No joy, thought Stella as Anton and his date clearly made a beeline for her. Magdalene who had before that looked relaxed and sexy began to taken on a rather frosty demeanor and Stella saw the Latina version of Ella from Frozen stalk towards her.<br/><br/>Oh sure, she smiled politely as Anton chatted about last night, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. Anton was as most men completely unaware of the dynamic between the two women. A dynamic he had inadvertently created, yet one which now took on the weight of  red dwarf. The air between the two women should have shimmered if emotions had some sort of visible rays.<br/><br/>"How lovely," said Stella, with a polite smile plastered across her pale features, much like a rictus on a deaths head. "I believe I may have seen some of your work."<br/><br/>She watched how Magdalene, without every taking her eyes of her own, slowly and deliberately draped her arm through Antons and intertwined her fingers with his. The message in bitch speak was clear, back off, he's mine or you will lose body parts.<br/><br/>Anton kept chatting, and Stella turned paler by the moment, worried about losing what little she ate in front of Magdalene and him. She steadied herself on the backrest of her chair and looked around for Brad.<br/><br/>Ah, at last. Brad was hard to miss and she saw his lanky frame weave through the crowds. Stella took the water from him with some relief even if it was just to turn away briefly from Magdalene and Anton.<br/><br/>"Thank you Brad, I really appreciate it."<br/><br/>Then she turned back to Anton, and Magdalene.<br/><br/>"Brad, this is Anton my neighbor, and his colleague, Magdalene? Was it?" She threw in the last bit out of sheer reflex.<br/><br/>"Anton, Magdalene, this is Brad, my colleague from the Symphony."<br/><br/>Conversation was brief and polite and it wasn't long before they parted company.<br/><br/>Brad walked with Stella to the bus-stop, he had a car since he lived in his own home. He had offered to drive her home but Stella preferred to take the bus. They thanked each other politely for their company but it was clear they were not likely to meet again in a social capacity, since music was literally the only thing they had in common.<br/><br/>---<br/>"Oh cat," said Stella forlornely looking out from her place on the window seat. "Why is he playing us like this?"<br/><br/>The cat in question was meowing at the door, wanting out to meet his beloved. But that would mean she'd have to meet Anton again and right now, she didn't want that. Not until she had sorted out her feelings. Not that they needed sorting, she thought ruefully. She felt hurt that Anton played her. But did he? Hadn't it been her to peck him on the cheek? He had never indicated in any way that he was interested in her in any way other than as a nice neighbor who happened to have the cat his cat was in love with. Magdalene had probably known him for ages, she...just a few weeks.<br/><br/>Again she began to wonder why she didn't have the good sense to fall for someone like Brad. He was a good man, the guy was taking care of his mother who would only become more and more difficult to take care of as her dementia progressed. But she was simply not attracted to him, and the music alone wouldn't do.