Reece's Faith (80 page)

Faith opened her eyes wide and waved a hand in front of them to avoid the wrath of John and his tube of hemorrhoid cream. She lay down on her back and reached over her head for one of the round decorative pillows.
If I close my eyes and squeeze hard enough, I could be hugging her arm,
the lonely actress thought.
I love waking up like that.
As she was hugging it to her chest, someone knocked at the door. "Come in," she muttered into her makeshift teddy bear.

"No, no. That's all wrong. You're supposed to stand up and wave me in with a dramatic sweep of your arm!" John backed into the trailer arms laden with cosmetic cases and what Faith had originally thought to be a tackle box, but was actually John's
special
make up kit.

"Like this."

The make up artist struck a pose by a small decorative table and transformed his face into, what Faith thought, was a spoiled old film starlet.
Or Carol Burnett playing Joan Crawford,
she chuckled at her joke.

John waved his arm up and down a few times. "EntrÈe!" he threw his head back and blinked demurely.

"Okay, I got it now. Thanks," she said as she rolled over onto her stomach, still clutching the pillow.

John frowned at his friend. "Spill it, Louise," he said sternly, taking a seat beside Faith on the bed.

"I'm okay," she said with an unconvincing smile.

"Sure you are," he gave her a skeptical look. Taking in the death grip on the pillow, he added, "Spike, huh?"

"I miss the living daylights out of her." Faith felt her eyes well up again.

"Oh, you poor thing," the make up artist said sympathetically. He rubbed her back soothingly, hating to see his friend cry.

"I hardly ever see her any more! I live with her, sleep next to her and never spend any time with her!" she sobbed. "Not to mention we haven't made love in I can't remember how long," she whispered into her pillow.

"I'm sorry, Faith, I wish I could help you." He lifted up the actress, took the pillow from her grasp and wrapped her in a hug. They rocked as he held her for a while until she calmed down. "Well, not the sex part," John pretended to shudder, prompting a sniffle of a giggle from his sad friend.

"Reece would cut it off and feed it to Smudge if you tried."

"Owie, Faith," he joked and kissed her head.

"Thank you for the hug, John. I needed it so badly. I feel so lonely lately."

John pulled away from the embrace and poked Faith playfully in the stomach. "There's only one cure for that, young lady."

Faith raised her eyebrow.

The make up artist leapt up and screamed, "CHOCOLATE!"

Faith broke out in a huge grin, shaking her head at her leaping, screaming friend. "You're seriously ill," she teased.

John nodded rapidly. "Uh huh. So, are you with me? Craft services has..." he paused for dramatic effect, "BLACKOUT CAKE!"

Her stomach growled loudly. "Right behind you." Faith jumped up and swallowed her drool on the way out of the trailer.

"Glad you're with me, cuz I also have a plan," he winked over his shoulder.

"Plan?" Faith wondered curiously.

John mocked Reece's cocky swagger "I'm gonna get you laid," he said and then winced, holding his crotch. "How does she walk like that? It hurts my wee-wee."

 
*  *  *

Cori observed her friend from the next stool. That evening, Reece sat as she did every night -- at the end of the bar, nodding and smiling. Yet, this night, after every nod, she'd touch the back of her neck, the new, shorter hair apparently tickling her every time she did. She'd had long hair for her whole life, so this new neck obsession was understandable but it was driving Cori crazy. Every time the boss lifted her hand, Cori did too, reflexively, as she wanted to grab Reece's hand and slap it. The dancer didn't know why this was annoying her so badly, but it was and she had to say something.

"Reece, pay attention. You're developing a new habit and it's annoying."

"Huh?" the club owner looked blankly at her friend.

"Your neck. Leave it the hell alone already, will you?"

"My ne..." Reece realized her hand was rubbing the nape of her neck and she pulled it away guiltily. "Oh."

Cori continued to study Reece, it being one of her favorite pastimes, and she noticed a very uneasy air about her tonight; more so, than the usual tension that she sported on an everyday basis.
It has to be the haircut,
she thought.
Damage control...
Thinking for a minute, she flinched as the boss's hand once again returned to the back of her neck. She started speaking in hopes to startle Reece into recognition.

"Reece, you know who you look like with that haircut?"
Think, Cori... think sexy, hot...

The club owner raised an eyebrow in question and even managed to remove her hand as she did so. "No, who?" she rolled her neck, attempting to relieve the stiffness that formed by constantly applying pressure to it.

"See? I told you it was a bad habit. Now you're all cricky." Grateful for the change in conversation, the dancer ran behind her boss and began to knead her shoulders.

Susan blew by in a hurry, carrying a full, heavy tray. She backed up and did a double take, stopping directly in front of Reece. The tall woman hadn't noticed, her chin having dropped to her chest from Cori's attentions.

"Hey, you look just like Gina Gershon in 'Bound'!" she said and promptly ran off to deliver her drinks.

Reece mumbled into her chest. "Who?"

Cori breathed a sigh of relief and lifted Reece's head back by her chin to examine. "That's right, Reece, you look like Corky."

"I do
not
look like Gina Gershon, Cori," Reece denied with a frown.

"But you do. Well,
you
don't, but your
hair
does." The dancer ran her fingers through the thick black mass, adjusting it just so. "It's a hell of a lot thicker, but, yeah, that's what it looks like," she declared proudly. "I meant to do that, you know."

Reece messed her hair up with both hands. "I hate arranged hair." She shook her head out. "So, it looks good? Do I look hot?" she wiggled her eyebrows and grinned.

"Definitely hot, babe. I'd do you."

"You already did, you're biased," Reece joked.

Cori grabbed the closest patron and pulled him over to the now shocked club owner, who stood up to escape.

"Your honest opinion. Is she hot? Would you do her?"

The man scrunched his brow in thought. "Is she gonna hurt me?"

Reece sneered, but Cori reassured him, "No, it's an official poll I'm taking."

"Well, then, yeah, I woulda did her... until she stood up. She's too tall, not my type. Now, if you keep her laying down..." Reece glared dangerously at him. "Can I go now?" he stage whispered to Cori who released him. The frightened man scurried away, much further away from the pair than he'd been before.

"I told you," the dancer stuck out her tongue.

"WhatifFaithhatesit?" Reece blurted out.

Cori processed the long word a moment before making sense of it.
Bingo! I knew it was the hair.
"Oh, hon!" she cried. "Is that what's been bugging you all night?"

Reece nodded and gave her friend a half smile.

"Faith adores you. Reece, she couldn't care if you were bald and orange, I think she's past that. She loves you unconditionally. Please don't eat your heart out over nothing."

It seemed as if Cori's words lifted a heavy box off Reece's shoulders and she visibly straightened out. "Yeah? You think so?"

"I know it. Now relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Ravenous Roxanne's about to do a show with Kaz and I happen to know that she brought whipped cream," Cori leered and skipped away.

"Whipped cream, huh?" Reece's mood brightened and she chuckled to herself.

 
*  *  *

Back at the movie set, Faith was getting dressed in her street clothes and John was packing up his tackle box.

"I still don't understand why you have to pack and schlep every day when you could just leave it here," she said as she tied her sneakers.

John gasped loudly, "Surely you jest? Do you think I wake up this beautiful?"

Faith snickered at his confession.
Make up artists... gotta love them.
"Hey, thanks, by the way, that is some plan. I'm going to go for it."

"Oooo, Faith." He rubbed his hands together.

"Tonight?" he asked with a giggle.

"I think so. You have a devious mind, John. Have told you I love you?"

"Yes. You can't help it," he stated confidently.

"C'mon, ego man, Barry's waiting."

The two shared an evil chuckle as they left the trailer for the night.

 
*  *  *

Back at the club, Reece entered her office after the exploits of Kaz and Roxy. She leaned on the door in the dark room and pulled on her suddenly too tight bow tie. Needing far more than the solitude of her dark office, Reece crossed her legs and squeezed hard, causing a shudder of arousal, her underwear now wet and uncomfortable. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, until she felt the stress ease up. All she could think of while watching the show was what whipped cream would taste like when licked off of Faith's toes. "Boy, I must be really bad off if I can get worked up over a show." Once she felt relaxed enough, she clicked on the lights and moved over to her desk. Sitting in her chair, she propped her booted feet up with a loud bang on the big desk and leaned back, lacing her fingers behind her hair.

Reece spent a long time just sitting there, swaying side to side in the soft leather chair thinking about what her lover might be doing right then. She never called her after a certain hour, knowing that Faith usually dropped exhaustedly into bed at night. Reece closed her eyes and hoped against hope that the actress would be wide-awake and waiting for her when she arrived home. She was damned horny and not about to sleep on it again.

Sighing deeply, the tall woman leaned forward, pulled her laptop onto her lap and proceeded to play solitaire as a distraction from her thoughts. After finding that she couldn't concentrate on the game, the club owner shut down the computer and frowned as she prepared herself to play host for just a few more hours.

 
*  *  *

Sam was shocked to see Faith climbing out of the black car at this hour, but she was glad to see her.

"Hey, Sarge! How have you been?" Faith leaned up and gave the bouncer a peck on the cheek. "My, don't you look handsome," she winked and straightened out the large woman's tie.

"Aw, Faith, I look like a mobster, but thanks," Sam complained.

"I think you look fantastic. How's the boss treating you?"

"Honestly, tonight she's a bit moody, but I'm sure, now that you're here, she'll perk up."

"Oh, I can guarantee she'll perk up all over the place when I get through with her, Sarge," Faith grinned and entered the club.

Gotta get me one of those,
thought the bouncer as she watched the actress disappear.