Jen-free (Invite)

[Deirdre Hahn]

It was night as another day of the Chicago stop of the “Ignore Jennifer and Everyone Associated With Her Until We're Both Sane Again” Tour started coming to a close. You know, between now and whenever I got over this whole, she can conveniently get rid of me whenever things get bad since she thinks I can't really deal with the GCW rogues gallery. Among other things.

Take me somewhere she'd never go. Someplace real.

I asked the driver of the car service. I needed to go out but I didn't want any awkwardness at say the Metro or even that ridiculous free liquor trough down at the building. So we wove through blocks and neighborhoods until we got to someplace nice and out of the way.

Well, this is exactly what I described. I'm not going to see her photo up on the wall like at the deli or something. I'll just grab something cheap and go somewhere else later.

Alright, it was pretty bad. At least the music...



Sigh. Fine, I'm really, really, really only staying for one drink just to prove to the driver that this was just what I wanted.

I'll just have a beer.

I'd probably be carried off for ordering anything more complicated. I guess this place did have a certain ambiance.

[Lessien Melwasul]

~Yes, ambiance. That was the word. The 17th level of Chinese had a special ambiance as well... not that Lessien would know.~

"Far from home?"

~Alice slid by behind her, smell of the hair.~

"Very far I'd say."

~Betty studied the face for a moment and then two... a small frown... a small sigh... a small act.~

"Oh, I do never tire of being right all the time. Really I don't."

~She slid into the seat next to her, hanging her Earth worn coat over the back while placing a pack of Luck Strikes on the bar.~

"It's for your own good."

~Alice whispered under her breath.~

"Is that how it went? Or was it more like ..."

~Betty cleared her throat as Alice did her best Jennifer Drew impression that sounded nothing like Jennifer Drew ... just Alice.~

"You could have been hurt ... I love you."

"Do tell me if I'm getting warm, Lover."

~Her beer arrived.~

[Deirdre Hahn]

Oh God.

Of all the gin joints...

This is so not what you're thinking.

But to answer your question all of the above. Not that it's any of your business.

I took a nice long drink hoping to get through this as fast as I could. Now I'm seriously considering what my escape plan would be.

[Lessien Melwasul]

~Alice enjoyed the fear of it, while Betty had to deal with it. She tapped out a cigarette and lit it before sliding the pack easily over to Deirdre.~

"Now, now Lover. Relax. If I wanted to hurt you?"

~The thoughts were very vivid.~

"Why, you would be on the floor behind us right now loosing blood and whatever else these vultures wanted to take from you."

~She took a long drag... what had been that girls name? Alice? People say romance is dead.~

"No, I hit you last week because ... unlike dear Jennifer ... I knew you could take it, and look at you, alive and well."

~Alice toyed the edge of her glass.~

"But Jennifer didn't see that, did she? No, she saw you as a distraction and sent you away."

"I see you clearly."

~They let her think about it before speaking again.~

[Deirdre Hahn]

Gee thanks.

I said, developing a slight headache.

But I if you saw me clearly. I mean really, really clearly you'd know I'm not a big fan of getting hit in the head.

Say what you want about Jennifer but she's at least she's just taking that to its logical extreme. Not that it isn't annoying.

[Lessien Melwasul]

"So forgiving?"

~Betty inquired. Alice only sighed.~

"You'll find that a mostly useless trait as the years go by and bye. But who am I to teach you that? Hmm?"

~Nobody answered for a while. Betty smoked silently for a few moments before jumping tracks.~

"Then let me ask you this, Lover ... Do you want her back?"

"A simple question for simple times."

[Deirdre Hahn]

I don't know why I wouldn't.

Yeah, I'd already thought that far ahead. Letting her off the hook didn't feel so useless to me.

She just needs a little slap in the face to get the point is all, and this is what works.

Jenny responds pretty well to shunning. I'm only the most recent on the long list of people who've broken off contact with her indefinitely for various reasons. And yet it still always drives her insane.

So, I guess it'll just take time.

[Lessien Melwasul]

"As long as she carries that title, Lover."

"There will never be room for you."

~Betty paused, it was true.~

"So in a way ... we want the same thing, you and I. If you really sat and thought about it."

~Betty had had much time to think about just that as she took a Lotto pencil from the dispenser and a winning ticket as well.~

"If you want to help things along, Child."

~She jotted down her number with a quick and sharp scratch of lead.~

"The call this number after Lock-Up! ... where I'll be teaming with our ever so charming woman in common."

~Betty slid the number over to Deirdre.~

"Or sit, drink, do nothing and die while listening to Wilson Phillips for the 57th fucking time."

~Alice was in pain. She hated dead pop tunes.~

"The choice is always yours."

~With that the form of Lessien split the scene to ...~