Elise laughed at her friend; "Sweetie, fun follows you wherever you go."

"It’s actually a gift."

"Damnit there’s a line."

"For some." Beth worked her way to the front and smiled at the bouncer who returned her gaze with a stern one. "Hi, what’s your name?" She asked.

"None of your business." The man barked.

"Well Mr. Your Business I was wondering if you could do me a little teensy favour. See me and my friend here are visiting from Canada and we really wanted to experience a proper London nightlife, we hear this is the place to be, so what I’m asking is if you would be so kind as to..."

"Back of the line."

"See here’s the deal. I don’t do lines." Beth said with a shrug, "So let us in."

The guy walked over to her and looked down at her with a deep stern gaze. "What did you say?"

Looking up at him with not even a blink Beth said, "I don’t like to repeat myself but I will in this case. Let. Us. In."

"I’d do it if I were you mate." A voice said behind her. Elise glanced up at the tall young man and grinned to herself. She already knew the outcome of this brief encounter – especially when she saw her friend’s eyes get that mischievous glint in them.

Beth looked over her shoulder and smiled at the voice, "Then you’d be a smart man." He seemed somewhat familiar, but maybe he just had a recognisable face.

"It’s what I’m told." He winked at her.

"Fine you’re in." The bouncer said with a slight twinkle in his eye.

Grabbing Elise who was watching with a quiet humour Beth started giggling, "Brilliant." She said in her best English lilt, before entering the club with her friend.

As soon as they were inside Beth started bouncing to the music, "I don’t even know what this is and already I love it."

"I don’t care what it is I want a drink before I enjoy it." Elise said with a laugh, "you’re usual milady?"

"Followed by a shot of tequila as always." Beth nodded, "I’ll stay right here."

"Hell ya you will." Elise made her way to the bar. She gave the club a visual once-over as she eased her way through the crowd. She wanted to know who’d already noticed her and who was worth noticing back. A few worthy morsels, she thought to herself as she squeezed between two muscular young men leaning against the bar. She let them look her over with a quiet grin on her face. They both angled their bodies towards her and she continued to deliberately ignore them. The bartender, also young and muscular, leaned in to take her order.

"Two Smirnoff Ice and two tequila," she said into his ear, allowing him a good look at her strategically revealed cleavage. He smiled and nodded, satisfied that she knew how to play the game.

"Come here often?" One of her present companions asked in an Irish lilt.

She grinned a little more deeply. "Now there’s an original line," she commented without looking at him.

"How about this," his friend asked, "Did it hurt?"

The guy who’d helped them out at the door was just walking away from Beth when Elise found her again.

"Good mighty Lord I think I’d have that man’s babies if he asked." She muttered to Elise.

"Why does he look so familiar?" Elise wondered.

Licking her lips Beth took a long sip of her drink, "I don’t know, but it’ll come to me and when it does I’m going over there to appreciate his familiarity up close."

An hour later both girls were decidedly quite tipsy and enjoying the dance floor. Just as they started drinking some water to regulate the alcohol in their bloodstreams, a light came on in Beth’s face. "Holy shit he’s an actor!"

"What?" Elise shouted, "I can’t hear you."

Beth stopped because she’d begun scanning the room, "That guy, Matt he’s a fucking actor!"

"In what?"

"Some cheesy romantic comedy whose name has a escaped me at the moment, but I remember that mouth like I had imagined it many times. I’m sure it’s him." Beth exclaimed as she pulled her friend to a corner of the room that was on an incline.

"There." Elise pointed, "He’s at the bar with that hooch."

"Not for long." Beth said with determination, grabbing a shot off the tray of a waitress she put down a couple pounds in payment then walked with confidence to the bar.

"And so it begins," Elise said out loud as she watched her friend work her magic with this Matt guy. She spotted her two friends from the bar who waved at her and invited her to join them at their table. She grinned back at them and shook her head. They pouted and performed a class act of charades to plead with her, but she wasn’t interested. They were too easy for prey. She already had them in bed and that wasn’t any fun. She needed a more difficult target. She went back to the dance floor and made her way through the pulsating crowd to the huge speaker next to the DJ booth. Some very drunk, very scantily clad girls, who couldn’t really dance, as far as Elise was concerned, had recently vacated it. She caught the DJ’s eye and raised an eyebrow, asking if it would be okay if she had a go. He smiled greedily and nodded. He tapped the shoulder of one of the bouncers standing in front of his booth and pointed at her, and then at the speaker. The bouncer nodded, picked Elise up by the waist and hoisted her onto the speaker. She knelt down to kiss his cheek before turning to the DJ and requesting some songs. He reached out as if to grope her, but she caught his hand. "No touching," she warned him, squeezing his skinny hand hard enough to get her point across. He just shrugged and nodded, then went back to spinning.

Elise worked her magic on the speaker and started scoping her audience. It wasn’t long before she saw him. He was tucked away in a corner of the club, intently watching her. She recognized him, even from that far away, and smiled. No rush, she thought to herself, glancing over to where her friend Beth and her newest conquest were in the process of trying to suck each other’s faces off. I’ve got all the time in the world for you, love – but you’re definitely mine by the end of the night.

The DJ started playing her songs and she got completely lost in the music. She never lost sight of her target, however, and followed him with her eyes every time he got up and left the table. He even walked past her at one point. She held his gaze the whole time, smiling down at him as she grooved to the music. He gave her a crooked smile back and then sent a drink her way. She caught his eye across the room and raised it slightly to thank him. He raised it back and just kept watching.

When the DJ finally started playing ‘Get Busy’ by Sean Paul, Elise glanced up to see Beth break away from her snogging session and drag him to the dance floor. Near the end of the song, she bent down to the bouncer and had him help her off the speaker. She kissed his cheek again and went to find her friend.

"I’m leaving with him," Beth yelled in her ear, obviously still tipsy but looking quite happy.

"You’re leaving with him?" Elise asked with not much shock.

"We got separate rooms for a reason remember?" Beth said with a grin.

"Oh I remember, but you are waking me up as SOON as he leaves tomorrow."

"What if you…"

"I can assure you if I find someone he’ll be gone long before your firecracker over there."

"He is rather delicious isn’t he?" Beth looked over at him and licked her lips.

"He wouldn’t even need a side dish, I could scoop him up for a main course."

"That’s my dinner Elise, why don’t you work that hobbit like character over there trying to inconspicuously scope you out?" Beth suggested with a glance over her friend’s shoulder.

Elise followed Beth’s gaze and grinned, "I love this country."

"You and me both love." Beth kissed her friend’s cheek and smacked her butt, "Be safe."

"Always." Elise was already making her way to the other end of the room. Now that Beth was leaving her, she was free to go in for the kill on this guy she’d been working for the last hour.

His back was turned to her as she walked up to his table. He had turned to discuss with his mates the best way of approaching this girl, but she had beat him to it. His friends stopped talking and sat back with amazed looks on their faces. She just stood there behind his chair and waited for him to turn around.

Dom looked up at his friends and noticed that they weren’t paying attention to him anymore. He turned around to see what they were looking at and found her standing there, looking down at him with that coy grin he couldn’t get enough of.

"Care to dance?" she asked him.

She was even more striking up close. "Sure," he answered and got up to follow her to the dance floor. His friends whooped encouragement as he left.

She led him to the middle of the dance floor so that they didn’t have a choice but to be pressed up against each other. Not that that was a problem for either of them – it was their whole goal for the last hour to be in this situation.

"You’re not from around here, are you?" he asked into her ear, involuntarily inhaling her smell – she smelled like peach schnapps.

"Good guess," she answered, easily adapting her rhythm to his.

"Are you always this forward?" he asked.

"Only when I see something I want," she told him.

"Will you tell me anything about yourself?"

"Just tell me what you want to know."

"How old are you?"

"25."

"Where are you from?"

"Canada."

"Do you have any siblings?"

"Three sisters."

"Why are you in England?"

"To have my way with a hot Englishman."

"Am I coming home with you?"

"You’d better."

He grinned at her. This night wouldn’t be so bad after all.

It didn’t take long before Dom had moved Elise off of the dance floor to a dark corner of the room where he had her pressed up against a wall. They were engaged in a hot and heavy snogging session when Dom abruptly pulled away from her.

"I don’t know your name," he said.

She pulled his face down so that his ear was near her mouth. "It’s Elise. Come back to my hotel and I’ll let you say it all night," she invited.

Dom was not about to turn her down.

Elise woke up the next morning with a warm body pressed up against her back. God, what time was it? She raised her head just enough to see the clock. Almost 11:00 and she was still exhausted. After she and Dom had had their way with each other, they’d lain awake talking for another few hours. He’d made her laugh so hard, her stomach still hurt. She kinda liked this guy more than she had intended to. Everything had gone according to plan up until the part where they actually started conversing. Suddenly the sex took a backseat to getting to know him a little better. She didn’t usually do that. Usually, she made the guy leave before they’d even fallen asleep. She knew she was worse than Beth that way, but she just found it easier. The first few times, the guy had always done a runner, but there was one guy who stayed and very quickly became a stalker after that and that pretty much did it for letting guys stay after she’d fallen asleep. And then there was Conrad, of course. Hard to trust a man very much after you run into his long term girlfriend. Especially when you thought you were his long-term girlfriend.

Dom was different, though. Very, very different and that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. The trouble with choosing a challenging target was that they usually had more personality than the easy ones. But that was the whole point, wasn’t it? Having to interest someone on more than a superficial level was way harder.

She rolled over so that she was on her back. He was already awake, just watching her.

"Oh good, I’m glad you’re as beautiful as I thought you were. I was half expecting a nasty surprise, considering the lateness of the hour and the amounts of alcohol from last night."

Elise grinned at him. "Well, for my part, I’m glad you are who I thought you were, because all my aspirations of mooching off your fame would’ve been completely smashed."

He bent down and zerberted her belly, causing her to break into a fresh fit of laughter.

"Oh, god, stop! My gut still aches from last night!" she cried.

Beth stepped into the room still scrunching her unruly curly hair, "How was your night?" She asked as she flopped onto her friend’s bed.

Stepping out of the bathroom Elise smiled, "I do believe I have a crush on a hobbit."

"He’s got a pretty sexy crooked smile I’ll give him that, what’s his name again?"

Taking one more glance at her appearance Elise came out of the bathroom, "Dom, he’s actually on some show back home now. Ever heard of ‘Lost’?"

Beth thought for a moment, "I think so, is it that show that stars the guy from ‘Party of Five’?"

"Enough about me though, what about you, you look quite sated if I do say so myself." Elise flopped onto the bed next to her friend.

"I’m worked up, worked over and decidedly more satisfied than ever before." Beth said with a dramatic air.

"Wow, that’s the most glowing review you’ve ever given someone."

"Yeah," Beth sighed, "He was still here this morning."

"When you woke up, really?"

"Yup and if it’s possible he looked sexier and sounded better than last night."

"Ooh did you get morning booty?"

"No, cause I wouldn’t have let him leave if we had." Beth said honestly, "It’s better that he left when I was showering."

Elise regarded her friend; "You don’t sound convinced of that."

"I have to be I’m never going to see him again." Beth forced a smile, "Enough about him let’s do some tourist things today, I wanna see the Tower of London."

Dom met them in the hotel lobby a short time later. Beth gave Elise a look and Elise knew that if Beth ever got over swooning over Matt, she’d get quizzed on why she was letting this guy hang around after the last fiasco. Dom had a cab waiting for them and they headed over to the Tower of London.

Dom pretended to do a mime walk on the moving sidewalk that was taking them through the vault at the Tower of London that held the crown jewels.

"He’s really quite odd." She whispered to Elise who was laughing.

"You have no idea."

"About me being odd," Dom said with a smirk, "me mum is still trying to figure it out, love."

Beth laughed, "Why is it you had to come with us?"

"Because you need a sexy tour guide," He stuck out his chest and posed, "Besides Elise here invited me and I find I can’t say no to the woman." He grabbed her around the waist and kissed her cheek.

"You sure can’t." She winked at him.

"I’m going to wretch," Beth rolled her eyes.

"S’alright love, there’s plenty of me to go round." He said with flair, jumping over to give her a dramatic kiss on the cheek then picking her up and spinning her around.

She burst out laughing and wrapped her arms around his neck when he stopped, "You’re making me dizzy."

"I tend to have that affect." He grinned.

Just then Beth’s face went slightly pale yet had a slight blush. Elise looked up just in time to see her friend’s conquest from last night stopped in the middle of the hall staring at them.

"So much for not seeing him again," she whispered to her friend, who obviously didn’t hear her. Beth was rooted to the spot and hadn’t blinked since she saw him. Matt was making his way over to them and Beth was starting to get fidgety – like she didn’t know if she wanted to run to him or away from him.

"Beth." He said when he got to her.

She smiled at him, "Matt, hi."

"Cheers mate." Dom laughed, "Let me guess I’m taller then you expected."

"Still shorter than him." Elise said with a laugh.

"That stung love." Dom clutched his chest in mock pain.

Beth finally seemed to regain most of her composure, "Dom, Elise this is Matt. Matt, you’ve already met Dom, this is my friend Elise."

Nodding in Elise’s direction Matt indicated behind him, "This is me mate Sam. Sam, this is Beth and her friends."

"Good to meet you." Sam smiled at them. "Looks like we all had the same idea, how about we make it a tour group of five?"

"Sounds great mate." Dom agreed, "So are you Canadian like these ladies, or American?"

"American." Sam grinned, "Out of San Diego."

"No way! I live in LA when I’m shooting my new series, what part of San Diego are you from?" Dom, Elise and Sam walked on ahead talking and getting to know each other. Elise kept one ear on her friend’s conversation, however. She’d never seen an intended one-night-stand have this much effect on her before. Then again, she should talk. She glanced over at Dom who was comparing notes with Sam about California and sighed. It was bad news that she already felt like she’d known this guy forever.

"So…" Elise heard Matt and Beth said at the same time, and then both laughed.

"Well this isn’t at all awkward is it?" Beth finally said.

"Oh no, this is completely comfortable, happens to me all the time."

"It does?"

"Not at all, I usually, umm, avoid…uh…yeah."

"Don’t worry I understand, I usually do that too."

Elise glanced over her shoulder to see Matt bend his arm where Beth’s hand was resting and smile at her, "Well we’d better go join them, or Sam may just scare your friend’s away."

"I don’t think anyone could be scarier than Dom." Beth laughed, "And I’ve only known him a few hours."

"I guess we’re in for a whole bunch more surprises aren’t we?"

Six hours later the five new friends were having dinner at a place Dom knew about.

"I’m serious!" Dom exclaimed, "The boat just started sinking, they had to get the Gimli double out of there cause his costume actually made him sink!"

Elise looked over to see Beth and Matt cuddle up to each other then gave Dom a look. He winked and waved over the waitress. It was scary that he could already read her so well. "Could we get the bill then love?"

Leaning in Elise whispered her plan to Sam who nodded his approval as the waitress returned with the bill, which Dom took. All of this happened without Beth and Matt noticing.

"Uh, guys, we’re going." Sam finally said jarring both of them out of their silent conversation.

Beth shook her head; she looked more than a little dazed. "Okay so what’s next?" she asked as they left the restaurant.

"I have a great idea." Dom said noticing a cab driver sitting at the curb, "Get in," he indicated.

Matt and Beth did while Dom talked to the driver who nodded upon receiving payment. Patting the roof Dom laughed at the two of them who spun around to stare at their friends who smiled and waved as the cab pulled away.

"So." Sam said with a laugh, "You two wanna help me find a woman?"

"Say no more." Elise grinned, "Dom has got the connections, we’ll hook you up."

"Wonderful."

"Alicante Spain, Matt apparently knows someone who owns some property there and they’re letting us stay there for a bit."

"Splendid, when did this turn into a couples getaway? It’s just been just the two of us when we travel, are you sure you want to change that? And where did the Spain idea come from? Jeez, I go downstairs for one work out and we’re having breakfast planning a trip to somewhere in Spain." Elise was feeling anxious. They were losing control of this situation and that was not a good thing.

"Alicante." Beth was concentrating deeply on her bags trying not to look at her friend. They’d made a pact not to get attached to their conquests and based on the reasons under which they had left Canada it was best for all involved.

"Right, Alicante. Beth, look at me, what the hell is going on?"

Finally Beth looked up, "Going with the flow."

"Nope." Elise had to admit to herself that that was the understatement of the year.

"Okay so Dom is just as hot and he wants to come with us so what’s wrong here?"

"Nothing’s wrong really, but you do realise we can’t have them with us forever. They have to get back to their jobs and we just have to keep moving until Conrad gives up."

Beth shrugged, "Yeah, yeah I know, like I said go with the flow."

"You never go with the flow, you always direct it."

"Maybe it’s about time I let someone else call the shots again." The words seemed to rush out of her.

"Dear lord what has this man done to you." Elise sighed, "He’s broken my best friend, now you’re gonna go all sappy on me aren’t you. Oh Matt you are the sun and moon…" She started pretending to swoon.

Beth burst out laughing, "Oh shut up! I’ll shove the sun and moon up your arse if you don’t go pack."

"Oh good there you are, all bitchy and everything. I’ve missed you Beth," Elise’s sarcastic wit always got the upper hand with her friend.

"Fuck off."

"Gladly. Come you gotta pack, I mean honestly Beth we’ve got to get to the airport." Elise couldn’t see she was laughing so hard but she was able to duck in anticipation of the pillow being flung at her head.

"You’re incorrigible." Beth tried to glower at her friend, but she couldn’t she ended up grinning, "We really do need to pack though."

"Did you bring the good swim suit?" Elise asked over her shoulder as she headed back into her own room.

"Of course, I was planning to pick up in it."

"Now you just need to make sure he doesn’t take you in public."

Beth sighed, "Right."

"Matt! Not in public!" Dom exclaimed.

"I didn’t touch her." He said with a laugh putting his hands in the air as proof.

"This weather is heaven." Beth said in explanation with a smack to Dom’s arm.

"Ow! Elise she’s beating me."

"Behave children, now Beth come on do your groaning in a more private setting like maybe at the house?"

"Shit I just meant that I liked the weather, you people are sick minded."

"And you aren’t?" Matt whispered into her ear while placing a hand to the base of her spine.

Jumping away Beth shook a finger at him, "What did Dom say about touching me in public?"

"Just trying to prove you’re equally as sick minded." He said with a shrug.

She stepped up to him and smiled very close to his face, "Don’t start this game with me buddy, cause I’ll win." She was speaking against his mouth then squeezed his ass and stepped away.

"We have a champion folks!" Dom announced grabbing Beth’s hand and holding it in the air.

Elise just shook her head at the look on Matt’s face, "Word of advice to you my friend, do not challenge her in this area, you will lose."

Again he put his hands in the air, "I surrender you are the winner." Elise rolled her eyes at his smug expression. Still thought he could come out on top – boy was he sadly mistaken.

Hardly paying attention Beth was already talking to a cab driver who was opening his trunk, "Seriously people don’t you want to get to where we’re staying?" She asked with a laugh.

"And you lot thought I was odd," Dom laughed, "She gives me a run for my money."

"You don’t know the half of it," Elise grinned.

Dom and Elise headed out to the beach before their bags had even hit the floor.

"I think we should go for a swim," Dom said.

"No, I want to catch some rays first," Elise said.

"Rays are better caught after swimming. The salt water will help you tan," Dom argued.

"Horseshit. You just dry out and burn faster," Elise insisted.

Matt and Beth had approached just then.

"I say now," Dom said.

"I say tan first then swim."

"I say if you don’t agree with me I’m just going to pick you up and make you agree with me."

"So you aren’t at all interested in getting laid again?" Elise spotted the other two and laughed before Dom could respond, "You’re like fucking rabbits you know that right."

"The implications in that sentence are just too much for me to work with right now," Beth grinned. "Oh and Dom you will get laid either way, just pick her up, trust me."

"Right." He said with a laugh before scooping Elise up and carrying her screaming form to the water.

"You dirty rotten..!" Elise said with a gasp after emerging from the water.

"Oh, did the poor baby get wet?" Dom laughed.

She got a sly look on her face and threw herself on him, practically drowning him.

"Okay game time," Dom said once the four we properly saturated. He jumped up and looped an arm around Matt’s shoulders to bring him down so he could whisper something into his ear.

"Should we be worried?" Beth asked.

"Always worry when Dom is planning something," Elise said with a shake of her head.

Just then the guys dove under the water to swim under each of the girl’s legs and stand up so they were on their shoulders.

Trying to maintain her balance Beth laughed, "Is this the game where Elise and I have to try and knock each other off of you guys?"

"Best form of female wrestling," Dom said with a laugh, "We get front row seats."

"You up for this Elise?"

"Are you kidding, I owe you big time for getting this goober to throw me in here to start."

"Shit I’m in trouble."

"I’d hold on tight if I were you love," Matt laughed.

"Same goes for you buddy," She said before Elise started splashing in an effort to get Beth to lose her balance.

Five minutes later both girls grabbed hold and toppled over at the same time. They came up sputtering and laughing hysterically, "Damnit we gotta call a draw now." Beth said.

"You kidding? I got you down fair and square!"

"Yeah but I pulled you with me so we both lose."

"No way baby, you lose cause I started it."

"Uh huh, the fact that you couldn’t stay up there doesn’t count then?"

"Nope."

"Whatever," Beth grinned, "I’ll give up the title then. Hey," She swam up behind Matt and got onto his back, "When was Sam going to meet us here?"

Grabbing her legs as they looped around his waist he leaned back so he could see her out the corner of his eye, "As soon as he could convince, uh, fuck what was her name?"

"Cordelia." Dom said as he pulled Elise to him who very happily wrapped her arms around his neck. "It was Cordelia right?" He looked down and asked her.

She nodded, "Yup, that was it, she was a sweetheart I hope he convinces her." She started whispering things into his ear, just for the heck of it.

"No way, seriously? Like the name of the chick from that vampire show, Angel?" Beth asked turning to look at Matt in an effort to ignore Elise and Dom.

"Yeah that was it, Cordelia. Anyway he apparently met her the other night when he went out with these two. She had to work today but he said he could convince her to join him by the weekend for sure."

"Sweet." Beth fell back into the water so she could get the stray hairs out of her face. Running her hand through her hair when she came up she smiled at him since he was staring at her, "Blink baby, I’m going to dry off now." She leaned in to kiss him quickly then swam away.

"Wait for me!" Elise called as she swam after her friend.

"So what are we doing tonight?" Beth asked while they towelled off.

"Something with alcohol I presume."

"You presume right, wanna come with me and raid the liquor cabinet that has to be in that castle masquerading as a summer home?"

"Most definitely."

"Are we gonna tell them?" Beth asked waving to the guys who were still goofing around in the water.

"Nah they’ll figure it out as they greedily watch us walk away."

"You’re evil."

"You’re just as bad."

"Too true, did you bring that mixed disc?"

"Do I ever leave it at home?"

"Damn, let’s go find us some alcohol and maybe some food."

"There was a bar-b-que at the back there."

"You read my mind."

"Don’t I always?"

"Right."

It didn’t take long for them to get dry enough to head back. They wrapped their sarongs around their waist and waved at the guys that they were leaving.

"Okay so you go on an alcohol search I’ll look for something we can throw on the grill." Elise said as she deposited her beach stuff at the door.

"Consider it done."

"Oh and throw on that disc while you’re at it."

That’s how the guys found them, dancing by the bar-b-que sipping a blended mixture of something while some sort of meat cooked.

"Oh God." Both men groaned.

"Now what have we said about groaning?" Beth asked as she shook her hips to the music.

"Sweet heavens I think I’ve had dreams like this." Dom said eyeing Elise over his sunglasses as she slowly danced to the music.

She winked at him and looked at Beth, "Now that they’re here to watch the meat shall we change?"

Beth laughed and reached behind her to pull two beers out of a cooler on the table. She handed one to each of the guys, "We found steak, watch it for a moment would you?"

Matt grinned, "I’m having more fun watching you."

"You have no idea baby." She said with a final sip of her drink and lick of her lips. "Ready?"

Taking Beth’s hand Elise grinned, "Ready." They walked back into the house leaving the door open so the guys could still see them. Letting go of each other’s hands they removed their bikini tops mere seconds before individually entering their rooms.

Matt’s mouth was agape as he craned his neck to see a last glance of Beth’s bare back, "She’s into slow monotonous torture I’m positive of it."

Dom slowly turned to look at his new friend after Elise entered their room, "Both of them are, I don’t know what’s better, the anticipation or after."

Shaking his head and lifting the lid of the bar-b-que Matt mused, "I’ll take both however long this thing lasts."

"I second that." Dom said tipping his beer in Matt’s direction.

The girls returned mere minutes later clad in tank tops and cut off jeans just as Yeah by Usher started playing.

"Oh baby I love this song!" Beth exclaimed grabbing her empty glass, "I’m making more want some?" She asked Elise.

"Of course."

As she sashayed her hips into the house Matt put his beer down, "I’m uh gonna go help her." He was behind her before anyone else could say anything.

Dom slipped up behind Elise as she tended to the meat on the barbeque and put his cold beer on the base of her spine. She caught her breath sharply and turned around to glare at him. "You are such a brat!" she exclaimed, shaking the oversized barbeque tongs at him.

"What? I didn’t do anything!" he said, laughing.

She started towards him, holding the tongs as a weapon. "Give me that beer," she said.

"No, I’m drinking it!" Dom laughed, backing away from her.

She grinned and started chasing him around the patio, snipping at his butt with the tongs.

Dom was laughing hysterically, trying to avoid her, but not doing a very good job. He eventually tripped, over a planter, causing it to fall over with a crash. Elise landed on top of him and grappled with him for his beer. She eventually grabbed it out of his hand and put it on his stomach in retribution.

"Ah! Ah! I only got you once!" Dom protested through his laughter.

"This is payback for throwing me in the water!" she said, laughing.

"Okay! Okay! Uncle!" he laughed.

She put down the beer with a satisfied smile and kissed him.

Beth was rocking in the hammock sipping her drink listening intently to the guys doing dishes, "Now see this is the life."

Elise was leaning against the railing as she sat on the steps she smiled over at Beth, "We really need to go to more clubs like that one in London, we cashed in big time."

"This is the complete polar opposite of what we planned to do when we came out here."

"Do you regret it?"

"Are you kidding? I’m lying in a hammock drinking some fruit drink that a gorgeous man made me while he does dishes. I don’t want this to end."

"When will it end?"

"Exactly what I said ya git, you and Dom. You keep bugging me about Matt and it just came to me, you are just as bad if not WORSE than I am about repeating a one nighter. What did he do? Why is he different?"

Elise sighed, "I don’t know, he’s just so interesting. That first night after we had sex we talked for hours. I mean when was the last time you did that?"

"Honestly, I can’t remember I mean since…well you know." Beth didn’t want to talk about the relationship that had produced her propensity to instigate one-night stands.

"Yeah I know, me neither and then all of a sudden there’s the guy who’s hilarious, damn good in bed and seems to be interested in me. He asked all these questions that, well frankly I wasn’t afraid to answer."

"Uh huh, I feel you there. There’s that and not to mention that fact of waking up feeling so damn safe…"

"…and comfortable!’ Elise agreed, "Fuck, we can’t do this Beth."

"I know, I know, we have to cut it off at some point, but do we have to yet?"

Elise nodded but looked grave, "Soon though."

"What’s soon?" Dom sat down in front of Elise and leaned back on her knees.

"When I’m going to want my next drink," she said. Beth rolled her eyes but Elise just shrugged, it was the first thing she could think of the spur of the moment. She rhythmically started running her fingers through Dom’s hair.

"So what do we do next?" Matt asked while managing to slip into the hammock behind Beth not causing either of them to spill out.

She got herself comfortable against him, "I have no idea, and how long are we staying here?"

"That’s a good question," He snaked his arm around her to take one of her hands and spoke into her hair, "When do you have to return?"

"Okay don’t do this," Elise sounded worried, "You guys both have jobs to get back to at some point." If she put some of it on them right now, maybe they wouldn’t get that they were basically played the whole time.

"Yeah, but not yet so let’s not go there," Dom suggested as he took her hand pulled it around his neck. She let him and could smell the mixture of ocean, BBQ and product in his hair. It sent her mind swimming; she couldn’t fall for him. She looked up helplessly at Beth.

Beth was having the same thought process as Matt traced circles on her hand with his thumb. Her eyes were wide speaking volumes to her friend; this was becoming so comfortable she might never want to leave.

They made a decision then, they could get these guys involved only as far as they were. They’d enjoy their time in Spain but come hell or high water after that they HAD to leave. Elise kept hold of Dom’s hand and spoke quietly into his ear. He grinned and stood keeping hold of her hand, " Well we’re going to turn in."

"And up and around and down." Beth said with a laugh.

"I am appalled we are now going to chastely go to bed." He said with mock shock as he pulled a laughing Elise into the building.

"Is that what they call it now?" Matt called after them; their response was the slamming of their door.

"Chastely, huh?’ Elise laughed as Dom turned to face her.

"Why yes, of course. I’m not a sex machine, you know."

"You could’ve fooled me."

"Well, yeah, you’re right," he grinned, pulling her towards him. "I am a sex machine."

Elise burst out laughing as Dom kissed her neck and threw her back on the bed.

They girls spent the week at in Alicante with the guys. Sam and Cordelia showed up for two days, but left again because they were meeting up with some friends of hers in a different city. On the seventh day they knew the inevitable had arrived, they had to part ways with these guys who had worked their way into their hearts like they had hoped would never happen again.

"Do you really have to go?" Dom asked Elise as she meticulously packed her suitcase.

"Yes."

"Can we even talk about going on with this?" he asked.

"No."

He sighed heavily. "I don’t – I don’t want this to end."

Elise closed her eyes as if he’d caused her pain. "I don’t either."

"Then why does it have to?" he wanted to know.

She turned towards him and took his face in her hands. "Because it has to. I can’t explain it so you’ll understand, but this – this has to be it."

He hung his head slightly then looked in her eyes to make sure she wasn’t taking the mickey out of him. All he saw in her eyes was pleading that he would understand. He took her hand from his face and kissed her palm. Then he kissed her forehead and pulled her in for one last hug.

"I won’t forget you, you know."

She smiled into his shoulder. "I won’t forget you either."

They broke away from each other and Dom smiled down at her. "Well, I guess this is goodbye then."

"I guess it is."

She walked him to the door, holding his hand.

"Goodbye, Dom," she smiled at him sadly.

"See you around, Elise," he grinned, squeezing her hand.

Matt met up with Dom in the hall, "Elise packing?" Matt asked.

Dom nodded, "Yup, wanna go to beach until they’re gone?"

"As long as you bring the beer."

"Right."

Elise and Beth sat on the porch of the home waiting for their cab. "So did you…" Beth started to ask.

"Yup." Elise answered before she could finish.

"What did he say?"

"That it’s been fun and he wishes he could see me again. What about you?"

"Something like that too, we really fucked up our plan this time didn’t we?"

"Yeah we really did."

"So where to next?"

"I think we should head to Switzerland I can work my contact there who can re-route some other money to Conrad so he’ll think we’ve paid him back, then we’re free from that fucker for good."

"So after being on the run from him for two years, where in the world will we settle?"

"Where he’d never expect to find us."

*Six months later*

The two men entered the bar with curiosity. They’d heard about this club, it’d opened up a mere four months earlier and had been rockin’ since day one. It was to whomever the bouncers at the door allowed in and they were trained to follow strict criteria. The owners were a mystery; they apparently were there every night, yet nobody knew who they were, it was that allure that made it even more fun and the name was enticing, Mates. The two friends, who had become friends under such bizarre circumstances, had decided that this was the club to check out that night, it had a good ring to it.

Her heels clicked on the hardwood floor as she walked across the long room to look out the entire wall of windows that portrayed their bar. "How are we tonight?"

"Full to capacity, line up around the block, as usual." Her friend answered, she always stood for the first half hour, from opening, with her hands behind her back surveying the entire room.

"Pierre said that group from SoCal tried to get in again, trying to use the fact that their single on Billboard charts should get them in." She reported.

"When will they learn we don’t give a rats ass how they rate?"

"I have no idea." She turned to walk back to her computer so she could look over the figures from the week when her friend gasped. "What?"

"Four o’clock." The woman at the window pointed.

"Fuck me it can’t be." Returning to the window she peered out where her friend was pointing.

"Of all the gin joints in all the world."

"They had to walk into ours."

"So what are we going to do?"

"I don’t know, these things never end well with me."

"Me neither but has it been as good…"

"Not since then, no."

"Then what harm would be in…"

"We could blow our cover."

"They won’t tell."

"Only problem is…"

"Yeah I know. It might be permanent this time."