"A bit of a ruckus over at Ciros last night, aye?" Warren slammed down a tabloid, The Confidential, onto the table, causing both women to jump and the breakfast dishes to rattle. He eyed Rita, the look on his face grim. "When were you going to tell me about this?"

Izzy's eyes flew to the cover. Her heart stopped. On the front page was a picture of her and Wes standing together. When had that happened? The title read, Mysterious woman causes chaos and heartbreak at Ciros last night.

Her stomach lurched as her hand reflexively came to her mouth. Below it, a second picture of Wes and Patsy outside, Patsy's face looked full of anger, as if she were confronting him.

"A mysterious woman, in fact, the same woman who was responsible for Patsy's humiliating fall in the pool the night before, was the cause of a brawl at Ciros last night," Izzy read. She shook her head, letting out a moan. "Gosh, that's not how it happened at all."

"Doesn't matter," said Warren his eyes like steel as they rested on her. "It's what the public will believe. Tell me, Izzy, just how well do you know Wes Rizzo?"

Her spontaneous blush quickly turned red with irritation at the accusation in his tone. "I met him on the island very briefly. As I've already told others, I never expected to see him again. Nothing happened—physically between us. Not even a kiss."

Warren pressed a finger down on the picture. "The look on his face tells otherwise." He turned, walking towards the edge of the pool with calculated steps. "Patsy's father is a good friend of mine. The paparazzi are going to have a field day with this—and Corbin is going to go clear out of his mind. He's got a lot riding on Patsy and Wes, the public loves them."

Rita stood, walking towards him. "Izzy wasn't the cause of any of this," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Jerry Davis started it by man-handling Gloria. Then, Hank confronted him and—."

Warren stiffened, then swung around, raising his hand up as if to strike her. Fury covered his face. "And who the hell is Gloria?"

Rita cowered. "She's a friend that Izzy and I—."

"Don't tell me—another girl you met on the blasted island? Just what were all of you doing on this island anyhow?"

Izzy sprang from her seat, rushing to Rita's defense. "Don't take this out on Rita. None of this is her fault." She turned to Rita, tears collecting in her eyes. "Gosh, Rita, I'm sorry. It seems like ever since I came here all I've caused you is trouble."

Warren sighed. He wrapped an arm around Rita, pulling her close. "I'll have my publicist take care of this. But, perhaps it would be better if you and your friend stayed out of the spotlight, considering. And I need to know right away if something like this happens again."

"We don't plan on going to Ciros again, that's for sure," said Rita with a laugh.

Warren's expression turned serious as he looked down at her. "You do realize that reputation means everything in this business don't you, my love? I can't have my fiancé involved in these kinds of scandals. I trust this won't happen again."

Izzy could make out a hint of a threat in his voice, which made her uneasy. That, combined with the fact that he'd raised his hand at Rita.

Her father had never hit her mother, or ever even raised his hand. But, her mother often talked about their neighbors, the Williamsons. Mr. Williamson loved the bottle, and that, her mother said, was the reason he hit his wife. He was an angry drunk and she was there, an easy target. There were others that said his wife was strong willed, and she brought on the beatings with her sassy mouth.

Mrs. Williamson was good at hiding the bruises. It wasn't until he'd swollen her lip that people started to notice. But, the only thing that came from it was gossip. No one felt it was their right to dictate what one did in the privacy of their own home—which seemed ironic to Izzy considering they often dictated other things that should have been private.

Izzy glanced at Rita. She hadn't seen any bruises on her since she'd been there. Perhaps Warren was better at controlling his anger and never actually hit her. Still, something about his sudden fury unsettled her.

Her eyes wandered back to the tabloid sitting on the table. She needed to face the fact that her presence might be jeopardizing Rita's future. Now that Gloria had materialized out of nowhere, questions might be asked, and eventually, someone might find out the truth.

She opened her mouth, with every intention of telling both Rita and Warren that she was returning home—but something held the words back.

She couldn't pinpoint the feeling, or the reason why she so desperately wanted to stay. Perhaps it was because she couldn't face her life back home—or was it something more?

Her mind still racing through the events at Ciros the night before, Hank's words had left a mark on her. Had Wes really fallen for her? It seemed absurd, after all, they'd only ever exchanged a few words.

She felt sorry for Gene and Hank. The band had seemed so close when she met them on the island. Now they were being pulled apart by either Patsy, their producer, or both.

Then, there was Gloria. She smiled. Gloria hadn't changed a bit. Before they'd left, Izzy and Rita had arranged to meet her for lunch that afternoon. Izzy hoped their meeting wouldn't upset Warren further.

"Well, I'm off to the set," Warren said, grabbing a croissant from the table. "We're shooting a big scene today. I've got to make sure the Roman soldier costumes have been delivered on time. I'll be back by dinner. You ladies stay out of trouble." He kissed Rita on the forehead and set his fedora on his head.

The two women watched as he left. "Do you think he'll mind if Gloria comes over?" Izzy asked, her fingers at her lips.

Rita frowned."I don't know, I'm starting to worry. It does seem peculiar, the three of us meeting on a small remote island in the middle of nowhere. I'm afraid someone might find us out." She sighed. "But, I don't want to shut Gloria out, either. I'm sure she needs a friend as much as we do."

"I feel the same," said Izzy. "Perhaps after the wedding we should keep our distance. Well—I suppose that goes without saying, for me at least."

The air felt heavy in the silence after her words. Izzy knew that they both desperately wanted each other in their lives, but to do so, they could be sacrificing their secrets. The stakes seemed higher in Hollywood, with the paparazzi following their every move. If word got out, Rita's life could be ruined. Their past was the kind of thing the tabloids would kill to write about. It would create a scandal of huge proportions. Izzy felt she didn't have much left to ruin, but she feared for Rita, and Gloria too, who was desperately trying to get into the business.

A few hours later, Lucia announced that Gloria had arrived. The golden haired girl floated through the house, her mouth wide in awe. "Rita, you are the luckiest girl in the world," she gasped.

"She is, definitely," Izzy said, as they went back out to the pool.

"Would you look at this spread!" Gloria grabbed a grape from the table, popping it into her mouth as she spun in a circle, her pretty pink dress floating above her knees. "And the pool! It's paradise!"

"So tell me, how did you end up here?" Rita asked when they'd settled at the table.

Gloria laughed. "I'm more shocked to find the two of you here. My plan has always been to come to Hollywood and make it big. I never expected to run into the two of you. I'd planned on being the first to get married too, but I guess you've beat me to it. And boy, did you score big! Just look at this place."

Rita blushed a little as she patted a napkin at her mouth. "I'll admit, Warren is definitely a catch."

Gloria's eyes grew wide. "Warren? As in Warren Stone? You're engaged to Warren Stone?"

Rita leaned back in her chair, laughing. "I am."

"I heard he's working on a big production right now, isn't he?" Gloria couldn't mask the excitement on her face. "Rita, will you do me a favor? Can you introduce me to him?"

"Of course," said Rita, a hint of hesitation in her voice.

"Oh, Rita, that would be marvelous," said Gloria. "Last night wasn't the only time I've been harassed by some drunken, entitled man. I'd give anything to get a chance to be on the big screen and out of that meat gallery."

"I'll ask Warren to make some connections for you," said Rita. "Speaking of connections, that was quite chivalrous of Hank to come to your aid last night, don't you think? He's quite handsome—in a goofy kind of way. He seemed pretty smitten with you."

"Musicians have never been my type," said Gloria. "I'm not settling for any old nobody. I've set my sights high."

"What about love?" said Izzy. "That's the most important thing right? Someone whose world isn't complete without you in it?"

"Love comes in a lot of different forms," said Gloria flatly. "I prefer the paper form—and perhaps diamonds once in a while."

"Oh Gloria, you haven't changed a bit." Rita giggled.

Izzy waited until Lucia left to ask the question she was dying to know. "What happened after we left the home?"

"What do you mean?" said Gloria, feigning ignorance.

"At the home," said Izzy, struggling to hide the impatience in her voice.

Gloria waved a hand. "I've moved on."

They sat in silence for a few moments until Izzy couldn't control her curiosity any longer. "What about Francine? She roomed with you, right?"

Gloria sighed. "Isn't it better to leave the past in the past? It's over. That's all that matters, right?" She picked up The Confidential, unfolding it. "How about we talk about your secret love affair, Izzy? It's far more interesting."

Izzy grabbed the tabloid from her. "There is no such thing, it's all lies. How was Francine after I left?"

"Why do you care so much about that big nosed girl, anyhow?" said Gloria, grabbing it back.

"Francine was a good friend to me," Izzy said. "In the end, I let her down. She needed me and—I was too caught up with my own pain to help her."

"Was she the girl who roomed with you when I left?" asked Rita. "I don't believe I ever met her."

"Yes, she was." Gloria rolled her eyes. "Surprised us all when she went and had a black baby."

Rita's eyes grew wide. "Well, that is surprising. What did the nuns do then? I'm sure Sister Mary Thomas nearly blew a gasket."

"They took her baby from her," Izzy said, her voice somber, the screams of that night replaying in her head. "She wanted to keep the baby, but they took it."

They were all silent for a moment, the emotions of that place undoubtably revisiting all of their minds.

"You see, this is why I said it's better to keep the past where it belongs," said Gloria.

Disappointed, Izzy concentrated on her salad. Not only had she hoped to learn more about Francine, she'd also longed to know that she wasn't alone in how she felt—in how much that place had changed her.

"I think about my baby." The words slipped out. Both girls gave her a sharp look. She swallowed. "I think about her every day. Sometimes, I feel like I abandoned her there. I never knew what happened to her. What if no one ever came to take her?"

"Oh Izzy," Rita's eyes filled with tears. The pain visible on her face. "Please don't talk about that. I don't want to talk about it."

Gloria stood up. "Come on girls, we have our whole lives ahead of us. Let's not waste time reminiscing about a few bad months."

"I suppose you're right," said Rita, wiping her eyes.

"I have to go back home after Rita's wedding," said Izzy. The realization that she would soon be alone again put even more of a damper on things.

"Izzy," said Rita, taking her hands. "Who says you have to go home? I mean, if you want to go home, then of course, you should. But, if you're dreading it, you should stay here. We have plenty of room, until you find a place of your own."

"I've already causes you enough trouble in just two days. I couldn't possibly just stay here for free." Even as she declined, Izzy's mind was spinning at the possibility of staying. It had never entered her mind that she wouldn't return home. Of course, she had to return. Maria would be heartbroken.

"I could get you a gig as a cigarette girl," Gloria said with a laugh.

"Oh, no. I'd never in a million years squeeze into that outfit," said Izzy, her cheeks reddening. She'd done a lot of things that her mother disapproved of, but that was crossing the line.

"Beggars can't be choosers," said Gloria with a smirk.

"You have a few more days left," said Rita. "Just think about it."

"Excuse me, Ma'am." Lucia interrupted, an apron wrapped around her ample body and a pair of rubber gloves in her hands. "There's a telephone call for Miss Twiss."

"Who is it, Lucia?" asked Rita.

"Gene Gallo. He says he needs to speak to Miss Twiss."

"To me?" Izzy's heart pounded in her chest.

"Yes ma'am," said Lucia.

"Looks like someone else has an admirer," said Gloria.

Izzy gave Rita a questioning look.

"Go ahead, Izzy," said Rita. "It's alright."

Izzy followed Lucia into the house, Gloria and Rita trailing curiously behind her.

"Hello?" she spoke into the phone, trying to collect her nerves.

"Izzy!" Gene's voice boomed from the other end. "Golly, it took ages for me to find a number to reach you. Anyway, I wanted to apologize for last night night.  It was pretty—well horrific. Not at all the night I'd planned it to be."

"It was," said Izzy, gripping the phone to her ear. She tried to ignore the intense stares of the two women beside her, struggling to hear the conversation on the other end as she spoke.

Gene sighed into the phone. "Look, Izzy. I feel horrible. I want to make it up to you. I really wanted to show you around, since you're only here for a short time. Maybe we could meet somewhere a little less well known. For dinner perhaps?"

Izzy shifted, unsure of his intentions. "You and I?" she asked.

"If you'd feel better about it, you could bring Rita along," said Gene. "I can tackle Hank and bring him too."

"Oh, no," said Izzy, remembering Warren's last words. "Did you see the Confidential this morning? They're making me into some kind of lovestruck mistress. I don't know if it would be wise for me to be seen—anywhere—at this point."

Gene chuckled on the other end. "It'll look better if you're seen with me. In fact, that would probably put the rumors to rest."

Izzy blew out a breath, pondering his words. "I should ask Rita first, after all I'm staying with her."

"There's a little italian restaurant on Seward Avenue. It's really private, no paparazzi. How about you meet me there tonight at say, six o'clock? There's a private table all the way in the back behind the curtains. I'll send a driver to get you, I have to be in the studio until around that time, so I'll meet you there."

"Hold on for a second, please." Izzy pulled the phone from her ear.

Before she could explain, Rita leaned in. "Yes," she said. "You should go, Izzy. Have some fun. And he's right, if people do glimpse the two of you together, it will probably help with the rumors."

Izzy cleared her throat. "Alright, I'll be there. But, I want you to know ahead of time that I'm not quite ready for anything—relationship-wise."

Gloria rolled her eyes.

"Of course, Izzy. Like I said, I only want to show you around a bit, make up for last night. I'll see you tonight at six."

Hello Everyone! Sorry for the delay between updates. The holidays are busy, aren't they? Let me know your thoughts so far...Thanks for reading!!!