After my phone call, and a quick call to Orlando to fill him in, Xandy studies her reflection in the bathroom mirror.  She is fascinated by her appearance, her hair began to grow back rapidly after the final bout of chemo and she now has what could describe as a pixie-do.  The re-growth is darker than her original color but none-the-less flattering.  There is an impatient knock at the door and the muffled sound of Billy's voice.

Billy - "you know narcissism is a vice"

She unlocks the door and opens it. "So is impatience"

Billy - "I'm not impatient; you've been in there over an hour"

Xandy - "You knew I was this way when you agreed to let me crash here"

He nods - "aye, I did, must've slipped my mind.  Go pack your bags you're officially being shipped back to Vig's"

She gives him a look.  "Please, you LOVE my company, besides... half the townies are now crazy about you since I've moved in or haven't you noticed them falling over themselves to get your attention"

Billy - "I have noticed. Why, precisely is that"

She smiles, "because women always want what they can't have"

Billy - "but they CAN have me."

Xandy - "but they think they can't.  They think you're taken"

Billy - "and if they didn't think that, they wouldn't be interested"

Xandy - "hard to say" he gives her a bewildered look.  "Overwhelming are we not?"

Billy - "Aye. Ok luv, I've got to shower and get ready, the gents and I are taking in a glider ride.  Are you sure you won't come?"

She nods. "I'm positive. Orlando asked again this morning but I'd already made plans today"

Billy "what's this you turn down time with Bloomsy?  What the two of you have a quarrel?"

Xandy - "nope, I just told him lunch with Sydney takes precedence"

Billy - "Syd is here!  Ok, where's the phone?  I'm canceling, too"

Xandy - "go on your ride.  She'll be here a few days, she needs to convince me to come home.  Besides I need a little girl to girl conversation time"

Billy - "Fine you get lunch, but I call dinner"

Xandy - "my-my, what will the townies think?  Shaking up with me, dinner date with Syd... You'll have to beat them off with a stick"

He smiles, "Brilliant"

He closes the bathroom door.  She goes to walk away and then remembers, "Oh wait. I think our dear friend Dom already has dibs on dinner with Sydney"

Something crashes to the floor and the door flies open.  "What?"

Xandy leans against the wall of the hallway and nods. "They ran into each other in the hotel lobby, they are going to dinner."  Xandy is giddy with excitement, he is not. "Billy, please.  It's her first real date in months, I am so..."

He interrupts, "now it's a date. I thought it was dinner."

Xandy -"it's dinner.  Just dinner.  I let my, you know my imagination... I could”

He again interrupts, "first you and Orlando now Syd and Dom.  THANK GOD Mooney is married or maybe Elij would claim her."

Xandy - "Soliel is a bit too high maintenance for Elij.  Anyway, Dom's asked Syd to dinner, he hasn’t proposed marriage.  I'm quite sorry I brought it up.  You'd do well not to reprimand him for it."

Billy - "I won't.  But you know, I was her friend first where does he get off having dinner with her before me.  Wait I talked to him a few minutes ago and he said he had a date and I didn't know her!  Why that little..."

He pouts and she can't help but giggle.  "Oh Billy.  What ever are we going to do with you?"

He shrugs - "go ponder it over lunch"

He goes back into the bathroom.  Xandy finds her purse and locate the keys to Vig's rental car.  She took the liberty of using it in his week long absence (he went back to NY to visit Deb and let Famke finalize his wedding attire.)  She opened the door just as Orlando was about to knock.

 "Jesus Christ, you scared me."  She holds her heart in semi-dramatic fashion

Orli - "sorry about that” he walks in, closing the door behind him.  "Off to meet your cousin"

 Xandy - "picking her up at her hotel"

Orli - "she's not staying here with you and Billy"

Xandy - "where should we put her? There is barely room for the two of us"

Orli - "my invitation stands"

Xandy - "Orlando, we've been over this. You know my father is being an extremely good sport about all of this, but he's set in his ways about certain things and although he's probably aware that certain, um... activities DO occur, if we were to make it blatenly obvious, such as if I were to move in with you, even for the duration of Syd's stay, he would be very displeased.  Dads is just EXTREMELY over protective"

Orli - "didn't you parents grow up in the 60's and 70's?  All that communal living and free-love... and don't your brother and his girl, do they not co-habitat in LA?"

She nods. "Correct on both, but as much as I love my parents and hate to admit it... there is a double standard AND since that night I DID stay and YOU missed your cast call, I'VE been constantly reminded of it"

He nods even Peter had a word with him regarding that little screw up.  He steps closer to her that she is pressed up against the door.  He has a hungry look in his eyes.  "The devils in your eyes today"

He grins and reaches up and traces the outline of her face, tips her chin up and leans down and kisses her.  Xandy response by wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him back.  He stops kissing her, yet she continues to kiss his cheek and jaw line and chin.

Orli - "where's Boyd"

"Shower" Xandy replies between kisses.  In the silence you can hear his muffled singing over the rush of the water.

Orli - "how long till you have to meet your cousin"

Barely above a whisper - "half hour"

Orli - "plenty of time"

He takes her face in his hands and kisses her forcefully, puts his arm around her waist pulling her up his body.  They begin stumbling across the parlor, the kissing never stops as they navigate towards her room.  Once the door closes, clothes are discarded in frenzy, as they tumble towards the bed amid the storm of flying garments.  The sex is hard, urgent and completely satisfying.

29 minutes later Xandy rushes out the door and Orlando re-enters the parlor mere seconds before Billy comes walking down the hall.   Billy is kind of startled to see him standing there.  "Hey!  I'll be but a minute had to fight Xandy for the shower”

Orlando just nods and smiles.

Billy looks him over.  "You're in good spirits this afternoon"

"It’s a beautiful day why shouldn't I be?"

Billy - "Well I've got a change of plans for tonight.  You up for harassing Dom and his date?"

Orlando - "Who's his date?"

Billy - "Xandy's cousin."

Orlando smiles, Dom had been obsessing about me since he saw my picture and watched a race on satellite.  "Sure, sounds like a riot."

Billy grabs his wallet and the two leave to go pick up Elij.

A few blocks away Xandy walks briskly into the lobby of my hotel.  I'm seated in one of the over stuffed leather sofas in the lobby and stand as she approaches. 

Xandy - "Oh my god, look at you.  I love the streaks."

Me - "You think so, I let Berg talk me into them"

Xandy - "very nice"

Me - "Enough about me.  Look at you, my god, you're practically glowing"  Xandy had to bite the inside of her mouth to stop from giggling as she does a quick spin for me.  "You look great.  I must personally thank this Orlando chap, he's done wonders."

Xandy - "he's been really good for me"

Me - "well you deserve it and you can give me all the details over lunch"

Xandy - "speaking of, I thought we'd go to the little pub called Mother Hubbard’s"

Me - "like the children's literary character"

Xandy laughs, "Don’t you just LOVE this country"

Some cute guys, obviously locals, walk into the lobby.  I look them over and they smile and nod back at me.  "I'm beginning to"

We both giggle and walk out the door.