. I would hate for you to feel threatened by that because both of you mean a lot to me, in different ways. She is my rock. But the one I think about all the time... the one I want to be with... is you."

"My Mum used to say that 'I love you' is a promise, a reminder and a gift. I think I'm beginning to get what she meant. I don't give that promise easily, Kristen." Frances bit her lower lip. "But when I do, I do so with the intention of keeping it. Okay?" She looked searchingly into Kristen's eyes.

Kristen swallowed and nodded. She did not know what she could say that would not sound inadequate so she opted to remain silent and allow the words to wrap their silky tendrils around her heart.

Frances rolled her eyes at herself as she blew out a breath. "Okay, I need a drink after that," she mumbled, righting herself on the hammock. Kristen chuckled and waited until Frances got off the hammock before sitting up. She watched Frances finish her glass of wine before topping it up and offering it to her.

"More lesbian germs?" Kristen asked coyly.

Frances snorted; this had been the very spot she had said that to Kristen, right before they had kissed for the first time. "God, why do I always say the stupidest things to you?" she asked, feeling self-conscious.

"Calling me God all the time kinda makes up for it, baby," Kristen said, her lips twitching.

Frances narrowed her eyes playfully as she picked up the half empty wine bottle to take a swig from. "Since when did you start calling me 'baby'?"

"Around the time you started calling me your girlfriend," Kristen said, feeling smug and content.

"Hm. You seem a little old for the term, actually," Frances quipped, yelping when Kristen jabbed her side in response. "Watch the merchandise, lady!"

"You are such a smart ass," Kristen murmured, shaking her head, feeling ridiculously lighthearted after the evening that she had.

Frances smirked. "You love it."

"I do," Kristen admitted in a low, scratchy voice, reaching for Frances' hand. She ran a thumb over Frances' knuckles. "I love all of you." Frances gave Kristen a sweet smile that caused Kristen's heart to flip lazily in her chest.

"Wanna take a walk with me? I think we need to go to the bottle shop before it shuts," Frances said, standing up. Kristen pulled Frances over to stand between her legs. "Hey," Frances greeted softly, resting her arms on Kristen's shoulders. She smiled when Kristen pulled her face down to hers.

"Thank you... for you," Kristen murmured as she cradled Frances' face in her hands, hoping that the simple words conveyed what she felt for Frances.

"Bet you never thought you'd say that when I dumped that pail of dirty water all over you," Frances said laughingly. She leaned into Kristen and nuzzled her neck.

Kristen let out a bark of laughter at the memory. "Hell no. Ugh, remind me again how we got to this point in time?" She stood up finally and followed Frances to the gate.

"Well... it all started when Eleanor decided that you're hot..." Frances began as they walked down the street companionably. "And you went and kissed her..." Kristen shot Frances an arched look. "... back," Frances added. That got Kristen's nod of approval and Frances snickered before continuing. "She wanted to see you again, so... insert 'me'."

Kristen chuckled at the narrative. Frances was adorable. Normally, using that adjective would make Kristen cringe, but there was no better word she could use to describe Frances on this occasion.

"We hung out, you couldn't resist my charms and fell for me. The end. Oh, wait. Insert 'hot sex' in there several times."

Kristen laughed and pulled Frances to her so that she could steal a kiss. "You're a horrible storyteller," Kristen murmured mirthfully.

"Hey! Oh, that reminds me. Insert 'rude and bossy chef' in there somewhere too. I think you need to remind me why I'm with you," Frances said, shaking her head with an aggrieved look on her face.

"Because it's always been one of your secret desires to be dominated by a rude and bossy chef?" Kristen suggested in a hopeful tone.

Frances thought for a moment. "Nah. It's the hot sex."

"Huh. I have to say, it is pretty hot," Kristen agreed and let out a soft moan when Frances kissed and bit down on her neck lightly. "Um. Can we go home now?" Kristen asked, her voice dropping an octave.

Frances stopped in her tracks and wrapped her arms around Kristen. There were a few people on the streets around them but Frances couldn't care less. She threaded her fingers through Kristen's silky hair, pushing it away from Kristen's face as she pulled her close for a heated kiss. Frances smiled when they pulled apart. "Being with you makes me so very happy."

Kristen felt her chest expand at the words. She took Frances' hand in hers. "What's this?" she asked, lifting Frances' hand up to take a closer look at what she was wearing on her wrist.

"Shoelace."

Kristen lifted a brow. "You tie a shoelace around your wrist."

"Yeah. Sometimes I tie it around my ankle." Kristen shook her head, smiling. "What?"

"Nothing. It's different," Kristen said as they resumed their trek to the bottle shop. She snuck a peek at Frances and smiled to herself, feeling immensely fortunate to be loved by this woman. She never thought she would ever think this but... Jack who?

Liam Murphy sat in his car, thinking about what Jack Canning had said. Things were going to get a lot messier from here on. He sighed as he massaged the back of his neck before putting his car into gear. He had to get some sleep before his shift at Taters the next day.

46

After dumping her bag in her room, Nell went to the kitchen and found Frances and Isobel chatting away with Ruth, cups of tea on the dining table before them. "Hello, hello," she greeted warmly, happy to find everyone home. She loved having a full house; Frances was frequently over at Kristen's and Ruth liked to hang out in her room most of the time so occasions like this were few and far between.

"Hey you." Frances looked up and smiled, happy that her best friend was home. "Tea?"

"I'll make one myself," Nell said, not wanting Frances to get up. "How's everyone today?" she asked, going over to the kettle.

"Oh, I just got some rooibos tea, Nell," Ruth said. "You should try it."

Nell looked skeptically at the box of herbal tea. "Uh... I think I'll stick to normal tea," she said. "Thanks, though." She pulled up a chair to join her friends at the table. "So what's going on?"

"Izzie was just telling us about her brother's restaurant," Ruth said.

"You'll never guess where Izzie's brother is working," Frances chimed in.

"I didn't realise that there's all this drama going on between Jaycee and Taters," Isobel said, shaking her head. "Doug just got appointed head chef at Jaycee, which I presume you know all about."

Nell's brows rose as she nodded. "Well, only what Frances has told me." She looked to Frances. "Is Taters still taking part in that cook off competition thing?" Frances shrugged. She hadn't spoken to Kristen or her Dad since the other night and wasn't sure what they had decided. "Well if it's still on, we should all go and support you guys," Nell said. Then she shot Isobel a grin. "Sorry, Taters over Jaycee, I say."

Isobel smiled. "Doesn't bother me."

"How's Kristen doing?" Nell asked.

"Yeah, good. She's thinking of getting a second hand car if you know of any. Dad's totally over public transport," Frances said, chuckling. Her mobile went off and she glanced at it, surprised. "Speak of the devil." She got up and left her friends to take the call. Isobel watched her go.

"Looks like a serious thing going on there," Isobel commented, not quite sure how she felt about it. She was glad that Frances had kept her promise to give her a call for them to hang out but as the day progressed, it became clear that Frances was only interested in being friends.

Nell smiled noncommittally. She did not like to discuss her friends' affairs.

"I haven't met Kristen, have I?" Ruth asked. "Oh hey, I was thinking maybe we could have a house party."

"She's cool. You'll like her," Nell said, drinking her tea. "A house party is a great idea. Frances' birthday is coming up."

"Oh, true? That's cause for celebration then. We should think up of a theme!"

"Yeah..." Nell said, her mind racing at the possibilities. They all looked up when Frances returned to the kitchen. "Darl, we're thinking of having a themed party for your birthday. What do you think?"

Frances wrinkled her nose. "Let's just have a party and leave my birthday out of it."

"Aw, why!" Ruth asked. "Don't you like having cake thrown at you?" she teased.

Frances' eyes widened. "Uh. No?"

"So what theme do you guys reckon?" Nell asked. If Frances did not want to have a birthday celebration, Nell didn't think she should have to explain why.

"Vampires?" Ruth suggested. She rolled her eyes at the looks her housemates threw her. "Fine. No vampires then."

"How about 'bloodbath' as a theme?" Isobel asked, looking around. "That way you can be a vampire if you wanted."

"That sounds good. I've never been to a bloodbath before," Nell said, grinning. "We'd have to give the house a makeover!" Nell was already imagining sheets dipped in red paint, streaks of red paint down the front door...

"All right, that's settled then. Man, that was easy," Ruth said, leaning back in her seat. "Two weeks from now?"

"Yes, party!" Nell crowed, pumping a fist. "You're our first official invite, Isobel," she said.

"Call me Izzie. And I'm honoured," Isobel said, smiling. "I'll be here with bells on."

Kristen sat outside her flat with a wine glass in hand. Ever since Russell's return from rehab, everyone had made a silent pact to not drink around their boss. It was going well so far, but they had gotten slammed again at work and Kristen was glad that she still had some of the wine left at home from the other night when Frances had come over.

Russell had mentioned earlier on in the evening that Frances' birthday was in two weeks. He wanted to do something for her; her last two birthdays were spent away from home. Kristen chewed on her lower lip, wondering what she should get Frances.

Apart from her iPod, Kristen was pretty sure that Frances did not own anything first hand; she did most of her shopping at op shops--that is, if she even went shopping at all.

Frances was so different from anyone she had ever been with. Granted, she had never been with a woman prior to Frances--but it was more than that. Kristen recalled Russell's story about his friend who had spent eight hours reeling in a fish for the sport of it. She had been impressed at the man's patience and stamina but Frances' first thought was actually for the fish.

She was crazy about this woman. "Crazy is right," Kristen mumbled, shaking her head at herself. She was a woman in her mid-thirties acting like a teenager. Earlier on that night, she had called Frances just to hear her voice. It was pathetic, really. She felt like an addict. And she was totally experiencing withdrawal symptoms from not having seen Frances for two days.

Good God! What did she use to do before Frances came along? Work, shop, drink, draw... An idea struck her. A painting would make a perfect birthday gift for Frances. Getting it done in two weeks would be a rush but she knew she could do it if she put her mind to it.

Kristen picked up her mobile when it went off, surprised to find a message from Eleanor, asking if she wanted to hang out with a few women that she had met at the housewarming party. It was nice to finally make some friends, she reflected as she wrote back to Eleanor. Her life was getting back on track; it felt good to finally be able to put down roots somewhere and have everything out in the open.

47

Frances hurriedly stashed her folder in her bag. It was her first day at work and she had spent the entire day observing the way lessons were conducted. The last class of the day had dragged on. Kristen was waiting for her at the school lobby; they were having dinner with Russell, Ramsey and Tammy at Industrie, a French restaurant not too far from her work. She would have to change out of her work clothes at the restaurant, which was annoying. She didn't feel comfortable in the black pair of pumps that she had to wear for work.

"See you tomorrow morning, Frances," Keiko said, smiling at her newest employee.

"I'll be here," Frances said with a distracted smile. "Have a good night."

Frances pulled out her mobile to check the time. She had kept Kristen waiting for over half an hour. Frances grimaced as she stepped out of the lift.

Kristen was standing beside the huge Christmas tree with her hands stuck in the pockets of her denim jeans. Frances took a moment drink in the sight of Kristen, who looked beautiful in a long sleeved, v-neck top that showed just a hint of cleavage. Her jeans were form fitting and her heeled boots boosted her height. She could eat her up right there and then, boots and all, Frances thought with a wicked smile.

Kristen spotted Frances then and her brain froze for a moment at the sight of Frances in a smart, all black ensemble of shirt, pencil skirt and pumps. "Hey," she greeted when her brain kickstarted again. "You look... really good."

"Thanks," Frances said, looking down at her outfit a little self-consciously. "I feel really odd though. But we're late. I'm sorry, it's my fault. I'll change at the restaurant. Dad hates to be kept waiting."

"It's okay, I called him to let him know that you got held back." Kristen smiled when Frances leaned in to kiss her. She wrapped a hand around Frances' waist and planted a kiss on her lips. "Don't change out of this, baby. You look really, really good."

"Thanks. You look really good too." Frances smiled shyly and gave Kristen another kiss before pulling away. "Not bad for a fifteen dollar purchase, huh?" she said as they walked out of the building.

"Fifteen dollars? How did you manage that?" Kristen asked incredulously.

"I got the shirt and skirt from Vinnie's. The shoes cost a little more, though. I had to get them from the shops." Frances hooked a finger through Kristen's belt loop. They exchanged a smile as they strolled down Pitt Street. "How was your day off?"

"Boring. Spent most of the day doing housework," Kristen said. She had started working on Frances' birthday present as well, but she wasn't about to disclose that information. "How was your day at work?"

"Information overload. I'm really nervous about tomorrow. I'm only taking one class to start with, though, so that's good."

Kristen reached a hand behind her to unhook Frances' finger from her belt loop so that she could thread their fingers together. She tried imagining Frances teaching the next day in a similar outfit and her mouth went dry. Oh no, she was not feeling envious of Frances' students, Kristen thought.

"Are you okay?" Frances asked. Kristen was really quiet and looking rather dazed. "Kristen?"

Kristen shook her head to clear it. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm good." She had to stop thinking about tearing Frances' clothes off. She tried to snap her mind out of that line of thought by thinking about who they were going to have dinner with.

"What's wrong?" Frances asked. "Are you not feeling well?"

Kristen shook her head. "I'm fine. You... I'm..." Kristen took a breath, feeling frustrated in more than one way. "You look really good," she said a third time, sounding rather stupid to her own ears.

Frances nodded slowly. "Thank you. I got that the first time you said it..." A light went off in her head and she began to smile. "You're having dirty thoughts," she said, sounding scandalised.

"I'm having dirty thoughts," Kristen admitted in a defeated tone.

"Too bad we can't cancel because I would rather just have you for dinner," Frances said in a low voice, making Kristen's breath catch at her words.

"You are not helping matters at all, Frances," Kristen ground out, pulling Frances close. Frances hid her face in the crook of Kristen's neck. Kristen could feel her smile against her neck and her own lips curved up in response. "Oh look, we're here."

"You sound almost disappointed," Frances commented teasingly.

"What are you talking about? I'm famished," Kristen retorted as they trailed behind the maître d.

"Me too. You're gonna taste so good tonight," Frances whispered hotly in Kristen's ear, making her blush.

"Frances..." Kristen growled. "Behave. We are having dinner with your father and our friends, and they're looking straight at us."

"Hey Dad. Sorry we're late," Frances said as they took their seats. She shot Ramsey and Tammy a smile. "Hey you two. How're things?"

"Oh my God, sweetie, you look fabulous! Doesn't she look like a completely different person, Ramsey?" Tammy exclaimed, looking Frances up and down.

"Sure does," Ramsey said with a nod.

"She looks like a kid in adult clothing, that's what she looks like," Russell said gruffly. The look of affection on his face was not lost on anyone. "Let's order. I'm starving."

"This dinner's my way of saying thank you for taking care of Taters while I was at rehab," Russell said finally when they were halfway through their meal. "I would have done it sooner but with everything going on..." Russell shrugged. "Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know that we're out of debt."

"Oh, that's fantastic news, Russell!" Tammy exclaimed. "When did you hear from the insurance company?"

Russell cleared his throat. "I didn't. They're not paying us out. I sold the house." He had debated over telling them what he had done. In the end, he decided that there was no reason why he shouldn't.

Frances stared at her father. "You love that house, Dad," she said softly, not wanting to make a big deal of it but wanting to acknowledge his sacrifice at the same time.

"Oh, Russell..." Tammy felt really bad for her boss.

"That bloody insurance company!" Ramsey growled. "How could they do this? Maybe we could send in an appeal letter or something. They have no evidence that this was an inside job!"

"Ramsey has a point, Russell," Kristen said.

Russell shrugged. "It's just a house. Anyway. It'll take a few months for all the paperwork to be done so it's not like anything's going to happen immediately. We'll talk more about this later, Kristen," he said, glancing at her.

"Yeah, sure," Kristen said, not really fussed at the idea of moving. "But I think we should definitely write an appeal letter and fight this thing because it's totally unfair."

Tammy nodded. "I'll do it," she volunteered.

An awkward silence fell over the table after that. Frances looked around at everyone's glum expression and decided to. "So what else is up, guys?" she asked conversationally. "Is anyone missing me yet?"

"Oh, of course, sweetie!" Tammy said, reaching over to squeeze Frances' hand.

Russell shook his head at his daughter. "What?" Frances asked defensively.

"What did I tell you? A kid in adult clothes," Russell said gruffly to no one in particular, eliciting chuckles all round the table. Frances put down her cutlery and folded her arms across her chest with a pout on her lips. "You're just proving me right with that look, lass. Now eat your dinner," Russell said before chuckling himself.

Frances was glad to see her father in good humour, even if it was at her expense. Not for the first time, she was glad that she had decided to stay. She flashed Kristen a dimpled smile and went back to her dinner.

48

"I have to get up really early tomorrow morning," Frances murmured, gasping when Kristen's hands came to a rest on her breasts.

"Okay, let's go to bed then," Kristen replied, trailing her lips down Frances' neck. "Should I stop?" she asked, pausing at the base of Frances' neck, knowing full well what Frances' answer would be.

Frances moaned. Kristen's lips were sending tingles through her body. "No." She pressed her hand against the back of Kristen's head as her eyes fluttered shut. "Never stop."

"Never? You won't be able to go to work then," Kristen said playfully, unbuttoning Frances' shirt.

"I'll quit and you can be my sugar mummy," Frances said, pulling Kristen's face up so she could look into her eyes. "I never want this to stop," she said firmly.

A swell of emotion overcame Kristen. "I love you, Frances," she said, stroking Frances' cheek softly, wondering at how easy it was for them to switch between being playful and serious.

Frances' heart skipped a beat at the unexpected words. "Does that mean I don't ever have to work anymore?" she asked, dark eyes dancing. "I could totally get used to that."

Kristen smirked. "Can you stop being a smart ass for just one moment?"

Instead of answering, Frances pulled Kristen's top off and crushed their lips together in a bruising kiss. Her fingers curled and scratched their way up Kristen's torso. When Kristen hissed and whimpered, Frances groaned deep in her throat; the sounds that Kristen made never failed to fuel her desire. She responded by roughly pulling on the cups of Kristen's bra to release full breasts from their constraints.

Kristen's breath caught when Frances began circling both her nipples with her thumbs. The open look of desire on Frances' face made her knees weak. She brought her hands up to cradle Frances' face as she fought to keep her eyes open. Her body arched into Frances' touch.

"You feel so good," Frances murmured. Kristen's lips were bruised from their rough kissing, her dark blonde hair was tousled, and her half-lidded eyes were dark with arousal. Frances inched her face towards Kristen's until the tips of their noses were touching.

Kristen slanted her face and they were kissing again--blindly, fiercely, then softly, sweetly. Kristen rubbed her lips lightly against Frances'; the smooth friction made her moan. Frances' tongue slid into her mouth again, running lightly across the tips of her teeth, against the roof of her mouth, and tangled with hers. Kristen could not remember spending this much time kissing before.

Frances backed Kristen against a wall and tore her lips away to bite down Kristen's body. She revelled in the moans that reached her ears, getting lost in the soft expanse of skin that seemed to go on endlessly. Deft fingers unbuttoned Kristen's jeans and yanked them down while sharp teeth played with sensitive flesh. Kristen was glad of the support the wall gave her. She writhed between the hard surface and Frances, her breathing becoming more and more ragged the lower Frances moved.

"You're wearing too many clothes," Kristen murmured, pulling Frances against her almost naked body.

"I thought you liked my outfit," Frances responded coyly as she shook her hair loose. She backed up and slowly re-buttoned her shirt, her eyes never leaving Kristen's face.

Kristen lifted an elegant brow. "You're doing it wrong," she complained half-heartedly. Green eyes ran down the length of Frances and a fresh spark of desire shot through her body. "You look so good in those shoes," she murmured before her mouth went dry at the sight of Frances hitching her skirt up slightly to remove her knickers. The article of clothing fell uselessly from Frances' body. She stepped out of it and kicked it aside.

"You are such a tease," Kristen growled as she closed the distance between them. She yanked Frances' arms behind her and held both her wrists in one hand. "How did I ever land myself with you?" she asked as her free hand worked to unbutton Frances' shirt again.

Frances' shirt fell open finally. Kristen released Frances' hands and felt an arm curl around her shoulders. Frances steered them backwards until she was against a wall and hitched her skirt up to hook a leg around Kristen, who thought she might faint at the sudden rush of desire that shot through her.

"You gonna stand around asking questions all day or are you gonna fuck me?" Frances asked, deliberately trailing the heel of her shoe down the back of Kristen's thigh. Kristen's breath came out in a rush and she entered Frances in a swift movement, making dark eyes widen, then glaze over with lust. A whimper escaped Frances when their eyes met. She sank her teeth into Kristen's neck as Kristen pushed deeper into her.

"I love the way you feel," Kristen murmured feverishly, delighting in the softness, the heat and the wetness that was coating her fingers. "I want all of you."

"You have all of me," Frances managed to say between breaths. "Take it."

"Gladly."

Kristen looked on as Frances slumbered, her face open and free of lines. She touched a finger to the bridge of Frances' nose and trailed it down lightly, so as not to wake her. Then she leaned down and placed a kiss on Frances' cheek and lips.

Whatever happened outside of this was inconsequential to her, she realised. She had felt this way for Jack before, she was sure. But now, for the life of her, she couldn't even call up the memory of that to compare with what she was feeling for Frances.

As though she could hear her thoughts, Frances' eyes fluttered open. "Sorry, did I wake you?" Kristen whispered.

"Why aren't you sleeping yet?" Frances asked blearily, lifting a hand to caress Kristen's face. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. Very okay. Go back to sleep. You have to get up in a few hours."

Frances turned and burrowed her face in the crook of Kristen's neck, inhaling deeply before she fell back to sleep. Kristen smiled in the embrace and her eyes fluttered shut as well, feeling like she had everything she needed right there in her arms.

49

There were five things in the lamb salad special, Kristen had to remind herself again. Kipler potatoes, seeded mustard dressing, enoki mushrooms, rocket leaves and the lamb, of course. She was completely out of focus that evening and it was frustrating her.

The cook off between Jaycee and Taters was supposed to be happening right now but the Taters crew had unanimously decided to boycott it. None of them had felt inclined to contribute to Jaycee's business.

Kristen had felt jumpy all day but so far, no one had come barging into Taters, demanding to know why no one had showed up at Jaycee for the competition. Kristen glanced at the clock and blew out a breath. The minute hand had barely moved; how could it still be half past seven? She wished that her shift was over.

"Where're my lamb plates, Kristen?" Russell barked from behind her.

"Right here, Chef," Kristen said, handing over the plates after making sure that she had everything on them.

"Order in, Chef."

Kristen smiled even before she whipped her head around. "I know you," she said by way of greeting.

Frances leaned over the counter with the dockets, a small smile playing on her lips. "Jolt my memory. Where from?" she asked innocently.

"You were naked in my bed just this morning," Kristen said in a low voice, mindful that Russell was right behind her.

Frances gasped. "Oh, that was you?" she said before chuckling at the droll expression on Kristen's face. "How're you going, Chef?"

"Over it," Kristen said truthfully. "Can't wait to get outta here. What are you doing here?"

"Hey Dad," Frances called out when Russell looked her way. She returned her attention to Kristen after Russell grunted in response to her greeting. "Felt like seeing you before I go home." Her words made Kristen feel warm all over. "Now that I'm here though, I no longer feel like going home."

"So don't," Kristen murmured as she began plating up a prosciutto salad.

"Tempting," Frances said, looking at Kristen's hands as they handled the food. There was something about the way chefs moved their hands, she thought. Who would have thought that a bunch of leaves could end up looking that flash on a plate? "But I have to do some work for class tomorrow," she said regretfully, raising her eyes to Kristen's. "I was gonna ask if you wanted to do something together this weekend?"

"I'm working Saturday. Would you wanna spend the night at mine? I've got Sunday off and the only plan I have is dinner with Eleanor and a few women we met at the housewarming party. Wanna join us?"

Frances looked a little surprised. "Eleanor? Mm. Nah, I'll pass. You have fun... and tell her to keep her hands off you," she said, eliciting a grin from Kristen. "So... Saturday night?"

Kristen nodded. "It's a date."

"Okay, I'm gonna go before I decide against rationality to go home with you," Frances said, wrinkling her nose. She leaned over the counter. "Can I steal a kiss before I go?"

"No, but you can have one," Kristen murmured, leaning forward to touch her lips to Frances'. They heard a clearing of throat coming from the grill section and Frances pulled away quickly, blushing slightly.

"Bye Dad! I'll see you tomorrow for dinner. Don't forget you're cooking for me!" Frances called out.

"Yes, yes. Work me harder, why don't you," Russell grumbled under his breath.

Kristen sighed when Frances left Taters. "Order in, Chef!" She grabbed two dockets from Liam, scanned them, and handed them over to Russell. "ETA for Table Three?" Liam asked, hovering around the counter.

Kristen scanned the dockets before her. "Five minutes, Liam. Getting to it right now," she said before turning to the stove.

"Thanks, Chef," Liam called out before a piercing scream ripped through the restaurant.

"What the hell?" Kristen swore, almost jumping out of her skin.

Liam shrugged. "Be right back."

More screams and exclamations sounded; some people were leaving the restaurant. Russell and Kristen left the kitchen to investigate. "What's going on?" Russell demanded to know.

"Rats!" A pale Missy ran up to them, shuddering.

"Wonderful," Russell breathed out, shaking his head. "Just fucking wonderful."

The Taters crew sat out back in the beer garden in an awkward silence. Russell could not believe his luck. At the rate they were going, the money from the sale of his house would not last long.

"Go home, people. There's nothing else we can do here," he said finally.

"Should we try and catch the rats?" Missy asked, looking a little green at the suggestion. Sandra grimaced as well and shifted uncomfortably, half expecting the rodents to run out at them.

"I could run down to the shops and get some rat poison," Liam offered.

"Thanks, Liam. That's a great idea," Kristen said when Russell did not reply. "Grab some money out of the till."

Liam shook his head. "That's all right. I got it."

"Missy, Sandra, you guys should go home," Kristen said distractedly. "We'll handle it."

"Are you sure? I'm happy to stay and help," Missy said. Her eyes flicked between Kristen and Russell.

"No, no, go on home, lass. We'll handle it from here," Russell said finally. He looked tired and resigned. "I could so use a drink right now," he growled.

"No point stressing, Russell," Kristen said hurriedly. She wished that Frances had stayed just a bit longer; she could use her presence right now. "Maybe you should head on home. I'll wait for Liam to get back."

"No, no. I'd rather be here."

"I'll stay too," Missy said finally. "I don't feel right leaving like that."

"Neither," Sandra said firmly.

Kristen nodded and quickly wrote Frances a text message to tell her what had happened. Her mobile rang shortly after she hit the send button; she got up from the table to answer it. After reassuring Frances that she would take care of things, Kristen handed the mobile to Russell.

"No, no, it's fine. We'll handle it," Russell said into the receiver. "There's nothing you can do here anyway. It'll be fine," he said with a certainty that he did not feel. "Don't fuss, lass. I said it'll be fine. We'll have it sorted out tomorrow. Yes, I'll see you then." With that, he handed the mobile back to Kristen.

"Got the stuff," Liam said, poking his head into the beer garden.

Kristen ended the call and went back into the restaurant. Liam had gotten a rat bait box and an organic rat killer that could be used safely in food processing areas.

After everything was set up, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Liam," Kristen said, giving him a grateful look. Ever since Taters had reopened, he had stopped getting on her nerves as much as he did before.

"No worries, Chef," Liam said with a toothy smile. "Happy to help, eh. It was bad luck that they were in the restaurant area though. We might get into trouble with the food authorities."

"Nothing we can do about that," Kristen said, blowing out a breath. "We'll just have to see what happens." She was more worried that Russell might get back on the bottle but there was nothing she could do about that either. He would have to learn to deal with stress without turning to alcohol.

After they locked up the restaurant, Liam gave everyone a lift home. Then he made his way to the hotel where Jack Canning was waiting, mentally bracing himself for another long night.

50

In the entire time Taters had been operating, they had never had any health and safety issues. Moreover, Taters had only just undergone renovation; where had the rats come from? Russell turned in his bed, frowning in the dark. It had to be sabotage.

Surely Jack Canning would not resort to something as underhanded as this. What would he gain from doing so anyway? There were so many restaurants along Erskinville Road; shutting Taters down wouldn't do much for his business.

Russell recalled the look on Jack's face when he had held him by his collar. If this was Jack Canning's doing, it had to be personal. And if this was Jack Canning's doing, Russell was certain that it was only the beginning.

It would be so easy to just get out of the house and walk two blocks down to the bottle shop, he mused. He clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut instead. He did not need alcohol. He was stronger than that. He would not break his promise to Frances.

With these thoughts roiling around in his head, it was a long time before Russell fell into an uneasy slumber.

Kristen did not want to spend the night alone. The hour was still respectable; maybe Frances would welcome her company. Despite being the one who did all the running, Kristen realised that Frances was also the one who initiated contact most, if not all, of the time. She felt like a permanent fixture, always waiting for Frances to come to her. She decided to put herself out there and look Frances up.

It was about a thirty minutes walk to Frances'. Kristen stepped out into the warm night in her tank top and slacks. She was halfway down the street when her mobile rang.

"Benjamin?" she answered, surprised at the unexpected call. "Sunday? Huh. Did you hear about what happened tonight at Taters? Is that why you're coming to Sydney?" Kristen frowned. "Who's giving you all this information about us? I really don't like this, Benjy. Either you come clean or you stay out of our lives."

Kristen wasn't sure if she could trust that Benjamin was on her side but he was blood, nevertheless, and Kristen could only hope that that meant as much to Benjamin as it did to her. "Fine. I'll see you when you get here."

Frances' home came in sight. Kristen glanced nervously at the big house from a distance and thought she saw movement on the veranda. As she neared the house, she could hear voices. Kristen let herself through the gate noisily to announce her presence. She went up the stairs to the veranda and was greeted by four friendly faces.

"Hey," she said awkwardly. Nell was the only person besides Frances that she knew.

"Hey!" Frances called out, her face lighting up. "What are you doing here?"

"Just wanted to see what you were up to," Kristen said shyly, going over to where Frances was. "I hope that's okay."

"Of course it's okay." Frances shifted on the couch to make room for Kristen. "Ruth, Jaz, Kristen." Frances linked her arm through Kristen's when she sat down beside her. "Ruth was just showing us the books she got from the op shop today," she said, resting her hand on Kristen's thigh.

"Apparently, the Jamaicans love Bob Marley because he introduced Jamaica to the world," Ruth said. "And this picture here is the reason why I bought the book. Did you guys know Marilyn Monroe was a redhead?"

"True!" Nell took the book from Ruth. "It's a black and white photo, darl. How the hell can you tell?"

"Oh, it's just one of the many things I know," Ruth said airily.

Kristen looked around at Frances' friends with a faint smile on her face. She knew Ruth by name and she had met Jaz briefly at Sando's before their band had played on stage. "How're you doing?" Frances murmured beside her. She turned to Frances with a heavy sigh.

"I don't know. Benjamin called. He's coming to Sydney on Sunday. He heard about what happened."

Frances frowned. "How?"

"Someone told him. I don't know what's going on anymore. It's all getting really weird," Kristen said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I don't think tonight was an accident, that much is for sure. We've never had rats in the restaurant before."

"How's Dad doing? I tried calling him but his mobile's turned off."

"The house was dark when I left."

Frances chewed on her lower lip. "I'll talk to him tomorrow. I'm so sorry, baby," she said, rubbing her hand down Kristen's arm and resting her temple on Kristen's shoulder.

"I feel better now that I'm here," Kristen said with a smile. She brushed an errant lock of hair out of Frances' face.

"Good. Did you want a drink? There's beer and wine... or I could make you some tea."

"What are you having?"

"Wine. Here," Frances said, leaning forward for her glass and offering it to Kristen.

"Thanks."

"So has Frances told you about the party we're having in a few weeks, Kristen?" Ruth asked from across the table.

Kristen looked up at the woman who had just addressed her. "Uh, no. What party?"

"Bet she hasn't told you that it's her birthday in a few weeks either!"

Kristen smirked. "Nope." She turned to Frances. "Maybe she didn't want me to know."

"Birthdays, schmirthdays," Frances scoffed. "What do I say? 'My birthday's coming soon, nudge nudge.' Sounds as though I'm after a gift."

"Don't you like presents?" Ruth asked, flipping through another book absently.

"I think people should give each other things if they want to. Not because they're obliged to." Frances shrugged. "And anyway, I've got everything I want."

"That's so romantic," Jaz said, her eyes flicking from Kristen to Frances.

"Huh?" Frances was confused for a split second before she caught on to what Jaz was implying and rolled her eyes. "I didn't mean it like that. But yeah, now that you mentioned it, I do have everything I want."

Kristen shot Frances an indulgent look and couldn't help the smile that crept onto her face. "Cos' everyone wants a hot egotistical chef for a girlfriend," Frances added cheekily.

"Hey!" Kristen protested half-heartedly.

"Oh, tough luck, Frances," Ruth said, rolling her eyes. "Don't you worry, Kristen. It's totally one of my wish list items." An amused Kristen gave her a nod of thanks.

Frances leaned forward and picked up a bottle cap from the table to throw at Ruth. "Hands off my girlfriend," she said playfully.

Ruth rolled her eyes and dodged the bottle cap easily. "Yeah, because Kristen's the only hot egotistical female chef in the world."

"The only hot one, yeah," Frances answered with a pointed look before breaking into a smile. She could feel Kristen's laughter vibrate through her frame.

"Ladies, ladies!" Nell called out with a sigh. "Let's not get so worked up, shall we? After all, there're other hot women around. Like... mechanics, guitarists, singers..."

"Oh, do stop with your self-advertisement, Nell!" Jaz said laughingly.

"What?" Nell smirked. "Just sayin'."

"Got one of those years ago," Frances said, waving a hand in the air. "Wasn't as good as advertised," she teased, making Nell gape in mock anger.

"Smart ass!" Nell picked up the same bottle cap that Frances had thrown at Ruth to throw at Frances.

"She totally got you with that one though, Nell," Jaz said, still chuckling. Frances looked pleased with herself.

Nell stuck out her tongue at her friends. "I hate you all." When everyone burst out laughing at that, she shook her head woefully. "With friends like you guys, who needs enemies?"

Kristen looked around Frances' room while Frances was in the bathroom. Frances had spent some time doing it up since the last time she was over. A few posters of Japanese animated characters lined the walls. Kristen recognised one of them from their first movie date, but she hadn't a clue about the others. She hadn't realised that Frances liked Japanese animation that much.

She shifted her attention to a book shelf made out of milk crates; it easily held a hundred books. Kristen trailed a finger across book spines, tilting her head slightly to scan them. She wondered if Frances had read them all.

It surprised her that there was still so much of Frances she didn't know. She had to constantly remind herself that they had only been together a short time.

She stepped to the right of the makeshift book shelf and stood before an easel that held a canvas of photographs. Most of the photographs looked like candid shots. Frances wasn't in many of them. The two of them had yet to take a single photograph together; she made up her mind to remedy that.

When the room door opened, Kristen turned with a smile. "Hey. These look good. Did you take them?"

Frances came over to her side. "Most of them, yeah. I took these in India," she said, smiling softly when she touched a finger to a few of the photographs. "She's beautiful, isn't she?" Frances was referring to a girl in a red sari, twirling around, laughing. "She was working at an orphanage where I was teaching at for a few weeks."

"The kids were having exams when she got appendicitis. The principal wouldn't let her go to the hospital. A few of us went to tell him that she might die if she didn't receive medical attention. Do you know what he said?"

Kristen shook her head.

"He said he'd find someone else to replace her if that happens." Frances shook her head sadly. "Can you believe that?"

"That's awful," Kristen said, feeling appalled. "What happened to her?" she asked a little fearfully.

"We took her to the hospital. And he fired her. He said he would make sure that she never finds work in that industry again." Kristen's eyes rounded at that. "Till this day, I'm not sure if we've saved her life only to ruin it."

"You did the right thing," Kristen insisted.

Frances exhaled loudly. "Anyway. These are my students in Vietnam," she said, pointing at a few smiling children with unkempt hair and mischievous eyes. "I miss them. They're a good bunch."

"I'm sure they miss you too," Kristen said, circling her arms around Frances. "I know I would."

Frances turned in Kristen's embrace and wrinkled her nose. "Sweet talker." She linked her fingers behind Kristen's neck.

"I think you're amazing," Kristen said honestly. "You make me feel like a frog in a well."

"So... my kiss turned you into a beautiful woman?" Frances asked, a smile playing on her lips.

Green eyes rolled. "You have a knack of coming up with the most smart arse comments," Kristen said, shaking her head. "Seriously though, you are wonderful."

Frances' brow creased slightly. "Don't put me on a pedestal because I'll disappoint you."

"Hey, where's that coming from?" Kristen asked, lifting Frances' face with a finger under her chin.

"Well I'm back here, aren't I? If I'm really that wonderful, amazing person you say I am, I should be helping more people. Instead, I'm living a privileged life, working for a profit-making organisation, talking about a girl in a photograph whose life I probably helped ruin."

"That's not true. You helped save her life. You gave her a choice, which is more than that arsehole of a principal gave her. We all have our lots in life. We don't get to choose where we're born and who we're born to. It's what we do with what we have that counts. Don't put yourself down."

Frances was silent for a long moment. "Okay," she said finally.

"Okay? That's it? No smart arse comment?" Kristen asked with a faint smile.

Frances smirked. "No. Ran out of them. I was on a roll tonight."

Kristen leaned down and touched her lips to Frances'. "You are wonderful and amazing."

"Pedestal. Off," Frances murmured between kisses.

"Clothes. Off," Kristen replied, running her hands down Frances' back and under her shirt.

"Am I off the pedestal?" Frances inquired, her breathing becoming more laboured as Kristen's wandering hands drifted upwards and cupped her breasts.

Kristen pulled away from Frances. "You're a nasty, selfish woman and I can't believe I'm stuck with you. Happy?"

Frances smirked, stepped back from Kristen, and proceeded to take her clothes off. "Very. You?"

Kristen pulled a naked Frances against her and sighed. "Now I am."

51

Nell strummed her guitar, trying to lose herself in her music. She did not have to go in to work for a few hours yet, and she wanted to make the best of her time at home. The front door opened and Nell lifted her face. "Hello there," she greeted when Kristen exited the house.

"Hey," Kristen said with a smile, walking over to where Nell was.

"What's up?"

Kristen shrugged as she seated herself down across from Nell. "Nothing much. Not particularly looking forward to work," she said in a heavy tone. She didn't know what to expect at Taters, if they would get into trouble with the authorities with the rat fiasco. "What about you?"

"Just hangin'. Have to go in to work later as well. Sucks," Nell grumbled, plucking on her guitar strings. "Life is such," she said with a sigh.

"So... you're a mechanic?" Kristen asked conversationally. She hadn't had much one to one time with Nell. In fact, this was probably the first time they were hanging out without Frances.

Nell nodded. "Frances mentioned that you're after a second hand car. I'll keep a lookout out for ya," she said helpfully. "Sometimes people unload their vehicles on us. We fix them up and sell them off cheap."

Kristen's face lit up. "That'll be cool, thanks."

"No wuckas, mate," Nell said with a grin. She plucked her guitar strings. "What kinda music do you like?"

Kristen shrugged. "Nothing in particular. Mellow stuff, I guess. I liked the music you guys played at Sando's. Different but really catchy."

Nell nodded. "There's this new song I keep getting flashes of in my head. Wanna hear it?" she asked.

"Yeah. For sure." Kristen folded her legs under her and shifted on the couch to make herself comfortable. She hadn't expected to find anyone at the house and had planned to go home before going in to Taters. She was glad to have found Nell on the veranda. She liked her, despite her insecurities, which were lessening the more time she spent with Frances.

Nell began strumming a few chords. Kristen was beginning to get into the piece when Nell stopped. "That's all I got," Nell said in frustration. "Can't seem to go on," she said, putting her guitar down. "I could repeat the chords but... it doesn't feel right when I do."

"It'll come," Kristen said encouragingly. "I get like that sometimes with my painting. Sometimes all it takes is for me to start on something new."

"You paint?" Nell asked with interest.

Kristen shrugged self-consciously. "I dabble. It puts me in a different headspace."

"Yeah, I totally get that," Nell agreed before they fell silent, enjoying the quiet. "I'm really sorry to hear about what happened at Taters," she said, breaking the silence.

"Bad luck," Kristen agreed. "There's foul play involved, I'm sure of it."

"Your ex?"

Kristen nodded with a sigh. "As much as I hate to say it, yes. I can't believe..." She shook her head. "You think you know someone... and then they prove to you that you don't." She was surprised at how easy it was for her to talk to Nell.

Nell smirked. "Humans. We're a pretty sad bunch. That's why I hold on to people I trust... and try to do my best by them."

Kristen assessed Nell's profile. "You're so much like Frances," she said finally.

Nell looked at Kristen in surprise. "No way, we're so different."

"Fundamentally, you're both good people. Kind. Loyal. Trustworthy, even."

Nell shook her head with a faint smile. "She's gone to work, hasn't she?" she asked, changing the topic. Kristen nodded. "Have you thought about what to get her for her birthday?"

"I'm gonna paint her something for a start. I don't know what to get her, really," Kristen confessed.

Nell smiled. "That's really sweet, darl. I'm sure she'll love whatever you give her."

"What are you getting her?"

Nell shrugged. "That song you just heard? If I can finish it in time and record it... But if I can't, I guess I'll have to go hunt around the shops for something she thinks she doesn't want but will eventually learn to appreciate."

Kristen chuckled. "She's really lucky to have you in her life," she said wistfully, thinking about her friends back home. She wondered how some of them were.

"A song and a painting? Frances is a lucky girl," Nell said with a laugh.

Frances sneezed. Her day had dragged on after her two hour class, which had gone relatively well. She wasn't able to connect with all her students, however, and that had unsettled her. But, given time, she was sure that everything would work out fine.

Before she let herself into her father's home, she threw a glance at the empty granny flat and a faint smile crept onto her face. Kristen would be home in a few hours and if she was lucky, she might see her before she went home. Kristen Black. Cameron. Black, she thought finally. She would always know Kristen as such.

Something smelled good. Frances' smile deepened when she made her way to the kitchen. She always felt fortunate to have a home cooked meal. Her father rarely cooked for her.

"Hey Dad," she greeted. Russell gave her a look of acknowledgement. "That smells wonderful."

"It better," he said gruffly. "Spent ages on it.

"Can I help?" she asked, walking over to where he was.

"You can set the table," he instructed. "And you can grab the bowl of salad from the fridge."

Frances lifted a brow. "Do I smell soup? Mushroom?" she hazarded a guess. "A three course dinner, Dad? Amazing!"

"Dessert too," Russell said, puffing out his chest. He had gone all out, immersing himself in his cooking to take his mind off what was happening to Taters. Kristen and Ramsey hadn't called; that meant no one from the Food Authorities had showed. He wasn't reassured, however. Tomorrow was a new day.

"Four courses! You're the best, Dad!" Frances said, placing the bowl of salad on the table. "Are we going to have a Christmas party for Taters, Dad?" she asked conversationally. Russell grunted. He hadn't thought about it and he said as much. "You know, we could just do something together, all of us. Play golf, maybe? Or have a picnic," Frances suggested.

"Golf?" Russell asked, sitting himself down at the kitchen table. "You play?"

Frances shook her head. "Always wanted to try it. That and lawn bowling."

"Lawn bowling? That's for old people!" Russell said in disgust. Frances shot him an amused look. "Show some respect, lass," he said warningly at the look on her face.

Frances snickered. "I like watching lawn bowling on TV," she insisted. "And it's not just an old people sport."

Speaking of parties... "What are you doing for your birthday?"

Frances shrugged. "I don't know. Nothing? It's no big deal."

"How about dinner at Taters? Make it a private function. You can invite whoever you want."

Frances lifted a brow. "That's... um... I don't mind having a dinner with just you and the crew, I suppose," she said.

Russell scratched his chin. "An intimate gathering, then."

Frances smirked. "Yeah. That. I wouldn't mind that." When Russell merely nodded without saying anything, Frances decided to change the topic. "What are you gonna do now that you've sold the house?"

Russell shrugged. "Haven't really thought about it. I might buy a yacht."

"Cool!" Frances' eyes widened. "Isn't that really expensive?"

Russell shook his head. "Not compared to owning a house. I could get a second hand 44-foot yacht for much less than a studio apartment in the city. Having it on the marina would be comparable to paying rent."

"Wow," Frances breathed out. The concept of money still boggled her mind at times. "I suppose you'd know. You'd love living on a boat, wouldn't you, Dad? You could go fishing anytime you wanted, with the comfort of your home right there with you. It's perfect." Maybe selling the house was a blessing in disguise.

"That would be the perfect life for me," Russell said grudgingly.

"And I could use your boat from time to time too," Frances said, her mind racing with the possibilities. "Think about how easy it'll be to pull chicks when you say you live on a boat, Dad!" she joked.

"Don't you be getting any fresh ideas," Russell said, shooting his daughter an affectionate look.

"What?" Frances said defensively. "I'm talking about you, not me."

"Uh huh." Russell narrowed his eyes. "Seeing that you've already... pulled chicks... I mean, pulled one yourself."

Frances rolled her eyes, embarrassed. They hadn't spoken about her relationship with Kristen. "That sounds wrong coming from you."

"Are you happy?" Russell asked seriously.

Frances looked at her father in surprise. "I am. Kristen's... great. I love her," she said simply, her heart skipping a beat at her own words.

Russell nodded. "Good. It's good to see you all grown up."

"Thought you said I was still a kid?" Frances said, smiling cheekily.

"You will always be a kid to me," Russell said. "But you're also a woman in your own right, so... it's good to see that you're happy with your choices."

Frances could only smile at her father's words. "Thanks, Dad." She wanted to say that she loved him but the words could not leave her lips. At their shared look, however, she knew that he knew how she felt, and that was enough for her.

"Um, Dad? Is everything okay with you? I mean... all this craziness that's happening at Taters must be really hard on you," Frances said nervously.

"I'm not drinking again, if that's what you're asking," Russell snapped. Then he sighed when Frances flinched. "I've thought about it," he conceded.

"I'm not trying to be a nag. I'm just concerned."

"I know you are. I'm fine. It's hard but I'm fine. The AA meetings are helping. As for what's happening at Taters, I don't know what to do about it. But what's the worst thing that can happen? Losing Taters would be nowhere as hard as losing your mother."

Frances choked back a sob at that. She cleared her throat. "You're... prepared to lose Taters?"

Russell shrugged. "It's a restaurant. Everyone else can find another job. I could take the time off to sail and fish. Why not."

Frances smiled at her father. "That's great positive thinking, Dad. I'm glad you're taking it so easy."

"I have nothing to lose, Frances. You're the only thing that's important to me," Russell said finally, his words causing tears to spring to Frances' eyes. "That's why I want you to stay away from Jack Canning. He's bad news."

"Don't worry, I don't plan to go anywhere near that man. But it makes me so angry... shouldn't we fight back?"

Russell snorted. "And do what? Sabotage his company? Even if I knew how to do it, which I don't, what's the point in lowering ourselves to his level?"

"But... to lose Taters to his underhand methods... that hardly seems fair, Dad," Frances persisted.

Russell shook his head as he plated up their soup. "Whoever said that life is fair?"

52

Saturday night could not come fast enough for Kristen. They had been jumpy since the rat fiasco, expecting the Food Authorities to shut Taters down, but no one had come. Business had taken a significant dive, however; they had gone from taking almost two hundred covers a day to barely a hundred.

A part of Kristen felt guilty. Surely none of this would have happened if not for her connection to Taters and C&C.

"Kristen?" Kristen looked up at a flustered looking Tammy. "Table Three is kicking up a fuss about not being served. They're demanding to see the chef."

"They ordered five minutes ago," Kristen said angrily after glancing at the docket and the clock. She threw her apron on the bench, exchanged a look with Ramsey, and exited the kitchen. Following Tammy, she made her way to the table of two. "What's the problem?" she asked in a calm voice, sizing them up.

"We want our food! It's been at least thirty minutes now. What kind of service is this?"

"You've only just ordered five minutes ago. A pasta, a bruschetta and two steak sandwiches take time to make," she informed them coldly. It was a lot to order between two people; she was certain that they were deliberately stirring up trouble. "Unless you want the steaks raw."

"Bullshit! We were here longer than that. Weren't we?" one of the men said, turning around to the rest of the restaurant.

"I assure you, Tammy takes down the time of order. And on this docket, it says eight thirty two." She was trying to keep a tight reign on her temper as she placed the docket on the table and pushed it towards the man.

"Well your waitress must be wrong then!" the man said snidely. "We want a refund!" He slammed a fist on the table. A few patrons who had just been seated got up to leave. Tammy went over to them hurriedly.

Kristen lifted a brow. "You haven't paid."

The man faltered but waved a hand. "Well the meal should be on the house then!"

"Like I said, you've only ordered five minutes ago," Kristen ground out. "If you want fast food, there's a Maccas on Parramatta Road. The door out of Taters is right behind me."

"Everyone's gonna hear of this!" the man said, standing up. His companion stood up with him, throwing her a dirty look. "What a fucked up establishment. We heard about the rats a few nights ago but thought we'd give you a chance. No wonder you guys didn't have the guts to go up against Jaycee."

"On the contrary, we weren't interested in going up against Jaycee," Kristen snapped. "You seem to be well-informed of our going-ons."

"If you live in the area, you'd know all about how Taters chickened out of the competition with Jaycee," the man said loudly, looking around.

"Are you looking for trouble, mate? Because I've just called the cops and they're on their way," Ramsey said from behind Kristen. "We'll let them sort it out."

The man looked uncomfortable for a split second. "Let's go," he said to his companion. "We're better off going somewhere else where the service is better and cleaner."

Kristen pinched the bridge of her nose when they left. She looked around at the remaining patrons, who looked slightly uncomfortable. "Sorry you all had to witness that," she said to them.

"Rats?" One of the remaining patrons asked, looking uncomfortably around him.

"We've got it sorted," Tammy said as she hurried to the man's side. "It wasn't due to uncleanliness. As you know, we've only just undergone renovation..."

Kristen allowed Tammy to do the talking as she made her way back to the kitchen with Ramsey. "You didn't really call the cops, did you?"

"Nah, just wanted to scare them off," Ramsey said, shaking his head. "Did the trick."

Kristen sighed, her brows furrowing. "I'm so over this. This is evidently a set up."

"Yeah," Ramsey agreed. "What can we do, though? I think the rats were only the beginning. Tonight's proof of that."

"This has to stop or Taters is going down," Kristen said, shaking her head. "Maybe I should quit. That way, Jack would have no reason to continue his behaviour."

Ramsey snorted. "There's no guarantee that he would stop. It would be in his favour if you leave us."

"Hey guys!" a familiar voice interrupted their conversation.

Kristen looked up and her lips immediately curved up. "Hey," she greeted softly.

"What's wrong?" Frances asked, picking up on the tension. She looked from Ramsey to Kristen. "Did something happen?" she asked, entering the kitchen to stand with them.

"Just some troublemakers," Ramsey said, shaking his head.

"And...?" Frances prompted, feeling like there was more they weren't saying.

"We think it's deliberate."

Frances sighed. "This isn't gonna go away even if we ignore it, is it?" She thought about her conversation with her father the night before and gritted her teeth. It was one thing to talk about taking things easy when you knew that someone meant you harm, and quite another to actually do so.

Kristen shrugged. "I'm afraid not. It's all my fault," she said, pinching the bridge of her nose again.

"It's not your fault that Jack Canning's a dickhead," Ramsey said. "We cannot be responsible for someone else's behaviour."

"I just wanna get outta here," Kristen said, not wanting to waste another second of her time talking about Jack. "Are we closed?"

Ramsey nodded. "Shit yeah. Let's just finish up this last docket, clean up, and get the hell outta here."

"Best thing I heard all night," Kristen murmured, giving Frances a small smile. She scanned the docket again and reached for a pan.

"I'll help," Frances said, taking stock of what needed to be done. She opened the fridges and saw that Kristen had already covered everything up. The benches looked like they had been cleaned as well. That left the floor. Frances made for the broom.

"Thanks, baby," Kristen called out from the stove.

"Anything for you, gorgeous," Frances replied with a smile.

"Ah, young love," Ramsey commented with a loud sigh, eliciting twin looks of amusement. "Just try not to kiss in front of me again. My heart might not be able to take it," he said wryly.

Kristen balled up a tea towel to throw at Ramsey.

Frances flipped through a magazine distractedly as she waited for Kristen to finish her shower. Taters' predicament frustrated her. She could only imagine how the other guys were feeling. Despite what Russell had told her, she still found it hard to stand by and do nothing when Jack was evidently out for blood.

She looked up when Kristen exited the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body and all thoughts about Taters flew out of her head. Kristen's hair was damp and her skin was slick with moisture. This gorgeous woman was hers, Frances thought, and her heart skipped a beat.

Kristen gave her a shy smile as she rummaged an open drawer for something to put on. Frances tore her eyes away from Kristen and tried to focus on the article about how Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's relationship was allegedly over--again. Short moments later, Frances felt the bed dip and she looked up to see Kristen crawling up the bed towards her.

Kristen rested her cheek on the pillow next to Frances and flung an arm around her waist, sighing when the length of her body came into contact with Frances'. "Hey," Frances said softly, touching a hand to Kristen's cheek.

"I'm so over this, it's not funny," Kristen mumbled with her eyes closed. She pressed her face into Frances' chest and inhaled deeply.

"I know. It totally blows. I'm so sorry," Frances murmured, resting her chin on Kristen's head.

Kristen tightened her hold on Frances as she shifted. "I'm not very good company tonight."

"What are you talking about? I love your company," Frances said, smiling faintly. "Wanna know what's happening with Angelina and Brad?"

Kristen hummed in acquiescence, so Frances began reading the article out loud whilst smoothing Kristen's back with one hand. When Frances got to an article on Kelly Osbourne and her new man in life, she glanced down at Kristen, who looked to be asleep. She quietly placed the magazine on the bedside table and slipped out of bed to turn the lights off. Then she climbed back into bed gingerly, careful not to wake Kristen.

"Good night, dearest," Frances said softly against the back of Kristen's neck as she circled her with her arms. She placed a gentle kiss on her nape. "I love you."

Kristen's lips curved up sleepily and she sighed contentedly in the embrace. "And I, you."

53

Frances was coaxed into consciousness by a delicious, tingling sensation. She didn't know when her shirt had come off, but the little detail was inconsequential in the greater scheme of things. She moaned softly and her body arched of its own accord. Reaching behind her, she tangled her fingers in Kristen's hair. "What are you doing?" she mumbled through smiling lips.

Kristen was pressing kisses and scraping her teeth across a smooth expanse of skin. She had wondered when Frances would awaken. Frances' breath caught when her hands brushed across her nipples; Kristen smiled against Frances' back.

"God, baby, that feels really good," Frances murmured, wetting her dry lips with her tongue. She squirmed uncomfortably, conscious of the wetness between her legs. She gasped when Kristen's fingers began circling her nipples. She covered one of Kristen's hands with her own free hand and attempted to pull it lower down her body but it refused to adhere to her instruction. "Kristen..."

"Hm?" Kristen kissed her way back up Frances' back to continue her assault on a helpless neck. When her naked breasts rubbed against Frances' back, both of them moaned simultaneously.

"Are you teasing me or is this going somewhere?" Frances rasped out, gasping again when Kristen bit down on her neck. Her eyes flew open. The room was painted gray with early morning light. Her mind idly noted that Kristen was up early for a change.

"What do you reckon?" Kristen murmured coyly, enjoying her power over Frances.

"You're driving me insane," Frances said, trying to turn around to face Kristen. Before she could do that, however, Kristen's hand trailed down her body and past the waistband of her shorts. Frances whimpered as she spread her legs to give Kristen better access. Her eyes fell shut and she drew in a ragged breath.

"You feel so good. So wet. Tell me what you want," Kristen husked out when her fingers came into contact with Frances' wet length.

"I... that... uh huh... yeah, that..." Frances managed to choke out when Kristen began drawing circles on her.

Kristen chuckled lightly. "Is that all you can manage, English teacher?" she teased.

Frances moved her hips in accordance to the rhythm Kristen's fingers were setting. The combination of Kristen's lips, teeth, body and fingers on her was intoxicating and she couldn't seem to form any coherent thoughts. "Oh, God..." She bit on her lower lip as Kristen's fingers tended to her in varying speeds. Her hand in Kristen's hair tightened its hold. "So good..."

"You are so hot, Frances," Kristen murmured. Frances' reaction was exciting her; she was all too aware of her own uncomfortable wetness against Frances' rear.

"Don't stop." Frances forced her eyes open as she turned her face. "Kiss me, baby."

Kristen met Frances' lips with her own and slid her tongue into a willing mouth. She moaned as their tongues tangled in a deep, stroking kiss that she felt in the pit of her belly. She brushed her palm across hard nipples, loving the way Frances was pressing urgently against her. The wetness against her other hand increased; Kristen breathed in the scent of Frances and a shudder went through her body.

Frances broke the kiss roughly to take a breath. "God, Kristen... you feel so good..." Her voice sounded disembodied to her own ears.

"Come for me," Kristen said hotly in Frances' ear, her low, husky voice sending sparks of desire down Frances' side to add to the building pressure in her lower abdomen.

"No..." Frances mumbled, to Kristen's surprise. "More... I want more."

"Fuck, you drive me crazy," Kristen growled out at Frances' words. She slowed her hand and increased its pressure. Frances' breath hitched. Kristen bit down gently on Frances' neck and grabbed at a breast roughly, sighing at the loud moan that was torn from Frances.

"Oh, baby... fuck, that's really..." Frances breathed out, only partly conscious that she wasn't forming coherent sentences. "Faster..."

Kristen did as she was told, eager to pleasure the writhing mass that was Frances. "Like that?"

"Fuck, yes..." Frances hissed. The friction of Kristen's hand against her was setting her body aflame. "Slower now... yeah, just like that..."

She could feel the delicious pressure building in her and she rode on it, whimpering helplessly, wishing that it would last forever but wanting to climax at the same time. Finally, when she couldn't take any more, she squeezed her eyes shut and her body went taut. Her toes curled as insane waves of pleasure crashed through her slender frame.

Kristen moaned; because of the way they were positioned, she could almost feel the orgasm seeping into her own body. She pressed her lips against the curve of Frances' shoulder when she felt her relax.

Frances finally turned in the intimate embrace with a satiated smile playing on her lips. Cupping Kristen's cheek with one hand, Frances pulled her in for a kiss. "Good morning to you too," she murmured against Kristen's lips.

"I love waking up with you," Kristen said, caressing Frances' features with her eyes.

"Me too. With you, that is," Frances replied, smiling when Kristen chuckled lightly. Her body arched into Kristen's and they moaned again when their breasts rubbed against each other's. "You feel so good."

"I want you again," Kristen confessed, her eyes darkening.

Frances flipped Kristen onto her back, pushed the doona off them, and straddled Kristen's waist. She pushed her hair behind her ears as she leaned down to touch Kristen's lips with her own. "Have I created a monster?" she asked teasingly when they stopped for air.

"I just can't get enough of you," Kristen drawled in a low, smoky voice, her lips twitching and her brow arching. "Is that bad?"

"Christ, I'm so into you, Chef," Frances murmured, aroused by the mere tone of Kristen's voice.

"Good," Kristen rasped out, hissing when sharp teeth found a tender spot on her neck. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Frances trailed her fingers along the length of the fence as she walked down the leafy sidewalk with a bounce in her step. The sky was overcast but she didn't mind the prospect of walking in the rain. There were few cars on the quiet street that she was on.

She missed being close to nature. She hadn't gone camping in forever; perhaps Kristen would want to go away with her one weekend. They would have to find a place that did not require too much climbing, she thought with a faint smile.

A light honk broke her out of her reverie. Frances turned just as a window rolled down. "Hey, Liam," she greeted in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Just got back from a mate's. How're you going?" Liam said with an easy, dimpled grin. He really was a good looking fellow, Frances thought. "Want a lift?"

Frances shook her head. "I'm good, thanks. I'm liking the walk."

Liam pursed his lips and peered at the gray sky. "Looks like it's gonna rain though. Come on, I'll give you a lift. I insist."

Frances thought for a moment and gave in. "Thanks, Liam."

Liam sighed inwardly at what he had to do but clenched his jaw briefly. "Hop in," he said, tilting his head. Frances slipped into the passenger seat. "Oh, hey, before we go, do you mind if I borrow your mobile to send a text? I just ran out of credit and..." Before he could finish his sentence, Frances handed him her mobile with a faint smile. "Thanks, Frances. You're the best," he murmured.

After typing out a quick message, he pulled away from the kerb. "I'll just hold on to this in case my friend writes back, yeah?" he said. Frances shrugged in acquiescence. "So, what have you been up to today?"

"Nothing much. Was just hanging out at Kristen's. She's gone to meet her brother. What about you? Had a good day?"

Liam chewed on his lower lip. "Wasn't too bad. Did everything I was supposed to do," he said truthfully as he pulled a left.

"Oh, wait, you don't know where I live. I'm actually..."

"Sorry Frances," Liam said regretfully as he engaged the door lock button. Frances glanced at him curiously. "You and I are gonna have to go on a small trip."

"What do you mean?" Frances asked, confused. When Liam did not answer her, she began to feel a little uneasy. "Liam?" Liam blew out a breath but remained silent. "Where are you taking me, Liam?" Frances asked, staving off her rising panic.

"I'm afraid Jack Canning wants you to disappear."

54

Tuesday morning at work was nightmare personified. Kristen was already in a cranky mood. Benjamin had not been very forthcoming with information and all the mystery was frustrating her. To top it off, she had come in to work to find that the food in all the fridges had gone off because the fuse box had tripped.

"Who was here on Sunday?" Kristen asked Ramsey quietly.

"Russell, myself, Tammy, Missy and Sandra," Ramsey said, shooting Kristen a questioning gaze. "What, you don't think...?" he trailed off.

Kristen shrugged. "Seems too coincidental to be a random thing, doesn't it?" she murmured, chucking a box of funky smelling cheese into the bin with a look of distaste on her face.

"I am so over this, Kristen, I really am. What's next?" Ramsey muttered, running a hand through his dark hair.

"Guys, I rang up the Metro and Oceanworld to check why they haven't made our deliveries yet. They said someone had called in to cancel our orders!" a worried looking Tammy said with the phone in her hand. "Metro's got the stuff we need but we'll have to go in and get it ourselves. Oceanworld doesn't have some of the items..."

Kristen growled. "That's it. Ramsey, let's go by Metro. I wanna hear the order voicemail to see who rang up to cancel our order. Tammy, get the list of things that Oceanworld can't provide and see if you can any of it from Woolies. If it costs too much, we'll just have to do without it for a day." At her co-workers' nods, Kristen added, "Call Russell. This time I'm not gonna let it slide. And he shouldn't, either."

Fuming, Kristen and Ramsey made their way to Metro in Ramsey's car. "The fuse box is in the yard, Kristen. Anyone could have jumped the fence and got to it," Ramsey said, frowning.

"Yeah, but how did they know where the fuse box is? There must be a mole. Who are the people we can rule out with certainty? You, me, Tammy, Russell. Everyone else is fair game."

"Missy? Sandra? Liam? I just can't imagine any of them..."

"I know," Kristen said, her brows furrowing. She didn't know Sandra very well but she had gotten to like Missy and Liam. "Out of the three of them, Liam's the only one who knew the old security code to Taters before it got vandalised..."

Kristen's mobile rang shrilly before she could finish that thought. She answered the call grimly when she saw that it was Russell, expecting an explosion of some sort. Surprisingly however, the first thing Russell wanted to know was if she had heard from Frances.

"No, why?" she asked curiously.

Frances' work had called Russell because he was listed as her emergency contact person; she hadn't shown up at work for two days now.

Kristen's stomach lurched nastily. "I'll call you back, Russell. I'm gonna give Nell a call," she said in what she hoped was a calm voice. An uneasy feeling that had been niggling at her since the day before now pervaded her.

A quick conversation with Nell later, Kristen cussed loudly and Ramsey shot her a fearful glance. "Everything okay?"

"No!" Kristen pinched her trembling lower lip. "Frances hasn't been seen since Sunday. Her housemate thought that she was over at mine the past two nights and..."

"And you thought she was home," Ramsey completed Kristen's sentence in a low voice. He signalled left and pulled over. With the engine still running, he turned to Kristen, concerned. "Fuck Metro. Should we go over to Russell's or Frances'?"

"I... I don't know," Kristen said, her voice shaky. She told me she had a lot of extra work, some students with their IELTS tests coming up I just thought she didnt want to be disturbed Her mind was racing and her heart was pounding in her ears. She placed a call to Frances' mobile and once again got a computerised message. Benjamin had suggested swinging by Frances place to see if she wanted to join them for a drink the night before but Kristen had wanted to work on Frances' present instead. If only she had done as Benjamin suggested...

"Jack..." she snarled, her hand cradling her throbbing temple.

"You think he'd do something as outlandish as kidnapping?" Ramsey asked incredulously.

"Who else comes to mind?" Kristen snapped, then blew out a breath. "Sorry, I -"

Ramsey shook his head. "It's okay. We're all worried. Let's go to Russell's and we'll go from there, okay?" Kristen nodded distractedly as Ramsey did an illegal U-turn and sped off in the direction of Russell's home.

55

Kristen was in Russell's kitchen with Russell and Ramsey when Benjamin turned up. Although looking for his watch, which hed left at Kristens the night before, he insisted on staying to help when he heard about Frances' disappearance.

"I'm calling the cops," Russell said, pacing around the kitchen with the phone in his hand.

"She was walking home from here," Kristen said, wishing for the millionth time that she hadn't let her go. Her last memory of Frances could not be of them kissing goodbye. She clenched her jaw and tried to stifle the panic threatening to overcome her. She had to do something. "Can I borrow someone's car please?"

"Where're you going?" Benjamin asked, getting up immediately.

"To look for Jack." The look on her face was resolute.

"I'm coming with you," Russell said, but Kristen shook her head.

"No. I need to talk to him. Alone." She did not want Russell to fly off the handle when he saw Jack. That would only serve to complicate matters more. "You need to stay here, Russell. Maybe I can get something out of him." She had brought this upon Taters, Frances and Russell, and she needed to make things right. "I'm so sorry..." she murmured, not wanting to meet his eyes.

"It's not your fault, Kristen," Russell said gruffly. "You can't feel responsible for any of this."

Kristen bit her lower lip as she tried to control her tears. "I know," she said quietly but the guilt would not leave her.

"Then stop feeling guilty. Frances needs you. And I need Frances," Russell said, his voice breaking slightly. He cleared his throat and wiped at an invisible tear. "If that piece of shit has laid a finger on her, I'll tear him apart. And if it wasn't him..." Russell could not finish the thought out loud.

"It has to be... he can't have... he wouldn't..." Kristen's voice was shaky.

If Jack had done this, why hadn't he contacted them? What if Frances had been taken by some other sick bastard? What then? Her mind raced and she felt sick. She shook her head to dislodge the thought; she had to focus. Letting her imagination get the better of her would not do anyone any good.

A loud knock came and everyone's heads swivelled around. Ramsey, who was the closest to the door, went to open it. Nell strode in, looking pale. "Is Frances okay?"

"We don't know where she is..."

"Oh, God... has anyone called the cops yet? What did they say?" Nell asked frantically, looking around. "I thought she was with you, Kristen..."

Russell grunted. "I'm calling the cops now," he stated evenly before exiting the house.

"I'm gonna go walk around, see if anyone's seen anything," Ramsey said. "Does, uh, does anyone have a picture of Frances?"

"You'll have to ask Russell," Kristen said when Nell shook her head. "I'm going to look for Jack. You coming?" she asked Benjamin, who nodded.

"I'll come with you... Ramsey, right?" Nell said. "I'll go check Frances' old room, see if there's a picture of her there. You wait for Russell to get off the phone." With that, she took to the stairs two steps at a time. Kristen exchanged a nod with Ramsey and left the house with Benjamin in tow, her mind screaming, Please God, let Jack be the one who took Frances. And please, God, don't let him have done anything stupid.

Liam flipped his phone shut. "It'll be over soon, Frances," he reassured her.

Frances looked away and did not reply. It had been the two longest days of her life.

Getting Jack's whereabouts had been easy, thanks to Benjamin. Not trusting Kristen to drive, Benjamin held on firmly to the car keys. He shot nervous, concerned looks at his sister, at a loss for words of comfort.

"I'm sure she's fine, Sis," he said finally.

Kristen shook her head. "You don't know that."

"Jack's not stupid. If he took her, he wouldn't do anything to her, I'm sure of that."

"What if it wasn't him? What then?" Kristen asked, her voice quivering. "What if it's some random sick act?"

Benjamin shook his head. "Too much of a coincidence, don't you think?"

Kristen barked out a mirthless laugh. "I'm actually hoping now that it's Jack who did it. At least, then, we have a target, a focus."

"She couldn't have taken off on her own, could she? You mentioned that she had the tendency to run off..." Benjamin trailed off as they waited at the lights.

Kristen shook her head. The thought had crossed her mind, but only briefly.

"No... Everything's been great. There's no reason why she'd run off on her own. Certainly not without a word to Nell at least. And she promised that she'd talk to me... no, there's absolutely no reason why she'd go off without saying anything to anyone," Kristen said with conviction.

Benjamin gave her an assessing look. "You... really love her, don't you?"

It wasn't a question but Kristen answered anyway. "I do."

"Everything's gonna be okay, Sis. I promise."

"You don't know that."

"I do."

Kristen dismissed her brother's empty words of comfort and stared out of the window, psyching herself up for her meeting with Jack. It wasn't going to be pretty.

56

Isobel had not wanted to get her brother into trouble but it was evident that he was doing so without any help from her. She had overheard him talking to his employer one evening quite by accident and was about to leave him alone to his phone conversation and when she picked up the words 'Taters' and 'Frances'.

She had confronted him after, when he was alone. He had looked almost relieved when he told her his side of the story. He had been riddled with guilt ever since he helped Edwin Richardson carry out his plan of destruction against Taters. There was no turning back after; he had had to tell them everything he knew about Taters to keep his own hide safe, thus allowing them to conduct further mischief.

Isobel could not believe that Doug had sunk that low. She was appalled--disgusted, even.

Armed with the knives that he had taken from Taters and what Doug had told her, Isobel rang Nell when she could not get a hold of Frances.

"I did not take your little girlfriend," Jack said with a sneer. "I'm not that stupid."

"Where is she then?" Kristen all but shouted, her control at breaking point.

"How the hell would I know? Maybe she did a runner like you did. Maybe what goes round comes round, after all."

Kristen felt like hitting Jack. Her hands shook and she curled them into tight fists. "What do you want, Jack?" she asked, after taking several deep breaths to calm herself down. Being frantic wouldn't help her cause. She had to remain level-headed.

"You, of course," Jack said with an amused smile. "Now that she's gone and Taters is going downhill, maybe you'd come to your senses and see that I'm the one for you. I love you, Kristen. Let's put this behind us and start over."

Kristen shook her head. "After everything that you've done to sabotage Taters... what makes you think that I'd come back to you?" she asked with a note of disbelief. "There is no 'us'. Can't you see that? It's over. I don't care if you sleep with a hundred women, a thousand. There's nothing between us anymore."

"No! I refuse to believe that. I will have you. Remember when you laughed in my face when I told you that one day, you'll be my wife? You came around, didn't you?"

Kristen blew out a breath of frustration. "I don't love you anymore. Taking Frances won't change anything." Kristen's voice broke and she pinched the bridge of her nose to stop her tears from falling. Her chest ached with suppressed anger. "Please, just tell me where she is."

Jack shrugged. "Can't help you there. Don't have her," he said flippantly. "It must be a sign from God. Come back to me, Kristen, and I'll leave Taters alone. It can't withstand much more than what it's gone through anyway. Maybe your little girlfriend will return once you come back to me."

"You'll return Frances if I come back to you?" Kristen asked slowly, her mind racing. She didn't care what she had to do to get Frances back. Just as long as Frances was safe and sound...

Jack looked at Kristen shrewdly. "Come back to me. The rest means nothing."

"Not even the company?"

Jack frowned. "What do you mean?"

"If I sign my shares over to Benjamin, he'll have control of the company," Kristen said, hoping to find a leverage. Maybe all was not lost. If Jack wanted C&C more than he wanted her, she might have something to bargain with.

"Benjamin is useless! He'll just run the company to the ground!" Jack said snidely.

"If you return Frances and leave us alone, I'll sign the shares over to you," Kristen offered, hope blossoming in her chest.

"You'd sign the shares over to me without a second thought for your brother?" Jack asked, surprised.

"Yes," she said firmly.

Jack was silent for a long moment. "I need to think about this," he said finally. "I'll call you tomorrow when I've decided."

"Can you just let me talk to Frances? To hear that she's okay?" Kristen asked, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice. "She's got nothing to do with this."

"Tomorrow, Kristen. Now leave. I need to think."

Kristen clenched her jaw and took a deep breath. "If you hurt her, I will spend the rest of my life making sure that you have no peace," Kristen stated in an even tone, eyes darkening. "I don't know how, but I will destroy you. That much I can promise you."

Jack eyed her thoughtfully. "You loved me like that once," he said quietly.

"I did," Kristen said regretfully. "Not anymore. You mean nothing to me. Nothing means anything to me but her."

Jack inhaled sharply but did not speak.

57

"Nothing means anything to me but her."

Kristen did not know what else to do. After recounting her conversation with Jack to everyone, she had asked Nell if she could spend the night in Frances' room. So here she was, lying in Frances' bed, trying to wrap herself up in Frances' scent, imagining that everything was all right. Except that it wasn't.

Nothing felt right without Frances.

Kristen hugged a pillow to her chest and burrowed her face in it, inhaling deeply. She had to believe that Frances was all right. Jack would call her the next day; surely he would not give C&C up. If she could have Frances back, she would gladly sign everything that she owned over to him.

In a bid to think about something other than Frances' absence, she thought back to their first meeting and subsequent run-ins. Her lips twitched when she recalled an annoyed Frances retaliating with her own brand of snark. If they hadn't kissed, perhaps none of this would have happened. But if they hadn't kissed, she would have missed out on one of the best things that could happen to anyone. She couldn't, wouldn't, trade this for anything.

A knock on the door broke Kristen's reverie and she scrambled off Frances' bed hurriedly with a wild hope that Frances had returned.

"Hey, how're you doing?" Nell asked gently, noting the way Kristen's face fell when she saw her.

Stupid, Kristen admonished herself--as if Frances would knock to enter her own room. "I... don't know how to answer that," she answered Nell's question honestly. Nell's face was wrought with worry that reflected her own.

"Sorry, stupid question," Nell mumbled under her breath. Ramsey and Nell's mission had drawn a blank as well; no one they had spoken to had seen Frances on the day of her disappearance. Nell tried to shake off her growing despair and remembered what she wanted with Kristen. "Remember Frances' friend, Izzie? She's here and... you should come talk to her. She has your knives."

Kristen lifted a brow at that. "What? How?" She followed Nell out of the room to the veranda, where Nell had left Isobel.

"Hey, I heard about Frances," Isobel said in a small voice. "I can't believe what's happening," she said, shaking her head.

Kristen reached for a familiar looking knife bag on the coffee table. "How did you get this?" she asked in a dull voice.

"My brother took them," Isobel said, grimacing slightly. "A few days ago, I overheard him talking to his boss about Taters and Frances..."

"Frances?" Kristen's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Frances' name. "What about Frances?" It wasn't that she didn't care about Taters, but it came a far second to Frances.

"Doug didn't say much about that. He told them that he wanted no part of whatever they were planning. He already feels bad enough about Taters' vandalism. He didn't think that they would go that far with it. They were gonna chuck your knives so he took them instead."

Kristen stared at Isobel grimly. "He was the one who gave them the restaurant's security code," she said. "What else did he tell you?"

Isobel shrugged, trying to recall her brother's words. "He thought that would be it, you know? But they kept asking for more information on Taters..."

"What about Frances? What else did he say about Frances?" Kristen demanded impatiently. Isobel flinched unconsciously.

Kristen knew that none of this was Isobel's fault but she could not help the tone of her voice or her rigid stance. "I'm just really worried about Frances right now," she said by way of explanation. She rubbed her temple and exhaled. "I think... do you think you could ask Doug over? I'd really like to speak to him."

Isobel glanced at Kristen fearfully. "You're not gonna report him to the police or anything, are you?"

Kristen almost rolled her eyes at that. "Isobel, I just want Frances back. I couldn't care less about Doug." She pulled out her mobile, her mind racing. "Please call him and ask him to come over. We just want Frances back."

Isobel nodded mutely and went to place the call. Kristen exchanged a look with Nell. "I'm calling Russell. Do you... Is it okay if he comes over?"

"Of course. This is Frances' house too." Her voice shook slightly. "This is so messed up," Nell muttered, shaking her head. She squeezed her eyes shut and bunched her fingers up in her hair. "Oh darl... please be okay..."

"I'm going to Jack's hotel. It'll all be over soon, Frances," Liam said with an apologetic shrug of his shoulder. "I'm sorry about this."

"You do what you gotta do," Frances said, shrugging his empty apology aside.

Liam massaged the back of his neck uncomfortably. "What do you want for dinner? I'll grab something on the way back..."

Frances shook her head. "Not particularly hungry," she said. "Being held against your will hardly gets your appetite going, you know?" Then she made a show of rolling her eyes. "Oh, of course you don't."

"You said you understood why..." Liam began, only to be interrupted by Frances.

"My Dad and Kristen must be worried sick by now. What if Dad does something stupid, like... stick a knife into Jack Canning?"

Liam shook his head. "I told you, they only realised that you're missing yesterday. Russell's called the cops and Kristen's looked Jack up. Everything's going to plan, just not to schedule. It'll all be over soon. Trust me."

Frances shot him an incredulous look. "I would never trust you again, Liam."

He gave her a look of regret and closed the room door behind him wordlessly, sliding the lock into place.

Frances kicked hard at the stout timber door with the flat of her foot. The impact rang up her leg but the door did not budge. Frances growled in frustration and she sat down, thinking hard.

She went into the bathroom and narrowed her eyes at the only unbarred window within her reach. If she could get up there, she just might be able to squeeze through it. She couldn't care less about Liam's plan now. All she could think about was her father, Nell, and Kristen.

58

Benjamin stifled a yawn. He had had a long night. With the end in sight, however, he was determined to see it through. He had everything that he needed now to make a deal with Jack. Heart pounding hard against his ribcage, Benjamin exited the escalator and made his way to Jack's room.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Jack asked when he opened the door to Benjamin. If he was surprised, he did not show it; he had been expecting the other Cameron sibling.

"You've been busy, Jack," Benjamin said, strolling into the room. He looked around casually and was glad to find that Jack was alone. He did not want external influences for this meeting.

"Speak quickly. I have things to do, people to see," Jack said dismissively.

Benjamin smirked. "All right. Sure thing. Actually, I won't be doing much talking. You, on the other hand... have been talking... a lot." He produced a small digital recorder from his pocket and hit the 'play' button. Jack shot him a curious look--one that quickly turned incredulous when he realised that it was his own voice he was listening to.

Frances had to admit that this wasn't one of her finest moments. She had stacked everything that she could fit into the small bathroom to lend her height and had finally reached the window. Employing all her upper body strength, she had heaved herself up on the tiny ledge after she had gotten the window open, losing her makeshift ladder in the process.

Her lips twitched at the random thought of Kristen if she were to see her now, with her ass in the air and her legs sliding futilely against the tiled bathroom wall. Shaking her head, Frances wiped her head clean of distracting thoughts and focussed all her attention on getting out of her prison.

The window was narrow, of almost equal length and breadth. Frances took a deep breath and pushed herself through some more. Her arm muscles were screaming with exertion.

"Fuck!" Frances swore under her breath, grunting loudly. Her shoulders were through but her hands were under her, stuck between her midriff and the sill. She considered the possibility of Liam finding her in this position and the thought egged her on to move quickly.

Taking a moment to calm her breathing and assess her surroundings, Frances noticed a tree branch that looked within reach. The ground beneath her didn't look too friendly but she would have to take her chances with it. She tucked her elbows in as much as she possibly could and kicked her shoes off. Her bare feet gave her a better grip against the tiled wall.

"Just a little bit more, Frances," she mumbled under her breath. Sweat rolled down her face and she shook her head to clear her view. Her elbow scraped painfully against the window and she grimaced. She was doing well; she was halfway out.

Ever so slowly, she slid one hand from under her and palmed it against the outer brick wall. Giving her scraped elbow a quick glance, Frances blew out a breath. She could handle some blood and torn skin. It was the landing that concerned her. She could end up breaking her neck.

"Okay. Steady," she said as she reached for the tree branch and was gratified when it held. With its help, she managed to pull more of herself out. Her heart was pounding in her ears. "Easy..." She slid her other hand out from under her and grabbed onto the branch. A soft creaking sound alarmed her but there was no turning back now.

She squirmed, putting more and more of her weight onto the branch, which wasn't taking the extra weight all that well. Finally, she was stretched out between the house and the branch. Frances took a few deep breaths, psyching herself for her next move. She tightened her grip on the branch and swung towards the tree with all her might, hoping to catch hold of the trunk with her feet.

A loud crack sounded as she was swinging, making Frances swear loudly under her breath. She squeezed her eyes shut as she fell, willing her body to relax to minimise any injuries.

"You had my room bugged?" Jack asked incredulously, his eyes darting nervously around the room.

Benjamin shrugged. "It really isn't that hard these days. Bugging devices can be bought over the internet quite easily."

"This cannot be legal," Jack said, outraged.

"A lot of the things you said in these recordings aren't legal. I think we're finally on the same page, Jack," Benjamin informed him with a lifted brow.

Jack seethed, dark eyes flashing. "What do you want?"

"I want you out of our lives. Sign C&C over to me and leave Kristen and her friends alone," Benjamin said simply.

"Or what?"

"Or all of this will go to the right people and you can imagine that action will be taken against you, my friend."

Jack sneered. "I did not take the girl."

Benjamin shrugged. "Does it matter? You surely sounded convincing enough. What were your words? Oh, right, you wanted Frances to disappear and Taters off the fucking map? And what happens next? Taters gets hit by a series of sabotage attacks and Frances goes missing. That's incriminating enough, don't you think?"

Jack clenched his jaw and Benjamin scoffed, shaking his head. "Let's cut the bullshit, Jack. I haven't got all day. Give me what I want and you won't get into trouble. Come back and stir shit up again... and all of this will go to the authorities."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Benjamin looked up warily and Jack sighed. He went to the door and let Kristen in. Seeing Benjamin here in Jack's room surprised Kristen. She looked at her brother quizzically and her stomach turned. "What are you doing here, Benjamin?" He could not be working with Jack, could he?

"Your brother's been busy," Jack said, eyes flicking from Benjamin to Kristen speculatively. It felt as though they were at a stand off of some sort. Maybe all was not lost.

Benjamin shook his head. "Just finishing things up, Sis."

"He's framing me for something I didn't do so I would sign C&C over to him," Jack said quickly. "I think I know who took your little girlfriend."

"Benjamin?" Kristen asked incredulously, not knowing what to believe. "What's going on?"

"Trust me, Sis. I promise, I'm on your side," Benjamin beseeched Kristen. He turned back to Jack, eyes hardening. "So? Do we have a deal? You leave Kristen and her friends alone and I won't give this," he said, holding up the digital recorder in his hand, "to the authorities."

"Don't act like you're some kind of hero, Benjy," Jack said. "You don't care about Kristen or her girlfriend. You just want C&C. You're no better than me. Actually, you might be worse--pretending to be a good guy when you're evidently not."

"Benjamin? You better tell me what's happening or... God help me..." Kristen said, her voice shaking.

Benjamin blew out a heavy breath as he contemplated his next move. He finally decided that this was the endgame--there was nothing anyone could do to change anything even if he revealed it all.

"Like I said, I've been gathering information against Jack ever since Taters' vandalism. All that stuff about the rats, getting people to stir up shit at Taters, cancelling your food orders, tripping the fuse box... I have recordings of Jack instructing people to carry out all that mischief."

"And Frances? Where's Frances?" Kristen asked, almost desperately.

"She's safe," Benjamin said finally after a long look at his sister. He saw her breath out a sigh of relief before she turned on him with blazing green eyes.

"You've been lying to me all this while? You took her and you had all of us out of our minds with worry..." Kristen almost shouted.

"It's for the greater good, Sis. Jack said he wanted Frances to disappear. I just pre-empted him," Benjamin said, throwing a dirty look at Jack.

Jack scoffed. "Guess you can't trust anyone these days, huh, Kristen? Not your husband, your wife, your best friend, your blood..."

Kristen pinched the bridge of her nose. "Shut up, Jack. You're the last person to talk about trust. Benjamin, where's Frances?"

"She's safe, Kristen. I'll take you to her once this is over, I promise. So what's it gonna be, Jack?" Benjamin asked, wanting this confrontation to end while he still held the advantage.

Jack thought for a long moment. "Fine. I'll sign my share of C&C over." Benjamin blew out a quiet breath of relief. This was going the way he had hoped it would. "But not to you. To Kristen." Kristen and Benjamin shot him looks of surprise at that. "She'll have control of the company. And she can decide if she wants you, her beloved, trustworthy brother, to run the show."

Benjamin's mind raced. He could force the issue; Jack had nothing to negotiate with. But when his gaze fell on his sister, he sighed inwardly. He had a feeling that if he forced the issue, he would be proving Jack right and he would lose her forever.

"Fine," Benjamin said finally. "Let's do it. You sign your shares over to Kristen and promise to leave us alone, and this will not come back to bite you in the ass."

"I'll have my lawyer draw up the papers," Jack offered before Benjamin shook his head.

"No way. You'll sign papers that I'll have drawn up, thank you very much."

Jack clenched his jaw. This was checkmate. "When do you want to do this?" he asked finally. Maybe if he had time to think, to regroup...

"Right now," Benjamin said, flipping his mobile open. "I just need to make a call."

Jack looked at Benjamin, impressed despite the way things were going for him. "Just how long have you been planning this?"

"I learned from the best," Benjamin replied flippantly. "Excuse me."

When Benjamin left the room, Jack scoffed and looked at his wife for a long moment. "Drink?" he offered. When she frowned at him distrustfully, he rolled his eyes. "I'm done. He's got me by my balls. Might as well have a bloody drink while we wait."

"Fine," Kristen relented. Her head was reeling; everything felt surreal. Benjamin was the last person she had expected to have taken Frances. He had had her taken on Sunday and had put on an act for her when he had come over to her place on Monday, conveniently leaving his watch behind so that he could come back again the next day to monitor things. The knowledge sickened her.

Jack wandered over to the mini bar. "Who would have thought that it would come to this?" he said with a mirthless chuckle and a shake of his head. "Certainly not me." Whilst handing Kristen her drink, he sighed. "I do love you, Kristen," he murmured, dark eyes trailing down Kristen's features. "Despite everything."

Kristen studied his dark, handsome face. She had loved him once, with an abandon that she had not thought possible; she had wanted to be with him for the rest of her life once. A heavy sense of regret settled upon her chest.

"Everything that I've done, I did out of love. For you," Jack continued, knocking his drink back.

Kristen shook her head as she considered his words. "Not just love. Ambition. Pride. Vindictiveness." She took a sip of her drink, grimacing at its bitterness and the trail of heat down her throat. "You just can't handle the thought of me being happy with someone else."

"A woman, Kristen? Really?" Jack asked, shaking his head. He did not correct her, however.

Kristen gave him a dark look. "A beautiful, loving person whom I've fallen in love with," she said quietly. "And yes, she happens to be a woman. What's that got to do with anything?"

Jack snorted. "How can she ever give you what we had?"

Kristen shrugged. "She can't. What she and I have is different to what you and I had. You hurt me, Jack. You made me lose any trust that I had in you, in myself... in the sanctity of marriage... With her, I'm learning how to trust again. She challenges me. She makes me see the world in a different way. But above all, she makes me want to believe in... everything that you caused me to stop believing in."

Jack was gripping his glass so hard that his knuckles were white. "I really fucked things up, didn't I?" he asked. Kristen looked at him with surprise. Jack did not wear self-deprecation well.

"It takes two to fuck a relationship up. Maybe I didn't give you want you needed and you chose to look for it elsewhere instead of talking to me about it. But everything that you've done to Taters... that was despicable... and all you." Kristen finished her drink. "I don't know that I could ever forgive you for that," she said honestly.

"Why did you leave me, Kristen? If you had stayed, maybe..."

Kristen shook her head. "It could never have worked out, Jack, not after you betrayed my trust."

"We vowed to be with each other, through thick and thin..."

"I recall something in there about faithfulness as well, Jack," Kristen said, lifting a brow.

"It was that one time..." Jack murmured, knocking back his second drink. "It was a mistake."

Kristen stared unseeingly at her hands. "It's too late now. What happened to you, Jack? How did you get this way? Or have I just never known this side of you?"

"I'd do anything to get you back, Kristen," Jack said in a low tone.

Kristen shook her head. "I can't be possessed, Jack. I'm astounded that you honestly thought I'd come back to you by sabotaging Taters. How does that work?" she asked, shaking her head incredulously.

Jack did not answer. Benjamin came back into the hotel room then. "Everything okay?" he asked warily, looking at Kristen.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, Benjamin," Kristen said, throwing him a sharp look.

Benjamin had the decency to hang his head while they waited for the legal papers to be brought to them. Kristen could not believe that there was a time where she would have trusted these two men with her life. Now, she wondered if she had ever truly known them... if anyone could ever truly claim to know anyone else.

59

Frances struggled to breathe. It had taken her a few moments to get her wind back after her not so little fall from the tree. However, other than the initial difficulty of getting out of the house, her escape had been obstacle free. The force of her father's hug was overwhelming but she smiled in his arms, nevertheless. When he finally let her go, she took a huge breath.

"Thank God you're okay," Russell said, his eyes filling up with tears. "Thank -" He crushed Frances to him again as his voice broke.

"Dad, I'm fine," she reassured him, her voice muffled. She could not remember the last time her father had hugged her.

"Did they do anything to you? I will kill that asshole!" he growled out, grabbing her upper arms and shaking her slightly. He caught the look of pain flash across her face and dropped his hands immediately, scanning Frances all over for any obvious sign of injury. "You're hurt! Do you need to go to the hospital?" he asked frantically.

Frances shook her head. "I'm fine, Dad," she reiterated, favouring her scraped elbow. Her entire body, especially her right ankle, felt a little sore from her tumble and she was sure that she would locate more than a few bruises and scratches but none of them were life threatening. "And it wasn't Jack Canning who took me..."

Russell frowned. "If it wasn't him, then who took you? Why?"

Frances bit her lower lip. "It was Liam. He's been working for Benjamin."

When Liam walked into the hotel room behind Benjamin with a bunch of papers in his hands, Kristen was beyond incredulous. Then something clicked in Kristen's head. Liam was Benjamin's source. He had been working for her brother all this while. All the questions that he had been asking about her when he first started working at Taters... they all made sense now. He had been sent, first to look for her, then to inform Benjamin of the happenings in Taters.

"Hey Chef," Liam greeted in a tentative tone.

"Liam, you -" Kristen clamped her mouth shut and her eyes narrowed. "Did you take Frances?"

Liam bit his lip but nodded. "She's fine. I'll take you to her as soon as this is over," he said uncomfortably, not meeting his eyes to Kristen's. He had considered himself to be one of the good guys, but recalling the way Frances had looked at him, he wasn't sure about that anymore.

"I need to get my lawyer to see this before I sign it," Jack said finally. "I've worked hard for the company and I'm not ready to just give it away like this."

Benjamin lifted a brow. "I don't think you have a say in this, Jack." He waved the digital voice recorder in his hand as a reminder.

"Benjamin will compensate you accordingly," Kristen said from her seat. Benjamin threw his sister a surprised glance. "You weren't thinking of just getting all this for free, were you, Benjy?" Kristen asked with a lift of her brow. "Because none of this is gonna be for free, especially after that crap you pulled."

Benjamin looked confused. "Why are you helping him?"

Kristen glanced over at Jack before meeting her eyes to Benjamin's. "I'm not helping him. Or you."

Benjamin thought for a long moment. "I'll only pay for eleven percent of the shares because that's all I need to have control of the company," he said finally.

"I give away forty percent for the price of eleven?" Jack was furious.

"That or nothing, Jack," Kristen said with a shrug, not caring either way. "Cos' I sure as hell haven't got any money for ya." She signed her name with flourish. "And you'll only get the money after you sign our divorce papers," she added.

Jack scoffed in disbelief; if he had known this was going to happen, he wouldn't have bothered getting out of bed this morning. Kristen looked at him impatiently. "Get on with it, Jack. Like Benjamin said, you really don't have a choice. And I don't have all day. Frances is locked up somewhere..." She gave every one of them a pointed look at that. "... thanks to the combined effort of the three of you, it seems."

Benjamin and Liam managed to look sheepish while Jack took a deep breath and signed the documents.

"Can we go now?" Kristen asked, standing up.

"Kristen..." Jack called out in a tight voice, making Kristen turn her attention to him. "Is there really no hope of us ever working things out?"

"Jack," Kristen said firmly, sick of repeating herself and anxious to get to Frances. "If it was legal, I would marry Frances the moment you sign our divorce papers." Benjamin's jaw dropped from where he was standing behind Kristen. "So no. There is no hope in hell that we'd be workin' anything out."

Kristen ignored the calls from Russell's mobile, not sure that she wanted to speak to him before she saw for herself that Frances was all right. Moreover, she could not shake the guilt that it was her brother, and not Jack, who was behind Frances' abduction.

They arrived at a house in the Blue Mountains in separate cars. Kristen had gotten more and more furious during the hour long drive "I can't believe what you did. It is not okay, Benjamin. You had her taken, against her will, and you had her locked up for days. I don't care what you say; it is not okay."

Benjamin sighed. "It worked, didn't it? Jack's no longer gonna be a pain in both our asses and Frances is fine."

"What makes you think you're any better than him?" Kristen threw back at Benjamin when she got out of the car. Stunned, Benjamin did not answer his sister.

"And you. I don't even know what to say to you, Liam," Kristen said to Liam when they got to the door. "She trusted you. That's why it was so easy for you to take her, wasn't it?"

Liam shrugged guiltily. "I'm sorry, Chef," he mumbled, his head low. He recalled Frances saying that she would never trust him again and felt even smaller. He unlocked the stout timber door that kept Frances from her freedom. All three of them were dumbfounded to find it empty.

60

When they looked out of the window through which Frances had made her escape, Kristen's heart almost stopped. It was a high drop from the bathroom and Frances had definitely fallen, judging by the broken branch lying on the ground under the window. Kristen scrambled down the ladder. "Give me your car keys," she demanded of Benjamin.

"If she had just waited a coupla hours more, Sis..." Benjamin started, earning himself a dark look from Kristen.

"Do not even make a reference to her, you understand?" Kristen said, cutting him off. "Now give me your damned keys." Benjamin dug into his pocket for the keys and handed them to Kristen. "I..." Kristen trailed off, looking from Benjamin to Liam, not knowing what else to say to either of them. She clamped her mouth shut and stalked out of the house, hoping fervently that Frances was all right.

Kristen let herself into her flat hurriedly. She had called Russell during her drive home, hoping that his calls to her were about Frances and been told that Frances had been trying to reach her from Russell's mobile. Because she hadn't answered the calls, Frances had gone to get cleaned up.

Frances was okay! Kristen had to keep herself from speeding all the way back to Sydney.

"Baby?" Kristen called out even before the door had slammed shut behind her. She threw her keys onto a cushion on the floor and made for her bedroom. "Frances?"

Frances had gotten the spare key from Russell so that she could wait for Kristen in the flat. Stopping short when she saw her on the bed, sleeping soundly, Kristens breath rushed out at the sight of Frances; even after Russell had told her that Frances was back, her mind had not fully believed it until this moment.

Kristen padded softly over to her bed and lowered herself onto the floor. She touched a hand to Frances' face, sighing when it came into contact with warm skin. Frances' hair was still damp from her shower and a shadow of a bruise was forming on one of her cheeks. Kristen frowned at that and trailed her eyes down Frances' body to look for other signs of injury.

When green eyes returned to the slumbering face, it was glazed over with tears. Kristen allowed them to fall down her face freely. "I'm so sorry, baby," she murmured. "If it hadn't been for me, none of this would have happened to you. Benjamin, Jack... I led them to you." She stroked Frances' cheek softly.

Frances stirred. "Kristen..." she mumbled when her eyes cracked open. "I tried calling you..." she trailed off, frowning when she saw the wetness on Kristen's cheeks. "Hey, don't cry..."

"I... I'm just so relieved you're okay," Kristen said quickly, wiping her cheeks.

Frances cupped the back of Kristen's neck to pull her closer. She had fully intended to remain awake while she waited for Kristen but the past few days had taken their toll on her. "I told you I'd always come back to you. Are you scared now?" she asked half jokingly as she swept her eyes across Kristen's features, imprinting them in her mind once again. It had only been three days since she had last seen Kristen, but it had felt like a much longer time in her head.

Kristen sniffled as she broke into a watery smile. "Why should I be scared?" Her eyes fell to smiling lips, and she felt her chest constrict at the familiar sight of dimples.

"Cos' I might be some crazy psycho. And if you ever break up with me, I might start stalking you," Frances said, her smile widening. She ran a hand through silky hair, sighing at the familiar scent of Kristen's shampoo. "Sneak into your house, go through your things, wear your clothes, sleep on your bed..." she rambled on, pushed on by the urge to make Kristen smile, hoping to make everything feel normal again, even if it was just for a moment.

"Well, it's not gonna happen because I'll never break up with you," Kristen murmured softly before leaning in close to touch their foreheads together.

"True?" Frances asked with a lift of her brow. At Kristen's nod against her forehead, she wrinkled her nose, effectively deepening her dimples. "Good. Because I don't plan on going anywhere."

"God, I love you, Frances," Kristen said hoarsely as she burrowed her face in Frances' neck, loving the feel of Frances' damp hair against her face.

"There's something I have to tell you though... and I hope you won't freak out," Frances said, the tone of her voice making Kristen pull her face back worriedly.

"What is it?" Kristen asked, searching Frances' face for a hint of what she was going to say; she had sounded serious.

"I just snuck into your house, went through your things, put on your clothes and slept in your bed," Frances deadpanned, dark eyes dancing.

Kristen stared at Frances and felt laughter bubbling up her chest. "God help me," she said, resting her forehead against Frances'. "I missed my smart ass so much."

Frances chuckled, immensely pleased with herself for making Kristen laugh, then tugged at Kristen to come onto the bed beside her. When Kristen was finally pressed up against her, Frances sighed contentedly. "I love you too." Then she touched their lips together and the rest of the world fell away.

61

"I'm taking you to the doctor tomorrow," Kristen said firmly.

"But I feel fine," Frances whined, looking to Nell for support. "It's just a sprained ankle!" She had an ice pack against her throbbing ankle; it was already numbing the area around it and she hoped that the discomfort will go away after a night's rest. The other things... she would think about them when she was ready. Her mind was already shutting them out.

Nell rolled her eyes at her uncooperative friend. "It's just the doctor."

Frances couldn't believe that Nell and Kristen were ganging up against her and she said as much.

"Stop being such a baby... baby," Kristen said, smirking. She high-fived a chuckling Nell and looked pointedly at Frances.

Russell entered the kitchen with two bags of takeaway Indian for dinner. None of them had given food much thought until now, so all of them were starving. Frances could not help the faint smile that crept onto her face as they bustled around her, not allowing her to lift a finger. These were the three most important people in her life. They had respected her wishes to not talk about her abduction and Frances was grateful for that.

"Someone dumped their car on us today, Kristen. If you're interested, I'll let you know when we fix it and you can come check it out," Nell informed Kristen as she set the table.

"Cheers. What model is it?" Kristen slammed the fridge shut with her hip.

Russell placed the four different curries on the table between them. "Getting a car, are ya?" he asked conversationally. "Beats the public transport," he grumbled.

Frances observed their interaction, feeling amused and slightly surreal. Nell and Kristen seemed to have bonded over the last few days.

"Can we eat now?" she piped up, interrupting their conversation. They glanced at her, looking almost surprised that she was in the room with them. Frances cowered slightly. "I'm hungry," she said in a small plaintive voice.

"Of course, lass," Russell said, fixing up a plate for her. "Here you go."

They all stared at her as she prepared to tuck in, making her feel extremely self-conscious. "What?" she asked, her fork poised above her plate of rice and curry.

"Nothing. Eat," Kristen ordered. Nell nodded.

Frances looked from one face to another, frowning. "You guys are scaring me," she mumbled.

Russell cleared his throat. "Help yourselves, you two. I'm not serving anyone other than my daughter."

Kristen and Nell were spurred into action by the words and Frances shook her head, smiling. She glanced at her father, who quickly averted his eyes from hers. Then she dug into her dinner with an enthusiasm that was quickly mirrored by her dinner companions.

Frances laid on her side, softly stroking Kristen's arm around her waist. They were silent in the dimly lit room, content to soak in each other's presence. Kristen would plant a kiss on the back of Frances' neck occasionally, making Frances' faint smile deepen each time.

"I'm so glad you're here," Kristen said in a hushed whisper, breaking the silence. "I'm so sorry about everything."

Frances frowned and turned to face Kristen, careful not to dislodge the ice pack that was haphazardly tied around her ankle. "Why are you apologising?" She lifted a hand to Kristen's face. "You didn't do anything."

"Everything that happened... it's all because of me," Kristen choked out, aghast at the emotion that was welling up in her throat. "Taters was vandalised because Richardson saw us together and found out I was working there. Jack's sabotage of Taters has caused our business to go downhill. And Benjamin taking you... to blackmail Jack into signing the company over to him... I still can't believe he did that."

Frances listened to Kristen silently, knowing that Kristen probably needed to get all of it off her chest. Her own thoughts were sloshing around her brain, waiting to be sorted out. One step at a time.

"It's all my fault," Kristen concluded in a strangled voice, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"I hear you," Frances said softly. "It's all your fault. You told Doug to give up Taters' security code. You told Jack to set the rats on Taters. And it was definitely you who told Benjamin to abduct me. You locked me up in that house and you wanted Jack to sign the company over to you."

"I..." Kristen stared at Frances, flabbergasted.

"No?" Frances asked, her eyes dropping to Kristen's lips before flicking back to her eyes. "Then how can you claim responsibility for anything?"

"I..." Kristen tried again but no words came to mind.

"Either you're responsible or you're not, Kristen," Frances repeated herself. "Did you do all that?" Kristen finally shook her head no. "Then why are you saying it's your fault?" Frances admonished gently.

"Because if it weren't for me, neither of them would even be in your life," Kristen insisted.

"And trade this for that? Never," Frances said firmly. "Unless you would..." she trailed off.

"No!" Kristen cut in hurriedly. If there was one thing she knew for certain, it was this.

Frances smiled tiredly. "Thought so."

Kristen rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Since when did you get this smart?" Frances had effectively made her see that none of this was her fault even though she knew it would take a lot more to fully rid her of the guilt that she felt.

"What are you talking about? I topped the class Genius 101," Frances said, smirking, slipping a hand under Kristen's shirt. "Are you impressed?"

Full lips twitched. Frances' hand had wandered up her body to rest on her nape, pulling their bodies closer. Kristen hummed in contentment.

"Please don't feel sorry for any of this," Frances said quietly, her eyes falling onto Kristen's lips again. "If anyone should apologise, it should be me."

"You? You're the victim here, Frances. Why should you apologise?" Kristen asked, confused.

Frances fell silent for a long time and Kristen did not press, allowing Frances to process her thoughts before speaking. In truth, she was amazed but glad that Frances had not taken the familiar route to flee and recuperate. She needed to feel Frances' physical presence.

"Liam didn't... After I got into the car, he lied about needing to borrow my mobile and held on to it," Frances said haltingly, recounting everything from the beginning. "He told me we were going to go on a little trip, that Jack Canning wanted me to disappear."

Kristen tightened her hold on Frances but did not say anything.

"He told me he was working for Benjamin, that they'd been gathering information to use against Jack for a while now. When they heard him say that, Benjamin decided that they should keep me safe... and at the same time, blame my disappearance on Jack. It would be the last nail in his coffin, Liam said. They would wait for you guys to realise I was gone, call the cops, confront him..."

A tear leaked from Frances and she wiped it away angrily. "It was supposed to be quick... a day... except no one realised that I was gone. So it dragged on... and I got restless... It seemed like such a long time... and I was so angry with myself for actually agreeing to let you guys worry about me. I wanted to leave but Liam kept trying to convince me otherwise. So when he left to meet up with Benjamin, I ran off."

"I should have fought him," Frances said, finally looking at Kristen. Kristen was alarmed to find Frances' face streaked with tears.

"No, baby. If you hadn't agreed, he still would have taken you. You just made it easier for yourself... initially," Kristen insisted. "I should have known that you were gone. What kind of girlfriend am I anyway?" Kristen gently wiped Frances' cheeks, feeling angry at herself.

"You thought I was at work on Monday. My phone could have been dead."

"I could have swung by yours."

Frances gave Kristen a watery smile. "It was your day off. You had stuff to do. We didn't make plans. You said you had dinner with Benjamin."

"He wanted me to go by yours, actually," Kristen said bitterly, recalling her brother's suggestion to ask Frances out for drinks. "He wanted me to realise that you're gone."

"It's not like abduction would come to mind just because you haven't heard from me in a day." Frances chewed on her lower lip. "So... you're not mad at me?" she asked in a small voice.

Kristen cupped Frances' face in her hands. "Listen to yourself. You're actually asking if I'm mad at you for getting abducted... under my brother's instruction. Frances, you'll be the death of me."

Frances burrowed her face in the crook of Kristen's neck, inhaling deeply as she fought hard to not cry again. "I'm so sorry," she murmured. "I'm so stupid."

Kristen felt her heart break at Frances' words. "You're not stupid. You're my silver-tongued devil who topped the Genius 101 class," she said, hoping that Frances would appreciate her lame attempt at humour. It worked; Frances began chuckling through her tears. "I love you so much."

Frances mumbled something into Kristen's shoulder. "Hmm?" Kristen asked, not catching the words.

"I said..." Frances repeated herself as she pulled her face back from Kristen, sniffling, "'Figures you'd love me for my tongue.'"

Kristen could not help but roll her eyes at that. "Welcome back, smart ass."

"Thank you," Frances murmured, pressing the length of her body against Kristen's, enjoying her warmth. "Now, what were you saying about my tongue...?" she asked coyly in a low whisper.

Kristen lifted a brow in amusement, feeling the seriousness of the moment ebb away. They still had a lot to talk about but it could wait until Frances was ready again. "It was metaphorical."

"Well... would you like a literal demonstration of what this tongue can do?" Frances asked, wiggling her brows. She slipped her hands under Kristen's top and awkwardly shifted her injured leg atop Kristen's waist, loving the way Kristen fitted snugly in her embrace.

"Oh..." Kristen breathed out, her lips quirking and her body tingling at Frances' words and increased proximity. "I'm always up for pleasurable experiences," she said, her voice dropping an octave.

"Love me," Frances said softly. Kristen looked at her, startled at how quickly Frances' playfulness had dissipated. "Make me yours."

"Anything," Kristen replied in an equally serious tone as she leaned in to capture soft lips with her own. "I'd do anything for you," she murmured between kisses. "Tell me what you want."

Frances combed her fingers through Kristen's hair. "You," she said, hating that her lips were quivering, hating that she was about to cry again. She felt as though she was on an emotional roller coaster with no stop button in sight. "Just you. Every day. Like this."

Kristen sucked in a breath at Frances' words. "Hey..." She ran her finger down Frances' cheek to trace her lips. "Baby, you have me."

"If I..." Frances said haltingly, waiting for her thoughts to catch up with the overwhelming ball of emotions in her chest. She blew out a shaky breath. "If I go into my head the next coupla days, please don't hate me," she managed out.

"You do whatever you have to do," Kristen murmured reassuringly, her chest constricting at the vulnerability in Frances' voice. "Ill understand if you want to be on your own, too. I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do."

Frances shook her head and nuzzled Kristen's neck. "Right now I just wanna be with you," she said, slurring a little. Her eye lids felt heavy and her head was beginning to swim. "I'm so tired..."

"Sleep, baby. I'll be here when you open your eyes." Kristen pressed her lips to Frances' temple and their embrace tightened.

"I'm sorry, I must sound like a crazy person right now," Frances mumbled drowsily.

Kristen smiled faintly. "That's okay. I can handle crazy."

"And my ankle does hurt," Frances added in a small, woeful voice that tore at Kristen's heart.

"I'm sorry. We'll go to the doctor's tomorrow, okay?" Kristen tucked Frances' hair behind her ear, sighing worriedly. "Keep it elevated. Do you need a new ice pack?" she asked, ready to get up.

"Just wanna sleep now," Frances mumbled, interrupting Kristen. "With you."

Kristen settled back onto the bed and lifted a hand to stroke Frances' hair and cheek protectively. She did not want to succumb to sleep herself, for fear that she might wake up to discover that Frances' return was nothing but a dream. "Sleep well, my love."

62

Frances came to consciousness gradually. She picked up on the sound of a car door slamming shut; a weight around her waist; the feel of fingers threaded loosely with her own; soft, warm breaths that caressed her left cheek; and a dull throbbing in her leg that was becoming more pronounced as she pushed towards wakefulness.

The bed shifted slightly as Frances slipped from under Kristen's arm. Her ankle felt a tad better, she thought as she made her way to the bathroom to splash some water on her face. Her reflection stared back at her as she patted her face dry; dark eyes fell on the bruise and tiny scratches on her cheek. She counted to ten in her head, waiting for the crazy emotions from the night before to hit her.

Ten. She stared at herself in the mirror, feeling idiotic when nothing came at her.

Not wanting to go back to bed, Frances quietly let herself out of the flat and made her way over to the hammock.

"You're up."

Frances looked up and gave her father a half smile. "Hey, Dad."

"Hungry?" Frances shook her head, bemused. Russell nodded and sat down heavily on the chair near the hammock with his cup of coffee in his hand. "I'll make you something later, if you want. Then again, your girlfriend's a chef..."

Frances' brows furrowed. "I like your cooking, Dad," she said. "Actually, I don't think Kristen's ever cooked for me."

Russell looked surprised. "What!"

Frances smirked. "You never used to cook for us either. Mum used to do all the cooking," she said softly, averting her eyes.

Silence fell over them as it always did whenever Marie was mentioned. "I can't lose you too, Frances. It would kill me," Russell said suddenly.

Frances stared at her father in surprise. She knew he loved her, of course, but for him to say all this out loud... It was out of character for him and it made her realise just how much her disappearance had affected him. Her heart wrenched at the part she had played in the incident.

"What are you going to do now? We'll have to call the cops to inform them that you're no longer missing."

"And work. I have to call work today." Frances said with a sigh. She could feel the beginnings of a headache.

"Are you going to tell them who took you?" Russell asked, looking at her carefully. If he had any say in it, Liam, Benjamin and Jack would be behind bars.

Frances looked at her father in surprise. She hadn't given that any thought at all.

"Maybe you should talk to Kristen about this."

Frances nodded, swallowing in an effort to disperse the lump in her throat. They couldn't let things slide anymore. "You're right. I should talk to Kristen about this. I... Dad, I went with Liam willingly. After he explained what he was doing, I agreed to go along with it... initially."

Frances fixed her eyes on a spot near Russell's feet. "But the more time went by, the less right my decision felt. I didn't want you guys to worry. He wouldn't give my mobile back so I couldn't call you guys... and he wouldn't let me leave. He never resorted to violence though, Dad. He just kept trying to convince me..."

"He held you against your will, is what he did, lass!" Russell interrupted gruffly. "None of this is your fault, you hear me? He did not let you leave. You had to climb out of a window and..." Russell waved a hand to indicate the bruising on her face and the swelling of her ankle. "Look at you! Thank God you didn't hurt yourself badly or worse still, break a neck! Speaking of which, how is your ankle?" he asked sternly.

"Bit better today. Dad..." Frances rubbed her nose uncomfortably. "I'm sorry I made you worry," she said in a small voice.

Russell nodded. "I'm giving Kristen some time off work. Ramsey and I will handle things for a few days."

Frances didn't know what to say. Russell's actions touched her. "Thanks, Dad," she said softly. "I... You're the best."

"You're my daughter," Russell said simply before standing up, as though it explained everything; for him, it did.

Frances watched her father walk into the house with a rueful smile on her lips. Their relationship was evolving slowly and it gladdened her. Come to think of it, they had been through a lot since her return, what with Russell's accident and her... disappearance. Frances grimaced at that.

Why couldn't everything just... go away? Liam, Benjamin, Jack... She had been so angry and had felt so helpless when Liam hadn't allowed her to leave.

And Benjamin. He should have told them about his plan. Frances wondered if he was truly sincere about wanting to make things up with Kristen. He seemed to have his own selfish agenda, one that did not include the wellbeing of his own sister. She was actually angrier at him than Liam. He had blatantly lied to Kristen.

Then there was Jack. At least he was out of the picture now... or at least Frances hoped he was.

Frances shook her head and slid off the hammock, feeling mildly irritated at the discomfort in her ankle as she made her way back to the flat. She did not want Kristen to wake up and find her gone.

Kristen stirred when the mattress dipped. Green eyes fluttered open to see Frances crawling towards her. "Morning," she greeted sleepily, lifting a hand to touch a bruised cheek. Frances snuggled against her, sliding an arm around her waist. "Did you sleep okay?" she asked, stroking Frances' dark head lightly, grateful that she hadn't dreamt up Frances' return.

"Mm... I did," Frances murmured into Kristen's neck. "I was just talking to Dad. He was pretty miffed when I mentioned that you've never cooked for me before."

Kristen smirked. "I... haven't, have I?"

"So, what's for breakfast, Chef?" Frances asked lightly. She pushed the rest of her conversation with Russell to the back of her mind, wanting to enjoy some angst-free time with Kristen.

Kristen frowned, as though the question stumped her. "Um. Toast?"

Frances screwed her face up. "Toast? That's the best you can come up with? I hope you have Vegemite."

Kristen lifted a brow. "You're with a chef and Vegemite toast is all you're asking for? You're really easy to please, aren't you?"

Frances gave Kristen a speculative look. "Well then, what are you suggesting to go with your toast?"

Kristen's lips relaxed into a sexy smile. "I was thinking toast... with a side of me," she answered, her mind waking up a little bit more.

"Ooh. You sure that's the right portion size? I mean, it'll redefine 'big breakfast', that's for sure," Frances teased, giggling when Kristen flipped her onto her back and straddled her hips.

"Careful now," Kristen warned playfully. "You don't wanna piss the chef off."

"Why? It's not like my side of you is gonna taste any different... mmph!" Frances tried to swat Kristen's tickling hands off her waist to no avail. She was clasped firmly between Kristen's thighs and had no way of escape. "Stop, please!" Frances pleaded breathlessly. "No fair!"

Kristen stopped her assault and lowered her face to press a kiss onto Frances' neck. "Sorry," she mumbled, knowing how much Frances hated being tickled.

Frances wrapped her arms around Kristen and they remained in that position for a long moment.

"Dad says he's giving you some time off," Frances said softly into Kristen's hair. When Kristen tried to raise herself up, Frances tightened her hold, effectively locking Kristen in place. "We need to talk... about Benjamin. And whether I should tell the police about what he did..." She loosened her hold on Kristen after she said that and Kristen slid off her body.

"You should," Kristen said darkly. She had been thinking about that ever since her drive back from the Blue Mountains. "What he did was wrong and he has to know that."

"But he's your brother," Frances said uncertainly, wrapping her fingers around Kristen's arm and giving it a light squeeze.

"So? I don't think that means anything to him. He could have done everything differently. If he had told me what he was planning, we could have worked something out together. But he didn't. He kept it from me. Acted like he was innocent. Blamed it on Jack, even. He's... he's really no better than Jack."

Kristen thought for a moment, then added in a small voice, "I don't know how you'd still wanna be with me. I mean, I could turn out to be like them. Birds of the feather..."

"If you're like them because you associated with them, then I must be like them too, because I love you," Frances said quickly, not allowing Kristen to finish her sentence.

Kristen felt her heart skip a beat at Frances' words. She swallowed hard, trying to keep her insecurities at bay and focus on the person in front of her. "You do?" she asked, sounding almost fearful.

"Mm hm. So... do you reckon I'd turn out like them?"

Kristen blew out a shaky breath. "You could never... you're a good person."

Frances pulled Kristen closer to her. "And so are you. We don't choose our family. And sometimes I think we don't choose who we fall in love with either. They can't be all bad. Jack's... a dick, but I'm sure he didn't act this way when you guys were together."

"No. He wasn't like this at all. It's just... he must have always had it in him to be this way..." Kristen said, staring at the wall behind Frances. "I was married to this person, you know? Now I realise I never really knew him..." Frances did not know what to say. She trailed her finger down Kristen's cheek and across her lips.

"Anyway." Kristen took a deep breath, suddenly feeling like she had had enough of talking about Jack and Benjamin. "What're you up to today?"

"Nothing much. I have to make a few calls and go from there. What are you up to today?" Frances asked, resting her face on her palm.

"I think... I'm just gonna spend the entire day looking at my girlfriend," Kristen said seriously.

Frances snickered, revealing her dimples. "Isn't that a little... boring?" Kristen lifted a brow as she leaned in for a kiss. Frances pulled her close and wrapped her legs around her hips.

"You are so beautiful," Kristen murmured, pleased when Frances' smile deepened at the compliment. "I could never get bored looking at you."

Frances rolled her eyes, blushing. "Stop it. Kristen Black does not wear mush well."

Kristen chuckled, then sobered up a little. "Black, huh."

Frances stroked Kristen's cheek. "Black, Cameron, Canning... whatever. It's just a name. You're still you."

"Black is my Nan's maiden name," Kristen revealed. "She took Benjamin and I in when we lost our parents. She'd be sad to see us this way now."

"Mum and Dad met and fell in love in a small town, south of France. I was conceived there. That's how I got my name," Frances said, smiling at the indulgent look Kristen was giving her. "Since we're trading name stories and all..." she murmured, wrinkling her nose.

"You're really cute, you know?" Kristen said, feeling like a great big ball of mush when she said that. "And I'm... crazy about you."

"Yeah?" Frances asked, a tad breathlessly. At Kristen's nod, Frances grinned. "Then how about showing it by making me a kick ass brekkie?" she asked in a hopeful voice.

Kristen smirked. "Is the monster hungry?"

"I don't know, are you? Please be hungry so I get fed too," Frances said, eyes dancing. She giggled when Kristen nipped at her neck with a low growl. Then she sucked in a breath when Kristen's playful nips turned seductive, sending lazy sparks of desire through her frame. "Oh..."

Kristen smiled against Frances' neck as her hands slipped under Frances' tank top to slide up warm, inviting flesh. She heard Frances' breath hitch when her hands cupped smooth breasts and released an involuntary moan when her thumbs found and stroked Frances' nipples to erection.

"You're just... trying to avoid... cooking for me... aren't you?" Frances asked. She bit on her lower lip and let out a soft moan when Kristen grazed her teeth across her nipple through the fabric of her top.

"Um. No? I'll cook for you now, if that's what you want," Kristen said, pulling away from Frances, who immediately reached out a hand to stop her.

"Food, later. Sex, now," Frances breathed out, groaning softly when Kristen adhered to her instructions and pulled her top off. "Ugh, you are ridiculously hot," she mumbled at the sight of Kristen's bare upper torso before flipping Kristen onto her back. Kristen yelped lightly, then moaned when sharp teeth found the sensitive spot on her neck. She tangled her fingers in Frances' hair.

Frances dispensed with all formalities and slipped her fingers past Kristen's soaked underwear, making her gasp. "God, you are so wet..." Frances pushed one of Kristen's legs up and over her shoulder, trailing her lips from her knee to her inner thigh.

"For you," Kristen murmured, loving the look of lust on Frances' face. Her own breathing was becoming laboured at the feel of Frances in her.

"Do you have any idea how good it feels when you say that?" Frances asked, sliding out of Kristen only to push herself in deeper. Kristen whimpered at the pressure that was building up in her lower abdomen. "And how amazing it is to be with you?"

Kristen slid her leg off Frances' shoulder and spread her legs wider to draw Frances in closer. She lifted her head from the pillow and looked at Frances with heavy lidded eyes as they moved against each other, their breathing becoming more and more ragged as the seconds ticked by. A trickle of sweat rolled down between Kristen's breasts and she considered the possibility of fainting from all the heat they were generating.

Then she slipped her hand behind Frances' neck and pulled her back to her breast, deciding that she would risk fainting for the feel of Frances' mouth on her. Frances covered a breast with her lips, sucking it deep into her mouth whilst sliding a wet tongue across an aroused nipple. "Oh, fuck..." Kristen's eyes fell shut as her mind reeled. She hissed when Frances scraped her teeth across her nipple.

"I love the way you sound... the way you move... the way you feel..." Frances murmured as she hovered over Kristen, her fingers sliding in and out of her. "You are so beautiful..."

"Oh, fuck... Frances..." Kristen responded, her eyes half lidded and her face flushed with desire and exertion.

"I want you inside me too," Frances said, caught up in the way Kristen was responding to her.

Kristen lifted her hand blindly and slipped it through the leghole of Frances' shorts. When she entered Frances, her eyes rolled back and her breath rushed out at the wetness that met her. She raised her head to sink her teeth into the crook of Frances' neck.

"You feel... oh, Kristen..."

Kristen could feel the friction between their heated bodies, the essence of Frances coating her fingers, the sparks of desire caused by Frances' teeth grazing her nipple... All the sensations culminated in a growing ball of pleasure that spread from her centre to her limbs. She threw her head back and bit on her lower lip as her hips froze.

"I love you, Kristen."

Kristen released a wordless cry at the soft declaration and the pleasurable sensation that was coursing through her body. She shuddered when sharp teeth found purchase in her neck again, prolonging her climax.

"Oh God..." Kristen murmured when she could breathe again. "That was amazing." Then she realised she was still in Frances and her eyes darkened with desire almost immediately. "Now it's your turn to call me 'God'," she said huskily, growling when Frances gave her a breathless smile and began moving against her.

Frances stepped out of the police station after giving her statement, feeling drained. The heat wasn't helping at all; her ankle was suffocating under the layers of bandage and she was beginning to perspire even though she only had a thin cotton dress on.

"Heads up, babe," Kristen called out as she walked towards Frances, tossing her a cold bottle of water.

"Thanks," Frances replied with a smile. She uncapped the bottle of water, took two healthy swigs, then tipped the rest of it over her head, much to Kristen's amusement. "Oh, much better," she murmured under her breath, shuddering slightly when the water trickled down her back.

"You're so hot you're smokin'."

Frances looked at Kristen oddly for a second before her face broke into a smile. "You're not quite there yet with the smart arse comments. Stick with your snark, baby. It suits you better," she teased.

Kristen lifted an elegant brow. "I'll tell you what suits me better. You, out of that wet dress, writhing under me."

Frances bit back a laugh and a moan of desire at the thought. "That's more like it. Although it's too hot to think about sex right now." Then she glanced at Kristen in her fitting pair of capri pants and heels, and changed her mind. "Actually, no, it's never too hot to think about sex with you."

"Ooh. Have we done everything we're supposed to do?" Kristen asked suggestively as they made their way to Ramsey's car, which they had borrowed for the day.

"Nope," Frances quipped as she strapped herself in. At Kristen's inquiring look, Frances grinned. "I haven't done you in Ramsey's car yet."

Kristen's eyes widened. "In Ramsey's car?" she asked, her voice a little squeaky.

"Baby, I'd do you anywhere," Frances said, trailing a finger down Kristen's cheek. "But don't worry, I won't disregard proper decorum. Besides, I wouldn't wanna give poor Ramsey a heart attack."

Kristen reversed the car expertly and pulled out of the carpark. She was smiling widely now, enjoying their usual bantering. "Huh. But what he doesn't know won't hurt him, right?"

Frances fanned herself at the words and the smoldering look Kristen threw her way. "Keep on giving me that look and I can't be held accountable for what I do, Kristen."

Kristen turned to her passenger when she pulled up at the lights. "And what might that be, Frances?" she asked in a low, velvety voice that sent a slight tremor through Frances' frame.

Frances thought for a moment and curved her lips up in a devious smile. Her hands disappeared under her dress, making Kristen clear her suddenly dry throat. "What are you doing?" Kristen asked a tad nervously. She should have known better than to challenge Frances.

Frances slid out of her underwear, dangled it in the air between them, then dropped it unceremoniously on the seat beside her. "Baby, light's green," Frances said lightly, biting her lower lip to keep herself from laughing out loud at the look on Kristen's face.

A honk broke Kristen out of her reverie and she let go of the clutch and stepped on the accelerator. "Christ, are you trying to kill me?" she asked, grimacing when the car bunny hopped.

Frances almost snickered but decided not to end her fun just yet. "You wanted to know what I'd do, baby. So I'm telling you... I wish it were your fingers where mine are right now..." Frances said with a soft whimper, making Kristen swerve slightly.

"Frances!" Kristen gasped, sounding scandalised. Desire shot through her at the words, however, and she was buzzing slightly from the knowledge of how quickly and easily Frances could turn her on.

Frances moaned a little louder, making Kristen swallow hard in the attempt to disperse the lump in her throat. She tried to keep her eyes on the road and almost jumped out of her skin when Frances touched her hand that was resting on the gear stick.

"I'm just playing you, baby," Frances said mirthfully, taking pity on her girlfriend. She stroked the top of Kristen's hand lightly. "You know, I've always found it really sexy when women drive manual cars."

"You have the devil in you, Frances Russell," Kristen murmured, shooting Frances a sideway glance.

"Would you like me to go down on you while you drive?" Frances asked innocently, making Kristen rev the engine in alarm. She began giggling, delighting in the way Kristen was responding to her teasing.

"Frances, for the love of God..." Kristen sounded exasperated.

"Okay, okay," Frances acquiesced, wrinkling her nose. "I'll be good." She planted a kiss on Kristen's bare shoulder before pulling away slightly.

Kristen could not help the smile that crept onto her lips. She snuck a peek at her passenger, who was now pointing at some bird or other, asking Kristen if she knew what its name was. Kristen shook her head.

"Hey, you wanna go camping over Christmas?" Frances asked suddenly.

"Um. Sure. If you wanna."

Frances beamed at Kristen. "Yeah, I wanna. Do you reckon you'd get your car by then?"

"Hopefully. Um. What are you doing Friday week?" Kristen asked as she hung a left. They were almost at Frances'.

"You, hopefully."

Kristen smirked. "Anyone would think that you're a nymphomaniac!" She pulled the car up and deployed the handbrake before turning to Frances, who was grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"Why, would you like to ask me out?" Frances asked, ignoring Kristen's little exclamation.

"Yes, I would, actually." If she had her way, she would not let Frances out of her sight ever again. But of course, that would be more than a little psychotic and extremely unhealthy. "I was hoping I could take you somewhere... for your birthday."

Frances smiled sweetly. "Okay."

Kristen looked on, mesmerised by the curve of Frances' lips and the dimples in her cheeks. "Okay," she echoed, feeling like everything was right in her world in that moment. Then Frances picked up her knickers and shot Kristen a sultry look before exiting the car, making Kristen groan and mutter under her breath about evil, dark haired women relentlessly plotting her death.

"Hey, did you at least try and make a move on that chick in that dress?" Bob asked Sam Faulks, the detective who took the woman's statement. Bob picked up the clipboard and scanned the document. "Frances Russell. She was a pretty one, wasn't she?"

Faulks shook his head. "Unlike you, I don't hit on anything that has two legs and wear a skirt."

That said, he wasn't blind; the woman was beautiful and she had a lovely smile. Maybe he could give her a call... to update her on the progress of the case, of course. She was really warm and friendly, unlike some good looking women who wouldn't give most people the time of the day.

"Hey, she wasn't just that. She had a nice lookin' face... amongst other things," Bob said, eliciting a few chuckles around the station. "So what was she here about?"

Faulks shrugged. "Her family reported her missing a few days ago. Turns out she was held against her will. She escaped through a window," he recounted her story. He was glad that she made it out okay. She seemed like a gutsy chick; he was impressed.

"Holy shit! Is that why she had that bandage around her ankle? So who are we taking in for questioning, partner?" Bob asked, walking over to Faulks' table.

"Liam Murphy and Benjamin Cameron," Faulks said, reading off the document as he stood up. "Let's go pick 'em up... if they haven't gone into hiding already."

And maybe after that he would ask her out.

63

Everyone had worked hard on decorating the house for the party; it looked a tad menacing with its faux slashed doors, red lights and bloody drapes. Kristen took another sip of her sangria and searched the crowd for Frances. She had to keep reminding herself to give Frances her space to hang out and mingle with her mates the entire night but she could not stop herself from seeking her out, just to know where she was at all times.

"Hello, stranger."

Kristen's eyes fell on Eleanor, who had come as a warrior woman with streaks of blood all over her face and arms. "Hey, you. Having fun?"

"Hell yeah. Sick party!" Eleanor said, looking around. There were a few vampires walking around, a few of them with bloody stakes. Nell looked spunky in a Jason costume, complete with a hockey mask and machete.

"Um, so. Are you doing okay? Must be a little crazy with Frances being taken and all..." Eleanor said, trailing off. Kristen blew out a breath. She was hoping to not have to think about what had happened. Seeing Kristen's expression and reading it correctly, Eleanor shook her head. "Hey, I just want you to know that if you need to talk about it with anyone other than Frances, I'm here, okay?"

Kristen pursed her lips in a small smile. "Yeah, thanks. I appreciate that," she said, touching her hand to Eleanor's arm. She liked Eleanor but she really wasn't someone Kristen would want to talk about such things with. Nevertheless, she was touched by the offer.

"So, I totally dig your outfit," Eleanor said, changing the topic. "How many times have you gotten hit on tonight?" she teased, running her eyes down Kristen's length.

Kristen's hair was sprayed black with a streak of white for the party. She had on a white shirt, a tie, pin striped charcoal vest and matching pants. Leather cut off gloves encased her hands up to her knuckles. Kristen whipped out her barber blade to tap against her chin. "A couple," she said seriously before breaking out into a shy smile.

"Never thought I'd say this but... you're actually doing a hot impersonation of Todd Sweeney," Eleanor said grudgingly. "Though no one could ever do it better than Johnny."

"Oh, yeah, that man is so hot," Kristen agreed with a dreamy look.

"Which man?" Frances interrupted, snaking her arms around Kristen's waist. "I shall pounce on him and rip his jugular out with my... hey, where's my breast dagger?" she asked no one in particular as she patted down her body.

"Honey, there's not much on you for you to lose anything in," Eleanor said with a chuckle and a lift of her brow.

Frances snickered and threw her friend a naughty look. "Oh, I didn't have a breast dagger. I just wanted to draw Kristen's attention to my attributes." Kristen sighed indulgently at the tease that was Frances.

"Johnny Depp," Eleanor said, answering Frances' question. At the confused look on her friend's face, Eleanor rephrased what she was saying. "The man that Kristen thinks is hot."

Frances hummed as she eyed Kristen's outfit. "Oh, he is very, very sexy." Her eyes fell on the razor blade in Kristen's hand. She lifted Kristen's hand and directed it to her chest, trailing the blade down her body lightly. Kristen sucked in a breath as her eyes followed the trek the blade was making.

"Christ, you two! Get a room!" Eleanor huffed playfully.

Kristen's hand itched to unravel the bit of brown material that wrapped around Frances' chest. It just barely covered her breasts. Frances had a band on one upper arm and a wrist gauntlet on the other. The rest of her upper torso was smeared with clay that had dried to a grey paste. She had drawn the swirls on Frances' face, arms and shoulders herself.

Frances tiptoed slightly to plant a kiss on Kristen's lips before she pulled away and shot Eleanor a sheepish smile. "Sorry."

She wandered away, leaving Eleanor to call after her. "Hey, I didn't mean for you to leave! Frances!"

Frances her head but kept on walking. "I need to go to the bathroom!" She couldn't believe that her bladder had held on long enough for her to get sidetracked by Kristen. Then again, Kristen had the knack of making her forget things--things like her own name, for instance.

"Your girlfriend is so... exasperating," Eleanor said to Kristen, who was smirking.

"You mean my girlfriend is so exasperatingly hot," Kristen amended.

Eleanor shook her head at Kristen. "You're totally into her, aren't you?" she asked, her voice painted with wonder.

Kristen finished her drink and placed her empty glass on the table behind them. "Abso-fuckin-lutely." She took a step backwards and cast a distracted look in the direction of the bathroom. "If you'll excuse me, I have to use the, um, bathroom."

Eleanor rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. Good thing there are two bathrooms in this house!"

Frances dried her hands and frowned at the splatter patterns on her clay smeared arms. She twisted her body in the mirror to see if it was still smeared with clay. Satisfied that most of her costume was still intact, Frances let herself out of the bathroom only to walk into Isobel.

"Hey," she said in surprise, stumbling backwards a little.

"Hey, Frances, I, um, just wanted to say that I'm sorry... about, you know, my brother," Isobel said haltingly as she rested a hand on the door frame to stop herself from swaying too much. "I'm really glad you're okay."

Frances peered up at Isobel. "It's okay. I mean, it's not okay, but it's okay. You know what I mean." Frances shook her head lightly to clear it. "And you shouldn't have to apologise. Damn, brothers are such a pain! Thank God I'm an only child," she said jokingly.

"Everyone was really worried about you. When Doug came over... I think that was the first time it hit him what a complete and total knob he's been." Frances chuckled lightly at the use of the term 'knob'. "Kristen seems to care a lot for you," Isobel rambled on after she had gotten all that uncomfortable stuff out of the way.

"Um. Yeah. She does," Frances said, thinking that the bathroom had got to be one of the weirdest places to conduct a conversation with someone you weren't that close to. "Do you wanna go back out and grab a drink?" she asked before deciding that it was probably a really bad suggestion to make to Isobel, who looked like she was about to topple over.

Isobel didn't seem to hear her. "Can I just ask you something?"

Frances shrugged. "Yeah?"

"Why... why Kristen? I mean, why her and not me? Why couldn't we have what the two of you have? Am I... is it me?"

Frances was caught by surprise at the direction the conversation had suddenly taken. "No, it's not you. I... I'm not sure there's any explanation for it... You're really great, Izzie. I'm just not the one for you."

"How do you know that Kristen's the one for you then?" Frances frowned up at Isobel, not entirely sure if she wanted to be having this conversation with her. It was none of her business to begin with. "Sorry. I'm behaving like a knob myself," Isobel said, sighing. Her face was flushed and her eyes were unfocussed. "I just really liked you and I thought, you know... and maybe it would help if I knew what went wrong..."

"Nothing went wrong, Izzie." Frances tried to search her brain for the words to get her out of this awkward situation. She wasn't even sure if Isobel would remember it the next day. "And I don't know that she's the one. She just... is," Frances said with a shrug. "I don't have to think about it or ask questions about it."

"So you don't know she's the one?" Isobel asked, confused.

"No..." Frances grounded out, a little frustrated. "I just mean I don't have to think about... never mind. She is the one for me." She never had to explain herself every two sentences with Kristen, Frances thought. "I'm gonna go back to the party, okay?" When Isobel merely swayed in answer, Frances frowned. "Are you okay? I could get you some water..."

Her eyes widened in alarm when Isobel suddenly leaned in really close. She just managed to turn her face when Kristen appeared. Isobel dropped her forehead on Frances' shoulder, mumbling incoherently. "Hey. Is she okay?" Kristen asked cautiously.

"Yeah," Frances said when Isobel clamped a hand over her mouth and righted herself. "She was just about to use the bathroom..." Isobel pushed past Frances, who pulled the bathroom door shut with a slight grimace.

She turned to Kristen, ready to explain if Kristen had gotten the wrong idea; Kristen reached out a hand to pull a surprised Frances against her. "She's pretty smashed," Frances said redundantly, a tad breathless at being handled that way by Kristen.

"I know." Kristen's voice was low and her gaze was electric. "I kinda heard the tail end of your conversation. Sorry."

"Oh." Frances thought back about what she had said and blushed slightly. "How embarrassing." She shifted between Kristen and the wall, bringing her hands up to drape around Kristen's shoulders. She touched the shock of white that run from Kristen's hairline and smiled. "How much did you hear exactly?"

"I heard you say you don't know if I'm the one for you," Kristen said wryly.

Frances rolled her eyes. "You know that's so not what I meant." The music from the stereo stopped abruptly. Frances glanced behind Kristen and squeezed her shoulder lightly. "You wanna take this conversation somewhere else? Izzie's gonna come out of the bathroom any second..."

"I love you, Frances," Kristen said, not caring if Isobel did walk out and see them wrapped up in each other. The starting chords of Jace Everett's Bad Things sounded from the lounge room. "And I want you, every second of every day..." It was driving her crazy, this wanting.

Frances grinned. "To do bad things with?" she asked with a lift of a brow. She could hear Nell singing in a low, scratchy voice into the microphone, heightening the song's dark, sexy appeal.

Kristen's lips twitched. Her ears picked up the lyrics of the song. "Yeah. I wanna do real bad things with you," she said before dipping her head to touch her lips to Frances'. A moan rose in the back of her throat and she sighed into the kiss, her head swimming in an alcoholic, love and lust filled haze.

Frances pushed herself away from the wall and steered them away from the bathroom with her arms still wrapped around Kristen. They bumped into a few giggling party-goers along the way to Frances' room but managed to not break their kiss the entire time. Frances slammed the door shut behind her and gasped in surprise when Kristen abruptly backed her up against the door with her body.

"Kristen, wait. You're gonna get a mouth full of clay..." Frances murmured and caught Kristen's face in her hands before she could kiss her way down her neck. Her room was dark except for the glow of a purple lava lamp in a corner.

"I want you. And I don't want to wait," Kristen said in a gravelly tone, making Frances' breath hitch. She untied the knot between Frances' shoulders and allowed the material to drop to the floor. "No clay here," she murmured with a seductive smile before dipping her head and catching a nipple with her lips. Frances' eyes fluttered shut and her hand came to rest on Kristen's head. Then her eyes shot open when Kristen lifted her up. Her legs went around Kristen's hips instinctively.

Kristen reached up to let Frances' hair down, sighing at the sight of her shaking her dark tresses loose. Then Frances cradled Kristen's face in her hands as she touched their noses together. "I'm not very light, baby. You should let me down."

"Nuh uh," Kristen mumbled. Frances' weight felt good. Her long hair falling like a curtain around them felt good. And her hands cradling her face... that felt really good. "You are... you mean... I don't even know the words..." she stammered, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by the ball of emotions that was expanding in her chest.

"Then don't say anything. I know what you mean... because I feel the same." Frances slanted her face and covered Kristen's lips with her own. Kristen's moan made her stop and pull back slightly, trying to keep her breathing under control. "So, what're the bad things you said you wanna do with me?" she asked softly, teasingly.

Kristen growled. "You are such a tease."

She took two steps and they tumbled onto Frances' bed. A giggle escaped Frances but Kristen's hands on the waistband of her leather pants silenced that. "What, no foreplay?" she asked, biting back a smile. She was propped up on her elbows, gazing up at Kristen.

Kristen ripped the offending piece of garment off Frances and swallowed hard. "No," she said firmly before taking Frances in a swift motion, loving the way Frances' eyes widened, the way her mouth fell open as she gasped.

Frances pulled herself upright with a hand on Kristen's shoulder, bringing her face a breath away from Kristen's. Their eyes met before Frances dropped hers to focus on Kristen's lips. Then she began moving slowly, impaling herself repeatedly on Kristen's fingers, her whimpering growing louder as her movements became more urgent.

"You're amazing," Kristen said in wonder as she began pushing herself deeper into Frances.

"I'm gonna come all over your nice pants," Frances said huskily with a breathless smile. She bit on her lower lip and pulled her hair back and around one shoulder.

Kristen closed her eyes for a second at the words. A slow, seductive smile crept onto her face. "That shouldn't sound this hot," she rasped out. Then she touched her thumb to Frances' clit and Frances' head rolled back as she groaned loudly. She grabbed onto Frances' hip with her free hand to push her onto her fingers more firmly, increasing the pressure and speed of their copulation.

"Oh, God, fuck..." Frances cried out, feeling a rush of wetness to her centre as her pleasure increased tenfold. "That feels so good," she managed out before her body tensed and Kristen released a wordless cry to match Frances'. Kristen dropped her head onto a sweaty shoulder, breathing heavily. She had to get out of her damned clothes before she combusted.

"What are you doing to me?" Frances murmured against Kristen's neck. "Just when I think sex with you can't get better... you blow my freakin' mind." Kristen chuckled, feeling immensely pleased with herself. "God, you must be melting," Frances said when she finally noticed the state that Kristen was in. "I'll get the fan."

Frances turned the room light on as well before returning to bed. She took one look at Kristen and began giggling. "Baby, you have clay all over your clothes... I'm so sorry..." she said mirthfully as she wiped at the stains on Kristen's clothes futilely.

Kristen smirked when she took her shirt off. She was about to put her vest back on when Frances stopped her. "If you start on me, we'll never make it back to the party," Kristen said regretfully, buttoning up her vest.

"So? Who cares about the party? I've already picked up the hottest chick in the house," Frances murmured, tugging Kristen's vest lightly.

Kristen gave Frances an indulgent look before her expression turned serious. "I just thought we deserve a bit of fun after everything... and that you might wanna hang out with your friends."

Frances stroked Kristen's cheek softly. "We do. I do. Thank you." She kissed Kristen on her lips lightly.

A loud knock on the door made their heads swivel around. "Hey guys, come back out and join the party!"

"Coming!" Frances called out, sharing a chuckle with Kristen. "You go first. I'll be out shortly," she said, knowing that the longer they remained in the room together, the less chance they would make it out without mucking around some more.

"'Kay." Kristen nuzzled Frances' shoulder before she scrambled off the bed and let herself out of the room.

"Is she coming out soon? We've got the cake ready," Eleanor said in a whisper.

That's right, the surprise birthday cake! Kristen could not believe that it had slipped her mind. "Yeah, she's just... getting dressed," she said with a slight blush.

Eleanor and Nell chuckled. "Oh, to be in love..." Nell said in a sing song voice.

"And in lust..." Eleanor added cheekily, making Kristen's blush deepen.

They went to the lounge room, where the cake was, with at least a dozen sparklers sticking out of it. Teagan was standing beside it with a lighter in one hand. "Should I light it now?" she asked, looking over their shoulders.

"Um. I'll give you the signal," Eleanor said, moving towards Frances' room. "Oh, now, now!" she said hurriedly when she saw Frances' door crack open.

Everyone broke out in a loud rendition of Happy Birthday when Frances appeared. Kristen chuckled at Frances' exaggerated eye rolling and lingered by the couch when Frances was engulfed by Nell, Eleanor and Teagan in a group hug. Their eyes met for a split second past Teagan's shoulder, and Kristen smiled.

64

Sam Faulks stifled a yawn. He was on his way home from his seemingly neverending shift when he decided on a whim to swing by Frances Russell's to update her on the case. Slamming his car door shut, Faulks double checked the address in his folder before he let himself through the gate. Combing a hand through his floppy brown hair, Faulks hoped that he looked presentable.

As he made his way up the steps to the veranda, it became increasingly clear to him that he was witnessing the aftermath of a party. Faulks lifted a brow when he reached a slashed front door. He glanced in his folder again, wanting to make sure that he did not get the wrong house.

The front door swung open, startling him. His lips curved up in a smile when he saw Frances. "Morning, Miss Russell. I'm the detective who took your statement a few days ago..."

Frances looked surprised. "Oh, hi! Detective Faulks, right? What can I do for you?"

Pleased that she remembered his name, Faulks relaxed his shoulders a little and combed his hand through his hair again. "Call me Sam," he offered with a boyish smile.

"Oh. Okay. And it's Frances to you," Frances answered with a smile of her own. "Would you like to come in? Have a cup of tea?"

Faulks nodded as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Yeah, that would be lovely. If it's not too much trouble, of course," he said hastily.

Frances' face broke into a dimpled smile that made him feel warm all over. "No trouble at all. Come on in," she said, holding the door open for him. He slid past her and made his way through the house, his nose wrinkling slightly at the sour smell of alcohol. "Sorry 'bout the mess, Detective. We had a party last night," Frances apologised from behind him.

"Oh, no worries. Any special occasion?" he asked conversationally.

"Nah. Just a house party," Frances said, walking over to the kettle. "How do you like your tea?"

"White, one sugar," Faulks replied, looking around the kitchen idly before letting his eyes fall on Frances. She looked like she had just taken a shower; her long, dark hair was damp. She looked good in a blue wifebeater and really short shorts, he decided. He liked how she seemed so unaware of the way she looked. "Is this a share house?"

Frances nodded. "Here," she said, placing a mug of tea before him. She took a seat across from him, folding her legs under her. Faulks noticed her grimace slightly when she rested her weight on her injured ankle.

"How's the ankle?" he asked sympathetically.

"Heaps better, actually," Frances said, sipping from her mug. "Thanks. So, what brings you here today, Detective?"

"Sam," Faulks corrected her, smiling when she said his name. "I was just going home after my shift so I thought I'd drop by to let you know that we've picked Liam Murphy and Benjamin Cameron up. They're both at the station right now."

"Oh. So... what happens now?" Frances asked nervously.

Faulks moved a little closer to Frances. "Well, we can hold them for up to eight hours for questioning. If the need arises, we could request to hold them longer. They should be released soon if my partner doesn't see the need to detain them any further. Would you be safe...?"

Frances bit her lower lip. "Yes," she said, wishing that she was as confident as she sounded.

"All right. Well." Faulks reached for his wallet and rummaged through it for his card. "Here's my number. If you need anything... if they bother you, don't hesitate to call me," he instructed.

"Thanks," Frances murmured gratefully, taking the card from him.

"Sorry, I hope I didn't ruin your Sunday," Faulks said ruefully, catching the worried expression on Frances' face.

Frances shook her head. "Thanks for stopping by, Det- Sam. I really appreciate it."

"My pleasure," Faulks said, sipping his tea slowly, hoping to prolong his visit. "So... what do you do?" he asked, tilting his head slightly. His right hand played with the silver chain that he wore around his left wrist absently.

"I... teach," Frances said, wondering if Kristen had awaken in the time that she had left the bed. She had wanted to run down the road to grab a couple of croissants and surprise Kristen with breakfast in bed. "Actually, do you mind hanging out here on your own, finish your tea? I kinda have something I have to do but you're totally welcome to just hang if you want."

"Oh. Um." Faulks looked a little surprised, then awkward. "No, I'm done, actually," he said, clearing his throat and tugging at his collar. "I won't hold you up any longer."

Frances looked sheepish. "Sorry. You're not holding me up or anything, it's just..."

"Hey," a husky voice floated into the kitchen, making Frances and Faulks look up. Faulks swallowed at the sight of a woman with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, standing in the kitchen doorway in an oversized men's shirt with its sleeves rolled up. He briefly wondered if there was a vacant room for rent in this house.

"Hey," Frances greeted, her eyes lighting up at the sight of Kristen. "Kristen, this is Detective Faulks. He dropped by to update me on the case."

"Oh. Hi Detective," Kristen greeted, stretching a hand out.

Faulks cleared his throat, acutely feeling his masculinity in the company of two beautiful women. "Call me Sam, please," he said, taking Kristen's hand in his own. It was a strong handshake.

"So... is everything okay?" Kristen asked, looking from the detective to Frances. She walked over to Frances and placed a hand on her shoulder. Frances reached for it automatically, threading their fingers together.

"Um, yeah," Faulks said, noting their closeness. They must be really good friends, he thought. "We've taken Liam Murphy and Benjamin Cameron in for questioning," he said for Kristen's benefit. "They'll be released from the station soon if my partner doesn't find any reason to detain them further. We still have to conduct more investigation before we can make any arrests," he said regretfully.

"What kind of charges..."

"Unlawful imprisonment for one," Faulks answered before Frances could finish her question. "Sorry, but I can't really disclose anything else." At Frances' nod, Faulks finished his tea and rubbed the back of his neck gingerly. "Well, um, I guess I should make a move."

Frances got up, releasing Kristen's hand. She flashed him a quick smile. "Thanks again, Detective. I'll walk you out."

Faulks gave Kristen a polite smile which she returned. Then he made his way to the front door of the house with Frances by his side. "So, uh, have a great Sunday," he said finally when they reached the door. He was feeling a little nervous and he attributed it to his impulsiveness after pulling a sixteen hour shift.

"Thanks. You too," Frances said, tucking her hair behind her ear. "And sorry about earlier..."

Faulks shook his head. "My bad. I shouldn't have dropped by this way. It was very unprofessional of me. I should be the one apologising."

"No, no," Frances said hurriedly. "Not at all. It was really nice of you."

"I'll see you again, then," he said, leaning against the doorframe so that his eyes were on the same level as hers. He clasped the folder that he had brought with him against his chest.

"Um. Yeah. See ya," Frances said, starting to feel a little impatient. When he finally left, Frances shut the door and went back to the kitchen to find Kristen leaning against the counter with a steaming mug in her hands and her legs crossed at her ankles. "Hey," she greeted softly, lips curving up at the sexy sight.

"Hey. Interesting morning?"

Frances shrugged. "It was nice of the detective to drop by and stuff but he kinda foiled my breakfast in bed surprise for you."

"Ooh." Kristen pushed herself away from the counter to close the distance between Frances and herself. "Breakfast in bed surprise, huh?" she asked, smiling. "Was that just you, naked, splayed out for me to feast on?"

Frances rolled her eyes. "Brain. Gutter. Out," she admonished, trailing her fingers down the exposed skin at Kristen's chest. Kristen pulled their bodies close, making Frances' eyes flutter shut briefly. "You smell really nice," she husked out, nuzzling Kristen's neck.

"Mm. So do you," Kristen replied, breathing in the scent of Frances' shampoo. "And for your information, that detective was interested in you."

Frances shot Kristen a skeptical look. "He so was not."

"Uh huh. He so was."

"Kristen, who in their right minds would be interested in me after they see you?" Frances asked, bewildered. "I mean, look at you," she said, gesticulating with her hand.

Chuckling softly, Kristen dipped her face to capture Frances' lips. "Thank you for that compliment, but I assure you, not everyone sees me the way you do."

"I sure hope not. I'd have to give up my full time job to fend them off you with a stick!" Frances mumbled under her breath, making Kristen laugh at loud at the look on her face and the imagery that she painted.

"So, about this breakfast in bed offer... does it have an expiry date?" Kristen asked, changing the subject.

Frances looked speculatively at Kristen. "How do you feel about almond croissants?"

"Ooh. You makin'? Puff pastry's a pain in the ass," Kristen teased.

"No... let's take a walk. It's a nice day. We could get some croissants for everyone else too," Frances said, pulling away from Kristen. She stopped and frowned. "We'll need to get more clothes on you before you step out of this house though."

"What, is this not good enough for you?" Kristen asked, looking down at her attire, pretending to feel affronted.

"Kristen," Frances said with a long suffering sigh, "Stop being a smart ass. That's my job."

"I can't help it! You keep passing me your germs!" Kristen complained good naturedly as she followed Frances back to her room.

Frances spun around when she stepped into her room, reached a hand out, grabbed Kristen by the front of her shirt and pulled her close. She slid her other hand under Kristen's shirt and scraped her nails up her torso. Then she crushed their lips together just as her hand closed around a breast, tearing a groan from Kristen's throat. Kristen blindly reached for the door behind her and slammed it shut.

"You don't wanna do that," Frances murmured breathlessly.

"Do what?" Kristen asked, equally breathless, her lips bruised from the rough kissing.

"Ugh. I was really looking forward to almond croissants..." Frances whined as she steered Kristen backwards until Kristen's back was against the door.

"So let's go get some," Kristen said, amusement lacing her voice. She combed her hands through Frances' still damp tresses and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Come on, I'll get changed and we'll go get some tucker," she said, trying to calm her raging libido.

"The moment you step out of that shirt, Kristen, I'd jump you so fast you'd forget your name," Frances informed Kristen wryly.

Kristen sucked in a breath at that. "Ooh. Is that a promise or a threat?"

Frances blew out a breath and pulled her own top off, making Kristen's eyes widen for a split second. "Neither. It's a fact," Frances said, pushing Kristen onto her bed.

65

Benjamin Cameron was madder than hell. The last thing he had expected after everything that he had done for his sister was to get called in to the police station for questioning. Unlawful imprisonment? He was trying to right the wrong that was Jack Canning!

In the eight hours that he got held at the station, four of them were spent sitting in a cell, where he had fumed to the point of explosion. He could not believe how things had turned out. The shares that he had coveted were now Kristen's and she was evidently trying to get him out of the picture so that she, her girlfriend and the lousy Taters crew could reap the benefits of his hard work.

He slammed his mobile on the table with a shaky hand. Liam had not returned any of his calls or messages and it was driving him crazy. He knew from the police that Liam had also been called in for questioning; he needed to know what Liam had told them. Perhaps Liam was still in custody. He would wait a few more hours before he tried calling him again.

Business at Taters was still quiet but Ramsey was sure that it would pick up in time. Without Jack Canning sabotaging them at every turn, they would not have to look over their shoulders all the time.

Shaking his head, Ramsey finished filling up another container with sliced cucumber. To think that a mere few months ago, he had thought that his life could not get more boring.

Since the appearance of the boss' daughter, Taters had been vandalised and sabotaged, Russell had gotten into an accident and was now a reformed alcoholic, Kristen had fallen in love... with said boss' daughter, who got taken by Kristen's brother in the attempt to blackmail Kristen's ex-husband...

Hell's bells, Ramsey thought, when it's summarised that way...

"Hey Ramsey, is Russell around?" Tammy called out from the window that linked the kitchen to the rest of the restaurant, interrupting his musing.

"Out back, having a smoke," Ramsey said, looking up. "What's up?"

"There's someone here to see you guys... I'll get Russell. Do you mind coming out to the beer garden?" Tammy asked, sounding a little uncomfortable.

"Yeah, sure, Tammy. Is everything okay?" Ramsey asked, washing his hands at the sink.

"Yeah. I'll... go get Russell," Tammy said.

When the trio entered the beer garden, Russell growled. "What the hell are you doing here, Liam?"

"Russell, please, just listen to what he has to say," Tammy said, laying a hand on Russell's arm. "He never wanted to hurt Frances."

Liam's head was bowed. When he raised his face, Ramsey could see that he looked stricken. "I'm really sorry, Russell. It was never gonna be like this, I swear. I just wanted to apologise. I'm so, so sorry."

"You took my daughter and held her against her will. There is no forgiving that," Russell said in a still voice.

"I know. I... Look, I don't want to shirk my responsibility in this. It is true. I did take Frances. But I told her what was going on and she agreed to help me. It was never my intention to keep her there for longer than a day. But things dragged on... you know what they say about the best laid plans. It was never, ever my intention to keep her there against her will. Things went too far in a blink of an eye... and if I could take it all back and do it over, I would, I swear."

Ramsey looked from Liam to Russell and blew out a breath. "Russell, why don't we just sit down and listen to what he has to say?"

"Please, Russell. Liam's really not the bad person you think he is. He thought he was doing the right thing, helping Benjamin trap Jack Canning," Tammy said earnestly.

Russell bristled but took a step towards the chairs. "Fine. You wanna talk? Go for gold."

66

Frances' work was surprisingly good and sympathetic towards her plight. It was decided that she would be signed on as a casual tutor, working four days a week for the next three months, whereupon her contract would be reevaluated. The time frame was perfect for Frances. It would allow her to save up and consider what she wanted to do next.

The elevator dinged, shaking Frances out of her reverie. She strode into the lobby, searching for Kristen. Before she could locate her, however, her mobile went off and she began rummaging in her bag for it.

Kristen smiled to herself as she approached Frances from behind. When she was positioned right behind Frances, Kristen hit the end call button on her own mobile and cleared her throat.

Frances whipped around at the sound so close to her ear with a frown on her face. Then her eyes and face lit up in recognition and she sucked in a breath. "Um." Her throat went dry and her mind went blank. Kristen had straightened, lightened and cut her long, wavy hair; it now framed her face and rested softly on her shoulders.

Frances' brain tried to catch up with her eyes as they trailed down said shoulders, which were bare. A few keywords banged around in Frances head--halter neck, cleavage, tight jeans, heels, hot, sex! now... please?--and she had to shake it lightly in the hopes of regaining her ability to form coherent sentences.

"Hey you," Kristen said with a nervous smile playing on her lips. She presented the single stalk of long stemmed red rose that she was holding behind her and her smile widened at the dazed look on Frances' face.

Frances took the flower from Kristen and smiled deeply. "Um." She cleared her throat. "Thanks," she croaked.

"Don't I at least get a kiss for this?" Kristen asked with a lift of a brow, amusement threatening to overcome her. She recalled the last time she had come to get Frances from work and how she had been struck dumb at the sight of Frances in her workclothes. Payback's definitely a bitch.

Frances' mind went blank again before she nodded. "At least," she agreed, her eyes still fixated on Kristen's new hairdo. "Why are you with me?" she squeaked, conscious that she sounded slightly hysterical. "You can have anyone you want."

"Oh, goody. Cos' I want you," Kristen said, sliding her arm around Frances' waist to claim her kiss.

Frances' brain kickstarted the moment Kristen's lips touched hers. This, she knew how to do. Lifting a hand up to comb through silky soft hair, Frances cupped Kristen's cheek as their kiss deepened. She stroke Kristen's face gently when the kiss ended; her eyes fluttered open. "Hi, baby."

"Hi," Kristen responded with a smile that revealed the edges of her teeth.

"I think my brain short-circuited back there," Frances murmured. Kristen chuckled as she steered them towards the building exit, enjoying the feel of Frances pressed up against her side. "You look really nice."

Suddenly feeling shy at Frances' frank appraisal, Kristen ducked her head and felt a slight blush creeping up her cheeks. "Thank you." They bumped shoulders as they made their way to the bus stop.

Frances had had the entire day at work to daydream about Kristen. Her mind had kept flicking from raunchy images--her legs around Kristen's waist, her hair blanketing them as she cradled Kristen's face, the way Kristen looked at her with half lidded eyes--to a few snippets of conversation... like the one with Isobel, for instance.

Her relationship with Kristen had progressed so naturally that when she had time to take a breather, it would sometimes hit her just how quickly she had fallen for Kristen. She had surprised herself at how easy it was to be honest about the way she felt for Kristen--how right it felt to declare to anyone who asked that Kristen was the one for her.

The few minutes that she had spent talking to Isobel only further proved how connected she felt with Kristen--both mentally and physically. Kristen got her, on almost every level; it made her feel immeasurably fortunate to have found someone who fit her so well, someone she did not have to explain herself to all the time, someone who got her humour.

"You're awfully quiet," Kristen commented when they reached the bus stop. "Long day? How did work respond to... what happened?" she asked, concerned, hoping that Frances was up for sharing.

"Work's good. They're signing me on for three months on a casual basis," Frances said with a shake of her head and a faint smile. "I was just thinking about... us."

Kristen lifted a brow. "Why are you thinking about us when the flesh and blood version of us is right here?" she teased. "Unless you're thinking dirty thoughts, which... I guess I'll have to allow because I know from experience that it can't be helped."

Frances smirked and threaded their fingers together. "I was just thinking... how much I love being with you. How happy you make me. How well we fit together... in every way." She raised her face to place a soft kiss on Kristen's cheek, her cheeks flushing a little at her impromptu declaration.

"Wow. If that's what I get for one rose, I'm buying you a flower shop tomorrow," Kristen said, touching her hand to the spot on her cheek that Frances had just kissed.

"That might be overdoing it just a tad, Kristen," Frances said wryly.

Kristen smiled. Their bus was approaching but she could not care less if they missed it. People milled about them, anxious to get on the bus but Kristen felt like she was suspended in a bubble with Frances.

"Just a tad?" Kristen asked as they miraculously made it up the crowded bus.

When they found a spot to stand in, their bodies pressed comfortably against each other's, Frances stroked her cheek with the back of her hand.

"I'd buy you a field of flowers if that's what it takes to get you to smile at me like this everyday," Kristen said softly, thrilling at Frances' touch and the way she was looking at her. It made her breath catch and her stomach feel funny.

Frances' smile deepened, as did her dimples. "Kristen..." she said, rolling her eyes and blushing. "Never would have picked you to be a closet romantic."

"Seems like you have the knack of making me come out of all sorts of closets," Kristen quipped, eyes narrowing slightly.

Frances giggled. "Now look who the smart ass is."

"You're a bad influence," Kristen said breathily in Frances' ear, making her shiver slightly. She pulled her face back slightly to look into Frances' eyes. "And you make me very happy too."

67

"Um. Mozart?" Frances asked as she waltzed into the lounge room. "That's... different," she commented, sliding onto the couch next to Nell, who was staring intently at the television and punching the buttons on her game console, trying to destroy what looked to Frances like a very big statue.

"Gets my mojo goin'," Nell said distractedly. "Die, you piece of shit!" she muttered under her breath.

Frances pulled her feet onto the couch and pressed a bag of ice to her ankle as she watched Nell maneuver her character around. "Oh, that's a sick move," Frances said, quickly drawn into the game. "How do you know to do that?"

"Trial and error," Nell said with a shrug. She risked giving Frances a quick glance. "Mostly error," she said with a grave nod, making Frances chuckle. "Yes! Teach you to mess with me, stupid statue!" Nell shouted at the screen.

"Nell, you're blowing a hole in my eardrum," Frances complained good naturedly. "How're you going?" she asked as the next stage of the game loaded. "I missed you. Feel like I haven't hung out with you in ages."

"I'm good. Kristen came by to check out the car we're fixin' up. She placed a deposit on it."

"Cool," Frances said, smiling sweetly at the mention of Kristen. "But I was asking about you, not Kristen."

"Mm... I'm good." Nell paused the game and set the console down. "I, uh, kinda hooked up with someone at the party," she confessed.

Frances grinned. "Kinda? What, you got to third base and chickened out?" Frances yelped when Nell jabbed her side with her fingers.

"Anyway, whew, it's been a while," Nell said, hitting the volume button on the remote control so they didn't have to raise their voices for the conversation. "Good to know that all my parts are still working," she said with a cheeky smile.

"Anyone I know?"

Nell bit her lower lip. "Yeah. Izzie."

Frances' eyebrows shot into her hairline. "True! That's... unexpected. But cool," she said quickly, not wanting Nell to think that there was anything wrong with them hooking up.

"We were both pretty trashed. And she's pretty cool." Nell looked at Frances silently for a moment. "I missed you too. I'm really happy that you and Kristen are so into each other but sometimes... it's nice to just hang with you."

"I know. It is. It's just that after the whole abduction thing..." Frances began explaining, only to be cut off by Nell's shake of head.

"Hey, it's cool. I'm just sayin'," Nell said, cuffing Frances playfully.

"Anyway, things will go back to normal when she goes back to work. It's ridiculous how I start missing her the moment she's not there. It's a little psychotic!"

Nell snickered. "You're in love..." she teased. "It's fantastic, darl. It's good to see you happy."

Frances snuggled into the side of the couch a little more as she sighed. "She's pretty amazing." Then she shifted. "So... you gonna start seeing Izzie?"

Nell shrugged. "Nah, doubt it. She's nice and all but you know I'm really not looking for anything. I made it quite clear."

"Dearest, you're never looking for anything."

"Mm hm," Nell nodded, picking up her game console. Frances ruffled Nell's hair fondly before settling back to watch her continue with the game.

"Darl, trust me. Izzie is the last person I'd wanna go out with," Nell said, trying to figure out just what it was that the game wanted her character to do. There was no one around and she was jumping around, slashing blindly at walls and partitions in the hopes of activating something. "Oh yeah," she mumbled when wooden partitions crumbled to reveal two topless women in the water. "What... Check that out..."

Frances lifted a brow. "And what exactly - oh my."

Nell snorted in disbelief as she followed the instructions given to her on the screen. "'Oh my' is quite right..."

The knock on her door surprised her. Kristen hastily arranged a sheet over her almost complete painting for Frances and wiped her hands up and down her thighs. She slid the chain on door before pulling it open and peering out.

"Jack," she said, surprised. He looked slightly rumpled.

"Kristen." His voice was low and gravelly, as though he had a sorethroat. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"What are you doing here?" she asked suspiciously, glad that she had had the foresight to slid the chain on.

Jack bowed his head slightly. "To talk."

Kristen frowned. "Ever heard of the phone?"

Jack looked up and Kristen could see his bloodshot eyes. "I needed to see you," he said, his voice breaking slightly.

"I don't feel comfortable about this, Jack. And I don't think we have anything to say to each other anymore."

"Please? I just... need to talk. And then I'll go. I promise," Jack said beseechingly.

Kristen sighed. "After everything that's happened, your word hardly means anything."

Jack nodded slowly. "I guess I deserve that," he said, clenching his jaw. "Can we... can we arrange for a place to meet... tomorrow?"

"I -"

"Please, Kristen. I will sign the divorce papers, do anything you ask of me. I just need... closure. Please."

Kristen felt herself relenting. "Tomorrow, twelve, at Sophia's. It's next to Taters," she said. That way, she was close enough to help if she needed any without actually causing any waves by bringing Jack to Taters.

"I'll be there," Jack said, turning away. "Goodnight, Kristen."

Kristen shut her door wordlessly and pinched the bridge of her nose, hoping that she had not made the wrong decision.

68

Sam Faulks closed the folder before him and stretched himself as he yawned. If there was one thing he hated about his job, it was having to do paperwork. His eyes fell on a folder that was set apart from the other folders. He thumbed it open easily and scanned its contents for the umpteenth time.

The investigation of Frances Russell's alleged abduction was at a standstill. There were no eyewitnesses and neither Benjamin Cameron nor Liam Murphy had admitted to anything. If nothing else came up soon, they would have to stop the investigation and that was the last thing Faulks wanted.

He made a quick decision and picked up the phone. Perhaps if he spoke to Frances Russell again--preferably in a face to face meeting--she might recall something that might help with the investigation.

God knows he wouldn't mind seeing her again.

Kristen sat outside Sophia's, idly playing with her mobile as she waited for Jack to show up. She blew out a breath as she glanced around, wondering when and if Jack was going to show.

Ever since his appearance at her flat the night before, she had been feeling slightly uneasy. Kristen pushed her empty glass of juice away from her and blew out a small breath as she looked up. She caught Jack's familiar gait coming towards her and she chewed on her lower lip.

"You look good," Jack said by way of greeting as he sat himself down in front of her. He looked a lot more together than he did the night before. Jack's lips curved up in a slightly arrogant sneer and Kristen immediately crossed her arms before her as she leaned back into her seat without replying. "I'm starving. What's good here?"

Kristen shrugged. "Their menu's on the board," she replied, hooking her thumb over her shoulder. "I can't stay for long though so you might wanna -"

"Great. I'll be right back," Jack said, talking over her and making a beeline for the counter before Kristen could continue. She rolled her eyes subtly. "Oh, pardon my manners. Are you good for coffee?" Jack's voice came beside her ear, making Kristen jump at his sudden proximity.

"I'm good, thanks."

"All right, sure thing." Jack straightened himself and walked into the café.

Kristen followed his retreating back with her eyes. Despite their falling out, Jack and Benjamin still sounded similar and it reminded her of a time when things were... different. She allowed a brief wave of nostalgia to crash over her.

"What did you want to speak to me about?" Kristen asked in her usual straightforward manner when Jack sat back down at the table. She tucked a lock of her newly straightened hair behind her ear before clasping her hands together to rest on the table.

"I'm thinking I might stick around in Sydney," Jack said in a conversational tone.

Kristen blew out a breath. "And you thought I might be interested to know that--why?"

Jack frowned. "A bit of enthusiasm wouldn't hurt, Kristen."

"I thought I made it quite clear..." Kristen began, only to be cut off again by Jack.

"You did. So did Benjamin. I know where I stand. I just..." Jack trailed off when his order of pasta arrived. He picked up a fork before he continued, "I know you don't trust me anymore and I'm sorry about that--more than you could ever know." Kristen lifted a brow at his words. "I want to be a part of your life again and I'll do whatever it takes for that to happen."

To say that she was stunned by Jack's little speech would be an understatement. It confused the hell out of her. She shook her head. "What are you playing at?"

Jack didn't answer and dug heartily into his meal instead.

Kristen stared at him, trying to figure out what he wanted. "I'd prefer it if you stayed away from me and mine," she said finally when she recalled all the grief he had caused for Taters. She didn't care what he was playing at; she was through with him and his games.

Jack stopped chewing. "That used to be us."

"What?" Kristen asked, brows furrowing.

"You said 'me and mine'," Jack said quietly. Then he quirked a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Anyhow, how's Benjamin? He sure played me like a pro." All traces of regret and sadness were gone from his voice. Kristen began to wonder if Jack was on anything; she could not follow his thought process.

"Look, I have to go," Kristen said, thinking that this meeting was a complete waste of her time. Her mobile sounded right on cue and she let slip a smile when she saw who the caller was.

"Yeah." Jack clenched his jaw at the look on Kristen's face. "Go."

Kristen gave him an absent look and got up to leave. She answered the call with a smile as she walked away.

Frances kept looking up, past Faulks, as they spoke. He turned his face behind him to try and see what Frances was looking at. "Everything okay?" he asked finally.

"Huh? Yeah. Sorry. Sam, I really don't know what else to tell you about the incident," Frances said as she finished her drink.

Sam nodded. "Well then... we'll have to leave the case as it is without additional information," he said regretfully. He was trying to gather his courage to ask Frances out on a date but the distracted look on her face wasn't exactly encouraging.

Frances hadn't known what to expect when she had gone to the police about her abduction. She felt neither disappointed nor relieved that Benjamin and Liam weren't going to get into any serious trouble. She hadn't thought past making the police report and was quite frankly ready to move on with her life.

"Thank you for taking an interest in my case, Sam," Frances said finally, trying to wrack her brain for something to say. It was painful, the way their conversation kept falling into a lull. "If there's nothing else..."

Faulks scratched the back of his neck nervously. Now that the case was unofficially at a dead end, he felt more comfortable asking Frances out. "I was wondering... there's this restaurant in Glebe and I was wondering if you wanted to check it out... with me."

When he looked up, the bright smile on Frances' face gave him hope. Then he realised she wasn't actually smiling at him and that made him frown. Following her line of sight, Faulks recognised Frances' housemate walking towards them.

"Thanks again, Sam. I guess I'll see you around," Frances said, standing up, obviously not having heard his request to see her again. Anxious to remedy that before they were interrupted, Faulks stood up as well.

"So what do you reckon? Would you be free some time this week?"

Frances' brows furrowed. "What for?"

"Dinner... drinks, maybe?" Faulks said in a rush, looking behind him nervously. He saw Frances biting her lower lip and smiled.

"Are you asking me out, Sam?" Frances asked, wanting to be sure. She touched a hand to the back of her neck absently, uncomfortably. At the hopeful expression on his face, she sucked in a breath. Kristen's observation was right; this was going to be awkward. "That's really sweet but... I have a girlfriend," Frances said with a slight grimace.

Faulks looked confused. Frances looked from the detective to her girlfriend, then back at him. "So um, I'll... see ya."

Faulks turned to see Frances leaning into Kristen with obvious familiarity and his eyes almost bugged out when Kristen lowered her face to plant a kiss on Frances' lips.

"You picked the car up," Frances noted as she steered Kristen away from the detective, not wanting to stay and conduct further small talk with the man.

"I did," Kristen said, feeling quite happy with her newest purchase. Nell's garage did a good job on it. She spared the detective a quick glance but Frances' voice quickly distracted her.

"Have I told you lately how hot you are?" Frances, certain that the sight of Kristen stepping out of a 4WD was one she would never get sick of, asked teasingly. She caught Kristen's eyes and lowered her eyes with a smile on her lips, suddenly feeling a little shy.

Kristen sighed heavily. "Not in the last twenty four hours," she responded with a woeful expression. "I fear you're losing interest in me."

Frances chuckled. She wasn't sure where they were headed but she didn't care to ask. "Poor baby. Sorry, I was too busy fending off unwanted attention from the good detective."

Kristen lifted a brow at that. "Huh. Told you," she said smugly. She turned back but could not see the detective anywhere. It explained why Frances didn't give her a chance to greet the man. "What finally clued you in?"

"Don't get snarky," Frances said, sticking her tongue out at Kristen.

"Don't stick that thing out unless you intend to use it," Kristen said wryly, eliciting a snort from Frances.

"You're on the ball today," Frances commented teasingly with a sideway glance at Kristen. "What brain food did you consume?"

Kristen laughed softly as she shook her head at Frances. She could not remember enjoying anyone else's company this much. A part of her was becoming increasingly fearful of the potential hurt Frances could inflict on her but a bigger part of her was adamant that it would not happen. "You always have to have the last word, don't ya?"

Frances leaned in closer and nuzzled Kristen's neck, chuckling softly. "I just happen to always have the last word. Can't help being me."

Kristen rolled her eyes skyward. "Boy, what did I do to deserve you?" she asked in a plantive voice.

Frances smiled smugly. "Everything right, obviously."

69

The garage was silent. Nell took one last look around and exited it before engaging the roller doors. She felt dirty and grimey--not unlike the end of every work day. She lit up a cigarette and climbed into her truck. Her mobile rang. Nell took one look at the screen and started her truck without answering the call. Blasting the stereo, she pulled out of the driveway.

She had nothing planned for the evening and did not want that to change. Work had been hectic; that, combined with band practice, had been energy consuming. She needed a night to herself--no inane conversations and superficial "how are you's".

Frances' room light was on when she entered the house. Nell hesitated briefly outside her friend's door, then decided to jump into the shower instead.

"Welcome home!"

Nell turned with a faint smile. "Hey." Frances' dimpled smile made her own smile deepen. "How you goin'?" She leaned into a familiar hug and her eyes fluttered shut briefly.

"Good. How was your day?" Frances asked, pulling away. "You look knackered," she commented, eyeing Nell's rumpled, greasy appearance. "Wine or tea?"

Nell grinned. "Tea. Then wine, I think. I'm gonna hit the shower."

Frances wrinkled her nose. "You should. You stink."

Nell laughed self-deprecatingly at Frances' words. After entering the bathroom, she quickly divested herself of her clothes and stood under a spray of water, sighing contentedly.

When Nell re-emerged, she saw Frances seated at the table with her legs pulled up under her. They shared a smile and Nell sat herself down, pulling a cup of tea towards herself. Long, wordless minutes later, Frances frowned. "Is that your phone?" Nell shrugged noncommittally.

Knowing better than to push, Frances said, "The detective in charge of my case rang today. I think the case is closed. They couldn't find any eyewitnesses and obviously neither Liam or Benjamin admitted to anything." Frances peered at Nell over the rim of her cup.

Nell eyed her friend, trying to gauge her feeling on the matter. Assured that Frances wasn't upset over it, she nodded. "Don't you be getting into strange men's car no more, darl."

Frances smirked. "Point noted."

"Hot chicks, on the other hand... well, depending on how hot and how much you'd enjoy being kidnapped by them."

Frances laughed. "You're in a funny mood today. Ran over someone on your way home?"

"I wish," Nell responded wryly, eliciting another giggle from Frances. "Wanna watch a movie and get trashed?"

Frances thought for a moment and nodded. She was meant to go over to Kristen's but she could squeeze in a movie for Nell. "You get the movie and I'll get the wine."

They leaned against each other on the couch, laughing at the smallest thing as they topped up each other's glasses over and over. Nell rested her forehead against Frances' arm at one point. "You know, I don't think I could ever love anyone the way I loved you."

Frances' brows furrowed. "Yeah, you could. Why do you say that?" She wanted to see her friend's eyes but Nell kept them averted.

"You mean a lot to me."

Nell was definitely in a weird mood. Frances wracked her brain, trying to get a hint as to why Nell was behaving this way. Then her eyes rounded. Today was the death anniversary of Nell's brother. "You mean a lot to me too," Frances responded softly.

"Mum's been calling all day. I know what she needs... but I can't..." Nell's voice shook slightly and Frances grimaced. She slid an arm around Nell to pull her closer. "Sorry," Nell mumbled into Frances' arm.

"I love you," Frances said instead. "And I'm here."

Kristen read the text message from Frances, her face falling. Frances was supposed to come over and spend the night but something had come up. The message did not say much, only that Nell needed her company. Kristen looked at the bubbling pot on her stove and sighed. It was to be the first meal she made for Frances. She went over and turned the stove off, her appetite gone.

70

Taters' business was slowly picking up again. It was nowhere near how it was during its heyday but at least they weren't making a loss anymore. Kristen peered into the kitchen, feeling a little odd to be looking in from the outside; she belonged in there.

The few days that she had had off from work felt a lot longer than that. Truth be told, she was looking forward to resuming work. All that free time just did not sit well with her.

Russell turned from the grill when he heard someone call for him. Sighting Kristen, he gave her a brisk nod, signalling for her to follow him out of the kitchen.

Kristen exited the kitchen to find her boss already sitting on an overturned milk crate, fumbling for his pack of smokes. She flipped another milk crate over and sat down beside Russell.

"Liam came in the other day. I wanted to give you and Frances some time off before telling you about what he said. God knows we all had enough of Liam and Benjamin to last us a lifetime," Russell said without preamble. Kristen grimaced slightly at that. "Anyway. He said your brother's in a lot of debt. Something about bad investments. According to Liam, his initial plan was to liquidate the company to pay off his debt."

"Huh." Kristen did not know what else to say.

Russell stubbed out his cigarette. "It may or may not be of any importance. It didn't seem like pressing information; that's why I didn't talk to you immediately."

Kristen nodded. "Thanks, Russell."

"How're you and Frances holding up? I haven't seen that girl since she started work," Russell asked in a gruff voice.

Kristen shrugged. "Good, I guess, as things go. She met with the detective in charge of the case yesterday. Word is, they could not find any eyewitnesses so investigation's come to a halt."

Russell shook his head. "Can't say I expected different. At the very least, they took the lads in for questioning. That must have scared them a little."

"Not enough, I don't think," Kristen said in an even tone. She didn't know what she had expected but it was in her opinion that the men were let off too easily for what they did.

Russell nodded. "Well. Time for me to get back to work," he said, standing up. "Don't forget about dinner on Sunday." He placed his palm on Kristen's shoulder for a brief moment before leaving her to her thoughts.

Frances cursed out loud when she dropped her keys for what had to be the tenth time that hour. She snatched it off the floor and stuffed it into her bag.

It had been that kind of day for her. She had forgotten to set her alarm and had gotten up late. If it hadn't been for Nell, who had given her a ride to work despite being late herself, she wouldn't have made it in time for her morning class. She had had to conduct three two-hour classes throughout the day with a hang over and she had forgotten to bring her presentation for the staff meeting in the afternoon. Then if all that wasn't enough, her damn bunch of keys kept slipping out of her hands, no matter that they had no reason being out of her bag in the first place.

The only silver lining was that this was the beginning of her weekend--her birthday weekend, no less.

Frances hurried down the street, wondering if she was crazy to consider hailing a cab from the city at this hour. Perhaps. But with the kind of day that she was having, she just wanted to get to Kristen's with the least amount of fuss possible; and quite frankly, the thought of having to squeeze with two busloads of humans made her want to curl up and die.

Half an hour of futile hailing later, Frances was ready to rail at anyone who dared to look at her the wrong way. That was when a car pulled up in front of her. Frances considered kicking the sedan, which was obviously disrupting her cab hailing venture.

"Need a ride?"

Frances peered into the car to see Sam Faulks smiling at her. She was immediately reminded of Nell's remark about never taking rides from strange men again.

"I don't think you'd be able to get a cab here at this time," Faulks said. He had seen Frances while driving in the opposite direction and had turned his car around after a moment's consideration. Even though she said she was off the market, he didn't see any harm in trying. After all, it had to be some kind of fate that he had seen her as he was driving past.

"I'm actually waiting for my girlfriend to come get me, Sam," Frances lied through her teeth. "But thanks for the offer."

Faulks' face fell. "Yeah, okay, if you're sure," he said. He could have sworn that he saw her trying to wave down a cab.

Frances frowned; irritation bubbled in her chest. "Of course I'm sure." Did he think her stupid? Well, she was, in fact, lying but he didn't know that. Frances saw an empty cab whiz by from the corner of her eye and she cursed inwardly. "I gotta go, Detective," she said, allow a little frustration to creep into her voice. He had cost her a cab; if he held her up any longer, she just might have to club him over the head with her bag.

Frances blew out a breath when Faulks' car finally rolled away from her.

By the time Frances reached Kristen's, she was ready crawl into Kristen's bed and forget that this day ever existed. To her surprise, the door to Kristen's flat opened to reveal Eleanor. "Hey hon," her friend greeted with a smile.

"Hey." Frances looked past Eleanor, then back at her. "What are you doing here?"

"Kristen asked me over for a coupla drinks. She seemed to think that you had piked on her," Eleanor said with a light shrug. "Is everything okay?"

Frances' brows furrowed. This was definitely going into the books as one of the worst days ever. "I'm... confused. Why would she think that?" She entered the flat and looked around for Kristen. She heard the toilet flush.

"Hey," she said when Kristen exited her room.

"I thought you weren't coming," Kristen said rather coldly as she brushed past Frances to her glass of wine.

Frances frowned at her cool reception and blew out a breath. "Why would you think that?" she asked, confused. The throbbing in her head increased.

"I texted you several times but you didn't reply," Kristen said with a shrug. She could not help adding, "I thought maybe Nell might need you again tonight."

"Is this about last night?" Frances asked, shaking her head. Not wanting to fight in front of Eleanor, Frances took a deep breath and considered leaving. Then she did an about turn and went into Kristen's room instead. She stood around for a few moments to see if Kristen would follow her but when she didn't, Frances poked her head back out. "Do you mind if I take a shower? I feel horrible."

Surprised at the mundane question, Kristen nodded. Eleanor looked at Kristen after Frances disappeared again, feeling awkward. "I think I should go," she said softly.

Kristen pinched the bridge of her nose. "Sorry about this," she said finally. "You'll be all right? We had a few to drink."

Eleanor smiled and shrugged lightly. "No worries. I'll catch a cab. It's her birthday in two days. Be nice."

Kristen rolled her eyes. "I am nice. She's the one who piked on me last night for Nell."

"Well, did you ask her why?" Eleanor probed. Kristen fell silent at that and Eleanor sighed. "Okay. This is me leaving. Go spend some time with your girl. You know you wanna."

Kristen did, but she really wasn't in the mood to admit that. "Have a good night, Eleanor," she said instead. "Thanks for hanging out."

"I had fun. We should do it again some time," Eleanor said with a wink. She let herself out of the flat and Kristen chewed on her lower lip as she contemplated her next move.

She had been disappointed that Frances hadn't come over the night before but it wasn't just that. After her talk with Russell at Taters, she had really needed some form of contact with Frances, be it via a text message or just a simple call. But after all her text messages went unanswered, she had first gotten despondent, then angry at herself for trusting that Frances would be there for her; who was to say that Frances wouldn't let her down like Jack and Benjamin did? Subsequently, she had felt so bad comparing Frances to Jack and Benjamin that she had ended up feeling angrier at Frances for not being there when she needed her to be.

Not wanting to disrupt Frances' shower, and slightly mollified by Frances' decision to stay, Kristen poured herself another glass of wine to wait for the sound of running water to stop.

"Hey."

The quiet voice made Kristen look up. Frances' head poked out of her room. Her hair was tied up so that it would not get wet in the shower and her face was scrubbed clean. She looked apprehensive. Kristen was still angry and more than a little hurt but the sight of Frances in her clothes, looking at her with those eyes... Kristen quickly averted her eyes and drank deeply from her wine glass.

Frances padded over to Kristen and sat down next to her. "I'm sorry about last night. Nell was... not dealing very well with some personal thing and I couldn't leave her." She peered at Kristen, hoping that she would understand. "We basically drank ourselves silly and laughed at everything just so she wouldn't cry."

Kristen cleared her throat. "Is she okay?"

Frances nodded. "She will be. Kristen..." Frances reached out a tentative hand to link with Kristen's. "I need you to know that I wouldn't cancel on you for something trivial. I wanted to be here but I needed to be there."

"I need you too, sometimes," Kristen said in a small voice. She still couldn't bring herself to look at Frances. She hated her own insecurities but she didn't know how to make them go away.

"I know. And when you need me, I'll be here for you. I can't keep apologising for my relationship with Nell," Frances said, feeling drained. Her patience was running low and honestly, she wouldn't mind being taken care of herself.

Kristen pulled her hand away at that. "I'm not asking you to," she said in a stiff voice which annoyed Frances.

"Fine." Frances threw up her hands in the air and shrugged. What she needed right now was a couple of aspirin and sleep. "I'm gonna go to bed. Or would you rather I leave?"

"Why didn't you answer my text messages today?" Kristen asked instead, wanting to get it all out at the risk of sounding petty.

"What text messages?" Frances asked, suddenly feeling piteous and maligned. "I didn't hear my phone all day today. I was running late this morning because I forgot to set my phone alarm..." Frances blew out a breath. "I don't even know if I have my phone with me," she said, sounding defeated. She dropped her forehead onto her knees, which were pulled up against her. "This has been the absolute worst day ever," she mumbled. "My head hurts and I screwed up at work and I couldn't get a cab to get here and that stupid detective wouldn't get out of my hair and my girlfriend hates me."

Kristen's anger and feeling of self-righteousness leaked out at those words. "C'mere," she husked out, smirking when Frances peered up at her. She lifted a brow and Frances shifted herself to lean into her. Her eyes fluttered shut briefly at their contact. "I don't hate you."

"Nell's my best friend, Kristen. When she needs me, I will be there for her. I don't want to fight each time it seems as though I've chosen her over you because it's not really a matter of choice--it's not black and white like that."

Kristen sucked in a deep breath. She knew she had to work on this. "Okay."

Frances met her eyes to Kristen's. "I'm sorry you couldn't reach me today. I swear I was totally looking forward to seeing you after work."

Kristen felt the last bit of her resistance fall away and she smiled, her eyes flicking to Frances' lips. Frances was fruity scented and her skin felt warm and smooth. Kristen slid the palm of her hand down Frances' side, intentionally brushing the outside of her breast. She heard Frances suck in a breath and her smile deepened.

"What are you doing?" Frances asked in a low whisper. She lightly traced the curve of Kristen's cheek with her fingers, smiling when Kristen caught her hand with her own and brought her fingers to her lips. "Can we go to bed now?"

Kristen inched her face closer to Frances' until their breaths intermingled. "I think that's a good idea."

71

Frances felt around the bed for Kristen before she even opened her eyes. Her nose twitched; something was cooking and it smelled wonderful. A faint smile played on her lips and she fell asleep again.

The next time she was coaxed into consciousness, it was by the feel of a very warm body pressed up against hers and soft lips on her own. Frances brought a hand to her face to rub the sleep out of her eyes before opening them. She snuggled closer to Kristen and nuzzled her neck. "Mm... you smell like kitchen grease," she mumbled before nipping at the exposed flesh.

"You sure know how to compliment a girl," Kristen said laughingly.

"Only the best for my girl," Frances murmured before slipping a hand up Kristen's shirt. She frowned when her hand was waylaid.

"I made you breakfast," Kristen said, peering down at Frances. She pulled Frances' meandering hand to her lips and placed a firm kiss on her fingers.

"I know, but..." Frances slipped a leg between Kristen's, effectively bringing their bodies tight against each other's. "...I want you first." She lifted her face to place a soft kiss on Kristen's chin. "I love you."

Kristen felt her breath catch in her throat the way it always did when Frances told her that. "And I love you. But the food'll turn cold. I won't."

Frances smirked, revealing her dimples. Kristen traced the indentation on one cheek with her finger. "I don't care. You first, food later." She lowered her face and nipped at an unsuspecting breast, causing Kristen to squirm, arousing her even more. "Don't you want me too?" Frances asked playfully. She dislodged herself from a surprised Kristen, sat herself up, and proceeded to rip her top off, knowing that the move would do all the persuading for her.

Kristen's eyes darkened. "You know I do." Her voice dropped at the sight of a half naked Frances, shaking her hair loose from the shirt.

Frances smiled as she pulled Kristen's hand towards her naked torso. She placed a kiss in the middle of the palm, then slid it down her body. Kristen's pulse sped up. She trailed her hand back up Frances' body and cupped a breast, smiling faintly when Frances' head lolled back. Kristen gave a low growl and pulled Frances down onto her, loving her soft, warm weight and the tickle of long, dark hair against her face. "Tease," she rumbled.

"You love it." Frances pulled her hair over one shoulder and gazed down at Kristen, trailing her eyes over arched brows, darkening eyes and full lips.

"You got me," Kristen said with an air of resignation. "I do." She raised her head slightly to capture Frances' lips with her own, loving the soft texture of the perfectly shaped anatomy. Her head fell back onto the pillow when Frances became a willing participant. She moaned low in her throat when Frances lightly tangled their tongues together, pulling back when she wanted more. Her eyes opened in frustration when Frances fully pulled her face away. "Come back here." Her voice was husky and her body was warm. She smiled when Frances lightly touched her lips to her nose, then her brow.

"What did you make for me?" Frances asked as she dipped her face to kiss Kristen's neck. She touched her tongue to Kristen's pulse point before biting down on it gently.

"Vegemite and toast," Kristen said breathlessly. She smirked when Frances' head came back up to shoot her an amused glance. "Gotcha. You'll have to find out yourself," she murmured.

"Mm. I love surprises. Now let's see, what do we have here?" Frances said, scrambling down Kristen's body. She lifted Kristen's shirt, biting and licking Kristen's waist, then her lower back. She scraped her teeth up the wide expanse of flesh, sighing at the soft whimpers that emanated from Kristen. She came to a rest at Kristen's nape and slipped her other hand under the yielding body, cupping Kristen's breasts from behind.

Kristen's mouth was dry and her breath was coming out in spurts. Her eyes fell shut when Frances began toying with her nipples. She placed a hand on Frances'; heat rushed down her body to settle between her legs. "Stop playing with me," she rasped out.

"Okay."

Frances' simple response made Kristen moan. She almost protested when one of Frances' hands left her breast, but when she felt it snake down the waistband of her shorts, she let out a sigh of anticipation. The feel of Frances at the core of her, touching her intimately, made Kristen's head reel. Then Frances bit down on her neck, ripping another moan from her. Kristen wrapped her hand around the back of Frances' head, holding it in place as pleasurable sensations shot through her body. She rocked herself against Frances' hand--the delicious friction was almost unbearable.

"That good?"

Frances' words were so soft that Kristen almost didn't catch them. "Mm hm," she managed out, half panting, half moaning. Then she felt Frances' fingers make contact with her most intimate spot and all coherent thought flew out of her head. The need in her rose to almost breaking point; she was sure she screamed when she came apart in Frances' arms.

They exchanged shy smiles across the table as they dug into the food. It thrilled Kristen that every second spent with Frances felt like something new, something wonderful.

"You like?" Kristen asked around a mouthful of food. Her smile deepened at the enthusiastic nod from Frances.

"I love burrito," Frances said when she swallowed. "This sausage, though, I don't think I've ever had this before." Frances pierced a slice of sausage and squinted at it.

"It's chicken, with Vegemite," Kristen informed Frances, making her eyes round.

"True! Will wonders never cease," Frances said, looking impressed. She popped the morsel of food into her mouth and chewed it slowly. "Oh, I like."

Pleased that her efforts were appreciated, Kristen grinned. "We'll set off after this?" she asked. They were going camping for Frances' birthday, as per Frances' request. She had never gone camping before herself, and was looking forward to it.

"Oh, wait!" Frances exclaimed, jumping off the stool in the direction of the bedroom. She returned with a camera and stood beside Kristen, fiddling with its buttons. "Can I have a photo of us?" she asked.

Kristen could not help the smile that spread across her face. "I don't know. Is it going on any online porn sites?"

Frances chuckled. "How did you guess?"

Instead of answering, Kristen pulled Frances to her and kissed her cheek. Frances leaned her temple against Kristen's and took their first picture together.

72

Benjamin Cameron did not have much time. All his deadlines were closing in on him and he had no way of paying his debtors. He needed Kristen's share of C&C to make the sale but the chances of Kristen willingly signing the shares over to him were lesser than naught. He had to do something, and quick. He picked up the phone and made a call. He would have to pay his sister another visit soon.

The drive to their intended camping spot didn't take too long. Kristen kept sneaking peeks at Frances, who looked radiant and, in all honesty, quite beautiful. In Kristen's opinion, the day could not have gone better. Whenever she was with Frances, all her doubts and insecurities didn't exist; it was only when they were apart that other insidious feelings would sneak up on her.

Frances snapped another photo of Kristen driving, laughing when Kristen rolled her eyes. "What?"

"You didn't have any photos of me before today. Now you have what, ten billion?" Kristen said, quirking a brow.

"Are you complaining? I'll just stick to the view then," Frances said with an aggrieved sigh. She felt a hand caressing her cheek and smiled, turning her face to Kristen. "What?" she asked again, this time softly, coyly.

Kristen's lips twitched. "Nothing." She shrugged, then smiled when Frances brought her hand to rest in her lap. She loved how their hands fitted together, how Frances would stroke the back of her hand absently, like it was the most natural thing to do. It made her feel... safe.

They had to trek a little with their tent and supplies but the ground was mostly level, so Kristen wasn't too fussed. As long as Frances did not expect her to perform acrobatics on rocks, she had no qualms about hiking.

They found a spot a few hundred metres from the M5 motorway; it was beside a lovely sandy beach with river frontage and looked amazing. Kristen placed the bags she was carrying on the ground as she looked around with her hands stuck in her jeans pockets. If she didn't know better, she would have thought they were hours away from Sydney.

"You like?" Frances asked, dark eyes shining, dimples fully showing, looking for all the world like a proud parent showing off her child for the first time.

Kristen's eyes were fixed on Frances' face when she replied, "Very much. The spot doesn't look too shabby either."

It took Frances a moment to get Kristen's meaning, but when she did, she blushed and rolled her eyes. "Okay, Romeo, let's put our tent up."

Kristen chuckled. "Don't you mean Juliet?" She reached for the tent and began unpacking it. Nothing looked familiar to her but she was confident that she could figure it out. Frances did say it was a simple two-man tent.

"Well no, actually. Romeo's a colloquialism for a player or a womaniser whereas Juliet..." Frances stopped for a moment, then shrugged. "...died." Kristen let out a short bark of laughter at that. "Oops. Did I reveal the plot to 'Romeo and Juliet'?" she asked cheekily, making Kristen pause in what she was doing to sigh loudly. Frances laughed.

"Why? Why me?" Kristen asked no one in particular.

Frances gave Kristen's behind a light slap as she went past her for the tent poles. "Move it, woman. There's a reason why you're here and standing around talking to the sky is not it."

Kristen narrowed her eyes and made a grab for Frances, wrestling her to the ground and tickling her middle, ignoring her loud yelps and pleas for mercy.

Frances sighed contentedly with a cup of warm chocolate beverage in her hand. She wasn't one for birthdays but as birthdays went, this was shaping up to be an excellent one. She glanced behind her, smiling at the sound of rummaging in the tent. Night had fallen and it was getting a little chilly. Frances pulled her legs up against her chest as she sipped from a stainless steel camping cup.

Her thoughts went to the night before and she bit her lower lip. It wasn't the first time that Kristen had expressed displeasure over her closeness to Nell and it bothered her. She had never had to evaluate her relationship with Nell; no one had ever gotten close enough to warrant that. But now, it seemed like she had to draw some boundaries. This was new territory and she wasn't sure how to proceed, only that she must.

The zipping sound that signalled Kristen's exit of the tent broke her reverie and Frances turned to greet her with a faint smile, only to widen her eyes at the sight of sparklers burning merrily on what looked to be a very small cake. She placed her cup on the mat beside her.

A few strides took Kristen next to Frances and she lowered herself down onto the mat. "Happy birthday, Frances," she said in a soft, almost reverent voice. The look on Frances' face just moments before the sparklers finished burning made her heart flip in her chest.

"Thank you." Frances took Kristen's face in both her hands, stroking the soft skin gently.

"I made this myself," Kristen supplied helpfully. It was crazy what she would do for that smile, that look, that touch. "It's burnt sugar cake. Takes finesse," she rambled, unsure why she was feeling nervous.

Frances let out a short, breathy laugh. "Looks good," she said, slightly appalled at the moisture that leaked from one eye. She hurriedly wiped it off, breaking their contact.

"Hey..." Kristen placed the cake on the mat betwen them and touched a hand to Frances' cheek. "What? Why? Don't."

Frances shook her head lightly and let out a watery laugh. "You make me so happy," she managed to choke out, her voice sounding thick and funny to her own ears.

Kristen relaxed and smiled, reassured. "I'm glad." She shifted on the mat and handed a knife to Frances. "Make a wish? Cut the cake?" she suggested. She watched Frances' eyes fall shut, knife clutched in both hands against her chest, as she made her wish. The backdrop of a dark sky, tree silhouettes and stars completed the moment Kristen knew she would hold close to her heart for all time.

Suddenly it all became clear to her, sitting there beside the person she loved, bathed in moonlight. What happened to Jack, Benjamin or Liam was inconsequential, as long as Frances, Taters and its crew were safe and well.

"You know you're doing all the cooking in this relationship from now on, right?" Frances' voice floated to her ears. Kristen turned her face, casting Frances an amused glance. "I'll have to pick out an apron for you. Pink and frilly, I think," Frances continued, tapping her lips with a finger.

"You're weird," Kristen said finally, shaking her head.

"We can travel the world, it'll be awesome. You, in your pink frilly apron, and me... with a tub of Vegemite. We could be Pinky and the Veg," Frances said with a nod and a smirk. She brought another portion of cake to her lips and licked her fingers happily.

Kristen snorted, touched the back of her fingers to Frances' forehead, and asked, "Is the cake making you delirious?"

Frances fell silent for a moment. Then she shifted closer to Kristen, sighing when Kristen's arm went around her in obvious familiarity. "In all seriousness, what do you think of the idea?"

Kristen froze. "I don't like pink. Or frills," she said slowly, wondering if Frances was really okay.

Frances giggled nervously. "No, I meant the travel the world bit. With me," she said in a hesitant voice.

Kristen could not help the upward curving of her lips. "Huh. It sounds like fun."

"You would... would you? You'd have to quit your job..." Frances trailed off, trying to gauge Kristen's true feelings with regards to her sudden suggestion. She did not want Kristen to feel obliged to uproot her life for her but when she had closed her eyes to make a birthday wish, going on an adventure with Kristen was the first thing that came to mind.

Kristen met her eyes to Frances', a little amazed at how bright the moon was when they were away from city lights. She could see Frances' features quite clearly and the sight filled her with happiness. "I would love to see the world with you," she said honestly, studying the way Frances' lips twitched upward when she was pleased, and the resulting indentation in her cheek.

"We could go when my contract ends," Frances said. "Is that too soon?" She would have a substantial amount of money saved up by then.

Kristen shook her head. "That's in a few months' time, isn't it?" At Frances' nod, Kristen shrugged. "It's a good amount of time to find someone to replace me in the kitchen. I have to vacate the flat anyways, since your Dad is selling the place." It was possible. Anything was possible, she had since learnt.

Frances sucked in a breath as a smile spread across her face. "You would," she said in wonder. "Oh my God, you would!" she repeated herself, this time excitedly. Kristen watched in amusement when Frances jumped up from the mat and paced around, rattling off country names in a feverish voice.

"Baby, relax. Take a deep breath for me," Kristen said, standing up herself. She almost lost her footing when Frances jumped towards her, wrapping her arms around her tightly. She began chuckling softly, her lips pressed against a dark crown as she inhaled the scent that was Frances' and Frances' alone.

In that moment, she knew that if she had to do everything over again--make the same choices, commit the same mistakes--she would do so gladly, if in doing so, it would lead her to Frances.

73

Their short camping trip had given Kristen the time and space to look at the events of the past few months objectively. It had been a little overwhelming, what with the reappearance of Jack, having to reveal her past to the Taters crew, the disappearance of Frances and the betrayal of Benjamin. Now that she had had a chance to take a step back from it all, what she could do to deal with the situation suddenly became glaringly obvious. The irony of its simplicity did not escape her.

"Hey Russell, how's it going?" she asked her boss over the phone, smiling a little at his gruff voice. It still amazed her from time to time that, of all people, she had fallen in love with Russell's daughter.

"Good. Yeah, we won't be late tonight," she reassured him. "Actually I was just wondering if you still have Richardson's namecard? I'd like his number." She fiddled around with the pen in her hand as she waited for Russell to retrieve the requested item.

"Uh huh. Cool. Yeah. No, it's nothing you should worry about. It's all good. Mm." Kristen scribbled the numbers down on a writing pad. "Cheers. Yeah, see you tonight," she said, ending the call. She blew out a breath as she made her next call.

She had a few hours to burn before having to pick Frances up for her birthday dinner with the Taters crew tonight. Nell was invited too, but Frances was insistent that she get picked up by Kristen instead of catching a ride in with Nell. She knew that Frances was, in her own way, trying to let her know that she was special to her, and that meant a lot to Kristen.

"Richardson?" All thoughts of Frances was pushed to the back of her mind when her call was answered; she needed all her concentration for this. "It's Kristen Black. We should talk. I have a proposition that might be of interest to you."

Frances puttered around her room, trying to find a string of some sort to tie up the present she had for Kristen. She had picked up a handful of colourful pebbles while they were hanging out in the river and had found a nice cloth bag to put them in. The ringing of the doorbell made her groan. She stuffed the bag in her jeans pocket and hurried to the door.

"Hey." Frances' face broke out in a big smile when she saw Kristen, looking... amazing. She was aware that her vocabulary frequently contracted to a few words when the subject was Kristen, and its inadequacy frustrated her at times. "You look really good," she said, running her eyes down Kristen's length, taking in her highlighted hair, light make-up, and a simple shirt and jeans that really did not have any right to look that good on a person.

"So do you," Kristen said, feeling ridiculous at how self-conscious Frances could make her feel with just one look and phrase. "Ready to go?"

Frances leaned in to kiss Kristen on her lips. "Now I am," she said after she broke away.

It was definitely ridiculous how Frances could make her feel with hardly any effort, Kristen decided as they walked hand in hand to her car.

The beer garden at Taters was lit with strings of fairy lights and rows of candles. A long table stood in the middle of the garden, lined with a white table cloth; glasses, plates, cutlery and napkins were positioned beautifully along its stretch.

"Dad, this looks amazing," Frances said, feeling all choked up with emotion at the effort that her father and the crew had gone to for her.

"Happy birthday, lass," Russell said, looking decidedly awkward when Frances leaned in to try and give him a hug. They ended up in a half-hug before Russell pulled away hastily.

"I'll bring out the starters now that the birthday girl's here," Ramsey said from behind Russell. He gave Frances a big hug and a kiss before looking over at Kristen. "You wanna help, Chef?"

Kristen shrugged with a faint smile on her face. She left Frances in another hug, this time from Tammy, and went into the kitchen with Ramsey. "What'd you guys make?" she asked, feeling a little guilty that she hadn't helped in any way.

"Seafood paella and some tapas. Calamari salad, prosciutto and boccaccini salad... Russell did most of it. I had to beg before he would give me something to do," Ramsey said, shaking his head in amusement. "I have to say, I've never seen him so concerned about cooking."

Kristen chuckled. "Yeah, well, this is his only daughter's birthday, after all."

Ramsey nodded in agreement. "How was camping?"

"Great. It was beautiful and the weather was just perfect." Kristen looked over at Ramsey as she stacked a few tapas dishes on a tray. "Frances and I are thinking of going travelling in a few months," she said conversationally.

"Yeah? Where to?"

"We haven't decided yet but... I'll be resigning from Taters," Kristen said, surprised when Ramsey merely nodded. She had unconsciously been expecting a bigger reaction.

Ramsey sighed. "I'm not sure why but I kinda expected that. It's been pretty crazy around here and, well... You're really happy with her, aren't you?" They made their way out of the kitchen with their trays of food.

Kristen smiled, shooting Ramsey a sideway glance. "I am. It's... sometimes I still have trouble believing it," she said grudgingly. It was amazing how much her life had changed in the last six months, in ways that she would never have imagined.

"I'm really happy for you," Ramsey said with a sigh and a nod. "You deserve all the happiness in the world."

Kristen ducked her head, feeling a little overwhelmed by the warmth of Ramsey's well wishes. "Aw, Chef." She looked up and spotted Frances talking and laughing with Nell and Tammy. Almost as though she could feel Kristen's eyes on her, Frances turned her head and beamed at her, making her smile in response.

The dinner commenced, with soft jazzy music in the background and a lot of laughter around the table.

Somewhere between the main course and dessert, Tammy suggested that Frances opened her birthday presents. Frances tore at the wrappings of the biggest present of the lot. "Who's this from?" she asked, looking around.

"Me," Russell said, waiting for his daughter's reaction. He smiled behind his bushy beard when she gasped in surprise.

"Your vinyls and a record player! But Dad, you love these!" Frances exclaimed. Russell didn't comment, merely bringing his glass of soda to his lips. "Thank you, I love it!" Frances said, giving her father a big smile.

She loved the green summer dress from Tammy and Russell, and felt her breath rush out when she unwrapped the painting from Kristen. The colours and strokes were bold and somehow, looking at it, Frances felt a sense of familiarity.

"My tattoo!" she said when it finally clicked. She turned to Kristen in wide-eyed wonder, loving the way Kristen's eyes soften when she looked back at her, and the way her lips curved up in enjoyment at the sight of her obvious delight. "Thank you, it's beautiful and you're amazing," Frances said, moving over to give Kristen a kiss, making Kristen blush with her show of affection.

"Nell wrote a song for you," Tammy said, and all eyes swivelled to Nell, who already had her guitar sitting on her lap. Frances leaned back in her seat and linked her hands with Kristen's loosely.

"I told Kristen that I had trouble with this song when I was first writing it," Nell said wryly, exchanging a smile with Kristen. "Guess I made it in the end. So Frances, this one's for you. Happy birthday."

Nell's voice was a little too husky for the tune but it worked all right. Frances knew that if Nell's band ever used this song, they would have to get Jaz to do the vocals.

"You are, poetry in motion
You inspire, power and devotion
You are, turning all the tide under me
You are, the potential in me

You are, the first one that I wish to tell
Everything that matters
Matters because you reflect it back so well
You see understanding
wherever you are are standing
Between reason, passion, balance

You are my strongest link
You are, everything I ever wanted to be..."

The clapping and catcalls when the song wrapped up were loud. Frances went over to give her friend a big hug. "You do know that I'm not really that great, right?" Frances mumbled into Nell's hair.

Nell laughed. "Artistic license," she said when they pulled apart.

After giving Kristen a smile and seeing that she looked rather content to be talking to Ramsey, Frances sat by Nell as the dinner resumed around them. "It's beautiful, thank you."

"I'm glad you like it," Nell said, sipping at her wine. "Kristen's painting looks awesome. I dig it."

"Yeah, I really love it. You guys are all amazing," Frances murmured, looking over at Kristen, smiling when she caught Kristen chuckling at Ramsey. She returned her attention to Nell, taking a deep breath as her mind raced to form her next words. She didn't really think that Nell had meant the lyrics in the romantic sense but, just in case, she thought she would say something, especially since she had promised herself that she would take steps towards drawing clearer boundaries between Nell and herself.

"You know I love you, right? But people don't see how we work and... usually, I'd say fuck 'em but Kristen's special and... I can't not care how she feels..." Frances started awkwardly, fearing that her impromptu speech was coming out all wrong and that she might end up hurting Nell.

"Oh," Nell said, understanding what Frances was getting at. "I guess the lyrics could be taken the wrong way. Sorry, I just didn't think... Was she upset about the other night...?" she asked, looking concerned.

Frances grimaced slightly.

"You should have gone and hung out with her," Nell said regretfully. "Sorry, darl."

"No, it's my fault. I didn't tell her why you needed my company..." Frances trailed off.

"You want me to talk to her?" Nell asked, feeling a little uncomfortable knowing that she was the cause of discord between Frances and Kristen. "You could have told her why, you know. I wouldn't have minded. You still can, if it'll make any difference."

Frances shrugged. "I handled it pretty poorly. I didn't even call her, just sent her a text." She caught the lift of brow Nell directed at her and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Lousy girlfriend."

Nell smirked. "I guess we really have to change the way we act with each other, huh." Nell rubbed the back of her neck uncomfortably. "I can see how it could be misconstrued... I'm sorry, darl. I guess I just don't think very much about how people see us."

"I'm to blame as well. I guess what I'm saying is that we, or rather I, have to be more mindful of how Kristen feels," Frances said, not really sure what she was asking of Nell--her understanding and help, perhaps.

Nell nodded. "Point taken." She thought for a while and added, "You do know that wasn't a love song, right? I just want you to be clear that I'm clear on that."

Relieved that their conversation had gone relatively well, Frances squeezed Nell's hand lightly and nodded. Then she went over to Kristen and wrapped her arms around her shoulders from behind, nuzzling her ear briefly, causing Ramsey to roll his eyes at them.

"Hey you. Having a good time?" Kristen murmured, turning her head to see Frances. She stroked one of Frances' arm absently.

"Yeah. I just spoke to Nell and she says it's okay for me to tell you so... the other night, when I cancelled on you? It was her brother's death anniversary. I'm sorry I didn't call you and explain a little more about why I piked. That was my bad..."

Kristen bit on her lower lip, suddenly feeling silly at the way she had reacted to the incident. Nevertheless, she felt glad that Frances hadn't just dismissed it and was concerned enough to address it.

"I've spoken to Nell. I'm sorry you feel like you have to be worried about Nell and I. I promise we're really just friends," Frances continued. "And I promise I'll be more aware of our behaviour but if I do slip up, maybe you could talk to me about it immediately instead of keeping it to yourself...?"

Kristen nodded. "I like Nell. But I'm also crazy about you and I guess that makes me act a little crazy sometimes," she said ruefully. "I do trust you. But sometimes I get insecure... it's something I have to work on."

Frances smiled. "I like that you're crazy about me," she said, dark eyes dancing in the amber lighting. "Everything else, we'll just... wing it, whaddaya reckon?"

Kristen smirked. "I reckon it might be true in your case that you get a little wiser with age."

Frances gave Kristen a playful smack and laughed when she was pulled into a kiss, forgetting for a moment where they were. They pulled apart when Ramsey pelted them with scrunched up serviettes, calling for them to get a room.

74

Kristen trailed behind Frances and Russell as they walked up the driveway, leaving them in front of Russell's house after a calling out a quick goodnight to her boss. She had just finished pouring Frances and herself some wine at the hammock when a smiling Frances appeared.

"You look pleased," Kristen commented, handing Frances a glass.

"Yeah, well, it's been that kinda day," Frances said, climbing into the hammock beside Kristen. "In fact, it's been that kinda weekend."

Kristen lifted a brow when Frances began digging around her back pocket for something, smirking when Frances gasped at almost spilling her wine. "You know, one day you might hurt yourself if you keep this up," Kristen said wryly.

Frances wrinkled her nose at Kristen. "Good thing you didn't get to see me with my ass in the air, looking like a beached whale whilst I was making my great escape then," she said lightly when she settled back down on the hammock. "Then again, it was a pretty funny sight. You'd have laughed."

Kristen studied Frances face for a long moment, swallowing the slight distaste the memory of Frances' abduction still brought up. "I love that you always manage to see the good in everything," she murmured finally.

Frances shrugged. "Sometimes there's nothing left to do but laugh or cry."

"That's the thing," Kristen said, turning her face to press her lips against Frances' temple, "you choose to laugh."

Frances shook her head. "Not always," she corrected Kristen.

"I love you," Kristen said softly, seriously. Smiling sweetly at the non-sequitur, Frances handed a small pouch to Kristen, who took it curiously. "What's this?"

"It's for you," Frances said, then bit her lower lip. "But, uh, I'd appreciate it if you'd return my shoelace. I couldn't find anything to tie it with..."

Kristen rolled her eyes. "Really? You're asking for part of my gift back? Are you sure you wanna be that person? What would your father say?" she asked, chuckling lightly when Frances stuck her tongue out at her.

She emptied the pouch in her palm and smiled at the handful of colourful pebbles. Her lips curved slightly when she thought of their recent camping trip. "When did you pick these?" she asked, smoothing them with her finger tips.

"When a certain person of advancing years was recovering from, shall I say, more... vigorous activities?" Frances said cheekily, smirking when Kristen turned an interesting shade of red. "Aw, she's embarrassed. How cute..."

Kristen leaned in and caught Frances' lips in a quick kiss, loving the shy smile that she still managed to elicit from Frances when she got her by surprise. It made her lean forward again for a slower, deeper kiss.

When they pulled apart, they shared a quick smile before Frances glanced down at her glass of wine and took a sip from it. Then she rested her cheek against Kristen's shoulder wordlessly, loving how comfortable she felt, wrapped up in a blanket of silence with Kristen.

So many things had happened in the time that they had been together but at the end of it, they were still together, planning for some kind of future that had each other in it. Maybe some things were made to last. Frances flicked her eyes up into the night sky, then at Kristen's profile... and she wished that this was one of them.

"Good birthday?" Kristen asked suddenly. Frances nodded and lightly ran a finger down the length of Kristen's arm. Kristen swallowed her wine and inched her face forward unconsciously, her voice dropping an octave. "Bed?"

Frances gave Kristen a sideway glance from under her lashes and smiled.

75

Edwin Richardson adjusted his tie before stepping out of the elevator. He was a little wary of the genuineness of the offer that Kristen Cameron had made him over the phone, but he had nothing to lose by coming to the meeting. He spied Kristen seated on a chair, flipping unseeingly through a magazine, and walked over to her.

Kristen looked up when a shadow fell over her. The door to the lawyer's office opened, as though on cue, and an immaculately dressed man with graying hair greeted them. Kristen stood up and swept past Richardson. She could not wait for this day to be over, even though it had barely started.

Frances made everyone some tea and brought it over to the table in the kitchen. Russell pushed his dinner plate away from him and leaned back in his chair, resting his hands on his satisfied belly. It was nice to have Frances and Kristen over; the house frequently felt empty now that alcohol was no longer his constant companion.

"So, um, I went to the lawyer's today with Edwin Richardson, Benjamin and Jack," Kristen said abruptly, looking at Russell and Frances. "I sold Richardson the company and finalised my divorce."

Frances' brows rose. "Wow."

Kristen let out a short bark of laughter, feeling the tension leave her at Frances' remark. "Yeah, wow. Benjamin won't bother us anymore because I no longer hold any shares to the company."

Jack and Benjamin had arrived at the lawyer's office after she had signed her share of the company over to Richardson at a price he could not refuse. A part of her had enjoyed the look of distress and outrage on her brother's face when he found out what she had done, but mostly she just felt a sense of relief that she was no longer tied to any of those men any longer.

"If what Liam says is true, then he's after the company because he needs the money. What makes you so sure he won't bother you anymore now that you have money?" Russell asked, sipping at his tea.

"Because I'm going to spend most of it really soon," Kristen said with a shrug. "I'd like to buy your house, Russell." Russell stared at Kristen blankly. "I'd like to buy it back for you from the bank," she explained.

"No," Russell said immediately, his tone flat. "I appreciate what you're trying to do but I don't need charity."

Kristen shook her head. "It's not charity, Russell. C&C vandalised Taters; that's why you had to mortgage your house. Call it payback, if you will."

Frances shared a look with Kristen and glanced at her father. "Dad, Kristen's right. It's not charity. They vandalised and sabotaged Taters. Because of them, business went downhill for a long time."

Russell fell silent, so Frances trudged on. "Mum loved this house. Are you sure you want to sell it?" she asked.

"I think maybe it's time to let the past go," Russell said in a soft voice, much to Frances' surprise.

"Let Mum go?" Frances asked in disbelief, outraged that her father would suggest something like that.

Russell shook his head. "That's impossible, lass. But the house... the house, I can let go. It's too big for me anyway. And after you and Kristen leave, it's only going to get bigger and emptier."

Kristen nodded slowly. "Well then, let me give you a cheque, Russell. You can buy your next home with the money, put it aside for Frances, anything," she said, looking earnestly at her boss.

Russell thought for a long moment. "Fine," he said finally, to Kristen's delight. He cleared his throat and changed the subject. "Tammy's going to advertise for your position tomorrow. You're in charge of picking and training your successor."

Kristen grimaced at that. "Huh."

Russell lifted his brows. "Did you think I was gonna do your dirty work?"

Kristen shook her head hastily. "Of course not." Frances chuckled at the fearful look on Kristen's face.

"You know you're not leaving till you find someone good enough for me, right?" Russell said gruffly. Kristen looked a little worried until she saw the gleam in Russell's eyes. Even though she had worked with and for this man for almost a year now, she still wasn't sure when he was joking.

Frances rolled her eyes at Russell. "Then Kristen'll never be able to leave, Dad," she whined playfully.

"You'll have to go on your own then, lass, wontcha?" Russell asked with a faint smile. He let out a bark of laughter at the look on his daughter's face and shook his head. It was good to see her happy and settled in her own way with Kristen.

Kristen's brows jumped into her hairline at Russell's short burst of laughter; she rarely, if ever, got to see this side of her boss and it surprised her just how much younger he looked when he laughed.

"You've got your hands full with this one, Kristen. You know that, right?" Russell said, breaking Kristen's reverie.

Kristen smirked and looked across the table at Frances, who was looking every bit like a defiant teenager bent on staring her father down. "Oh yeah," she said, loving how Frances was trying but failing to keep the smile from her face. "Poor me," she murmured, chuckling lightly at the rather seductive lift of a dark brow at that. "Poor me."

They stood in the middle of Kristen's flat with their arms around each other. Frances inhaled Kristen's scent and sighed contentedly as she pulled away. "How's it feel to be a free woman?" she asked.

Kristen shrugged. "I don't feel any different. I haven't been married to Jack for a long time now, so..." she trailed off, going over to the cushions on the floor and sat herself down. She reached out a hand for Frances to join her.

"Thank you for trying to help Dad out," Frances said awkwardly. She lingered at the kitchen bench.

Kristen let her hand fall beside her on the cushion. "It's not really -"

"It is. You're not obliged to give him any of the money you got from selling your shares," Frances interrupted Kristen before she could finish her sentence. "It's a nice, decent thing to do."

Kristen ducked her head but didn't reply. Frances made her way over to Kristen and sat down facing her, positioning her legs on either side of Kristen. "Thank you," she said softly, peering up at Kristen.

"No worries," Kristen said with a faint smile. "It's such a relief to not be tied to Benjamin or Jack anymore, I have to say. Benjamin wasn't a happy camper." Her brother had been furious when the information had sunk in. He wasn't required to be present at the lawyer's office but Kristen wanted to be sure that everyone involved knew exactly what was going on.

Frances chewed on her lower lip, nodding. She didn't know what to say about Benjamin. She had liked the man and his actions had surprised and appalled her. But even now, she wasn't sure how she felt about his predicament.

"It's good to have some money to put towards our adventure," Kristen said, running her hands up and down Frances' legs, enjoying their closeness. It still surprised her from time to time how much she liked being with Frances, regardless of what they did.

"Oh, true!" Frances said, her face lighting up. "Well lucky you. I'll have to catch up."

Kristen lifted a brow. "Or I could be your sugar mummy," she said, in a soft, teasing tone.

Frances rolled her eyes. "You couldn't possibly afford my rates. I'd have to end up loaning you money to keep me!"

"Huh. You're very sure of yourself," Kristen said, smirking. She mirrored Frances' posture so that her legs crossed over Frances' thighs, effectively bringing them closer to each other. Frances shifted slightly and rested her hands on Kristen's shoulders. A smug smile was playing on her lips. Kristen lifted a hand to trace a dimple.

"I know what I'm good at. It's called self-awareness," Frances said, nodding sagely.

Kristen smirked. "Is that another way of saying you're good at masturbating?" she teased, earning herself a light scratch on her nape.

"You're hanging around me too much. Stop being a smart ass," Frances said, sounding aggrieved. "But if you must know, I'm really good at that particular art."

Kristen laughed. "Oh, I don't doubt that."

"Would you like a demonstration?" Frances asked, trailing her hands down the front of Kristen's shirt, up her legs, and hooked her fingers under her own shirt to peel it off. Kristen cleared her throat at the sudden change of atmosphere. "I'm sorry, was that a yes...?" Frances asked, halting her movements.

Kristen swallowed. "Yes." Her eyes darkened when Frances removed her bra and threw it over her shoulder. She watched as Frances eased herself out of the rest of her clothes and she had to swallow again when Frances parted her legs and exposed all of herself to her.

Hers. This fascinating, smart mouthing, compassionate, intelligent, infuriating tease of a woman was hers.

Then Frances began stroking herself and all coherent thoughts flew out of Kristen's mind. A rush of heat and wetness went through her body in reaction to Frances' soft, breathy moans, making her squirm uncomfortably. She could see and smell Frances' arousal and that heightened her own. "Fuck," she mumbled hoarsely, in slight disbelief at what was happening before her eyes.

Frances slipped two fingers into herself, only half aware of Kristen's response to her impromptu show. She brought her fingers to her lips, smiling rakishly when she noticed Kristen licking her lower lip unconsciously. "You like?" she asked, her voice husky.

Kristen nodded dumbly. Every fibre of her being was screaming for her to slid her body against Frances', slip her fingers into dark wetness and take her over the edge. But she remained frozen on the cushion, her heart pounding hard in her chest even though she hadn't moved for the past God knows how long.

Frances touched her fingers to the spot she knew all too well and began circling it, slowly, more firmly, then more quickly. Her body arched and she threw her head back as pleasurable waves began to crash through her frame. She bit down hard on her lower lip as she struggled to halt the movement of her hand, not wanting it to end just yet.

"Frances..." Kristen's eyes were fully dilated with passion. The sight, scent and sound of Frances touching herself was titillating. She hummed low in her throat when Frances threw her a breathless smile as her hand resumed its ministrations. Her lips parted when Frances' body arched and grew taut again.

Frances tried to keep herself in that pleasurable, mindless moment for as long as she could, feeling intense tingles flow through her limbs and body. Then when she couldn't hold on anymore, she opened her eyes to search out Kristen's as shudders tore through her body. She fell back onto the floor and gasped.

Kristen crawled on all fours over to Frances and stretched herself out beside her, resting her head on one hand and cradling Frances softly with the other.

Frances' breathing calmed down and she buried her face in the crook of Kristen's neck, inhaling deeply. "Mm."

"You are..." Kristen racked her brain for the right word but couldn't come up with anything fitting. "I love..." she tried again, then stopped. Even that seemed inadequate. Frances had reduced her into a stuttering fool. A hand snaked around her neck to bring her face lower.

Just before their lips touched, Frances smiled, making Kristen's heart flip. "I'm good, aren't I?" she murmured huskily. Her dimples deepened when Kristen's lips curved into a sensous smile.

"What am I gonna do with you?" Kristen asked, shaking her head lightly. She crashed their lips together in a bruising kiss; they were way past foreplay. Frances circled Kristen's wrist and brought it to her centre. Low moans were torn from their throats when contact was made.

Frances cradled Kristen's face in her hands as Kristen moved in and out of her. She was panting again and her lids felt heavy. The heat that the friction caused was driving her crazy. She brushed her lips against Kristen's before burying her face in Kristen's hair as she crested again.

A fleeting thought went through her head at that moment: words to her mother, ashes falling into a lake. Now she knew that a home wasn't a place, but a person; and in this instance, 'I love you' was a gift.

The End

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