Carla invited Loren and Amira to join her and Annabel, and they chatted -- for the most part pleasantly -- through two rounds of drinks. The only discordant note came when Loren went to the bathroom and stopped on her way back to talk to a tall, willowy woman with short blond hair. When she returned to the table Amira fixed her with an icy stare and growled, "I thought I told you not to talk to her anymore."
"You're not the boss of me," retorted Loren with childish petulance.
"We'll see about that," said Amira.
Carla and Annabel both felt uncomfortable witnessing this exchange; they didn't know that this was a game Amira and Loren played all the time. Amira would make arbitrary rules for Loren, who would then break them so Amira would have a reason to punish her.
But in the moment it felt very awkward, and Carla quickly changed the subject, making fun of the band -- they had been downing free drinks throughout their performance, and now sounded like they were playing three different songs. She soon got everyone laughing and the tension was forgotten.
When their glasses were empty Amira invited Carla and Annabel for a nightcap; her and Loren's apartment was just a couple of blocks away. Carla hesitated for a moment, worried that Amira and Loren's tiff would continue, or even escalate, in the privacy of their home. But she was curious, a little drunk, and very horny -- their little tryst with Dylan now seemed like ages ago -- so in the end she agreed.
The four of them walked together through the warm SoCal night to an Art Deco apartment building facing the ocean. This was quite an old building by L.A. standards, and though a little worn around the edges it was quite charming, with high ceilings and ornate windows. Walking right past the elevator, Amira led them up two flights of stairs and down a dimly lit hallway to the door of the apartment.
Once they were inside Amira beckoned Carla and Annabel to sit on the couch. She and Loren disappeared into the kitchen for a minute, and when they returned, Loren was carrying two snifters of brandy, while Amira had a third in one hand and the bottle in the other. Loren put one glass down in front of Carla and another next to Annabel; Amira gently sat the bottle on the coffee table, and, after taking a sip of her brandy, said, "I hope you don't mind if we conduct a little personal business."
Carla shook her head no, although she was unsure exactly she was agreeing to; Annabel just stared uncomprehendingly. "Make yourselves at home, please," said Amira, and Carla and Annabel both picked up their snifters and leaned back to see what was going to unfold.