--- DYNAMITE

Madden: 11:30 works perfectly for me! see you then

Tristan: If I bring a bottle of champagne, can we call it even? Or are we still doing a rain check on that night out thing?

Tristan: I'll call them in a bit. Is 11:30am alright with you?

Elle swayed back and forth pretending as if she was the least bit interested in the man sliding up against her. He was sloppy and married and even though Elle had loose morals, married men were off limits, unless she was teaching a lesson, a very chaotic one at that. Her eyes met Madden’s and she couldn’t help but smirk nodding over towards the woman who had clearly set her eyes on them, her mouth dropping open. 

Elle kept her composure through the scream. Though the sight was one to see. “You’re married?” Elle feigned shock and horror at the man in front of her, even though it had all been a set up. “All yours honey.” She stepped back grabbing Madden and disappearing into the crowd to head to the safety of other side of the bar. The scene played out with a smack across the man’s face that she could hear clear across the bar. Looking over towards Madden Elle let out a laugh. “Four tequila’s please - and we’ll start a tab on the card.” She said slipping the married man’s card forward towards the bartender. “I just figured karma.” She shrugged. “He was buying us drinks anyways.” 

Madden let herself be pulled into the crowd, but not before she looked over her shoulder. She felt a tug of something - not guilt, but it was equally as painful - in the pit of her stomach. Hopefully the wife would push her husband down the stairs or throw his belongings into the fireplace. He deserved to feel her wrath. 

By the time they made their way to the bar, she’d composed herself again, that sly, devious grin back on her glossed lips. Her eyes widened when she saw the credit card. A loud, honest laugh burst from her and she clutched at Elle’s thin arm, incredibly proud of her ‘friend’. “I knew there was a reason I keep you around. If he’s buying, I think you’d better make that four tequilas and two vodka sodas!” 

When the drinks came, Madden tossed one shot back without even so much as a second thought. “I hope his wife throws all his stuff out the window when they get home - including him.”

Amy: oh myg od you can't let people know that, it'll ruin my image as heartless bitch

Amy: i can't slip just a little, i have no self-control when it comes to my wines

Amy: i'll bring you something good though

Madden: don't worry, i won't broadcast it

Madden: hey, a little or a lot, i'll take either

Ellie: That's okay! It happens!

Ellie: Usually with! But not the kind that come with them in the pack. Those get chewy. I provide my own marshmallows.

Ellie: Well if you decide to save it, my name is Ellie!

Madden: Right? you'd think by now the wrong number texts would stop, but i really don't have that many numbers saved into my phone.

Madden: Bingo, that's the PERFECT answer. You win, Ellie.

Elena gave the woman a half smile as she was herded by the strager over to the bar. “She seemed so nice at first- back before I really knew who she ws. Tried playing matchmaker for me at a party and everything. But then when I became good friends with her boyfriend, Aurora- oh, that’s her name. Aurora Minett. She’s an actress on some show- I’m pretty sure I won’t be watching it. She felt threatened or scared that I was his friend or something, so he kicked me to the curb, twice. And now, I keep running into her because she just had to move into the same building as me, and she’s trying to make me miserable, I swear. She told me I was going to die alone, see her being happy and successful and felel miserable about my sorry excuse of a life, and that I oaught to dissappear.”

Madden’s bottom lip twitched almost imperceptibly, her look of compassion otherwise staying perfectly in place. How many lives was she going to have to listen to this same damn story? This had to at least the tenth time she’d heard something similar. Her heart always went out to Eos at first, until she remembered that the goddess had been married during the time of the affair, and that the god she’d been shacking up with had a gaggle of kids with Aphrodite. As much as Madden loathed Aphrodite, she could understand that sort of wrath. “I’ve heard of her, she’s on that one show...uh, something about vampires?”

Of course, Madden knew exactly what show it was. She kept careful tabs on the love goddess. “That’s awful,” she commiserated, shoving another drink into the girl’s hand. “But...did you want something with her boyfriend? Just between us, and not that I care. Personally, I would’ve fucked him just because she accused me of liking him. You speak something into the universe and it usually comes true.”

Tristan laughed at that before smiling at the bartender and thanking him for the drink. “I think they’d flow better when I’ve had a decent night’s sleep,” she said as she took a sip from her sangria. “Besides, I’m sure you can find someone else to drink to dawn, with,” she said, shooting Madden a knowing look. If she were being honest, she never wanted to be caught intoxicated around Madden. There was no telling what she’d say, in this mortal form, under the influence. “All the more reason to get all the shut eye I can. We can party when all this is over, by then it will all be worth it.”

“Whatever happened to fact checking?” Harry demanded, punctuating the question by slamming her drink against the table. “To journalistic integrity? God, you’re almost as bad as Laure Williams, the nonsense she writes.You think Capote got his information from drunk socialites…Actually, bad example. Capote almost certainly did. But, still.”

“Thank you,” she nodded, choosing to ignore the first part of Madden’s retort and focus on the last. Harry had never had any ambitions for fame, anyway. She’d seen the slog Aurora went through for it, all the three AM call times and working weekends, and, frankly, thought that it was beginning to take it’s toll on the bags under her eyes. It all seemed too much like hard work. 

“Anyway. Are you here working, or can I order us drinks?”

“Laure writes horoscopes,” Madden reminded briskly, reaching for her cup of ice water. Summer in L.A. was already in full swing, and the heat was so thick that condensation pooled around the bottom of her glass and dripped the entire way to her mouth. “But next time, I’ll fact check you. Good to know I can’t trust you, one of my dearest, most exquisite friends.”

As far as she was concerned, Helen had been something of a victim. It wasn’t like she chose to be kidnapped, not to mention treated as a bargaining chip, but in the end, it didn’t really matter. She’d ended up on the wrong side of things, and now, she had to pay for it.

“A drink would be fabulous,” she decided, grinning slyly at Harlow’s question. “Tell me about...” her eyes looked suggestively at the other woman, imploring her to open up without Madden actually having to come out with it. Her voice lowered a few decibels as she leaned across the table, “That guy. You were seeing someone, weren’t you?”

Essie: I love you you are a saint

Essie: ooooh yes please!

Essie: Whatever looks good

Essie: Or a jelly doughnut if they have one

Madden: Now that's one I've never heard before

Madden: I can do that

Ellie: I think you have the wrong number!

Ellie: Coffee does often have that power though.

Ellie: That said, I prefer hot chocolate.

Madden: Definitely have the wrong number, I'm so sorry!

Madden: Ooo, with or without marshmallows? This is a very important question

Essie: Okay so I'm desperate for a cup of coffee

Essie: If you bring coffee to the park for me and water for Sebastian I will love you forever

Essie: Oh, and a pencil?

Madden: I could prrrooooobably do that

Madden: But I'm bringing food too, I'm starving

It didn’t take long for the men to get far into the dancing, their sweaty, drunk bodies sliding up against Madden and Elle on the dance floor. Madden kept raising her light eyes to Elle’s fair face and giving her knowing, almost conspiratorial looks. When enough time had passed, Madden turned to occupy the unmarried man so that Elle could dance away with the one with the wedding ring. Right as the song changed, an angry scream came from about two feet away Madden’s head snapped up and she feigned shock when a woman wearing a (knock off) short dress with a hairdo that had been sloppily put together last minute marched over toward Elle. 

Tristan: Fair enough. Want to stop by somewhere for lunch while we're at it? I could make reservations tonight. Just give me the place and time.

Madden: yes, absolutely

Madden: The themiscyra? a little fancy, but the food is divine

Amy: you're lucky it isn't my day to go in to work early and i can actually come by at 11

Amy: anything specific that i should pick up?

Madden: Oh shush, you know you like stopping by

Madden: I mean, feel free to slip something with a little extra kick into my coffee