AN Day 8 - Not tonight

"I can't," you say. "I have to meet someone."

"Who?" Annette asks.

"Ana," you reply.

"Hmm," Annette says, looking... intrigued. "OK. But Riley, marketing won't wait. I can't promise you will still be first in line."

"I understand," you say.

You get cleaned up and waste no time calling Ana. You go and meet her at the bar in the fancy hotel that she's staying at. And they don't ask for ID when you ask for a glass of wine. Lucky!

Ana has on the outfit from today: some khaki-colored capris and a white blouse. The clothes aren't womanly, but her body is so great that she looks cute anyway.

The girl serving the drinks looks at Ana's eyepatch as she puts down your wine.

"You came back quick," you say, and she looks grumpy.

She confesses that she couldn't stay away from Fareeha... she tells you about how she worries that the pressures of the cameras and the opportunities for embarrassment and all that are scary. If Fareeha makes a mistake or messes up, Ana wants to be there to support her.

You point out that Angela is here to support her.

"Angela is not her mother," Ana growls. "Even if she is old enough to be. My daughter is proud. She will not share her worries with Angela."

Ana's right. She knows Fareeha better than anyone.

It looks like she's dealing with the whole Fareeha and Angela thing better now. She came to you because she needed to talk to someone about it.

You tell her about the photos and the things Annette talked about.

"They chose you? They should have chosen Fareeha," Ana says, gulping down another drink.

You laugh so loudly that other people in the bar look at you.

"Really? Would you sign off on Fareeha taking her clothes off and doing sexy pictures?" you ask.

"No," Ana says. "But they should have chosen her," she adds stubbornly.

It seems like she's waiting for something. She obviously feels better now that she has talked about her feelings. It's getting late.

You understand... she is stuck in the mindset that older women should not prey on younger ones... which is kind of legit, but her daughter is an adult. You are an adult too.

She wants to do more than talk, but she needs you to give her a push. Maybe she wants to show some gratitude for what you did for Fareeha. Maybe she just wants to get rid of some of her grumpy frustration. Or maybe she is starting to you like you... you can't be sure, but you also can't ask her. You would not get an honest response.

"I want to see your room," you tell her bluntly. Why waste time? Why not be very clear? You look at her honestly. She should be able to see on your face how much you want her.

Sure enough... she is a little embarrassed, but she is also a badass veteran soldier and stuff... so she quickly recovers.

"OK," she says.