Greg sat in the center of the bed, glaring at the phone he’d placed before him. The sheets were rumpled from his restless sleep and countless hours of tossing and turning the night before. There was just too much on his mind.

Gina loved him, she’d told him often enough. She had never asked him to leave her – in fact, she’d often asked him to stay. And when he did stay, the sex was always spectacular, but regardless of what anyone else may have thought, there was more to his feelings than just lust. There had been a deep friendship first, and now, thinking about her and knowing she was so far away, he actually ached for her. He thought back to all their teasing when they’d first met, sitting in her apartment watching movies, dancing at the party, the first time they had made love, and all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms.

But what if Brad was right? What if there really was no hope of getting Gina back? Had he ever even really had her to begin with? He remembered her first trip to Los Angeles, what seemed like eons ago. Gina had told him that she still loved her then almost-ex-husband and advised Greg to get back together with his wife. And now Gina had burned her divorce papers. And when he’d shown up at her home in Sydney, Gina had said that he shouldn’t have left his wife, that he’d want her back, he’d decide he wanted his wife instead of Gina. She was trying to let him down easy instead of just coming out and saying, “It was nice while it lasted, Speccy, but you were just a passing fling while I was trying to get over Paul, don’t be a dick, go back to your wife and be happy with what you had.”

Greg looked around his crummy little apartment and realized he did like what he had had with his wife. Someone to come home to after a hard day’s work or a long tour off in the distant corners of the world, someone who understood him, someone who cared about him, and while it hadn’t been the perfect relationship, it had been good.

He nodded to himself and picked up the phone and dialed what had once been his home.

Fenny and Paul wandered into the theatre, where people were running around manically. Sebastian was still trying to sing and the director was obviously at the end of his proverbial rope.

“Fenny!” Larry yelped, and she turned to find him behind her looking panicked. “Where have you been?”

“Out,” she shrugged, and clicked her brain into improv/lying mode. “Sick. Food poisoning. Never let a comic cook,” she smirked, poking at Paul as they continued towards the backstage area.

“Someone’s going to have your head on a pike for ditching us so close to opening.”

“I was only gone a few days and I’ve only got that vile mauve drop to do, maybe a few touchups on a couple of the others. Oh,” Fenny frowned, “don’t tell me someone’s changed their minds about something again.”

“No, but Mr. Can’t Direct Without The Backdrop is going crazy without that last backdrop of yours.”

“Such an insane little man,” Fenny sighed as they approached the backdrop in question. “It’s not even that vital, just the background for the dream sequence, it’s mauve. Or it will be once I get it primed over and I can start—”

“BREATHE!” the director shrieked suddenly.

“I AM BREATHING!” Sebastian yelled back.

“FENNY!”

“Shit,” she grumbled.

“And her talented friend,” the director chimed. “Look, um, I’m sorry, your name again?”

“Paul.”

“Right. Could you maybe help him figure out how to sing the damn song while I chat with Fenny?”

Paul shrugged. “Always up for a little abuse—I mean lesson,” he grinned and wandered over towards Sebastian, who looked less than pleased with the idea.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing just not showing up?” the director barked. “And just a couple days till the opening? Are you trying to fuck up my production? I’ve got enough problems without you shirking off.”

“I had food poisoning,” she assured him. “I couldn’t have painted if I’d wanted to, which I didn’t. Ever have food poisoning?” she asked.

“That’s beside the point.”

“What do you want me to do?” she asked, getting exasperated.

“Finish the mauve drop.”

“That’s why I’m here.”

“Good.”

“And I don’t need anybody telling me how to do it, please. I know what I’m doing, and any outside interference is just going to hinder my progress.”

“Fine.”

“Send Pauly over when he’s done with the singing lesson.”

“Alright.” The director left in a huff and Fenny went to hunt out her supplies and set things up, listening to Paul sing a couple bars and then Sebastian’s failed attempts. She shook her head and smiled at Paul’s exasperated explanations of how to breathe properly and ranting about the need to project.

She leaned back in her chair and let her mind wander to what Paul would be doing at that moment, what she would be doing if she was there with him, until it became apparent that Gina’s lack of activity was not going unnoticed by her coworkers and she launched into yet another game of Solitaire.

“So, you and Fen are back together?” Ella asked as she watched Brad struggle to get the car seat into the back of his car.

“Yeah, I think so,” he said as he tried to determine which notches were for the seatbelt and which were put there just to annoy him. “I think she’s ok with Lilly. Or she’s trying to be ok with Lilly, anyway. She bought her a present in Australia. Not sure what, but that’s not important. She did make the gesture, though.”

“That’s wonderful,” Ella cooed. “So you talked things out?”

“Um, actually, we didn’t do a lot of talking,” he smiled.

She smiled coyly. “Sorry I dragged you out of bed.”

“Well, Fen and Paul, a friend that’s staying with us, they had to get to work anyway. We’re gonna meet for lunch. I think Fen needs to meet Lil.”

“I wish you luck,” Ella said as she handed Lilly over to Brad so he could secure her in her seat. “What are your plans for the day?”

“Not sure,” Brad shrugged. “Playing it by ear.”

“Well you two have fun,” Ella smiled as Brad moved to get into the car. “I’ll see you later.”

“Well, he sounds a little better,” Fenny shrugged as Sebastian began singing again.

“This is the best you can get out here in LA?” Paul cringed as he rinsed out his foam brush. “I thought you had talented people all over the place.”

“If you were a talented person, would you want to work in this dump?” Fenny asked pointedly.

“Hey, we’re talented and we’re working here.”

“True,” she conceded. “How goes the glazing?”

“Just fine.”

The pleased tone in his voice instantly worried her and she glanced up quickly, abandoning her painting to see what he was up to. “I don’t get it,” Fenny said when she didn’t see anything crude or upsetting.

Paul shrugged and dipped the brush into the lighter mauve glaze Fenny had mixed up earlier and began to pull out a very deliberate pattern as he smiled and hummed to himself.

“Fuck,” Fenny breathed.

“Exactly!” Paul cheered.

“I am so gonna get fired,” she sighed as she squinted at the vague form of the letter “F” on the backdrop. A case of the giggles cropped up on her and she sat on the tarp. “God I hope the lights are low when this comes up.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Paul queried.

“You’re coming with me to opening night, you know that, right?” Fenny chuckled. “And you’re gonna accept all the blame.”

“Blame?” Paul asked innocently. “I’m proud of my work here, and you should be too.”

“Oh, I’m very proud,” Fenny nodded. “Proud that there’s two backdrops that could get me arrested on obscenity charges, this is fun! I’m gonna laugh when you get deported for corrupting America’s youth.”

“I thought reality TV was doing that already,” Paul mused.

They both collapsed into giggles until Fenny’s phone rang. “Hello?” she answered, trying to stop laughing.

“Having fun at work for a change?” Brad’s voice chimed.

“My god,” Fenny chuckled, “you would not believe what Paul is doing over here.”

“Probably one of those things I shouldn’t ask about, right?” Brad asked with a smile.

“I’ll tell you later, I’m bound to get in trouble if I mention it here.”

“Well I was calling about lunch. Since I’ve got Lilly with me, I was thinking Ed’s?”

“Oh, um, yeah, sure,” she stammered into the phone. “Pauly, you up for burgers?”

“Always,” he smiled.

“Yeah, great. When?” Fenny asked into the phone.

“About an hour?” Brad suggested.

“Sure. Gives us time to clean up and drive. See you later then.”

“I love you Fen.”

“Love you too. Bye.”

“Bye.”

She clicked the phone off and looked over at Paul, who was filling out the “U”. “Lunch in an hour with Brad and Lilly.”

“Lilly, hey?” Paul asked cautiously.

“Yeah, this should be interesting. I wanna drop by the apartment, grab that present I bought for her.”

“You bought her a present? That’s very sweet of you.”

“I try,” she smiled weakly.

“You’re still not entirely cool with Brad’s kid, are you?” Paul asked sympathetically.

“I’m not entirely cool with kids. Period.”

“Oh, you’ll make a wonderful evil stepmother then,” he smirked.

She sneered at him for a moment and dropped her brush into the bucket. “Come on, let’s get cleaned up, can’t go out in public looking like this.”

“I don’t mind,” Paul shrugged.

“Yes, but it’s apparent you have no dignity,” Fenny teased, “judging by all the horror stories Gina’s told me about you.”

“Horror stories? Like what?”

“Let’s go eat,” she laughed.

“What horror stories?” Paul pressed.

“You want me to pick out just one? Ok then. Grabbing people’s cameras to take pictures down your pants. Really.”

Paul just giggled to himself.

“You’re gonna like her,” Brad was saying, “she’s nice. She’s wonderful. Well you wouldn’t know any of that, but she’s got glasses, you like that.” He glanced out the window just in time to see Fenny’s little black car pull up into a spot and she and Paul tumbled out. “There she is,” Brad whispered to Lilly, who was perched in his lap. The hostess pointed them in his direction, and he stood to meet them.

They stood there next to the table, looking at each other, no one entirely sure what to say.

“So, this is Lilly, hey?” Paul chimed, waving at the bundle in Brad’s arms to elicit an overjoyed giggle from her.

“Yup,” Brad nodded proudly. “Lilly, this is Paul. We’ll call him Uncle Pauly. He’s a very strange guy who’s going to watch his mouth when he’s around easily impressionable babies, right Uncle Pauly?”

“Of course,” Paul assured him, sounding almost hurt at the implication that he would ever say anything inappropriate.

“And this,” Brad continued, “is Fenny. I’m not sure what we’ll call her. It’s not important though, ‘cause you can’t talk anyway.”

“And this,” Fenny chimed, pulling the moose out of her bag and handing it to her, “is for you, Lilly. I don’t know what his name is.” Lilly stuffed one antler into her mouth. “I don’t think introductions are real high up on your list of priorities, are they?” Fenny smiled.

“You wanna hold her?” Brad asked hopefully as Paul slipped into his seat.

“Oh, really, no, I mean, we just met,” Fenny babbled as Brad thrust Lilly into her arms. “Oh dear.” She hurriedly sat down next to Paul and held Lilly and the moose on her leg as Brad beamed at her.

“Don’t they look sweet together?” Brad sighed, oblivious to the look of discomfort on Fenny’s face.

“Fen, it’s just a baby,” Paul admonished, “she’s not gonna bite. She doesn’t even have any teeth.”

“Oh, she’s got a couple coming in,” Brad announced grimly. “And Fen, you might wanna watch your glasses, she’s grabbed Greg’s a couple times.”

“Proops with a baby?!” Paul laughed. “I’d pay to see that!”

“Yeah, we got accosted at the grocery store,” Brad chuckled, “people thought we were a gay couple, it was hilarious!”

“Bet Greg wasn’t amused.”

“No, not really. I took her to the studio, everyone loved her. Ryan took her around to meet everyone, and she adores Greg.”

“I hope you made him change a nappy,” Paul giggled.

“Of course,” Brad cackled. “I took a picture of the aftermath of the diaper change, just need to get it developed. You’ll be the first to see it…”

Fenny was frowning down at Lilly, who seemed to be sizing Fenny up as well. “You like your toy?” Fenny asked quietly as she bounced Lilly on her knee. Lilly added a few fingers into her mouth and reached for Fenny’s glasses. “No, no, those are not for you,” she said, pushing them up her nose. Lilly grabbed a handful of hair and dropped the moose. “No, please, this is—ouch.” Fenny managed to get her hair out of Lilly’s iron grip and retrieved the stuffed animal from the floor and handed it back to her. Lilly promptly dropped it again. “I dragged this all the way from Australia for you,” Fenny sighed. Lilly had begun to whimper. “No, please, don’t cry…” Fenny begged.

It was too late, Lilly had started to wail. “What’s wrong?” Brad cooed as he took Lilly from her.

“I didn’t mean to,” Fenny sighed. “I’m sorry, babies and I don’t get along. I told you, I am completely devoid of mothering instincts.”

“I’m not asking you to mother her, Fen,” Brad admonished as he rubbed Lilly’s back and she quieted down a bit. “And it’s not your fault, she’s just tired I think. It’s been a long day for Lil.”

“What can I get you guys to drink?” a waitress asked as she ambled to their table.

Fenny frowned at Brad as he placed Lilly into her car seat. This was so not going to be good…

She leaned against the door and it clicked closed. Gina kicked off her shoes as Brad sauntered across the room, slipping off his bowtie. “Did you know,” she said in a soft, sultry tone as she wandered towards him, “that you look divine in a tuxedo?” He slipped off his jacket and smiled down at her, eyes sparkling with desire. She undid the cuffs of his sleeves and moved her hands towards the fly of his pants. “But I think you’d look even better out of it.”

“Care to test that theory?” Brad asked, grinning lopsidedly at her.

“You know I do,” she growled and pulled his pants down.

A low groan escaped his throat and he reached behind her to guide the zipper of her dress down as his lips crashed down on hers.

Gina woke with a start and quickly closed her eyes again. “WHY?!”