In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Light =&gt; Light: Human Small Groups =&gt; Topic started by: lovelygirl on 11-03-2011, 15:51:55</h2>
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				Title: <strong>In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>11-03-2011, 15:51:55</strong>
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				IC thread for our little game!
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				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>11-03-2011, 17:09:48</strong>
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				It was the start of a new day, Bree woke early and had a nice simple breakfast of eggs and toast. She and Ali were starting as new interns at Global Investments. It was a great opportunity. Bree knew that they both got the positions because Ali had flirted and was super sexy at the interview. That's how Ali was though, sexy, flirty, and a heart of gold. <br><br>She finished breakfast, and got herself dressed on a dark blue pencil skirt and a light blue blouse. She slipped on her flats and fixed her hair in a ponytail. Rushing down, she grabbed her coat and ran across the street, ringing the bell. "Come on Ali, I don't want to be late," she mumbled to herself waiting for Ali to answer the door. 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>11-03-2011, 17:34:27</strong>
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				Ali had woken up early to get ready for her first day at Global Investments with her best friend, she had to be careful not to wake up the guy that was in her bed, and she made herself eggs, bacon and toast. She ate it and then started to get ready.<br><br>She heard the guy starting to wake up as she was getting dressed, Luke...Lucas, what the hell was his name?, Ali decided to go with Lucas because it clicked for her. She dressed in a black pencil skirt with a light pink blouse that showed just enough cleavage to be sexy, but not enough to look trashy or slutty. It was just a hint of what was really under there, really. Her make-up looked flawless without there being too much there and she did her hair in a mix of soft waves and curls. She knew she looked good, but her sky blue eyes looked in the mirror anyways. <br><br>"Come on, I have to go to work, so you have to go home." She said to the man, who was looking at her like she was a goddess. She heard her doorbell ringing and knew it was Bree, damn I wish he would've left already but oh well she knows what I'm like. Lucas was getting dressed and walking over to her as she opened the door. <br><br>"Morning Bree, meet Lucas...he has to go now." Ali smiled and turned as Lucas said something, they whispered to each other for a few seconds and Bree heard. "yeah, I'd love to hang out again. Call me, but Lucas you have to go home and I have to go to work."
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>11-03-2011, 17:51:48</strong>
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				Bree was a bit startled when Ali opened the door and there was a man standing there with her best friend. Still, that was Ali. The boy looked dazed and confused, like he was roused from sleep, "Nice to meet you," Bree said as this Lucas character headed to his car. Bree didn't say a word, it was Ali after all. <br><br>"We'll take my car, I don't want us late for the first day, that won't look good at all." Bree opened the door for Ali, and hopped in herself. As she started driving she looked at the road and spoke, "He was cute, you really gonna see him again, or were you just telling him that to get rid of him?" Ali had a string of broken hearts in this town, every guy wanted her and she knew it. <br><br>AS they drove, Bree felt a little pang of hurt, she wished someone would look at her that way, like her, but she was too shy to ever approach anyone, and most guys walked past her to get to Ali. But this was a new start, they were working together, and Bree was excited to be working by her best friends side.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>11-03-2011, 18:11:58</strong>
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				"Honestly, I haven't made up my mind yet. He is really cute and he's awfully sweet, he has football practice and whatnot though. We'll probably run into each other or hang out again sometime." Ali smiled at her best friend. "If I hadn't made him leave he'd have been late to school and please don't give me that look." She smiled. "He's almost 18."<br><br>Looking at her friend, she saw the slight hurt in her eyes and she knew exactly what it was about. "If you tried, you could find guys too Bree. You're really pretty." She was telling the truth, Bree had the potential she just never took the initiative to do something about it. That's where they were totally different, Ali had never been afraid to go after what she wanted and Bree was shy.<br><br>She was excited for this new start with her friend, a new job meant new clothes and new experiences. <br><br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>11-03-2011, 18:37:31</strong>
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				Bree rolled her eyes when Ali told her the boy was "almost 18".&nbsp; She was going to get herself into a world of trouble that way, and Bree knew it. <br><br>"Ali, I'm just not you, I can't just saunter up to a boy and say , 'Hey, I want you', that's not me. Mr. Right will come along when the time is right. I know it." Still she knew that Ali was right, that she was pretty, but not a knock out like Ali was. <br><br>As they drove up, she parked the car and got out. "Ok, here we go. Ready?" Bree walked in first and went to the front desk. "Hi we're here to see Mr. Summers." They were then escorted to a pair of desks and told to wait, he was in a meeting and would be with them shortly. <br><br>"Wonder what he's like, hope he's nice.", she whispered, hoping he wasn't some bull whip snapper. 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>11-03-2011, 19:17:52</strong>
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				They walked inside and Bree took over when they got inside, she'd always been like that. When they were in high school, Bree was the one who made Ali do her homework and study, Ali was really smart..she just didn't have the discipline that her friend had.<br><br>They were led to two desks and she settled down. "I hope he's hot." She whispered back to Bree and smiled as she felt the eyes of almost every man in the room on her.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>11-03-2011, 22:52:39</strong>
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				Will had a pretty good morning he had woken up early to go to the gym and get some exercise. And then when he got to work he got to look forward to seeing some new girls. The boss had told them that they were pretty. Will did think that the office could use some pretty new faces. Also it would be good to welcome some new people into the office. Things had become a little too routine in the office. To keep morale of the workers higher he knew he was going to have to make it seem that the work they were doing was interesting. Adding new people to the mix might actually accomplish that. Especially if they were as pretty as they were said to be.<br><br>In his current meeting with Fred, his boss. They were talking about the profit that Will had seemingly made in his department since he became manager. Fred was trying to alert him that if he could keep this up for a while then he might get certain chances to advance further in the company. This was something that he looked forward to. Will wanted to make himself into something. He wanted to be better than what he was now. And he wanted to do it through his own merits. He did not want to crush others or hurt others in anyway. He wanted them to advance him because he was good at his job, not because he had somehow managed to steal it from someone. <br><br>Sheila notified him that the girls were waiting on him. He looked up at Fred when the notification came through. He gave Fred a smile and stood up. "Thanks for the heads up. And don't worry I will keep up all of the good work. I expect to see you soon. And tell your wife Melanie that I said hello and that I would like to come over for dinner sometime." Will walked around the desk as Fred rose as well. He gave Will a smile in return. Will opened the door for Fred to head out.<br><br>"I will tell her. And knowing Mel, she will probably encourage me to have you over sometime next week. So see you then if I don't see you at Jimmy's before then." Fred said as he left the office. Will's gaze turned over to the girls in front of him sitting at the desks. Fred looked back at Will with a bit of a grin on his face. Will knew what the little grin meant but he was not going to say or do anything back. Will knew how to be professional even with the beautiful model type women that were sitting before him. He adjusted his black suit slightly before he walked towards them. Somehow, his tie was a bit out of place so he made sure that it was as straight as possible before he spoke.<br><br>"Briana Miller and Allison Monroe, I presume. I am Will Summers. And before you call me Mr. Summers, don't. My father was Mr. Summers I am just Will to you." He reached out to shake each of their hands and gave both of them a firm shake. "Just relax. I am nothing like a regular boss. So if you ever have to come to me about anything and I mean anything please don't hesitate. My office is always open and I am always available to talk." Will knew that most people expected a boss at an office to be some standoffish person. But he was not like that in any way. He in fact had been smiling this entire time. Not once did he frown or show any kind of hostile behavior. It was very open and friendly. 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>11-03-2011, 23:00:54</strong>
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				Bree saw this oh so handsome man approaching them and did not utter a word. She had no idea that this was going to be her boss, until he spoke her name. Oh Christ, her heart started to beat fast, and she got a goofy grin on her face as he introduced himself. He was so handsome and dreamy and Bree clung onto every word he said. <br><br>She always did that though, swooned for the guy that was unattainable, the one she would never have a chance with, or even attempt to try to talk to. She looked to him with innocent doe eyes, and tried to focus on what he was saying, rather than watching that perfect mouth as it spoke. <br><br>"Nice to meet you Will, I'm Briana, but you can call me Bree." She blushed hard as she spoke then shrank away once more to listen to what would be expected of her in this new position. 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>11-03-2011, 23:23:49</strong>
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				Ali smiled as she saw an extremely handsome man walking towards them. This was their boss, oh my goodness, she loved this job already. There was a perpetual smile on her face, Bree's was more of a goofy grin, while her's was more of a slightly seductive smile, while she listened to him speak.<br><br><br>'Nice to meet you, Will. I'm Alison, but you can call me Ali.' Her voice was soothing with a hint of seduction, that's the way her voice had been since the two had blossomed into women.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>12-03-2011, 00:09:20</strong>
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				"Bree, Ali, it looks like you two wonderful ladies will be a part of our wonderful data entry crew. They are quite a fun bunch. Instructions are pretty easy and should be in your company email boxes at the moment. And since it is your first day it is okay to slack off a little as you learn the ropes. Just remember to get some work done." Will was largely unaffected by either of the two girls reactions to him. Though he did want to see Bree break out of that little shell she seemed so comfortable in. It kind of made her really attractive to Will since he wanted to see the girl that lied under those walls that she had made. Ali was obviously not cumbered by any shell and seemed like the type that knew exactly what she was doing with that tone of voice she was using with that voice of hers. It was setting the scene for his attraction to her as well.<br><br>"Looks like we need to go get you setup with your stations. You ladies will working across from one another it seems. If you want to change that and would rather be next to each other, that can be arranged for tomorrow." Will started to walk them to their cubicles. Bree's was accessible from the side that faced his office. He gave Bree a reassuring smile as he lead her inside of hers. And then he continued to move around it to the next row of cubicles and went to where Ali would be stationed. Her cubicle was accessible from a side that was opposite of the direction of Will's office. He gave Ali the same reassuring smile though he was not really sure if she needed it as much as Bree did. <br><br>He started to walk away when he snapped his fingers. He had forgotten to tell them that Jim was going to be coming by to setup their systems and such. He walked over to Ali's cubicle and looked at her for a moment. "Our tech specialist, Kim should be by shortly to help you setup and stuff." And then he went over to Bree's desk and told her, "Jim will be coming by to help you setup. And just relax a little Bree. Iw ill be in my office if you ever need me for anything."<br><br>After he was done with that he headed back over to his office to go settle any other business that the other employees needed handled as well as some paperwork regarding the girls. It was all really simple stuff and just busy work mostly.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>12-03-2011, 03:12:37</strong>
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				It was evident&nbsp; that Bree was nervous around her new boss, even he could tell she was. Bree would have to tone it down and be more all business. He was her boss after all, and he was older, way out of her league anyway. <br><br>She relaxed more when she convinced herself, like she always did, that she had a snowballs chance in hell to get his attention. She sat in her new cubicle and sighed as he walked away. All business, this was a job after all, it called for professionalism after all. <br><br>When he came back to tell them about the IT guy, Bree nodded, "Great, thank you Will," she said in a sweet polite manner. She watched Will walk away and sighed once more, why did he have to be so damn handsome!&nbsp; 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>12-03-2011, 05:45:05</strong>
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				Ali saw the way that Bree was looking at Will and she knew there was a crush in the making, so even if she thought he was cute, there was no way that she'd go after someone her friend liked. She could find someone else, it was as simple as that, Ali had never once gone after any guy that her best friend had been interested in and never planned on it. If she was anything, she was loyal and loved Bree to death...she would feel horrible if she ever did something to hurt her best friend, they were more like sisters now anyways and you didn't betray a sister.<br><br>She gave Will her full attention as he was talking to her and she nodded. "Thank you, Will." Ali said sweetly, she never did any job halfway and didn't plan on starting now.<br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>13-03-2011, 19:19:09</strong>
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				Jim @ Ali's Desk<br><br>Jim saw the e-mail in the early morning.&nbsp; Two new girls were hired for today.&nbsp; He'd have to set them up, give them passwords and all.&nbsp; Alison Monroe and Briana Miller.&nbsp; First he'd stop by at Alison's Desk.<br><br>As he got to Will's department, the familiar clack of the data entry cubicles greeted his ears.&nbsp; Turning the corner into Alison's cubicle group, Jim stopped in his tracks.&nbsp; Alison was a gorgeous girl by anyone's standards.&nbsp; Her profile alone made Jim's heart start to flutter a little.&nbsp; He always had a little trouble around girls that beautiful.&nbsp; Then she turned towards him and her face fulfilled the promise that her profile had made.<br><br>"Hey...I'm Jim.&nbsp; I'm here to set you up...your computer..." he stammered on a little.&nbsp; "May I sit?"
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>13-03-2011, 20:28:29</strong>
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				Ali smiled as she saw an adorable guy walking up to her cubicle, he was so cute albeit not really her usual type, but she had always had a fondness for dorky looking guys. <em>Must be Jim, God, he is really cute,</em> she thought to herself.<br><br>"Hi Jim, I'm Ali. Nice to meet you and be my guest." She stood up so he could sit in her chair to set up her computer for her. Leaning against the desk nonchalantly, her blouse allowing him just a glimpse of her cleavage as she did so. She knew how to gauge how much a guy could take and the way he stammered a bit when talking to her made him think she should tone it down a bit, but she would still flirt. "How long have you worked here?"
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>14-03-2011, 13:21:42</strong>
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				Jim @ Ali's<br><br>Jim nearly gulped when Ali moved to allow him access to her computer.&nbsp; He liked to think that he didn't stare down women's shirts all the time, but there was no way he couldn't take a passing glance at her cleavage as she leaned.&nbsp; Bolstering himself, he dove into the work, not letting her see the effect she was having on him.&nbsp; He wasn't about to lose it because of a pretty face and pretty legs and a pretty ass...He commanded himself to stop it.<br><br>"I've been here 5 years, I enjoy the v...work."&nbsp; Jim proceeded to explain the computer system, passwords and protocols for a few minutes, slowly warming up to Ali and getting rid of the stammer.&nbsp; Finally he finished and went to stand back up and leave, but accidentally caught himself on the chair and threw himself off balance, stumbling into Ali.&nbsp; He wasn't sure what he touched, but it was soft.&nbsp; Beating a hasty retreat, he apologized, "I'm so sorry, stupid chair.&nbsp; Anyway if you have any problem at all just call IT and ask for Jim."&nbsp; And he was gone out of cubicle block and breathing again.<br><br>Jim @ Bree's<br><br>Jim took five minutes to catch his senses back and then headed to Bree's cubicle.&nbsp; His first thought was that the company was certainly hiring prettier women these days.&nbsp; Bree was pretty, a girl next door look about her, and Jim found himself naturally trying to a little flirty.&nbsp; He wasn't, but he tried.&nbsp; "Hi, I'm Jim.&nbsp; Your friendly neighborhood IT guy, here to set you up with all your computer needs.&nbsp; Can I sit down?"
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>14-03-2011, 13:54:33</strong>
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				Bree sat patiently waiting for Jim to finish with Ali. Bree saw the little flirty moves that Ali was giving the IT guy. She chuckled to herself, this guy was in for it, Ali had her sights on this one and Bree knew it was going to be fun watching Ali reel this one in. <br><br>As he came to her desk, she looked up at him, "Yes of course, be my guest." Bree slowly got up and smiled at him, so innocently, she had no idea that he was trying to flirt with her. Most guys didn't, most guys went for Ali and Bree was ok with that. Bree leaned on the edge of her desk while Jim set up her computer, her long legs stretched out next to the cute IT guy. "So you're the go to guy if anything happens to my machine huh?" Bree was trying to make small talk, something she wasn't that she wasn't that great with when it came to guys. 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>14-03-2011, 20:03:30</strong>
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				"If I'd have known they had someone like you here buried in their IT department, I'd have applied for this job a long time ago."&nbsp; Ali smiled at the adorable IT guy and it was a genuine smile, nothing was forced or trying too hard. "Okay, so I just get a hold of you if something goes wrong with my computer, sounds easy enough. Hopefully, nothing seriously goes wrong but maybe little things will happen because I'd definitely like to see more of you, Jim." <br><br>"No need to apologize, the chair shouldn't have been in your way." She smiled as he got caught on her chair and kind of fell into her, his hand just slightly brushing one of her breasts, Ali loved it when he blushed some..it made him even cuter. "See you around, Jim."<br><br>She sighed softly as he made his way over to Bree's cubicle and she wondered if he'd be too nervous to actually really have an actual conversation with her sometime.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>14-03-2011, 22:31:11</strong>
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				Jim @ Bree's desk<br><br><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=100402.msg4370099#msg4370099">Quote from: lovelygirl on 14-03-2011, 13:54:33</a></div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote"> "So you're the go to guy if anything happens to my machine huh?" Bree was trying to make small talk, something she wasn't that she wasn't that great with when it came to guys.<br></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br>"Yeah, don't tell my boss because he thinks he's god's gift to computer repair, but if you really want something fixed today and not next week, you'll call me."&nbsp; Jim patiently went through the passwords, protocols, and systems with Bree just like he had with Ali, just a lot less stammering.&nbsp; It's not like Bree wasn't pretty, because she was...and her eyes just drew you in.&nbsp; Jim knew he could easily get lost in those eyes.&nbsp; But even after sneaking a peek at her legs that she had on display, Jim was calm and collected.<br><br>"Oh, by the way, a couple of people from this department and myself are in a darts league over at McNally's.&nbsp; Sometimes a few people from the office swing by to root for us.&nbsp; It might be a nice way for you to meet some of your co-workers.&nbsp; We have a match tonight and even your boss is coming if you want to get a little early brown-nosing in."&nbsp; Jim said with a smile.&nbsp; "No pressure, though, I know it's your first day and all and maybe you'll need to head home and cry yourself to sleep from the boredom of it all.&nbsp; But we play every week, so if not today, stop by soon and bring Ali, it would be great to see both of you."<br><br>Jim finished up his work and carefully extricated himself from the desk.&nbsp; "Talk to you soon, e-mail me if you need anything."&nbsp; Jim left the cubicle jungle and headed back to his own desk over in IT, and a fresh cup of coffee.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>14-03-2011, 22:57:18</strong>
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				Bree with Jim<br><br>She giggled when he assured her he was the go to man for all things computer, "Ok, I'll make sure I go to you first, promise." Bree was so sweet and her smile lit up her face like an angel. <br><br>She was surprised that he was inviting her to a bar to watch him throw darts, she really didn't know anything about darts, but the moment she heard Will was going to be there, she perked up right away. Sure she wouldn't make any moves, but she could at least glance at him most of the night and get her fill of eye candy.&nbsp; Plus Ali would be there, her comfort blanket in case Bree needed an out. "Sure, great we'll be there, sounds like fun. I don't think anyone will be going home tonight to wallow in pity." <br><br>She gave him a small wave as he left, "Yep, will get in contact with you if I need you," she said as he walked away. Bree sat and looked at her screen, "Hear that Ali, we're invited to go out tonight. I'm sure we'll have fun." Bree knew Ali would have fun, she on the other hand would be sitting there in a corner just watching everyone else have a good time. 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>15-03-2011, 00:59:23</strong>
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				Ali answering Bree<br><br>Ali couldn't help but feel just a little miffed when she heard Jim inviting Bree to watch him throw darts and had just mentioned her as kind of an afterthought. That had never happened to her before and she didn't really know how to react to it, this was the first twinge of jealously that she'd ever felt when it came to Bree...well, she had always been envious of Bree's focus, but it was the first time it had to do with a guy. It was confusing the hell out of her because she knew she shouldn't be feeling that way, but it just wouldn't go away.<br><br>"Yeah, I heard. It does sound like fun." Ali tried to sound like nothing was wrong and she hoped she was successful in this because somehow Bree always knew when something was wrong, just the way she always knew when something was wrong with Bree.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>15-03-2011, 01:19:14</strong>
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				Bree knew by Ali's answer something was up. There was a certain tone to Ali's voice when there was something bothering her. <br><br>"Give it up Ali, what's bugging you? Tell me, so I can fix it." That was Bree, always fixing Ali's tender ego, making sure Ali was the center of attention, not Bree. 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>15-03-2011, 01:25:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali hated that this was the way it always was, with Bree always having to 'fix' things, her best friend would never guess or even believe that Ali was probably more insecure than she, herself, was.<br><br>"Nothing's wrong, I'm okay...really." She didn't want to deal with this right now, but knew that Bree would probably make her, that's what they always did to each other. Wouldn't leave one another alone about something they didn't want to talk about until the other finally just broke down.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>15-03-2011, 02:48:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree took Approach #2 this time since they were at work. "Oh ok, well if you want to talk about it, then I'm here, you know I love you like my sister." Bree could always get Ali to talk when she felt more comfortable, and rather than bug the hell out of her at their new job, she would let Ali open up when she was ready. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>15-03-2011, 03:31:12</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali was glad that Bree chose not to bug the crap out of her right now, maybe make sense of it herself before she tried to talk to Bree about it, and she did have something that she wanted to tell Bree. She knew she couldn't really keep what she'd done when they were younger to herself anymore, she felt like she was about to explode from keeping it in so long, Ali would not talk about it until after they went out tonight though.<br><br>The work day felt like it dragged on and on, partly because Lucas kept texting her when he knew she was at work...God, she had to remember never to take someone's virginity ever again, they were really clingy when you're their first time. Finally, the day was over and she had her stuff all ready and was now waiting for Bree to say she was ready. Ali felt like it had been a productive first day, she hadn't slacked off in the slightest and that felt good.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>15-03-2011, 04:32:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree worked hard that first day, just like always. It had been a long day and she had heard Ali's phone go off over and over. Guess the boy toy really liked her. <br><br>Bree looked up and saw it was time to go, "Ready Ali? We should get home and get changed if you want to go tonight." <br><br>Bree led the way to the car and drove home. Once they were there, she dropped of Ali at her door. "Hey call me when you're ready to head out. I'll be ready in about an hour." Bree saw the look on Ali's face, but didn't press it. She went to her home and began to get changed, ready for a low key night out. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>15-03-2011, 04:45:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali rode home with Bree, talking but not as much as usual so Bree probably knew Ali was thinking about something.<br><br>She smiled at her best friend. "Yeah, I'll be ready in an hour so just come over when you're ready. Wanna take my car or yours?" Going out always brightened her up, but if Jim would be trying to flirt with Bree all night then it wouldn't do much for her, she didn't want to think about that though.<br><br>Ali showered and let her hair dry naturally, it would dry in soft waves that flowed to the middle of her back. She dressed in a light blue, form-fitting sweater that showed a bit more cleavage than the shirt she had worn to work had, with a pair of black jeans that could've been painted on...all of her jeans fit her that way. Slipping one of her favorite pairs of shoes on, some gold Louboutin's that a former client had bought her, Ali put her make-up on and put the finishing touches on her hair. She glanced at the clock and decided to go ahead and call her friend.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>15-03-2011, 05:16:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree had suggested they take her car, only because Bree knew from experience, Ali would be going home with some one, and Bree didn't feel like taking a cab home alone at the end of the night. <br><br>Bree went home and showered as well, her hair long and straight, she just would let it fall naturally tonight. She put on her jeans as well, not as tight as Ali's, but they fit Bree just fine. She then put on a long sleeved black t-shirt that hugged her curves. Her make up was light, she never really needed much any way. She slipped into a pair of ballet flats and grabbed her jacket as the phone rang. "Yep, ready, come on over. Meet me at the car."<br><br>She checked herself in the mirror once more and headed outside to wait for her best friend. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>15-03-2011, 05:23:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali checked herself over once more and grabbed her purse before leaving a light on for her little Shih Tzu/Maltese mix, Cleopatra aka Cleo, she was a little ragamuffin, but she was completely adorable and oh so sweet. Walking out and locking the door, Ali made her way over to Bree's house to meet her at her car.<br><br>"Hey, you look pretty." Ali smiled at her best friend before getting into the car with her. Maybe she'd surprise Bree tonight, she wasn't going to bring anyone home with her that night.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>15-03-2011, 13:17:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"thanks Ali, you look gorgeous as always." Bree knew Ali could just wake up and look like she was ready for a photo shoot. It was ok though, they balanced themselves perfectly.<br><br>Bree drove up and parked, as she entered, she let Ali go first, she always did. Ali liked to make an entrance, to be seen, Bree just stayed in the background as every guys head turned to look at Ali. Bree spotted a stool in the corner near the dart boards. "Ali, I'll go snag us a seat, get me a diet please." <br><br>Bree moved toward the stools and Ali went to the bar for drinks. Bree soon spied the table with Jim and his friends, but didn't see Will. Maybe he wasn't coming, maybe he changed his mind. Oh well, a least Bree would try to have a good time even if he didn't show.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>15-03-2011, 15:46:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali smiled and sauntered over to the bar, she got Bree a diet coke and got herself a regular coke with more than a little Southern Comfort in it...nobody ever asked for her I.D., it was great. She walked over to join Bree, set her drink in front of her and smiled at her best friend as her eyes drifted over towards Jim while she took a sip of her drink.<br><br>"So, are you actually going to have fun tonight Bree?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>15-03-2011, 16:07:30</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree smiled as Ali approached, "Thanks for the drink, and yes, I always have fun, you know that. I just have it in my own way." Bree wasn't the hop on the table and dance kinda girl, she was quiet and reserved. She liked to observe people and see how they reacted with each other. Then it popped into her head, "Ali, you aren't planning anything for my birthday next month are you? I know you, please don't plan anything, ok?" Bree knew how Ali could be about celebrations, and Bree always liked to keep things low key. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>15-03-2011, 16:16:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Oh, I'm saving the real fun for next year Bree." Ali winked and grinned at her best friend. "Don't worry, I know how it goes...you don't like big parties. I got your back, honey, I know what you like and what you don't like." She took a drink of her whiskey and coke with a smile. "I shouldn't have even added the coke, but I know you don't like it when I drink in public so I did my best to make it look like it's just a coke." Bree always worried about her too much and Ali wondered how Bree would react when she found out the reason Ali had all but disappeared when they were 15.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>16-03-2011, 19:37:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim at McNally's<br><br>Jim hadn't seen the two young ladies come into the bar, he was a pretty intense competitor and it wasn't until the first round was over, which Jim's team won, that he noticed them sitting by themselves.&nbsp; Excusing himself from his friends while they were in between games, Jim wandered over to the bar.&nbsp; "Hi girls...Bree and...Ali, right?"&nbsp; When they nodded, he continued, "I'm glad you came out tonight.&nbsp; Why don't you come join us over at the table, you'll recognize some of the guys from your department and a few are from other departments.&nbsp; Will's not here, yet, but I am still expecting him.&nbsp; Sometimes he gets hung up trying to finish some work stuff and ends up a little late."<br><br>Jim swung his arm over indicating the couple of tables over by the dart boards where a bunch of people were sitting.&nbsp; They all were employees of the same company as Jim, Bree, and Ali.&nbsp; There were a few spots left for the ladies to take if they wanted to.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>16-03-2011, 19:46:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali had always tried to never seem too excited about seeing a guy, but when she saw Jim, her face lit up and she smiled. When he had to pause to remember her name, her expression fell a little, but she tried to shrug it off by taking another sip of her drink. Usually, any man she wanted was crawling at her feet, but this one just wouldn't stick to the plan, this made her feel bummed and a little confused. She'd actually have to work, which she didn't mind, just she'd never had to before.<br><br>Her eyes followed where he was pointing and she recognized some people who worked at the same company, she knew Bree would be waiting for Will to get there and she usually just sat by herself. "Wanna go sit with them, Bree?" 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>16-03-2011, 20:00:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>He was running late like usual. It always seemed like at work there was always that one last phone call to make that always made him late for things and such. Tonight was going to be fun and it was nice to see the people outside of work just like it always did. Except tonight he had a little bit more to look forward to since the two new beautiful girls would be there. Bree and Ali had done quite the work even though it was their first day so they deserved some R&amp;R and possibly a few drinks.<br><br>From what he had seen of Bree it was definitely going to require that he get a few drinks in her before he could ever see the sweet girl that lay under that massively shy shell of hers. That was mostly was what Will was interested in. He did not care that much about anything else. He was going to need to talk to Ali and ask how her first day was as well but it was most likely nowhere near as interesting as trying to get Bree to talk to him.<br><br>When he finally got to the bar, he could tell that everyone was already sitting down and that he was about to become one of the last few to make it to a spot. He saw Bree and Ali about to be directed there by Jim. Once he closed the gap then he turned to the girls and gave them both a big smile.<br><br>"Sorry ladies, I got held up at the office." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>16-03-2011, 20:13:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali smiled at Will as he apologized. "No need to apologize, Will." She caught the way his eyes sparkled when he smiled and when he looked at Bree, this really got to her, what was it an ignore Ali kind of night? All she wanted to do now was go home and nurse her bruised ego, but she wouldn't. That wasn't who she was, although if anyone else kind of just pushed her to the side then she would leave. She wasn't used to this and she didn't like it one bit. It dawned on her that this must be how Bree felt all the time, so maybe, she should let her best friend know what it was like to get some attention. Ali wasn't selfish, she would love for to Bree to break free from her shell, but she was used to always having all of the attention and it took some time getting used to when she didn't.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>16-03-2011, 20:41:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim - back to the Darts</strong><br><br>Jim&nbsp; had just gotten the girls heading over to the tables when Will showed up; and not a few moments later he was called to the dartboards.&nbsp; Round two was starting up and he needed to head back over to the darts area.&nbsp; "Wish me luck ladies, Will will get you seated and comfortable and I'll be back over as soon we whup their ass in the second round.&nbsp; Will, grab me a beer for when I finish this round."&nbsp; For the first time that night, Jim really took in what Ali was wearing.&nbsp; He had though she was intimidatingly beautiful at the office, but this proved that she was really out of his league.&nbsp; Jim had seen Bree, too.&nbsp; And though she looked very pretty tonight, there was still something down to earth about her and Jim hoped he would get a chance to get to know her.&nbsp; He wanted to get to know Ali, too, he just knew he didn't have the courage to approach her.<br><br>Jim took one last look at Ali's legs and headed over to the darts area.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>16-03-2011, 21:48:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree's heart skipped a beat as Will approached the table. He was all that and a cherry on top. Bree nearly choked on her soda when he came over and spoke to them. God he was so handsome, and so way out of her league. He would probably do better with Ali then with her anyway. <br><br>"Oh it's ok, we haven't been here long anyway." Bree batted her lashes at him without even thinking she was doing it. Still she knew her boss was way out of reach for her. <br><br>AS Jim approached, she smiled a small smile to him, "Good luck out there Jim, hope you win." It was so painfully obvious that Bree had no skills when it came to men. Ali on the other hand, had mad skills and always ended up with the men wrapped around her finger. Bree usually went home alone, and headed to bed early for the night. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>16-03-2011, 22:07:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali smiled as she saw Bree's reaction when Will approached them, her best friend already had it bad for their boss and Ali knew that she, herself, was on the way to being the same way with Jim. Bree would never believe that her, usually, extremely calm and collected friend felt butterflies when she spoke to Jim. Ali would never let anyone see that, though, she was good at hiding what she was feeling, except from her best friend.<br><br>They moved over to the table and sat down, she shot Jim a big smile. "Good luck." She took a big drink to try to combat the slight nervousness she felt right now, come on get your fucking self together Ali, is what she told herself. The confusion was new, the nervousness was new...she was just going through a slew of new emotions tonight. <br><br>"Mhmm, I thought you were developing a crush on Will." Ali leaned in and whispered this into her best friend's ear. "You should go talk to him, Bree, I can tell he thinks you're really pretty." She was trying to give her friend some encouragement.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>16-03-2011, 22:22:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree blushed as Ali caught her crushing on her boss.&nbsp; "Oh Ali, no, I couldn't, he's probably taken, and he's way out of&nbsp; my league. I'll just hang out here, it wouldn't be right anyway, he's our boss. Not professional at all." Bree was all about rules and protocol, and going after Will was not a good move if she wanted to advance in the company. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>16-03-2011, 22:37:30</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Oh Bree, yes you could, you only live once you know. Taking chances is what life's all about and if you don't do it, you could lose your chance. I've already made up my mind that he's off limits because you like him so I'm not even going to try going there." Ali smiled at Bree as her eyes left her friend so she could look over at Jim before going back to her friend. "I know you're all about rules and stuff, but screw professionalism. If you want him, go get him."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>16-03-2011, 22:52:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree just shrugged her shoulders, she knew Ali wouldn't let up so she just turned and said "Maybe." And turned away KNowing she just wanted Ali to drop the whole thing.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>16-03-2011, 22:56:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali knew the signs that Bree wanted her to drop something, so she changed the subject. She wasn't sure if she should do this, but she sighed softly and looked at her friend. "Hey, um, Bree. I need to talk to you about something later tonight, okay?" The tone of voice she was using would be completely new to Bree, at least it would be when coming from Ali, and she turned away slightly so Bree wouldn't see the slight look of vulnerability on her face.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>17-03-2011, 04:55:12</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali seemed like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders as she told Bree she had something to tell her. "Yeah sure, you know you can tell me anything. I'm here for you no matter what it is." She gave Ali's hand a reassuring squeeze as the two of them focused on each of their crushes. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>17-03-2011, 05:08:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali nodded and smiled as Bree squeezed her hand. "I know and thanks, I love you Breezy." She hadn't called her best friend this in a long time and it felt good to again. She sighed and followed Jim's movements with her eyes.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>17-03-2011, 12:00:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>Will went over to the bar and started to order the beers for Jim and company. He was not drinking tonight. He couldn't. There was stuff he still had to do to for work. So after he was done seeing everyone get rowdy then he would bounce off back to work while giving anyone that needed one a ride. He grabbed the four mugs that the barman gave him and maneuvered his way back to the table.<br><br>He slid Bree's hers first and then he slid over Ali's. He let the two others sit on the table as they were. They were going to be for Jim and his competitor. Will sat down next to Bree and looked over to Ali who was across the table. "How was your ladies first day?" He asked as he looked over to both of them equally making sure not to pay attention to one more than the other. They were his workers after all. And though he may be attracted to Ali a little bit more body wise and he liked Bree's personality, he was not going to play favorites at the moment and he waited for their responses. <br><br>"I am not interrupting anything am I?" Will asked after he noticed that the table had gone pretty quiet after he appeared there.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>17-03-2011, 13:40:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree giggled as Ali called her Breezy, she hadn't heard that since she was 12! She was still laughing when Will slid a beer in front of her and Ali and sat right next to her. Bree'z hear stopped, he was so close she could smell his cologne. He was a God in every sense o the word. Bree was falling hard for Will and she didn't know what to do. <br><br>"Oh work was good, thank you. " Bree smiled at him, but let the beer sit there, she was only nineteen after all and with Bree I was all about rules, no way was she going to get caught drinking underage. <br><br>Still she didn't take her eyes off the man that her heart was racing for as he spoke to the others. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>17-03-2011, 14:13:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali smiled when Bree giggled at this and the smile stayed on her face when she saw Bree's reaction to Will coming over, damn that girl was gone over him already.<br><br>"Thanks Will, work was good." She smiled and took a sip of the beer, Ali wasn't usually a beer girl, but it would have been rude not to drink it. She may have been talking to Will and Bree, but she glanced over at Jim every now and then.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>17-03-2011, 19:52:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>"I am glad that you thought the first day was good because tomorrow work is going to increase tenfold." Will said and then paused for a moment before he started to laugh. "I am just kidding the workload you did today will be the norm. So don't worry about it so much. Now Ali, I am assuming you are friends with Bree. Can you tell me why this girl is so bottled up?" Will had asked this question in front of Bree on purpose. He wondered if she would reply to him instead of Ali.<br><br>He did not mind who replied, he just wanted to know if either of them knew what exactly was going on with Bree. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>17-03-2011, 20:15:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree giggled as he joked about the workload for tomorrow, god she was acting just like a little school girl. Then what he said next hit her in the stomach like a ton of bricks.&nbsp; Bottled up? Christ he thought she was bottled up? Her heart sank into her shoes and she looked at Ali first then back to Will. Her crush just killed her spirit, she knew better than to ever like any guy, they always thought she was too reserved for them. "Will you excuse me I need to use the ladies room." Bree got up from the table and walked to the ladies room, hurt and unsure if she should even go back or just go home. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>17-03-2011, 20:22:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>He moved out of the way so she could get up. But as she tried to pass him. He grabbed her wrist and whispered into her ear. "I am sorry, I just want to know how to make you smile and be more open with me. I did not mean to call you bottled up." He let her go after that. He was not going to hold her against her will. It was not his style. He had screwed up yet again with yet another girl. Maybe it was better that he head off to work the moment Jim got back. He was not making the situation any better.<br><br>And he knew he might have just lost all the trust he could ever build with Bree. So Will would rather bury his head in work than have to reflect on the fact that he had made another mistake.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>17-03-2011, 20:26:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali saw the look on Bree's face and was feeling really bad for her as she left the table. This isn't good at all, Ali thought to herself. She turned to Will after Bree had walked off. "She's just really shy and always has been. Excuse me, Will." She got up to follow her friend into the restroom, she took one look at Bree and smiled just slightly. "Hey you, you okay? If you wanna leave, we can leave Bree."<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 02:12:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				His words echoed in her mind. Did he like her? She looked up as Ali entered the rest room, "Huh? I dunno, I think he likes me, but- Ali am I bottled up? I mean I've never been open like you, but bottled up? Is that how everyone sees me?" Bree didn't know what to do, she didn't want to ruin the night for Ali, but sje didn't want to face Will right now. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 02:31:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<br>She reached for Bree's hand and smiled at her slightly. "I don't think you're bottled up, just not as open as you could be, there's nothing wrong with that though. I think he likes you, too. I think people think you're slightly bottled up, I don't think you are, being as open as I am isn't always a good thing. If you want to leave, we can, my night won't ruined...I promise you that, Bree."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 02:38:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree looked to Ali and got an idea. Of Will liked her, but thought she was bottled up, there was a way to fix it. "Ali, you have one of your hair combs in your purse, can I have it?" Bree was going to see if his words were true or not. She adjusted her bra and just showed a tiny bit of cleavage. <br><br>"Ok, here's the plan, I'm going to sit at a table by myself," she said as she pulled her hair up with the comb. "If he really wants me, he'll come to me right? Isn't that what you do, make them chase you? Bottled up my ass. Thanks Ali." It was a hairbrained idea, but if he wanted to apologize, he was going to have to come to her. <br><br>Bree left the rest room and sat at a table waiting to see what Will would do. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 02:48:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<br>Ali smiled as she saw the gears grinding in Bree's mind, she was happy that her best friend wasn't as bummed now, and she reached into her purse to grab one out to hand to her. She grinned as she saw Bree fix her bra to where some cleavage was showing. "There ya go, that's how to do it." <br><br>"Okay, they always come over. Don't worry." Ali smiled as she watched Bree walk out to sit at a table by herself. She fixed herself up a bit then reconsidered it and tried to make herself look a little more approachable, but she knew that she was going to have to be the one to make the first move when it came to Jim. <br><br>She walked out and sat at the table closest to the men playing darts, after grabbing the beers that Will had bought her and Bree. She knew Bree would never drink it so she decided to give it to Jim after he was done.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 03:37:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Will<br><br>He saw how Bree moved to a table all by herself after her hairs was combed to make her even sexier. It was a bit out of her comfort zone and Will was sure of that fact. But it was nice to see her like this. He smiled and started to approach her. He was slow in his approach. He did not want to make her nervous.<br><br>"Hey Bree, I am sorry about earlier. I really want to find out about you." Will said as he got closer to her. He hoped he could regain whatever he had lost earlier. He gave her a big snile.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 04:11:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Yep it had worked, Will came over to her. She looked to Ali and smiled, then back to Will. "Will, If you want to find out about me, all you have to do us ask. I'm pretty up front and honest. Asking me why I was bottled up was a bit hurtful. I accept your apology, but just be yourself, and talk to me. I'm not one to bite or close off if you ask what you want." <br><br>Bree'z heart was still racing, she could not believe he actually wanted to get to know her. It was usually Ali who got all the attention.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 04:16:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali smiled as she watched and Bree smiled at her, she gave her best friend a thumbs up before turning her attention back to watching the guys throw darts. She sipped at her beer and waited for Jim to be finished with his game. <br><br>She was excited and a little nervous while she waited, Ali was glad that she had a pretty high tolerance when it came to alcohol. The last thing she wanted was to appear drunk while she spoke to a guy she was interested in. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 05:27:43</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I realize now that I went a bit too far. but since you feel like answering questions then I have one for you. Who is your favorite male character from any type of literature?" Will asked. He hoped it was someone he knew so that he could&nbsp; properly talk with her about them. And possibly use the similarities between him and the character. He wanted to impress her with the knowledge that he posessed. At least it would be a very nice topic to find out her tastes and such.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 05:44:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree was surprised when Will asked her about her favorite character in literature. Maybe we was different, someone who could talk to her on her level. "Oh that is easy. Willy Loman. Such an amazing character, such an amazing story watching a downfall of an Everyman. It gets me every time when his story ends." Bree smiled it was so easy being with him and even though her heart was still racing, she was more calm around Will now. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 06:27:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Not only did he stand as an Everyman, he could also be a symbol of the American Dream and how if it is followed too stringently can lead to selfdestruction. He is a very good character to learn from. And that means that you my dear love to learn. A very comendable." Will explained. He hoped he had impressed her with his knowledge as well as his assessment that she was an intelligent person who liked to learnm 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 06:34:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree smiled, he actually understood her! Yes she loved to learn and his compliment made her blush. Finally someone on her level that she could have a real conversation with, someone that actually knew what she was about. "Yes I do, I love to learn, and thank you for the compliment, that was very nice of you." Bree's eyes lit up as she realized that maybe her crush could be something more. <br><br>"Will, so what is your favorite female in literature?" She figured turn about was fair play. She did after all want to get to know him better even if they only ended up as friends. Hopefully it would end up as much more than that.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 19:06:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim</strong><br><br>The match had been long and hard fought, but in the end Jim had been victorious.&nbsp; He looked for everyone as he came back and saw Ali sitting close by and watching him.&nbsp; He had been so engrossed in the game that he had never noticed.&nbsp; Good thing, too, because if he has been aware than Ali was watching him, it would have been a short, horrific loss.&nbsp; It took him a moment to see where Bree was.&nbsp; She was sitting off at a table with Will.&nbsp; They were talking and apparently enjoying themselves, alone.&nbsp; Jesus, that didn't take long.&nbsp; Well, Jim was no jerk.&nbsp; If he had to play wingman, he could.&nbsp; He just hoped that he didn't embarrass himself with Ali.<br><br>"Hey...Ali.&nbsp; What did you think?&nbsp; Not bad, huh?&nbsp; Did you want to try?&nbsp; I'll play you a game."&nbsp; Jim knew that conversation would not be his strong point.&nbsp; Maybe a game of darts would be a great way to give Will some time will Bree.&nbsp; It never even occurred to Jim that Ali was already leaving them alone.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 19:28:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>"I like Kate Hardcastle from the play, She Stoops to Conquer, I like her because she is dynamic and can change herself and she challenges both her potential lover and herself in order to meet each other on common ground." Will explained. He could see how Bree could be a lot like Kate. And how she was already kind of changing herself so that they could meet. He liked how he could start to see a little bit of the Bree that lie under all of that modesty. He could only hope that one day, at least he, would be allowed to see under the shell and truly see her for the beautiful girl that she was.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 19:34:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I'll have to get that play and read it, sounds interesting. Do you have&nbsp; a copy I can borrow?" Bree could not believe how easy it was to be with Will, he was so charming and easy to talk to. She found herself smiling a lot, and not really paying attention to what was going on around her. She liked Will, a lot and was letting her guard down slowly with him. Still, he was her boss, and there were cautions that came into play. What would people think of the new girl flirting around with the boss? <br><br>Bree blushed as he sat close to her, "So Will, are you a theater person, or is it just a casual passing thing?" It would be nice to go to a show with him and enjoy an afternoon of lunch and a show. Bree was already thinking about what it might actually be like to spent some alone time with him. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 19:46:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali</strong><br><br>Ali smiled at Jim as he walked over to where she was sitting. She was more than happy that it looked like Bree was finally opening up to someone besides her, well at least a little bit, but that was a start. She used to play darts when she was younger, but she hadn't done in in a really long time.<br><br>"Hey Jim. It looked like fun and you did really good. Oh God, I haven't thrown a dart in, like, forever...but yeah, I could try." She smiled at him and thought that maybe this would open him up to her more than he was now because she really would like to get to know him. "Here's your beer." She smiled and moved it over towards him. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 19:58:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim and Ali</strong><br><br>Well that went better than Jim could have hoped.&nbsp; He didn't trip over his tongue and Ali seemed to enjoy the match.&nbsp; She was even thoughtful enough to bring his beer over.&nbsp; "Thanks for bringing my beer, I am parched."&nbsp; Jim took the beer and drank a couple of good long pulls.&nbsp; Nothing manly, he was just thirsty.&nbsp; "C'mon, let's go over here."&nbsp; Jim indicated a dartboard a little ways over where the crowd was a little less.&nbsp; At least no one would be watching them much and Ali could feel less nervous in case she wasn't very good.&nbsp; "Here, I'll give you a handicap.&nbsp; These are my darts."&nbsp; Jim handed her his set of tournament darts.&nbsp; The were perfectly weighted and the fletchings were colored like the Red Baron's Biplane.&nbsp; "I'll use the bar darts, they might be just crooked enough to give you head....a headstart."&nbsp; Jim just winced.&nbsp; Couldn't last five fucking minutes could you, he thought.&nbsp; Outwardly, he just laughed it off.&nbsp; "You take honors, we'll play 301, loser buys the next round."&nbsp; Jim let that sit for a moment before he came back..."just kidding.&nbsp; I know you can usually get guys to buy you drinks, this was my way of getting a beautiful woman to buy me drinks."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 20:13:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali and Jim</strong><br><br>Ali took a sip of her beer before getting up to follow Jim over to another dartboard and she smiled as she reached for his darts, her fingers brushed against his as she took them and it made her heart beat a little faster. "Well, thank you and I'm pretty sure that you're going to win." She smiled as he tripped up his words again, he was so cute when he did that, and she let out a deep breath before trying to focus and threw one of the darts at the board. It hit in the outer ring and she smiled slightly. "Thanks for going over to this dartboard, but the fact that I'm no good at darts isn't the reason I'm kinda nervous." Ali wondered if he knew she was kinda nervous, too, that he wouldn't feel too bad about being nervous.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 20:43:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim and Ali</strong><br><br>Jim wasn't sure what to make of her nervousness.&nbsp; Until he realized...he nearly smacked his hand against his head, but stopped considering he had three darts in his hand.&nbsp; She was underage for the bar.&nbsp; You couldn't see it in her, because Ali was all woman, but he could sense it in Bree.&nbsp; She had that young personality, still.&nbsp; And he guessed with them being best friends that Ali was the same age, physically, if not in maturity.&nbsp; Jim filed it away for the future.<br><br>"There's no need to be nervous, nobody will bother us here.&nbsp; Let's just relax and play darts."&nbsp; Jim watched Ali throw her last two darts.&nbsp; "Not bad, you got 17 points, including that double you got on the first throw.&nbsp; Too bad it was a double 3 and not a double 20."&nbsp; Jim was trying to be light.&nbsp; "You only need 284 more points."&nbsp; Jim gathered his, well her, darts from the board and handed them back to her as he grabbed the bar darts and tossed them.&nbsp; They were indeed crooked and warped, but Jim's skill level was enough to score a 20, a triple 18, and a 2.&nbsp; "76 for me, 225 to go."<br><br>Out of the corner of his eye, as he went to collect the darts, Jim would have sworn that Ali was watching him...well not watching him, but <em>watching</em> him.&nbsp; He sat down as she walked to the line.&nbsp; He studied her form.&nbsp; He was of two minds...her body was achingly perfect...her dart form was awful.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 20:55:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali and Jim</strong><br><br>Ali knew that he couldn't quite grasp the concept that she would be nervous around him and she smiled slightly. She wasn't nervous because she was only 19, in a bar and drinking, but that's what he thought it was and she wasn't going to correct him..at least not just yet. She smiled as her eyes followed every movement he made, but she averted her eyes as he turned to face her.<br><br>She threw her darts and it was a little better than the time before, but not that great. "See, I'm a lot better at baseball than I am at darts." Ali laughed softly and smiled. She sat down and watched him as it was his turn.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 21:17:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim with Ali</strong><br><br>Jim slowly became aware that Ali was checking him out, and as the awareness came, so did the nerves.&nbsp; Jim's game went from great to poor in the space of a few rounds.&nbsp; If Jim hadn't built up a massive lead at the beginning, he'd be in real trouble.&nbsp; As it was, he stood an even chance of losing the game to Ali.&nbsp; He tried to play it off, "Either you've gotten really good, or those beers are starting to affect me more than I thought."&nbsp; Jim hoped Ali wasn't aware that he was only on his second beer.&nbsp; "Anyway, a couple of good throws and you can win.&nbsp; It's a good thing I didn't wager anything more than a round of drinks.&nbsp; I might have lost my shirt."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 21:21:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>"I go to the theater a lot actually because my mother was a big fan of drama and acting when I was growing up. So I like the theater very much. I even did a little performing myself." Will said. He had been in a few performances back in his High School days but he gave it up after he got a little older and needed to be a little more focused on working on his schooling and furthering his career. He really did miss it but there was nothing he could do about it. It was something he had to give up.<br><br>"I would love to take you out to the theater sometime if you would like." Will mentioned. It seemed they shared a common interest in the theater so it would be ice to take her to a play or even a movie if she would like to.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 21:58:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali with Jim</strong><br><br>Ali knew that he could tell she was checking him out because he didn't do so well the next few times and she smiled slightly. "...or it could be because you're nervous around me, dude, it's okay. Truth be told, I'm kind of nervous around you too." She smiled, it was very unlike her to ever admit she was anxious around a guy...well it was pretty unlike her to be anxious around a guy, in the first place. Ali let that hang in the air, for about a minute or so, before continuing. "I think you're really cute and I'd like to get to know you better, Jim."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 22:52:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Wow, who would have known we would have had something so rare in common. My mom brought me up on all that also. Old movie musicals, Broadway shows, the whole nine yards. Funny huh? I think I can probably sing the entire soundtrack to about fifteen shows." Bree chuckled once more and inadvertently touched Wills arm. She pulled back slowly when she realized what she had done. She didn't say anything, but just sat there, still smiling at him. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>18-03-2011, 23:32:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim w/Ali<br><br>Jim's heart soared.&nbsp; Ali just said he was cute and that she wanted to get to know him.&nbsp; For a moment Jim felt a little light-headed and he was certain it wasn't the beer.&nbsp; But before he could even formulate a response, self doubt began to creep in.&nbsp; Why would she, who could get any man in this bar...except perhaps Will at this point...to buy her drinks all night, be nervous around him.&nbsp; It sounded like a bit of a set-up.&nbsp; And Jim did what he always did in these situations, he closed up tight.<br><br>"Thank you for saying so, but you don't have to.&nbsp; I get it.&nbsp; You're running wingman...err wingwoman for Bree.&nbsp; I should have known.&nbsp; I thought I was winging you and you were winging me."&nbsp; Jim laughed at his own stupid joke.&nbsp; "But it's ok, we're cool.&nbsp; You don't need to play the pity points. Strangely enough, it was fun."&nbsp; Jim stepped over to the dartboard, nerves calm again, checked the score and hit the points he needed to win.&nbsp; "Thanks for the game.&nbsp; I'll see you at work.&nbsp; We'll chat or something..."<br><br>Jim headed for the exit, throwing Will a quick wave as he headed out.&nbsp; It wouldn't be until much later, when he was at home, that he would realize that Ali still had his tournament darts.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>19-03-2011, 00:05:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>He was glad that they had something so great in common. It would be a good thing for them to be able to be together outside of work. And then she did something unexpected, she touched his arm. But yet she pulled away from him. He gave her a smile to show that he was not disapproving of her touch. He actually quite enjoyed it quite a lot. Her frail hands touching up against his shirt and touching his arm felt quite nice.<br><br>"Bree, we really should hang out of the office like this more often." Will said as he stared into Bree's beautiful eyes.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>19-03-2011, 00:24:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Brews heart was pounding our of her chest when he suggested they hang out more often. "Yes, sure I would like that. It would be really nice to have someone to talk to. I don't know why, but you're easy to talk to Will. I've never been good with, well, guys. Ali's usually the man magnet." It was true, but as Bree looked over, Jim was leaving and Ali was standing there all by herself. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>19-03-2011, 00:46:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali<br><br><br>&nbsp;"But, I wasn't winging you. I really think you're cute...." Ali trailed off as she watched Jim rush it, was there something wrong with her?, why the hell did she have to say anything this soon...she'd probably scared him off, oh this was so complicated.<br><br><br>She glanced over at Bree and smiled, even though she was feeling as though this whole night was flip-flopped, she was happy for her friend. Ali headed over to the bar and ordered a triple shot of Jack Daniels, when the bartender set it in front of her, she paid him and shot it back...she relished the burn it left as it snaked down her throat. More than a few guys approached her and she just kind of talked to them enough to be nice, but she didn't flirt near as much as usual, she was bummed and felt like she was in a funk.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>19-03-2011, 02:56:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree looked over and saw the look on Ali's face, her friend was hurting. "Will, I'm sorry, I think I have to cut our night short. Thank you for a great time. I will see you at work tomorrow." Bree placed her hand on his before walking over to her friend. <br><br>"Hey, wanna go? It's late and we have work." it was never talked about why someone was hurt, the two of them always knew it was just best to leave the situation and move on. "Come on Ali, I'll dive you home." Bree held her friends hand and led her back to the car ready to head home. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>19-03-2011, 03:06:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				By the time, Bree had come over, Ali's head was slightly spinning because she'd barely eaten that entire day and add the whiskey/coke, the beer and the triple shot of whiskey to an empty stomach, that pretty much equaled half near drunk for Ali. She knew how to keep her composure while drunk, at least enough for their new boss not to be able to tell that she was. She let out a deep breath as they got outside.<br><br>"I told him I thought he was cute and that I wanted to get to know him, Bree. He thought I was playing wingwoman, or what the hell ever, for you and he left because apparently I can't...I can't think he's cute." Ali was slurring her speech just a little bit and knew that what she'd done when they were teenagers was about to slip out any second now. They got into Bree's car and she started driving them home.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>19-03-2011, 03:19:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree felt horrible for Ali, she took rejection hard. Jim was your everyday guy and probably thought Ali was way out of his league. "Ali, you're hot and gorgeous, he was probably intimidated by you. Some guys just think you're out of their league. He'll come a round. Trust me. It was just a one time hiccup." Bree always made sure to pick up the pieces when Ali had boy problems. Bree almost felt guilty that she had a nice night with Will. She would keep that under her hat until things got settled with Jim.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>19-03-2011, 03:33:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<br>"Bree, I have to tell you something that's been eating at me for a really long time now." Ali looked over at her friend while she was driving. "It may be best if I wait until you're not driving though, do you want me to wait to tell you or do you want me to tell you now?" She knew that Bree had had a great night and she felt really bad for ruining it with her damn tender ego, it was a once in a great while thing for Bree to have a good conversation with a man, and Ali felt like she'd ruined it.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>19-03-2011, 03:37:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Ali you know you can tell me anything. No judging right? We've been through so much together, I can handle anything you have to say." Bree figured how bad could it be, unless Ali knew Will before they worked there and she slept with him already! Oh god Bree thought the worst, knowing she should have never let the walls down foe that man. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>19-03-2011, 03:39:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Okay, it's about when were in high school....you remember when I wasn't around so much after school, like ever?" Ali sighed softly and was trying to stall by asking questions, but she couldn't just come out and tell her best friend. "Did you ever hear any rumors about me back then and up until we turned 18?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>19-03-2011, 03:47:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree remembered that time, Ali suddenly had tons of lessons and appointments. Singing, dancing. Bree thought it was all because Ali wanted to be a star and get out of this town. "Yeah sweetie, You were busy with classes and lessons. As for rumors, not really, and the ones I heard were just because girls were jealous of you." Never in a million years would Bree know what bombshell was coming next. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>19-03-2011, 03:54:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Yes, I did have a lot of appointments and I did have some lessons thrown in, but they weren't just so I could get out of this hell hole." Ali responded and knew she had to tell Bree now or she probably never would. "Okay, well Daddy started drinking again and lost his job, so I had to make the money because Mama wasn't gonna get a job, hell no it would've fucked with her perfect existence. I was a whore, Bree, not the whole I just slept around for fun...I had to whore myself out, so we could stay here...I didn't want to leave and it seemed like it was the only solution because they didn't want anyone to find out that my dad was back to being an alcoholic and couldn't provide for us anymore. Couldn't keep us in the lifestyle that we liked and I sure as hell wasn't going back to being penniless and I wasn't ever going to move because I would've hated to be away from you."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>19-03-2011, 04:26:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree listened to Ali tell her story. Bree kept silent trying to process everything Ali was telling her. Bree knew Ali's parents were not the best, her father was a total bastard and was not a good provider for his family. Her mother lived beyond their means. This though was way beyond anything Bree would have imagined. <br><br>Bree was speechless for the first time. She didn't know what to say. Bree was mad at Ali's parents for making her do this. Ali was better than that. Bree felt guilt for not knowing what her friend went through, she would have helped her through all of it. <br><br>"Ali, I am so sorry they put you through that. I wish you would have come to me back then. We could have helped you out. My parents would have taken you in. God sweetie you didn't deserve that. I am so sorry." Bree never judged Ali and she wasn't about to start now. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>19-03-2011, 04:33:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Don't feel sorry for me, Bree, it was my idea and I started doing it before they even knew about it. It was only until they found out because I slipped up, that they made me keep doing it. I think I slipped up on purpose so they would stop me and when they didn't I started resenting them and it became pretty close to hate, by the time I was 18." Ali said softly, oh God, the tears were coming now. She looked out the window as they started trailing down her face.<br><br>"I know what you're thinking and I'm not. I'm not better than that, Bree. I'm a slut and I'm a bitch and I'm a fucking heartbreaker." This had been Ali's self perception since she was 16 years old and, maybe, it was the whole reason that she'd always gone for one-nighters and flings because she didn't think she deserved anything better than that.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>19-03-2011, 04:48:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree pulled the car over on the side of the road and put the car in park. "Ali, that's the past. It was a mistake, you were desperate and sometimes we do dumb things with the best of intentions. You were fifteen. Ali, you're not a slut or a whore or any of those things. Sweetie, that's the past, it's over, done. You are better than what you think. Hey would I stick by you of I didn't think so? Yeah you can be a birch sometimes but I still love you like my sister." Bree laughed with the last comment. Ali was drunk off her ass and feeling sorry for herself. Bree would let her have this time to get it all out, and when she was sober realize she wasn't all those things, she was just, well, Ali. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>19-03-2011, 05:00:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				But, Bree....I'm a heartbreaker. Take Lucas, for example, I took his virginity last night and I'll probably never talk to him again unless we run into each other. I don't wanna be, but I can't help it. I think that's why when Jim just left tonight, I think that's why I took it so hard because I really really like him."&nbsp; Ali knew she was so drunk right now and was glad that Bree was giving her the chance to get this all out.<br><br>"Bree, I know you think you're insecure, but seriously, you should be in my mind everyday."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>19-03-2011, 05:37:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree just let Ali talk. Yes the girl was a heartbreaker, but she would never tell her friend that. Ali went through guys like water. Still, she had to let Ali get it all out right now to feel better. <br><br>"Ali, listen, I know you feel awful right now, but Lucas knew what he was getting in to. Guys do the same things to girls and we're supposed to take it. Listen, if you like Jim that much, be yourself. Don't go in with cleavage bearing shirts, high heels so high no one can look in your beautiful face. Just be Ali. You're like the diamond guys like him never think they can touch. Talk to him, tell him how you felt tonight when be left, he'll understand." She gave Ali's hand a squeeze, and started up the car. "I need to get to home to sleep, you're going to feel that hammer fall in the morning." <br><br>Bree drove home and pulled in front of Ali's house, it would be easier than walking her across the street. She got Ali in the house and upstairs to her bed. "Think you can manage getting changed? I'm gonna go, get some rest." Bree left Ali hoping her friend would be alright. Bree then headed across the street and parked her car. As she entered the house she looked up, Ali's light was still on. Hopefully Ali could get some sleep and a fresh start in the morning.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>19-03-2011, 05:53:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali listened to Bree and thought, for a second, do I have any shirts that don't show cleavage...she'd have to raid her closet to find something.<br><br>She looked to her best friend and smiled at her. "Yeah, I can get myself ready for bed. Thanks, Bree, I love you." Ali threw her arms around Bree and hugged her tightly before pulling back. "Good night, see you in the morning."<br><br>After Bree had left, Ali stumbled downstairs into the kitchen and looked in the refrigerator. She knew what she had to do so her hangover wasn't horrible in the morning so she grabbed the jar of pickles, poured some of the pickle juice into a glass and drank it down quickly, shuddering at the taste. She called Cleo and the little dog happily ran to her, she leaned down to pick her dog up...Cleo always had trouble with the stairs since her legs were so short. <br><br>Ali laughed as the dog licked her face and she set her down on the bed. She got undressed and pulled on an old t-shirt and a pair of boy shorts. She plopped down onto the bed and played with Cleo before passing out&nbsp; with her light on.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>19-03-2011, 05:58:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree got herself changed for bed in a pair of shorts and a tank top. She smiled wide as she thought of Will and how her night was with him. She really liked him and could not wait to see him in the morning. Still thoughts of Ali crept in and she hoped her friend was ok as she too drifted off to sleep for the night. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>19-03-2011, 07:31:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>He let her go when she had to go. He could not stop her but he did say, "Bree, just tell me whenever you are free and we can go see a show or something." And then he just watched as she wandered away from him. He headed out of the bar. He was only thinking about Bree at this point. She was the only thing he could maintain his concentration on. But he still managed to stay focused enough to drive back to work. He parked in the parking lot and took a deep breath before he got out of his car. He was tired and he knew he still had some work to do. But most of all he wanted to hurry up and get to tomorrow so he could see Bree.<br><br>He got out of car and went up the elevator after walking passed security.He made it to his office and sat back down at his desk. He started on the paperwork that should have only taken a little while. But after a while his eyes started to get droopy and eventually he feel&nbsp; asleep in his office with the last piece of paperwork lying under his face.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>20-03-2011, 06:33:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree woke up even before the alarm had gone off the next morning. She had a new spring in her step and got herself ready for work. She dressed neatly once again, this time a cute pale pink skirt with a silk white shirt. She checked herself in the mirror, little more make up today and no ponytail, she would let her hair flow over her shoulders. She was going to see Will again today and could not wait to get to work.<br><br>She walked over to get Ali and get the day started. Hopefully Ali wasn't too hung over from last night. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>21-03-2011, 02:00:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim</strong><br><br>By the Jim got home, he was feeling like warmed over crap.&nbsp; He knew that he had acted like a jerk.&nbsp; Part of it was instinctual, when he freaked, he ran, and that was what he did tonight, he ran.&nbsp; He knew he'd have to apologize, too.&nbsp; Normally he would just forget about the girl, but he had to talk to Ali to get his darts back, and he knew he'd run into her at work, so he needed to apologize.&nbsp; That was going to suck.&nbsp; How do you tell a gorgeous woman that she freaked you out?&nbsp; His mind still reeling, he readied himself for bed and just as he was about to fall asleep, he suddenly remembered that he had actually been having fun with her before...zzz<br><br>Jim woke the next morning filled with dread about the coming day.&nbsp; His morning oatmeal felt like lead in his stomach and he felt mildly sick to his stomach.&nbsp; Despite his achingly slow pacing, Jim did finally make it to work and he arrived to catch the glaring eye of the IT Supervisor who wanted to know why he was late.&nbsp; Jim used his sick stomach as an excuse and got to his station without any more trouble.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>21-03-2011, 14:18:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>He awoke to the sound of a security guard talking to him. Will was not really sure what was going on till he looked at his watched. It was 6:30 am. He had obviously slept in his office. He quickly signed the final paper he needed to sign. He looked up at the security guard and thanked him for waking him up. Will knew he was going to have to rely on the spare set of work clothes he had in his car. They were a good set and they were appropriate, the only problem was that he was not sure where he could go change. A person changing in a men's restroom was going to be awkward but at least no one was going to be here for another thirty minutes or so. <br><br>Will ran down to his car, grabbed the spare clothes and headed back up the elevator to where his office was. Once the elevator doors opened, he sprinted into a restroom. He would go into the cleanliest stall he could find. Once that was found he would close and lock the door while he stripped and changed into the work clothes he was using for today. As usual, his tie was out of place. Will never seemed to get it so right but he was glad that someone knew how to do it. But who to ask when there was no one here. He could always wait in his office for a girl or someone to who knew how to fix his time. He decided on that. So he went into his office and waited. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>21-03-2011, 17:45:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali</strong><br><br>Ali was startled awake by her alarm, she sat up and looked around. <em>Okay, this is not where I passed out last night.</em> She was on the floor next to her bed and groaned as she must have hit her side on something when she'd fallen out of bed. She had a pounding headache and now, there would probably be a bruise on her usually flawless skin.<br><br>She didn't have an appetite so she didn't eat anything, just grabbed a quick cigarette before going to get ready for work. Ali decided that she'd wear less makeup than she usually wore, straighten her hair and wear a dark blue skirt with a light pink satin shirt that didn't show as much cleavage as she usually did, but she had nothing that didn't show a slight amount of cleavage.<br><br>She walked down to answer the door when Bree got there, opened it and smiled. "Morning." Ali greeted her best friend before popping some aspirin.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>21-03-2011, 18:36:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree was pleasantly surprised when Ali answered the door. She wasn't all made up and looked more natural. She also knew Ali was very hung over but would not rub it in. <br><br>"Hi, ready for work? You look fantastic!" Bree went to her car and hopped in, not much in the way of conversation, trying to keep it quiet for Ali. <br><br>As they arrived for work, Bree could nit wait to see Will today. She nearly raced to her desk excited, waiting for her new boss to come visit her. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>21-03-2011, 18:51:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali was so thankful that Bree didn't mention anything about her being hungover, yes she was, but it wasn't the worst she'd ever gone through. She'd learned how to function through them a long time ago, so she'd be good for work.<br><br>They got to work and Ali was glad that she'd remembered to bring Jim's darts, the ones that he'd left when he was rushing off last night, she didn't want to face him right now, but knew that she'd have to. Instead of walking over to the IT Department, she decided to shoot him an e-mail, maybe give herself time to think of something, something that actually made sense, to say to him. 'Hey Jim, I have your darts if you wanted to come by and get them. Thanks for the game last night, I had a lot of fun.&nbsp; -Ali-" Eh, not the best, but certainly not the worst, she decided before clicking send.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>21-03-2011, 21:22:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim</strong><br><br>Jim was dragging along this morning, nursing a cup of coffee with his head down, when the familiar ping of an e-mail made him look up.&nbsp; Expecting to see a follow-up chewing out from his boss, he wasn't sure if he was happy or not when he saw Ali@GlobalInvestmentsdotCom on his screen.&nbsp; He stared at the screen, as though it would somehow tell him how bad the e-mail was.&nbsp; Jim knew he had to face the music and with a belt of coffee to steel him, he clicked on the e-mail to open it.<br><br>Thank God for the little things.&nbsp; She wasn't throwing his actions back in his face...at least not right away.&nbsp; He sent her a return e-mail.&nbsp; "Sorry about my running off.&nbsp; Thank you for the darts.&nbsp; I'll be by before lunch to pick them up.&nbsp; Jim"&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>21-03-2011, 21:59:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali</strong><br><br>After sending the e-mail, Ali had started working and was moving at a comfortable pace, not too fast not too slow, and looked up right as she got his e-mail. She smiled as she read it and sent one back. " You're welcome. I'll look forward to it. See you then. -Ali-" <br><br>On one hand, she was looking forward to seeing him again, but on the other hand, she was kind of dreading it because she didn't want a repeat of last night. Ali had tried to tone it down today, but somehow thought he'd still feel nervous around her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>22-03-2011, 03:23:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>He saw that the girls had arrived as well as the rest of the staff. He watched closely as Bree sat down at the desk. She seemed like she was waiting for something so he was sure that she would have no problem adjusting his tie. He really did want to look professional but he was never satisfied no matter how many times he had adjusted it. He opened the door to his office and walked across the room to where Bree sat. He put his hand on her shoulder to make her turn around and face him if she was nt facing him already.<br><br>"How are you doing this morning Bree?" Will asked her as he looked into her beautiful eyes and got lost in them for a bit. He was not sure what to do but stare into them. They were pulling him into them. So he was lost for a moment while he looked into them.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>22-03-2011, 04:42:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim</strong><br><br>Jim read her email reply.&nbsp; 'Looking forward to it'&nbsp; What did that mean?&nbsp; His mind came up with a thousand variations.&nbsp; From wanting to be face to face with him before she told him off, publicly, all the way to her wanting to throw herself on him and drag him off to the restroom for sex.&nbsp; Sure the last one wasn't realistic, but he did have a vivid imagination.&nbsp; Mostly he just hoped it meant that she would accept his apology and they could still be friends.<br><br>The rest of the morning passed better, Jim's funk was somewhat relieved and he actually wasn't dreading the meeting quite as much as he had when he arrived.&nbsp; Finally, around 11:30, he made his way over to Ali's cubicle and when he arrived he thought for a moment that someone else was sitting there.&nbsp; But when she turned, he saw that she had lost some of the glitz and was now just using her natural beauty.<br><br>"Ali, I just wanted to start out by apologizing for ditching you last night.&nbsp; It was rude...I was rude.&nbsp; If you have it in your heart, I would like to start over."&nbsp; Jim stuck his hand out.&nbsp; "Hi, my name is Jim.&nbsp; Would you like to be friends?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>22-03-2011, 04:57:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree felt a hand on her shoulder and when she turned around, Will's handsome face was there. She smiled and saw his tie was very crooked, "I'm good today Will, thank you for asking." Bree noticed he stared a little longer at her, almost like he had drifted to another planet for a moment. <br><br>Bree broke his stare, "Your tie is off kilter, want me to fix it?" She didn't want to embarrass him, but he was the boss and should look proper, not like he just woke up and got dressed there.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>22-03-2011, 05:01:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali</strong><br><br>Ali was waiting for Jim while she worked and she heard someone walking up, she turned around and smiled at him. She listened to him as he apologized and knew she had to tell him, even though she hated to admit it.&nbsp; <br><br>"Thank you for the apology, but I really wasn't winging for Bree and I wouldn't lie about something like that. I would like to start over." Ali smiled and took his offered hand to shake it. "Hey there, my name's Ali and being friends would be great," <em>for now</em> is what she was thinking. "Would you like to go get some lunch with me, Jim? Well, when it's time for lunch." She hadn't really looked at the clock so didn't know what time it was. It wasn't really a date so she thought it might help him not be so nervous.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>22-03-2011, 10:47:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>"If you would please." Will said as he presented his tie to her. He did it discreetly so that the rest of the office would not see it. But he was really glad that she had offered this favor for him. It was going to help him get put together for the rest of the day. And Bree had been the one to help him to do it. He was glad for that. And those eyes of hers still called out to him, he looked away from her for a moment. He did not want to think about those pretty eyes of hers. He could swear that he could feel her hands pulling on his tie, the tightening that it was going to make around his neck where he could feel the silky fabric brush against his skin and tighten around it. The pressure was increasing in the action as he knew she was going to pull on it.<br><br>He could smell her perfume now that she was so close. There was a bit more of a whiff that he took of her scent. It was floral, like it was from some mystical garden that he really wished he could be rather than at this office where he was surrounded by other workers. he was glad that she was there though. She was the provider of this pure scent. He was quickly drawn back to reality as he felt her hands slip down off of his tie. He gave her a big smile.<br><br>"So about last night, do you really want to go to the theater sometime?" he asked as he looked down at the now perfectly straight tie. She had done a great job on his tie. He was proud of how well she had done. He needed to straighten out his suit a little now that he was good on his tie. The gray suit fell well across his shoulders now that it could be seen that it was perfectly creased and ironed. Heis light blue shirt was a nice little contrast to the gray of the suit jacket. He ran his fingers along the jacket until he made it to the gray suit pants which he slid his hands into the pockets of.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>22-03-2011, 22:48:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree took great care to tie Will's tie. Her fingers would tremble from time to time as she carefully took the tie and began fixing it for him. Bree slowly took the fabric and began to tie his tie properly, she had done it many times for her dad since he too could never get it right. She smiled at him from time to time as she did his tie, unaware that he was looking at her the whole time, studying her in a sense. <br><br>She finished his tie and smoothed it out, almost sensually, her hands running slowly down the tie to his stomach to make it nice and neat. "Oh yes, I would love to see a show with you, you let me know when, and we'll go." He did look fantastic, so handsome and sharp in his suit. Bree was so happy to have found a friend in Will, and deep down hoped it developed into something more. <br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>22-03-2011, 23:04:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim<br><br>Jim listened as Ali explained how she wasn't playing wingman for Bree.&nbsp; He really wanted to believe her, but he still had doubts.&nbsp; Still, he was glad that she wasn't mad at him.&nbsp; He knew he was still a little red in the face, just from embarrassment.&nbsp; He wasn't any better at speaking to beautiful women today than he was yesterday and he knew it.&nbsp; He nearly said no when she invited him for lunch, but he realized that would be quite rude again, if they were going to be friends, then friends did stuff like grab lunch together.&nbsp; He just hoped he could act normal with her.<br><br>"Cool, sure.&nbsp; I'll go get lunch with you.&nbsp; I have one more repair I need to do before I can grab lunch.&nbsp; Let's say in about a half hour?"<br><br>While he was working on the repair her started processing things in his head and started to come to an odd conclusion.&nbsp; If she really wasn't wingman for Bree, then she did want to get to know him,&nbsp; On the other hand if she was stretching the truth (even in his own mind Jim was unwilling to call it lying) about the winging for Bree it would be obvious at lunch because she would be asking questions about Will, at which point he could answer her questions and then without being a jerk, just not accept any lunches in the future.&nbsp; It really was a win-win for Jim.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>22-03-2011, 23:27:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali</strong><br><br>Ali was relieved when he agreed to get lunch with her, it almost looked as if he was going to say no and she didn't think she could've handled that. She listened to him as he explained about the repair and she smiled.<br><br>"Half an hour sounds great. I'll be here, just drop by when you're ready." She smiled at Jim again.<br><br>She got back to work and wondered what he really thought about her, usually she didn't bother thinking about these things, but Jim had shaken her up and it was interesting, weird, but definitely interesting. Her eyes moved over to Bree and Will, another smile coming to her lips as her friend looked really happy.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>23-03-2011, 01:03:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim<br><br>Soon enough the repair was finished and Jim stopped back at his station to put away his things.&nbsp; He definitely had a spring in his step as he headed off to collect Ali for lunch.&nbsp; This could be a nice thing, he thought.&nbsp; All his happiness still wasn't fully able to keep his apprehension from returning when he actually arrived at her cubicle.&nbsp; There was still something so intimidating about her.&nbsp; Like she knew she had a secret power over him and he kept waiting for her to use it on him.<br><br>"Hey Ali, are you ready?&nbsp; Have you had the opportunity to sample the fine cuisine of our corporate lunchroom yet?&nbsp; All jokes aside, the food is not bad, and the company subsidizes it, so it's like half the normal price."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>23-03-2011, 02:49:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali<br><br>She'd been working since he left and been counting down the thirty minutes, she was excited to be having lunch with him. Her nerves were calmed a little more now, so she wasn't too worried about feeling nervous around him anymore.<br><br>As soon as she heard his voice, however, a little of that came back and she smiled to try to mask her nerves. <br><br>"Hey Jim, yeah, I'm ready. No, I haven't had that honor yet. Didn't eat yesterday and half the normal price is great."<br><br>Ali got up from her chair, she was closer to her actual height now because she hadn't worn super high heels today. She was trying to take Bree's advice, but knew it would take some getting used to.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>23-03-2011, 18:24:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>The feeling of the touch of her hands along his shirt, Will smiled. She was good at this, obviously. He looked at her after he straightened himself out some more while thinking about all of the shows he knew about in the area. He was not able to really think about anything in particular. He would have loved to have told her right now about some show. But he couldn't think about anything. He tapped a finger on his chin as he thought for a moment.<br><br>"Bree, I am going to have to get back to you. I can't really think of any shows at the moment. But I will so don't worry about that." Will said with a smile while he looked at her. "You look very beautiful today, Bree." Will commented. He had no idea why he had not said it first thing when he had first seen her. She deserved to hear it. He knew she did. Will hoped that he could possibly ever date her, in a more romantic context but it was good to just be friends for now, that way they would have a good base for which to have a romantic relationship.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>23-03-2011, 21:03:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree was falling hard for Will, he was he ideal man for her. When he told her she looked beautiful, she blushed, he was the first man to ever tell her that. "Thank you Will, you look very handsome today. That suit looks very nice on you." The truth was, he looked like a male model to her. Bree's heart was beating hard and she was sure he could hear it. <br><br>"Oh don't worry, we'll find a show to settle on. I'm sure there's something comic around that we can settle on. No pressure, I'll check as well." Bree looked up at him and smoked almost forgetting she actually had a job to do. She gazed past him and at the clock. "Oh god, I should be actually doing some work. My boss might yell if he sees I'm goofing off with some guy," Bree giggled and put her hand ok his arm, then sat at her desk. She didn't want to look away, but she began her work and smiled at him once more, secretly wishing sje could have spent the whole day with Will. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>24-03-2011, 04:16:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>"Thank you, Bree. I like this suit even though it usually only used for..." His voice trailed of since he did not want to tell her that he had accidentally slept here at work and that this suit was the one he used to hide the fact. It was not something he should have told her. So Will kept it to himself. He smiled coyly as he looked at her now. He needed to change the subject and fast but she did it for him with her work comment. It was the easiest and greatest excuse to get away.<br><br>"Your boss won't yell at you but he will leave you alone so you can get back to work." he said playing into the joke. He turned and walked out of her cubicle, heading for his office. He saw Ali and Jim standing out side of her cubicle and he gave them a smile before he grabbed the handle to his office and stepped inside. His office phone rang at that moment and Will ran over to pickup the phone. He picked it up and instantly recognized who said "Hello." It was his friend, Kyle, who was known to be a bit of a player and a not so nice guy as Will. they were kind of opposites but that was what made them good friends it seemed.<br><br>"What do you want man?"<br><br>"Let's go partying this weekend."<br><br>"I don't really feel like it."<br><br>"How come?"<br><br>"I have work stuff to do."<br><br>"You always have work stuff to do. How about I mention this girl whose number I found? She is really hot, or so I here. And her rates are pretty good too."<br><br>"I am a little interested." <br><br>"Okay then. I will call her and book her time for Saturday at your place. You cool with that?"<br><br>"Yeah, go ahead. It looks like I will see you on Saturday then."<br><br>Will hung up the phone. It looked like he was going to be busy on Saturday. He took out his planner and marked off the date. It was going to be nice to be with Kyle and whatever girl he brought over. Kyle was dependable when it came to his taste in women. So Will was sure that the girl was going to be extremely beautiful to say the very least. Will ran his hand through his hair as he sat down. This was the one part of himself that he did not like showing others. That he too, was fallible for being a guy and perking up at the thought of having a girl over to his house for the purposes of sex and sharing with his friend Kyle.<br><br>Ali's cell would go off in that moment with Kyle's number displayed on her caller id. The girl he was planning on booking for Saturday night at Will's house, was her. Kyle had heard about her from a few of her satisfied customers. So he decided it was best to try the girl for himself.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>24-03-2011, 05:09:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali</strong><br><br>She was looking forward to having lunch with Jim and she sighed softly as she heard her cell phone go off quietly. "Excuse me, Jim." Ali offered him a smile. "It'll just take a second."<br><br>She leaned over to grab her phone and didn't recognize the number so she, almost immediately, knew what the nature of this call was. "Could you wait here, I need to take this." Ali rested her hand on Jim's arm for a couple of seconds before walking down to the restroom. Looking to make sure nobody else was in the restroom, she answered. <br><br>"Hello?<br><br>"Hey, this Ali?"<br><br>"This is she, who is this?"<br><br>"I heard about you from a friend and I was wondering if you weren't busy Saturday night if you could make some time on Saturday night to spend a night with myself and a friend?"<br><br>"Well, I usually don't do that anymore, but I could make an exception. My rates aren't very cheap, but only because I don't have many limits. The entire night or how long?"<br><br>"Not many limits, you sound like my kind of girl. Price doesn't matter, baby. I just want my friend to have some fun and you look like the type of girl who can give him that. Of course, I'll want to have some fun with you, too. The whole night." <br><br>"Okay, when and where?"<br><br>"3476 Ridgeway Drive and how about 7pm on Saturday?"<br><br>"Okay, I'll be there and have $1500. There's two of you, so I doubled it and gave you a discount since I haven't been in the game for a bit." Ali remembered the rules to this game and forgot how much she liked planning her 'dates'. It kind of amazed her how much she was looking forward to this. "See you Saturday night." She hung up and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before she walked out.<br><br>She returned her cubicle and to Jim. "So sorry about that, Jim. Okay, we can go now." Ali smiled at him.<br><br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>24-03-2011, 05:24:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree had no idea that Will had 'other interests', so as he walked into his office, Bree thought it might be nice to surprise him on Saturday with a nice home cooked dinner. She smirked to herself on how she would show up with some nice hot food for him, figuring that he might not have a lot of time to cook for himself. <br><br>Little did she know her little surprise was going to end up breaking her heart. <br><br>She went about her day, doing her work and all of a sudden her screen went black. She tried everything, rebooting, turning it on and off. No luck. She dialed Jim's extension and got voice mail, "Jim it's Bree, my screen just bit the dust and I don't know what to do. Please help when you can." For now she was stuck and had to wait until Jim came back to fix up her monitor.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>24-03-2011, 06:49:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim</strong><br><br>Jim was actually enjoying himself and looking forward to lunch when Ali excused herself into the ladies room to take a call.&nbsp; Odd, he thought.&nbsp; He wondered what could be that private.&nbsp; But on the other hand, who was he to care?&nbsp; For all he knew, she was embarrassed talking to her mother in front of witnesses.&nbsp; While he was standing waiting, his phone buzzed.&nbsp; He had it set to let him know when a voice mail came into his work phone.&nbsp; He dialed in and heard Bree's message.&nbsp; Well, it appeared he had a post lunch date.<br><br>Finally, Ali reappeared and together they made it to the lunch room.&nbsp; Getting a sandwich and soup combo, Jim settled down to eat.&nbsp; A few moments in, he decided that he would just get right to the point and see what Ali would do.&nbsp; "Thanks for the lunch invite.&nbsp; It's actually nice not to have to sit alone for lunch.&nbsp; I'm surprised you didn't ask Bree along, too.&nbsp; How long have you guys been friends?"&nbsp; He gave the opening.&nbsp; If Ali was going to focus on Bree and Will, he gave her the perfect opportunity.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>24-03-2011, 07:01:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali</strong><br><br>Ali got a sandwich and sat down across from Jim to eat lunch. She was feeling a little guilty about what she'd just set up and hoped that it didn't turn out to pull her back into that life, but it was $1500 for one night, so what's the worst that could happen? Little did she know that this 'date' for Saturday night would devastate her best friend and possibly jeopardize their lifelong friendship.<br><br>"You're welcome, it is nice. I would've, but she seemed busy. Oh God, let me think, we've been best friends since we were eight...so eleven years." She smiled, she could still remember the first day that they'd met, she was trying to think of something else to say.<br><br>"I think that's enough about me, I wanna know about you. Did you grow up here or did you move here?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>24-03-2011, 17:14:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim w/Ali</strong><br><br>Jim was starting to relax, whether it was the food, the lunchroom, or what.&nbsp; The situation was too bizarrely 'normal' to cause his anxiety to kick in.&nbsp; "I'm a local boy, born and raised here.&nbsp; I left for college, but came back right afterward.&nbsp; I knew several people that worked here from when I was growing up and they helped me land the job.&nbsp; So I've been here basically since right out of college.&nbsp; I will have five years in this fall.&nbsp; I think I get a pen.&nbsp; Whoo-hoo."<br><br>Jim suddenly had self-realization that he was no longer stuttering around her.&nbsp; Maybe she could be a friend after all.&nbsp; Although she was a bit young.&nbsp; He never would have invited her to the bar now that he did the math.&nbsp; "So what do you do for fun these days?&nbsp; And I don't mean the bar scene.&nbsp; Especially since technically you shouldn't be there.&nbsp; Don't get me wrong, I'm no narc.&nbsp; I've just always been a little uneasy about doing anything illegal, even if the law is stupid."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>24-03-2011, 18:40:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali with Jim</strong><br><br>Ali ate while she listened to Jim and she smiled as she set her sandwich down.&nbsp; "I moved here with my parents when I was eight and been here ever since. I was a waitress, for the past two years, and I hated it." She laughed at his comment about the pen.<br><br>His sudden lack of stuttering made her happy, it was cute, but the fact that it was gone meant he was comfortable around her. "I don't really get to have any real fun, I mean..I hang out with Bree, I play with my dog, I read, sing and go to bars sometimes. I'm really not that interesting." She laughed softly and finished her sandwich, with a smile.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>24-03-2011, 20:06:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim w/Ali</strong><br><br>Jim listened as Ali detailed her 'fun.'&nbsp; Surely, he thought, that couldn't be it, but he wasn't going to ask that now.&nbsp; "I am a pretty standard geek.&nbsp; I like to go get a beer sometimes and somehow, I got good at darts.&nbsp; Other than that, I like to play on computers.&nbsp; &nbsp;Both building them, and playing games.&nbsp; I've been kinda going through an on-line poker phase at the moment.&nbsp; Hey, maybe I can host a poker game sometime.&nbsp; You and Bree could come and anyone else who wanted to."<br><br>"Hey what are you doing Saturday night?&nbsp; No, wait, I can't do it Saturday, I promised a buddy I'd help him move.&nbsp; What about Sunday?&nbsp; We could check around and see who's free."&nbsp; Jim realized he was moving awfully fast.&nbsp; It was only their second day at work and he was already inviting them over for games.&nbsp; But he just had a feeling something was special about these two.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>25-03-2011, 01:24:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali and Jim</strong><br><br>Ali listened to Jim explain what he liked to do and she smiled. "It's cool that you're so great with computers because computers and I, we don't mesh very well sometimes. I'm theater and music nerd, ask me about anything having to do with that and I'm golden, but computers aren't my forte." She laughed softly.<br><br>"That sounds really fun and I'd like that, Bree will like it, too." Ali thought about this, Bree probably wouldn't even attempt to play and she, herself, didn't really know how to play but maybe she could be taught. "You may have to teach me a little something about poker, though." She grinned slightly. "Sunday sounds great." Reaching for a napkin, she wrote her cell number down and slid it to him. "Just call me whenever you figure out a time. You think we should get back?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>25-03-2011, 01:54:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim w/Ali</strong><br><br>Just like that, Jim had somehow made a friend.&nbsp; One who stopped over to play a game every now and again.&nbsp; Or at least once, Jim cautioned himself.&nbsp; She may not return after the first time.&nbsp; Still, Jim was pretty happy with the turn of events and was looking forward to Sunday.<br><br>Finishing the last of his soup, he heard Ali talk about returning.&nbsp; "Yeah, it's about that time, and apparently your friend and computer serial killer, Bree, has already broken something."&nbsp; Seeing Ali's confused look, he explained, "I got a message while you were in the ladies room.&nbsp; I hope it doesn't take all afternoon."<br><br>Jim cleared Ali's place for her, acting the part of the gentleman and soon enough they headed back to the cubicle jungle where Jim stopped in to Bree's area, saying to Ali as she headed off.&nbsp; "Thanks for lunch, I'll see you soon."<br><br><strong>Jim w/Bree<br></strong><br>"Howdy, killer.&nbsp; Second day and already made something go boom, huh?&nbsp; Already I have the feeling I will be using the phrase, 'we can't keep meeting like this' an awful lot."&nbsp; Jim was just in a happy mood and he wanted to spread the sunshine around.&nbsp; "So what's the damage?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>25-03-2011, 01:59:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali with Jim</strong><br><br>Ali was more than happy that he was comfortable with her now and she smiled as he cleared her place for her. They headed back down to the cubicles and she smiled at Jim. One of her hands reached up to rest on his arm softly. "No problem, see you around." She moved to sit back at her cubicle and got back to work.<br><br>She was looking forward to Sunday night and seeing Jim outside of work again, but there in her mind, as well,was Saturday night and she was trying to figure out what to wear and what she would tell Bree she'd be doing. That had always been the hardest part.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>25-03-2011, 02:31:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree felt a bit embarrassed that her monitor was dead on the second day. "Jim, very funny, I swear I didn't do a thing. I was entering the figures then *poof* blackness. And I swear I will try not to have you here all the time." Bree giggled, she thought Jim was silly and he could make her laugh. She thought how lucky Ali was to snag this one and they could be a cute couple if they got things together. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>25-03-2011, 12:39:12</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim w/Bree<br><br>"Poof?! blackness.&nbsp; I wonder if that's covered in my technical manuals."&nbsp; Jim continued to tease Bree.&nbsp; "Ok, I need to get under your desk, if you don't mind."&nbsp; Jim waited until Bree had rolled her chair back and then scooted under the desk where he did rule number one.&nbsp; Check to see if it was plugged in.&nbsp; And lo and behold...Jim snugged the connector back into the port and screwed it down.&nbsp; He crawled out and turned on the monitor.&nbsp; And there were the figures.&nbsp; "Looks like another job well done.&nbsp; Tips are accepted in cookie form."<br><br>Jim arranged the computer and wires so that it was less likely to have wires jarred out of it in the future.&nbsp; "Hey, I think Ali was going to tell you, but I'll go ahead ask.&nbsp; I am planning on having a few people over on Sunday for cards.&nbsp; Ali said she'll be there, I'd like it if you came, too.&nbsp; You can bring some people, just not too many.&nbsp; Just let me know by Friday."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>25-03-2011, 15:19:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree felt like an idiot when all he did was plug the damn thing back in. "Oooppps,&nbsp; I thought I checked all that. Oh well, thanks for that. Would you like chocolate chip, peanut butter or oatmeal raisin cookies?" Bree giggled once more, she would make him those cookies as a thank you for being a ding a ling. <br><br>"Sunday? That sounds good, I can make it." Bree didn't really have anyone else as a friend but Ali and she was already invited. "I can't wait, thank you for inviting me." Bree flashed a sweet smile and began working again. He was so easy to talk to, and Bree was happy to make a new friend in Jim.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>28-03-2011, 22:48:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>He spent a bit of time in his office checking over all of the reports that still had to be filed. He saw that the new girls were making quite a dent in all of the work that the department was involved in. He was proud of them. It brought a big smile to his face. Their second day and their were already working up to efficiency. He looked out of his office and saw their cubicles. He could not see them directly though he could see just a bit of Ali's hair.<br><br>He had talked to Bree earlier this morning, so it was time to go talk to Ali. He got up from his desk after logging out of his computer. He took a quick moment to look over himself before he left. He walked over to her cubicle. He put his hand on her shoulder. "Hey Ali, how goes it?" Will asked. He had a smile already on his face for when she turned to face him. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>28-03-2011, 22:53:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali</strong><br><br>Ali had been working ever since Jim left her cubicle and, true to her word, she always did the best she could at any job she held. What helped her focus was the music on her iPod, she had one earbud in and it was playing quietly, but she was mouthing the words while she worked. <br><br>She felt someone's hand on her shoulder and turned to see who it was. She smiled when she saw it was Will. "Hey Will, everything's going pretty well. How about you?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>29-03-2011, 21:04:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>As always, Will was struck by Ali's beauty. He took a moment to appreciate it before he spoke again. He had no idea why a pretty girl like her was stuck here in an office job. She seemed like the type of girl that belonged on a runway strutting all of the latest fashions. Yet here she sat in front of him, working a simple nine to five job. He finally got the chance to speak as he was able to fully process her.<br><br>"I am doing good. You and Bree are doing quite well here. If you keep it up then soon you will be a permanent member rather just an intern. It would be very nice to have both of you here in the office." Will said. He was looking straight into her eyes while he said this. He wanted her to know that he was absolutely sincere with it.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>29-03-2011, 21:13:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali</strong><br><br>Ali couldn't help but smile when she noticed Will appreciating her beauty, but she'd try her best not to flirt because Bree was so into him. At times, she had to think about why she was still in this town and there was only one answer, Bree. Ali couldn't imagine not being able to see and talk to her best friend every day.<br><br>"That's great. Thank you and that would be nice." She smiled. "Oh, Will. Jim's having this poker night on Sunday, you should come. It'll be fun." Her gaze was locked into his as he looked into her eyes, she didn't mean for it to happen, but it did.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>29-03-2011, 21:50:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=100402.msg4419764#msg4419764">Quote from: lovelygirl on 25-03-2011, 15:19:24</a></div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">Bree felt like an idiot when all he did was plug the damn thing back in. "Oooppps,&nbsp; I thought I checked all that. Oh well, thanks for that. Would you like chocolate chip, peanut butter or oatmeal raisin cookies?" Bree giggled once more, she would make him those cookies as a thank you for being a ding a ling. <br><br>"Sunday? That sounds good, I can make it." Bree didn't really have anyone else as a friend but Ali and she was already invited. "I can't wait, thank you for inviting me." Bree flashed a sweet smile and began working again. He was so easy to talk to, and Bree was happy to make a new friend in Jim.<br></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br>Jim asked Bree, "I don't want be offensive, so take this as a legitimate question from a guy who really is just trying to be polite.&nbsp; Do you know how to play poker?&nbsp; I only ask, because I don't want you to feel like you'll be out of your element.&nbsp; I want everybody to have fun and if we have to play UNO, then that's what we'll do."&nbsp; Jim grimaced a little internally.&nbsp; He did it again, stupid words just naturally came out of his mouth.&nbsp; He hoped he didn't insinuate too much that she was a little kid or something.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>29-03-2011, 22:05:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>"I would swing by but I have to go talk to Jim about it first. I would not just show up to anyone's house announced or anything like that." Will said. He wondered what Ali's taste in men was. Could it be a dependable guy like Jim who seemed to always be there when you called for him. Or was it more like himself, who would be there for you to support you no matter what and even if you did not want his help. He could not make that determination on his own because he was too into Bree at the moment to be his normal super observant self to try and figure it out on his own.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>29-03-2011, 22:13:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree cocked her head to the side a played along, those are the cards that are red and black right, the ones with a little picture of a king, a queen and a jack right? I think I know poker." She laughed at him, "Why is it everyone thinks I'm a shut in? I do know how to play poker and you don't have to play Uno on my account.&nbsp; I don't live under a rock you know." She laughed at him, but part of her was still a little hurt that he would have asked that. I guess because she wasn't outgoing Ali, they thought Bree didn't know how to have fun.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>29-03-2011, 22:41:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali</strong><br><br>If Bree hadn't been so into Will and she wasn't so into Jim, Ali could see herself being into Will, but things were the way they were and she was happy with them.&nbsp; "You know, I didn't really think about that." She laughed softly and smiled. "Sometimes, I don't think everything I say through all the way. I think Bree's coming, too."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>29-03-2011, 22:54:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim at Bree's desk</strong><br><br>Jim hung his head a little.&nbsp; "I am very sorry, I just say stupid things sometimes when a pretty girl flusters me.&nbsp; I didn't mean to insult your intelligence or anything.&nbsp; I'm not going to lie, my own sister who is a little older than you has no clue how to play poker and so I didn't want to assume..."&nbsp; Jim wasn't sure if this was helping or digging his hole a little bit deeper.&nbsp; "Anyway, ignoring my complete inability to act like a rational person, I hope you will still come by."<br><br>"Unfortunately, well, fortunately, really, I guess...but unfortunately your computer problem was a quickie and since it is solved, I have to be getting back to IT.&nbsp; Hopefully, we'll talk again soon.&nbsp; Even if you have to unplug your printer."&nbsp; Jim tried to lighten the mood, hoping he didn't come off like an idiot.&nbsp; And then Jim was off - back to the secret laboratories of the IT team.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>29-03-2011, 23:02:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>"It is okay. I understand how mistakes like that can happen. But don't worry I will ask Jim about it." Will told her as he looked over to her computer screen. It seemed she was still quite active and was doing good on her share of the work for the day. Ali seemed like a very hard working girl that he could count on. He was definitely going to recommend to his boss to hire her as a permanent hire if she could keep this up for a little while.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>30-03-2011, 02:43:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He called her pretty, Jim called her pretty and Bree didn't hear anything after that. He was so sweet and she hoped Ali kept this one. He would be good for Ali, he was kind, a little bumbling, but he was sweet and would take good care of Ali If she let him. <br><br>"No worries, I'll be there Sunday, thanks for no thinking I'm an idiot for the whole monitor plug thing. I'll talk to you later." Bree watched him head off and continued her work. <br><br>The day flew by for her and before she knew it, there was only fifteen minutes left in the day. She had finished all her work and was ready to leave. Now she just had to wait for that clock to strike five. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>30-03-2011, 02:54:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali<br><br><br>Ali smiled at Will as he spoke and he was just the kind of guy that Bree needed, he was nice and genuinely cared about people. She glanced over at her screen as he did and smiled again, she was almost done. "Okay, well, I should get back to work. See you later, Will." Ali flashed him a genuine smile, he was nice and okay, maybe she was attracted to him. He was hot, but she had no plans of going after him.<br><br>She had already finished everything by 4:30 and was waiting for the end of the day. Ali was trying to figure out what to tell Bree about where she'd be running off to on Saturday, maybe she didn't have to tell her anything, but she might ask so she decided she better think of something.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>30-03-2011, 19:59:30</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali at home, getting ready for her 'night out'</strong><br><br>Ali had been excited about this all week, even though she knew she totally should have never agreed to this, but a chance to make $1500 in one night was just too good to pass up. She showered, had gotten waxed yesterday so everything was perfectly smooth and getting out of the shower, she toweled off. Blow-drying her hair and curling sections of it so her hair was a mix of soft curls and waves as it flowed down her back. She put some make-up on, not too much to where she'd look like some trashy whore you picked up on a corner, she was a call girl...it was more dignified. Looking into the mirror, she smiled as she looked absolutely flawless.<br><br>Walking out of the bathroom, Ali opened the closet that Bree had never seen, it had all of her lingerie in it and she had a lot of that. She settled on a black lace and mesh teddy, she pulled it on slowly and smiled as all the memories came back to her, yes, there had been some bad experiences but Ali honestly loved sex. She loved the seduction, the slow lingering burn and build-up of the passion that could be found with certain people, and sometimes she liked it when someone would just take her for their own and ravage her without her really having to do a thing to initiate the act. She slid the black mesh stockings up her legs and stepped into the black, lace-trimmed stilettos. This was her element and she felt completely at home, ever since she'd stopped doing this job she'd always felt a little lost. Closing the door on that life seemed like a mistake since she was so comfortable doing this and she knew that tonight would probably make her want to open back up for business because when you were in the oldest profession in the world, business was always good. She shut the door to the closet and then stepped over to the other closet to find something to wear over it.<br><br>She pulled on a light blue dress and zipped it up, Ali grinned when she saw that it fit her better than ever before, clinging to every one of her gorgeous curves perfectly and making her cleavage look delicious, almost..almost threatening to spill over the top of the dress. The hem came down to rest a few inches above her knees.<br><br>She wondered if she should call Bree to let her know that she wouldn't be home tonight, if she asked, Ali would just tell her that she was going out. <br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>30-03-2011, 21:07:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Bree excited for her 'big surprise'</strong><br><br>She had planned it all week, make a home cooked dinner for Will and deliver it to him to show him how special he was to her. The week seemed to move so slow, that when Saturday came, Bree was overly excited to surprise him. <br><br>She made Chicken Marsala&nbsp; and some baby red potatoes to go with it. She worked hard, making sure everything would turn out right. She felt bad not telling Ali, but Bree wanted it to be a surprise and she would fill Ali in later with all the details. <br><br>Once everything was in the oven, she rushed to the shower. She finished quickly and let her hair dry, her chestnut mane falling over her shoulders. She did her makeup and smiled, she liked the way she looked. Bree slipped into a lavender dress that was perfect for her, demure and still pretty. <br><br>She heard the oven timer go off and she turned everything off. She packaged it up in a nice dish, happy that she was going to surprise him. She spied Ali from he window leaving and assumed she was going to meet up with Jim. Ali looked gorgeous and Jim was very lucky to have found Ali, and vice versa. <br><br>Bree got everything ready and packed her car once Ali left. She would wait a bit longer, nerves getting the best of her before she decided to go and surprise him. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>04-04-2011, 00:26:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>He left Ali when she said that she wanted to get back to work. Will had his own work to attend to. it was not much considering how much he had gotten done the night before but it was still enough to keep him busy. He was really focused on his work for that day after he had finished talking with Ali and Bree. And surprisingly he got a lot of it done even for the next day. He was very proud of himself. Doing it this meant that he would not be distracted by work when Saturday rolled around. Yet, Will knew that he would be thinking about it in one for or another. He was like that. Work never truly left his brain. It was like it couldn't. Not even when he was resting would he truly ever forget about work.<br><br>The rest of the work week went without hiccups, except for one thing. Will found out that he had a big presentation on Monday on the efficiency of his department. He found out on Friday evening just as he was leaving the office. This made him really want to cancel Saturday. Kyle was even called about it and even Kyle did not listen. Will was screwed. He was really going to have to go through Saturday while his mind was only focused on work and nothing else. He wished there was someone he could rely on to help him. Jim came to mind. But he was not going to take Jim's Saturday. It was bad enough that he was going to have to tell Bree that he was not going to the poker night on Sunday.<br><br>When Saturday did begin, Will was doing his best to try and get in contact with Kyle. Time was running out for him to cancel. But as a precaution, Kyle did not answer any of Will's calls to dissuade him from continuing the night. Will gave up around noon and just sat at his desk in his office and started to type out the presentation as fast as he could. He was going at a blazing speed as he was trying to make up for the time he was about to miss for the night. He got about three-fourths of the way done when he heard Kyle come into his house. He had used a spare key that Will had given him. He was carrying three bottles of liquor and he had a duffel bag over his shoulder that looked like it was filled with stuff.<br><br>Will came out of his office and saw Kyle standing there in his living room with all of this stuff. He looked over at Kyle who gave Will a devious smile. Will knew he was in for an interesting night but still he tried to run for it. He tried to slam his office door int time to shut Kyle out. But Kyle burst through it like it was nothing. Will fell to the ground as his friend pulled out some rope from under his sleeve.<br><br>"Will, I am not going to let you get all tied up with work tonight. You are going to enjoy yourself whether you want to or not." Kyle said as he struggled with Will to get his hands. Will gave him a quick punch in the face but it was used against him as Kyle used it to grab his wrist and slip a rope around it. Will was struggling to not have his other wrist tied. But it still happened and Kyle got it. He tied Will's hands up and then gave him a quick hit to the head. Will was out like a light. He cursed under his breath as he lost consciousness.<br><br>Will woke up a few hours later in complete darkness, feeling that he was strapped to a chair. Wait, it was not complete darkness, it was a blind fold. Kyle had blindfolded him and tied him up to a chair. Will shook his head. Kyle was just sitting on the couch behind Will. He saw as his friend woke up. "It is going to be alright. The girl has not even shown up yet. But don't worry my friend, I will have her come over to you first. I have always wondered what it would be like to watch a girl rape a guy before. But then again you can't rape the willing, right Will?" Kyle said as he took another sip from his glass.<br><br>Will just let out a sigh. What had he done to deserve this? He was just trying to work out in getting a good job and setting up his future. He said nothing to his friend. There was nothing to say. Will was about to have fun whether he wanted to or not.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>05-04-2011, 00:19:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali headed to her 'date'</strong><br><br>Ali drove over to the address she was given and she parked a few blocks down so nobody knew who she was or anything. She walked down to the right house and knocked on the door, a man came to the door and invited her in. She walked in with him and smiled as she looked around, her smile kind of dropped when she saw the other man tied to a chair. She didn't really recognize who he was until she got closer to him. It was Will, her freaking boss and the man her best friend was almost head over heels for. Should she just leave or should she stay and make her money?<br><br>Ali hoped that maybe he wouldn't recognize her right away and she could just leave, but it's $1500 so she decided to stay and see what would happen. She had no idea that Bree was on her way with a dinner she'd cooked for Will and how devastated her friend would be when she found that Ali was here wearing what she was wearing and why she was there.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>05-04-2011, 01:13:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>He could sense that a girl was in the room by the little clicks her heels made along his wooden floor. She smelled like something beautiful. He took deep whiffs of the new aroma. It was nice but it seemed kind of familiar. He had no idea where he had smelled it before. But it was from somewhere. Will struggled a bit against his bonds to the chair. They did not budge at all. He was stuck there to the chair with no way to see what was going on in the world around him. "Kyle, come on let me go."<br><br>"Nah, aint going to happen. Ali, darling I am sorry about my friend over there. He just needs to learn to have fun. So how about you go and motivate him." Kyle said as he slipped all of the money into the palm of her hand. He wondered what the sexy temptress was going to do to get his friend to stop protesting. He gave her a light spank on her ass to get her more motivated into action.<br><br>"Do you want to have something to drink while you work?" Kyle said as he moved over to the bar to pull out the drinks he had put in the fridge there to cool. He had all kinds of assortments of drinks. He looked over to her as he lifts out the bottles of liquor.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>05-04-2011, 01:30:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali</strong><br><br>Ali looked around slightly and smiled as Kyle spanked her ass, she walked over to Will and settled down into his lap. "Hey there. It wasn't very nice of him to tie you to a chair and blindfold you, I'm sorry for that, but if I untie you and take the blindfold off you have to promise that you'll have a good time, okay?" Ali whispered into his ear before leaving a trail of kisses along his neck up to his earlobe and nibbling at it softly.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>05-04-2011, 01:59:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>"Don't. He stays tied and blindfolded. He will run if you don't. Will has quite an indomitable fortitude. And since this is his home turf I would much rather not have to catch him again." Kyle said with a slight slur in his voice. It was obvious that he was a little buzzed by the looks of things. He had been drinking ever since he had tied Will up. He had been there having a good time. He was not going to have Will spoiling his fun and killing the mood with work of all things. There was a time for work and a time for play. And this was play time.<br><br>"Damn it Kyle." Will said as he struggled against his bonds a little more. She was close now. He could tell. Her body heat seemed to be calling him to her. Will still was resisting. He was not going to give into what Kyle wanted. Will shook his head as if to literally shake the thoughts of sex from his mind. He could not pull it off too well. She was still there with that heavenly scent.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>05-04-2011, 02:27:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali</strong><br><br>Ali sighed softly and smiled just slightly. "Looks like I'm not allowed to untie you or anything, but we can still have some fun." She said this loud enough for Kyle to hear, but then leaned into whisper into Will's ear again--so Kyle couldn't hear-- "or you could always just tell your friend to leave and you could have me all to yourself..." It wasn't always about sex in this line of work, sometimes companionship or just hanging out was what a client wanted.<br><br>She was turned on already, it was kind of hot seeing someone all tied up...made her really miss this job, a lot of people in this town liked to be tied up, but the thought of actually being able to let loose with someone that had no expectations of her to call them back or want to hang out with them again. Ali smiled to herself and turned herself around to where she was slightly straddling him before pressing her lips to him, she let the kiss linger before pulling her mouth from his.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>05-04-2011, 03:22:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree was in such a great mood as she packed the dish into the car. She was excited to surprise Will this way, to just show up with a nice home cooked meal. She was giddy with excitement, not knowing at this very moment her best friend was seducing him right behind Bree's back. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>05-04-2011, 06:10:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>Will listened to her voice intently, it was very familiar, extremely familiar in fact. And then his mind connected a name to a face. It was Ali, the girl from work. She was Bree's best friend. This made Will struggle like no other. He was trying to pull himself off the chair by force. Kyle ran over to him and just wondered about this sudden violent reaction. "Ali, stop with the formalities do whatever you can to get him hard and quiet. Use whatever force you can to get him to shut up." Kyle said. Will was more or less growling.<br><br>"Ali?" he said as he pulled forward a bit. He definitely could not continue with this if it was Ali. There was no way he could do that to Bree. And why the hell was Ali a call girl? She was definitely better than this. He knew that she was.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>05-04-2011, 06:55:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali</strong><br><br>Ali knew that he recognized her, she probably should've changed her voice up a bit to where he couldn't but she didn't think of it. Her hands ran down his body and rested against the waistband of his pants. One slipped down to let her fingers run along the outline of his cock while she leaned into kiss his neck. "Just go with it, everything's going to be totally fine. Nobody ever has to know if that's what you want."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>05-04-2011, 11:41:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>Now, that he knew who it was it was easy to imagine what she looked like and match it up with what he could feel that she was doing. He tried to resist the feeling of her fingers around his cock but he could not avoid hardening under her touch. Ali was a beautiful woman. He knew and she definitely knew from the way she dressed at work. So it was only natural for his body to want hers. He was having great trouble working on stopping the reactions his body was so keen to jump into. He stopped trying to physically resist and instead was having a bit of a mental battle with himself. He was not going to hurt Bree. But here was Ali fondling his cock telling him that all would be okay if he just let go and let her do it. He had a bad feeling about that. And Will usually trusted his gut.<br><br>"Okay, I give." Will said. Kyle looked at his friend. He was not sure he could believe him. Will was a good liar and had a great poker face. Kyle kissed the back of Ali's neck and worked his way to the side of it where he gave her a little nibble. He let his mouth trail across her skin, giving her light kisses as he moved up her neck and then to her ear lobe where he gave it a bit of a nibble and a few licks of it. He stopped there to tell her this in a whisper, "I am not going to let him go just yet, but feel free to get him out of his pants. Just as I am about to get you out of these." At the last word she would feel his hand brush up against her thigh and higher up her leg till he got to the waist band of her panties. One good hard pull and they were off of her, balled up in his hand. Kyle took a whiff of them before dangling them in front of Will's face.<br><br>Will smelled the scent of a woman's arousal just in front of his face. He took a big whiff of it. So this was what Ali's pussy smelled like. Will liked it. He wished he could smell it more but Kyle pulled the panties away and pocketed them quickly. His hands went to Ali's back, he unzipped the back of her dress and saw the ties that belonged to the bustier. He worked on undoing the ropes. It did not take him long to go rope by rope to get her breasts free of it. He reached through her dress and he grabbed them. He started to knead them and feel their smooth texture under his hands.<br><br>After he got the general feel of her breasts he began to twist and play with her nipples. He was going to get her all nice and excited. He had big plans for her, during the night. He played with them for a little while till he felt them perk up under his touches. He reached back under her dress and inserted two fingers inside of her. He moved them in and out of her as quickly as he could to get her even wetter than she already was. He pulled them out and licked his fingers.<br><br>"You taste really good. Now get him good and hard and motivated and ride him like there is no tomorrow. By the way, once he is fully inside of you, you can remove the blindfold." Kyle said as he walked away from her. He was looking for the bottle of lube that he had brought. He found it not to far from where he was, on the living room floor in the duffel bag.<br><br>"Ali, go ahead and do it. I want you to. Just please, don't tell Bree." Will begged after he head his friend walk away from them. He knew that soon he was going to be inside of Ali. And he really looked forward to it even though he felt like he was betraying Bree. He was a guy and he had no way out. Ali was beautiful, smart, funny, and friendly. If he did not know better he would say that they were extremely similar and that they would make a good match. But he liked Bree. Ali was only going to be his lover for now. In a situation that neither of them had control over yet. at least for him, the desire for her was extremely high.<br><br>Kyle walks back towards Ali and Will. He walks up behind Ali and unzips his pants. He rubs a lot of lube on his dick, then he moves her skirt up so that he coated he second hole with it. He coated one of his fingers with lube and pressed it in her ass. He was not going to hurt her. In fact, he wanted this to be very pleasurable for her.<br><br>"Ever been double penetrated before? If not now is a good time to try it." Kyle said.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>05-04-2011, 13:07:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree pulled up in front of Will's house, ready to surprise him. She got out and pulled the dish put as well. She slowly walked up to the front door, hoping he was home. She took a minute to look down, make sure she looked nice enough for him before going up to his door. She hesitated, maybe he wasn't home....
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>05-04-2011, 18:13:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali</strong><br><br>Ali smiled when she heard that he could take his blindfold off, she didn't like not being able to see someone's eyes when she was with them. She undid his pants and lifted up enough to where she could get them down enough and lowered herself back onto him. She reached around to take the blindfold off and looked into those gorgeous blue eyes of his. "None of this will ever leave my lips, I can promise you that Will." <br><br>She wanted him so bad and hated that she was doing this to her best friend, but he'd just told her to and she wasn't going to disappoint anyone. Ali knew that Will wanted her, physically anyways, and that was all that mattered right now. Her hips lowered until they met his and she liked what she felt. She reached around to work on untying the rope, not caring what Kyle said about this, hands-free was always better. Her hips slowly moved up and down along his hard shaft, pulling up until he was almost all the way out of her and then sliding back down, it was torturously slow for her so she couldn't even imagine how it would be for him.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>05-04-2011, 18:57:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree finally got up the courage to knock on the door. She had heard another guys voice, maybe Will had company. She shrugged her shoulders and knocked once more, if he did have company, she would just give him the meal and leave. She was bummed, she thought she would have had some alone time with him. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>08-04-2011, 09:52:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kyle pushed himself into Ali's ass slowly making sure not to cause pain. This was going to be one of his best days ever, he just hoped it was for her as well as Will. Kyle placed his hands on her ass to make sure he had a good grip as well as being able to gauge himself in how he was entering her. Her ass was tight as expected as he entered. He was going painfully slow due to her tightness. He was going to get there, he knew that. It was just going to take a little bit.<br><br>Will on the other hand was engrossed in being pulled inside of Ali. She was going so slow which meant he could feel every little ripple or tingle of her folds. He let out a moan as she did this. He was not used to going so slowly he was so used to just thrusting himself inside and going at a rather quick pace from there. But this was good, no it was better than good. It was fantastic. He had never experienced something like this before.<br><br>He was looking deep into her eyes, those beautiful blue eyes that seemed to just call him to her. He could look in those eyes all day. He thought of Bree for a moment as he focused on Ali's eyes. He hoped that she never learned of this moment. If she did then he would see those eyes cry and he did not want to ever see that happen. But for now, his mind had to get off the subject of Bree and get on Ali. And there they were going to stay.<br><br>Once his hands were free, he reached up and grabbed Ali by the hair as he pulled her down to try and kiss her. He desired to taste her lips. To know her even more intimately than he did now. It was as if Kyle was not there at all. To Will, it was just him and Ali having sex here in his living room. It felt right, even though they both could hurt someone they care about if she ever found out. Will , at least, did not care about that at the moment. He just wanted to be with Ali. He wanted to pleasure her, to make her feel good, to make her feel satisfied by him.<br><br>Kyle, by this point was well inside of her ass and was working her with speed in sharp contrast to the slow speed with which she was going with Will. He had no way to know if he was hurting her or not. So he felt it was okay to go faster. And he was. Somehow he had heard a slight knock at the door it was not like he was expecting anything but he had no idea if Will was going to surprise them with another girl or something. Maybe Will had just been hesitant as a ruse till his call girl arrived. At this thought he felt something occur much earlier than he had thought. he did not want to cum this fast but the thought that he could be fucking two girls at once was just too stimulating a thought for him to have any kind of endurance at all.<br><br>"Fuck! Cummin!" Kyle yelled out.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>08-04-2011, 13:53:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree heard some one yell "Come in," and so she slowly turned the door knob. Balancing the dish with one hand, she slowly pushed the door open to enter Will's house. She took a step in and looked up, she couldn't believe what she saw- Ali, sandwiched between Will and some guy. <br><br>The looks on their faces, the&nbsp; passion and lust, the want between them. Bree bit her lip as tears formed in her eyes. The one guy she actually fell for was fucking her best friend. Her best friend, the one she stuck by through everything. The friend that was taking away all hopes of ever loving Will. She was in shock and dropped the meal on the floor, the glass shattering in a million pieces. <br><br>She didn't say a word but a thousand thoughts ran through her mind, Ali couldn't le Bree have this one thing, and Will was just like every other man out there, going for the sexy siren and not the sweet girl. Bree turned and ran to her car, jumping in and speeding away from the scene that was now emblazoned in her mind. <br><br>She flew back home, running in, straight to her bed. She was hurt and hated both of them, Ali had ruined their friendship and she never wanted to see Will again. Bree cried her eyes out, she was alone, the one person she always turned to was now the one that betrayed her. Bree felt like someone had shot her in the heart and she was bleeding to death. <br><br>She couldn't get that sight out of her mind as she continued to cry, turning off her phone. There was no way she wanted&nbsp; any kind of explanation or excuses from either of them. Nothing they could say would ever bring comfort to her. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>09-04-2011, 00:22:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali felt Kyle ease himself into her ass, she'd done anal before...hell, she liked it, but it had been a while since she'd last done it with someone and she bit down at her lip slightly as he started moving in and out of her. She could feel what Kyle was doing to her, but all that mattered to her at the moment was what she was sharing with Will. <br><br>They were looking into each other's eyes and, for a second, she almost let herself feel something for him. Ali knew that she had to try to keep this as 'professional' as she could and couldn't allow herself to get caught up in any kind of romantic feelings for him, that was the first rule you learned as a call girl and she had learned it the hard way when she was 16. It hadn't been fun then and it sure as hell wouldn't be fun this time around, especially considering that Bree was already head over heels for this man.<br><br>Ali sped her hips up a little and slowly rolled her stomach to where each time their hips met, it would be a little bit harder. She felt Will grab her hair, oh she really liked that, and pulled her down for a kiss. She felt Kyle reach his orgasm and basically explode inside of her ass, but she wasn't thinking about that right now. Will's lips were mere inches from hers and she wanted to taste them, but before she could, there was the sound of glass shattering and a broken sob. Ali's head whipped around, it had scared the hell out of her and when she saw her best friend staring at them in shock, saw the tears welling up in Bree's eyes...she knew that she'd went way past any line than she could've ever imagined crossing, that meant that to Bree, Ali was pretty much dead now and the lifelong friendship was shattered along with the shards of glass on the floor.<br><br>"No, no, no...no, this cannot be happening." Was all that left Ali's mouth and she reached back to try to push Kyle off of her. "Please get off of me, I can't do this...I have to go. I'm sorry, Will, but I have to go now." She knew that Bree wouldn't want to see her or talk to her, but she had to try...she just had to. <br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>09-04-2011, 00:54:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kyle backed away as soon as he heard the glass shatter. There was no need to tell him twice as he watched as the beautiful Bree ran out of the apartment. He stood there with a very questioning look on his face. He had no idea what had just happened and why someone had come in and just dropped a dish to the floor. But there seemed to be some kind of significance to it for Will and Ali as he looked back over to Will and saw his shocked face. Will had officially screwed the pooch with the whole thing. He was never going to get Bree now. He was never going to bring down that shell of hers. It was bad enough that he was going to have to be her boss on Monday.<br><br>Will allowed Ali to get off of him. He knew it was only first for her to be able to go to Bree and try to cheer her up. He had already hurt Bree enough already he was not going to keep the only person who could possibly cheer her up from her. His glare turned to Kyle. It was all his fault. All of this tragedy had been all of his fault just like all the other tragedies of Will's life were.<br><br>"Go to her, Ali. And tell her I am sorry. " Will said.<br>&nbsp;<br>He had to get away from seeing them everyday. He had not yet the set the wheels in motion to avoid having to see them at work. But with the presentation with all of his bosses on Monday morning, it would not be hard to sweet talk them into the promotion they had so wanted to give him. He knew they had been waiting for the next work evaluation for that to occur but he could always smooth talk them into it. He hoped he could. He did not want to hurt Bree or Ali any more than he already had.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>09-04-2011, 01:18:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali got off of Will as quickly as was possible and pulled her dress back on, she reached into Kyle's jeans to grab her panties and slid them on. Screw the bustier, she didn't have time for all those laces right now, she needed to get to Bree's as fast as she could. She ran out of Will's apartment, avoiding the glass, and down to her car. Jumping inside, Ali sped over to Bree's house, she honestly didn't know how she saw well enough to drive with the tears steadily streaming down her face. She'd cut her best friend to the core and it broke her heart that she was enough of a bitch to do that, Bree had always been there for her and how did Ali repay her? By sleeping with the one person that was off-limits to her, it didn't matter that Kyle basically forced them to, she'd still done it. She hadn't even taken the money because it was the farthest thing from her mind right now.<br><br>She knocked on Bree's door for the longest time before finally grabbing the spare key that was underneath a brick by the porch. Unlocking the door, Ali opened it slowly and she could hear Bree crying from down here, which only made more tears escape from her eyes...she had fucked up, worse than she'd ever fucked up before and there was no way to know if Bree would or even could ever forgive her, but she had to try. <br><br>She quickly made her way up the stairs, walked down to Bree's room and just stood in the doorway. Ali opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was a broken sob as she very slowly moved over to her best friend's bed. If she got hit, she would gladly welcome it and take it. The way she was feeling right now, Bree could stab her or something of the like and it would be nothing compared to the pain she felt knowing that it was her fault that the one person's, that had never wavered or left her in her life, heart was obliterated.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>09-04-2011, 01:52:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She hadn't heard the click of the door, she only felt the weight on the bed as Ali came close to her. Bree looked up at Ali, " Get out of my house, get out now! You think I want to see you Ali? You think I want you in my room? My house? Get away from me Ali, I never want to see your face again! how dare you take the one thing I wanted away from me. God I never knew you could be so jealous, so spiteful. You ge any guy you want, figures you would want the one that I fell for."<br><br>Bree pushed Ali away and turned back to her pillow, "Get out and never speak to me again, ever." Bree cried to The point she was hyperventilating. She didn't care if she saw Ali ever again, this friendship was over.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>09-04-2011, 02:13:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I don't want Will, Bree." Ali sighed softly. "Some guy named Kyle called me and asked me if I'd spend a night with him and his friend for $1500, stupidly, I said that I would. I had no idea that his friend was Will, not even when I got there, Kyle had tied him to a chair and blindfolded him. He didn't look like a guy who took no for an answer, so I did what he told me to do. By the time I could see that it was Will, Kyle was already inside me. I know that nothing I say or do can ever take back any of what just happened. I know that it was wrong. It was stupid and heartless and an act of total bitchiness. Bree, I'm sorry. Hit me, cut me, knock me the fuck out, just please talk to me." There was nothing that could stop the tears falling from Ali's eyes and there was nothing that could stop the pain that Bree was experiencing, but she had to try everything she could. She could not lose Bree, nothing else in her life mattered if the person she loved more than anybody in the entire world wasn't talking to her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>09-04-2011, 03:19:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree turned back to Ali, "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Bree didn't care about some dumb explanation that Ali was giving her, she saw the look on both Will and Ali's face as they fucked each other, they knew exactly what they were doing. She saw the passion in their faces for each other. That was something that could not be denied or lied away. <br><br>Bree didn't care how Ali felt, her friend just could not bear it that she actually had feelings for a guy. Ali wasn't the center&nbsp; of attention and it killed her. Killed her to the point she had to fuck her best friends crush. "Leave Ali, I never want to see you again. Get out and leave me alone, I don't want you in my house!" She just wanted Ali to go, and didn't want Ali near her at all. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>09-04-2011, 03:34:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali knew that Bree was serious about this, but she wasn't going anywhere. She stood up, walked to Bree's bedroom door and sat down with her back against the wall. "I'm not leaving until you talk to me, Bree, actually talk to me. I know you hate me, I hate me. I'm not asking for your forgiveness because I know it would be pointless, I'm just asking...I'm begging you to talk to me." Ali was serious about this, she was desperate for this and all she wanted was a chance at redemption. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>09-04-2011, 03:53:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"You don't get to beg for anything here, you don't deserve my words, you're a traitor Ali. Either leave my house or I swear I will call the police and have you dragged out of here for trespassing. You don't get to call the shots, that's all you've ever done, take the lead, I'm done, get out Ali before I have you taken out." There was so much hate and hurt, Bree wanted Ali to just leave her alone to grieve. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>09-04-2011, 04:03:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I know you won't believe me, but I love you." Ali leaned her head back against the wall. "I would've happily let you take the lead, Bree, you just never would. Call the cops, there's nothing worse than what's happening right now and nothing matters to me anymore. You hate me, there's nothing worse than that. Call the cops, slap me, hit me, make me bleed. I won't fight anything, if it makes you feel better then do it."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>09-04-2011, 04:11:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"You don't get to play the martyr here Ali, make it look like we should all feel bad because you screwed up again. You love me, than honor my wishes and leave, or Ali, I swear-" Bree got up and opened her bedroom door, "Get out Ali, give me my key and leave, I am no longer your friend and I am not bluffing, leave on your own now." Tears streamed down her face and her eyes were blazing red from crying. She didn't look Ali in the eyes and motioned her out the door.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>09-04-2011, 04:23:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"That's not what I'm trying to do Bree. I know I fucked up bad, really bad." Ali looked up at Bree. "and I don't expect anyone to feel bad for me, I don't deserve it." She stood up and looked out the door, then she looked at Bree. "I do love you and I'm sorry for fucking everything up. Here's your key." She handed Bree the house key. "Before I leave, would you just please hit me or something? I know you want to."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>09-04-2011, 04:33:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree took the key and looked away from Ali. No way was she going to give Ali what she wanted, to bit her. No, Bree was going to let Ali stew in her guilt. She would not give Ali the satisfaction of being hit. She waited for Ali to leave and then fell back on her bed crying, her heart shattered into little pieces. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>09-04-2011, 04:46:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali knew that Bree wouldn't hit her, she didn't have it in her and she didn't want to do anything that Ali wanted. She stepped through the doorway and glanced back at Bree. "I love you Bree. Bye." She walked out of the house slowly, locking the door behind her and walking across the street to her own house.&nbsp; The hate she felt for herself was unbearable, but the fact that she'd emotionally killed Bree was even worse than that. Ali walked inside of her house and grabbed a bottle of whiskey before going back outside to sit on her porch, where she proceeded to drink the entire bottle. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>09-04-2011, 04:51:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She cried her eyes out, hurt beyond belief. Betrayed by someone she felt like was a sister to her, destroyed by the one man she opened herself up to. She thought he was different, kind like her, but when it came down to it Will like all the rest, hooked on the sexy girl that put out. <br><br>Bree reached for her phone and texted the one person who would be as hurt ad she. "Jim, can't make it tomorrow. So sorry." Bree sent her text and then cried herself to sleep for the night. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>09-04-2011, 05:03:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She had dealt Bree the ultimate betrayal and knew there was no way to redeem herself from that. Maybe one day it would happen, but not anytime soon and she'd just have to accept that. Ali was beyond drunk right now and she grabbed her phone to text Jim. "I'm not gonna be able to come to the poker night, but would it be okay if I came over to talk to you about something tomorrow?" She knew that she'd have to go through telling the truth about her past again, but she didn't care about that right now. Ali was through with lying and she was definitely through with the call girl thing, it brought nothing but trouble and pain.<br><br>She texted Will next. "She won't talk to me, I tried. I'm sorry."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>09-04-2011, 06:19:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim felt his phone vibrate and would have looked at it right away, but it was in his pocket and he was currently carrying a couch into the house of his friend.&nbsp; So it was a few minutes before he got to check out the message, during which another text came in.&nbsp; Jim had no idea who was texting him at this time of night, he didn't usually get many texts outside of work.&nbsp; He opened the first:<br><br><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=100402.msg4482103#msg4482103">Quote from: lovelygirl on 09-04-2011, 04:51:34</a></div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">"Jim, can't make it tomorrow. So sorry."<br></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br>"Well, that sucks!"&nbsp; Jim said.&nbsp; "What does?" his friend replied.&nbsp; "Oh, nothing, just bad news."&nbsp; Jim didn't want to say what it was because he hadn't invited his friend to poker.&nbsp; Jim opened the second text:<br><br><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=100402.msg4482141#msg4482141">Quote from: GaGa88 on 09-04-2011, 05:03:23</a></div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">"I'm not gonna be able to come to the poker night, but would it be okay if I came over to talk to you about something tomorrow?"<br></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br>This time Jim was able to keep the swearing internal.&nbsp; He was discouraged.&nbsp; Ali and Bree were the whole reason he was having the poker night.&nbsp; Now neither of them were coming.&nbsp; He thought it was kinda rude to cancel this late, but obviously they had gotten some better offer.&nbsp; It was not unexpected.&nbsp; Jim had been through it before.&nbsp; He wasn't really in their league.&nbsp; He sent a text to both of them, "Sorry you guys can't make it, I guess I'll see you Monday."&nbsp; He wasn't going to be rude back, he would be polite.&nbsp; He then sent a text to Ali, "I'm cancelling poker.&nbsp; Which means I no longer have an excuse to skip Aunt Mildred's birthday party, so I won't be around for you to come over, sorry.&nbsp; I'll see you on Monday and we can talk then."&nbsp; Jim was sure that Ali just wanted him to fix something or another and he wasn't about to used like that again.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>09-04-2011, 06:28:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali opened Jim's text and read it, she sighed softly and sent him a text back. "Oh, okay. It's not anything related to technology, I just need someone to talk to. See you Monday, I guess. Have a good night Jim." She set her phone down on the table next to her and curled up as well as she could in the chair on her porch before lighting a cigarette, something she didn't do much, the tears just kept rolling down her face as she was drowning in the guilt of what had happened that night.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>09-04-2011, 06:57:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The moment Ali scurried out of Will's house, Kyle hit the floor from a good hard sock from Will. He was taken by quite the surprise. He just looked up at Will while holding his face. He knew that he was unwanted. He could just see it from the utter rage that was in Will's eyes. Kyle pulled up his pants and ran out of the house, being extra careful not to cut himself on the glass, he did not have to worry about much since he had shoes on but still he avoided it. Will's eyes watched as his friend scurried off and the door slammed shut behind him.<br><br>There was no way to fix it, Will knew that. He had lost all of the cards. Bree most likely hated him, Ali was most likely going to be the next one to join that hate party as she consoled her friend and blamed it all on Will or Kyle. He would have much preferred it if she did. It would at least save her relationship with Bree, or so he hoped. If there was a moment, Will felt so alone it was this moment in his life. He reached into Kyle's duffel bag and pulled out the bottle of rum. He looked at it for a moment and then put it back down. Drinking was not going to be the solution. The only solution he could see was to put distance between him and the girls. <br><br>To do that, he was not going to have to drink, he was going to have to work. He was going to have to work really hard. He walked to his office shut the door and sat at his desk. His current frustration as motivation, he started to write his presentation with a kind of fury that he had never really ever used before. He was going to make this the best presentation he had ever written and get his promotion. He had to. There was no if, ands, or buts about it.<br><br>He saw Ali's text come in after he had worked for a little while. He pulled his phone up off the desk. He read the message and was not exactly sure what to say till he came up with this: "It is not your fault, but mine. I am more sorry than you could ever know. If there is ever anything I could do for you just ask. But for now, just leave her alone and try to reinforce that it was my fault. I don't care if she hates me for that. I just don't want you two to give your friendship over me." He put his phone back down on his desk and continue to&nbsp; work on the presentation.<br><br>He was going to spare them further pain than it seemed he already had. His presentation was going to get him that promotion. He felt it in his bones.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>09-04-2011, 07:10:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali got Will's text and read it over and over again. She couldn't do that, couldn't blame it all on him...she knew what she'd been doing and that it would break her best friend's heart if she ever found out about it. Everything had blown up in her face, she should have just told Kyle no when he'd called her earlier that week. <br><br>She sent a text back, "She doesn't care who's fault it was. Bree's feeling betrayed and it'll probably be a while before she even talks to me again, if she ever does again. It wasn't your fault, though. I knew what it would do to her if she found out and I should have just said no. Maybe it'd be better if I just didn't come back to work."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>09-04-2011, 20:18:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Will kept working at it, but his phone went off again and once again it was from Ali. What he wanted to tell her was not going to be able to properly tell her in a text so he decided to call her. He picked up the phone, hit talk on his phone with her contact name highlighted and heard the phone start to ring.<br><br>(The rest is pulled from IM so that we could move the story forward. GaGa is in red, I am in blue.)<br><br><strong> Ali heard her cell phone ring and she answered it without looking to see who it was. "Hello?" She hoped to God that it was Bree, but she wasn't holding her breath for that.<br><br>&nbsp;He was glad to hear her voice as she picked up rather quickly. "Ali, I know she is hurting and I know you are hurting too. But, I don't want you to lose her. You two have been friends since you could both crawl more or less. And I am not going to let you lose that because of me. So do whatever you can to convince her that I was to blame. And about work, don't leave. I will get you transferred on Monday if you would like, but don't leave. You are literally days from becoming a full worker." Will explained all of this to her in a even tone. But there was some obvious self-loathing in his voice as well as a big helping of sadness.<br><br>&nbsp;She recognized Will's voice and smiled slightly, she shouldn't be this happy to hear his voice but somehow she was. "It's not because of you, though, I figured it was kind of coming for a while. I've always been the one who screwed everything up and Bree was the one who fixed everything. She had to get tired of it, eventually, I don't really blame her. I always mess up everything, I'm just not as strong as she is. I don't think she'd believe me or even care if I did that. I don't wanna do that to you Will and you don't have to transfer me, I'm a big girl and I'm gonna have to suffer for what I did." Ali knew that some of her words were slurred, but she tried to make sure that didn't happen. She heard the self-contempt and sadness in his voice.<br><br>&nbsp;He could tell that she was a little bit drunk, just a little. But still there was some alcohol in her system. "You are strong Ali, never doubt yourself like that again. It is just that you show your strength and thus also your weaknesses. Whereas Bree, is safe behind a wall that she has constructed herself." he paused for a moment before he continued. He was thinking about all of the things he knew about the girls. <br><br>&nbsp;"If she chose to, Bree could totally ruin my life, I don't think she would, but she's really mad and hurt right now. She said that she hates me, the only people that have ever said that to me are my parents. Oh, Jim's not doing the poker thing tomorrow night."<br><br>&nbsp;"She doesn't seem like the type to do anything that rash. And I would take anything she says with a bit of doubt. People say a lot of things when they are hurting. And he isn't, I am assuming both you and Bree canceled then." He took a breath and looked at the presentation that was pretty much finished thanks to his fury. And then he knew the next thing he was going to say was going to be dangerous but he was still going to say it. "Ali, I don't think you should be alone tonight. And I think to be just across the street from her is going to hurt you even more. So, if you want to, I could come pick you up and bring you back here." he cringed as he finished speaking. He knew she could construe it as him wanting sex but that was not the case. He just did not want her to be alone like this.<br><br>&nbsp;"I don't know if that's such a good idea, I'm going to hate being alone tonight but Bree thinks that I'm into you now, I mean, don't get me wrong, you're an amazing guy but I'm interested in Jim. I don't think he's into me though." She did want to go to Will's so she wouldn't have to be alone, but that could make things even worse than they are now.<br><br>&nbsp;"I figured that you were interested in Jim. And I know that matters to you, but I can't have it on my conscious if you get hurt will you are allowed to dwell alone in your house. For now, I have to take care of you because I screwed up your life." He said in a serious tone. He got up from the desk and grabbed his keys. She could probably hear the keys jingle on his side of the line as he headed across the room to his front door.<br><br>&nbsp;She heard his keys jingle and knew he was coming to get her anyways, that made her smile because he was a really sweet guy and she wanted him and Bree to have another chance, she just didn't know if Bree would go for that. "I know you're coming over anyways so I'll be here. Do you mind if I bring my dog with me? She's little and doesn't like staying by herself at night."<br><br>&nbsp;He stopped for a moment as he made it to her car and heard her as she told him that she knew he was on his way. It was the keys that had given him away. Will shook his head for a moment as he unlocked his car door and got into it. "Yes, the dog is fine. I don't mind. Though do give me a chance to clean the glass up before you let her in the house. And get some slothes packed up if you don't mind. I will stay on the phone with you if you like." Will said just as he turned the key and started the engine of the car. He put his phone on speaker and put it in its holder. He then headed on his way to her house.<br><br>"Okay." She got up and walked inside to get some clothes and stuff packed. Walking over to Cleo, she smiled and put some dog food in a little bag so she'd have some food for the night. She forgot that Will was still on the phone as she walked around getting everything ready. "Come on Cleo, we're not gonna stay at home tonight. Okay, does Mama have everything that you need...oh, how could I forget your little toy. Now, where did it go? Got it, come on Cleo,let's go wait outside." Ali picked her up and grabbed her bag to wait out on her porch for Will.<br><br>&nbsp;Will pulled up slowly to her house, with a slight smile on his face as he realized that she had forgotten the phone. He looked out at her and stopped the car. He got out and opened the door for her and her dog. he hoped that Bree was not looking out the window or anything or else he would be in trouble. But as long as he got her in the car and out of here quickly he would be fine. <br></strong><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>10-04-2011, 05:11:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree heard a car pull up, it had startled her from her sleep. She got up and looked out her window, she was shocked at what she saw. Ali heading to Will's car, him almost smiling. She felt stabbed in the heart once more. She texted Will immediately:<br><br>"Will, I resign, thank you for the opportunity you afforded me for a week. I will be looking for employment elsewhere."<br><br>Then a text to Ali:<br><br>"Good luck with Will, guess you deserve him more than I do."<br><br>Then to Jim:<br><br>"Please Jim, I need a friend, Ali, Will, done in my life. Please I need someone to talk to."<br><br>Bree sat on the bed numb, hurt, crushed. It was time to make a change and no longer be the 'good, safe, girl' any longer. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>10-04-2011, 06:48:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>He got a grim look on his face as he closed his cellphone and got Bree's text. He looked out over to her house. He knew that she had seen him. He knew it. And there was nothing he could do about it. He looked over to Ali on the porch and then back over to Bree's house. He throws open his driver side door and&nbsp; runs across the street to Bree's house. He is going to do what Ali would not do for him. He is not going to let her throw it all away because of his fucking mistake.<br><br>He knocks on the door, softly. He calls out to her, "Bree, I forced her. I used her position at work and blackmailed her to do it. I am a horrible person and come Monday, I wont be your boss anymore. So please hate me all you want but forgive her. The only reason I am picking her up is to apologize for what I have done and so that she wont be alone because I hurt her and you. So please forgive her and hate me."<br><br>Will turned from her door. He had said all he needed to say. He had thrown himself down on his sword for Ali and Bree. He only hoped that his gesture was not ignored.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>10-04-2011, 13:58:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree had heard his words and knew they were all a lie. Blackmail? He wasn't capable of blackmail, she knew he was covering for Ali, that he was trying to make Bree forgive her former friend. <br><br>Bree flung open the door and saw him turn away. "You're a liar Will and a bad one at that. I've been friends with Ali a long time, and I know that whatever the truth is, she's the one that had something to do with it. And as for you no longer being my boss, yeah you're right, you're not," Bree gulped with tear filled eyes, "I already told you I quit. The two of you, stop playing the victims here, I'm sick of the pity party because you got caught. You know Will, I was falling for you, yeah, silly me to think you were actually into me. Want to know why I put walls up? It's because of her and how I see how she uses guy after guy. How every guy wants the sexy siren, and not me. Then you came along, you didn't ignore me for her beauty, I thought you liked me. Was it all a game just to get to her? Use the little meek friend to get to the hot one? I thought you were different, kind sweet, caring. Blackmail? Bullshit. Don't protect her for what the two of you did tonight."<br><br>Bree took a pause and tried to gulp back tears. This one man that she was falling in love with was killing her inside. "It's ok, I'm used to everyone wanting her, I just thought you were so much different than other guys." Bree stood there looking into his eyes, hers red and her cheeks tear stained. What hurt the most is that he said he didn't want Ali to be alone, making Bree feel even worse about herself. <br><br>"Go, I wouldn't want the two of you to have to be alone, god forbid either of you have to be alone tonight."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>10-04-2011, 21:11:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>He was already at the curb when Bree came out and spoke to him. He turned and faced her. She was crying and he couldn't comfort her, he couldn't hold her in his arms and tell her that is would be alright. His heart was breaking for her. He had fallen for her. He did want her to be his and his only. But he had literally fucked that all away.<br><br>Will spent a moment just looking at her, trying to make eye contact. Will knew that she would never forgive him or forget what occurred. He had lost her forever. This did not stop him from trying, however. "Bree, go to work on Monday. You will be fine. And I will see to it that you are paid for your work and made a full fledged member of the team. As for Ali, the only reason I came for her is because I knew you hated me and that I could not take care of the girl I was beginning to love because I had broken her heart. Now, Bree I am not the victim in this, I never have been. I admit that I was a perpetrator and I hurt you. I killed any chance I had of ever holding you in my arms and comforting you, like I want to at this very moment. Bree, you are the girl I wanted to be mine, not Ali. Though I know you will never understand that.", there a hopeful and plea-like tone to his voice that he knew was there but he questioned whether she could hear it or not. He continued to stand in place just looking at her, at the girl he wanted but could never have.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>11-04-2011, 00:38:43</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim</strong><br><br>Jim's phone buzzed again and his friend turned to him, "Well aren't you Mr. Popular tonight."<br><br>"I wouldn't say that exactly, since so far everyone was texting to cancel appointments."&nbsp; Jim snapped back in response.&nbsp; He read the text, figuring it was going to be from Ali, but it wasn't.&nbsp; It was Bree.<br><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=100402.msg4485821#msg4485821">Quote from: lovelygirl on 10-04-2011, 05:11:48</a></div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">"Please Jim, I need a friend, Ali, Will, done in my life. Please I need someone to talk to."</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br>Jim was puzzled.&nbsp; What the hell was going on.&nbsp; First the cancellations, then this nearly hysterical text from Bree.&nbsp; Obviously something had happened tonight that Jim was not aware of.&nbsp; He was not sure he wanted to know, but he was a sucker for a sweet girl.<br><br>"Heading home in five minutes, should be there in half hour.&nbsp; Come over if you want to talk."&nbsp; Jim sent the text.&nbsp; Then he remembered that she may not remember where he lived, so he sent her his address as well.<br><br>"Dude, gotta run.&nbsp; We'll do beer and pretzels soon."&nbsp; Jim excused himself for the night.&nbsp; The heavy stuff was all done and his friend could handle the rest.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>11-04-2011, 16:16:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Then why Will, Why? Of everyone I trusted the most, you and Ali- " Bree paused, too take a breath, "I wanted to be with you Will, to let you into my heart. You made me so happy this past week, happier than I had ever been, and you took that all away in a moment of lust. I saw your face Will, you liked it, to be fucking Ali, I saw it, just be honest and admit it." <br><br>Bree was always one to tell the truth, no matter how it hurt, and she expected the same from others. It wasn't so much that Will fucked her best friend, it was Ali, her best friend that actually took on the man Bree opened up to. Bree felt like everything Ali touched went to shit, and now, after all Bree had done for her, she repays her like this.<br><br>Bree heard her phone buzzing behind her, she knew it had to be Jim texting her back. She looked to Will once more, "Go, I need time, I won't be there on Monday, I just can't. I'm sorry," she whispered in a soft tone, her heart telling her to run to him, her head telling her not to be stupid. She wanted to be with Will so bad, but right now, Bree needed to think and get her head straight. She closed the door and went to her phone, it was Jim letting her know he was on his way home. <br><br>Bree stayed in her pink cami and pajama pants and waited for Will and Ali to&nbsp; go inside before she hopped into her car and headed to Jim's house. She softly knocked on the door, "Jim, you home yet?" She didn't want to break his heart either, but she needed someone to talk to and he would find out sooner or later. It was probably best coming from the other hurt party in all of this. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>11-04-2011, 19:19:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali was sitting in Will's car and listened to everything, she hadn't wanted him to come get her in the first place, Will had insisted. She got out of his car, her head hanging down and she looked up at Bree, which brought forth another sob. She knew that Bree didn't believe she felt bad, but with her best friend hating her, well, it felt like Ali's soul was shattering into a million tiny pieces. She didn't even glance over at Will, her tear-filled eyes were fixated on Bree, there were only three words that came from her mouth. "Bree, I'm sorry." No matter how many times that she said it, the emotion and broken-heartedness in her voice were still adamant and she still meant it from every fiber of her being.<br><br>She turned away and walked slowly back into her house, locking the door and going to sit at her kitchen table. Ali was ready to just drink and drink and drink until she felt better, she understood her father now...no, she was not going to be like her father. She took every bottle of alcohol she had in her house and poured it down the drain of her kitchen sink. She was going to face the consequences of what she'd done, and what she'd known was wrong, sober.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>11-04-2011, 22:08:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br><em>Fuck!</em> It was a thought that Will felt completely described how he was feeling right now. He had destroyed his chance to be with Bree and now it seemed that Ali did not want his help either. He was not going to lose on two fronts. That had never been something Will had been good at. He was never good at accepting defeat. But for Bree, he truly was defeated. For Ali on the other hand, he had screwed up by admitting his feelings for Bree. Yet, his instinct to save the damsel in distress was too strong for him to give up on her. He walked away from Bree's house, his head hung in shame.<br><br>He walked over to his car where he saw Cleo in the backseat. She was barking at him. He looked over to Ali's house. It looked like he had to go save her. It was the only way his conscious was going to stop him from nearly tearing himself apart. He left the window of his car cracked so that Cleo would have some fresh air circulating in the car. It was a cool night, but still it was good to care about the dog like that. Will still had his kindness above all else.<br><br>He walked to her front door and knocked on it three times. They were soft knocks. He was not trying to be forceful with her or force her into anything that she did not want to do. But the one thing he was not going to have was her be all by herself in her current state. He was not going to have that at all. He did not care if he had to stay at her house, he was not going to leave her alone.<br><br>"Ali." he spoke softly into the door. He knew that if she was far away from the door that she would not hear it but he hoped that she did. He tried the doorknob, it was locked. This was bad, however it was manageable. All he had to do was reason with her. Something he figured that she needed at the moment.<br><br>"Ali, come on let's go." he said a little louder. He was not going to yell at her to come out, but he was going to keep this raising of the voice just a little till she reacted to him. He knocked again, a little harder this time. Just so that his hits produced a beat that was reminiscent of a woodpecker knocking on the side of a tree in the middle of the forest. After his five knocks, he waited a moment to see if she would open the door or tell him to go away.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>11-04-2011, 22:25:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali heard the knocking at her door and she knew it was Will, she'd known it was him before she even glanced out of her kitchen window. She decided she better at least talk to him, she didn't hate him...it was herself that she hated. She walked over to the door and unlocked it before opening it slowly, forgetting that she'd left all the empty bottles of liquor on her counter.<br><br>&nbsp;"I know what you said and you didn't have to try to convince her you were trying to blackmail me. Bree's known me for almost our entire lives, she knows I'd just beat the shit out of someone until they didn't feel like blackmailing me anymore and look, there aren't any scratches or anything on you. She, also, knows just exactly what she told you...that, all in all, I'm one of those girls that usually sleeps with a guy and never calls him again. If you still want to come in, you can."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>12-04-2011, 03:11:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim had arrived home, tossed the keys on the counter, and ran to the bathroom.&nbsp; Too much water while working had left him needing to relieve himself the moment he arrived.&nbsp; Wouldn't you know the moment he was staring down the porcelain relief receptacle, there was a knocking at the door.&nbsp; "Hang on a minute!" he yelled into the distance.&nbsp; At this point he couldn't move until certain realities were met.&nbsp; It seemed to take forever.&nbsp; He wasn't even aware that he drank that much, but finally it ended.&nbsp; He took several long seconds rinsing his hands and drying them before racing to the door.&nbsp; Breathless, he opened it, and apology on his lips.&nbsp; "Sorry, you caught me in the..."&nbsp; Jim's sentence ran out of steam before it finished.<br><br>Bree stood there in her pink pajamas, eyeliner running down her face in tear tracks, her breathing still a bit ragged from the sobbing.&nbsp; Jim's heart broke.&nbsp; Immediately he stepped forward and gathered her into his arms and held her.&nbsp; Softly, after a moment, he spoke without releasing her, "What happened?&nbsp; Do you want to talk?&nbsp; Please come inside."&nbsp; Jim took her over to his couch and sat down with her, never fully releasing her from his arms.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>12-04-2011, 04:24:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				His arms were like a welcome warm blanket as he encircled her. She let him guide her to the couch, still in his arms. Deep down Bree didn't want to break his heart, didn't want to tell him, but he would find out from Ali soon enough. <br><br>She took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. "Well, I had decided to make a nice dinner for Will, you know bachelor and all, so I wanted to do something nice for him. I went over there, happy and excited to see him. When I opened the door," Bree started crying once more," Al-i w-was screw-ing W-w-ill." She buried her head into Jim's shoulder as the tears flowed freely once more. She was hurting and Jim could share in her misery knowing he would be in shock as well about what Ali had done with Will.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>12-04-2011, 04:29:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>He was looking around her but not directly at her, he was looking at what she had been doing inside of her house. There was a bit of a shine of a bottle off in the distance, as Will's eyes adjusted he noticed that it was not just one bottle that stood there, it was several bottles. Will's face drained of color. He wondered what she had been doing with so much alcohol or what she planned on doing with it. But for now he knew that he had to get her away from it. He knew that her being here with so many empty bottles meant that she must have some kind of plan to drink her way to the afterlife. Will refused to let her do this.<br><br>He listened to her words but he was not planning on coming in. He was going to take her away from what ever she was planning on doing. "Ali, I know that the events of the day are harrowing and have left you tired and feeling low. But there is no need to do whatever you are planning. So, you are coming with me back to my house where I will keep you company till your spirits rise. I want you safe, and here you are not safe." He said as he closed the distance a bit between them. His hand made it to her shoulder but then began a path down her arm. He made his progress down her arm be very slow, till he made it to her wrist which he wrapped his hand around. He started to back out into the outside, doing his best to take her with him towards his car slowly, with him taking steps backward as he continued to look into her eyes.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>12-04-2011, 04:45:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim<br><br>The voice that came from Bree's body was cracking and raspy as it tried to explain what had happened.&nbsp; Jim listened dutifully and when the axe fell he gathered Bree back into his body as she was wracked by further tears and heartache.&nbsp; Jim knew he should be more upset about Ali, but he had seen it coming.&nbsp; Though it did put a bit of a damper on any future friendship he may have had with her.&nbsp; No, the only person he felt bad for was Bree.&nbsp; She seemed to be highly upset with Will and Ali, and Jim could only assume that she had taken a liking to Will.&nbsp; He guessed he had seen the start of it at the bar that first night, hell, he might have been the one that got the ball rolling.&nbsp; And now that her best friend screwed him, she thought she had lost both.<br><br>"I am so sorry that happened.&nbsp; I would not have seen that coming."&nbsp; Jim continued to just hold her until the spasms of sobbing stopped and she started to quiet down a little.&nbsp; "Look, I know Will is a decent guy, but there are hundred of guys just like him and you could have any one of them.&nbsp; You are far too beautiful to worry about what one man did.&nbsp; Ali, on the other hand, you are going to have to deal with.&nbsp; Not today, not tomorrow, but soon.&nbsp; If she truly is your friend, you can mend this.&nbsp; Who knows, maybe she did you a favor by outing Will."<br><br>Jim though maybe a beverage would help a little.&nbsp; "Can I get you a soda, coffee, something stronger?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>12-04-2011, 05:10:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree stayed nuzzled to Jim as he spoke to her. He was trying hard to be a friend, to tell her part of what she already knew, but didn't really want to hear. <br><br>"No, you don't know Ali, it's all about her, she couldn't let me have the one man that I was falling in love with. God, she was even trying hard to impress you, she told me how much she liked you and was really trying hard to get your attention. God Jim, she just couldn't bear to see me happy." Bree took a deep breath and sat up briefly, "Just water, it's late and I shouldn't keep you. I just didn't know who else to talk to." She sat on the couch with her legs folded under her. Bree leaned against the back of the couch, drying her eyes, trying to calm herself. She knew it was wrong to drag Jim into this, but still, she had no one else to turn to now. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>12-04-2011, 05:22:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali</strong><br><br>Ali looked at Will and then at the bottles and back to Will. "I haven't drank all of them, I only had one and I poured the rest out. I started understanding how my father felt and I cannot let myself become my father, he's been an alcoholic my whole life, so I poured it all out. If I go home with you, it'll only make things worse, Will. I can't let myself fuck things up more than I already have, it's what I'm best at though." She smiled slightly. "You should go home and I should stay here, you know what it felt like when we were having sex...that cannot happen again, ever. I love Bree, we're..well we were closer than sisters, I have to work on getting that back and I can't do that if I'm with you. It'll only make her hate me more and I won't be able to live with that."&nbsp; <br><br>As he pulled her outside, Ali broke away and walked to his car, getting Cleo out and looking at Will. "I'm sorry, Will, but I can't go with you. I'll be fine, I'm a big girl. Don't worry so much, there's no alcohol in my house anymore and I need to be here when Bree gets home."&nbsp; Ali didn't want to be with Will right now, she couldn't be and wouldn't be. She wanted Bree and she needed to talk to Jim because she wanted to tell him the truth about everything, hopefully he wouldn't hate her when she was done. Ali just knew that's where Bree was right now and there was a twinge of jealousy, but more than that she didn't blame Bree...the one person she used to be able to talk to had betrayed her in the deepest form.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>12-04-2011, 21:40:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim</strong><br><br>Jim went and got Bree a glass of water, fresh from the Brita pitcher in the fridge.&nbsp; He also pulled a bag of popcorn out of the cupboard, that he was going to serve tomorrow, but now there was no need.&nbsp; He also got himself a beer, his first of the night.&nbsp; Taking his mini feast back to the living room he placed it on the coffee table.&nbsp; "Here's your water and I got us some snacks.&nbsp; Don't think you're leaving right away, that would be a bad idea, you'll be stuck inside your head all night, probably crying yourself to sleep and I just can't let you go knowing that is going to happen.&nbsp; So we are going to sit right here and feel better."&nbsp; Jim went over to his movie collection.&nbsp; "Movie time!&nbsp; I'm guessing romantic comedies are out?&nbsp; So we are going to watch a comedy classic.&nbsp; Clerks!&nbsp; And if the tears aren't gone after that, we'll keep watching movies till the sun rises, if necessary."&nbsp; Jim started the show despite any claims of imposition that Bree had and sat on the couch, leaving space for Bree to lay against him if she wanted the company. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>12-04-2011, 22:08:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Bree</strong><br><br>She knew there was no arguing with Jim as he insisted that she stay and not be alone.&nbsp; She smiled when he told her he was putting 'Clerks' in. She had seen it once or twice, kinda had a crush on Dante, but she would never tell Jim that.&nbsp; <br><br>She took the water and sipped it slowly as Jim nestled into the couch. "Thanks for all this, this is very kind and sweet for you to do this for me. I am so sorry I had to tell you all this. I just feel awful about it, I just didn't know who to turn to." Bree yawned, she always got sleepy after she cried. <br><br>She moved over to Jim and laid her head on his shoulder, stretching out the rest of her body on the couch. Unconsciously she wrapped her arm around her stomach and laid there with him watching the movie, still thinking about Will and Ali, and how they had hurt her and now Jim as well.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>12-04-2011, 22:21:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim</strong><br><br>Jim took his seat on the couch as Bree apologized again.&nbsp; "Don't be silly, Bree.&nbsp; There is nothing for you to apologize about.&nbsp; I'm just glad you considered me enough of a friend to come to me.&nbsp; It means a lot to me.&nbsp; Go ahead and get comfortable and don't forget to laugh, this is a funny movie."&nbsp; <br><br>Jim was glad that Bree leaned on him while they were watching the movie.&nbsp; It had been a long time since he watched a movie with a girl and he missed the closeness that could bring.&nbsp; Even if Bree wasn't interested in him, it still made him feel fluttery inside to have her near him.&nbsp; Unfortunately, he could sense that she was not letting go even though she let an occasional giggle slip out.&nbsp; "Hey Bree, I'm feeling a little chilly, would you mind pulling the afghan over us?"&nbsp; Unconsciously, Jim had started rubbing her arm gently, reassuringly.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>12-04-2011, 22:37:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Bree</strong><br><br>She did giggle through the movie, she had forgotten how funny it was. She liked snuggling close to Jim, even though her heart was hurting so much. It was nice to have a friend to lean on figuratively and literally. <br><br>"I am so grateful that you were here to be with, to talk to." Bree pulled the afghan up over the two of them and unknowingly pressed her body closer to his. She wasn't even thinking about it, but she was snuggled quite close to Jim, she felt calm and comfortable with him. She liked how she could just be herself with him. <br><br>soon, her head slipped to his lap, just laying there watching the movie with him, it was as if they had been friends forever and Bree felt at home with him like this. Maybe it was because they had both suffered a loss, but it was so easy to be with him. Bree had no idea her innocent gestures could turn into more. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>12-04-2011, 23:36:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>"Okay whatever you say, Ali. But if I text you. I expect a text back. If I don't get one in a timely fashion, I will be back for you." Will told her as he closed the passenger side door that Cleo had just came out of. He turned to her and hugged her. He ran his hand along her back to make her feel more comforted since she was not going to be coming with him. He pulled away from her, looking into those beautiful blue eyes of hers as they shined in the moonlight. If it was another time, another place and another set of circumstances, he could fall in love with her. But alas he could not, for she was not the woman that he desired above all others. He wanted to be looking into Bree's eyes in this moment. He wanted her to be the one he was embracing. But for now he was going to be here with Ali in this moment, showing her all of the support he could give her.<br><br>He let go of her slowly. He wanted her to feel that his hold on her lingered, just enough so that she felt like he was going to be holding her like that, all night if she wanted. Yet he knew that it was not going to happen. She had adamantly expressed the desire for him to leave her there. But still he was going to give her support from his house with regular texts checking on her status. It took mere seconds for him to get around to the driver side of his car.<br><br>"You know Ali, if I hadn't fallen for Bree first, I am sure I would have fallen in love with you." Will said as he opened his car door to sit down in the seat. He did up his seat belt, turned the key in the ignition, and sped off into the night.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>13-04-2011, 00:48:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali</strong><br><br>Ali hugged him back, she honestly didn't want to be alone, but she didn't wanna make things worse than they were. She would have to cry by herself tonight, sober which was going to totally suck, but she had to do it. She carried Cleo back inside of her house and made her way upstairs to take a shower. She knew Will would be texting her periodically throughout the night, she was waiting for the first one because it would be nice to be able to talk to someone...even if she was alone, it would be like she wasn't. She didn't feel like talking about what happened, Ali just wanted to not think about that anymore tonight. <br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>13-04-2011, 20:52:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim</strong><br><br>As Bree slipped into his lap, Jim began stroking her hair.&nbsp; It was still nothing more than an innocent gesture on his part, but it threw his brain into protective boyfriend mode.&nbsp; He knew Bree was not interested in him and now that her life had just been rocked by a scandal he doubted that she was interested in anyone right now.&nbsp; Still, the feelings persisted.&nbsp; Even now he had every urge to wrap his arms around her and protect her somehow.&nbsp; But instead he made do with stroking her beautiful light brown hair.<br><br>The show was a two hour laugh riot, even if the laughs in Jim's living room were a bit stifled, but eventually it ended and left Jim in a quandry.&nbsp; He didn't want to get up to change the movie, since Bree was snuggled so nicely in his lap, so he did what every red-blooded American male would do in those circumstances.&nbsp; He grabbed the universal remote and put the cable on.&nbsp; Then he switched to Comedy Central where Adult Swim was just beginning.<br><br>"Next for your viewing pleasure, the raucous madcap adventure known as Adult Swim.&nbsp; What will you get next, who knows?"&nbsp; Jim was trying to keep the mood light and let Bree just find peace for a little while.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>13-04-2011, 22:31:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Bree</strong><br><br>She sighed soft as Jim ran his fingers through her hair, it was odd, be she associated it with when her mother would comfort her in the exact same way. Bree giggled here and there and then the movie ended. She contemplated moving, but it felt too nice to move right now. <br><br>As he flipped on Comedy Central, she snuggled even closer, but then turned to look at him. "Jim, thanks for trying to make me laugh and forget about everything. You're a real nice guy and a great friend for this. I can't tell you how I appreciate everything you're doing for me." She didn't turn back though, she wasn't really interested in what he had but on, rather, she just laid there, looking back and forth between him and the ceiling above him. She yawned once more, not really tired, just worn from all the events of the day. <br><br>She sifted once more, this time sitting up next to him, her face only inches from his, "I should really head home, I'm keeping you up, and I've already ruined your poker night as well." Bree looked down as she felt guilty for the latter part, he had worked so hard to plan a nice night and she felt she was responsible for making his night a complete waste. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>14-04-2011, 00:48:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>He made it home, parked his car and went into his house. The first thing he did as soon as he got home was to grab a broom and dustpan to clean up the broken glass and spilled food that still lie all across his living room floor. He looked down at the broken glass. It reminded him of what he had done to Bree's heart. He had shattered it. In a moment of passion he had destroyed it. He swept it up very carefully. It took a good five minutes to make sure that all of it was swept away into his dust pan. He poured all of the shards of glass into his garbage can.<br><br>Will walked back over to his computer and he pulled out his phone. It was time for the first message to go out to Ali. He wondered what he was going to say. It was best to stay off the subject that was on his mind at the moment. He was going to have to&nbsp; talk about something else.<br><br>"You know next week there is going to be an office party on Wednesday." Will sent to Ali.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>14-04-2011, 07:22:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali</strong><br><br>Ali stepped out of the shower before hearing her phone go off, she dried off and walked into her room. Sitting on her bed, eyes red from crying, she read the text.&nbsp; Usually, something like that would've made her happy, but not tonight...all she could think about was how terrible of a person she was. <br><br>"Oh, I've been thinking and I might not be there. I'm gonna text Bree and tell her not to worry about quitting because I won't be there. I'll just go back to being a waitress and what I've been since I was 15. I've had a shitty life, Will. I'm used to it and I'll be okay."<br><br>Ali lay on her bed and debated on texting Bree or not, she decided to. She probably wouldn't get an answer, but she wanted to try. "You don't have to quit, I'll quit and go back to waitressing or something."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>14-04-2011, 20:59:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim</strong><br><br><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=100402.msg4501910#msg4501910">Quote from: lovelygirl on 13-04-2011, 22:31:48</a></div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">She shifted once more, this time sitting up next to him, her face only inches from his, "I should really head home, I'm keeping you up, and I've already ruined your poker night as well." Bree looked down as she felt guilty for the latter part, he had worked so hard to plan a nice night and she felt she was responsible for making his night a complete waste.<br></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br>Jim felt the warmth of her breath on his face as she apologized once again.&nbsp; Her eyes that constantly drew him in, were once again tinged with sadness that turned the blue into a steel gray.&nbsp; "Bree, you aren't keeping me up, and it certainly wasn't you that ruined poker night.&nbsp; I have had a better time tonight, even though it was just watching movies with you, than I have had in a long time.&nbsp; I would rather you stayed until you felt better, since I am feeling very...good having you here."&nbsp; <br><br>Jim looked at her face, drinking in the details.&nbsp; Suddenly, slowly, seemingly without any volition on Jim's part, he leaned into Bree and kissed her.&nbsp; Afterwards he would say it was the beer, or the tears, or the closeness, or her fragility, but the truth was he didn't know why he did it, just that it seemed guided by a higher power.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>15-04-2011, 02:37:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree had heard her phone go off and did not care to answer it or look at the text that might have come through. She just sat there, listening to Jim tell her what a good time be had this night. Despite her heartbreak, she had a good time as well. <br><br>Then she saw him lean in, she knew what was coming, and she didn't stop it. As his warm lips touched hers, Bree returned his kiss, she didn't know why, perhaps it was out of her pain that she kissed Jim back, maybe deep down she wanted to hurt Ali for what she had done.<br><br>Bree broke from the kissed and blushed, she knew it was wrong, but it was nice. "Um, well, hmm," Bree didn't know what to say, she was fumbling for words as she sat there on the couch with him. She didn't run or make excuses, she just sat there looking into his eyes. She still loved Will, but Jim was a nice distraction at the moment. <br><br>"Maybe I should go, if we go any further, we'd be no better than Ali and Will." Bree didn't want to hurt his feelings, but as much as she wanted to stay, she knew it was best to leave things as they were.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>15-04-2011, 16:09:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim</strong><br><br>Though Jim heard her words, he needed to taste Bree once more, at least.&nbsp; He lay a finger on her lips while she was sputtering out denials and leaned in for a second kiss.&nbsp; This time he held her to him, wrapping his arms around her.&nbsp; He knew he may not get another chance, so he poured his need into the kiss.&nbsp; The need was not sexual, but rather emotional.&nbsp; It was not often that Jim found a girl that considered him kissable.&nbsp; Finally, Bree pulled away.<br><br>"I'm sorry.&nbsp; Perhaps we shouldn't have done that, but I couldn't help myself.&nbsp; Make no mistake, though, what we did here was not wrong in any way.&nbsp; We are two consenting adults neither of which is dating anyone.&nbsp; Ali and I might have been friends, but nothing more.&nbsp; Girls like her don't go for guys like me, no matter what she told you - as she then proved to you.&nbsp; And I don't know where things stood with you and Will, but obviously right now, they aren't standing.&nbsp; So take the kiss for what it was.&nbsp; I find you to be a wonderful, attractive girl whose eyes I could get lost in for days and I enjoyed kissing you very much.&nbsp; If it's not to be, then I am glad, at least, that I got the chance to kiss you."<br><br>Jim was surprised he managed to get that out.&nbsp; He had never been too smooth with ladies and normally would have stammered his way through half of that, but somehow he a moment.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>15-04-2011, 19:11:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree got lost in the second kiss, as he held her there, all her objections melted away. He kissed her like she had never been kissed before. She wrapped her arms around his neck as they held each other for what felt like forever.<br><br>She pulled back as she got her wits about her and listened to what he had to say. She still felt guilty for kissing him and liking it. She still did have feelings for Will, and this was all so confusing. She felt so conflicted, he was telling her how beautiful she was and Bree took it all in. <br><br>"I know what you're saying, but Ali really wanted to impress you, no matter what you think. She just screws up a lot, and this time she screwed up big time." Bree put her hand to his cheek, trying to soften the blow. "We're both hurting, and it's so easy to get swept up in trying to comfort each other. If things were different, you and I would be together." <br><br>She felt even worse now, feeling like she lead Jim on and she would break his heart somehow by shooting him down. <br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>15-04-2011, 20:28:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim</strong><br><br>Jim was on a rant and couldn't stop himself.&nbsp; "If things were different, you and I would be together?&nbsp; Bree.&nbsp; Things <em>are </em>different.&nbsp; And why shouldn't we get what we deserve.&nbsp; You and I are not so very different.&nbsp; Always the second choice, always the friend.&nbsp; We stand by our friends and help them be what they should be and where do we end up?&nbsp; Stuck in the background?&nbsp; Tonight, for once in our lives, why don't we take the stage.&nbsp; Be number one.&nbsp; And even if it only lasts for one night - let's face it, tomorrow we will go back to being ourselves.&nbsp; Even if it doesn't last, we will know that for once - we took what we deserved."<br><br>Jim reached out and held her shoulders, his body language unmistakeably gearing for a third kiss, but he would not force it and if Bree backed away, he would let her go.<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>16-04-2011, 03:24:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree was so torn, every word he spoke was true, but she knew if she let this go any further she would be no better than Ali. She could not stoop to that level no matter how he was right about the both of them.<br><br>"Jim, you're right, I won't deny that, I've always been second fiddle to Ali, but if we go any further, I couldn't live with myself. Deep down, you know neither could you. We're feeling raw emotion, hurt, pain. We would both regret it in the morning and we would lose each other as friends. Imagine how awkward it would be, we would have the same secret. I care for you so much, I don't want to throw that all away, not like this." <br><br>Bree moved away from him and gathered her things, "I'm sorry, please don't hate me. I understand if you do." Tears began to form once more feeling like she had now broken his heart twice tonight. Bree reached for her keys and went to the door, now she felt the whole thing was her fault, that maybe she lead him on in some way. "I'm so sorry," she whispered as she turned to leave for her car in tears.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>16-04-2011, 23:01:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim</strong><br><br>Bree was hurting.&nbsp; That was plainly evident.&nbsp; And somehow, maybe it was something she always did, she was now blaming herself for everything.&nbsp; While some of what she said was true the rest was bunk and came from her overly emotional state.&nbsp; Jim couldn't understand it, but he did know better than to let her get away with it.<br><br>As Bree turned to go out the door, Jim stopped her and turned her towards him.&nbsp; Speaking sharply, Jim said, "Brianna Miller!&nbsp; You have not done anything wrong tonight.&nbsp; Not. one. single. thing.&nbsp; I do not hate you nor would I ever ever ever hate you for anything you have done or said.&nbsp; I find you to be irresistibly cute and I also know you are in a lot of pain.&nbsp; So I am willing to say goodnight, but not if you are crying again.&nbsp; You will not...I repeat...you will not leave this house in tears if I have to tie you to the couch or put you over my knee for a quick spanking.&nbsp; Do I make myself clear."&nbsp; Jim's face cracked into a half smile as he finished, letting Bree know that it was meant to be amusing as well as true.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>17-04-2011, 00:52:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>He had been working on the final touches of the presentation when he got her text. He looked at with a furious expression. He nearly wanted to throw his phone across the room. He was tired of her trying to run from all of it. He was absolutely tired of it. He picked up the phone slide out the keyboard of his phone and put both Bree and Ali as the people his message was intended for. He furiously typed at the keys. He was applying a lot of pressure to his phone as his finger scrolled across the keys. It seemed like he was literally going to break it.<br><br>"Neither of you are quitting. There is no reason for either of you to quit because I fucked up. We will all work this out sometime next week, but at least give me that. Give me a week to work out all of the kinks of things, and then decide then. Just please for now don't make any decisions." <br><br>He sent the message to both of them and more or less pounded his fist into his desk. He needed a damn drink. He hit save on the presentation, mailed it to his bosses, and sat at his dining room table. He cradled his head in his hands as he was just frustrated. So frustrated at all that was occurring around him. All of it caused by him agreeing with his best friend. He needed to call Kyle and apologize for socking him. But then again it could wait till the morning. Kyle was most likely off getting drunk somewhere.<br><br>Will got up from his dining room table and made himself some ramen. He was hungry from all that had occurred so far today. So he started to eat while he waited for texts to come in.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>17-04-2011, 02:13:43</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree was shocked when Jim spun her around to face him and give her a lecture. Tears welled up<br>In her eyes as he went on about her not doing a thing wrong. She didn't feel that way, here was this great guy that was offering himself to her and she was essentially blowing him off. <br><br>She gasped as he said he would tie her to the couch, or spank her. She wiped the tears from her face, now seeing he was joking. "I just feel bad, I feel like I stomped all over your kindness and generosity." Her phone went off again and she chose to ignore it once more, she didn't want to deal with Ali or Will tonight. <br><br>Bree leaned in and kissed Jim's cheek, "Thank you for everything, I'm ok, I just need sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow?" Bree hoped he would say yes and then after some rest Bree could approach this dilemma with a more level head. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>17-04-2011, 03:39:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim<br><br><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=100402.msg4515749#msg4515749">Quote from: lovelygirl on 17-04-2011, 02:13:43</a></div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">"I just feel bad, I feel like I stomped all over your kindness and generosity."</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br>"You feel bad because you chose to not go any farther with me?&nbsp; I should really be down on my knees apologizing to you.&nbsp; In fact..."&nbsp; Jim got on his knees.&nbsp; "I am sorry, Bree, that I suggested such a stupid thing as staying with me tonight, when obviously your heart was broken earlier.&nbsp; If I were you I would have slapped me in the face for attempting to take advantage of my weakened state.&nbsp; I am very sorry that I lack the simple control to be a gentleman.&nbsp; It is quite obvious that, as always, I am the master of mistiming.&nbsp; At moments like this, I can understand why my dating life is a clean slate.&nbsp; With all due seriousness, though, I should never have taken advantage of your state and I hope you forgive me."<br><br>Jim stood and wiped a stray tear that Bree missed from her cheek.&nbsp; "I'll see you at work tomorrow.&nbsp; I'll bring you coffee?"&nbsp; He held the door for her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>17-04-2011, 04:28:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Jim, get up, please, you really do not have to do this. Let's just call it even ok?" When he mentioned work tomorrow, she looked puzzled then saw the time. It was well past midnight now, so technically work was tomorrow. <br><br>"I'm not going in. I've told Will I'll be looking for employment elsewhere. I just can't go in there and face them. It would be too hard to have to see them every day without any means of escape." It was another defense mechanism that Bree used, hiding away. <br><br>"You are a great guy Jim, truthfully any girl would be lucky to have you as a boyfriend. You would have been so good for Ali." Bree pulled him off his knees and hugged him for the longest time. "Thank you for all you did for me tonight, I couldn't have asked for more." Her hug lingered longer than what it should have, but she wanted him to know just how truly special he really was.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>17-04-2011, 06:46:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali</strong><br><br>Ali read Will's text and rolled her eyes slightly, he kept on blaming just himself but she hadn't stopped any of it. She grabbed her phone to reply, "I'll think about it, but I know Bree. She's gonna run and hide from this, that's how she's always been and I'm going to try to keep talking to her but not tonight because she's hurt. Maybe she'll talk to me some day, but it won't be right now. Go to bed, Will, I'm going to be fine. I promise."<br><br>She walked out onto her porch and settled down onto the swing there with Cleo to smoke, Ali ended up laying down and curling up while she cried, her eyes never leaving Bree's house. It was true that she wasn't going to try to talk to her friend/former friend that night because she knew that Bree was tired of her trying to.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>17-04-2011, 14:08:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim</strong><br><br>Jim was still reluctant to let Bree go after the hug, but he knew he had come dangerously close to being one of those manipulative boys that take advantage of girls.&nbsp; "Goodnight Bree.&nbsp; Please drive home safely.&nbsp; I am home all day today.&nbsp; We'll probably both sleep late, but you can come back over during the day if you need to.&nbsp; We can do something you want.&nbsp; No pressure, I promise.&nbsp; If not, then I do expect to see you at work on Monday.&nbsp; Please don't let this affect your job.&nbsp; I hate to say it, but you're an intern.&nbsp; It's actually pretty easy to move.&nbsp; I will help you change departments.&nbsp; That way you will only see them every now and again.&nbsp; And besides, there's an office party on Wednesday, you could be my pretend date."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>17-04-2011, 15:05:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I will call you when I get up, maybe you could come over and I could make a nice dinner for you. We'll talk about it later." Bree nodded when he spoke of moving departments, that would work actually, she could still keep her job, but not have to see Will or Ali as much. <br><br>"I'll think about the office party, bye, talk to you later." Bree got into her car and decided to read the texts. She shot one back to Ali, "I'm moving departments so neither of us has to quit, I need time Ali, not ready to talk to<br>you yet."<br><br>She then shot one to Will, "Jim suggested I change departments, going to do that. I will give you tha week, but just one week Will." Bree was going to be strong, but she would see just what Will had up his sleeve to get things worked out.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>17-04-2011, 16:40:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali heard her phone go off and read Bree's text, it made her smile just slightly, she had said she wasn't ready to talk to her yet, not that she was never going to talk to her again. She sent one back, "Okay. I'm sorry that I acted like a brat when I came over to try to get you to talk to me. I won't bother you again until you say that you want to talk to me. Whenever that is, you know I'll be here." Ali was going to do her best to honor what she had just told Bree.<br><br>The tears were still coming, but they had slowed down and were more sporadic now. Ali wanted to text or call Jim and tell him everything, all he knew was that she'd slept with Will and broken her best friend's heart. She knew that if she ever wanted him to trust her again that it would take a while, if he even would be able to. It was late, so a long and drawn-out text was out of the question, she really wanted to talk to him though, but wasn't sure if he'd pick up the phone. Ali shot him a text, "I'm sorry. I know I screwed everything up and you may not even wanna talk to me, but I just wanted to say that, Jim."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>17-04-2011, 23:15:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>Will had finished eating ramen, he was in the middle of putting the dishes away when the first text from Ali came. He was happy that she had responded and had made a bit of a compromise on her want to quit. Her mention of Bree trying to run was very understandable to him. He was running in his own way as well. If he did get that promotion then he was not going to even be in the department with Ali, he would be higher than that. He would have to be the boss of the guy they would get to replace him in the department, and also he would have some other things to manage.<br><br>Bree's text was a bit unexpected. He had not thought that she was going to say anything back to him. He looked at it with a somber look on his face. So she was giving him the week. A week to fix something that in his mind would take years to fix. He walked out of his kitchen, drying his wet hands with a towel. He walked over to the computer and sat down with the phone in his hands. He had no idea what to send her back. He looked at his phone with a blank look.<br><br>A week to try and fix things was no time at all. But Will was trying to figure out all he was going to have to do in the next week. He was not giving up, but he was going to try and give Bree happiness one way or another. He got up from his desk headed to his bedroom and slept for the night, hoping to find some better news in the morning.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>18-04-2011, 04:02:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree pulled into her home and went straight to bed. She didn't want to see Ali, and she even turned her phone off as she entered the bedroom. <br><br>Bree flopped on the bed and thought about Jim and how kind he had been to her. Maybe going to the office party with him wouldn't be a bad thing after all. <br><br>She quickly fell asleep, exhausted from the events&nbsp; of the day.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>18-04-2011, 05:46:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim</strong><br><br>Jim cleaned up the popcorn and glasses and got himself ready for bed when the text from Ali arrived.&nbsp; He picked up the phone quickly hoping it was from Bree, but no such luck.&nbsp; Jim read her text and though for a long time before responding.<br><br>"Ali, don't worry about me.&nbsp; I don't hate you.&nbsp; We'll talk, later.&nbsp; For now, worry about Bree.&nbsp; Until you can make that right, don't expect much.&nbsp; Jim"<br><br>Jim knew he was being rough on Ali, but he had created a very tender spot in his heart for Bree, and Ali would need to make it better before he would consider her explanation.&nbsp; It was a shame about Will.&nbsp; He had thought him a decent fellow.&nbsp; Until now.&nbsp; Now, Will was dead to him.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>19-04-2011, 07:18:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Ali</strong><br><br>Ali read the text from Jim and had known he'd say something like that so she wasn't surprised. Heading back inside and upstairs, she got ready for bed, Ali texted him back. She probably shouldn't have, but she felt like she had to let him know that she was trying. "I've been trying to do that, but it's not gonna happen until she's ready to talk to me and I'm going to give her the time she needs.&nbsp; I know you probably don't believe me considering what's happened and I'm sure you think I'm a terrible person, but I love Bree more than anything in the world and I admit that I screwed absolutely everything up. Whenever I make things as right as I can with her, I need to have a talk with you though. I owe you an explanation, too."<br><br>Ali plugged her charger in her cell phone and settled down into her bed for a night of not so amazing sleep.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>19-04-2011, 20:49:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree slept in late, waking at almost 11:30. She rolled over and sighed, she still didn't want to deal with Will or Ali, and wouldn't not today. Today she would cook dinner for Jim as a 'thank you' for last night. <br><br>Bree Texted him "Dinner, my place 5 o'clock." She included her address as well, she wanted to let him know just how much she appreciated all he had done for her. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>19-04-2011, 21:01:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim texts, sleeps, texts again</strong><br><br>Jim was just climbing into bed when his phone buzzed again, confident it was Bree this time he picked it up.&nbsp; Once again it was Ali.&nbsp; This time with a rather long text.&nbsp; Jim considered and wrote back, "Ali, you're not horrible.&nbsp; Made a big mistake, yes, horrible, no.&nbsp; I do believe you love Bree.&nbsp; I know reconciliation will be tough.&nbsp; It will also tell me what kind of person you can be."<br><br>Done with that, he turned off his phone.&nbsp; He hated being woken up in the middle of the night.&nbsp; If there was an emergency, there was the house line.&nbsp; Eight hours later, Jim woke.&nbsp; He would have slept longer, but the neighbors were mowing their lawn and it was past 9am.&nbsp; So he no reason to be mad at them.&nbsp; He rose, did his morning routine and turned his phone back on.<br><br>No messages.&nbsp; That could be good or bad.&nbsp; At any rate, Jim figured he could spend some quality time catching up on some message boards and fine-tuning his latest project.&nbsp; First, though, coffee...<br><br>Three hours later, Jim re-emerged from his workshop and realized he had a text from Bree.&nbsp; Dinner.&nbsp; He texted back, "Black tie?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>19-04-2011, 21:15:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree giggled as she got the text back from Jim, "Oh no just a nice suit and tie will do (kidding). Thank you for everything last night, you are such a great guy."&nbsp; Bree didn't want to say friend, it was kind of a put down to her after the kisses they shared. <br><br>The kisses, ones that probably should not have happened, yet the thoughts lingered in her mind. <em>Bree stop it, Ali likes him, and you like Will. It's not right to think of those kisses.</em>&nbsp; Bree had to shake it off and stop thinking of it. Still she was conflicted, she didn't want to like Jim in that way, she didn't want to do the exact same thing that Ali had done to her, but she still found it hard to forget his lips on hers. <br><br>Bree went about her day and began to get the meal ready. She would make him a nice Italian lasagna with some extra meatballs.&nbsp; She got all the ingredients ready and put it together. She put it in on low and headed for the shower.&nbsp; <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>20-04-2011, 00:30:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim looked at the text he got from Bree.&nbsp; He didn't understand women and probably never would.&nbsp; Thanks for everything.&nbsp; Did that include the kisses?&nbsp; He didn't know, it seemed to, but then she called him a great guy.&nbsp; Great guy.&nbsp; Those are friend words.&nbsp; Things you say to a boy when you don't want to upset them that you don't think of them as dating material.&nbsp; Of course, what exactly was he hoping the text would say.&nbsp; That she had fallen hopelessly in love with him and wanted to run off into the sunset.&nbsp; Well, okay, that would have been nice, but realistically, no.&nbsp; Jim just really wanted to know if he had a shot with Bree and the text said yes...and no.<br><br>Undaunted...well a little daunted...he prepared for the dinner.&nbsp; Stopping by the wine shop, he picked up a decent bottle of sauvignon.&nbsp; Fairly versatile, he hoped it would go with the dinner.&nbsp; Finally at about quarter 'till, he stood in front of Bree's door.&nbsp; He knew he was early, but it wasn't his fault that traffic was actually light for once.&nbsp; Not wanted to look stupid standing there, he rang the bell and waited.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>20-04-2011, 04:34:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree had spent most of the day prepping for her 'Thank you' dinner. She set the table with nice linens and made sure she put a salad and garlic toast together to compliment the meal. <br><br>She dressed in a nice pair of jeans, and a blue sweater. She wore her hair up and loose, so some pieces fell to frame her face. <br><br>The aroma filled the house and the lasagna was just finishing when the bell rang. Bree got butterflies in her belly, she didn't know why she was so excited for this, it was just a simple meal. <br><br>She walked to the door and opened it, there he stood, and she saw Jim in a different light. He was just as handsome as Will was, and Bree had to almost pause and catch her breath as he stood there. <br><br>"Hi, come on in, everything is almost done. I'm so glad you decided to come. I made lasagna, a salad and some garlic bread. Hope you like Italian food." Bree unconsciously took his hand and led him into the house. She took him to the kitchen and pulled the lasagna from the oven. <br><br>It was then that she noticed the wine in his hands. "You do know that I'm underage, what would people say I'd they knew you got me plastered?&nbsp; Just kidding. I think there is a corkscrew in the drawer." Bree plated both of their meals and brought them to the table.<br><br>"I hope you like it, be honest, we can still order take out if you hate it." She smiled wide at him and blushed. It was so nice having him there, and those kisses still lingered in her mind even if they shouldn't have. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>20-04-2011, 06:33:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali had passed out before she even knew if Jim had texted her back and didn't move until noon the next day, all the crying and fighting and drinking had worn her out so she didn't really plan on doing anything. That was until she heard the doorbell ring and she made her way downstairs to see who it was, her eyes rolled as soon as she saw that it was her mother. "What do you want?," was all the she said and she didn't invite her in.<br><br>"Well, I was hoping that my daughter would be happy to see me."<br><br>"and why do you think that I'd be happy to see you? The only thing you've ever done for me is make me hate myself."<br><br>"I made you hate yourself? You're the one who brought it upon yourself to do what you did so you wouldn't have to leave your precious Bree."<br><br>"You certainly did nothing to stop me, I was sixteen years old, you should've been a real mother and stopped worrying about your fading looks long enough to make sure that your daughter was doing what she was supposed to be doing. If you're looking for money for another round of botox, you can just keep walking because you're never getting anything from me again."<br><br>"Why, you little ungrateful bitch! Your father and I made sure that you got what you needed, when you needed it. How dare you talk to me like that."<br><br>"Yeah, birth control and condoms, gee, nice parenting skills there. Had to make sure your cash cow didn't wind up pregnant, that would've fucked up everything for you two and don't you ever call me a bitch again. While you're at it, why don't you just leave?<br><br>Her eyes turn towards Bree's house as Jim is walking inside. "Looks like Bree's the one getting the guys now, I bet all they do is fuck you like the whore you are and then leave to find a nice girl that's good enough to bring home to their parents. Is that how it always works out, Ali? A drunk whore is all you're ever going to be and you know it as well as I do, you'll be stuck in this town with people talking about you in hushed whispers when you walk by. That's all you deserve." &nbsp;She grabs Ali and turns her around to make her face the door then pushes her face into the glass of the door so Ali can see herself.<br><br>Ali pushed her mom off and away from her. "Leave, fucking leave my house right now or I swear to God, Mom, I will make you leave. You will never come here or speak to me again and the same goes for Dad. I can't love someone who hates me for being prettier than her or someone that drinks all the money away to where he can't provide for anyone." She caught her mom's hand as it came up to slap her and watched the look on her mom's face before she stormed back to her car. Ali hoped that their fight hadn't been heard by anyone else, but her mom could get pretty loud and so could she, but she'd tried to keep her voice calm. All the things her mom had said sunk into her mind and it was like she had known what her daughter had been thinking. Sitting in the swing on her porch, Ali just rocked back and forth slowly in the swing trying not to think about what she was thinking right now.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>21-04-2011, 22:56:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim @ Bree's<br><br>When the door opened Jim was hit by two waves, one right after the other.&nbsp; If he had been swimming in the ocean he would have been knocked ass over teakettle, and to be honest he physically took a slight step back anyway.&nbsp; The first wave was sight.&nbsp; Seeing Bree standing in the doorway was a bit like seeing a painting in a museum entitled, "Beautiful Woman - Everyday Life" and Jim took in the majesty of the moment.&nbsp; Mere nanoseconds after that first wave an almost physical wave of odor rolled out the door, making him pull back for a moment with the sheer overwhelmingness of it.&nbsp; Her home smelled like...a home.&nbsp; Warm odors of Italian food rolled out, teasing him and causing his stomach to go into overload.<br><br>He finally stammered out his hello's and after heading in, he presented the wine.&nbsp; Bree's small joke saved him, as it broke the total serenity of the moment.&nbsp; "Ah, I see, I will have to drink the whole bottle, then?"<br><br><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=100402.msg4530570#msg4530570">Quote from: lovelygirl on 20-04-2011, 04:34:46</a></div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">"I hope you like it, be honest, we can still order take out if you hate it." </blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br>"Like it?!?&nbsp; If it tastes half as good as it smells, I am going to have to kidnap you and chain you in my kitchen to make my meals for me."&nbsp; Jim went to the drawer and got the corkscrew.&nbsp; Pouring out a couple of glasses he toasted Bree.&nbsp; "To a great meal and a great hostess."&nbsp; And then as they both sipped their glasses, Jim stepped in and gave Bree a quick, but nice, kiss on the lips.&nbsp; "That's for inviting me over."&nbsp; While Bree was still a little stunned by the kiss, Jim deflected the conversation.&nbsp; "Shall we sit to dinner?&nbsp; If I don't get some of that food soon, my stomach is going to reach up and eat my head."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>22-04-2011, 03:31:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree smiled at him when he said he was going to have to drink the entire bottle. "Well I can have a glass or two," she giggled. For some reason he was making her act like a silly school girl. <br><br>When he kissed her, she was a bit surprised, but didn't stop him either, she actually welcomed it, but did not want him to know it. <br><br>"Sit, eat before it gets cold. I do hope you like it. I know it's simple, but I figured everyone pretty much likes lasagna." Bree sat across from him and took the glass of wine, "Mm that's good, nice choice." Bree took a couple more sips, then began to eat her meal. <br><br>Everything tasted good, at least to her. Bree didn't realize it, but she was staring at him, she couldn't help it. Jim was handsome, hands down. She then caught herself and looked away, she hoped he hadn't noticed. <br><br>"So tell me, how does everything taste? Ready for take out yet?" She lifted her glass to him and took two more sips of wine. Bree was comfortable and let all her walls down around Jim.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>22-04-2011, 05:46:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim<br><br>The food was as tasty as the odors had advertised.&nbsp; He didn't know why she kept pre-apologizing.&nbsp; Of course, he had to admit, he did not have the most defined palate when it came to food.&nbsp; He ate a lot of takeout and prepackaged meals and they couldn't hold a candle to real home cooked food.<br><br>Jim lifted his gaze from his plate to talk to Bree and noticed she had been staring at him.&nbsp; "Bree, this is wonderful.&nbsp; I really mean it.&nbsp; I haven't had a home cooked meal in a long time.&nbsp; It's all I can do to stop eating even though my belly is way full.&nbsp; I can only hope you invite me over more often."&nbsp; &nbsp;There was quite a bit of food left over and Jim hated to see it go to waste.<br><br>"Bree, don't hate me for what I am about to say.&nbsp; I am actually not sure why I am saying it.&nbsp; What I really want is to have you all to myself this evening.&nbsp; But I couldn't help but notice that Ali lives across the road.&nbsp; It makes me feel sad that you two are fighting so badly.&nbsp; Maybe we, together, could invite her for a little food and see if we can calmly talk about the situation.&nbsp; If it is still too early, just tell me.&nbsp; I just have this thing about losing best friends - long story - and, well, that's it, I have a thing."<br><br>Jim hoped he hadn't ruined things by rushing, he wasn't even sure why he did it.&nbsp; He really did want to spend some alone time with Bree.&nbsp; Maybe that was it.&nbsp; He knew deep in his subconscious that Bree liked someone else and this was his subconscious' way of derailing any plans he might have.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>22-04-2011, 09:52:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>Will rolled out of bed like a zombie more or less. His sleep had been mostly restless as he was not having the best of dreams, he could not remember them all too clearly but he knew that they had all been bad more or less. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and did not really like what he saw, he looked tired, worn out, and like he was at least like five years older than he really was. He stood up and went into the bathroom and did his morning routine of becoming a normal human being.<br><br>Once he was done with that, he walked across his living room in his boxers as he saw the LA Times sitting there on the floor for him. he picked it up and put it under his arms as he directed himself to the dining room. He laid the paper out on the table. That way it would be waiting for him when he had decided to read it during breakfast. <br><br>He quickly made himself a very nice egg sandwich, put it on a plate and sat at his table. He ate it slowly, taking small bites out of it as he read over the lines of texts on his newspaper. All of it as usual was more of the same. There was crime, corruption, and death everywhere you went and all of it was of course chronicled in the newspaper.<br><br>He put it down as his sandwich disappeared. He picked up his phone, he texted Ali. "Good morning, I hope you are doing better than you were last night." he typed out before he hit send.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>22-04-2011, 16:39:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali<br><br>Ali had remained sitting in the swing, the way she had been since her mother left, and she jumped slightly when she heard her cell phone go off, announcing a text. She knew it wasn't Bree or Jim because they were too preoccupied, at the moment, so it could only be two people, Lucas or Will. She read it and it was from Will, he was checking up on her which was sweet considering the fact that she'd basically ruined his chance with Bree.<br><br>Ali texted him back, "No, not really. My mother just left, we had a fight. How are you doing?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>23-04-2011, 01:15:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree was so glad that Jim liked the meal she prepared for him. She smiled when he complimented her on it, and eased back in her chair more happy he thought it was delicious. <br><br>Then he dropped a bomb, he wanted to invite Ali over, for reasons he just would not go into detail with her. It was curious, had someone done something to him? Had he lost a best friend as well?<br><br>"Jim, this has to be between Ali and myself, you being here while we dredged up things would be awkward. See I'm always the one to clean up her messes, she screws up, Bree is right there behind her with a broom sweeping up the carnage left behind. I just never thought I would be a casualty in her games. I have gotten her out of so much, covered her ass for so long, I never expected her to do this to me. I don't know what's worse, that I found out, or that she was going to hide it from me the rest of our lives. She took away the first man I was falling in love with, I don't know how to forgive her for that right now."<br><br>Bree removed her plate and brought it to the dishwasher, she didn't want to have Jim see she was holding back tears. She felt a bit dizzy as she walked, perhaps it was the wine, she had already had two and a half glasses of it. <br><br>She turned back to him, a fake smile on her face, "Sorry, I just need time before I even think about talking to her." Bree sat back down and looked away, things were not going as well as she had planned. She hoped Tje subjects of Ali or Will wouldn't have come up, but now it was too late for that. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>25-04-2011, 02:36:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Jim</strong><br><br>Jim just wanted to dig a hole and crawl in.&nbsp; The whole atmosphere in the room changed and he knew it was his fault.&nbsp; And he couldn't even really apologize since it was the whole subject that made Bree sad.&nbsp; He needed to change the subject and try to make Bree forget his massive faux pas.<br><br>"Point taken, Bree.&nbsp; Discussion over.&nbsp; Why don't I help you with dishes, since I seem to have made quite a mess here.&nbsp; You did a lot of work creating this masterpiece, the least I can do is help you clean the dishes."&nbsp; Even as he spoke, he was already clearing his plate towards the sink.<br><br>Jim was a roiling pile of emotions right now.&nbsp; He had definite feelings for Bree, who liked Will, who slept with Ali.&nbsp; And he had started to like the Ali he was getting to know, but that had been cut short.&nbsp; He wasn't sure if could like someone who could do this.&nbsp; But he also didn't have the whole story.&nbsp; He would definitely have to find out the whole story.&nbsp; Right now, however, he was in a bind.&nbsp; He wanted to advance his relationship with Bree.&nbsp; But he didn't want to cause her any more pain.&nbsp; He was walking a fine line and he knew he just didn't have the skills for it.&nbsp; Sooner or later he was bound to misstep.<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>26-04-2011, 16:40:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree was relieved when Jim dropped the whole subject. Yet, she saw so much of how the two of them were similar. Bree would have done the same thing to Jim, suggest that he speak to his friend, if the shoe was on the other foot. <br><br>"Sorry if I made you feel awkward, let's just enjoy the rest of the night. You're kinda like me, you don't like to see people unhappy, so you try everything in your power to fix things, make them right. We are so much alike it isn't funny." She hugged him to let him know she wasn't upset with him, to let him know everything was ok between them. <br><br>"So I bet you didn't know this about me, but I play a mean Super Mario Brothers, care to challenge me?" Bree moved into the living room and turned on her Wii, giving a controller to Jim, "That is unless you're afraid to get beaten by a girl," she giggled. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>27-04-2011, 12:16:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim finished clearing the dishes thankful that Bree seemed to be ready to forgive and forget his faux pas.&nbsp; A few minutes later the dishes were done and Bree invited him to play Super Mario Bros.<br><br>"You do know you are talking to an avid gamer, right.&nbsp; I have played video games since I was but a wee little boy and I am pretty skilled.&nbsp; So yes, I will challenge you.&nbsp; Not only will I challenge you, let's make the pot a little sweeter.&nbsp; How about a little side bet?&nbsp; I will bet a week of lunches on the game.&nbsp; If I win, you have to make home cooked lunches for us for a week.&nbsp; If you win, I will treat you to lunch for a week. You don't really want me making lunches.&nbsp; What do you think?"<br><br>The feel of Bree when she hugged him was still fresh on his mind and made him feel a little giddy again.&nbsp; He hoped that maybe he could sneak in another kiss tonight.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>27-04-2011, 14:52:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Oh so you think you can beat me? Really? Just because you're an avid gamer? Well I will have you know, you have just met your match mister. You're on with the lunches, and I will even let you dictate what I make if I lose, which I won't. You can be Luigi, he always did come in second to Mario." Bree laughed and sat down, ready to play, there was no way she was going to lose this one. <br><br>As the game started up, she had amazing skills, getting coins, mushrooms, flowers. Bree was pretty&nbsp; good when it came to the game. Of course she was, without Ali she didn't have asocial life and spent most of her time playing the game. She didn't want Jim to know that though, he would probably think she was a loser or something, pretty girl at home playing video games. <br><br>Every time Jim would try to advance, Bree would playfully bump him and try to throw him off balance. She was laughing and having fun, and it wasn't dependent on Ali being around. She just hoped Jim was having a good time too, even if she was trying to throw him off his game.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>28-04-2011, 12:40:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim was really getting into this match with Bree.&nbsp; She had some mad skills, it was true, but she was making the classic error of playing the player and not the game.&nbsp; All Jim had to do was bide his time and let her think she had him under control.&nbsp; The two of them stayed neck and neck through the game, but any time Jim tried to take the lead, Bree would go after him.&nbsp; Jim was going to use that against her.&nbsp; Finally, they were near the end and Jim knew it was his time to move.&nbsp; He advanced and when Bree went to go after him, he pulled a cool move that he had perfected, leaving Bree holding nothing but virtual dust.&nbsp; "Hah! Now all I gotta do is run this bunch and ...."&nbsp; Jim got turtled.&nbsp; He never saw it coming.&nbsp; "Where did you...how...well, damn!"&nbsp; Jim was beaten.<br><br>Jim was a lot of things, but a poor loser was not one of them.&nbsp; Jim's face split into a broad smile.&nbsp; "Wow, you are impressive.&nbsp; But I am afraid I am going to have to ask for a rematch.&nbsp; You have won the first round and I owe you a week's worth of lunches.&nbsp; No questions.&nbsp; But I was lulled into a false sense of security because you played the pretty geek card.&nbsp; You knew that I would never believe a pretty girl could have mad skills and so I played right into your hands.&nbsp; This is not to say I am upset, quite the opposite, you were masterful and I am properly awed.&nbsp; But now that I know how good you are, I'll need to put my A game on."<br><br>"What say you to a new round of betting?&nbsp; You call it and we'll fire this baby up again."&nbsp; Jim had a little glint of fire in his smiling eyes.&nbsp; He was not going to be so easy to beat this time.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>28-04-2011, 21:44:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She knew how to lull a guy into a false sense of security when it came to Mario. She would pattern her moves, then spring into action at the last second. She was a self made hustler, and her pan worked. Just as he tried to make his move, Bree snapped up and crushed Jim. She was laughing and giggling as he sat there stunned.<br><br>"Pretty geek huh? That's a new one indeed. Ok, let's go for a round two. Hmmmm, what to wager. I've got it! I win you clean my house for a week, and vice versa. What do you say?" Bree would love to have Jim come over and watch him clean her house, top to bottom. She smiled, wondering if he would accept her challenge or decline her and make her come up with a new idea. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>28-04-2011, 23:03:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Will dd not like how Ali was trying to deflect and move things over onto him. He had accepted his responsibility for his actions, and had gone through his rather depressed phase, so there was no need to really feel anything at the moment other than to try and&nbsp; support her. He put the paper down and lounged out on his couch with his phone in hand. His couch was quite comfy with its nice cotton pillows and and the blanket that he had draped over the back of the couch.<br><br>He looked up at his phone, and looked at the screen. He was trying to figure out what to say to her. Ali needed comfort and he needed to try and figure out what she needed at the moment. "Ali, are you alright? Tell me what happened." Will sent back to her. He was leaning up against the back of the couch. His head was leaning on the back of the couch's arm rest as he looked up into the ceiling. He was just lost in his own thoughts.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>29-04-2011, 02:46:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali had moved inside to her couch and put some music on to try to cheer herself up, but it was not working at all. So, she moved onto what always helped when she was upset...cleaning or cooking, this time around it was cleaning and by the time she was finished, her house would be absolutely spotless with virtually nothing out of place. She hadn't bothered with make-up or doing her hair, she'd just thrown it up in a ponytail and if anyone showed up, Ali would look like a totally different person, a more innocent-looking version of herself in fact. When she had no make-up on, she actually looked 19 and with the state of her mind right now, anyone that looked at her would be able to see the insecure and scared little girl inside...the part of herself that she had pushed back when she was 15.<br><br>Ali heard her phone go off and walked over to grab it, she read the text and smiled slightly. Will was a sweet guy,<em> God, Ali stop thinking like that!</em>, she tried to think of how to put it. "Well, she said a lot of things that I've been thinking about myself lately. I think I might need someone to talk to, um and since Bree isn't talking to me, could you come over and talk to me? I just need a friendly face right now."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>29-04-2011, 16:44:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=100402.msg4567808#msg4567808">Quote from: lovelygirl on 28-04-2011, 21:44:21</a></div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">"Pretty geek huh? That's a new one indeed. Ok, let's go for a round two. Hmmmm, what to wager. I've got it! I win you clean my house for a week, and vice versa. What do you say?" </blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br>Jim mulled it over for a moment then stepped it up.&nbsp; "I agree, if I win you clean my house for a week...dressed as a sexy french maid.&nbsp; If you win I will do the same."&nbsp; Not waiting for her to change her mind, he pressed the start button and watched the game reset to the beginning.&nbsp; "This time, there shall be no mercy."&nbsp; Jim gave it his best evil laugh.&nbsp; And true to his word, once the game began, he did not bide his time, like he had done the first game.&nbsp; He immediately began using all his skills right from the start.&nbsp; But he noticed her character doing nothing and held up.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>30-04-2011, 04:31:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree opened her mouth to object about the French Maid part of his deal. Before she knew it, Jim was playing dirty and had started without her. <br><br>Well, not to be out done by his sneakiness, Bree took her remote, placed it on net lap and folded her hands over it in protest. There was no way in a million years she could ever dress in a sexy maid outfit. The idea alone made her blush red. <br><br>Now she waited, sitting there quietly waiting for Jim's reaction to her silent protest. <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>30-04-2011, 10:22:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Will kind of expected her to request him coming over to her house, but considering what happened last time, he was not completely sure that was a good idea. He scratched his head as he thought about it. He had no idea what to say about it. But as he laid on his couch with nary a sound in that house of his, there could be worse things than going over to see Ali. But he still needed to be sure of the Bree element. She did not need to be hurt by seeing him around Ali all of the time after hurting her so much by being with Ali.<br><br>He sent Ali a text: "Is Bree home? I don't really want to really want a repeat of last night or that might hurt you even more."<br><br>The last thing he wanted was to cause these girls anymore pain than he already had. But as it stood at the moment. The damage was done. Both girls were more or less avoiding each other though Ali was still trying to contact Bree it seemed, she was just being denied from what Will could tell. He Got off his couch and showered while he waited for her response. He even got dressed in a pair of red shorts and a blue polo shirt as he prepared to go see her if Bree was not around.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>01-05-2011, 03:29:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali read his text, rolled her eyes and walked over to grab her cigarettes before texting him back. "Don't, just don't pretend that you care about hurting me. The only reason you won't is because you think that, somehow, you can salvage things with Bree. Just forget it." She brought her legs up underneath her on the couch and tossed her phone down next to her. Ali had nobody to talk to, at all, it seemed as if though nobody cared that she actually had feelings and emotions. Bree hated her, her parents didn't want anything to do with her unless they'd get anything out of it, Jim didn't really care, and Will was afraid to hurt Bree's feelings. When she was upset, she lashed out and even if she didn't mean to, she had always been that way.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>01-05-2011, 06:03:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He threw his phone on the floor after he saw her text. She obviously did not understand his intentions. If he hurt Bree more than he would hurt her by extension. So no it was not just Bree that he was looking after, it was Ali too. He walked out of his bedroom, into his living room and out to his car. He pulled the keys out of his pocket, put the key in the car door. The car door was pulled open effortlessly, and then he jumped into the front seat. He slammed the door closed and slid the key into the ignition. The car started the moment he turned the key, he backed out of his driveway and headed over to Ali's.<br><br>He parked the car at the end of the block so that she would not see him coming. He walked the short path down the sidewalk and to the front of her house, he started to think of all the places she would put a spare key. And being as quiet as he could, he searched for it. After a few minutes he found it. Will knew what he was doing was technically wrong but she was not going to let him in otherwise. The key slid into the lock and he unlocked the door. He pulled the key out of the lock and then hid it in the place he had found it. <br><br>He knocked on the door a few times, hoping that she had not heard him unlock the door before he just opened it. He stood in the doorway, his eyes scanning the living room, looking for Ali.<br><br>"Ali, where are you? It's Will" he said as he looked across the living room and found her lying on the couch. Taking careful steps, he came over to the couch and pulled her into his arms, he holding her in a warm embrace. Doing his best to just be there and comfort her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>01-05-2011, 07:56:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali heard the door open and, for a split second, she expected Bree to walk in, but she'd forgotten that Bree hated her. She heard his voice and sat up slightly, she was glad that her curtains were closed so Bree wouldn't see this because she'd get the wrong idea about it. Ali just let him hold her while she cried, this was different than how it usually was when a man held her, she wasn't used to being comforted because if Bree wasn't around Ali always had to comfort herself. <br><br>&nbsp;"I'm going to end up being a drunk whore that's always lonely and people are gonna talk about me and it's what I deserve." This is what she had been thinking ever since the night before when everything went to shit, it was like her mother had known she'd been thinking this and had just said what was in Ali's own mind.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>01-05-2011, 22:31:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=100402.msg4573397#msg4573397">Quote from: lovelygirl on 30-04-2011, 04:31:22</a></div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">Bree opened her mouth to object about the French Maid part of his deal. Before she knew it, Jim was playing dirty and had started without her. <br><br>Well, not to be out done by his sneakiness, Bree took her remote, placed it on net lap and folded her hands over it in protest. There was no way in a million years she could ever dress in a sexy maid outfit. The idea alone made her blush red. <br><br>Now she waited, sitting there quietly waiting for Jim's reaction to her silent protest.<br></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br>Jim looked puzzled as he turned to Bree.&nbsp; "Did I say something wrong?"&nbsp; Once again, before Bree even answered, Jim knew he had gone too far.&nbsp; "I'm sorry.&nbsp; I was just having some fun, I didn't mean for it to be at your expense."&nbsp; Knowing the night was just not going to plan or even smoothly at all he decided to let it end.&nbsp; "Perhaps I should call it a night, save me the embarrassment of another whuppin' at your hands."&nbsp; Jim stood and handed his controller to Bree.&nbsp; "Thank you for the food.&nbsp; I'll be sure to see you in the morning and we can decide on your lunch."&nbsp; Jim turned to collect his jacket, ready to leave.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>02-05-2011, 00:30:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Will held her there in his arms as she cried. He was there to support her and hold her in his arms till her last tear was shed and she was no longer sad. But it seemed like that was not going to happen at the moment just yet. Will had to do more for her. He knew he had to. Will ran his hand along her back, just pressing down a little to let her know that he was there to hold her. And then when she spoke Will, pulled back a little and he placed one finger across her lips. "Shhh. Don't speak negatively about yourself. You are not going to end up alone, and you are definitely not a drunk whore. You don't deserve any of the abuse you are putting upon yourself." he spoke to her as he moved the hand away from her lips and just looked deeply into her eyes.<br><br>He adjusted his arms a little so that he could pull her into a tighter embrace. He felt that some of her tears had dropped down onto his shirt. Will did not care, it was something he had expected to happen when he came to sheer her up. "I care about you, Ali. And I know you are better than what you give yourself credit for."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>02-05-2011, 15:55:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree didn't realize Jim would have reacted this way, just getting up to leave. "Wait, don't leave, I was just upset that you wanted me in a French Maids outfit. That doesn't mean you have to go rushing off. Is that how you are with all the girls, the going gets rocky and you run off? You cant' do that. Sit your ass down, and stay." Bree had never been so bold in her life, but if that was how Jim reacted to conflict, she felt he was going to be alone for the rest of his life. If he had any hope of being with Ali, he was going to have to be much stronger that that. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>02-05-2011, 17:30:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree's reaction was a bit stronger than Jim had expected, but it did not have the intended effect.&nbsp; "Don't you see?&nbsp; I picked the maid's outfit because I can't get you out of my mind.&nbsp; I see you and I..."&nbsp; Jim grabbed his jacket and took a few faltering steps.&nbsp; Without looking at her, he continued.&nbsp; "You said it yourself and I was too thick to agree, we shouldn't do this.&nbsp; I am having trouble right now focusing on that goal.&nbsp; If I were to stay, I would continue to press the issue until you relented, or hated me.&nbsp; I need to go."&nbsp; With that, Jim headed for the door uttering those classic words as he went out.&nbsp; "It's not you, it's me."&nbsp; Once Jim was in front of Bree's house, he paused, hunched over, to steady himself and catch his breath.&nbsp; He had been so stressed that he had started to hyperventilate.&nbsp; Even now, tears of embarrassment were starting to form in the crooks of his eyes.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>02-05-2011, 19:11:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree bit her lip when she heard his words, god, now she felt like she was screwing up his life. First Ali, now her not wanting more than to be friends. Here she thought all she was doing was trying to be nice, kind, repay him for last night. Instead, he was falling for her, something Bree didn't want to face. <br><br>Tears welled in her eyes as he left her there on the couch. This is why she never got involved with guys, life was too complicated with them in it. First Will, the man she was falling for breaks her heart. Now Jim, the one guy she thought she could lean on didn't want to be with her because he was falling for her. Complicated. <br><br>Bree grabbed her keys and went to her garage, even with Jim probably still in the front yard, she peeled out, tires squealing loudly as she drove away from all this to be alone and think. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>02-05-2011, 21:19:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali was about to say something in reply, but before she could she heard tires squealing loudly and got up to walk over to the window. All she saw were Bree's taillights fading in the distance and Jim standing in her front yard, it looked like he was on the verge of tears, and Ali felt conflicted with what was happening. The guy she really liked and wanted to be with was standing there, looking desolate, Bree had sped off into the night like something had happened and she was probably crying and then Will was in her living room wanting to comfort her. She felt stupid, never should have asked Will to come over because now she only wanted to go talk to Jim and see what had happened.<br><br>Ali turned back to Will, tears still in her eyes, and spoke. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea for you to come over, Bree just drove off because of something...maybe you should try to go find her and see what's wrong. Just go out the back, okay? Thank you for coming over, but Bree won't talk to me so you should go try to see what happened and I'll go talk to Jim to try find out what happened." With that said, she let her hair down, Ali knew she probably looked horrible but she had to try to talk to him. It could be her only chance to talk to Jim about everything. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and she had no make-up, whatsoever, on but she still quietly made her way over to Bree's yard to where Jim was.<br><br>"What happened?" She asked softly, wanting to know what had happened, but also wanted to talk to him...just to hear his voice. Ali was playing no games and was sincere about just wanting to do all she could to make things the way they were before all the shit had gone down.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>04-05-2011, 19:56:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim looked up and saw Ali approaching after Bree had raced out of the house.&nbsp; Things were going from bad to worse.&nbsp; He couldn't run away because she was right there, but he didn't know what to say right now.&nbsp; Of course she led off the conversation by asking him what happened and he had no idea how to answer, so he chose the truth, well his own version of it anyway.<br><br>"What happened?&nbsp; What happened is that I made a fool of myself and acted like a jerk.&nbsp; Bree was so nice to me and I took advantage of that and then I ruined it."&nbsp; Jim wasn't sure how much to say.&nbsp; Especially if Bree was right in Ali liking him, but he felt like he was in in a train heading for a crash and he couldn't change directions.<br><br>"She was so broken up when something happened between Will and you...and she wanted a friend...some friend I was.&nbsp; I tried to be her friend, but when I saw how caring she was, I started to fall for her myself.&nbsp; So I started hitting on her.&nbsp; I know, I'm an ass.&nbsp; Anyway, she took it in stride, deflecting me, until I finally came to my senses and realized what I was doing and then I ran out and she drove off and...I don't know anymore."<br><br>Jim looked like he was ready to cry, but he held it back, a watery look to his eyes was the only giveaway.&nbsp; He knew Ali was going to be mad that he had hit on Bree, but he was already putting the whole affair into the 'been there, screwed it up, lock it away in my brain and forget about it' pile.&nbsp; It would not be his first relationship meltdown.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>04-05-2011, 21:08:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong>Will</strong><br><br>He let Ali leave because he agreed with her, but it was not that he did not know that she had done it for Jim. Will could see the man standing there on the other side of the street looking like some poor sap. A sap that Will had been up till this point. He thought about Bree for a moment. She had a good two to three minute head start as he stood there just looking at Ali and Jim just talking. Will had only known Bree a week. He had no idea where she would run to escape from it all. So Will was lost. More lost than he had been in the past two days.<br><br>But then he felt the reassuring weight of his cellphone in his pocket. It was worth a shot to try and contact her for some kind of meet up. The question was would she even bother to look at her phone since she seemed that she was in fact running away from others. Will knew that was a highly possible thing. But he also could not just give up on all of it either. He headed his way towards the back of Ali's house, his cellphone in hand.<br><br>He typed out a message and sent it to Bree:<br><br>Bree, I don't know if you want to talk to me right now, but I want to meet up with you. How about Angel Park that is not too far from the office?<br><br>He sent the message off and slipped the phone in his pocket. He left the back of Ali's house and headed along the back path of the houses so that Jim would not see him walking over to his car. He hopped in the car and headed out to one of his favorite restaurants, he had things to pick up before he met up with Bree in the park, if she even wanted to meet up.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>04-05-2011, 22:43:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"you're not an ass, you're a guy and I'm not saying it's okay, but it's understandable. Bree is an amazing person, she's sweet and caring and sometimes too trusting, it seems. I honestly don't know how she stayed my best friend for so long...I'm not a good person, Jim. I've done some terrible things, some were really out of my control, but I still did them. I never thought I was doing anything wrong, really, doing what I liked to do and getting paid for it." Ali said that last part without really thinking about it, but when she realized that she's said it...she knew that she had to tell him everything so he'd understand.<br><br>"Guess the cat's out of the bag now, huh? You were honest with me so I'm going to be completely honest with you and tell you the whole story. Bree's the only person who I've ever told this so just bear with me, okay?" Ali was trying to think of what exactly to say, but knew it'd have to be the whole truth.<br><br>"When I was 15, my dad lost his job and started drinking again and he was mean when he was drunk. My mom wouldn't stop trying to live beyond our means, we never had any money and I didn't want to leave Bree. She was already like my sister and I loved her. I guess you could say that I took it upon myself to start making us a little money, I gave up my virginity for $5,000 and it just kind of spiraled out of control from there. I started hating myself because of what I was doing and I finally told my parents how I was getting all this money, figuring that they'd act like parents and stop it, but they didn't. They started actually setting 'dates' up and made me keep doing it so they wouldn't have to even try to work. The day I turned 18, I kicked them out. I was paying for everything anyways so it was my house and I stopped." Ali had tears in her eyes, she hated talking about this but felt that she had to let him know everything.<br><br>"The other day when you and I were talking after lunch and my phone rang, it was some guy who'd gotten my number from one of his friends. He told me that he'd pay me $1500 to spend one night with him and one of his friends, I was weak and I said okay. Showed up to the house and he had his friend tied up and blindfolded, to be honest, it kind of scared me so I wasn't going to say no and find out what he'd do to me. He wouldn't let me take his friend's blindfold off until everything had already happened and by the time I saw it was Will, there really wasn't any way to stop anything because his friend was behind me. That's when Bree showed up. I know I fucked everything up by even agreeing to it in the first place so if you never want to see or talk to me again, I don't blame you." Ali looked at her feet before looking back at him. "You're a good guy, Jim, and you deserve to be happy. You deserve to be with someone who doesn't hate herself." This was honestly how she felt about herself and she didn't know how to really change that.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>05-05-2011, 16:45:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree had tears streaming down her face, she pulled into a park she had gone to as a kid. There was a special place, a weeping willow tree with a huge boulder under it. She liked to sit there, when the tree was full, no one could see her under the canopy of the tree. <br><br>Her phone when off and she saw it was Will. Bree sighed, her cheeks tear stained, she wasn't sure if she should answer him or now. Honestly, she didn't want to have to deal with any of them right now. She felt crushed by all three of them. She really wanted to be alone, but seep down she knew at least one of them would keep hounding her until they found out where she was. <br><br>"Already there, under willow tree." Bree sent off the text, feeling stupid for giving in, but she had to face her demons sometime. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>05-05-2011, 23:25:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				At first, Jim was only half listening to Ali, but as the explanation got intense he found himself drawn in.&nbsp; Emotions washed through him as she related her woes.&nbsp; First pity, then disgust, amazement and shock all went barreling through his system.&nbsp; It wasn't until she finished that he realized he wasn't even thinking about the screw-ups he had caused.<br><br>As Ali careened to a halt, Jim knew he had to say something, but he didn't for the life of him know what.&nbsp; "Wow."&nbsp; Then a dreadfully long pause.&nbsp; "If this was some cleverly crafted way of showing me that no matter how bad I think it is, it could always be worse, then you have succeeded."&nbsp; Jim's pathetic attempt at levity didn't even make himself smile.<br><br>"This is a lot to get hit with all at once, and I am afraid I don't know what to say.&nbsp; Have you told all this to Bree, or does she just think you slept with Will?"&nbsp; Jim paused again to think, he was trying to piece together something comprehensible.<br><br>"Well, I'm certainly not going to get all holier than thou on you.&nbsp; I don't approve of prostitution, but I'm not going to pretend it doesn't exist.&nbsp; What I don't understand is the waste.&nbsp; Look at you.&nbsp; You are unfucking believably beautiful.&nbsp; Prostitution is for girls who need to put an inch of makeup on to look hot.&nbsp; You would look hot rolling out of bed in the morning and your hair stuck at crazy angles like Pippi Longstockings.&nbsp; There had to have been a better choice."<br><br>Immediately Jim felt stupid.&nbsp; Once again he had opened his mouth and inserted his foot.&nbsp; "I'm sorry.&nbsp; It's not my life, I don't know the pressures or the choices you had to make.&nbsp; I wasn't there and I have no business judging you because of it."<br><br>Jim looked up at the passing clouds and wondered how the hell he had ended up here.&nbsp; His gaze dropped back to Ali.&nbsp; "Look, I think we both need a break.&nbsp; I don't want to go home to my lonely house right now.&nbsp; So, would you like to go get a coffee with me?&nbsp; Just to set the record straight.&nbsp; I don't hate you and I don't need to avoid you.&nbsp; I do think you have some work ahead of you with Bree.&nbsp; But I will give you a helping hint, she really wants you back, she just can't admit it to herself right now, so you're going to have to do something that you haven't before.&nbsp; You will have to convince Bree that you have changed and I promise you, it won't be easy.&nbsp; Why don't you start with a cup of coffee with a friend?"&nbsp; The way Jim intoned friend gave the impression that Jim could be her friend right now, but nothing more.<br><br>Jim held out his hand to Ali.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>06-05-2011, 01:00:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali looked at Jim through the tears in her eyes and she could see the emotions that were running through his mind. "I know it's a lot to get hit with at one time and I'm sorry for that." She didn't really know what else to say after that so moved on to his question.<br><br>"She thinks that I slept with him because I was jealous, which isn't true, if I would've known who was behind the blindfold, nothing would have ever happened. I've told her, but she said she doesn't care."<br><br>"Thank you and yeah, I know there were probably better options, but I was 15 and all I could think about was not wanting to leave Bree. The money issue didn't even matter to me." She smiled just slightly.<br><br>"That's why I'm giving her time so when she wants to talk, I'll be there and I know it'll probably be the hardest thing I've ever done, but I don't want that life anymore. I'm working on it." Ali closed her eyes, for just a second, before looking at Jim. "I couldn't handle anything more than a friend right now and coffee would be great, thanks." She wasn't even thinking in terms of more than a friend, Ali just wanted someone to talk to and it was easy to talk to Jim. She took his hand lightly and followed him to his car.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>06-05-2011, 16:20:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim held Ali's hand as they walked to the car and it was a weird feeling.&nbsp; Somehow she had lost all the mystique that had scared him away before.&nbsp; She was still beautiful, but Jim could see the hurt little girl under the skin.&nbsp; He suddenly felt like her big brother.&nbsp; "Hop in," said Jim as they got to the car.&nbsp; "Starbucks ok?"&nbsp; There was one around the corner and Jim figured it shouldn't be too busy on a Sunday evening.<br><br>The two of them arrived at the Cafe and ordered drinks.&nbsp; They found some seats far from anyone else and sat down.&nbsp; Jim didn't say anything for a while, he just sipped on his coffee letting things slowly percolate through his brain.&nbsp; It was not that he was ignoring Ali.&nbsp; On the contrary he met her eyes several times, there were just no words to follow and so they would break the gaze and look back at their drinks.<br><br>Jim thought back to his Geek days in high school and college and tried to remember how many times he had sat and listened to one of his girl friends complain about this boy or that boy and how they hated them.&nbsp; And Jim would dutifully listen, since that's what they all loved about him.&nbsp; Underneath he knew that next week they would go out with that boy again or find a new one just like the old one.&nbsp; He had seen the pattern so many times.&nbsp; Now with Ali, he was forced to wonder, was she the same.&nbsp; She had given up the life she said, but obviously she had returned to it for the Will thing.&nbsp; Jim doubted she would like that thrown in her face right now, so he kept wisely quiet.&nbsp; But the silence stretched on as they searched for a topic to talk about.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>10-05-2011, 18:00:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali met Jim's eyes many times but there were no words that she could think of to say, so each time she looked back at her drink. She sipped on her macchiatto while she tried to think of something to say. <br><br>"I'm sorry you were dragged into the middle of all this, Jim. I never meant for that to happen, well, I didn't know that one stupid slip-up would cause all this drama until everything blew up in my face, but I do apologize for that." With that said, Ali took another drink and couldn't remember the last time that she'd just sat and talked with a guy. She'd never really had any guy friends, to be honest, she'd never had too many girl friends either. The only person she'd ever really gotten close to was Bree and now, that was in major jeopardy.<br><br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>13-05-2011, 02:52:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It was a rather quiet coffee.&nbsp; Both were often lost in their thoughts.&nbsp; When Ali apologized for dragging Jim into everything, he had a number of choice things he could have responded with.&nbsp; But even as the emotions grew in his chest, he knew them for what they were.&nbsp; Pettiness.&nbsp; Sure, Jim could be mad that Ali threw his weekend into disarray.&nbsp; But, really?&nbsp; What was that worth on the scale of things?&nbsp; All Ali had really done was ruin poker night, the rest of the crap was all his own fault.&nbsp; A moment of weakness that he should have stopped before it went too far; in which he was not unlike Ali.<br><br>"I accept your apology.&nbsp; Consider the matter closed.&nbsp; Of course right now the both of us owe an apology to Bree which will not go as easily for either of us.&nbsp; Admittedly, mine will be easier than yours.&nbsp; Other than giving her time, do you have any good ideas?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>13-05-2011, 08:41:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali was lost in her own thoughts and his words snapped her back to reality. It took a few seconds for her to look him in the eye, though, and she smiled. "Thank you and thank you for being a friend, Jim. I need one of those right now. I have apologized to her but I need to show her that I'm not interested in Will in any way but as a boss and as a friend. I should probably change the way I act as well. Not go out as much and well just change my ways completely, I'm tired of not having a real connection with anyone. I already poured out all the alcohol I had in my house, so that's a start." She smiled slightly. <br><br>"I don't want to be my father so no real partying for me anymore. I plan on apologizing to anyone I've ever hurt and I know Bree needs time away from me so I'm not going to bother her until she gets in touch with me." <em>Which I hope is soon</em> is what she thought to herself.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>13-05-2011, 14:16:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It would take Will about 45 minutes to finally arrive in the park. However when he got there, he was carrying a large bouquet of flowers made of red, white and pink roses. The paper wrapped around the bouquet would have the words "I am sorry" written across it, and in his other hand he would be carrying a large picnic basket. Inside of that would be food from the best and most expensive restaurant in town. he had no idea if it was food she liked but then again he had got a little bit of everything so he hoped that she was bound to like something.<br><br>Will walked over to her with slow careful steps. He had to make sure to keep his balance between the food and the flowers so that both them and himself stayed off the ground. He gave Bree a glowing smile and stood there in front of her. "Bree, I am sorry. I never should have done what I did. Please accept all of this as an apology and there is of course more if you want it because Bree, I know I hurt you and so I will forever be in your debt." Those were the impassioned words he spoke as he looked at the beauty that he wanted to make his. He knew that the dream of kissing her, holding her, or waking up to her face in the morning after cuddling all night, could all come true someday or be dashed by her response to this statement of his. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>14-05-2011, 01:28:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim nodded as Ali laid out her plans.&nbsp; They were rather ambitious in that they involved changing her very way of life.&nbsp; Jim had to admit that she could probably use a little change, but she was talking about becoming a whole new person.<br><br>"You know what, as a friend I would like to help you.&nbsp; Let's take a look at what you are talking about.&nbsp; First there's Will.&nbsp; If I were you, for now, I would forget he exists.&nbsp; Let Bree reintroduce him when she is ready for that step.&nbsp; Don't "be his friend".&nbsp; Bree won't be able to see the difference right now.&nbsp; That's my advice anyway, take it for what you will, I'm obviously not the world's most suave socialite."<br><br>"As far as going out and partying, perhaps you should just change the kind of partying you do.&nbsp; Bree loves musicals and movies.&nbsp; Maybe you should give her ideas a try.&nbsp; You are a social person Ali, staying at home is not your style and would soon make you go stir crazy.&nbsp; Would you like to go to the movies tomorrow?&nbsp; We can watch Thor, it's supposed to be good.&nbsp; If this works out, we can build you a safer social calendar than you used to have."<br><br>Jim looked Ali in the eyes as he waited for her to answer.&nbsp; They were beautiful eyes, although they were full of sadness right now.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>14-05-2011, 01:58:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I didn't plan on hanging out with him or anything, I'm not going to go out of my way to talk to him, but if he talks to me, I'm not gonna be rude. I've never been the type to ignore someone completely, I may be a lot of things, but I'm not a bitch. I know that's what I should do, but it's not in my nature." Ali smiled at Jim, thankful for his advice and for not shutting her out.<br><br>"I love them, too. It's part of the reason Bree and I started hanging out, that and the fact that we lived across the street from each other and were both the only child in our families. We used to act out our favorite scenes when we were little, put on little shows and stuff for our stuffed animals." She smiled as those memories flashed before her eyes.&nbsp; "There's a lot that people don't know about me, maybe because I don't let anyone close enough, but people don't seem to talk to me long enough to find out what I truly enjoy doing."<br><br>"I'd like that and I have been wanting to see that. That sounds like a good idea, thank you for helping me with this." Ali was thankful that she wouldn't have to go about this alone because it wouldn't ever work out if she had to do it alone.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>16-05-2011, 15:30:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree watched Will as he approached, tears welling up in her eyes. She saw the flowers and the basket, and she knew he was there to try&nbsp; to make it up to her. <br><br>As he began to speak, Bree listened to him, but the pain was still there, the vision of Al on top of him, the two of them screwing each other. When he was finished, it was her turn to talk. <br><br>"You're right, you never should have done what you did Will. You shattered my heart into a thousand pieces when I saw you there, Ali riding you, and you enjoying every moment. Please Will, don't deny it, I could see it in your face. I know Ali is the hot girl, the one that will put out and give a guy a good time, but out of all the men in the world, I never thought-" Bree took a breath and wiped the tears from her eyes. <br><br>"That wasn't even the worst part, after I caught you, you lied for her. I know Ali, been with her most of my life. To say you blackmailed her, that excuse was paper thin. Now I have to go through life knowing that my best friend took away my one chance of happiness. Took away the first man I loved in my life. Ripped away my chance of having that special magical moment of having him make love to me, where he just sees me, and no one else. I'll never have that now, you had&nbsp; her first, tasted the exotic beauty, I'm nothing compared to her, just plain and ugly." <br><br>Bree turned her back to him and began to cry, no one ever wanted her over Ali. Ali was the stunning beauty and Bree was the frog, that's how it always was between them. Even Will had tasted the forbidden fruit and liked it. Ali had won, Bree would just concentrate on work, that's what she was best at. No man would ever want her like they wanted Bree, not even Will.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>16-05-2011, 18:26:30</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I will not lie, in the moment yes I did want Ali. But that was in the heat of the moment. That is not the girl I want from the bottom of my heart. You are that beautiful woman. The woman that I want." Will stepped for speaking the words to her back as she cried. He was not going to let her just cry with her back to him like that. He placed the flower and basket on the bench came over to her, spun her around and kissed her deeply with his lips pressing down onto her with that deep passionate type of pressure.<br><br>His arms found their way behind her back as he tried to pull her closer to him. Being apart from her was not on the agenda, he wanted her to be his. Her wet tears came across his face as he continued to kiss her in his arms. The moment to him was beautiful with her there with him, kissing in the park, bearing how he felt for her for all to see.<br><br>The kiss had to break, when it did he just stood there looking at her. Those tears of hers that had been falling from her eyes were wiped off her cheek with his thumb. Seeing her cry made him understand the gravity of what he had done to her, but he still wanted her. He would do anything to make her know that.<br><br>"Bree, you are my beautiful princess, the one I want to spoil and cherish in anyway you desire. You are the one I want to think about as I make love to you. And I will because that is all I want." Will said to her as he continued to look into her face.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>17-05-2011, 05:03:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim had had a very long, very odd day and he was ready to pack it in.&nbsp; He still wasn't sure how in only a few days time all this had come to be.&nbsp; Jim was normally a mild mannered geek at best, he didn't get involved in love triangles, prostitution and heartbreak.&nbsp; He needed some sleep and a reboot of his system to try to work it out in his head.&nbsp; On a side note, he had somehow asked Ali - hot, desirable, hot, Ali - to the movies tomorrow night, and not only was it not a date, he wasn't even stuttering when he talked to her anymore.&nbsp; Things had gotten strange for Jim these days.<br><br>"Ali, thanks for coming out for coffee with me.&nbsp; I think I need to call it a night, though.&nbsp; I'll drop you off at your place on my way home."&nbsp; Jim cleared the table and held Ali's hand again as they walked to his car.&nbsp; A few minutes later, they were back at Ali's.&nbsp; Looking across the street, Bree's car was still gone.&nbsp; "I'll see you tomorrow at work, don't be late." Jim called to Ali as she exited the car.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>17-05-2011, 05:20:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali stood and watched as Jim cleared the table before reaching for her hand. She wasn't used to holding hands with someone so it was slightly nerve-wracking for the young beauty and she felt the butterflies, that she'd had since they had met, again. She wasn't sure if that was evident in her eyes or not, but it was the last thing she- or Jim- needed, at the moment, so she didn't say or do anything about it. They got back into his car and he drove her home.<br><br>"You're welcome and you don't have to thank me, Jim." They got back into his car and he drove her home. When he parked at the curb outside her house, Ali smiled at him slightly. "You're a sweet guy, Jim, and I'm thankful to have you as a friend." She leaned over and kissed his cheek softly before getting out of the car. "See you tomorrow."<br><br>Ali walked up to her house and got inside, turning back to wave to Jim before locking up. She grabbed her little dog while making her way upstairs and stripped down to her bra and panties before slipping into her bed. She was excited about tomorrow night, it was a just friends kind of thing, but she was still anticipating spending some more time with Jim. That's what she was thinking of while she set her alarm and drifted off.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>17-05-2011, 05:37:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim blushed a little when Ali kissed him on the cheek.&nbsp; As she walked away he found himself staring at her ass swaying up the sidewalk.&nbsp; With Ali it wasn't intentional, it was just the way she walked. And her ass was hot.&nbsp; Almost as though Ali could read his thoughts, she turned around and Jim raised his eyes quickly.&nbsp; He didn't think she had caught him, but he blushed again.&nbsp; When she waved, he knew he was safe.&nbsp; He waved back and drove off to his own house.<br><br>Letting himself in, he took a quick shower and laid down in bed.&nbsp; A million thoughts raced through his brain, but he wasn't ready to deal with them yet, so he turned on the tv and promptly fell asleep to a random show.&nbsp; Somewhere in the night, he found the presence of mind to turn off the tv, falling right back asleep until his alarm woke him in the morning.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>17-05-2011, 18:27:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree was surprised when Will grabbed her and pressed his lips to hers. Her wide eyed surprised look turned into her closing her eyes and melting into his kiss. He was soothing all her pain away in that one kiss of his. Yes she was upset with him, but being in his arms seemed to make it all better. Bree's own arms went around him and held him to her. <br><br>When he broke from the kiss and spoke, Bree almost forgave him for everything. "I need time Will, time to heal, time to figure things out. I'm not shutting you out, but I just want space and to take things slow. Can you understand that?" Bree looked up at him with sweet loving eyes, hoping he would give her the time she needed to heal and not push her too much. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>17-05-2011, 18:40:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I know you need time, and I will give you that time. Just know that whenever you are ready, I will be here for you with open arms." Will spoke as he looked into beautiful eyes of hers that he always seemed to get lost in. He could not even imagine what it would be like to see those eyes looking at him for the rest of his life, but he couldn't wait for it. He pressed his lips to hers once more as his grip around her loosened.<br><br>As the kiss finished, he pulled away from her, being careful about moving her arms off his neck. He went over to the picnic basket and opened it up, the smell of hot food wafted through the air. A smile came across his face as he leaned back onto the bench where he sat down. The picnic basket was placed right in the center of the bench, with him intending Bree to sit on the other side of it.<br><br>"Come sit, let's have some food. I got a lot of everything from Toni's that new expensive place in town. I hope you like some of it." he told her as he reached around in the bag and pulled out a bottle of red wine. He looked around and popped it open. He poured two glasses into some wine glasses that he had brought with him. He lifted hers in her direction, hoping she would take it as she sat down.<br><br>"There is no pressure here, I just want to give you a nice meal and flowers and then I will be gone to give you space, I promise." Will said still holding the wine glass towards her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>18-05-2011, 03:29:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree moved to the bench as he opened the basket, she saw he had put so much effort into his apology. It actually made her smile that he was trying so hard to get back in her good graces. <br><br>"Thank you for all of this Will, I appreciate you doing all of this for me. I am also grateful that you respect my needs. It was very kind of you to get all this food for us." <br><br>Bree took the glass from Will and blushed, she still cared for him so much. She took some of the food and ate slowly, looking at him from time to time. Bree wanted to be with him so bad, but she had to work things out with Ali before she could move forward with him.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>18-05-2011, 05:45:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Will looked over at the beautiful Bree as she ate. He would give her a few little smiles as they ate together. He took a few sip from the wine, but he was not drinking it all down. He knew he was going to have to keep this to about one glass since he had to drive. He wondered where she was going after this little meeting, he figured that it was back home. But he wished that she would come with him so he could spoil her more. He was going to ask instead of assuming.<br><br>"Do you want to go to a mall and just hang out for a little bit because I think that Ali is going to be a little busy. So come spend time with me for a little while. I will not pressure you to do anything it will just be a friendly walk around the mall." Will spoke as he finished off a bite of his food. His hand drifted to the middle of the bench between two of them.<br><br>There was a smile on his face with just the slight showing of teeth, his eyes were glimmering with a look of appreciation as he looked into her eyes and face that he loved to adore so much.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>18-05-2011, 15:58:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree nodded to his suggestion to go to the mall. "Sure, we can go to the mall, that would be fine." She wondered though how he knew Ali would be busy. Perhaps she was with Jim, maybe setting things right with him. At least Ali was working towards mending fences. <br><br>She looked into Will's eyes as they finished up and she got lost in them for a moment, she wanted to be with this wonderful man that had shown just how much she meant to him. He was trying, making an effort to make things right and Bree couldn't fault him for that. His smile drew her in as well, and soon she was smiling as well like a goofy school girl. <br><br>"I'll meet you there, meet me by the fountain inside." Bree got up and walked to her car, butterflies in&nbsp; her stomach. he was getting to her again, and she still had her walls up. She didn't want to get hurt again, but he was trying, and Bree knew soon she would let him fully into her heart. She took the flowers and headed to her car. <br><br>Bree drove to the mall smiling, she liked that things were getting better between them, but she still would be cautious. Bree walked in and sat on a bench near the fountain and waited for Will to arrive. <br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>19-05-2011, 07:45:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The signs were all there that Will was working on mending the heart that he had broken. The little smile she had after he smiled at her spoke volumes. All of them were printed with the same theme, she still wanted Will. It was so obvious even as got up to walk away from him. Her steps seemed a little forced like she had wanted to stay for just a little while longer, or was that just hesitance he saw from some other cause. He had a feeling that even this other cause was related to him. But he did not say anything, he just watched her as she walked away from him.<br><br>There was a good five minutes before he stopped looking off in the distance. He adjusted his sitting position and let out a bit of a sigh. It was not a sigh of frustration or relief, it was actually a sigh of pleasure. Bree had pleased him with her little acceptance of this little concession. She was going to gain a lot out of it, that was to be sure. He got up off the bench, cleaned up all the stuff, and headed off to his car. He sat down in the driver seat with the leather pressing into his back as he sat there.<br><br>His right hand touched the cool metal of the transmission as he put the key into ignition and turned the car on, he put the car into reverse and pulled out of the space. He headed over to the mall, and pulled into its massive parking lot with hundreds of cars of all makes and models. He parked in a space that was five spaces down from the entrance to the mall. It was a lucky thing to get the spot. Will smiled as he got out of the car with his keys in hand. He stepped along the warm concrete to the entrance to the mall.<br><br>He opened up the door to the mall, took a few steps inside to see the beautiful Bree just sitting there waiting for him. "I think we should go look at some cute outfits for the lovely Bree. Do you want to start at Sak's Fifth Avenue or somewhere else?" Will asked as he walked closer to her with a smile on his face.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>20-05-2011, 04:11:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her face lit up when she saw him walk toward her. He could still make her smile and feel giddy. How could she not let him back into her life? He was working so hard to work for her forgiveness. <br><br>When he suggested they go to Saks, Bree looked at him and wrinkled her nose, "I can't afford Saks, they are too expensive Will. I'll go look in one of the smaller shops. I really don't need many more clothes, I have enough for work, maybe just a nice top or something." <br><br>Bree didn't have lots of money, but enough to get by. She was just glad that they were spending the day together and getting back to each other. Bree took his hand and began walking with him, staying very OSS to his side as they window shopped through the mall. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>20-05-2011, 09:37:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I am not here to window shop. I am here to spoil you with some cute outfits. I have enough money for Saks, Prada, or anything else you would like." Will told her as he took her hand with his and walked to no particular part of the mall. For him, he was more than willing to spoil her. He had the resources and if he got the promotion he was going to get even more. Bree was going to be his little princess as long as she would have him. And he hoped that was a pretty long time.<br><br>His grip on her hand was the thing that reassured him of this as he was allowed to be with her at least like this for now. He knew that there was much to be done before he could expect a night where he would be holding her in his arms as she slept after they had made love. It was going to require that they talk to Ali a bit about what had occurred. It might even be helpful to get Kyle to talk about how he set the thing up to show that it had all been an accident. A horrible accident that he hoped he would recover from someday.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>20-05-2011, 15:36:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I can't let you do that Will, I'm sorry. I know you want to spoil me, but I just can't let you." Bree always had her pride, and she felt a bit uncomfortable with Will suggesting he buy her clothes and spoil her. It was a nice thought, being treated like the center of the world, but if she couldn't afford it, it was best not to buy it. She hoped he understood and was willing to just leave it at that. <br><br>She walked to a small store and saw a peach dress in the window, "Oh that is so pretty, maybe I'll go try it on." Bree walked into the store and grabbed her size. She went into the dressing room and put it on, it looked perfect on her. She came out to show Will to see if he liked it as well. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>23-05-2011, 00:24:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Okay, Bree if that is what you want." Will knew that Bree was most likely a proud woman, he would honor her request to not spoil her. She would still be the center of his world but he was going to honor her request. He left her at that. Then they started to walk across the mall a little more till they stopped and saw a nice little peach dress in the window. He smiled as he imagined Bree in it. It would look so great on her. And just as he had that thought she spoke to him about it.<br><br>He followed her into the store to see her try it on. Will sat down on the couch outside of the dressing room to look over and wait for Bree. He saw the doorknob twist as she came into the room wearing that beautiful peach colored dress that adorned her in all the right ways. Will liked it quite a lot, and there was the urge to want to buy it for her but he held it back. All he did is move up, put his arms around her and kiss her.<br><br>He pulled away and just looked her in the eye, "It looks quite fitting for the gorgeous girl wearing it, I would say it is as nearly as pretty as you." he told her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>23-05-2011, 16:05:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She kissed him back, falling in love with him again. There was still hurt there, but she loved him so much and wanted everything to go back to the way it was. She blushed when he called her pretty again, she was not used to his compliments. "I do like this dress, but it's more than a weeks salary. Guess I'll have to save up for it."<br><br>Bree went back into the dressing room and changed back into her clothes. She came out and put the dress on the rack and walked away. She knew someday she would be able to afford nice things. She sighed and walked out of the store, turning around, she didn't see Will and wondered what was taking him so long to come out of the store. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>24-05-2011, 07:03:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"It is fine, Bree. I understand." Will said as he looked at her before she went back to change. He looked over to the cashier as she left the room. The cashier knew the look that was in his eyes. It was the look that meant he was going to make some money. This was not the plan, Will had a plan to work this out. A wallet did come out but the money offered was not to buy the dress it was to lay the dress on hold. The dress was only half paid for.<br><br>The cashier nodded in acceptance of the money and the layaway request. And Will walked out of the room, pocketing the receipt out of her view. "That guy knows my sister, so we had a nice little talk." Will said as looked at the lovely Bree. He took her hand in his and started to walk away from the store with her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>24-05-2011, 19:34:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree looked at Will with a little suspicion, but he didn't have the dress in hand, so she figured he must have been telling the truth. "So you have a sister, what's her name?" Bree was curious to know about him and his family, she hardly knew anything about him. She took his hand once more and began walking again, staying close to him, her heart beating hard as they remained close to each other. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>24-05-2011, 21:30:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Jasmine is her name. She is a real beauty to a lot of the guys around here. But I have to keep her in line or else these guys are going to get their hands on her." he said to her sharing a little incite on his younger sister who now that he thought about it, had not really talked to recently. He made a mental note to contact her later. <br><br>He saw a movie theater off in the distance, he looked over to her with a flash of an idea. "You should really meet Jasmine sometime, I am sure you two girls would hit it off. Though I do have to warn you, she is a bit of a brat sometimes. I swear sometimes that I am more like her father than her big brother." he further explained to Bree. The distance between them and the movie theater was closing quickly. Yet he was not going to suggest it since he liked talking to her about himself and his family.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>24-05-2011, 21:54:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree smiled when he spoke about his sister. He seemed so sweet,&nbsp; trying to protect her like that. "She sounds like we would get along, you should introduce us sometime. I'm sure she knows how to defend herself against the boys though Will, you gotta let her be in charge of her own life." <br><br>Bree snuggled against him as they neared the theater. She wanted to keep talking as well, but a movie would be nice too. "Wanna see a movie? I haven't been to a movie in a while." It would be nice to cuddle against him and spend some quiet time with him. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>26-05-2011, 01:54:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I will introduce you to her sometime, don't worry about that. And I give her freedom, just sometimes I got to rein her in before she falls." he explained about Jasmine, who at current was pulling up to his house in her nice candy red sports car. She was pulling bags out of the back seat and walking over to his front door in her red and black wedges. She smiled as she noticed that her big brother wasn't home. It meant she could be all moved in before he got home. And it was easy enough to get into the house since she had her own key.<br><br>Will held Bree close as they neared the movie theater, he looked at it and smiled. "Can I buy your ticket?" he asked first as they walked over to the box office. He looked at the teller who was on the other side of the glass. The man gave him a little smile and he gave one back. "What do you want to watch, romance or action?" he asked Bree as he pulled out his wallet and pulled out a twenty. He of course was waiting for Bree to respond to him on either of the two questions.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>26-05-2011, 15:19:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Yes Will you can buy my ticket, and why don't we see 'Pirates', that should be fun.&nbsp; She really wasn't into seeing a romance to day, she wanted to be able to have him enjoy the movie as well. She held close to him as the entered the theater then snuggled next to him as they sat in the darkness. She felt so close to him, and knew in her heart Will was the one man that she wanted to be with for a very long time. She had no idea she would have to contend with is sister who was making herself at home right now at Wills place.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>26-05-2011, 17:58:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				By the time Will and Bree were even halfway through the movie, Jasmine had already chosen her room, unpacked her stuff and was laying on her bed considering having a shower. There was a thought that lingered on her brain, "Where was Will?". It was a Sunday, and Will was never the one to be the religious type. Which meant that in at least Jasmine's eyes, he should be home with her right now. And like always Jasmine wanted what she wanted.<br><br>Calling her brother as she lay on her bed staring at the ceiling, the phone rang, and Will felt it vibrating but he sure as hell was not going to answer it. This was his time with Bree. The girl he loved and wanted. The one he currently had his arm draped around while his hand slightly moved up and down her back. This pleasant feeling was something that he did not want to lose. He only wanted it to intensify and blossom.<br><br>As the credits rolled, Will looked over to the ever beautiful Bree. "I thought it was fine. What did you think?" his words were typical of every movie going experience, but it was she who had chosen it so her opinion mattered more than his own. Also there was something he wanted to add to his words. "Want to come back to my place? This time I will make you a home cooked meal." Will told her not knowing that at this very moment, Jasmine was getting flustered, stripping off her clothes and heading to a shower, a very long shower.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>27-05-2011, 00:00:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As he commented on the movie she wrinkled her nose, "Well, it was missing Orlando and Kiera so honestly it wasn't as good as the others, but it was ok." She held onto his arm as&nbsp; they walked out of the the theater together. "I will come over to your house as long as you can promise me that when I walk in there won't be another woman waiting there for you." It was a half joke, half serious dig at him. She was a bit hesitant, but the day was going well, and she would probably head over there and have dinner with him anyway. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>27-05-2011, 02:38:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Will gave off a little laugh as she made the little comment of the two missing actors of the movie. He did like the new ones that they had though as it made things interesting and Penelope Cruz was just hot anyway. He offered his arm to Bree who took and then they headed on their way out of the movie theater. It was starting to&nbsp; get a little packed in the mall when they made it to the outside of the movie theater, he was glad that they had gone to the theater early. It meant not having to stand in all of the lines that were now starting too develop on the outside of it. His steps quickened as he worked to walk through the crowd. <br><br>"Bree, if there is another woman waiting at my house right now, then she must be waiting for you because I definitely am not going to do that to you again." Will said as he looked her in the eye with that ever same half joking expression. He walked her over to her car, and he pulled her into his arms to plant a soft sweet kiss on her lips. He never wanted to hurt the precious Bree ever again. If only he knew that Jasmine was still in the shower at his house, having quite the time.<br><br>Will looked at Bree one last time as he walked over to his car. He got into the driver seat after unlocking the car, his eyes glanced over and saw that he was going to need some gas before he got home. Bree was going to get there before him. He looked over to Bree. He got out of his car and walked over to her. He whispered in her ear," If I am not there first, use the spare key hidden in the left floorboard."<br><br>After giving her a slight nod, he ran over to his car once more and then headed off to the gas station.<br><br>Meanwhile, Jasmine was getting out of the shower, drying her hair with a towel while slipping on her bathrobe and panties. She walked out into the living room dressed like this and still kind of wet. Her feet were sitting up on the coffee table and she had a smirk on her face, she was definitely going to tease the hell out of her brother for leaving her alone all day like this.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>31-05-2011, 15:16:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree smiled as he told her to let herself in if she got there first. She nodded and drove off, getting to his house and she did as he was told and removed the key. She shimmied it in the door and popped it open. She then returned it to the floorboard and walked in. Her eyes grew wide as she walked into the living room and saw Jasmine there, just in a bathrobe. <br><br>Bree didn't know what to think, her jaw dropped, was this an ex or something, another girl who had his key? With out a word, Bree turned around and headed back out the door to her car. She was shocked, unsure what to think. The one person she needed right now, she wasn't speaking to. She swallowed her pride and dialed Ali's number, waiting for her to pick up, tears starting to well up in her eyes once more. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>31-05-2011, 17:35:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jasmine looked over to see someone walk into her brother's house, a girl, and a very beautiful one at that. Not wanting to waste a good moment, Jasmine got up from the couch as the girl left. She called after her. "I am sorry my brother isn't here but I could definitely keep a girl like you company." She was not sure if the girl heard her. But it was worth a shot. All Jasmine knew was that she was giving the neighbors quite a show as she stood there, wet in a bathrobe&nbsp; and no bra.<br><br>She smiled and took it in stride that if anyone was watching that they would get the show, she was much too interested to find out about the girl who tried to get into Will's house. And then she wondered if the girl might have been Will's girlfriend or something. As she thought about it, she only remembered Will talking to her about one girl this week that he was interested in.<br><br>"Bree?" she asked.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>31-05-2011, 17:49:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali was sleeping deeply until she heard her phone go off, she groaned softly as she rolled over to see who it was and her eyes opened real quick when she saw that it was Bree. Something had to have happened for Bree to call her and Ali was already sitting up, getting ready to go wherever or whenever she was needed. "What's wrong, Bree? Are you okay?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>31-05-2011, 18:40:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The second Bree heard Ali's voice the tears rolled down. "I-I- f-foun-d an-other g-girl at W-will's pl-ace." Bree was finding it hard to breathe, how could this be happening twice? God was she such a fool for this to happen again! Bree just wanted to drive off and go somewhere far away, was this whole afternoon just a ruse for him? Her heart was broken once more and Bree felt all a lone in the world once more. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>31-05-2011, 19:10:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Will pulled up just in time to see his sister standing there in a bathrobe as Bree was in her car, obviously frantic. His heart sank in his chest and he immediately stopped the car. His seat belt was unbuckled in a flash as he bolted out of the door. Jasmine looked at him with a puzzled look on her face. She had no idea why her appearance had affected Bree in such a negative way. Will came up to Bree's car door, reaching for the handle. If was unlocked, he would pull it open, if it wasn't then he would proceed to knock on the window. He looked over to Bree, inside the car with a worried look on his face.<br><br>"She is my sister. Bree that is Jasmine. I had no idea she was going to be here. I swear to you Bree. I swear!" Will was yelling and desperate. This time it was absolutely not his fault but it happened just the same. He had hurt Bree after spending a glorious afternoon with her. Will was going to make Jasmine pay for this, pay quite dearly.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>31-05-2011, 19:21:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali closed her eyes and shook her head, muttering to herself more than to Bree. "You dumbass motherfucker." She caught herself as she remembered that Bree didn't care too much for when she cussed like that. "I'm sorry, Bree. Want me to come get you or kick his ass or something? Whatever you need me to do."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>31-05-2011, 19:23:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She was so confused, she didn't know what to think, they were just talking about Jasmine and he mentioned nothing that she was coming. If that was his sister, why was she so - naked- or at least only in a robe? NO, the wall of trust shattered as he stood there frantic banging on her window.<br><br>She wanted to believe him, but it was too much, she hit her gas and drove off, she didn't want to face him. She felt hurt all over again, there was a girl there, in barely a stitch of clothes and he wanted her to believe it was his sister? It all just didn't make sense, and Bree needed to sort things out once more.&nbsp; "I'm coming home, meet me there," she told Ali as she raced home, tears streaking down her face. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>31-05-2011, 19:34:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali heard that Bree was on her way home and she stood up, grabbed Cleo, and was on her way downstairs. "Okay, I'll be there. Love you." <br><br><br>Ali hadn't even bothered to change, she was still wearing the tank top and boyshorts she'd wore to bed, not even any kind of shoes and her eyes were still a little red and puffy while she waited for Bree.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>31-05-2011, 19:42:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Will looked off into the distance as Bree drove away, Jasmine stealthily moved over to his side to watch those taillights go off in the distance. "Tough luck there, Will. It seems you lost her." Jasmine said. Provoking Will at a time like this was not encouraged and he turned to look at her. He put his hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. "This is all your fault." he told her. She looked at him, puzzled once more.<br><br>"I didn't do anything but move in. Mom and Dad kicked me out for fucking the neighbor." she had no restraint when it came to talking about her sexual escapades, she would openly discuss it whenever she was asked. But this time she knew that she was in trouble, she looked up to him with those plead puppy dog eyes that meant she wanted something or was scared.<br><br>"Fuck." Will said as he let go of his sister and went inside. He was tired of it all. Every where he turned, he just kept fucking up either by accident or by some twist of fate. Bree was not meant to be his, or at least that was what Will felt like. As he sat down on the couch in his living room followed by Jasmine coming in and shutting the front door, he pulled out his cell phone and called the shop where the half paid dress was. He finished paying for it and then had it sent out for delivery to Bree's house, it had a card inside that said "I am sorry once more, I know if you never want to see me again then I understand but that really was my sister, just check my facebook if you don't believe me." <br><br>He had no idea if all of that would work but he had to try. He looked over to his sister. "Get some clothes on and we will talk about you living here." he commanded and she obeyed. There was this weird tingly feeling that came over her when her brother bossed her around like that. She had no idea why, but she just felt like she had to obey.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>31-05-2011, 19:57:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree pulled into her driveway, eyes puffy, tears drying from her face as she went to her front door and saw Ali. "I am never dating again," she mused as she pushed her way into her house. She plopped down on her couch, recalling the sexy woman sitting there in Will's home, half naked for all to see. <br><br>"She was just in a bath robe Ali, panties and nothing else. He's nothing but a dog, tried to say it was his sister and all. God I am so stupid." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>31-05-2011, 20:27:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali followed Bree into the house and sat next to her, letting Bree rant until there was a pause. "Bree, you are not stupid. You wanted to believe in him and what you feel for him. This is why I've never let myself fall for anyone, but enough about me, what do you want to do?" Ali glanced over at Bree and moved over to wrap her arms around her friend, content with just letting her cry until she ran out of tears.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>31-05-2011, 21:52:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She felt Ali's arms around her and it felt odd, usually it was Bree comforting Ali. "I mean who has a sister that sits around naked in your house? And he even talked about her and never mentioned that she was going to be there.&nbsp; Then he's knocking n my window, trying to convince me that it's his sister Jasmine." <br><br>The door bell rang just as she stopped speaking, "Uh, I can't Ali, can you get that?" Bree had no idea it was the dress from the store and the note from Will. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>31-05-2011, 22:15:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali nodded. "yeah, I got it." She got up and walked over to the door to open it. Seeing a guy standing there with a box, Ali signed for it and smiled at him before closing the door. "Somebody sent you something, Bree. Want me to open it or do you want to?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>31-05-2011, 22:32:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She saw the box and thought it was flowers or something, and she didn't really want to see it. 'You open it, it's probably from Will. I don't really want to see it."&nbsp; Bree turned away not really caring what was in the box, it was probably just a sympathy bouquet. There was no way Bree could ever compete with these beautiful women that always caught Will's eyes. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>31-05-2011, 23:21:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali started to open the box as Cleo, who thought she was every bit Bree's as well as Ali's, jumped up onto the couch and snuggled closer to Bree. The shih tzu loved Bree just as much as she loved Ali and wanted to make her feel better. Ali got the box open and saw the dress, not knowing if Bree wanted to see it or not, she put it and the note on Bree's kitchen table so she didn't have to see it right now. She walked over and sat next to Bree again. "Bree, I am so sorry for everything that's happened. It's been a complete shit storm."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>03-06-2011, 14:44:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She was more interested in cuddling with the dog than with seeing what was in the box. At least dogs loved you without conditions or strings. She had to really consider maybe a pet would be better than a man. <br><br>She let out a huff at Ali's statement,"You aren't kidding, I mean, Ali, you hurt me so bad, and Will, then Jim. I just feel like everything is crashing down. I was so much better on my own without a guy in my life. It was just more controlled that way. I am so done with men." Bree curled up, not caring about the box or the note right now.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>03-06-2011, 14:57:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I can't really do anything about the guys, but I know I hurt you, I am so sorry. I'd also like to apologize for acting like such a brat when you wouldn't talk to me, I just really didn't know what to do without you and I know that was my fault. Do you think you could ever forgive me, Bree?"&nbsp; Ali was pretty close to desperate for this, she didn't know what would happen in her life if Bree wasn't there and she'd miss her so much if Bree couldn't.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>03-06-2011, 16:06:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She sat an looked at Ali, the hurt still there, "Ali, someday I can forgive you for what you did with Will, you hurt me so bad, worse than I could ever imagine. But you have to get yourself straightened out as well. No more jobs like that, and god, Ali, focus on one guy. Stop treating yourself as some common tramp, because you aren't. You need to start respecting yourself first." They were stern words, but Ali had to hear them, and it was all out of love when it came from Bree. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>03-06-2011, 16:50:43</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I know, I know." Ali said without a trace of a smile on her face, everything Bree was saying was exactly true. "I'm going to go change my cell number tomorrow after work, I poured all of the alcohol I had at home down the sink tonight, and I am going to try my hardest to focus on the guy that I really want to be with. It's a work in progress." She smiled just slightly. "Oh, by the way, you missed my mom earlier. We had another fight."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>03-06-2011, 16:53:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She was glad to hear that Ali was starting to get things squared away, maybe this time, Ali would finally buckle down, and realize just what a great woman she was. "I'm glad to hear all this, and as for your mom, she's a big part of the problem, woman never gives you respect for anything. Plus, she's such a bad example for you. Ali, this is gonna be hard to hear, but you gotta get that woman out of your life as well. Even I hate her, and that is saying a lot." 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>03-06-2011, 19:56:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali knew that she'd have to get away from both of her parents. "I know, she wanted money...probably for botox or something like that. She shoved me up against my damn door and I told her to never talk to me or come near me again, her and my dad."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>04-06-2011, 04:25:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Ali, you need a restraining order, she's so mean and violent to you. I worry some times she's going to hurt you." it was almost as if nothing happened and Bree was back to her old self giving her best friend advice like nothing ever happened between them. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>04-06-2011, 04:31:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I'm used to it, you know she's been that way since I was about 14, I can take care of myself. I have a feeling she won't come back, but if she does, I promise I'll go file for one." Ali smiled, just happy to be talking to Bree again. "I really should've moved in with you back then, my life probably wouldn't be so screwed up right now. I told someone else about it earlier, it was hard, but it felt good to talk about it a little more."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>06-06-2011, 15:29:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree looked up at the last sentence, "You told someone? Who, Jim?" Bree actually felt glad that Ali spoke to Jim, she needed that person to ground her. Bree was not going to tell Ali that Jim had said he wanted to be more than friends with Bree, that would just break her friends heart, and she could not do that to Ali. <br><br>Bree rose from the couch and read the note Ali had placed on the table, her face getting pale. "Oh, no, what have I done?" It was true, it was Will's sister that was at the house, and not some tramp. This time Bree had screwed up and began to feel sick to her stomach. "Oh god, oh god," she get saying as she felt sicker and sicker about her mistake. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>06-06-2011, 16:28:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Yeah, after you sped off last night I went over to talk to him. I know what happened, it's okay. I told him about the whole thing and I think he thought I was joking until the tears came. We're supposed to go to a movie tomorrow night as friends. It's all gonna be a new thing for me so I'm hoping it goes okay." Ali smiled but quickly lost that smile when she saw Bree go pale as she read the note. "What does it say? Are you okay?" Ali asked as she started to get up and move over to where her friend was.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>06-06-2011, 20:17:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree was happy for Ali, but now it looked like she was the one who owed Will the apology. She handed Ali the card and looked down, "I should have believed him, now I ruined everything."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>18-06-2011, 22:58:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It had been a wild and very weird weekend for Jim.&nbsp; He could honestly say that he had never done anything like it before and probably didn't want to repeat that series of events in this lifetime.&nbsp; The only good thing that same out was Ali had lost her untouchable status and they had held a bizarre, stilted, yet completely ordinary conversation over a cup of coffee and agreed to catch a movie together.&nbsp; It still boggled his mind.<br><br>Now it was time for sleep and work in the morning.&nbsp; He could only hope that things didn't get really uncomfortable at work, but it was going to be weird.&nbsp; Jim placed his head on his pillow and despite his tiredness, he recalled all the events pf the past two days at least three more times before unconsciousness came.<br><br>He woke groggy and even after the shower, still didn't feel completely rested.&nbsp; No matter, a quick stop for coffee and soon enough he arrived at work.&nbsp; The first of the four to arrive he slipped in and went to his desk to prepare for the day...and hide...can't be uncomfortable if no one knows you're there, right...Even Jim couldn't believe his own lies, but there he sat, cleaning up his to do list and drinking coffee.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>19-06-2011, 01:59:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I probably wouldn't have believed him if I were you, either, so you shouldn't feel so bad. Just call him and talk to him or something, okay? Whatever's going to make you happy is what you should do, Bree." Ali did feel bad for her best friend, she was part of the reason why Bree had been hurt so deeply, but wanted to try to make it up in any way she could,
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>19-06-2011, 15:23:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Reaching for the phone, she slowly dialed Will's number. As she waited for it to ring, she looked to Ali, "I feel like I messed this up, now I'm the one who needs forgiving." A huge knot formed in Bree's stomach as she waited for him to answer the phone. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>20-06-2011, 05:33:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali reached for Bree's free hand and held it, trying to give her a bit more comfort. "He'll answer, don't worry, I know he will. It was just a misunderstanding and can be easily fixed." She wasn't really looking forward to work tomorrow, it had the potential to be awkward, but she was really looking forward to seeing Jim again.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>23-06-2011, 18:10:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Will felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, he reached into his pocket and then pulled it out. He saw that the screen said that it was Bree. He hit the green phone button to accept the call. There was a slight moment of hesitation as he lifted the phone up to his ear. He could hear Ali in the background but he quickly spoke to her. "I don't want to hurt you anymore, Bree. So if you want me to leave you alone, then that is what I will do." Will began the call expressing just exactly as he felt. He did not want to hurt her anymore. So if this call was her telling him to leave her alone, he was prepared for that. Or rather he believed that he was ready for it.<br><br>Losing Bree was not what he wanted but he could understand if that was what she wanted.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>23-06-2011, 19:57:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree needed Ali there for strength, and when he answered the phone, she grilled Ali's hand. <br><br>"No, Will, that's not it at all. I'm calling to apologize. I should have believed she was your sister, but she was there half naked. I just didn't know what was going on. Thank you so much for the dress, it's so lovely that you did that for me." She was so nervous, she didn't want to lose Will, but they both seemed to be unable to get things to click. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>24-06-2011, 22:06:30</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"You're welcome for the dress. And I am really sorry about Jasmine." Will could tell that there was a nervousness in her voice. He knew what it was about. He had it too. It was the power of doubt that they were not meant to be together. All that they had gone through so far, seemed to be saying that they were not supposed together. All of the drama and circumstance that had been stacked against them so far had seem to all pointed to one thing. That they were not supposed to be together. But he was not going to give up. He was going to continue to try going after Bree. Will wanted her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>26-06-2011, 03:07:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree felt like she was the one that had overreacted this time. She should have waited to find out who the girl was. It was still hard to not be jumpy. <br><br>"Do you still want me to come over? Or did you need to get things situated with your sister?" Bree would leave it up to him, he did after all have a lot on his plate now that his sister was in his life. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>30-06-2011, 09:15:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Yes, come over. Jasmine is making dinner as an apology and do not worry, she will behave. As I said before, I know how to keep my sister in line. So don't even worry about that." Will reassured Bree that all was going to be fine, even while he looked over to Jasmine who he snapped at to go to the kitchen. She knew without words what he meant even before he had said the words. She was to be the one to cook dinner. Jasmine shrugged but had no choice. Will was not going to allow any more slip ups from her tonight and she knew it. In Will's eyes, she was to be under his command till she was relieved of his service. And that was just how Jasmine liked it, she wanted him to control her and keep her bratty-ness in line.<br><br>Jasmine could not show this happiness so she showed her usual face of having to begrudgingly doing the task. Her hands would easily show through this falsehood as they were not slow nor clumsy as she took out the meat that he had defrosted earlier and was cutting it up into smaller pieces for the three of them. Jasmine knew how to cook for her brother due to the several other times that she had done something to hm and was literally forced into servitude in slow pieces at a time. Over time though, she did things on purpose so that Will would force her to do things for him. Things that she wanted to do for him but all the while she had to pretend that she hated to do them.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>01-07-2011, 04:39:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I would like that, maybe we can all start off on the right foot- again." Bree giggled and could not wait to work all this out. <br><br>She looked to Ali as she hung up the phone, "He wants me to come over. We're gonna sit and talk to his sister." She hugged Ali and grabbed the dress. Going upstairs, Bree changed and put the dress on, fixing her hair in an updo. <br><br>She came back down and twirled for Ali, "How do I look?" She grabbed her keys and was ready to go. Heading out, she drove quickly to Will and went to his door and rang the bell waiting for him to answer and let her in. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>01-07-2011, 05:06:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali hugged Bree back and smiled, happy for her best friend as she watched her walk upstairs.<br><br>"You look absolutely beautiful, Bree." She was being completely honest in her answer. "Good luck and I'll lock up after I get Cleo and before I leave."<br><br>Ali stood up and gathered Cleo's things and the dog before walking out of Bree's house, locking the door before she walked back over to her own house.<br><br>She got inside, locked up and headed straight to bed.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>09-07-2011, 00:32:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				(Did not realize I was the one holding us up)<br><br>Jasmine answered the door, dressed in a nice long red dress, in black stockings on her feet, with no shoes over them. There had not been a need for shoes when she was only going to be in the house. She had to watch out for potential hazards to her stockings but there was no real problem with that in his house at the moment since the entire place was adorned with hard wood floors. She gave the girl a warm smile as she let her into the room. Will was still upstairs getting ready. He had found a suit and was still in the process of putting it on<br><br>"Have a seat on the couch. Will will be down in a few." she said as she walked over to the couch, sitting down before her guest with her lightly petting the side of the couch for her to sit down as well.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>12-07-2011, 16:18:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree smiled sweetly and walked over to the couch, sitting next to Jasmine. "Sorry about earlier, I just assumed that Will- Well I didn't know you were visiting, and I just assumed." Bree's cheeks turned pink and she looked away, a bit shamed that she had thought Jasmine was another one of Will's little secrets. <br><br>"So what beings you to town? I don't even think Will knew you were coming." Bree was trying to make small talk, filling the time before Will came down to see that she was there. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>12-07-2011, 19:00:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jasmine looked over to the pretty girl that she knew that her brother was after, a girl that was just so undeniably beautiful Jasmine could see that she could want to have a little taste of her as well. It was not to say that it was like love at first sight, but Jasmine sure had an interest in Bree. "Oh, dear. It is fine, I am sure we can make up for it in time." her voice was soft, seductive and with just a hint of a little want. Jasmine scooted just a little closer to Bree.<br><br>"I am going to be living here for a while as I get a job and my own place. I am sure that we will see each other a lot." Jasmine told her with a smile on her face, pleased at the idea of seeing her more times. Jasmine hoped that she was going to be able to get to know the girl more. It would be so nice to finally get to know a potential girlfriend to Will. But there was of course her own motivations in wanting to get to know Bree. Those at the moment were secondary since she was supposed to behave. Once she was off the hook with Will, however, she was going to go after what her mind was all stirring about.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>12-07-2011, 19:55:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree had no idea what jasmine was thinking, that she was looking at her in a way Bree would never have imagined. She just looked at Jasmine and really fell inadequate, Jasmine was gorgeous. Bree felt like the shrinking violet next to her. <br><br>"Well, I do hope you find work, there are a lot of jobs around, I'm sure you'll be ok." Bree was trying to carry on a conversation, but she just really wanted to see Will. "Wow, he takes a long time to get ready, bet you had a bunch of battles for the bathroom growing up." Bree chuckled nervously, she didn't really know what to say to the girl and hoped Will would hurry up and get downstairs to save Bree's butt! 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>13-07-2011, 07:06:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Oh but that says nothing about whether you want to see me more often or is it that you think I will keep my big brother away from you? I won't. I think I may be keeping you from my brother." She let out a small laugh as if the last part of her words were a joke, they weren't. They had been played off that way but that was exactly what Jasmine wanted. To take the beautiful Bree and mold her into something more beautiful, something that would reveal more of her body, something that would moan out Jasmine's name in the heat of ecstasy. Jasmine was having all of the cogs in her brain turn for that kind of outcome. She knew that Will would interfere and punish her if she misbehaved in such a way. But in her opinion, it was a win-win. At the end of it, she would either have Bree and be happy, or have Will and Bree, giving her an even greater happiness.<br><br>Jasmine smiled at the thought. She would get what she wanted, she always did. It was just working it in a way that she would not get caught by Will too early was the problem. Her brother was on his guard for the moment and she was supposed to behave so it was best not to get to drastic for the moment. Her eyes drifted up the stairs to see that Will was not in sight still, but she had no way of getting to her room without passing by his and ruining everything.<br><br>"Bree, your body is a work of art that is so very exquisite that I am sure you get all kinds of compliment no matter what you are wearing." Jasmine was appreciating this work of art, just looking at all of Bree's curves, following each one all along her form.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>13-07-2011, 15:27:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				By this point Bree was getting a&nbsp; little uncomfortable with the conversation. Yes Jasmine was gorgeous, but Bree didn't swing that way. "Who, me complimented? Oh no, my friend Ali gets all the compliments, I'm just the girl that fades into the background." Bree shifted making more space between her and Jasmine. She was trying to be cordial, but Bree was growing increasingly uncomfortable with what jasmine was saying and how she was leering at Bree. <br><br>"Wow, it really is taking him a long time to get ready. You sure he knows I'm here?" Bree swallowed hard and wanted Will to come down, and bring some relief to the tension in the room. Right now Bree really wished Ali was here too at least she would know what to do in the situation Bree was in. For now though, all Bree could do was look up the stairs praying that Will was coming down soon.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>17-07-2011, 23:14:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I see. But Bree it is just because people do not see what I see." Jasmine said as someone appeared at the top of the stairs, his gaze looking down at her and Bree. He was questioning what exactly was going on with the two of them, but he stepped down the stairs slowly. He looked over to Bree, who looked a bit uncomfortable. He had no idea why, but he had a feeling that she was that why due to his lovely sister. He came over to Bree.<br><br>Jasmine hopped up and then went into the kitchen knowing that she could potentially be in trouble if she stayed. "Dinner will be served in a moment", she said to the others as she sashayed her way to the kitchen. Will looked upon his love, running his hand along her shoulder. "Are you okay?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>18-07-2011, 02:29:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Looming up she finally saw Will and Bree felt a world of relief. Jasmine was just making her feel downright uncomfortable. More relief came when Jasmine flitted away to finish dinner. Bree hugged him as he asked his question, it was obvious that she wasn't feeling all that comfortable with his sister.<br><br>"I'm ok, your sister was just being friendly. I am glad you came down though and you look amazing. Maybe this time we can get things right," she laughed. It did seem like they were always running into some road block or another. "I do hope you can forgive me for jumping to conclusions, your sister is very pretty and I just assumed." She felt terrible for the blunder on her part and maybe now they could move forward together. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>18-07-2011, 09:34:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"It is okay, really it is. I just did not want to lose you." Will moved his arms closer around her to allow her to feel ever more comforted by his presence. He knew that Jasmine was just a little off setting. He had no idea why but she was that way with certain girls but others kind of gave her this look and then later on they would be friends with his sister, very good friends. He did not really understand that. But then again he was not meant to know everything about his sister and that was the way things were. The thing he had seen when he had made it to the bottom of the stairs to see what was going on, had not been something that he could understand or read, all he knew was that Bree was nervous.<br><br>"She is a pretty good cook, she was always being punished that would make her have to go cook.So she picked up a lot of skill along the way." Will slowly released his grasp on her, giving her a small kiss on the cheek as he broke away from her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>18-07-2011, 18:38:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Feeling better that he held her close, she listened to him and completely understood why the other girls became good friends with Jasmine. The girl was very dominant and Bree really rather steer clear of the girl at all costs. Still with her being Will's sister, and now living there, it was going to be very difficult to avoid her.<br><br>"Well, whatever it is, it smells really good." Bree stayed in his arms, she wondered how safe she really was without Will around. Bree could already sense his sister had plans of her own, and Bree didn't know how long she could fight the girl off without causing a riff between all parties. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>19-07-2011, 07:55:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Will kissed her cheek, continuing to hold her until he heard the call from his sister for dinner. Once the call came, he still waited for Bree to move first before he got up off the couch, his grip along her would linger along her skin, touching along her dress and bare skin, his fingers appreciating every little curve of her body as if it was being sculpted by his hands.<br><br>"Let us go, Bree and see what Jasmine cooked up." He was anxious, just like she was to see what his sister had cooked up. From what he could smell, it was sure to be delicious. He licked his lips at the thoughts of the food and the thoughts of Bree. This was his time to be with his dear love, Bree. And it was Jasmine's time to help him do that.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>19-07-2011, 15:42:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As he touched her, goosebumps formed on her skin, she loved the way he made her feel. She reluctantly moved towards the kitchen as the smell got stronger. "I cannot wait to see what she made up, " Bree smiled. She would make sure this was a pleasant meal for Will, things had been so bumpy, and it was best for Bree just to remain cordial through the meal. Still she stayed close to Will, making sure Jasmine knew, who Bree wanted to be with.<br><br>As they entered the kitchen, Bree smiled sweetly, "It smells good Jasmine, what did you make?" She was trying to keep a brave face on even if Jasmine did get under her skin and make her nervous. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>25-07-2011, 08:53:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I made Carbonara, one of Will's favorite dishes." Jasmine needed to make that note at the end that it was one of Will's favorite dishes, though the one thing she did not say was, <em>that I cook</em> which would have finished of her sentence. She wanted to be nice to Bree and to see that her brother was fine as he was. But that was still what she felt had to be said. <br><br>She then put the food onto three plates and then laid them out onto the table that had been setup with shiny silverware that was actually made of silver. It had been their grandmother's. But when she passed they traveled down to the siblings mother who kept them for awhile before entrusting them to his son who she felt would find much more value of them as well as much more use than she would have out of them.<br><br>Will attempted to lead her over to the table holding her hand to guide her into the chair to allow her to sit down, after he was done with that he would push her chair in for her. His chair was directly across hers, so that he could look at her and adore her in all kinds of ways. His Bree was something to be admired, and for the moment without Will's notice, he was not the only one admiring her for there was also Jasmine that was admiring every curve of her body, every millimeter of her exposed skin. All of it was just like Will had done thousands of times in secret.<br><br>Will said a quick grace and then began to dig into his meal.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>25-07-2011, 15:33:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As he led her to the table, Bree sat and smiled as he slid her chair in, he was the perfect gentleman. She looked at Jasmine and shivered, the girl was looking at her like she was about to devour Bree and not the meal! Still she brushed it off and looked to Will and smiled again. <br><br>She took a bite of the meal and closed her eyes, gosh it was really good! "Jasmine, this is delicious, I can see why Will loves this dish." She sat there quietly for the rest of the meal and finished mostly all of the dish. Once she was done, she offered to help and clean the plates since she hadn't done much but eat the lovely meal. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>02-08-2011, 23:28:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Will and Jasmine both ate their plates slowly both of their attentions on Bree the entire time. Jasmine was of course less obvious about it than Will was since he was more than actively enjoying the look of the lovely Bree. As the meal finished up and Bree offered to clean the plates, Jasmine took her up on the offer. She took the plates from the table and walked over to the sink where she began to pour the hot water from the faucet. Her hand grabbed the sponge to wash the dishes, she worked it in circles on the dish slowly her pressure hard to work it all off before she would hand it to Bree to put in the dishwasher.<br><br>It was to be a quick event that was followed by will coming up behind Bree and giving her a light kiss on the neck, Jasmine pretended not to see it. But it did nag at her just a little. Will put his arms around Bree and Jasmine left the dining room. <br><br>"I am so happy that you are here." Will was giving her light nibbles on her ear as he spoke. His hold of her body was light but it was pulling her towards him.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>03-08-2011, 15:32:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree helped with the dishes, but could not wait to be alone with Will. Once everything was placed in the dishwasher, she cuddled with Will in the kitchen. <br><br>"I'm so happy to be in your arms Will,' Bree looked deep into his eyes after jasmine left the room, and leaned in to kiss him. She was so in love with him and her heart was beating fast as they stood there, bodies tight to each other. <br><br>When they broke from the kiss, she looked at him once more, "I wish we were alone," her head motioned to the living room and his sister. "Perhaps we should take this upstairs," she winked at him, most eager to be alone with her love. Still, she didn't want to push too hard, knowing his sister was in the house and probably could hear everything that went on. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>03-08-2011, 22:56:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"If you want privacy, we will get privacy." he took her by the hand, and lead her through the living room to the stairs where he looked back over his shoulder to Jasmine, and gave her a glare that was meant to stop her from doing anything, all she did was raise an eyebrow back at him. Will just turned back around and went the rest of the way up the stairs hopefully with Bree in tow. He loved the feel of her soft skin on his, making him feel truly wanted by her that she would give him such a privilege.<br><br>He went to the Master bedroom which was to the right of the stairs and then closed and locked the door, he turned quickly to press Bree up against the door as he kissed her lips with a fiery burning passion for her, only for her. His hands ran along from her neck to her shoulders, just massaging and loving on her. He wanted her so very much that it nearly hurt.<br><br>His last kiss would be filled with his tongue exploring and circling her mouth before he drew her bottom lip into his mouth and suckled at it. The scrape of teeth would be felt along her lip as he pulled away from her.<br><br>"I love you, Bree."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>04-08-2011, 22:14:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree quickly followed him, she didn't have to be told twice. She practically floated up the stairs with him. When he closed the door and pinned her, Bree's heart raced with excitement. She returned his kiss with just as much passion. Her hands went around his waist&nbsp; and she cooed into their kiss as his hands roamed over her body. <br><br>Her tongue played with his as the kiss seemed to go on forever, not like she wanted it to end. Her hands slid up his body and went to his hair, playing with it. When he broke the kiss and made his declaration, she looked deep into his eyes, "I love you too Will, make love to me, right here, right now. Be my first, I want you so much." Her pulse was racing and wanted to have him crush her under his body on the bed. She was ready, and Bree could not wait to make love to Will right there, even if Jasmine was right downstairs. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>18-08-2011, 08:27:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				A Week Later.... (This allows you all to post during this in-game week so that I do not hold you all up)<br><br>Will got the promotion he had wanted when he went to work Monday, and throughout the week he kept in contact with Bree calling her and such but not truly able to get any time to be there with her physically and all of it was because he was too busy with all of the work from him being promoted. It was quite a daunting task to get used to though surely he was going to be able to. It was just going to take time. Time that was precious at the beginning of a relationship, but it was time that he was going to have to earn back over time with Bree. <br><br>That night when Bree had asked him to make love to her, though he wanted to, he didn't for two reasons. One, he did not want to push her too fast. And two, Jasmine was being quite a nuisance when he was about to attempt it. So all that had occurred was that he slept with Bree there in his arms.<br><br>After that night he was forced to sleep alone for the week since he had no time that he was able to give to her. He did his best to provide her with texts or other things but otherwise it was just them being in a relationship but being generally distant from one another since he was no longer on the same floor of the office as her as well as her getting a new supervisor to look over her and Ali.<br><br>It was not going to be till at least next Sunday that he was going to be able to give her time. He just hoped that she understood.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>29-08-2011, 17:40:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=100402.msg4803790#msg4803790">Quote from: Xantham on 18-06-2011, 22:58:32</a></div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">It had been a wild and very weird weekend for Jim.&nbsp; He could honestly say that he had never done anything like it before and probably didn't want to repeat that series of events in this lifetime.&nbsp; The only good thing that came out was Ali had lost her untouchable status and they had held a bizarre, stilted, yet completely ordinary conversation over a cup of coffee and agreed to catch a movie together.&nbsp; It still boggled his mind.<br><br>Now it was time for sleep and work in the morning.&nbsp; He could only hope that things didn't get really uncomfortable at work, but it was going to be weird.&nbsp; Jim placed his head on his pillow and despite his tiredness, he recalled all the events pf the past two days at least three more times before unconsciousness came.<br><br>He woke groggy and even after the shower, still didn't feel completely rested.&nbsp; No matter, a quick stop for coffee and soon enough he arrived at work.&nbsp; The first of the four to arrive he slipped in and went to his desk to prepare for the day...and hide...can't be uncomfortable if no one knows you're there, right...Even Jim couldn't believe his own lies, but there he sat, cleaning up his to do list and drinking coffee.<br></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br>Ali had been exhausted from the weekend that she'd had, it was hard to think that it had only been two days in which everything had happened, but she woke up regardless of her tiredness. Standing under the hot spray for what seemed like an eternity hadn't really helped either. She was going through a bitch of an alcohol withdrawal, but was glad that she'd poured everything out, if she still had any, it would have already been drank. Ali combated those cravings with the help of caffeine and nicotine, glad to know that she wasn't so bad off to be like throwing up without alcohol like her father had used to be. She knew she could still drink, but she wouldn't drink just so she could handle things that were difficult for her.<br><br>She got dressed in a charcoal grey pencil skirt that came to just under her knees and a light pink short-sleeve sweater that showed just a bit of cleavage, pairing those with a pair of light pink and grey heels. Ali had promised that she would tone down in the way she dressed and she still looked amazing, but with a considerably lower amount of cleavage, although the shirt still clung to her body and the skirt looked as if though it had been perfectly molded for her. She wondered how Bree's time with Will had been, considering she didn't come home, Ali figured that her friend had finally gone through with it and she was happy for Bree, if Bree was happy.<br><br>She got to work about half an hour early, she couldn't be in her empty house alone with her mother's words bouncing around in her head, Ali needed something to shut them up. She went to go pour herself a cup of coffee and fixed it before turning back to walk back to her cubicle. She saw Jim all alone at his desk and smiled before waving at him. Not sure if he wanted to talk because she sure as hell was hell to deal with until she had at least two cups of coffee in the morning and she wondered if he was the same way. Ali decided to brave the waters and since it was early yet and work wouldn't start for about 30 minutes, she headed over to his desk. "Hi."&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>02-09-2011, 20:26:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It just all seemed a matter of bad timing. Bree had wanted so badly to have him make love to her, but once again, things got in the way. His sister just seemed to be knocking things around in the house that night as if to annoy Will on purpose. Bree just felt at a loss, and figured until Jasmine left, there was no chance to be with Will.<br><br>Then things went from bad to worse. Will had gotten his transfer and was just so much more busy than before and had no time for Bree at all. She spent many a night alone, reading is texts and figuring that soon, he was going to dump her due to lack of time. Of course She didn't share any of this with Ali, but rather told her that everything was just fine. <br><br>It was apparent on her face that things were not well, even though she tried to hide it at work. She was so unhappy and alone, but she never said a word. She missed him and wondered if they would ever get themselves back on the same page. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>04-09-2011, 17:06:43</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim looked up when he heard Ali say hi.&nbsp; She had a smile on her face and the lightly spaced look of a woman who hadn't had a cup of coffee, yet.&nbsp; Jim was not a religious man at all, but he thanked whatever deity that things seemed to be ok.&nbsp; If Ali was happy enough to speak to him before her first cup of coffee, it must mean something good.&nbsp; Jim, himself, was already on his second cup.&nbsp; Without much thought he offered his large mug up to Ali.&nbsp; "Want some?&nbsp; I'm on my second cup, so I don't mind sharing."<br><br>Ali was more conservatively dressed today, but she was still beautiful and Jim was happy to talk to her.&nbsp; Then a thought creased his brow.&nbsp; "Oh, Ali, I know I invited you to a movie tonight, but it turns out I have to cancel.&nbsp; I got an e-mail this morning.&nbsp; My great-aunt died and I have to head home for the funeral.&nbsp; I'll be gone for a couple of days.&nbsp; Don't be sad, she was 93, she had a good life.&nbsp; It wasn't a surprise.&nbsp; Can I reschedule the movie night to Friday?&nbsp; I'll even make it 'Dinner and a Movie' to make up for canceling out on you.&nbsp; It won't be a date, since we're not dating.&nbsp; If you want to, you can try to invite Bree along.&nbsp; Just three friends eating and watching a movie.&nbsp; Sound ok?"<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>11-09-2011, 19:08:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Call her selfish, but Ali didn't want to share her time with Jim. She did want to hang out with Bree soon, to try to help her not to keep focusing on not being able to spend time with Will, and also to try to keep her friend's mind from jumping to conclusions. Even with the complications caused by Will and herself, Ali thought he and Bree were perfect for each other and she'd do her best to keep anyone from coming between them. Bree fully deserved this. Ali would ask if Bree wanted to come along, though, hoping against hope that her best friend would decline.<br><br>"Thanks for the offer, but I just poured me a cup. Friday night sounds great. I know it's not a date." Ali smiled softly. <em>I wish you'd stop clarifying that.</em> was what she thought to herself. "I hope you make it home and back here safely." She smiled at him.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>16-09-2011, 12:38:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim knew he was hitting the 'not dating' thing to hard by the look on Ali's face.&nbsp; It was funny, he never would have thought that he would be trying, and probably failing, to put a gorgeous woman at ease by telling her he was not interested in dating her.&nbsp; Especially since it was such an obvious lie.&nbsp; What had his world come to?&nbsp; He was actually caught in a win-win situation with Friday and didn't really care which option they ended up with.&nbsp; If Bree could make it, great.&nbsp; He wanted to make up his previous behavior and what better way than to have Ali there.&nbsp; If Bree couldn't make it, then great.&nbsp; He would Ali alone and maybe this whole not dating thing could be ignored?&nbsp; Dinner and a movie IS a date no matter how much he said otherwise.<br><br>"Thanks, Ali.&nbsp; You're the best.&nbsp; By the way, you look very nice today.&nbsp; Something is different about you, and it agrees with you."&nbsp; Jim was not astute enough to recognize her wardrobe alterations, but he could innate feel the fact that without the overtness of her previous wardrobe, she looked wonderful.&nbsp; "Let me know about Bree."&nbsp; Jim stood and while discretely checking the area to make sure there were no prying eyes, he hugged Ali in a very 'friend' hug.&nbsp; Not too tight or touching the wrong areas, but still a genuine hug.&nbsp; "Thanks for stopping by, it meant a lot to me.&nbsp; I look forward to Friday very much."<br><br>After Ali left, Jim did what work he needed to to ready himself for his absence, making sure that certain things were up to date and trying to get ahead of his workload for once.&nbsp; Doing all that made the time pass very quickly and before he knew it it was time for Jim to leave on his trip.<br><br>Thursday night, Jim was arriving home tired and an emotional mess.&nbsp; He had enjoyed visiting his family, including many relatives he hadn't seen in a while.&nbsp; Funerals bring people together, he thought.&nbsp; He was saddened by the passing of his aunt, but she had seemed a distant relative even when alive and so it was more of a general sadness than anything personal.&nbsp; But it was afterwards that he received the greatest shock.&nbsp; His aunt, a moderately wealthy&nbsp; woman had remembered Jim in her will.&nbsp; And remembered him well.&nbsp; Jim was at a loss as to why he had received such largesse.&nbsp; Some relatives spoke in hush hush terms and others seemed a bit angry with him as they were expecting more.&nbsp; This was what was causing Jim's turmoil as he arrived home.&nbsp; He couldn't wait to tell Ali about it.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>17-09-2011, 18:55:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali smiled as Jim thanked her and gave her a hug. "You're welcome. I'll see you Friday." She'd have to call Bree and ask her if she wanted to come, it would be bitchy to not even ask her and Ali was trying her best to take all of that from her life. She went to her desk and started working. The work week felt like it moved along at a crawl, but on Thursday night, Ali realized she didn't really know what she wanted to wear. She still hadn't asked Bree and knew she was just putting it off. <br><br>Ali walked out of her house and made her way across the street, she knocked on Bree's door and waited to see if her friend was home.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>19-09-2011, 17:03:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree had been sitting at home alone watching TV, which is what she did a lot now since Will was so busy. She heard the knock at the door, and for a moment thought it might be him. <br><br>When she answered the door, there was a second of disappointment, seeing it was Ali. Her face brightened though and she managed a smile. "Hey what's up, how are things with Jim?" 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>19-09-2011, 19:40:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali smiled at Bree, the second of disappointment didn't bother her because she knew Bree probably thought it had been Will at the door. "Not too much, just wanted to see what you were upto. Things are good, I guess. I mean, we're going to dinner and a movie tomorrow night...just a friends kind of thing, though." Bree would be able to tell that Ali wasn't too happy about that, but Ali wouldn't really say anything about it. "Since it's a friend thing....do you wanna come with? What do you think I should wear?" "She was hoping to maybe help get Bree's mind off of not being able to be with Will, at least a little bit.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>19-09-2011, 20:24:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree was actually bummed for Ali. A friend thing? What the hell was Jim thinking? Here he had a great girl that was so good for him and all he wanted to do was be friends with her? <br><br>"Aw that's nice Ali, but, no.&nbsp; I don't want to be a third wheel, always ends up awkward for me. Just go, make the best of it and have a good time. He doesn't know what he's missing in you, that's for sure." Bree gave Ali a hug and pulled her in. "Hey, I'm watching 'Breakfast Club' wanna come in and join me?" Bree knew Ali would never say no, and some girl time was just what they needed. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>19-09-2011, 20:43:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali smiled as she was pulled into Bree's house. "Like I'm ever gonna say no to hanging with you or Breakfast Club." She laughed softly and smiled. An unspoken thank you by way of a look at Bree was offered and Ali closed the door behind her.<br><br>She walked into the kitchen to see if there was any popcorn and she smiled as she grabbed it. "You want any popcorn, Bree?" It felt nice to just hang out with Bree again.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>19-09-2011, 23:27:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim texted Ali's phone, "Hey Ali!&nbsp; Whatcha up to?&nbsp; Wanna get a coffee or something?&nbsp; Got interesting news."&nbsp; Jim had no idea that at this moment, Ali was sitting in Bree's living room while Judd Nelson had his face between Molly Ringwald's knees.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>20-09-2011, 16:03:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree called from the living room, "Yeah popcorn would be great! So glad you stayed, we haven't had much girl time since we met Jim and Will." She snuggled up under a blanket on the couch and waited for Ali to return, little did she know their girl time would be cut short. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>20-09-2011, 22:09:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali popped the popcorn and while she was waiting, Jim sent her a text. She read it with a smile and then sent a reply. "I would love to, but Bree and I are gonna have some girl time tonight. I'm really looking forward to seeing you tomorrow night." <br><br>The popcorn finished and Ali poured it into a big bowl for the two of them to share. She walked back into the living room and settled onto the couch beside Bree. "I know, right. I've missed this."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>22-09-2011, 22:00:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree curled up with her best friend and smiled. "We haven't done this in forever, ever since, well..." Bree stopped herself not wanting to rehash the past. "Since we met those miserable boys," she laughed, lightening the mood. <br><br>Bree hugged Ali, "Gosh, we should do this more often, these boys have really messed with our girl time. I mean they can't even make up their minds what they want!" She was just happy to have time with her best friend without interruption, it was like old times again between the two of them. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>23-09-2011, 18:15:12</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali smiled and hugged Bree back tightly, she really had missed her best friend. "Men, yeah and they say we're the complicated ones." She laughed softly and leaned against Bree, there was nothing sexual about it, just two girls that had known each other forever and were extremely comfortable with each other. "and since we didn't have time to do anything for your birthday, I brought you a cake over. It's your favorite and I wanted to get you something for your birthday, but I didn't have time. Is there anything you'd like for your birthday?" Ali smiled brightly.&nbsp; &nbsp;"See? I can do low-key and you thought I was gonna drag you to a huge party." She giggled softly.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>26-09-2011, 16:27:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Aw Ali, you made me Strawberry Shortcake? God, you are the best friend ever!" Bree hugged her and it was so happy to be with her best friend. "I just want to hang out with you, and watch old movies, that would be the best present ever." Bree was content, even if she hadn't been to happy about missing Will. <br><br>"So what's up with Jim, and 'it's not a date' thing?" Sounds kinda shady to me, either he wants you or he doesn't, he needs to get over himself pretty fast." Bree was being protective again, but she couldn't help it, Ali was her best friend, and she didn't like to see her hurt by&nbsp; yet another guy. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>27-09-2011, 22:24:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Hanging out with you and old movies, two of my favorite things." Ali smiled brightly and snuggled in closer under the blanket with Bree. "I have something to tell you that I think you'll be really happy to hear. I poured out all of the alcohol in my house, changed my cell phone number so old contacts and my parents don't have my number." She hoped that would make Bree happy, too, there was no denying that when Ali had said old contacts it meant johns and people connected to the prostitution thing.<br><br>She just sighed softly as Bree asked about Jim. "I have no clue what's going on with that, he just texted me and asked if I wanted to get some coffee, but I told him that you and I are having girl time tonight and that I was looking forward to tomorrow night. He added dinner in with the movie thing so even if he doesn't want to classify it as a date, dinner and a movie are officially a date."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>28-09-2011, 20:59:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				When Ali told Bree she had thrown out all the alcohol, Bree let out a little scream. "That is so great! Oh Ali, I am so proud of you." Bree hugged her hard, that was a big step for her best friend. She was so happy that Ali was getting things straightened out. <br><br>When the subject turned back to Jim and how he wanted to see Ali, Bree was kind of glad Ali chose to stay and hang out. "Ali, he's a nice guy, but the more and more we know him, the more I think he's confused as to what he wants. If he wants to go out, then yeah, he has to buck up and say it's a date or no dice." Bree giggled as she watched the movie end, " Aw, wanna watch another one?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>28-09-2011, 21:38:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali smiled as Bree hugged her again. "Thanks." She had a bit of a headache, but if that was the worst of the withdrawal...Ali would be great.<br><br>"I do think he is confused, I mean that night when we all played darts or whatever. We were flirting and then he just like freaked out and left. It's whatever, though. If he keeps going back and forth like this, I'm gonna have to confront him about it. I like him and everything, but he has to let me know something." She watched the movie end with Bree and nodded. "What do you wanna watch? I could go get some from my house, but they might be too old for your liking." Ali giggled softly and smiled.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>29-09-2011, 16:11:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali was right, Jim had to make up his mind. One little thing, Bree never told Ali that Jim had confessed to liking her. That was something Bree would take her her grave since she knew nothing would come out of it anyway. <br><br>"Yeah, Yeah, go get your movies, I love old movies, you know that. I'll make some more popcorn." She hugged Ali once more and headed to the kitchen, happy to have such a low drama night with her best friend. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>29-09-2011, 18:19:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I think he was scared of me or something, well until the other night, you know he is the only guy who's ever seen me without make-up on and I guess when he and I talked, he got more comfortable around me."&nbsp; Little did Bree know that Jim, himself, let it slip to Ali that he told Bree he liked her. She didn't mention this to her best friend because Bree would have felt bad, even if it wasn't her fault.<br><br>Ali jumped up and walked over to her place to grab her movies. She grabbed Cleo and a few toys for the dog before heading back to Bree's. She walked back into Bree's house, set Cleo down, and closed the door behind her.&nbsp; &nbsp;"We got 'A Streetcar Named Desire', 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes', 'Breakfast at Tiffany's', or 'Last Time I Saw Paris'. Which one you wanna watch?" She smiled brightly as Cleo hopped up onto the couch to curl up in a ball beside her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>30-09-2011, 20:50:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali by far had the best taste in movies. "Oh Streetcar, for sure, I love Brando!" She giggled as the pup made herself comfortable, that dog could sleep anywhere. <br><br>"I'm gonna get a glass of wine, is that ok? Do you want one?" She wanted to be mindful of Ali, but Bree wanted a bit of wine to enjoy with the movie. She was just so happy they were getting this night together to pal around and just be silly with each other. <br><br>"As for Jim, let it play out, who knows what is damn issue is. God they are so complex!" 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>30-09-2011, 21:13:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"and I love Vivien Leigh." Ali smiled and thought about the wine, one glass shouldn't hurt. "One glass of wine couldn't hurt." She smiled at Bree, happy that she was being mindful of her, Ali was just happy to have a night free of interruptions with her best friend.<br><br>"Yeah, I know right. I'm just gonna go with the flow on this maybe relationship. If it works out, do you know how long it's been since I've had an actual boyfriend?" Ali laughed softly.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>02-10-2011, 21:04:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree went and got the wine, giving Ali a little less than she had. "Oh start the movie, I can't wait to see it again. As for Jim, if he doesn't see a good think when it's right in front of his face, then screw it. Tons of other fish in the sea." Bree settled in and snuggled close to Ali. <br><br>As the movie went on, Bree had a few more glasses of wine to pass the night. She was feeling pretty good near the end of the movie. "I wish Will *hic* would make time for me. I mean what is it, is it because I'm a *hic* damn virgin? Christ Ali, he's always so busy now. I really miss his kisses, oh, maybe I didn't kiss right or something. I just *sigh* miss him." Bree had way too much to drink and wasn't thinking straight. She just wanted someone to love her like Ali did as well. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>03-10-2011, 00:56:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali started the movie and smiled, she loved this one. She knew every word of the movie, well she knew Blanche's better due to the fact that she'd played her in a high school production of the play.&nbsp; She sipped at her wine, it took the edge off the headache she'd had for a couple of days and she smiled. She couldn't help but to mouth Blanche's lines. Oh, she should start acting again. It had always been the only thing besides Bree to help her stay out of trouble.<br><br>"He just started a new job. I don't think it's because you're a virgin and I'm sure you're not a bad kisser, Bree." Ali could see that Bree was feeling pretty good from the five or six glasses of wine that she'd drank during the movie. She turned to face Bree and just smiled. "I've never seen you drunk before, it's cute." She winked at her best friend playfully and smiled brightly.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>03-10-2011, 16:43:30</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree had a dopey smile on her face when Ali told her she was cute. "I am not *hic* drunk. Maybe I should get another glass. That stuff was so good. And I bet it's because I am a virgin, I have no damn experience, guys like a girl that knows what she's doing." <br><br>Bree stumbled to the kitchen for another glass and came back to Ali, "See Ali, guys want a girl that knows how to hold her own. One that knows how to kiss and other things." She plopped back on the couch and giggled, "Now you, Ali, you know how to kiss, guys like that, I bet Jim would love the way you kiss him, all sexy and lovey." Bree was rambling, but she was getting all her frustrations out about men, and how she just always seemed to be left in the dust.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>03-10-2011, 17:48:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"You are so totally drunk, Bree. You don't know if you're a bad kisser or not, have you been told that you're a bad kisser?" Ali grinned playfully and smiled. "I could help you find out, if you'd like." She wasn't trying to take advantage of her best friend, at all, she'd just always wanted to know what it felt like to kiss Bree and now could be her only chance. Plus, maybe it'd give Bree a little more confidence and help her out.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>03-10-2011, 20:42:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree giggled, "Maybe I am a little drunk, but so what, I never get this way." She got all mushy as if Ali was doing her a favor about the kiss. "Oh would you? I mean I have no way of judging, and you're my best friend, so you'll be honest." Bree smiled and batted her eyes at Ali playfully. She then turned and looked at her best friend, "Ok go ahead, do it." Bree closed her eyes and waited for Ali to move in. Bree had no idea that all these years Ali wanted to know what it was like to kiss her, but now they were heading down that road and there was no going back now. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>03-10-2011, 20:53:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali took a breath and exhaled slowly, God was she nervous? Yes, yes, she was. She tried to shake that feeling off and only marginally succeeded as she scooted even closer to Bree. Ali leaned in and pressed her lips to Bree's softly. She liked how her friend's soft lips felt on her lips and wanted to know what they tasted like so she let her tongue very slowly run along Bree's bottom lip. She didn't trust her hands so they were resting on the couch and she had to make herself keep the moan that wanted to come out inside.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>03-10-2011, 20:56:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				AS Ali's lips touched her, Bree got a warm sensation through her body. Her friends kiss was nothing like Will's, it was soft and tender, even kind of sexy. She felt a tongue trace over her bottom lip and she took that as an invitation to part her lips. Her head was spinning as her best friend kissed her and Bree didn't stop it, no, oddly, she liked the way it felt. It had to be the alcohol, it just had to be. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>03-10-2011, 21:02:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali felt Bree's lips part and she slipped her tongue inside of her best friend's mouth, slowly deepening the kiss. She really hoped that Bree didn't freak out and want to stop because it felt good. Ali hadn't kissed anyone like this in a very long time and the fact that it was Bree was only making matters worse for her. Bree may have been the drunk one, but Ali was vulnerable and just wanting someone to accept her fully. She wasn't getting that from Jim because he only acted like he wanted to just be friends, she hoped that this happening with Bree wouldn't mess anything up.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>04-10-2011, 04:22:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				There was no freaking out, rather, Bree leaned back and brought Ali with her. Something about this clicked, and Bree's kiss deepened. She wasn't sure why she wasn't stopping this, she loved Will, but he was too busy for her. <br><br>She moaned softly as her hands found Ali's hair, running her fingers through her long locks. Bree broke the kiss first, looking at Ali, "Well, was I good?" her heart was pounding hard unsure of all she was feeling now that she had just kissed her best friend.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>04-10-2011, 07:32:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali was pleasantly surprised and on cloud 9 when Bree kind of laid down while bringing Ali with her. A moan that matched Bree's left her lips as her friend's fingers ran through her hair and tears of joy threatened to cloud up her vision, but she was thankfully able to stop them from doing so by blinking a few times before Bree broke their kiss. "Yes..." was all Ali could say and she was a bit breathless as she smiled down at Bree and was still leaning over her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>04-10-2011, 20:33:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It was odd, but Bree didn't push Ali off her, not yet. 'What are we doing Ali? I mean, gosh, that kiss felt&nbsp; nice. Nothing like Will's" Bree leaned up once more and her lips found Ali's, wanting just a bit more, wanting to see just how far this would go between the two friends.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>04-10-2011, 20:52:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				All Ali could do was smile like an idiot and offer up an, "I don't know..." She was at a loss for words and this was the first time a single kiss had caught her this much off guard. She was more than tempted to touch Bree when her best friend surprised the hell out of her and Ali felt Bree's lips against hers again, but she was afraid to because she didn't want this to end, not just yet. She slowly brought one of her hands and placed it on the back of Bree's head in her hair gently.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>04-10-2011, 21:44:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She felt Ali's hands on the back of her head, and the spurred Bree on. She kissed her deeply her tongue finding Ali's. Bree's hands wandered down Ali's sides, searching her best friends body like never before. Something was just so right with this, and Bree was not going to stop, this, she wanted to see just how far this was going to go. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>04-10-2011, 22:13:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali was encouraged by Bree's hands and she smiled against her friend's lips before flicking her tongue against Bree's. This felt right and Ali wasn't sure how Bree would feel about it when she wasn't so drunk anymore, but oddly she didn't care at the moment. She ran her fingers through Bree's hair and her free hand came to rest at Bree's hip. She slowly let her fingers barely graze the smooth skin of Bree's side underneath the shirt she was wearing.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>04-10-2011, 23:23:30</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree inhaled sharply as she felt Ali's hand on her bare skin. It was so tender, so soft and Bree arched her back to encourage Ali to keep going. Her own hands wandered and found Ali's perfect ass. She caressed it&nbsp; gently, her head spinning, she wasn't sure now if it was the alcohol or her own needs now pushing her further. Either way she liked how her best friend was making her feel. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>04-10-2011, 23:49:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali let out a soft moan against Bree's lips when she felt Bree's hands rubbing her ass. She took her hand from Bree's hair and slid her arm around her best friend's waist so she could pull her just a little closer. The hand on Bree's side slid up further towards her breasts and cupped one before squeezing very softly.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>05-10-2011, 04:31:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				A hand reached her breast and Bree's eyes fluttered open. She broke from the kiss for a moment. "Ali, whAt are we doing? We're best friends, are you sure about all this? I just never..." Her words trailed off as if she was ashamed she had spoiled the moment for the two of them. Still Bree had to know if what they were doing was ok, or if the alcohol was making her do things maybe she shouldn't be. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>05-10-2011, 04:42:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali just kind of froze where she was like she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't be doing. "Shit shit shit, I'm sorry. I just...shit, I don't know..." She really did not know what to say, there was no way that Bree was okay with this. "You just never?" She wanted to know what her best friend was about to say. Realizing her hand was still on her breast and she pulled it away slowly, not knowing what to do. Ali was never unsure of herself when it came to things of this nature, but she was now.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>05-10-2011, 16:22:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree looked into Ali's eyes, "I just never thought I would like this, you and me. This feels nice, I dunno Ali, I mean, god I hope it's not just the alcohol." Bree kissed Ali again, it just felt nice to be needed in this way. Her hips rubbed against Ali's and she moaned softly as her hands roamed up Ali's back. There was something right about this, Bree couldn't tell, but she wanted to see just how far the two of them would go. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>05-10-2011, 16:50:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I'm glad that you do and I hope it's not just the alcohol either. You don't know how long I've wanted to kiss you, Bree." Ali looked back into her best friend's eyes and kissed her back, moaning softly as their hips rubbed against each other. Ali broke the kiss to look at Bree. "You're gonna have to tell me what you want, okay? I know how to do this, but I don't know what exactly you'll be comfortable with. I don't wanna freak you out or anything."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>05-10-2011, 17:26:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She didn't know what she wanted. "Ali, Will and I- we never. I don't know, he never-" Truth was, Bree had never gone this far with Will, and wasn't sure what she liked. <br><br>"I like what you're doing, that feels nice Ali. You won't freak me out, you're my best friend. Just go slow, ok?" Bree blushed shyly as she gave permission for Ali to keep going. Her heart was already pounding hard, she likedhow Ali was taking care of all this, and let her friend take the lead. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>05-10-2011, 21:50:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim had read Ali's text.&nbsp; He was disappointed that he wouldn't see her until tomorrow night until he realized his phone had a blinking dot.&nbsp; He had set an alarm on his calendar.&nbsp; Jim opened it to see that it was Bree's birthday.&nbsp; This was the excuse he was looking for.&nbsp; He'd swing by just to say hi and drop off a little gift and tell Ali the good news.&nbsp; Plus, he still owed Bree for being such a dork.<br><br>It was a couple of hours later and Jim had done some quick shopping.&nbsp; He arrived at Bree's house with a small package he had picked out for her and a matching one that he got for Ali.&nbsp; It was a set of necklaces that had half a charm on each one so that they were a matched set for a pair of good friends.&nbsp; Jim thought it could help Bree and Ali remember just how close they were as friends (not realizing they were getting closer even as he arrived) and it also wouldn't make Bree feel weird about getting a gift out of the blue from him, who she was still a little unsure about.<br><br>Jim arrived at Bree's front door and was about to knock when he paused, getting nervous.&nbsp; Maybe girl's night was a euphemism for the two of them complaining about Will and himself.&nbsp; He knew that he hadn't been the best of friends and he had heard that Will wasn't around much these days with the new job.&nbsp; Maybe he should have left them alone.&nbsp; Beset by indecision, he stood there frozen while the action inside continued.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>06-10-2011, 08:32:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali listened to Bree and she'd just assumed that they'd already slept together. "Okay, but if you want me to stop...just tell me and I will. I promise." As much as Ali wanted her best friend, she would respect her wishes and if she wanted it to stop then Ali would hold herself back. She leaned down to kiss Bree's lips again, savoring the taste of them before dipping her tongue into her best friend's mouth. Her hands were back on Bree's bare skin underneath her shirt and one stayed on her hip, fingers rubbing softly while her other drifted up to Bree's breast again. She let a fingertip softly flick against her nipple while her tongue was doing the same to Bree's tongue.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>06-10-2011, 20:46:12</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree wasn't nervous, she knew Ali had the experience and she let her friend take the lead. She kissed Ali back tenderly and then sighed as she felt her friends hands caress her breast. It felt so nice, so soft, and Bree arched her back to press her breasts into Ali's hand. She slowly did the same, slipping her hand under Ali's shirt. She mirrored Ali's movements, and soon she was caressing Ali's breasts as well, never knowing Jim was just on the other side of the door. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>06-10-2011, 21:57:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali smiled against Bree's kiss when she felt her friend's hand on her breasts, it felt nice. She broke their kiss to look down at Bree with the same smile. Reaching for the hem of her own shirt, Ali gently pulled Bree's hand out of it so she could pull it off and drop it to the floor. She was going slow, not because she was afraid of freaking Bree out, but because she knew this was further than her best friend had ever gone with somebody and she didn't want to rush it. Ali wanted to make sure that her best friend was well taken care of and her hands came to rest at the hem of Bree's shirt before pulling it off slowly as well.<br><br>"You're really beautiful, you know that?" She smiled before moving down a bit and dipping her head down so she could take Bree's nipple in between her lips. She sucked on it softly while one of her hands was in her best friend's hair again and the other was on her side, nails running softly over Bree's skin. She had no idea that Jim was just outside the front door, Ali didn't know how he would react to any of this, but she didn't want it to stop until she was completely sure that Bree was satisfied.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>06-10-2011, 22:15:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree got nervous as Ali pulled her hand away, was she doing something wrong? It was then that she realized Ali was only removing her top, then did the same fro Bree. <br><br>Bree moaned softly as she felt Ali's mouth on her breast, this was what it felt like to get aroused. Her breathing became shallow as she returned her hands to touch Ali. Her friends breast were so pert, and she rolled them around in her hands. She had blushed when Ali told her she was beautiful, she never thought of herself in that way. She let Ali keep going, she liked everything her friend was doing. "Ali, you are so sexy,and god, this feels good," she whispered. It felt so natural, and Bree hoped she was doing all the right things to keep Ali happy as well. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>06-10-2011, 22:30:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				A soft moan left Ali's lips as Bree played with her breasts, that felt good and she moved onto Bree's other breast, doing the same thing as she'd done to the other one. The hand on Bree's hip trailed its way down to rub at Bree's inner thigh, God she wanted her now but she'd be patient...to make sure that her best friend was happy with her first sexual experience. It made her happy when Bree told her that she was sexy and what she was doing felt good.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>06-10-2011, 22:56:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim was paralyzed with indecision for a while.&nbsp; He didn't want to interrupt a serious conversation, but what if they were just drinking wine and watching a movie.&nbsp; That would be ok.&nbsp; Finally, Jim decided the only intelligent thing to do was to try to peek in a window and see what they were doing.&nbsp; If they were sitting at a table talking heatedly, he would leave and if they were sitting watching a movie or something like that he would knock.&nbsp; Jim just hoped that none of the neighbors saw him sneaking around.&nbsp; At least it was dark and he would be hard to spot.<br><br>Jim started around the house and saw some flashing lights in a window that looked like a tv set.&nbsp; He snuck in close to the window and peeked inside.&nbsp; <em>Perfect!</em> he thought.&nbsp; <em>They are just on the couch watching tv.</em>&nbsp; At that moment, a particularly bright commercial lit the room up fairly well and Jim saw the two girls and four breasts....and Ali was holding Bree's breasts....and massaging them...<br><br>Like any good red-blooded male, he instantly started to get hard.&nbsp; He also wanted to rush in and be part of the action.&nbsp; Luckily he had enough sense to realize that him rushing in to the situation would be the worst possible thing he could ever do.&nbsp; Jim instinctually knew that he should just leave now and never mention this again, but a small part of him wondered, what if?&nbsp; Jim tried to think of what the possible outcomes might be.&nbsp; The best outcome was obvious, but what was the worst?&nbsp; The girls stop doing whatever they were doing and not start again.&nbsp; Certainly they would never know that he knew what they had been doing, so they couldn't get that mad....right?<br><br>Armed with that hope, Jim went back to the front door, double checked himself to see that no traces of his peeping tom act were on him, and then rang the doorbell, birthday presents clearly in his hands.&nbsp; Then he waited....heart beating wildly...having to stop himself from bolting away more than once...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>06-10-2011, 23:48:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree was so lost in the moment, Everything Ali did felt so good to her. She found her own hands roaming freely now over her friends body, exploring touching. <br><br>As Ali's hand brushed over Bree's thigh, she moaned, "Don't stop, Ali, keep going." Bree wanted to know what it felt like to be touched there, to have Ali bring her to her first orgasm. Then the doorbell rang. Bree froze and looked into Ali's eyes. <br><br>"Oh god, oh god, Ali what if it's Will?" She hated to break this, but neither of them could afford to get caught. "Ali I need my shirt," tears were nearly in her eyes as she felt horrible for having to stop. "Can we pick this up later?" she whispered, wanting Ali to know she wanted to finish what they had started.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>07-10-2011, 06:09:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali loved the sound of Bree's moans and she couldn't do anything but smile. Her fingers inched closer to the shorts that Bree was wearing and then she heard the doorbell ring. "Fuck," She exclaimed as she immediately reached for both of their shirts before Bree asked for her shirt. She handed it to her and started putting her shirt back on. Damn, they were so close, but neither of them wanted to be caught so she got off of her best friend. Straightening herself and running her fingers through her hair, she smiled over at Bree. "Yep, we surely can."<br><br>She waited until Bree had her shirt on and situated herself before going to answer the door. Ali peeked through the peephole and saw that it was Jim. She opened the door with a smile. "Hello there, come on in, Jim." She did her best to not to be too frustrated at the situation because she was almost uncomfortably wet and aroused. She stepped aside so he could come into Bree's house.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>08-10-2011, 00:55:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim stepped into the house warily.&nbsp; He needed to be careful not to give away any clues that he knew anything he shouldn't.&nbsp; "Thanks, Ali.&nbsp; Where's Bree?&nbsp; I thought she'd be the one to open the door to her own house," Jim joked.&nbsp; "At any rate, a little bird on my phone reminded me it was her birthday and I thought I would drop off a little something."&nbsp; Jim indicated the two gifts in his hands, one decorated in birthday wrap and the other one just in a plain red paper.&nbsp; "Is she in the bathroom?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>08-10-2011, 01:04:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I think she may have headed in there, she'll be out soon. Eh, we answer each other's door all the time. One of the perks of being friends forever. Would you like a glass of wine or anything? Have a seat." Ali was always a gracious host, whatever the situation, and now was no different. She closed the door and went to grab a glass, just in case he wanted one. She moved to sit on the couch where not even 3 minutes ago, she and Bree were almost naked and so close to becoming even closer.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>08-10-2011, 07:30:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree had taken off for the bathroom, she was a total panicked wreck. She could hear Jim's voice and ran her fingers through her hair and tried to calm down. What of he had seen them? What if he one what they were doing? He would tell Will for sure. <br><br>She stepped out of the bathroom and smiled as she saw Jim talking to Ali. "Hey, hi, what brings you around?" Bree was visibly nervous, but tried to hold it together. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>09-10-2011, 00:34:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim could see the worry in Bree's face and eyes, but completely ignored it.&nbsp; Instead, he once again offered the gifts he had brought.&nbsp; "A little birdy told me it was your birthday.&nbsp; I know we had a rough time the last time we were together, so I thought I could bring around a little make-up/birthday gift.&nbsp; I know it isn't Ali's birthday, but I got something for her, too."&nbsp; Jim handed the birthday-wrapped charm necklace to Bree and the matching one to Ali that was wrapped in the solid red paper.&nbsp; "Open them ladies.&nbsp; I hope I did alright."<br><br>Jim could feel the tension apparent in the room.&nbsp; He knew he was walking a tightrope being here, but here in this room were the two girls he had crushes on and the only two lately that hadn't crushed him when they were given the chance.&nbsp; He couldn't pass up the opportunity.&nbsp; However, Jim was still Jim, and far too much a gentleman to even consider blackmail.&nbsp; If things didn't work out, the only thing he would do with the information he had was use it for masturbatory fantasy.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>09-10-2011, 14:38:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Aw, you didn't have to, this is so nice of you!" Bree was still nervous, but slowly opened her gift. She saw the necklace and smiled.<br><br>"Oh Jim, thank you, it's lovely." Bree gave him a kiss on the cheek and slipped the necklace on. "I'm gonna head to the kitchen so you guys can talk." Bree gave the two of them some time since it was obvious that Jim had something very exciting to tell Ali. She'd then slip upstairs and just watch TV in her room, Allowing Ali and Jim all the time they needed. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>10-10-2011, 02:53:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali smiled and opened the wrapped gift, inside was a charm bracelet that she saw matched the one he had gotten Bree. That was really sweet and it made her like Jim even more. She offered Bree a silent thank you with her eyes as her best friend said she was going to give them some time to talk.<br><br>"Thank you, that was very sweet of you." Ali didn't want to kiss him on the cheek because Bree just had and, hoping it didn't send him running or anything of the like, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his softly. She pulled back with a smile and settled back down onto the couch while putting the necklace on. "You said you had some interesting news?" She remembered what he'd texted her about and was curious.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>10-10-2011, 12:33:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree slipped away while Jim was paying attention to Ali opening her gift, but after he noticed he went into the kitchen to fetch her back.&nbsp; "Bree, come out here.&nbsp; This is not about me cancelling your girl's night.&nbsp; We're just going to have a quick toast, all three of us, to your birthday.&nbsp; I'll let you know my news and then unless you want me to be part of girls' night, I'll be on my way.&nbsp; I have a date with Ali tomorrow night that I am looking forward to, so this is about you tonight."&nbsp; Jim realized after that he had called it a date, but what the hell, it was a date, might as well call it what it was.<br><br>Jim sat at the couch and poured out a little wine in each glass.&nbsp; "Happy birthday to you, Bree.&nbsp; If you'll notice, the two necklaces have interlocking charms and by putting the two of them together, you get the whole.&nbsp; I think the two of you really make the saying true, the whole is better than the sum of its parts.&nbsp; You help each other and teach each other and I think you should know that others can see it, too.&nbsp; Don't let any stupid boys, including me, get in the middle of that."&nbsp; Jim clinked glasses and took a sip of the wine.<br><br>"For my news, I haven't figured it all out, yet, but it turns out my Great Aunt was more wealthy than most people realized.&nbsp; Apparently, she had a soft spot for me since she didn't have any kids of her own, and my share of the will included a few interesting items that could change my life.&nbsp; As soon as I figure out all the ramifications, you ladies will be the first to know, but suffice it to say that I am a fair bit richer than I was last week.&nbsp; And to celebrate, I'd like to do something with all of us.&nbsp; You are the best friends I have right now."<br><br>Jim let the news soak into each of them and then concluded, "That concludes my visit, unless you would like me to join girls' night.&nbsp; I could put on a skirt for the occasion if needed, though with my legs, I'd be better in a dress."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>10-10-2011, 20:38:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She was a bit surprised that Jim came following after her and pulled her back into the conversation. She smirked as he called his night with Ali a date finally, something that was not lost on Bree. She now wondered what this great news might be. <br><br>She smiled as he poured the wine and made a toast to her, admiring her necklace and how thoughtful he was. "Thank you for this Jim, the thought was lovely. I will always wear it." Bree took a sip of her wine and then listened to his exciting news. Her eyes widened, he had gotten very lucky. She was happy for him, he was now going to be on easy street primarily. <br><br>Bree chuckled as he made the comment about girls night at his legs. "You're legs are fine, and that's up to Ali. Actually, I am a bit tired, so if the two of you wanted some alone time..." Bree left it open ended. She knew Ali wanted some time with him, and would let her friend chose just what she wanted to do. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>12-10-2011, 01:00:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali smiled. "Happy birthday, Bree." She hugged her best friend tightly before pulling away so they could listen to Jim's news. She was happy for him and was ecstatic that he was finally calling tomorrow night a date. She sipped at her wine and smiled. She was trying to decide whether or not to ask Jim to stay, but then Bree had said she was about to head up to bed. Might as well talk to him while her friend went upstairs, she was looking forward to continuing what she and Bree had started, but she wanted to talk to him too.<br><br>She stepped over to Bree and smiled at her. "I'll be up in a little bit. Neither of us has ever spent a birthday night alone so I'm staying here tonight. See you in a little bit." Ali tried not to let her eyes focus on the sway of Bree's hips as she walked upstairs.<br><br>"So, thanks again Jim. It was very sweet. What time did you want to pick me up tomorrow?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>12-10-2011, 16:17:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree blushed as Ali told her she was coming up later. She was actually excited to see where the night would lead once Jim left. She climbed the stairs and went to her bedroom and sat on her bed waiting for Ali to come up and finish what they had started.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>12-10-2011, 21:53:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim found himself alone with Ali.&nbsp; "Well...I guess she still doesn't feel comfortable with me," he said to Ali as they watched Bree climb the stairs.&nbsp; "I guess it was too much to hope that a simple birthday gift was atonement enough.&nbsp; At least she liked the gift, so that's a start."&nbsp; Jim became quiet as he pondered what to say to Ali now that they were alone in the living room.&nbsp; "Listen, Ali...about calling our get together tomorrow a date.&nbsp; Let's face it, dinner and a movie is a date.&nbsp; But I don't want you to feel any pressure.&nbsp; I would like to date you if and when you are ready for it, but I am not about to rush you.&nbsp; If you need to figure things out first, let me know and we'll keep things friendly."&nbsp; Jim lowered his voice.&nbsp; "If things have changed you can tell me...since there is some of Bree's lipstick on your face and vice versa.&nbsp; I won't be upset."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>13-10-2011, 05:43:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I know you don't want to rush me or pressure me and thank you for that, but that's not it at all. I haven't been on an actual date in a long time and I am ready. I'd like to date you, too." Ali smiled at him and blushed slightly as he mentioned that she and Bree each had the other's lipstick on their face. She did her best to wipe it off of her face and just smiled a little bit. "Oh...you noticed that, did you? Nothing's changed. Bree's not very experienced and she was insecure about some things so I was helping her find something out. One thing kind of led to another. I'm still very much interested in you, Jim." Ali didn't want to tell him that she was actually feeling a lot of things for her best friend because she felt as if nothing would come out of it. With Bree, Ali would take what she could get and if one night was all that would happen..she was happy with that. She thought that focusing on someone else, not using Jim because she'd never do that, would help get her mind off all those pesky feelings she'd had for Bree during their friendship.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>16-10-2011, 11:43:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim had a hard time keeping his cool when Ali said she wanted to date him for real.&nbsp; He had not dated anyone in a long time and his history with pretty women, nevermind someone as beautiful as Ali, was that they were using him for their own reasons.&nbsp; Ali genuinely seemed to be interested in him.&nbsp; Maybe because her life was as imperfect as her body was perfect.&nbsp; Jim could be stable for her, hell he was about as stable as they get.&nbsp; And if she was bisexual, that was really just a plus, right?<br><br>"I'm looking forward to our date tomorrow night even more, now," said Jim.&nbsp; "I am a pretty open-minded fellow usually, if you and Bree have something going that you haven't told me about, know now that while I am slightly envious, I am not jealous.&nbsp; Just keep me in the loop and don't hide things from me and you'll find that I am a pretty understanding guy.&nbsp; I like people because of who they are, not who I want them to be."&nbsp; Jim stood up and stepped away from the couch.<br><br>"Please tell Bree I'm sorry still.&nbsp; Or whatever you can think of, to let her know that I never meant to hurt her.&nbsp; I hope it's not too long before we can hang out without her getting so uncomfortable that she feels the need to leave the room."&nbsp; Jim leaned in to Ali to give her a hug.&nbsp; "I'll see you tomorrow night."<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>21-10-2011, 07:29:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I'm actually not sure what's going on between Bree and I. You will be kept in the loop, I'm working on no more lying. I've done a lot of that in my life so cutting that out is very important to me. Tonight is the first night I've had any alcohol in a week." Ali was obviously very proud of herself and smiled at Jim. "I am looking forward to tomorrow night very much and thank you for giving me a chance. You are an amazing guy." She leaned in and kissed him again. This time it was a little more firm than before because she was already a little excited from earlier and she liked Jim very much. She was already falling for the man. She pulled back and smiled at him. "See you tomorrow night and, yes, Bree and I will be continuing what was going on earlier when I get upstairs." Ali grinned softly and let her fingers run along his arm gently before squeezing his hand gently. She did want Jim badly, but didn't want him to think she was too easy. "See you tomorrow night."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>22-10-2011, 01:50:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim knew when it was time to go, so he took his leave.&nbsp; Heading home he reflected on the evening.&nbsp; All in all, it didn't suck too much.&nbsp; He got to see Bree's and Ali's breasts and he got to imagine what was going on even right now, upstairs at Bree's house.&nbsp; Though sleep was slow in coming, Jim was not.<br><br>Tomorrow night could not come soon enough.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>22-10-2011, 03:40:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali watched Jim as he left and smiled while she locked up Bree's house. She made sure Cleo was all comfy and had food and water before heading upstairs to Bree. She walked into her best friend's room. She couldn't tell if Bree was asleep or not. "Are you awake?" She walked over to settle onto the bed next to her and smiled as she looked at her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>22-10-2011, 05:07:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree was nervous, but a good nervous as she waited for Ali to finish up with Jim. When she heard her bedroom door open, she rolled over. <br><br>"I'm awake, what were you two talking about?" Bree was trying to make small talk, trying not to seem too eager. Truth was she was so ready to pick up where they had left off. She wore only a tank top and shorts, giving Ali plenty of access to her virgin body. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>23-10-2011, 05:27:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali smiled at Bree as she rolled over. "I thanked him for the necklace and we talked about tomorrow night. He's a really great guy." She let her eyes drift over her best friend's body and back to her eyes. "God, you are so fucking beautiful." Ali hadn't forgotten about their plans for now and loved the way she looked right now. Her hand ran up Bree's thigh slowly and smiled brightly. "Are you ready to continue? I've been thinking about this ever since we were interrupted. You don't have to worry about a thing, Bree, I'm going to take care of everything. You don't have to do anything you don't want to."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>27-10-2011, 15:33:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree blushed when Ali said she was beautiful, she never thought of herself in that way. She then nodded, she was ready to continue, to see where this would lead. She sighed as she felt Ali's hand on her skin, and parted her thighs a bit further. <br><br>"I trust you Ali, and I like the way you make me feel. I'll let you know if I want to stop, but for now, I want to keep going." She smiled at her friend as the butterflies began in her belly. Bree could not wait for Ali to show her just how good it could feel to give herself over to her best friend. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>27-10-2011, 18:28:30</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali smiled at Bree's blush and her hand moved further up as she parted her thighs a little more. She rubbed Bree through her shorts slowly and with just a bit of pressure. "Okay, just let me know. You feel good." <br><br>Leaning in, she kissed Bree again. Her tongue running along her best friend's lips before slipping in between Bree's lips. Her free hand worked its way under Bree's tank top so she could play with her breasts.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>27-10-2011, 19:06:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree smiled and let Ali do most of the work. Her lips parted as Ali's tongue traced over her lips. The kiss was so sensual, so passionate that Bree got lost in it. She sighed into the kiss as she felt a hand on her breasts. She once again mirrored Ali's actions and did the same. She ran her hand over her friends breasts and gave then a gentle squeeze. She like how all of this felt, and she wasn't confused or tipsy at this point. No Bree wanted to submit to Ali and let her friend take her all the way to a sweet release. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>28-10-2011, 06:38:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali moaned softly as Bree squeezed her breasts and slipped her hand into Bree's shorts. She rubbed her pussy through her panties slowly. Making sure to let the tip of her thumb brush against Bree's clit a bit. Ali could feel how aroused her best friend was and that shot her own arousal level right up.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>28-10-2011, 15:44:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her hips rose to meet Ali's hand, she moaned softly as she felt Ali touch her where no one else had. She was wet and getting wetter by the moment as Ali began to&nbsp; play with her. <br><br>Bree got a little bolder herself as she pulled Ali's shirt up to taste her friends breasts. She loved the feel of them between her lips, and parted her thighs even more. Bree was still shy, but wanted Ali to go all the way with her. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>28-10-2011, 22:42:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali was gentle as she slipped her fingers up under Bree's panties to tease her lips softly and then they ran along her slit. she couldn't wait to taste Bree and moaned as she felt Bree's mouth and tongue on her breasts. Her shirt was taken off soon and tossed aside, she did the same with Bree's because she wanted to see as much of her best friend as she could. She kissed her way down to Bree's neck and went back and forth between kissing, licking, sucking, and nipping softly.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>02-11-2011, 16:20:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree moaned softly and lifted her hips to meed Ali's hand. Something about this felt so right, and Bree never thought she would be so into her best friend like this. When both tops were removed, she once again let Ali take the lead as her hands went back to her best friends breasts. "Oh Ali, god, you make it feel good," she whispered, nearly begging to be touched and licked as her body rose and fell to have Ali keep going.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>04-11-2011, 09:33:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali smiled brightly as Bree's body reacted like this and there was a begging quality to her voice as she whispered. She bit at her lip as Bree's hands found her breasts again, Ali was floored by the fact that this was actually happening. She slipped one finger into Bree and slowly moved it around while her thumb rubbed at her clit softly. She moved Bree to where she was laying back on her bed and she moved to take one of her best friend's nipples in between her lips while her hand was focused on her pussy.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>07-11-2011, 16:23:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her mind was spinning as Ali's hand slipped inside of her. It felt so right to let Ali do this, to take her this way. Bree felt things she never did before and soon, she was moaning softly.<br><br>"Oh god, Ali, yes, that feels so good." Her hips rose to meet Ali's hand and she arched her back to let Ali take more of her breast into Ali's beautiful mouth. Her hands continued to massages Ali's breasts, but she found ti hard to focus as her friend as making her feel better than she ever had in her entire life. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>08-11-2011, 04:57:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali's tongue swirled around Bree's nipple and suckled softly. Her best friend tasted so good, it was like you could taste the innocence and it made this even more sweet. Ali felt around for Bree's gspot and tapped her finger against it when she found it. She would slow down because she wanted to taste Bree's orgasm, not just feel it. Her finger moved slower as she kissed down Bree's stomach.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>08-11-2011, 16:30:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				When Ali tapped Brees sweet spot, her body jumped and she gripped the sheets. "Oh God Ali!", she cried out, "What was that?" Bree could not believe how Ali was making her feel. Bree could not believe that it was going to Ali, not Will, that was going to bring her to her first orgasm. <br><br>Her belly rose and fell as Ali kissed down it, watching her friend get closer to her virgin pussy. "Ali, please, make me cum, Make me feel it for the first time." Bree touched her own body, excited to know just how it felt to cum for someone. She was ready, and knew Ali would take good care of her, making her feel the ultimate pleasure between them. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>09-11-2011, 04:23:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"That was your g-spot, Bree. Feels good, doesn't it?" Ali whispered as she brought her lips away from Bree's skin for just a few seconds, she smiled at her best friend before her lips pressed against the soft skin of Bree's stomach. She kissed her best friend's inner thighs before her tongue ran along Bree's pussy lips. Her finger was still moving around inside of her best friend and her thumb rubbed against her clit.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>09-11-2011, 19:15:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her eyes fluttered back as Ali mentioned the "g-spot". <br><br>"Oh god, yeah, that felt amazing!" Bree was trying to catch her breath, but will all that Ali was doing to her, it was nearly impossible. Soon, her hips were rising to meet Ali's sweet mouth and Bree was moaning like a common whore. <br><br>That was when her body tensed and Bree gasped out. Ali had brought her to climax, and her juices flooded her friends fingers and lips. Bree had never felt so good, or felt something as wonderful as that. Her head was spinning as she tried to calm herself. <br><br>"Oh god, Ali, thank you for that."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>11-11-2011, 06:55:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali moaned softly as she felt and tasted Bree's sweet juices. She lapped up as much as she could before swallowing them, God she tasted good. She kissed her way back up her best friend's body and ended that with a soft kiss to Bree's lips. "No...thank you, Bree, but you're welcome." She let her fingertips run along Bree's stomach softly as she smiled brightly. "You taste absolutely wonderful." Her free hand rested on her best friend's hip as she moved to lay next to her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>14-11-2011, 16:24:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree smiled at Ali, it wasn't awkward, it just felt natural and right between the two of them. "Ali, would you like me to try to, you know, get you to cum too?" Bree blushed hard, even though they had just shared that moment, she was a bit shy about things. Ali was so experienced, and Bree didn't know if she could do as good as a job as Ali had. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>30-11-2011, 20:58:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I think I would like that very much, but only if you want to. I don't want you to feel forced or anything." Ali just smiled at the blush that had come to her best friend's face. God, it was going to be hard to not want to spend every waking moment with Bree from now on. Ali hadn't exactly thought this through.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>01-12-2011, 15:59:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree smiled shyly as she rolled Ali to her back. Her mouth trailed down her best body to Ali's waiting sex. Her tongue gently flicked over Ali's clit and she liked the way it tasted. Soon she found herself gently sucking on it, moaning softly as she did. As she did that, two fingers slipped into Ali's wet pussy. She was going on total instinct, but Bree was eager to please Ali and make her feel as good as she did. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>01-12-2011, 21:59:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali was pleasantly surprised by how eager Bree was being and how great she was doing. "God, you're a quick study...that's amazing." She encouraged her best friend and had to close her eyes at the sensations she felt. One of her hands came to rest on the back of Bree's head softly and she let the fingers of her other hand run along her friend's side.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>05-12-2011, 15:36:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It didn't take long for Bree to really get into pleasing her best friend. Her mouth moved down and her tongue replaced her fingers. Soon she was licking Ali's sweet nectar and moaning softly as she did. She liked the taste of her best friend, and even lifted Ali's hips to get in deeper. She began to dart her tongue in and out, wanting to make sure Ali was enjoying herself. She was buried in Ali's pussy, eager to feel her friend cum and fell as much pleasure as she could give. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>09-12-2011, 04:53:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali hadn't been with someone this eager in quite a while and she was happy because lately she'd had to fake during most of her sexual encounters. She hated doing that and, honestly, there was no need for that with Bree. Soon, Ali's moans grew louder and she whispered her best friend's name as she was brought to the brink of orgasm. She loved the fact that Bree lifted her lips so she could taste more and soon those hips and her thighs were trembling slightly as her juices started flowing freely. She had hit that brick wall of ecstasy that she had loved so much since she was fifteen. Her eyes opened so she could watch Bree as she brought her to an almost mindblowing orgasm.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>13-12-2011, 16:26:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree could not believe how delicious Ali tasted when she came. It was like nothing she expected. She licked and slurped Ali's juices until she was clean. She then slid up next to her best friend and took her into her arms.<br><br>"Wow, Ali, that was amazing, I never knew it could feel like that. I hope I did ok, I mean I know I am new at this and all. I just hope you liked it." She then cuddled next to Ali and began to doze off. They had crossed a line, and Bree was glad about that. She had no regrets as she drifted off in her new lovers arms. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>13-12-2011, 22:51:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali smiled brightly as Bree slid back up to take her into her arms. "You did an amazing job, Bree. I'm serious, I loved it. It was the first time in a really long time where I didn't have to fake it." She kissed her best friend's lips softly before getting more comfortable against Bree. "See you in the morning." Ali drifted off and it was the first time in a while that she hadn't had to take something to fall asleep.<br><br>She woke up the next morning and watched Bree sleep for a few minutes, there were no regrets in her mind about what had happened the night before. She was happy that they'd done it. She silently got out of bed and headed downstairs. Ali had thrown on a pair of boyshorts and a t-shirt of Bree's. She forgot to bring any clothes for herself. She looked through what Bree had in the kitchen and got out some things so she could make breakfast for the two of them. She didn't cook much, but she was a really good cook and could make just about anything and everything anyone could want.&nbsp; Ali made scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and crepes with strawberry cream cheese inside. Bree liked strawberry, it wasn't really Ali's favorite, but she would eat it.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>14-12-2011, 23:15:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Will left a message on Bree's phone in the night, all it said were three words: I love you. His own conscious was starting to get to him and it was not like it was the fault of all the complications that were happening. It was that he felt as though he was neglecting her, which in a way he was. It was not something that he had wanted to do but it was happening nonetheless. Like anything that was being done between him and Bree, it was he who was at fault and not her. <br><br>When the sunlight came through his windows, he yawned and got out of bed heading down the hall to where he smelled that there was breakfast. It was odd since he did not expect his younger sister to be up till about noon, but here she was up at close to 7 am with breakfast being made. A smile crossed his lips as he made it into the kitchen to see her standing there with her back to him in an apron, medium length skirt and a nice red blouse. This was also odd for Jasmine as well since she always preferred to dress in her own hyper-sexual style.<br><br>"Morning." Will spoke to her as he came closer in the direction of the counter to get some coffee from the freshly brewed pot.<br><br>"Good morning, Will." Jasmine said to him as she focused on finishing up breakfast. <br><br>That was just the beginning of the oddest morning for Will where him and Jasmine talked casually though she did not say that anything that had changed or that there was something that was going on with her. She asserted that she was doing it to be nice and show that she cared for her brother. Will accepted that answer but was still wondering what was going on.<br><br>He made it to work early and then went directly to his office where he found all sorts of work that he was going to need to do already arranged and set for him to get done in a quick and orderly fashion. Will was seriously wondering why fate was being so nice, but that was when he saw the girl that was walking across the office room floor to where he was. Jasmine was in her business casual look with added stockings and now she was wearing pumps.<br><br>Will put it all together when he realized that a few days ago he had put out an ad for Personal Assistant. He had not really been paying attention to those that were putting in applications but it seemed that today was the day he was due to interview them. But here Jasmine was coming for the job since she was going to need some way to support herself even when she lived in his house. Will shook his head lightly as she made her way into his office.<br><br>"Please Will." She begged with this little pout on her face. "Fine, as long as you keep the work like you have from this morning then you have the job. But you had better be careful for I will not allow you to slack off." Will told her in this voice that was very commanding and serious that Jasmine tingled a little as he spoke. And from that point she was his PA, handling his calls, appointments and any emails that needed to be dealt with but it was not necessary for him to deal with them.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>15-12-2011, 22:36:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree slept a bit late, but woke to the smell of breakfast and smiled. She slipped a shirt on and wandered downstairs. She saw Ali cooking and she slipped behind her and wrapped her arms around her best friends waist. "MMM, smells good. Thanks for making breakfast, and for last night. I really liked it." Bree Kissed the back of Ali's neck then snagged a piece of bacon.<br><br>Bree then moved to the table and saw there was a text on her phone from Will. She read it and smiled, then turned to Ali. "So what do you think the guys would think if they found out?" Bree giggled and didn't text him back, not yet. She had no idea that his own sister was going to be working as his PA once she got to work. For now though, she would just enjoy breakfast then get dressed and head to work with Ali once they were done. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>16-12-2011, 05:40:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali could hear Bree coming down the stairs and smiled brightly when she felt her best friend wrap her arms around her waist. "You're very welcome. I rather enjoyed it myself, I was being serious when I said you were the first person in a really long time that I hadn't had to fake anything with."<br><br>"Oh...they would totally freak out but in a very good way...I think, at least most guys would. I don't think they'd be upset." She grinned as she felt Bree kiss the back of her neck. Ali fixed herself and Bree a plate and walked over to the table. She sat Bree's plate in front of her and smiled. "I hope you like it. I used strawberry cream cheese because I know you like it." Ali planned on enjoying breakfast and then heading home to get ready so they could leave for work. Her plate was piled high but she was lucky because she never seemed to gain an ounce. Genetics were good like that, the one good thing she'd gotten from her mother.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>lovelygirl</strong> on <strong>23-12-2011, 16:31:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Bree dressed for work and hopped into her car, waiting for Ali. She smiled about what had happened last night and hoped it might happen again. She would never tell Will though, he would freak out most likely and never speak to her again. <br><br>Once Ali was in the car, she drove off and went straight to her desk never knowing that Jasmine was now also working there. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>30-12-2011, 01:32:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim had woken excited for the day.&nbsp; He couldn't wait for his date with Ali tonight.&nbsp; He still thought that he would somehow screw it all up, but until that point he intended to revel in the fact that a beautiful woman had found him interesting enough to consider him date material.&nbsp; <br><br>He arrived at work on time and headed as per usual to the coffee pot to refresh the empty cup that he had drunk while driving to work.&nbsp; It wasn't so much that he was addicted to caffeine as he had a routine that he had a hard time breaking.&nbsp; It was odd, he barely drank coffee on the weekends when he wasn't at work, but when he was in this building, he lived on the caffeine high.&nbsp; <br><br>As he passed by, he noticed that Bree was arriving at her desk.&nbsp; He still felt a little uncomfortable around her, since he didn't know what to say about last night.&nbsp; She had acted very put off by his visit.&nbsp; Until he was sure how she felt, he took a wide berth around her desk.<br><br>Coffee in hand, he made it back to his desk and began work.&nbsp; Part of him hoped it was a busy day, just so the evening would come faster.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>30-12-2011, 09:53:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jasmine was doing her best for her brother at the office making him be more proficient and streamlining his work. Yet when it came to working her desk she kept having problems logging in, this had to do with the fact that she was only hired today. Someone was going to need to properly get her login registered into the system. She looked up those that were available in the tech department to help her with that and found that at least one of them was clocked on and not working on any declared projects. Jasmine got up from her desk taking her employment information with her. All of it had been filed thank to Jasmine ensuring that she was on the books as fast as she could for though her brother had accepted her employment, there was no clue as to how long that hospitality was going to last. So she was going to need to get all time on the clock as she could.<br><br>She walked passed several cubicles, not looking at the people that was there in them. Like a proper secretary, she was focused on the task ahead of her not any of her side projects. Those were going to come in time, but for now she needed to be utterly perfect at her job to appease Will and have a good impression upon others during her first day.<br><br>Jasmine made it to Jim's desk where she then stopped and gave the man a small smile before she began her greeting. "Hello, I am new here and my login is not registering. I have all my information if you would kindly help me with that?" She offered her hand to the man to give it a shake. "Jasmine Summers."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>03-01-2012, 02:31:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali headed home to get dressed. She opted to wear a charcoal gray pencil skirt and a light yellow blouse that showed a pretty good amount of cleavage but not a massive amount. Paired with grey open-toed slingbacks and walked back to Bree's so they could get to work. She got some coffee aind waved to Jim as she walked by. Ali mouthed, "See you tonight," before getting to work. She'd seen the woman talking to him but wasn't worried about it.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>03-01-2012, 22:12:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim felt the presence behind him and turned to see an attractive young lady standing there.&nbsp; She looked familiar, but Jim couldn't place the face.&nbsp; Then that face lit up in a beautiful smile.&nbsp; A couple of weeks ago, Jim would have melted out of his seat and been putty in this girls hands, but since he already had a date tonight with the hottest girl he knew, he was only mildly nonplussed.&nbsp; He took her offered hand.&nbsp; "Jim...Jim Porter."<br><br>He took the paperwork from her and glanced at it.&nbsp; Another new hire.&nbsp; First Bree and Ali, now...Jim glanced again at the name...Jasmine.&nbsp; He was going to have to go down and thank HR personally for their new policy of hiring only beautiful women.&nbsp; "Ok, Jasmine, this is all in order and easy enough.&nbsp; Your login is correct...its JaSummers, but they wrote your password down wrong.&nbsp; Plus, based on your new position I have to set different privileges or you won't be able to access half the things you need.&nbsp; I can do that right here if you want to sit down for a moment."<br><br>Just then, Ali walked by and mouthed "see ya tonight" at him.&nbsp; He gave her a friendly wave, trying to conceal the fact that his heart and stomach just did flips.&nbsp; He didn't want to seem inappropriate in front of the new girl.<br><br>Jim got to work and quickly changed all the things he needed to.&nbsp; It was more tedium than anything else.&nbsp; Although he almost changed Will's login information before realizing he had the wrong Summers.&nbsp; "All set, Jasmine.&nbsp; Did you know we have another Summers working here?&nbsp; I almost gave him your login by mistake.&nbsp; You'll probably see him around, he's a manager-type...named Will."&nbsp; Jim didn't want to go any farther than that, since he still hadn't figured out what he thought about Will these days.&nbsp; After what he did to Bree and Ali, he was still awfully pissed at him, but part of him understood that it wasn't all his fault.&nbsp; Still, it would be a bit before they were drinking buddies again.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>04-01-2012, 03:10:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				When the person that she needed to get to work was a little distracted by a passing skirt, she sensed that there was a little something that was brewing underneath the surface of that little interaction. She had heard all about how some people dated within the office. Jasmine was not judging him, it was good that he was a healthy warm blooded man that had a date tonight. An innocent little smile came across her lips as she looked at him after the girl had passed by.<br><br>He brought up Will as she sat there in the chair to the side of his desk letting him work on her login so that she was going to be able to get to work at helping her brother. There was a bit of a lingering appreciation for her brother that had allowed her to have a job when she had needed one so very badly. "Oh yes, my brother Will works here. I am his secretary in fact." <br><br>Her smile widened as she thought about the words that she was speaking. She was a secretary, getting paid to do work for a person that had been looking after her for a majority of her life. "Do you know him? He is quite the guy when I am not around." A wink was passed in Jim's direction before she let out a little giggle. "Being his little sister, I have always seen him as more of a father figure always trying to look out for me and keep me reeled in lest I get into trouble." There she paused to contemplate for a moment before finishing, "I guess after all these years it is time that I grow up, get disciplined, and give back. Do you think that sounds reasonable, Jim?" Her baby blues looked into Jim's to get reassurance that she was doing the right thing for once.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Xantham</strong> on <strong>07-01-2012, 00:46:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jim was at a loss.&nbsp; Jasmine revealed that she was, in fact, Will's younger sister.&nbsp; He wasn't sure how he felt about that.&nbsp; It was one thing to get your family a job in the "mailroom" where they had to work their way into the business.&nbsp; It was another, altogether, to make your sister your secretary.&nbsp; Maybe Jasmine would prove to be an able secretary, but maybe this was just the worst of nepotism.&nbsp; One thing that was going for her - at least she wasn't going to sleep her way to the top considering that Will would be the first rung.<br><br>"It's good that you are trying to give back to your brother.&nbsp; I hope everything works out well, you can keep an eye out for Will as much as he keeps an eye out for you.&nbsp; Keep him in line, too, so to speak."&nbsp; Jim answered Jasmine.&nbsp; He didn't want to go into the details of Will's latest sexual misadventures in front of his sister.&nbsp; "Let me know if you have any computer troubles.&nbsp; I'll be happy to make sure your career here gets started off on the right foot."<br><br>Jim took one last glance at Jasmine as he finished up.&nbsp; She was definitely very attractive.&nbsp; Though the whole Will connection tended to keep his thoughts relatively clean.&nbsp; There was no way he was going to mess with Will's younger sister.<br><br>"You are all finished.&nbsp; Everything should be all set up, let me know if you need anything else.&nbsp; I don't get over to your area too often, but if I do, I'll stop in to double check your set-up."&nbsp; Jim stood smiled at Jasmine as he offered his hand to help her up.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>08-01-2012, 23:33:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her eyebrow perked up when she was told that she could keep Will in line. There was no telling what that could mean. Jasmine was not going to pry just yet for her desire to keep up her appearance and first impressions were at the forefront of her mind. Being a nosy little sister was not going to help in that regard. Plus, with the amount of time that she was going to spend as his secretary there were bound to be some juicy confidential information she could entertain her pretty little head with. <br><br>"I will be sure to let you know of any computer problems I encounter. I really appreciate this." She gave him a warm smile that was framed by scarlet colored lips. "And don't be a stranger Jim, it would nice to have someone to talk to that was not a manager or a secretary." A little giggle passed through her lips as she left the wonderful Jim alone.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>09-01-2012, 03:45:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali saw the woman who was talking to Jim walking past her desk and thought she'd introduce herself. She had gotten a lot of work done this morning. Yes, it was kind of a territorial thing but also, Ali appreciated beauty and this woman was enveloped in it. She got up and intercepted her. "Hi. I'm Ali and you would be?" She offered her hand to the woman.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>09-01-2012, 09:17:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her head had just turned away from Jim to see the woman that had given Jim quite the greeting not too long ago. Here she was introducing herself but Jasmine was a woman as well as being quite the predator herself. This woman was drawing her fangs to protect her chosen prey. Jasmine had no interest in Jim at the moment, nor did she want to have a growling contest with a fellow lioness. "I am Jasmine Summers, secretary to William Summers.&nbsp; I was just down here for some technical help." Her response had to be straight and to the point to avoid any form of lingering her in the department of this woman's man. <br><br>"It is nice to meet you, Ali.&nbsp; I am sure that I will see you around the office for this is not a big place." Her words here were ones that meant that she understood that this was Ali's place and that she was going to watch her step around here for there was no telling who she could and could not interact with that would step on Ali's toes. But that she was at the very least going to be careful about what she did.<br><br>Office politics was not why she had come here to be Will's secretary but she was going to guarantee that she was not going to get involved till she knew the game and knew how to play it in her and Will's favor. For if she was going to be Will's secretary in the long term then she was going to do her best to get her and Will to advance up the corporate ladder. Jasmine was a predator, like any good looking woman could be. But she needed to be informed before she ever went on the attack. Currently, she needed to play it safe and wait it out as she acquired what she needed. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>09-01-2012, 22:08:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali smiled at Jasmine. It wasn't all about territory, she could always use a new friend. That would depend on Jasmine, really. 'It's nice to meet you too. Just thought I'd welcome you to the office." She had no idea that Bree had already met Jasmine and felt uncomfortable around Will's sister. "If you ever need anything, I'm right there." She smiled brilliantly, knowing that this woman could either be an ally or an enemy.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Swordsman18</strong> on <strong>10-01-2012, 18:38:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The double talk that this Ali was using was clear to Jasmine, and it was just as she had thought. Ali's words confirmed that she had come over to Jasmine to both mark her territory and check out Jasmine's intentions. A smile came to Jasmine's face for she did want to be friendly even though she knew that this girl was out to watch her. Questions sometime arose in Jasmine's head as to why girls were like this whereas guys have a habit of just telling someone straight out that they are watching them. And this was another one of those times.<br><br>"I will be sure to do that," Jasmine responded in a friendly tone, even though she was not going to be using Ali as a source of information. Having someone basically telling you to check in with them so that they can ensure you are not messing with their plan or men is not all that conducive to wanting to be around them and have girly little chats. Other girls that did not have an agenda or were not on the defensive were most suited for that task.<br><br>Jasmine gave her a friendly nod and a smile. "Well, I must be going now." Words spoken to escape so that she could return to her desk and do actual work now that she had her login.<br><br>It took her all of three minutes to return to her desk, log on her computer and then start working out any appointments that her brother had, any emails that needed sent out, and preparations to do any filing that needed to be done. She was a nice little busy body to make up for lost time. Lunch was only a few hours away so she planned to take a break then.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: In Her Shadow (Lovely, Gaga88, Xantham, Swordsman18) IC</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>GaGa88</strong> on <strong>10-01-2012, 23:24:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Ali smiled at Jasmine as she walked away, she couldn't help but to sigh softly as she watched Will's sister walk away. The woman was extremely attractive. She went back to her cubicle and got back to work. Ali looked up for a second and smiled at Bree before starting to work again.
			</dd>
		</dl>
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