Counterstepping Problems

Lacey watched with a pleased smile after setting two matchmaking plans in motion. First, she grinned at her attempt to break a string of messy relationships for two twenty-four-year-olds. Ashlynn Nish, her mother's secretary at Noble Elementary, had been a thorn in Lacey's matchmaking attempts for the last several years. Despite the teen's best efforts, Ashlynn found herself drawn to doomed relationships. Rather than fight it this time, Lacey set the attractive brunette up with a man well-known in Honey Hollow for fiery relationships, often love triangles. Cash Colcord, a former minor league baseball player and the high school team's new manager, claimed he wanted to settle down with a nice woman after years of mini-scandals. So Lacey decided to test the two troubled lovers. And by the way they danced together already, the petite redhead knew a short relationship seemed possible, at least.

Turning from the dancing duo, Lacey's grin widened as she saw Glory Blick touching Tucker Underwood's arm repeatedly during a close conversation. Recently divorced, Ms. Blick moved to Honey Hollow with her son to get away from her failed marriage. Outgoing and patient, Ms. Blick proved a hit with students for her ability to make a boring subject like math feel easy. Lacey had pestered her teacher since the start of the semester to give love another chance. Finally, she had an opportunity to help the kind woman and Austin's uncle.

Unable to handle marriage and two young daughters, Tucker's wife had abandoned him over fifteen years ago. Having personally witnessed how great a father Tucker could be to Kaia and Kelsey, Lacey had received permission from Austin's mother, Miranda, to work her magic on her brother. Although Tucker lived in Grassy Valley, just outside of Arbor Corners, Lacey knew the drive wasn't too bad, and he often visited friends and family in Honey Hollow. Plus, Tyler Blick had mentioned the possibility of attending college in Arbor Corners.

While the two adults in their late thirties hadn't progressed to dancing yet, Lacey felt confident about the energetic vibes flowing off the two people who desperately needed romance now, if she could only find Hillary Swift.

"Where the heck is Rammy's mom?" the petite redhead wondered aloud.

Although the hardworking local journalist was five years older than her prospective match, Lacey felt optimistic about their chances. This potential couple would not only finally land a good man for Rammy's mom, but he'd also unite their two families. An easygoing, handsome man, Reilly McCracken was also Rachel's younger cousin. Lacey had noticed how Hillary and Reilly shared a similar drive to get to the truth. And while Reilly worked as an assistant district attorney in Rattle Ridge, it seemed almost destined for him to move to Honey Hollow. The move would happen if Clive successfully poached him to his DA office or if Emma Mulberry hired him at Mulberry, March & Stratton.

"Seriously, where did Ms. Swift--Oh!" Lacey felt like an idiot when she realized Ramsey's mom had to be outside covering the candidacy announcements for her dad's opponent and Mr. Rusk's run against Mayor Dunkley.

Although thinking about her dad's troubles took some of the wind out of Lacey's matchmaking sails, she strived to continue her good deeds. If only I could think of a superb match for Summer! I must be off today and tonight. Nothing seems to click.

Next, the petite redhead moved her thoughts to Sean and his blown-up crush on Ramsey. She clenched her fist at thinking about how she needed to save him from heartbreak. Even a temporary distraction could buy the badly needed time that Lacey knew might be necessary. Perhaps an out-of-town girl? Ooh! Kelsey would be a great possibility. She's totally a bookworm, just like Sean. Too bad that she's also Austin's cousin. Why does he need to keep on complicating my life? Well, Austin better start shaping up.

Mulling over the usual list of suspects at Honey Hollow High for guys her age, Lacey nearly missed a startling scene on the dance floor. She performed a double-take at the sight of Finn dancing with a Sugarbee. Well, make that three Sugarbees in Violet, Honey, and Elin. Hell, she might even call it three and a half if one counted Elin's lookalike cousin, Malin.

Alright, remain calm, Lace. It's perfectly fine. It's nothing horrible or evil. It's just Finn dancing really close to some stinking Sugarbees. Or, to be specific, he's got that stuck-up bitch Violet's ass against his groin. It's not worth causing another scene just to make Finn's night--

"Motherfucker," Lacey growled.

When Violet moved further away from Finn to spin around to face him, Lacey saw Elin and Malin slink a hand from around each of his sides from behind. The two lookalike cousins each cupped a portion of Finn's balls and/or dick.

Clenching both hands tightly into fists, Lacey **** herself to breathe at a steady pace to calm down. No, no, no! Control yourself, Lacey. Finn's had a rough night--a rough week. If he wants to go slumming in the gutters with a few skanky dancers, then that's his choice. I'm not Lana. I can handle this in a non-violent, non-confrontational manner. I just have to put on a sweet, smiling face and find another person to keep Finn from catching an STD.

Scanning the nearest ball-goers, Lacey swiftly shot down every option. She wondered where her friends had all disappeared to. Even the out-of-town daughters of her mom's friends had vanished. Then, suddenly, the matchmaker spotted a perfect person to break up Finn's foursome match made in hell.

"Don't get me wrong. I love Vikki to ****, but I fucking missed dinner and the ceremony! And for what? She decided to run off and chase that loser to a different party," Wanda Zee griped to her close friend, Nevada Strecker, about another good friend. "You know how I hate arriving to parties late. And this is more than a party. It's an incredible way to--Hi, Lacey! Is everything alright?"

Lacey hesitated as part of her in-need-of-help act. Although a former dancer and current coach of the Sugarbees, Miss Zee was also the school nurse and sex education teacher. A sexy, short woman with a spunky attitude, Wanda had long, reddish-brown hair, green eyes, medium-sized breasts, and a toned ass. A notorious flirt--even jokingly with students--Wanda appeared to be the perfect person to help Finn get out of his predicament before Lana spotted him.

"Miss Zee, I don't know if you heard, but there was trouble before between the two squads," Lacey started, forcing herself not to giggle as she frowned sadly.

"Oh, I heard. Topaz, I mean, Mrs. Brass already messaged me. Don't worry, Lacey. I'm going to make sure my girls get punished for disrupting such a worthy cause. I swear, I can't ever leave those girls unattended," Wanda complained, more toward Nevada, herself a former Sugarbee.

"Oh, that's not the issue. That's what I'm worried about," Lacey revealed, pointing over to Finn and the four dancers. "If my sister sees them touching Finn in those ways..."

"Goddamnit! I'd expect this dumb shit from Elin, but Vi knows better," Wanda cursed, rolling her eyes at Nevada. She considered using her friend to help, but scandals seemed to follow her. So instead, the dance coach had another idea. "Don't worry; as I said, I'll handle this, Lacey."

"I don't want to cause any problems or for Finn to feel bad," Lacey replied, flashing a puppy dog expression at the school nurse.

"No, no, I'll take care of this easily by cutting in and dancing with Finn myself. And I have the ideal wingwoman in mind."

"Thank you, Miss Zee!" Lacey cried, lunging forward to hug the rival coach.

Not too far away, an incredibly confident teenager worked like crazy to convince a young woman five years older than him to dance. However, there was a teeny-tiny problem with her eyes.

"I'm not dancing with you, Fletcher," the woman stated.

"Why not?" Fletcher questioned, his eyes roaming around the beautiful, brown-skinned woman's body.

The object of Fletch's lust had long black hair, dark-brown eyes, medium-to-large breasts, and an absolutely toned ass. A former Sugarbee, Simone Savoy, showcased her killer figure. That wasn't lost on the teenager. Fletcher imagined the workout the assistant dance coach could put him through in the bedroom.

"The problem is that you're a student, and there are rules," Simone stated.

"Rules? You're the school secretary, Simone. No one is going to arrest you for dancing with me."

"It's Miss Savoy to you. And don't pull that one dance crap on me. I know damn well your true attentions, Mr. Wynwick. I'm not one of those silly, naive girls you're used to."

"Oh! Well, if you already know how this is going to end. I'd say that we just head upstairs. My family's penthouse suite is private and very empty at this minute," Fletcher suggested. "I know you're not naive. That's why you know I won't disappoint. It's in my blood."

Simone seemed to hesitate on that point, causing Fletcher to grin. She'd heard the stories around school and those on Nosy Nectar about Fletcher. And to be honest, it would be kinky to fool around with a student. She'd done so when she'd been in his place with a faculty member. Fortunately, before she could make a decision that she'd later regret, Wanda marched over.

"Sorry, Fletch, you'll have to find somebody your own age to play with. I need Simone's help with a potential catastrophe," Wanda said, using her hand to cut off the teen's argument further. "Let's go, girl."

Fletcher sighed heavily as the two sexy school staff members dashed away. Maybe someday before the semester ends. Oh, well, on to the next one.

Delighted at how her plans appeared to be developed, Lacey practically skipped across the ballroom. She gave a handwave to Mr. Yegge, Jesse and Jordan's father. Faye Silberman, from the law firm, received a strained smile while her coworker, Simon Vokey, earned a scowl.

"Hi, Lacey!" Sutton Tapper greeted her as she passed.

"Hi!"

OOH! I need to set up Sutton with a good guy. She's from Beakburg, so she probably doesn't know where to find the right guys in town. What am I thinking? I need to find her AND Lainey some men. As they're going to help the CSS get off the ground, I'm sure they'll be around our house a lot. So I'll have plenty of time to learn their likes and dislikes.

Even more delighted to have two additional women to help, Lacey smiled brightly at Becky Horton and Aubrey Dunford. The grin faltered momentarily when the teenager recalled Sage rushing away from her table during dinner. I hope nothing is wrong. It's probably about what happened at Wasp Lake. I should check with Whitney if it is.

Continuing on, the giddy ginger wished Thane Taulsen, Coach Brass' brother, a happy new year. Then, she spotted Penn Wexler, an old family friend from Blackwater. Penn's mother was the former Shelly Penfold, Gabby's cheer mentor. Suddenly, a lightning bolt struck the Cupid portion of Lacey's brain.

Stopping, she turned to look back at Becky and Aubrey. The ring on Becky's finger took her officially off the market; however, Aubrey's relationships continued to fail miserably. Whoa! Aubrey needs a man who won't treat her like dirt. Penn needs to stop sleeping around with every cheerleader or blonde he meets. Maybe it's time he tried a brunette who was once a cheerleader. Heck, I bet Aubrey still has her uniform. They even go to the same college! This is worth the risk. I mean, why not? What's the worst that can happen?

Eternally optimistic, Lacey mentally scrolled through her list of icebreakers and methods to connect potential couples. Maybe Number 7. Or perhaps I can do a Number 24 with a slight twist.

"What in the world?" Lacey questioned as she almost stumbled on her own two feet.

Glancing around, the petite redhead almost wondered if she was drunk, but she hadn't had a drop yet tonight. Still, she couldn't comprehend the sight on the edge of the dance floor, several tables over from the cheerleader table.

A group of her classmates and visitors, all around their age and from out of town, formed a loose circle. In the middle of that circle, Sean and his wheelchair occupied the center position. And on his lap was Quilla Falkenburg.

Is...Is she giving him a lap dance?

Realizing the best person for information, Lacey headed for Whitney. Approaching her co-best friend, she overheard the blonde barking orders.

"Dammit, Sean, stop embarrassing me. Get into it!"

"Shut up!" the usually nice guy shot back.

"You're sitting there like a dead fish. Touch her! Use your hands. Do something"

Sean lifted one hand and used it.

"I didn't mean like that," Whitney bitched needlessly.

Only Lacey's giggle at Sean flipping off Whitney alerted the queen bee to one of her best friends' presence.

"Lace! Can you help me think of something to get Sean under control?"

"Does that bitch think she can show up in my town and go after my best friend?" Lana grumbled.

"Ex-boyfriend too," Kiki pointed out.

"Damn fucking right!"

"Maybe we should warn Finn about Farah," Peyton suggested before deciding that might not work. Her other BFF seemed to have a blind spot regarding the southern schemer. "Better yet, we should warn one of the guys. They could stay close to Finn while keeping an eye out for Farah and Georgina."

"I can tell Auggie, and he can pass on the word," Jamie-Lynn offered. Then, at Peyton's nod, she left to pass on the warning.

With Jamie-Lynn leaving, Priscilla arrived to take her place.

"Where the hell have you been?" Lana demanded. "I need my friends to help find out information. And especially my little cheersister."

"Oh, I see she's taking it badly, huh?" Priscilla remarked, looking at Peyton. "Well, big sis, I've been over in the lobby watching them set up for the speeches. Merry is still there with AJ and Harper."

"AJ and Harper?! When the fuck did they arrive?" Lana exclaimed.

"Geez, would you please calm down, Lan?" Kiki asked.

"Maybe turn the hysterics down a notch or two," Peyton added.

"They arrived right when we did. Somebody had to pick Zaylie up at the airport in Blackbridge. They also sat with us at dinner. How did you not see that?" Kiki challenged.

"Excuse me! My prison cell only had a tiny window with big bars," Lana responded. Her foul mood broke slightly as she laughed at her own joke.

"How about we hit the lobby and see what's happening for ourselves?" Peyton suggested.

The coeds agreed and walked over to the lobby. Once there, they realized that Merritt Moxey and their two friends from college had scored a prime spot near the large windows. Besides the view, they had three comfortable armchairs at their disposal.

A year younger than Peyton and Lana, Harper Hemming and AJ Stoke were close friends and housemates with Prissy and Merry. Harper was a cute girl obsessed with fashion and romance. She had long, straight blonde hair, blue eyes, medium-sized breasts, and a firm ass. Her childhood friend from Muskie Harbor was a former tomboy turned sporty beauty. AJ had long, dark-chocolate hair, blue eyes, medium-sized breasts, and a toned ass.

After greeting her two friends quickly, Lana turned to gaze out the window and swore.

"Fuck! Where did all these people come from?"

"I think we're up to forty and growing," Merritt passed on.

"Geez, this is pretty fucking weird," Lana commented.

"I think I see Ramsey out there," Peyton announced, pointing to the strawberry blonde.

"No, that's not her. Her jacket is--wait, that is her, but in a different coat," Lana corrected.

"Maybe she's incognito," Harper speculated teasingly.

"Oh, crap," Peyton muttered.

"What?! Do you see something?' Lana asked excitedly.

"Yeah, and you're not going to like it," Peyton warned. "Regis Laffont at 4 o'clock."

"Eww!" Prissy and Merry squealed in disgust.

"Who's he?" AJ asked.

"A total pompous asshole," Merritt replied.

"And the fucking son of the bitch running against my dad," Lana spat.

"Lana, what---"

"Grab her!" Peyton ordered as she reached out to clutch one of her BFF's arms.

"Let me go!"

"No!" Priscilla responded, having grabbed the redhead's other arm.

"I'm going to go out there and **** the motherfucker," Lana declared. "Let's see his fucking father smear my dad when he's too busy searching for his son's body."

"You. Will. Do. No. Such. Thing," Peyton growled slowly and soundly.

"We gotta calm her down," Merritt said.

"Shit, we might need to get her laid and fast," Kiki speculated.

With a heavy sigh, Peyton nodded.