Toni smiled at her as Bianca walked into her once again empty beauty salon. To Bianca’s surprise Toni’s hair was still the same color as the last time she saw her but she did have it up in this geisha style, big elaborate hair-combs and all, though she’d passed on the white makeup. Bianca smiled gesturing at the ‘do. “Looks good. I seriously doubt now you’ll ever find a style that doesn’t fit you, Toni.”

Toni winked at her as she stood. “Keith, the guy I told you I met at that artsy fartsy film festival in Los Angeles a few months ago is coming up tonight. He’s bringing some Japanese documentary he and his friend worked on together about the history of the Geisha. I figured he’d get a kick out of my hair.”

Bianca took a seat at one of the styling chairs laughing softly. “I’m sure he will.”

Toni walked up behind her facing her in the mirror. “So, what’s it gonna be?”

Bianca had already filled her in on tonight’s party when she called to ask her if she was available to style her hair tonight. “Nothing too elaborate. I’m actually hoping to blend into the crowd. I get the feeling it’ll be overrun with paparazzi and stuff. I’d just as soon not go but he really wants me there.”

Toni looked away but Bianca caught how her expression changed. Ever since the big photo blow up and Bianca making her promise not to fill her in on any gossip with nothing concrete to confirm it, Toni had been real good about not sharing anything she’d read. Bianca knew this expression. She’d seen it before when Toni would tell her about something unpleasant she’d read in the tabloids or saw on TV about Felix.

Toni opened and shut drawers a little too fast and noisily and was avoiding eye contact. “I can do toned down elegance. I know just the thing.”

“Toni?”

Toni continued to rummage through the drawer without looking up. “Hmm?”

“You have something you wanna tell me?” Normally Bianca wouldn’t even ask if she suspected it had something to do with the many tabloid shows Toni watched but she was acting so strangely now.

Toni glanced at her for a second then went immediately back to searching the drawer. “Uh, no.”

“Spill it, Toni.” If the discomfort she was feeling wasn’t so overwhelming Bianca might actually laugh at how obvious Toni was. Her style and personality went hand in hand. There was nothing ambiguous about her. So she was terrible at trying conceal her feelings.

Toni stopped and looked in the mirror with a frown. “Honey, it’s nothing. It’s just that with this fight coming up, Felix has been the buzz lately on all the gossip shows. And you know me, anytime they start talking about his elusive Big Bear love interest I have to watch and see if by chance they’ll mention you or have any photos of you and all.”

She went back to rummaging through her drawer until she came up with a red comb and walked up behind Bianca. Bianca was almost afraid to ask but she had to. “Have they?”

Toni finally put on her ‘okay, getting to the point’ expression and shifted her weight to one side looking at Bianca straight in the eyes through the mirror. “It’s always someone else they think is you.” Bianca’s eyes opened wide at the comment and her stomach dropped. “But,” Toni added quickly, “I hadn’t said anything because there is never anything concrete about the girls in the short clips or photos they show of him. There’s never even any solid proof that the pictures are not all old.”

Bianca thought of the mariachis Felix had gone out of his way to get for her and how he sounded so genuine when he said he loved her. She wouldn’t panic but she also knew Toni wouldn’t even be talking about this if there wasn’t more to it than just old pictures and rumors with no real foundation. “What else have they said?”

Toni took a deep breath. “You said he was in Chicago last week, right?”

“Yes.” Bianca held her breath in worried anticipation.

“They had pictures of him with a girl there. It was nothing bad but one of them did show them walking into a hotel. They were supposedly taken the day he got stuck out there.”

Bianca stared at her not sure what to think. “Were they holding hands or anything?” Her own voice was already sounding strained to her own ears and she swallowed hard. Could it be possible that Felix was actually playing her?

“No, they weren’t.” Toni’s voice took on a reassuring tone. “All the pictures were very innocent. It could’ve been just an associate or something and if wasn’t for the fact that they walked into a hotel together and on the very day he was supposed to be flying out here to be with you I wouldn’t have even thought of bringing it up.” Toni walked around the chair and faced her. “You should just ask him. Like all the other times, I’m sure there is a reasonable explanation.”

Bianca nodded, surprised she wasn’t already a blubbering mess. But she felt Felix’s love for her in his kisses now. Saw it as clear as day in his eyes when he looked into hers. If it weren’t for that she just might be. If anything, she was angry. Just like she’d promised him she wouldn’t jump to any conclusions without asking him first, he’d promised her he’d tell her about anything he thought would get back to her that she might consider questionable. He had to understand things like this could easily, and for very good reason, upset her.

“I’ll ask him about it today.” Bianca smiled. “Thanks for bringing it up. I’m still not watching any of those shows or reading the tabloids so I would’ve never known.” She smiled even bigger remembering how, just like Toni said, all the other times there’d been perfectly acceptable explanations, there probably would be for this one too.