Jolene Scholl stood apprehensively in front of the large mansion: This was Granada Place in Oasis Springs, the new residence of Alan Cuffe. Sales of Lothario magazine had skyrocketed of late and a lot of his investments were paying off so he had moved from a stylish, modernist house in Parched Prospect to this mansion in Skyward Palms. Cuffe was more successful and powerful than he'd ever been and that worried Jolene as she prepared to deliver some news to him that he might not take well.
She rang the doorbell, which was answered by Cuffe's live in personal assistant and head "Kitten", Madelyn Buchanan.
"Jolene...nice to see you" said Madelyn, smiling. Jolene had rung the day before asking to meet with Alan and it was unusual for one of the Kitten Club to ask to see Alan during business hours....except for auditions to become a member. Once in the club there were the meetings, social events, media events and the classes in make up, decorum, dance, poise, vocal training, human movement studies and lessons in the "Lothario Way". Now Jolene wanted to see Alan on some matter and Madelyn detected an air of apprehension in the girl.
"I do like your outfit, Jolene: Who's the designer? Quant?"
"Courreges" replied Jolene.
"Ah, he's so bold, so innovative don't you think?"
"Yes. Alan recommended him to me"
"Alan will be joining us shortly but I must warn you he has a lot on his plate right now" said Madelyn with a note of caution in her voice. Deep down Madelyn was worried about him: Two days ago they'd had a meeting of the Kitten Club and the main purpose was to distract Detective John Action from investigating certain areas of the Lothario organisation and, in particular, Madelyn's other business interests which were strictly illegal. After Action had left they had received a visit from prominent businesswoman, Lily Feng. She had a meeting with Alan in his study which Madelyn was not present at but when the meeting had ended, Alan seemed alarmed, pale and shocked. He hadn't been his usual, jocular and flirtatious self and whatever he and Lily discussed, he didn't share it with Madelyn.
At that moment Alan appeared in the living room and Jolene noticed the tired eyes and air of distractedness about him. What had happened to him in the last 48 hours? Was it the visit of the detective?
"Jolene, lovely to see you....that'll be all, Madelyn, I think Jolene would like to have a word with me in private" Alan's voice sounded thinner, more weary than Jolene had ever known.
Madelyn left the room and Alan sat next to Jolene.
"Alan...lately I've been thinking about my place in the Kitten Club" she began.
"I've received a lot of fan mail for you; one of the highest the magazine has ever seen" he replied.
"I'm flattered to hear that...but nonetheless I think it's time for me to move on"
"Oh....is there a problem?"
"I don't want to be just another name in your little black book. I'm becoming disillusioned with the libertine part of the club...I don't want to be the girl you call up on Thursdays."
"The Club isn't for everyone..." he said with his head bowed. "Do you think you've reached your limit with us?"
"I went beyond the limit and now I want to come back to something that I recognise and feel happier in. My music career's taking off and that's where I want to focus, not on this side..." she said, pointing to a copy of the latest issue of Lothario magazine which was on a nearby coffee table. Her image was on the front cover.
Alan took a deep breath before saying. "I understand...people come, work for me, play with me and then they have to walk their own path. Your time with us has come to an end. Well, I can't say this news fills me with cheer: You were one of the best, Jolene. I will continue to follow your music career and you'll always have a place in the Club's hearts."
He stood up and walked to the door and Jolene realised that this was the end of their discussion. She followed him out towards the front door but she could still see he was worn down and distracted.
"Alan, are you happy?" she asked him at the door.
"Of course! Things have never been better...the business is doing better than ever, I'm richer now than I've ever been in my life, I now live in this mansion, I have the most intelligent people writing for me and I'm surrounded by beautiful women. What's there to complain about?"
Jolene wasn't convinced. "Are any of us, the women in your life, special to you?" she asked.
"You're ALL special to me" he replied.
"That's the problem, Alan: When we're all special, then none of us are. Goodbye and take care"
The door shut and she was gone. Alan stood in the hall contemplating what Jolene had just said but then Madelyn appeared.
"Ah, Madelyn. Jolene is no longer part of the Kitten Club...her decision. Amend the club and business records appropriately."
"Yes, Alan." Madelyn replied.
"Oh, and do I have any other appointments this morning?"
"Yes. At 11am you have an appointment with a Miss Skye Warner...she's applied to be a member of the Kitten Club."
"A space is left, a space is filled. 'Twas ever thus" he said with a sigh.
GARDEN ESSENCE, WILLOW CREEK, THE NEXT DAY
"Travis! You're still in your pyjamas and eating breakfast!" said Liberty Lee to her housemate when she came into the kitchen for breakfast.
"So?"
"The proper way to start the day is shower, dress then breakfast"
"When I wake up I need fuel before anything else" said Travis. "After that I can begin to think about the other two"
"Summer, why can't you civilise your boyfriend?" said Liberty as Summer Holiday, fully dressed, entered the kitchen as well.
"I think he's cute the way he is" Summer replied.
"Does Gary get dressed before breakfast or does it do it the normal way around?" asked Travis.
Liberty didn't say anything for a moment. "I don't know; I haven't seen Gary first thing in the morning" she eventually replied.
"You mean, you haven't..." said Summer, her voice trailing off as she said the words.
"I don't want to talk on this subject any further. Travis, please tell me you're going to clean your plate and not just slink off." Liberty said.
"We have a cleaner! Oh, alright..." he replied, grumbling.
The housemates all had 'must do' jobs to do...Liberty had a technical manual to read.
Summer had to practice making some new cocktail recipes.
...and Travis went back to bed.
By mid morning he had decided to wake up and NOW have shower and get dressed. Summer was just cleaning up the shaker, stirrers and glasses when he arrived, fully dressed in the kitchen.
"Hey, how did it go with the cocktails?" he asked.
"I've nailed the Tang & Zing now" she replied. "How is that electrical project of yours going? I didn't want to disturb you as you worked"
"Oh...yes..." said Travis, realising he'd not made any progress on it but instead slept the whole time. "...it's at a very tricky stage right now. Is Liberty around?"
"She's still in her room...why?" said Summer.
"Because she's been around us a lot and we haven't much time by ourselves to do......this!" he said as he leant in closer for a kiss. Summer too was keen to have a romantic moment, snatched between must do work jobs and their housemate walking in on them at any given moment.
"It's a lovely day, let's go outside" said Summer, taking Travis by the hand and leading him out the front door.
The two decided to do a bit of cloudgazing and enjoy the peace of the day.
"Lovely clouds today" said Summer.
"Hmm, Cumulonimbus" said Travis.
"Travis...I get what you say about having to sneak these times together. What if we changed things in the house so we get more time alone?" said Summer.
"What, like locking Liberty out for a couple of hours a day?" Travis replied.
"No! I mean...your room is across the hall from me and often its a room where people hang out. How about we share a room instead?"
"I don't know, Summer, my room can't take a double bed"
"Not your room! I meant my room."
"Move my stuff into yours and we, like, sleep together and stuff?"
"Why not?"
"I don't know...I mean, I've got my books, projects and desk just where I want them in my room"
"I was thinking; we turn your bedroom into a study and you and me get to share one bedroom. It'll be great; I will wake up next to you ever day and we'll be more private"
"I dig what you're saying...but we're going to have to make it less....girly. I mean, it's a bit frilly in your room"
"I hope Liberty will be OK with all this....hey, she's been quiet a long time now...what's she up to?" said Summer.
Liberty had slipped out almost unnoticed and headed off into town to meet with her boyfriend, Gary.
"No, I've had this hat longer!" she said to him.
"I've had this hat for 3 months now"
"I've had mine since Christmas, I win" she declared triumphantly.
"Let's stop bickering over hats and go inside for a drink" Gary said. "It's pretty quiet on a Saturday afternoon in here..."
"Oh...well I didn't expect it to be this crowded" he said when they entered the Blue Velvet.
It was very crowded in the Blue Velvet with a crush at the bar. Liberty and Gary found a couple of barstools but there was someone sitting between them. Fortunately there were some old friends there are well such as Brent Hecking and Julia Epstein and they had a friendly catch up with both of them but Gary ordered drinks then said to Liberty "Let's go outside; they have a nice little garden area here"
"Ah, some peace at last!" said Gary as they sat down on an old fashioned wooden bench in the quaint garden area. The fountain added to the ambience whilst inside there was a soft murmur of voices and music.
"This is nice...I've never really noticed it out here" said Liberty.
"An oasis of calm" replied Gary. "If you open up the back gate there you get great views of the river. I once wrote a poem right here on this spot as I looked out."
"You the poet, me the rocket scientist...we make an odd pair" said Liberty.
"Opposites attract" he said with a smile.
"Gary...do you think we should move things to the next level?" she asked.
"Do you mean the balcony area upstairs?" he replied.
"No...I mean you and me, our relationship"
"What did you have in mind?" he said, suggestively.
"Well...we've been on dates, we're what our folks would no doubt call 'courting' but...well, I want to know what you like for breakfast for example?"
"Bacon and eggs" he replied without missing a beat. "But you want to make things more...intimate? Physical?"
"Intimate yes...and more time the two of us, alone, not in a public space all the time."
"What about your housemates? Don't they restrict your privacy?"
"They are so loved up themselves I think they hardly notice me at the moment. But instead of a date here, a night out there, why don't we have a quiet night in at my place and you stay over?"
"I'd like nothing more" he said, gazing into her eyes.
