Better Than Fiction

by Bet Milner

  Danni stood quickly and went to the bar. She could feel her own cheeks warming at the thought of just how she could indeed show her gratitude and didn't want to risk Julia guessing her train of thought. If she didn´t know any better, she would have taken Julia´s comments for flirting.

  As Danni walked away, Julia scrunched up her eyes and berated herself. She had no idea what was wrong with her lately, especially around the blonde. It was completely out of character behavior for her and she didn't like it one bit. The image from her dream haunted her and made her cringe slightly at having such an inappropriate fantasy. Another shot of desire swept through her and she bit her lip hard enough to cause pain.

  Danni came back to the table and sat down with the two drinks.

  "So what are your plans for the rest of the day?" She asked casually.

  "Nothing specific. If you want, I could show you around the city. Unless you have other plans, of course."

  Danni shook her head. "Nope. I'm a free woman! That actually sounds like fun. I need to go drop my stuff off at the hotel though first."

  Julia smiled broadly. "Well then it's settled. We are having a girl's day out!" She clinked her glass with Danni's again and they carried on chatting animatedly about all the things they could get up to. Once the drinks were finished, they made their way to Danni's car and both got in.

  "You don't mind me tagging along do you?" Julia asked a little sheepishly. "If you want a couple of hours to relax on your own I completely understand."

  "No way! I'm literally just gonna drop this stuff off and then I'm looking forward to going out exploring with you."

  Julia made a cute little shrug and scrunched up her nose. "This is so nice! Men never want to do this kind of stuff. It's like they're allergic to spontaneity."

  Danni nodded. "Yeah, guys are idiots."

  "Speaking of, what does Jimmy think about your deal?" Julia asked with a little more curiosity than she intended.

  Danni shrugged. "He doesn't know. We broke up. I moved out officially yesterday."

  Julia's eyes widened and she sat slightly closer to the blonde. "Oh, wow. Are you okay?"

  "Yeah, I'm good. I needed to do it. We weren´t right for each other and it was a decision long overdue. He made me feel too isolated and caged. It's all good now though." She smiled to show she was fine.

  "I know that feeling all too well. Why do we give so much power to people who don't deserve it?" Julia mused.

  The car pulled up abruptly at the hotel and cut their conversation short. The driver took out Danni's carry on and guitar case and opened the door for the woman to step out. Danni checked in and Julia hung off to the side. It felt like they'd done this a million times already and was becoming comfortingly familiar. She grabbed Danni's guitar case and they took the elevator to the suite Starr had assigned her. Danni placed the key card on the lock and gasped as she opened the door. "Woah! Starr seriously wants me to sign that contract doesn't he?"

  Julia giggled. "Get used to Danni! People are going to be falling over themselves to make you happy from now on." She unclipped the clasps on the guitar case and took it out carefully. "Do you mind?"

  Danni grinned. "Knock yourself out. I didn't know you played." She chucked her bag on the bed and went to sit where Julia was perched with the guitar on her knee.

  "Oh, I really don't. I can just about strum a G and that's it!" To prove her point, she played the G chord and laughed.

  Danni giggled. "That's not bad!" She sat closer to the brunette and moved her fingers into an A pattern. Julia felt her mouth go dry at the feel of the blonde’s fingers on her own. "This is an A..." Then she moved her fingers down again. "...and this is a D. If you can play those interchangeably, you can pretty much play most songs from the fifties up to present day." She winked.

  Julia tried the sequence and laughed at herself for making so many mistakes. "It's really hard! I feel like my fingers are being sliced and the sound doesn't come out as clean as when you play."

  Danni shook her head. "It’s just practice. It will hurt at first though." She grabbed Julia's hand and turned it palm up to inspect it. "You don't have any calluses and your nails are way too long to get a good pressure on the strings."

  "Sure, let's blame it on the length of my nails! Nothing to do with how I have zero experience!" Julia snarked.

  Danni laughed. "Well there's that too!"

  Julia shoved her playfully and handed the guitar to Danni. "Show me how a professional does it."

  "What? Now?"

  "Now. I seem to remember you owe me a song. I did say acapella but I'm not opposed to hearing something on the guitar too." Julia smirked and gave Danni a stern glare.

  Danni sighed but took the guitar and began finger picking a light melody. It was a song she hadn't played for years but it had been stuck in her head all morning.

  'I like the way that you feel

  Soft and tender

  And just a little shy

  You've got my stomach filling up with butterflies

  Oh, I like the way that you feel

  You're so warm inside

  You've got a dirty mind

  Make me laugh, make me yearn

  You took me by surprise’

  Julia rested her chin in her own cupped hands and listened intently. It made her tingle all over and sent shivers up her spine. She laughed at the lyrics and was warmed by Danni's complete lack of self-consciousness. She revealed so much of herself through her music and Julia found it endearing.

  "That's beautiful! Very different from your recent stuff." Julia applauded with a twinkle in her eye.

  "Thanks. It's just been in my head all day. I haven't sung it for about five years."

  Julia was dying to ask who the song was about but didn't dare. "You have a certain way with words Danni. I can't imagine ever feeling so intensely about someone as you obviously have. Whoever it was must have really made an impression on you."

  Danni smiled wistfully. "Yeah, she did." She blushed again realizing she forgot to censor her pronouns. Her face fell.

  Julia nodded slowly with a grin. "I thought it was about a woman. So you are bisexual then?"

  "Uhm, yeah. Sorry. I don't tend to lead with that little fact about myself. I guess I'm just used to hiding it."

  Julia looked concerned. "Why do you hide it? I think it's beautiful that someone can love any gender equally. You should be proud!"

  Danni blushed harder. "Oh, yeah, I am totally proud. I don't mean like that. It's just Jim wasn't really happy about it and I guess I stopped being so open with people to spare his insecurities. Plus, women tend to freak out and either think I'm hitting on them or a complete slut looking for attention so, I just keep quiet."

  Julia shook her head. "We live in such a small minded world still. It's shocking really. Jimmy sounds like a complete ass-wipe. I'm glad you ended it with him."

  Danni laughed. "Yeah. Thanks. So what about you?"

  "Me?"

  "Yeah. Are you 100% straight? Ever dabbled?"

  Julia blushed. "Yes. Completely straight. Never had a curious moment and never kissed a girl even for a dare."

  Danni nodded. "That's cool. It's good you know who you are and what you like. Would you consider playing a lesbian on set?"

  Julia mulled it over. "I suppose if I thought I could pull it off and if the script was decent, I can't see why not. I have nothing against it." She'd honestly never thought about it before and couldn't say she would be totally freaked out sharing an on screen kiss with a woman. She was an actress after all and she had faked it with so many guys on screen, and off, she didn't think it would be any different. She giggled. "You know, I did have a sex dream recently involving a woman! I've never had one before. It made me feel dirty."

  Danni stifled a groan. Julia having a sex dream about a woman was the hottest thing she'd ever heard and her body was having a hard time keeping it together. "Really? Was it good?"

  Julia knew she was playing with fire. She would never ad
mit that the dream was about the blonde but she didn't see the harm in admitting that a part of her must be a little curious. "It was the best sex of my life." She hid her face in her hands as Danni laughed heartily at her revelation.

  "Oh God Julia! That's just sad! Your best sex was while you were asleep? You need to get laid ASAP!"

  Julia laughed too at the suckiness of it. "I know, I know! It's terrible." She didn't admit that she wasn't actually asleep when the dream occurred. That was more than she was comfortable with. "Okay, let's make a deal. You just broke up and need to spread your oats. I'm pretty sure my marriage is well and truly over. What do you say we have a ladies night tonight and pick up some random strangers?"

  Danni's mouth dropped. "I thought you were against random hook ups."

  "Well, there is somewhere we can go where we won't be hassled. I've never been there before but I hear a lot of people in our kind of circle go there to get their needs met. Anyone entering the club is prohibited from taking photos or making recordings and everyone must sign a confidentiality agreement which forbids them from selling their story."

  Danni's chin almost hit the floor. "Are you telling me there's a secret celebrity sex club?"

  Julia rolled her eyes. "No! It's not a sex club. It's just a very exclusive place where high profile men and women, gay, and straight can meet without prying eyes. It's not a guaranteed hook up. I wouldn't go there alone either, but I've always wondered what it was really like. What do you say?"

  Danni laughed again. "Why the hell not! But I'm gonna need a couple of drinks before that!"

  "Oh me too. Don't worry. I don't want you to get the wrong impression of me Danni. I'm not that kind of woman. I think I just need something different for a change."

  "Hey, I know you're not. It's cool. I don't mind trying something new either. I've been craving a bit of adventure and this is pretty friggin' adventurous, so yeah!"

  Julia stood up excitedly. "Great! Let's go do some touristy stuff then and grab something to eat. If we are going to be drinking all night, I'd like to line my stomach first."

  Danni stood up and quickly grabbed her purse from her bag. Thankfully, Reese had snuck a couple of hundred dollar bills in there, probably when she was checking in early this morning. "Just out of curiosity, how much are we looking at spending tonight?"

  Julia frowned. "Don't even think about money. This is my idea, if there are any expenses, I'll be picking up the tab. I very rarely get to spoil anyone Danni and I like to spoil my friends. Would you really deny me that pleasure?" She pouted.

  Danni rolled her eyes. The word pleasure should be banned from the woman's mouth in her opinion. It gave her an unfair advantage. "I like to pay my way though. Can I at least offer to take you out at another time once my deal goes through, or would you deny me my pleasure?"

  Julia smirked at the blonde's use of her own words and the effect they had on her body. "Of course not, dear. I like to receive just as much as I enjoy giving."

  11

  Julia dragged Danni up to the top of the Empire State Building along with the other tourists and they blended into the crowds. Nobody seemed to recognize them and Danni was starting to see why Julia liked New York so much. It was almost like she was a nobody here. "I have been to New York a gazillion times and I've never been up here! It's breathtaking!" Danni stood in awe looking over the skyline. Julia snapped a sneaky photo of the blonde as her locks were swept around her face by a sudden gust of wind.

  "I've lived here my entire life and only been here once." She turned the camera on her phone around and got closer to take a selfie with Danni. "It's a Boomerang." The pair made silly faces for the short video and Julia tagged it. Empire State of Friendship.

  "Aww that's cute!" Danni loved that Julia was so happy to share their friendship with the world and it made her feel pretty special.

  "So, are you hungry yet?" Julia asked putting her phone back safely in her pocket.

  Danni smiled. "One thing you'll learn about me is that I'm always hungry!"

  "Oh good! I can't stand women who don't like eating. It's the most boring thing in the world going to a restaurant with a group of ladies and they all order a side salad and push it around their plate."

  "I agree. But honestly, most women I know are pretty big eaters. What are you hungry for?"

  Julia laughed. "Everything! Maybe sushi, or a burger, or pizza."

  'Well that narrows it down! I could eat any of those things. What do you think?"

  Julia thought about it. "Okay, let's just walk for a while and go to the first place we see."

  "Sounds fun!" Danni walked next to Julia like an excited puppy. She was having the best time with her new friend in the city and she loved getting to know the fun side of the woman. "So, what do you usually do for fun when you aren't working?"

  Julia tilted her head to the side. "Not a lot really. I used to love going to gigs to watch bands but I just tend to stay home a lot. I like being at home because it's such a rarity but it gets a bit depressing. This is honestly the first time I've done anything remotely normal in years."

  "What about family? Don't you go visit them and do normal stuff?"

  "Sure. We have big family meals once or twice a year but it's never been normal. What about you?"

  "The usual. Bars, gigs, pizza, Netflix, the odd girl’s night." Danni shrugged. She knew just how mundane her life had been for the last few years.

  Julia stopped outside a small food stand and grinned. "I think we've found our lunch!"

  Danni looked at the chalkboard menu and smiled. "Hotdogs it is!"

  Julia ordered and handed the rather large hotdog to the blonde. "You have to have a hotdog in New York. It's an age old rite of passage. Hotdogs and bagels."

  "So does this make me a real New Yorker now?" Danni laughed with mustard around her mouth.

  Julia shook her head and wiped the mustard off the blonde's face gently. "Not until you've been ignored by at least three cab drivers then successfully hailed one down only to have another person jump in and steal it and then you do the same thing to someone else without batting an eyelid."

  "That sounds brutal!"

  Julia took a huge bite and nodded. They went and sat on a low wall to eat and shared a can of soda. "It's not that bad to be honest. Plus you have a private car for the next few days so nothing to worry about!"

  Danni nudged Julia with her shoulder. "Not mine. Starr's. What time do you think we'll be going to that secret club tonight?"

  Julia laughed. "You make it sound so ominous! I think after midnight. I wouldn't want us to be the first people in there."

  "Cool. So wanna go see a band before that?" Danni asked hopefully. She would love to see Julia moshing in the pit, maybe get a bit up close and personal.

  "That would be so much fun but you'd have to be my personal body guard for the evening. Ward off any crazy fans." She quirked an eyebrow.

  Danni wiggled her own in response. "I can totally do that! Plus, I'm your craziest fan so you'll be fine."

  They shared a giggle and finished off their food. "Thanks again for today Julia. I'm having such a great time!"

  Julia shot her a look. "Did you just thank me again?"

  Danni blushed. "Shit!"

  "Acapella. Now. Thirty seconds." Julia prodded the blonde in the arm and she immediately started belting out If I Were Your Lover. Julia beamed and sang along with the lyrics she'd only heard once.

  "Good choice! Okay, I'm going to head off to my place and get ready. Do you want to meet me there or shall I come to you, say around nine?"

  Danni felt like a stalker wanting to know where Julia lived so she thought it best if Julia came to her. "Well, if you wanna drop by the hotel and we can go from there. I actually have somewhere in mind and it's pretty close."

  Julia smiled and gave Danni a quick peck on the cheek. "Awesome. I'll see you at nine then."

  "See you." Danni called as Julia disappeared off to hail a cab. She was stunned and trying not to read
too much into the cheek kissing. She couldn't get used to it and she knew she was in trouble because her feelings for the brunette were much deeper than mere friendship. Reese's words of wisdom echoed in her mind. She needed to get back to the hotel. She had an idea for a song. She scribbled a few lines on the back of her New York map in the back seat of the limo.

  Words of wisdom often fall on deaf ears.

  In too deep to let feelings disappear.

  Danni got back to the hotel and picked up her guitar. She was regretting having agreed to a ladies night out now and knew it was going to be torture to watch the woman be wooed by various guys all evening.

  She remembered what Julia had said about her dream and tried to push it out of her mind. She was straight and Danni had to respect that. It was better to be friends than nothing at all in her opinion and she was sure eventually that her feelings would go away. In the meantime, there was no harm in penning yet another unrequited love song about the woman. Tonight her best friend was going to be alcohol and a lot of it.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Julia nervously waited for the receptionist to give her the okay to go up to Danni's room. She didn't know why but her stomach with filling with butterflies. She figured it was because she hadn't been out for such a long time and done something crazy like this. "You can go on up Ms. Jones." The receptionist beamed and Julia smiled back gratefully. She took the elevator and stepped out to see Danni's door was open. She called out.

  "Danni, can I come in?"

  "Sure the doors open." Danni appeared in her line of sight just as she shut the door behind herself.

  "Wow! You are dressed to kill!" Julia took in the appearance of the blonde and added a wolf whistle. She was wearing black leather pants, sharp heels that looked like they could stab someone if necessary, and a lace blouse which left nothing to the imagination.

  Danni grinned. "Thanks. I wasn't sure about this for where we're going later but seeing what you're wearing, I feel better. You look like a rock goddess by the way!" Danni swallowed hard. Julia was wearing a tight plaid mini-skirt with a figure hugging black blouse. There was a mesh panel down the middle showing off her ample cleavage. Her legs were in knee high boots and her hair was slicked back. Danni had never seen any pictures of the woman looking this hot anywhere and it might have been one of her fantasies to see Julia in a similar get up.