"What do you mean he wasn't there?" Gloria said. She inspected a newly painted nail as she laid across the deck of Warren's yacht, next to Izzy and Rita.

"It was all a ploy to try to get Wes and Izzy together," Rita said, pushing her hair away from her face. She turned over on her back and Izzy thought she spied a small lump under her one piece suit.

"Well?" said Gloria, blinking her green eyes at Izzy. "Did it work?"

Warren managed to get the morning off of the set and offered to take the girls sailing. At the time, Izzy jumped at the offer. Anything to take her mind off the night before.

The warm, salty air and lapping sea-green waves were working fabulously until Gloria brought up the dismal subject.

"Let's not discuss it," she mumbled under her breath.

She turned on her side, pulling at her bathing suit self consciously. Warren brought his two comrades, Billy and Orson, along. They were all in the stern downing beers and roaring about the good old days of Hollywood. More than once she'd heard a wayward comment and caught them staring at her and the other girls with lustful eyes.

On the contrary, Gloria seemed to be eating it up. Unlike Rita and Izzy's conservative swimsuits, Gloria's was edging on risqué. It definitely would have had Izzy's mother reciting the rosary. Her full bosom nearly spilled out and the roundness of her derrière was barely covered as she lay on her stomach.

Gloria was ecstatic about the opportunity to meet Warren and his friends who were also producers, although not as big as Warren. Both Billy and Orson were practically drooling over her, ever since she set foot on the boat.

"I think I know where Dottie is," Izzy said in a low voice, so the men wouldn't hear.

Rita leaned forward. "Where?"

Izzy glanced over her shoulder at the men. They seemed to be lost in conversation and not paying attention. "I think she's living with Judd and Betsy."

Rita cocked an eyebrow. "Judd and who?"

"Judd, Wes and the Flames old producer, and his wife Betsy. Wes told me that Judd was going to retire because they'd adopted a teenager girl. Who else could it be? Mara told me that a friend of hers on the island would take her. Judd and Betsy have a cabin on the island. It's got to be her."

"So you did cozy up to Wes," Gloria said with a sly smile. "That sort of discussion doesn't just happen with small talk."

"I wouldn't go that far," said Izzy. "We had a conversation. But, mainly because we were forced into it."

She deliberately left the rest out. She already felt extremely guilty about the kiss. Never in her life had she imagined she'd be the type of girl to kiss someone else's boyfriend—let alone someone's fiancé. Although she'd pretended she hadn't wanted it, her entire body had reacted otherwise.

She'd been replaying it over and over in her head since the night before, trying to figure Wes out. Was he just the type of guy to take advantage of an opportunity, or did he truly feel something for her? Whatever the case, it shouldn't matter. He was engaged—and she'd already given Patsy enough to hate her for.

"That's amazing Izzy—but we could never see her," said Rita, giving her a serious look. "Out of all of us, Dottie's secret is the biggest. We have to protect it."

Izzy sighed. "I know. I'd just love to see her again. Even if she didn't see us. We never really got a chance to say goodbye."

"If we had to go back to that island to do it, I never would," said Gloria. "I'll never set foot anywhere near that place again."

Rita shivered. "Me either."

"You girls want somethin' to drink?" Warren called, holding up a bottle of wine.

He dropped the sail and they glided slowly along, gently rocking in the calm ocean waves. A pretty island covered with palm trees lay far off on one side; the docks and boats just a tiny speck on the other.

Warren wore shorts and a tennis shirt that fit tightly over his muscular build. Izzy could see how Rita was attracted to him, although she couldn't get over the fact that he was close to her father's age.

"Don't mind if I do," Gloria sashayed over to them, her hips putting all of the men in a trance.

Izzy rolled her eyes as the blonde girl made a point of sitting back on the cushioned seat of the boat, her thin, tanned stomach glimmering in her two piece. She drew a groan from both of the men, not to mention a hot stare from Warren that set Izzy on edge as she and Rita navigated the polished floors to sit beside her.

"Where did you come from, little beauty?" Orson said, handing Gloria a thin stemmed glass.

"The past doesn't matter. Only the present," said Gloria, sipping the wine. She set down the glass, throwing her arms in the air as she smiled. "I'm loving this life. The ocean. It's so vast and beautiful. I could sail out here the rest of my life."

"I could too, if I had a doll like you," Orson said, moving a little closer.

"Easy tiger, you just got your divorce papers yesterday," Warren muttered, with a dry laugh.

"I hear you're an actress of sorts?" said Billy. Setting down an empty beer bottle, he turned to Warren. "She'd be a real eye catcher in one of those projects you have coming up, wouldn't she, Warren? Give Ralph a run for his money."

Warren huffed. "Everyone wants another Marilyn Monroe." He pulled a cigar out of his pocket, lighting it. His eyes fell on Gloria, looking her over. "What kind of work have you done?"

Gloria batted her eyes. "I did some modeling in my hometown. Other than that, I'm a natural born actress."

Izzy suppressed the urge to giggle and Gloria shot her a warning glance.

Billy turned to her, the grease in his dark slicked back hair sparkling in the sun. She guessed he was around Warren's age. "How 'bout you? Izzy, right? You're awfully cute, a little more on the school girl side, though. I could see you play a innocent bride or maybe a lovely nun, unsure if she did the right thing saying her vows. Are you looking to be in pictures to?"

Izzy frowned at the nun part. "Oh, no," she said quickly. "Not at all. I'm only here until the wedding, then I'm going back home to Michigan."

"What could possibly be in Michigan?" Billy said, shaking his head. "Nothing but cold weather and snow."

"She talked about possibly staying," said Rita, her voice hopeful. "I know Gloria and I would love to have her here."

"Wait," said Orson, leaning forward to study her. "You're the girl that was on the cover of the Confidential the other day. That young cat, Wes Rizzo's secret lover."

Izzy could feel her face turning red. The thought of jumping off the ship actually ran through her mind, though only briefly.

"Since when did you ever believe anything you read in the Confidential?" Warren sneered.

"Good point," said Orson, raising his glass.

From out of the sea leapt a dolphin, a magnificent shimmering grey beauty. It twisted in the air and dove back in the ocean, its tail gliding through the water without a splash.

"Oh my goodness," gasped Gloria, standing up to peer over the polished wooden edge of the boat. "That was the most beautiful thing I've seen in my life!"

"You've never seen a dolphin before?" asked Orson, coming to stand beside her.

"No, they're all from Michigan," Warren said, his voice growing more and more loud and slurred. He slammed down his beer can. "Of course they haven't seen a dolphin."

"Can we swim with it?" asked Gloria, ignoring him.

"Not unless you want to risk getting eaten by a shark," said Orson. "Besides, it's over a hundred feet deep here."

"I'm actually an exceptional swimmer," said Gloria, throwing her hair back.

"Don't do it," said Rita. "No one's coming out there to save you this time."

The girls giggled while the men looked on, oblivious to the joke. Lucia had packed her usual exquisite meal for them, happy to have the morning off to spend with her older daughter who made a surprise visit to town.

They ate white chocolate covered strawberries, a variety of dried fruits and nuts, crackers, smoked salmon and cookies. It occurred to Izzy that she was growing used to a life of luxury and pampering, even after just a few days. She had to remind herself that none of it was hers.

Her father always said that a person should work hard for what they got, otherwise they wouldn't appreciate it. After the wedding was over, she'd need to focus on making a life for herself, she couldn't live in Rita's forever.

About an hour later, Warren checked his watch. "Time for me to be getting back," he said. "I've got a late night on the set."

They hoisted the sail and rode the waves back to the dock. The three girls sat in the front again as the boat crested and fell, the wind whipping through their hair. It was a joyful moment, all of them laughing and screaming at the big waves, leaving their problems to blow behind them in the wind.

As they arrived at the dock, the birds circled above them chattering, hoping to snag a spare crumb.

"This was lovely," Izzy said to Rita as they walked along the dock to the shore. "Thank you for inviting us."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," said Rita wrapping her arms around them both. Then, under her breath, "think of how it would have been with just me and those three. You're both doing me a favor."

Gloria spun around, prancing a few steps back to where Warren and his friend followed. "So, what do you say? Are you gonna cast me?" Izzy heard her say.

"I might have something," said Warren. "A small part to see how you do. As a favor for Rita, of course. Come to the set tomorrow."

Izzy glanced at Rita and thought for a second she saw her flinch. It was so fleeting she couldn't be sure, but it caused her to think. Did she know how Warren was already? No, that didn't make sense. She wouldn't stay with a man who was openly cheating on her, would she? And if she did, she definitely wouldn't introduce Gloria to him, knowing the man he was.

Izzy's eyes fell to Rita's stomach and she swallowed. She supposed there was a possibility she would stay with him. In the same situation, she couldn't say for sure that she wouldn't do the same thing.

When they'd returned to Warren's home and it came time for Gloria to leave, Izzy asked if she could speak to her alone.

"It's about your wedding," she told Rita, trying to fight the revealing blush that spread on her face. "A surprise we're planning."

Once outside, she stood silent, trying to find the best place to start. "You know that night at the party when I accidentally knocked Patsy into the pool?" she finally said.

Gloria laughed. "I heard all about it the next morning. At the time I'd never met her. But when I did the next night, I realized the stuck up bitch deserved it."

"Well—." Izzy struggled. "There was a reason I was running out of the pool house. I saw Warren with another woman. He was all over her and—."

Gloria laughed. "Everyone knows about Warren and his women. Rita has to know too. She's smart, and also she knows a good thing when she's got it. Look at this," she gestured to the house. "The yacht, the fame and money, the cars—everything. She'd be a fool to give it all up."

"Warren told me she was pregnant," Izzy said softly, the words hurting on the way out. "Rita hasn't said a word about it."

Gloria's eyes flashed momentarily, before she lifted her chin. "All the more reason for her to stay."

Izzy swallowed, venturing on. "The woman he was with in the pool house, she said something about getting a part, I just—."

"Oh! Is that was this is all about?" Gloria's eyes flashed at her. "You're worried because Warren invited me to the studio, that he'll throw himself at me and I'll gladly accept, desperate as I am for the part?"

Izzy bit her lip, realizing how insulting it sounded when Gloria said it out loud.

"Just because I didn't have the privilege of growing up in a picture perfect home like you and Rita doesn't mean I don't have any morals," Gloria spat, her eyes hard. "I've had to work for everything I've got. It's never been handed to me like you two. Just look at us, we all went through the same thing in that stone prison, but Rita's Daddy has her set with the world at her fingertips, and you've got a family to go home to, should you choose. But I—I have nothing at all."

"Gloria—I'm sorry." Tears gathered in Izzy's eyes. "I was only warning you. I wanted you to know before you went."

Gloria's eyes narrowed. "You don't trust me. After all we've been through, you think I'd betray Rita?" Tears sprang to her eyes, but she fought them, anger taking over instead. "Well, I was trying to protect you when you asked about Francine, who you must have been so much closer to," she spat, her eyes wild. "She died, Izzy. Killed herself a couple of days after you left. Tied her bed sheet to her bed and jumped out of the—."

"Stop it! Stop it now! You're lying!" Izzy felt her world unraveling.

The anger in Gloria's face faded and crumpled into despair.

"Tell me it's a lie," Izzy pleaded.

"It's true," said Gloria, looking solemn. "I found her." She looked up at the sky, her lip quivering.

Happy New Year Everybody! Hope 2019 is a great year for you all! So. Much. More. Drama to Come :) :) :)