Breathe (GirlxGirl)

Chapter 41 -

After arriving back in town, Faith dropped Dana and Sam at the truck near the loft and headed to Cahoots to check on her business. Sam turned on the engine to warm the truck as Dana began to brush off the snow accumulated over break. While brushing off the windshield, Dana noticed some of the snow was pink in color. Having cleared off most of the driver's side, Dana saw that something was written on Samantha's windshield. Dana removed her glove and wiped a finger across the letter H. "Lipstick." She muttered.

"What's that?" Sam inquired.

"Oh this? Well, it appears someone wrote something on your windshield with lipstick."

Sam approached the front of the truck. "What does it say?"

"I can't tell yet, but I think I can see a C and a H."

Dana walked around to the passenger side of the truck and brushed off the snow, as Sam uncovered the rest of the word on the driver's side.

"Well, it looks like the word, 'BITCH.' Anything over on your side?"

Dana scrubbed the windshield removing the last of the snow along with the letters D, I and E. "Hmm, something was written, but it came off with the snow." She breathed out a sigh, relieved Samantha didn't see the first word.

"Well, isn't it nice to come back from break and know you've been in someone's thoughts. It's got to be Michelle right?"

"Yeah, probably. That woman is kinda psycho if ya ask me. Here, my gloves already have the shit on 'em, I'll wipe off the rest." Dana announced as she grabbed a handful of snow and removed the remaining lipstick.

Samantha examined the lipstick on her fingers. "It's not really my color is it?" she winked.

"No darling. You're more of a 'Cherry Red' kind of gal." Dana replied with her best rich snob voice.

Mimicking the voice, Samantha agreed, "Of course it is darling."

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Cahoots had been closed between Christmas and New Year's Day. A crew came between the two Holidays to repair and restore the kitchen from the fire damage. In fact, it looked even better than before the flames consumed half the kitchen. All the Holiday décor was put away for another season and Cahoots was soon ready to be reopened. Food and other inventory were on order to come the next morning. It would be a full couple of days, but Faith was relieved to nearly have her business back in full swing. Faith liked things in order. Her business was one place where she counted on this. When it came to her business, she liked it her way and she usually got it. Her direct approach with her unassuming demeanor usually accomplished this quite well. Away from Cahoots was another story. She was soft and sensitive. Dana described her as M&M candy: Hard and strong on the outside with an array of colors and soft and sweet on the inside. When affected in a way, she would simply melt. This occurred especially around Samantha.

Faith made sure to turn out all the lights before locking the door. She wanted to get back home to unpack from the trip and relax a bit with Sam before beginning a busy day in the morning. A gust of cold air swept across her neck reminding her winter was not yet over. Zipping her coat as she turned toward the car, she ran smack dab into a figure wearing a winter parka with a hood over their head. The fur surrounding the hood blocked the face of the bystander, but Faith recognized the coat as well as the boots before her.

"Jeez! Michelle! What are you doing here?"

Michelle stood in silence.

"Michelle, you've been trespassed from Cahoots. Don't make me get a restraining order too." Faith tried stepping around Michelle to only be blocked yet again.