Corey smiled to herself as she practically skipped to work, humming a happy little tune. Her date with Dean had gone wonderfully and for the past three days she had been walking on air. She was so lost in her own little world that she didn�t realize she had walked right into Vanessa until it was too late, sending the poor girl and her packages flying to the ground.

"Oh my goodness, Vanessa!" Corey exclaimed as she reached down to help Vanessa to her feet. "I�m so sorry!"

Vanessa shook her head and smiled curiously at Corey as she rearranged her packages in her arms. "No wonder you didn�t see me, you look like your mind is somewhere else . . . with someone else . . ."

Corey blushed a deep shade of red and Vanessa laughed. "Now, you wouldn�t happen to be thinkin� �bout Dean, now would ya?" Vanessa teased playfully.

The two of them had gotten off to a rocky start when the bordello first moved to town, and especially after Buck paid to switch Corey and Vanessa back to their own jobs, but lately they�d seemed to overcome their differences and make peace with one another. After all, Corey was now dating Dean, who was like an older brother to Vanessa, and she knew that anyone who was a friend of Dean�s was a friend of hers.

Corey smiled girlishly and sighed happily. "Vanessa, I just can�t believe this is happening to me. All my life I�ve dreamed of finding a man who would love me�"

"Dean said he loves you?" Vanessa cut in anxiously.

Corey�s shoulders slumped. "Well, no."

Vanessa�s face dropped in disappointment. "Oh."

"I don�t know what kinds of feelings he has for me, but I know how I feel about him." Corey admitted. "It�s just that for as long as I can remember, the only guy I ever loved was Buck."

Vanessa nodded in understanding. "And he�s been stringin� you along with that Caly gal, right?"

Corey nodded. "I just can�t win, can I?"

Vanessa put her arm around Corey and gave her a reassuring hug. "I can�t speak for Buck, but I can tell you that Dean has had a hard life. He hasn�t had many relationships in the past, and I know he�s had his heart broken a few times. Give him time."

Corey smiled at Vanessa, glad the two of them had worked out their differences and had become friends. "Thanks Vanessa."

"Anytime . . . now I�d better get back to the bordello with these supplies before Anjanette has my hide!"