Is She, Isn't She? Ch. 02

"Because," Ashley continued, "otherwise I'll lose ... the opportunity to see what this whole thing with her is ... exactly."

"Right. So just to clarify, you're not in love with her?" Claire put Ashley in the hot seat.

"Girls, lay off!" Ashley complained. "I'm trying to figure a lot of stuff out here -- I'm trying to figure her out, this out, everything out! I don't need any undue pressure from you my friends."

"How do you think she feels about you?" Tansy asked closely.

"I don't know, Tansy!"

"You said she doesn't care about you yet."

"I think she ... there's evidence to suggest that she might be starting to."

"Such as?" Chantelle wanted to know, voice derogatory.

"Well ... I don't know. She calls me "Ashie", she ... look, I don't really know. Just little things, here and there."

"I don't buy it. I think it's all a load of garbage. I'd love to be proven wrong, but I think that bullshit about how she might be starting to care about you is just that; bullshit." Chantelle was brutal.

"Chantelle!" Meredith and Claire both rang out angrily at the same time.

"You should have just played it like I was going to play it, Ash -- like she was a hot piece of ass I wanted to shag, full stop. Then you'd be cool. You would have got your rocks off, laid a babe, had a wild ride and a good time, and been fine. All this intense stuff is going to make this a bad experience for you."

"Ash, don't listen to her -- Chantelle, shut up! You don't know that!" Tansy ordered her.

"Ash, your fairy-friends here are going to tell you that life's fairytales and rainbows, and peachy little Jeanie up there is going to fall deeply in love with you and reject her straight lifestyle, come out to mummy and daddy as a full-blown dyke, and live with you happily ever after -- and you'll get fuckin' married in Canada, and all that shit."

Ashley raised her eyebrows questioningly at Chantelle (inwardly annoyed at her butch friend for unknowingly referencing one of her private fantasies -- the mention of Canada was irritating, and slightly jarring -- was Ashley that transparent?). "And what do you think, Chantelle? Enlighten me with your realism, please," she challenged her.

"She's using you to get a bug out of her system. In ten years' time, she'll be a suburban mum, and her husband will coach her son's football team, and she'll always remember how wild she once was in college. I've looked into Jeanie's crystal ball and that's what I see, sorry Ash."

"I was having similar thoughts myself," Ashley admitted. "Thoughts that I could just be her outlet for experimenting, I mean, for a few wild night of girl-sex for her spank-bank and nothing more."

"Isn't that the case a lot of the time though?" Tansy's voice was slightly irritable. "Us gay girls get the raw end of the deal -- floozies like Jeanie mess with us just because they have a selfish need to experiment, and screw our feelings, as long as they get what they need from the situation!"

"Maybe she'll be different, maybe she's just figuring stuff out, and maybe you're not a realist at all, Chantelle, maybe you're a pessimist masquerading as a realist?" Claire sighed. "All we can say for certain at this time is that we simply don't know. We'll have to wait and see what Jeanie will do."

"I agree, of course -- except I don't believe in taking a passive role in the whole situation. I hope to guide her in a certain direction," Ashley smiled wanly at her friends. "Okay, well, on that note, I think I might head. I'm worn out."

"I'll bet. You've had a strenuous afternoon, eh Ashley?" Tansy said slyly.

"Not that strenuous, Tans, I can assure you my stamina is better than that!" Ashley threw back, smirking at her. "I'll just go say goodbye to Jeanie."

"You should just take on out of here without saying anything to her, give her something to think about for a bit," Chantelle advised, one-hundred percent serious.

"Chantelle ... I'm not interested in those tactics at this time, thankyou," Ashley rolled her eyes.

"Sometimes they work," Chantelle shrugged.

"Right, well, I'll see how I do on my own first, then if I have to start playing dirty, I will," Ashley said. "Until then, I'm working the good-girl angle. Goodnight, girls. Please, if you're going to stay here for a bit, don't ... don't talk about it, she could hear you. Then I'll cop the blame. This is important, alright? I don't want to lose her now, when things are so ... up in the air."

"Alright Ash!" Tansy rolled her eyes. "I don't think you should be pandering to her so much, it seems as though she requires more attention than a small infant at the moment! But whatever, I think it's probably time we headed anyway -- besides, I don't think I'm going to be able to resist the temptation. You're all I want to talk about -- this is all so intriguing and exciting!"

"I'm so flattered I can provide you with entertainment, Tans," Ashley replied dryly. "Goodbye girls, see you all soon I'm sure." She approached the bar, and waited.

Jeanie was serving a couple of people. The brunette's dark eyes flickered onto Ashley, and she sped up her service, disposing of her customers as quickly as she could before approaching her blonde lover.

"Hi there, can I help you?" she flashed Ashley her perfect set of teeth, giggling.

"I don't know, can you?" Ashley flirted back.

Jeanie giggled again, then sobered up. "I'm sorry about before, Ashie, I just saw them all looking at me and I thought ..." she trailed off.

"They pushed me for details but I didn't give them any," Ashley said. "They were staring at you to get some clues."

"I guess I gave them plenty, didn't I, by having a tantrum?" Jeanie's voice turned glum.

"Nothing conclusive, baby," Ashley smiled at her. "Want to come over to my place tomorrow night, after you've finished work?"

"Yes," Jeanie smiled. "Oh wait, but I can't! I've got plans -- I'm taking a couple of classes at the gym with Red."

"That's okay -- it's Thursday tomorrow, it's probably not good to do it on a weeknight anyway -- I've got to get up early for work the next morning. What about Friday night then? Would that be better?"

"Yes," Jeanie smiled again. "I'm not working."

"Great, so I'll see you Friday?"

"Yes," Jeanie nodded her head again, more definitely.

"Can't wait, beautiful," Ashley winked at her.

Jeanie giggled. "Me neither, Ashie," she returned.

"Shall I call you tomorrow?" Ashley asked her.

"Yeah, that would be nice," Jeanie nodded. "Speak to you then, Ashie."

Ashley turned and left the bar, with her spirits considerably inflated.

***

Inside, Ashley couldn't help it; she was kind of soaring. She classified herself as "seeing" Jeanie now. They'd had sex twice, and now Ashley was going to start calling Jeanie on the days she couldn't see her. Their relationship was progressing, moving forwards, and Ashley was over the moon about it.

The next afternoon, as discussed, she called Jeanie up.

"Hey baby, how was the gym?" she asked the brunette perkily down the line.

"We're still here," Jeanie replied, sounding as though she was in a good mood too. "Just waiting for the class the start. We just did some cardio on the treadmills for forty minutes. My friend Red so couldn't hack it and nearly fell off." She laughed, while in the background, one of the Moronic Flatmates sang out,

"Who is that, Jeanie? Shut up, I did not! I was just dying a little bit, that's all!"

Jeanie laughed and ignored her. "So yeah, this class should be really painful too," she said to Ashley now.

"Hm, sounds dangerous. I wouldn't want you to tear anything. I hope all your muscles are in good condition, hun," Ashley said wryly down the phone.

"Ha ha, what are you getting at, Ashie? Are you being bad?" Jeanie laughed down the phone.

"Who's Ashie?" Remonda's voice blared in the background.

"Piss off, Red!" Jeanie commanded under her breath, and there were shuffling sounds. "Sorry Ashie, just moving away from her now ..."

"Good," Ashley smiled down the phone. "No, I wasn't being bad, I was being good -- I was going to suggest you let me take a look at ... all your muscles ... just to make sure they're in good working condition."

"You mean you don't think they're in good working condition already?" Jeanie queried, voice filled with fun. "You've seen ... yes, just about all of them, Ashie."

"I think you should let me take a closer look."

"Oh do you really?"

"Yes. And it's important to keep the muscles well-oiled and relaxed if you're going to be working them out on a regular basis."

"Well-oiled? I think I know where this is headed," Jeanie had started to giggle now. "I knew you were being bad, Ashie!"

"What's so bad about a little massage? They're very good for you, very therapeutic!" Ashley returned innocently.

"Dare I mention happy endings?"

"And you call me bad!" Ashley pretended to be outraged, but inwardly she was exulting, and her heart was beating rapidly. By the sounds of things, Jeanie couldn't get enough of sex with Ashley -- the brunette was the one who'd come right out and made their conversation blatantly sexual. Things with her were getting better and better ...

"I merely referred to being happy at the end!" Jeanie protested now, giggling.

"Alright then, what time shall we be happy together tomorrow night?" Ashley asked smugly down the line.

"Oh! Shit, I forgot! That's what I had to tell you," Jeanie fell to groaning. "My friends um ..." she sighed.

"What, hun?" Ashley asked suspiciously -- she decided she was immediately going to be suspicious of anything to do with the Moronic Flatmates; just something her instinct was telling her.

"Well ... they presented me with a um ... they got me a surprise, they got me ... tickets," Jeanie finished lamely.

"Tickets?" Ashley repeated, voice sceptical. "Tickets to what, exactly?"

"Um ... they gave them to me this morning ... they're for tomorrow night ... it's a um ... a troop of ... strippers," she actually sounded very embarrassed.

"What?" Ashley burst out laughing.

"Don't laugh Ashie!" Jeanie complained. "It's embarrassing enough having to tell you the reason I can't make it round tomorrow night ...!"

"Whoa-whoa-whoa, who said anything about you not coming round tomorrow night?" Ashley frowned laughingly down the receiver. "Okay, so you've got a little ... show, to attend, tomorrow night. What about I just pick you up after it's finished? It'll save you cab, train fare, your friends are big girls, they'll be alright, and I'll still get to see you!"

"Yeah ... that could work," Jeanie thought about it, then sounded enthusiastic. "I could just tell my friends that ... that um, hm. That you're a friend from uni, and we've got an assignment to work on all weekend, and you were in the area anyway and ..."

"Calm down, hun, don't make it too complicated," Ashley rolled her eyes. "Tell me more about these strippers!" she provoked Jeanie grinningly. "Why would a gorgeous girl like you need a ticket to see someone naked?"

"I didn't get the ticket!" Jeanie reminded her. "It was a gift. My friends all pooled in together to get it for me."

"Is it your birthday or something and you didn't tell me?" Ashley's brow furrowed.

"No," Jeanie replied shiftily. "They didn't get it for me for my birthday. They got it for me because ... because, well ... of my new job," she cleared her throat awkwardly. "It's um ... it's um ... the biggest ... most famous group of ... of male strippers, that tour the country ... it's going to be at the sports club, you know, the big stage they have in there, I think it can hold up to five-hundred people, anyway ..."

"What?" Ashley skited. "You mean your friends got you tickets to see male strippers to, what? Give you a treat because poor little Jeanie's stuck working at a women's bar? Because they feel sorry for you?"

"Something like that," Jeanie responded uncomfortably.

Ashley burst out laughing.

"Oh Ashie, come on!" Jeanie moaned grouchily. "Yes yes, the irony is very funny, yes, laugh it up ..."

"Because you've been having such a terrible time of it, haven't you, poor, poor Jeanie -- my heart goes out to you!" Ashley teased, before starting to laugh again.

"Yes yes," sighed Jeanie, sounding as though she was smiling begrudgingly into the phone.

"Tell me it hasn't been all bad though, baby?" Ashley asked her then, voice filled with fun.

"No, it hasn't been all bad," Jeanie confessed. "I've met some very special people there. Chantelle, now she's a real keeper ..."

"Hey, you naughty girl!" Ashley raised her eyebrows amusedly. "I'm going to get you for that."

"What are you going to do to me?" Jeanie's voice immediately became a lot naughtier.

"Mmm, just you wait!" Ashley told her.

"Maybe I can't wait, that's the thing," Jeanie shot back.

"Who knew you were such an outrageous little flirt, Jeanie!" Ashley was smiling widely. "Tell me what time you want me to pick you up tomorrow night?"

"The show is supposed to finish around ten-thirty, so maybe quarter to eleven?" Jeanie suggested. "Is that too late?"

"No. It's just not early enough," Ashley replied, smiling.

"I better go, Ashie, everyone's going into class," Jeanie said now, becoming distracted. "Talk to you soon?"

"I'll call you tomorrow!" Ashley said. "Enjoy your class, sexy!"

"See you Ashie! You have a nice night too!" Jeanie said, her voice brimming with affection. "Until tomorrow then!"

Ashley sang softly to herself as she hung up the phone. Sounded as though she had herself a hot new girlfriend. She smiled.

***

Ashley tapped her fingers on the dashboard of her car in time with the radio as she waited at traffic lights. The weather had turned slightly crappy, a faint drizzle sprinkling her front windscreen. She distractedly turned the windscreen wipers on, whilst simultaneously pressing her foot down on the accelerator and driving through the green light.

She turned into the carpark of the gigantic sports club, and parked her car, looking up at the enormous, cold structure apprehensively. She hadn't been there for a long time (it was certainly too bogan a place to be her scene), and had forgotten the size of it. How was she ever going to find Jeanie in that stone maze?

The building looked so dense and thick that Ashley didn't even know if Jeanie's phone would get reception, now that the brunette was trapped there in the heart of it. Still, the blonde didn't have any choice but to ring her lover; there was no way Ashley was going to be able to locate Jeanie on her own. She pulled her phone out and hit Jeanie's number.

The phone rang out, then went to Jeanie's voicemail: "Hey it's Jeanie, I'm busy right now but leave me a message and I'll call you back! Probably. Maybe. If I like you." Giggling. Ashley rolled her eyes into the receiver. "Hi hun, it's Ash, I don't know where to meet you? I'm out in the carpark, I'm just going to walk in -- I'll call you again in about five, see if you pick up. Maybe the show is running overtime? See you soon."

She signed herself into the club as a temporary member, and walked through the lush gambling areas. She sat at one of the gambling machines and slid a five-dollar note through, bored, eager to grab Jeanie and get out of there. A couple of guys sitting at a table with beers in their hands shot her appreciative looks. Ashley looked away from them disinterestedly. Men looked at her all the time -- she was stunningly attractive. She was so used to it she didn't even blink.

She pressed buttons distractedly on her gaming machine, even as she impatiently redialled Jeanie's number. This time, the brunette picked up her phone.

"Hi!" she boomed into it. "Ashiiiiie, how're you dooooing?"

Ashley laughed frowningly at Jeanie's weird tone. "Baby?" she asked. "Are you alright?"

"I'm sogood," Jeanie slurred. "Such'a gooood show I was laughing and laughing ... it was so funny!"

"Hmm," Ashley knew why Jeanie would have been laughing hysterically. "How much have you had tonight, sweetie?"

"Some wine, a bit, like ... maybe a bottle ... or maybe ... like, maybe two bottles ... maybe each, like maybe. AND a COCKtail! Ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Okay," Ashley rolled her eyes again. "Very funny, yes. Where are you?"

"Where'm I? I have nooo idea!" Jeanie laughed, silly-like, into the phone. "Some room ... the performers are really nice you know!"

"Huh?" Ashley's brow furrowed as she tried to keep up with Jeanie's drunken ramblings. "The performers?"

"Yeah!" Jeanie said happily. "We met them after the show, 'cause I'm so hot."

"Okay, honey, I don't know what you're saying. Just tell me where you are, and I can come and find you," Ashley said, nice and slowly.

"I am in-th'-stage," Jeanie's words joined together until they were almost unintelligible. Then, some deep voice started laughing in the background on her end of the line.

Ashley's face flattened. "Jeanie," she said, voice becoming toneless. "I'm being serious, you need to tell me where you are, you're too drunk."

"Ashiiiie! I told yooou. I dunno!" Jeanie laughed girlishly. "I don't know where I am or who I am or where my friends are ... the performer's really nice though -- what's your name again?" she trilled to someone in the background.

"Matt," a big dumb voice laughingly replied.

"Oh you've got to be kidding!" Ashley snapped, quickly piecing together what must be going on. "So you're by yourself with a guy? Your friends are gone?"

"They're somewhere," Jeanie waved it off. "And you're here Ashie! You're here!"

"Yes, I am here!" Ashley was not impressed, even though Jeanie sounded so joyous. "So you're somewhere near the stage? Hang on," she frustratedly dragged a piece of blonde hair behind her ear. "I'll find you," she sighed. This was going to be a long night, she could already tell. She hung up her phone and slid off her chair, leaving her five dollars in the machine.

Now what was she supposed to do? The building was huge. She began weaving amongst the gaming machines, looking for a member of staff to ask whereabouts in the building the "Men Rule" show was -- "Men Rule" indeed. She scowled.

For a building so big, you'd think they would have needed to employ some people for maintenance and running purposes, Ashley thought grumpily. But she couldn't see anyone in uniform.

There was suddenly a big disturbance in front of one of the machines, catching her attention. A tall girl with slightly thick arms and a chunky, compact body leapt up in the air, whooping and throwing her arms wildly in the air, as the machine started spitting coins out everywhere.

"Oh for chriss'akes, shut-urrrrrp, Remonda! Why don't you just have sex with the machine and get it over with, for chriss'akes? You're makin' a big scene and you're gonna get us kicked out again!"

Ashley's ears pricked up -- she knew that name! There couldn't be that many Remondas in the world! Let alone in the same suburb, same place -- Ashley turned on her heel and made a beeline for the singing machine.

A smaller, slimmer girl with dyed burgundy hair was leaning heavily against the machine, obviously drunk, while the thicker girl continued to clap her hands and laugh, and jump around like a pogo stick in a dress that was too small, and too unflattering for her solid legs. Ashley walked right up to them.

"Hi," she greeted.

They both turned and looked at her.

"Hey!" hooted the thicker girl. "I jus' totally won, did you see that?"