Free Back Talk by Saxon Bennett

junk food. I told you about that,” Hilton said, grabbing Shannon’s collar.
    “Like you have any room to talk,” the pink-haired woman said, obviously taunting the other woman.
    The other woman moved dangerously close. Liz stepped in between them. “Nat, that’s enough. Let it go.” Liz said to the petite brunette who was threatening the pink-haired woman.
    “Hilton, why don’t you two leave and I’ll take care of this.”
    They got to the car without further incident. Shannon hopped in the backseat of Anne’s Chevy Avalanche.
    “She loves your car.”
    Anne plucked a Kleenex out of the console. “Come here, you’ve got whipped cream everywhere.” Their eyes met. “Hilton, is your house always like that?”
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    Clearly uncomfortable, Hilton smiled. “No, not at all.”
    “Oh, good.”
    “Usually, it’s worse.”
    Anne stared at her. This was more than she had even ventured to imagine. She knew that Hilton was gay, that she was rich, that she was smart and that she might still be sowing some wild oats, but tonight was definitely an eye-opener. Anne did feel downright stodgy. Sometimes real life was stranger than fiction. Tonight seemed like something out of William Burrough’s Naked Lunch .
    “I’m kidding, kind of.” She went back to fiddling with her Palm Pilot.
    Anne started the car and drove toward the office. “Hilton?”
    “Yes.”
    “So was the woman who kissed you your girlfriend?”
    “Not exactly. The short brunette who wanted to kick her ass was my girlfriend, Natalie.”
    “Then who was the pink-haired woman who kissed you?” Anne figured that since Hilton was in an answering mood now was the time to get it all out. She had been curious about Hilton’s life because as a student of human behavior, people interested her.
    This evening, however, had exceeded her wildest suppositions about her young intern’s life.
    “That was Emily. We had, shall we say, a liaison not long ago.”
    “Suffice it to say, Natalie isn’t happy about it.”
    “No, but she’s sleeping with some biker chick so she hardly has room to talk.”
    They were waiting at the stoplight. Anne could see Hilton’s jaw tighten at the mention of this. “Oh, is this how most alternative relationships are conducted?” she asked.
    “No.”
    Anne inwardly sighed with relief. For as much as she disliked her ex-husband’s relationship with another man, she didn’t want it going down the drain and Gerald out fucking someone else.
    Somehow their monogamous relationship made Anne feel better and somewhat justified in his leaving. If he had done it just for a 54
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    quick fuck, she would have been really angry and feeling more inadequate than she already did. She was going to have to get over it someday. She just didn’t know how.
    “It’s just that way with Nat and me.”
    “So what are you going to do about it?”
    “Do?” Hilton repeated.
    Anne pulled into the parking lot. “You know … about Natalie and Emily.”
    “Hope they both go away,” Hilton said. “I’m beginning to think relationships are overrated. You seem pretty happy and stress-free.”
    “Except when I mess up Web sites.” Anne parked the car. They went inside the building and got in the elevator. Shannon’s tail was wagging and it kept making thumping noises against the stainless steel wall of the elevator.
    “She loves to come to work.”
    “Even late at night. I am so sorry about this.”
    “It’s all right. I’ll fix it. Besides, it’s only ten-thirty. She’ll just nap until we’re done. Won’t you, girl?” Hilton said, reaching down to scratch her ears.
    “I’ll buy you breakfast.”
    “Deal.” Hilton sat down at her computer in the empty control room and surveyed the damage.
    Anne sat in Dave’s chair and looked worried. Shannon lay down at Anne’s feet and promptly fell asleep. “I hope in my next life I’m reincarnated as