The Plot Sickens

[melissa]

Episode 7

Shirts don’t last very long around here.

Danni, feeling frustrated because Dids did indeed have a girlfriend, was on her way out of the room when she bumped headlong into Paul Licuria.
‘Oh, I’m so sorry! Please excuse me! Oh, I’m having a bad night!’ She said, horrified that she’d made him spill his glass of wine all over his vintage Ralph Lauren shirt.
Licca didn’t seem all that worried. ‘That’s alright, love! Hey, aren’t you the MC?’
‘Yes, well, I was. What a disaster! Who was that dreadful character?’
‘That was Strauchnie. The biggest dud Collingwood has ever recruited. He never even got a game with the reserves’.
‘I can see why! I don’t think that man has done a minute of exercise in his life!’
Licca looked her up and down, appreciatively. ‘I reckon you have, though. Pilates?’
‘Oh’, Danni said, flattered. ‘Yes, and Yoga! You’re pretty built, yourself’.
She put a hand on his bicep. ‘I’m really sorry about your shirt’.
‘Oh well, come back to my place and I’ll take it off’, Licca said, flirtatiously.
Danni gave him her most seductive smile. ‘Do we have to wait until we get back to your place?’
Licca grinned. ‘Let’s find somewhere a little more private’.
They walked down the hall until they found a door. Going inside, they turned the light on, but it was one of those faulty fluorescent bulbs that flickered every once in a while. The room was filled with racks of stage costumes, and there were boxes on the floor, chairs strewn about here and there. The room was a minefield.
They didn’t care. After taking a cursory look around to make sure no one was in the room, they got down to business straight away, Danni pulling Licca toward her aggressively. Hey, she hadn’t had any in a while and he was so sexy she could barely control herself! She ripped open his white shirt (well, it had red wine spilt all over it. May as well do a proper job) and kissed his smooth, tanned chest. His hands seemed to be everywhere at once. Her skin sizzled at his touch. He kissed her neck and she moaned. And that’s when they heard a bump and crash come from the cupboard in the corner!
‘What was that?’ breathed Danni.
‘Oh, who cares’, Licca said, nibbling on her earlobe.
‘No, I heard something! Someone’s in here with us’.
‘No there isn’t’.
‘In the cupboard! Check! It could be someone trying to take video of us to put over the internet or something!’
‘Oh, alright! Hang on’.
Paul went over to the cupboard, pulled it open and out spilled… Sean Rusling!
‘What the hell are you doing here, man, you were supposed to be at the fashion parade! You were supposed to be in the fashion parade!’ Licca exclaimed.
‘I know! But I thought I had time to go to the dunny, cos I was nervous, and I always have to piss when I’m nervous! And on my way back, someone grabbed me from behind and put a cloth over my face, and I must have blacked out or something, cos I woke up here. And I couldn’t open this door. I yelled for ages but no one heard me’.
Danni and Licca looked at each other, knowingly.
‘Strauchnie!’, they said, in unison.
‘He must have had his revenge planned for ages’, Licca said. ‘He was fired a couple of weeks ago so he’s had plenty of time to figure something out. Only thing he really managed to do was make himself look like an even bigger idiot that he already is’.
‘So the parade is over?’ Ruz asked.
‘Yes, the parade is over’, Danni told him, folding her arms over her chest. She was annoyed that her little rendezvous with Licca had been interrupted. But, hang on, this one was kind of cute, too… she couldn’t believe she had been ignorant of Australian Rules Football for so long!
‘But that doesn’t mean our little party has to be over’, Licca said, turning to her.
She grinned. ‘Certainly not! Your place, or mine?’
Ruz put his hand up. ‘Can I come too?’
‘No’, Licca said, irritated. ‘This is a private party. Understand?’
‘Oh! That kind of party’, Ruz grinned. ‘I think I’ll leave you to it’.
‘I think that might be a good idea’, Licca said, not really being into sharing.
Danni put her arm around Licca as they went to hail a taxi. She blew a kiss over her shoulder at Sean. It seemed to say, ‘Maybe next time’.



Meanwhile, Leelee was drowning her sorrows with a bottle of Jim Beam and a very considerate Ryan Lonie. He massaged her shoulders while she sat on her couch, wiping a tear here and there, pondering how her first big event could have turned out to be such a disaster. Where the hell did Sean Rusling get to, and how the hell did Strauchnie finagle his lard arse onto the stage? Did he pay someone off? Was he working with someone to ruin her life?
‘You know, it occurred to me that he may have heard what we were saying about him this afternoon. You know, a couple of hours before the parade?’ Ryan said, sheepishly. ‘Maybe that was the straw that broke the camel’s back’.
‘I don’t care’, she said, miserably. ‘I hate him! What if I lose my job over this?’
Ryan kissed her shoulder. ‘Why should you? Jennifer would know this wasn’t your fault. This was all Strauchnie’.
‘Yeah, but what if she thinks I didn’t have everything under control?’
He played with a strand of her hair, winding it around his finger as he gazed at her, adoringly. ‘She won’t. She thinks you’re the best thing to happen to her in ages. Everything will be all right. You’ll see’.
‘I hope so. Because if I lose my job over that pathetic excuse for a human being, I’ll castrate him! That’s assuming he has anything to lose’.
‘I think I need to take your mind off things’, Ryan grinned.
Leelee looked at him. He was still wearing the Van Huesen shirt from the parade. ‘You were supposed to put that shirt back, you know’. She said, with a sniff.
‘Oh yeah?’ He said, playfully. ‘Take it off me, then’.
In minutes the tragedy that was the parade was forgotten. At least for now And let’s just say, Leelee found out that Ryan’s endurance was not just limited to running the length of the footy field!

Jen and Pinky had found their way to Boutique Nightclub after the parade. Pinky was getting plastered on Fluffy Ducks, overjoyed at her victory over Nicole and Lindsay, and her potential date with Travis. ‘I really, really hope he calls me, Jen! He got my number. Do you think he’ll call me? I hope he doesn’t lose it’.
‘He won’t. He was totally checking you out. You really stuck it up those cows tonight, bud. I’m really proud of you’.
‘Thanks, Jen! But I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you. I love my hair now! I never thought this shade of blonde would suit me!’
‘You know, it’s nearly the same colour as Travis’s’ Jen pointed out.
‘Yeah, I know! We can be like, one of those co-ordinated couples, like Posh and Becks’.
‘Oh God, what do you want to be like them for?!’ Jen groaned, laughing. ‘They are totally tacky’.
‘Oh well, I don’t know! You know what I mean! I’m totally drunk, here’. Pinky laughed. She was on a high. Leelee’s fashion night might have been the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons, but for Lisa, it was possibly one of the best nights of her life.
And it was about to get better. Travis was walking through the crowd to her table!
‘I didn’t know you were going to be here, Lisa’, he said, with a gorgeous smile.
‘I didn’t know you knew about this place’, she said.
‘Oh, a few of us come here from time to time. Do you want to dance?’
Jen smiled as her friend was led to the dance floor. It was good to see Lisa happy for once. She’d had an awful couple of weeks. She deserved Travis. They looked really good together, too. Although she almost needed a ladder to put her arms around his neck!

Jen sat at the small round table, stirring her Bacardi and Lime with her straw, suddenly very aware of how alone she was. Everybody was happy and dancing. She spotted several Collingwood players and some from Essendon swanning about, but no Heath Shaw in sight. She sighed with resignation. Wasn’t it time she had a bit of luck come her way? I’m always helping everyone else, she thought. When am I going to see any action?!

When is Jen going to see any action?
Will Nicole manage to ruin Pinky’s new “thing” with Trav?
And will Leelee be sacked in the aftermath of the fashion parade?

All this and more next time on The Plot Sickens

[luvlicca]

Brilliant. I cant wait to hear more about me and Licca. I have so many thoughts running thru my had right now!!!!

[bellastar]

saucy! wow, didn't those to, like, just meet? and already they (almost) get it on!? and you nearly took it down the threesome route. that would've been interesting.............

[luvlicca]

I could have handle that route tooo.......... all the more interesting
but you know, when you meet someone like that, you just know its meant to be!!!

[leelee]

hehe leelee was norty hehe

LeeLee had better not be bloody well sacked! haha

[yadie05]

get away from dids gal
go lee whoo hoo

[melissa]

Episode 8

What goes around comes around

This was it. Jennifer had summoned Leelee to her office practically the minute she arrived at work on Monday morning. The boys were on the oval after an easy win over the Filth so Leelee couldn’t confide in Ryan. She really wanted to see him, though. Saturday night had been amazing. She hadn’t been able to wipe the grin off her face. Until the phone call from Jennifer, of course.
‘Oh, there you are. First thing’s first, I just wanted to reassure you that your position is safe’, Jennifer said, obviously seeing the look of anxiety on Leelee’s face.
The relief was overwhelming. Oh God, don’t cry, you wimp! She thought. She’ll think you’re unstable!
‘I thought you might have spent Sunday stressing about that! Well, there’s no need. I also wanted to tell you what a good job you’re doing on the Black and White Ball. Have you thought of a theme yet?’
‘Well… I know the players don’t take their partners and wives, and there are some pretty big supporters buying up tickets to this thing, so I was thinking, why don’t the players ask a supporter to be their date? They can either do it on the night or actually ask them beforehand, pick them up… the whole thing’.
Jennifer considered it a moment. ‘I don’t know… Do you think some of the girls who regularly come to training might take that the wrong way? I mean… we don’t want players being stalked’.
Leelee hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. ‘Of course! Why didn’t I think of that? Sorry, I’ll come up with something eventually’.
‘It was a nice idea, love, but some of those girls… an innocent smile or gesture toward them by a player and they think it’s a full-blown relationship. It could get nasty’.
‘True. Damn, back to the drawing board, I suppose’.
‘I’m sorry, love. But those of you who are actually dating a player can go. Just not as their date!’, Jennifer smiled, knowingly. ‘You think I don’t see what goes on around here? How’s Ryan, anyway?’
Leelee blushed. ‘He’s fine’.
‘I’ll bet’.
As Leelee was about to slip out the door, Jennifer added, ‘Oh yeah, there’s a certain Van Heusen non-iron shirt missing from the racks. Wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you, Lee?’

Marcy, meanwhile, had been busy with her own arrangements for the Black and White ball. Hacking into Leelee’s computer had been easy. A few quick phone calls, and whoops-a-daisy, no more caterer, the venue was cancelled and the band double-booked. She rubbed her hands together with glee. ‘Jennifer’s going to find out just what an incompetent hack you really are, Lee’, she said, ‘And after that fashion night debacle, I wouldn’t blame her if she sacks you and hires someone way more qualified. Gee, could that be me?!’
Leelee got back to her office and found a barrage of messages on her answering machine. She listened in horror as the caterer asked her why she didn’t want their services anymore, were they too pricey?; followed by the venue letting her know that there was a seven day cooling-off period in which she could rebook if she changed her mind, and on top of all that, the band rang to apologise and say that someone had booked them for a wedding on the same night, and had offered up a lot of cash as an incentive to drop their other booking! Leelee put a hand over her mouth and had to lean on her desk for support. She felt like throwing up. How could this be happening? First the fashion parade, and now someone was trying to sabotage the Ball!
Only one name came to mind when she tried to think of who would pull a stunt like this. She called Jennifer’s private line. ‘Is there any way we can find out what Marcy has been up to on her computer?’ She asked. ‘I think I’m being sabotaged’.

Emily was waiting for Dale outside the rooms after training. She really wanted to speak to him, after that embarrassing encounter with her mother. She hadn’t seen hide nor hair of him since Wednesday night and she knew he was avoiding her. This way he couldn’t pretend she wasn’t there.
The players filed out after their team meeting, a few of them giving Em friendly smiles or waves. Some of them even grinned like they knew something they had jolly well better not know! Em stood there, arms crossed, fuming. Who had he told? More importantly, what had he told? If he thought he was getting busy with her again in a hurry, he had another thing coming!
Ben Johnson gave her a playful wink as he passed. ‘How’s the karate coming?’ He asked.
‘Get bent’, she snarled.
‘Hey, hey… just kidding! It was an innocent question’.
‘Yeah, right’.
‘Okay, okay. Don’t get your knickers in a twist’.
‘I’m not’, she said, indignantly.
He went on his way, laughing. She flipped him the bird but he didn’t see it. She was almost relieved.
Dale was, predictably, one of the last to leave the room. She had a feeling that news would have got back that she was out here waiting for him. He looked a bit apprehensive, to say the least. Of course you are, thought Em, smugly. You know I can kick your arse!
Aloud, she said, ‘Daise, can we have a word?’
‘We can have three’, he joked.
‘What? Oh. Your humour. Okay, can we find somewhere we won’t be interrupted? Or is that too much to ask around here?’
‘Yeah. Follow me’, he sighed. She obligingly fell in step beside him as he walked out toward the car park. ‘Let’s sit in my car’.
He was very proud of the fact that, having just turned eighteen, he’d managed to get his licence on the first go. It wasn’t even really his car. His mother had bought a new car, and given him the old one.
He was chivalrous enough to open the door for her instead of doing what most guys his age would do, getting into the driver’s seat and leaning over to unlock her side. Em took that as a good sign. At least he wasn’t angry with her for putting him in such a precarious situation the other night. Well, it seemed that way.
He turned to her. ‘What’s up?’
She stared at him. ‘What’s up? What do you mean, what’s up? You avoid me all week, that’s what’s up! I know this isn’t… anything, I mean, we’re not, like, a couple or anything, but the least you could do…’
She had a tear threatening to spill down her cheek. She fought to keep her composure, but it was hard. How could he be so calm? He was acting like nothing had happened between them. When, to her, it was a lot more than nothing. She didn’t let guys get to second base with her unless she really, really liked them.
‘Hey…’ he said, finally seeing how upset she was. ‘I’m sorry. I thought your Mum was going to read me the riot act, so I bolted. I shouldn’t have left you to take the heat. I’m really sorry’.
She shrugged. ‘It wasn’t that so much as what happened after. Or, what didn’t happen. Like I said, I haven’t seen you all week, so I had to assume…’
The tear did spill down her cheek, and she wiped it away, almost as an afterthought.
‘Assuming makes an ass out of u and me’, Dale joked, then saw the look on her face. ‘Aw Em, don’t cry! If I’d known you were going to be this upset…’
‘Yeah, what? You’d have what? Done anything differently? I really wanted to see you again Thursday. I know you didn’t have training but you could have rung…’
He stared down at his hands. ‘Actually, if you want to know the truth, I was a bit freaked out. One minute we’re mates, the next I can’t stop thinking about you. And then I catch myself looking at you in your gym gear. I felt like a total wanker. Next thing I know you’re lying on top of me… then at your place… it’s just happened so fast’.
‘Then I guess you’ve got to figure out if it’s too fast for you’, Em said, quietly. She started to grab the door handle when she felt his hand on her chin. He turned her head toward him and suddenly they were kissing again. Overjoyed at his apparent change of heart, she slid her arms around his neck. This was more like it!

Jen had just caught the morning training session and gone back to her car to meet Pinky at Highpoint. She was feeling very annoyed with herself. She still hadn’t managed to think of a valid reason why she should approach Heath Shaw, apart from asking for his autograph. She didn’t want to seem like an adoring feral fan, even though she felt like one, so that was out of the question. She was usually so good at scheming and plotting. But when it came to her own love-life, or lack thereof, she was completely out of ideas! She supposed it was like having writer’s block.
Maybe my talents weren’t meant to be used for personal gain, she reasoned. Maybe I’m supposed to help other people get happy, and be like a miserable spinster woman who ends up living with fifty cats!
She wasn’t making herself feel any better, but she knew what would. A dose of retail therapy. She turned the key, and nothing. Turned it again, and nothing. Not even a whimper. ‘Oh, bloody hell’, she fumed. Had to be the battery. It wasn’t even turning over. She hit the steering wheel with her fist. This was just the limit!
She took a moment to calm herself, then tried the ignition again. Nothing. In resignation, she took her mobile phone out of her bag, and was about to dial Pinky’s number when there was a knock on her side window.
She cancelled the call and turned to see who was knocking. And had to contain herself because she was about to start laughing at the irony of the whole situation. She wound down the window.
‘Hi’, she said, barely suppressing a grin.
‘Hi’, said Heath. ‘Problems?’
‘You could say that’.
‘Battery?’
‘It won’t even turn over, so yeah, that’d be my best guess’.
He smiled. His face was so close she could see each and every freckle under those gorgeous blue eyes. ‘I’ve got jumper leads. Just hang on a sec and I’ll bring my car over’.
When he’d turned away to walk over to his own car, Jen looked up and whispered, ‘Thank you! If you’re really up there, I owe you one!’

Next time, in The Plot Sickens…

Heath jump-starts Jen’s battery… and the one in her car
Jade finds herself in the middle of a nasty lovers’ spat, and
Find out if Marcy finally gets what is coming to her!

[melissa]

Damn... well, there's your answer, i didn't say Carlscum supporter either. I actually said w**ker and they changed it. So there you go. It's the moderators

[David]

hey I wanna be in one of these stories too

[David]

melissa it's a 'swear filter' so it happens automatically. Some sites are really mean that way, I think on a Nine Inch Nails site I typed 'haha' and it was replaced with "I like to suck wangs" or something like that.

[melissa]

um... wouldn't that be reverse swear filtering, then? Replace a nice, wholesome remark with something you wouldn't say and then kiss your mother with that mouth?

[David]

lol yeah... I guess in the case I'm talking about it's just a play-mean-jokes-on-the-newbies-and-teeny-boppers filter

[luvlicca]

ok melissa, keep it coming!!!! i want more of me and licca!!!!! yeah!!!!!

[bellastar]

once again, a great episode! i typed in the same word and the swear filter caught me, too! hey, when am i gonna come back into the story?

[leelee]

come on i'm dying i have nothing better to do with my time! I'm home all by myself and need something to entertain me!