Fashion Victims Ep. 1.25

Kurt didn't know why he went to the office, but he did. He could have gone to a bar, gotten wasted. Made a real show of it, but for some reason that didn't seem like it would help. Instead he came to the place where everything started to fall apart.

He got out of his car, locking the door, and just stood there. His feet didn't want to move. His whole body seemed so drained of energy that he couldn't even muster up the power to walk.

He turned leaning against the car, and he felt the first quake of a sob in his chest. Then another, and then another. He found himself sitting on the cold cement of the parking garage, his knees pulled to his chest, his head buried in his hands, crying.

Everything was going to hell, and so quickly. He had Layla threatening to expose him. He had his brother who was sure to let his whole precinct know, and he had Gio. What the hell was he going to do with Gio?

He couldn't keep seeing him. Not now. To many people knew about their relationship. It would only be a matter of time before it got back to Barbi, and then...

His train of thought was interupted by the sound of footsteps moving towards the car.

He looked up and saw a figure, average height, wearing a long black robe with a hood that covered the person's face.

Kurt stood, moving away from whoever that was standing in front of him, but never taking his eyes off of them. He knew well enough that a creepy, hooded figure in a deserted location equaled one thing. Danger.

The second Kurt saw the knife emurge from the person's sleeve he knew he was in trouble.

He took off, running for the stairs as quickly as possible, the whole time reminding himself not to trip. If he tripped he would die, and if he had his way, he would not be dying tonight.

He reached the heavy metal door and pushed. It was locked. He pushed again. Still locked. He nearly pushed a third time, but decided to glance over his shoulder instead. The figure in the cloke was right behind him, knife raised, ready to strike.

He ducked, the knife slicing into his arm. He screamed in pain, but didn't stop moving, running back to his car. He held out his key, hitting the unlock button on the remote, and glanced behind him.

The figure was gone.

He slowed down, looking around the mostly empty garage. He was alone again. He would have thought it was all in his head if it wasn't far the large, bleeding cut on his right, upper arm.

He got into his car quickly, putting his foot on the brake and hitting the start button. He was about to put the car in gear when he glanced into the rearview mirror.

The hooded figure slowly rose from behind his seat. The figures hood was raised enough that Kurt could see that the person was smiling. The shadow was to dark though to tell if it was a man or woman, or what shade their skin was. He felt an intense pain in his back as the knife broke through the driver's side seat, and pierced his back.

Updates!

Hey, so there is a quick little video preview available. Head over to the Soap Sudz Links section on the sidebar and click on Soap Sudz Updates.

Or, just click on:

http://sites.google.com/site/soapsudzupdates/


It's nothing to fancy, but it's cute.

Soap Vets

So, this going to be a quick note, but I have to say, I'm glad to being seeing the All My Children vet characters getting some story and screen time. Erika, Adam and Tad have been given some major screen time as of late, and it's nice to see a show that understands the importance of using it's veteran actors. Now if only the same could be said about Jesse and Angie...

Still, it's better than on One Life to Live (which I still love) where you hardly see Vicki's face at all unless she's handing out advice in her kitchen. Maybe you'll get a quick scene of her and Charlie together, but other than that... nothing. It's finally time to give Vicki a good story. One that is about her.

I mean, Vicki is to One Life to Live as Erika Kane is to All My Children. So, why isn't Vicki getting the same respect as Erika? Why isn't Vicki getting the same screen time as Dorian? When did Dorian Lord become the patriarch of Llanview?

Fashion Victims Ep. 1.24

Rick didn't know why he was going to attempt the front stoop ambush again, but it was the only thing he could think of. Kurt refused to return his calls, and getting into the office was impossible. So, there he was again, sitting on the step that led into Barbi and Kurt's mansion, waiting for his brother.
The sun had set hours ago, and Rick was freezing. Apparently it was spring, but according the the weather man there was the threat of snow that night. One had to love Chicago weather.
The headlights of Kurt's car bobbed and weaved up the long curved drive, and Rick had to shield his eyes when they got close.
It was now or never. Rick took a deep breath, stood up, and started towards Kurt's car.
"Listen, we're talking no matter what." Rick didn't even give Kurt the chance to speak. "You're telling me your alibi, and I'm not leaving."
Kurt brushed past him. At least he didn't come out swinging this time.
"Were you with him?" Rick just blurted it out. Obviously there was no use in dancing around the issue. "Were you with Gio?"
Kurt stopped dead in his tracks. The muscles in his back went tense, but he didn't turn around.
"Why would I be with Gio?" Kurt glanced over his shoulder as he spoke, but the rest of his body remained rigid.
"I saw you two." Rick took a step towards his brother. "In the parking garage at Dollhouse. I saw you two... kissing." He was surprised the word 'kiss' was so hard for him to say.
Kurt turned, stomping towards him. Rick tensed up, ready for the blow. It never came. Instead Kurt stopped inches from his face, his breath coming out in strong, angry spurts.
"You were spying on me?" Kurt was yelling.
"You didn't leave me much choice!" Rick took a step back. He didn't know why he was scared. He was a cop, he could take Kurt if he had to, but the thing was, he didn't want to. "The chief was starting to snoop around, and I wanted to know the truth before he did. I had the right to know the truth before he did."
Now it was Rick's turn to start yelling.
Why couldn't have Kurt just told him? Was he scared that Rick would start talking, flapping his lips and letting the world know his little brother's big secret? Did Kurt really not trust him? Rick had one person to blame for this one, and it wasn't himself. It was Barbi, putting all that paparazzi crap in Kurt's head.
"Fine. Yes, I was. All night. You can ask Gio, his doorman, the Chinese delivery guy," Kurt turned and started towards the door. "You just couldn't leave well enough alone, could you Rick."
Rick took a breath. He had to calm Kurt down, because it was becoming very evident that if he didn't defuse the situation now, then Kurt would probably never talk to him again.
"It's not that big of a deal." The words tumbled out. "I mean, the cheating part is, but..."
Kurt was about to open the front door, but stopped. Rick could see that he was crying. Without speaking he rushed back to his car, slamming the driver's side door.
"Kurt." Rick started towards the car. "Kurt, where the hell do you think you're going."
Kurt pulled a U-turn and started down the driveway. Rick tried to run after him, but obviously he was no match for whatever flavor of sports car Kurt was driving that week.
"Damn it." Then Rick did the only thing he could do. He screamed.
All the anger, the frustration burst out of his mouth into one loud bellow that seemed to echo in the night air. He was probably going to be doing a lot of that in the future. That much was certain.

Fashion Victims Ep. 1.23

Jade watched as Layla and Annabelle posed for Derrick. She actually felt the slightest tinge of jealousy. She hadn't always wanted to run an agency. No, she had actually wanted to be a model, but the fact that she wasn't a size 0 kind of made that impossible.

She wasn't fat. Far from it, but her curves made her hard to market in the world of high fashion, so instead she decided she would work behind the scenes.

She didn't have the talent to be photographer, but she had the business sense, so she found herself in the main offices of Dollhouse, working her way to the top. The problem was, at Dollhouse, once you reached where she was, there was no where else to go.

Unless you started your own agency.

That was her plan, but she couldn't do it alone. She needed the talent behind her to give her company the real push it needed.

Talent like Derrick Patterson.

She waited til the shoot was done, and the models had left to make her first move.

She had picked a low cut blouse, and form fitting pencil skirt for her outfit that day. It had worked so well in the past, and she was hoping that it would work now. Derrick was easy enough prey.

"You did good." She walked onto the half lit set, making sure that her walk had the right amount of sway. Seductive not street walker.

"Only good?" Derrick smiled, gave her a wink. "You know it was better than good."

She got close, but not to close. She crossed her arms under her chest, making sure to give her already ample cleavage that little extra 'pop'.

"You could do better. If you had better girls to work with." Her voice was deep, smooth. She smiled.

"I don't think there are many better." He gave her a quick nod, almost dismissive.

He was trying to get away from her. That wouldn't work.

She moved in, placing her hands on his shoulders, pressing her chest against his.

"Why stick with Barbi, Derrick? You know she's only holding you back." She pulled him closer, her face inches from his.

Derrick slipped out of her grip, and walked back towards the leather couch in the far right corner of the studio.

"What's your game Jade." His voice was flat, annoyed.

Jade was shocked. She was so sure that even if she didn't get him on her side, she would at least have gotten lucky.

"What do you think." She dropped the sexy act, switching into business mode. "I'm starting up, and I need you by my side to draw in the talent."

"And turn on Barbi? Are you asking for an early grave?" He laughed at her. "Good luck, but I like being alive."

He brushed past her, and walked right out of the studio, not even giving her a final once over.

"Son of a bitch." She stomped her foot on the hard cement floor, the right heel of her shoe snapping.

How could she have been so stupid? Now what if he ran his mouth to Kurt. Kurt would go to Barbi, and then she would be screwed. No, she had to do a little damage control. Make sure that everyone was to preoccupied to care what she had done.

She had to make sure that no one noticed that she was slowly stealing Barbi's empire right from under her.

Fashion Victims Ep. 1.22

Barbi sat on the other side of the thick glass window trying to brush the lint off of her orange jump suit. She had no idea why she was so nervous. It was just Layla. Kurt had been there the day before, and she hadn't been that nervous, but something about her little sister seeing her like this made her heart race a mile a minute. It was probably the shame that was driving her nuts.

How could she have let this happen? Well, she hadn't, as far as she knew.

She could see the guard leading Layla to the seat on the other side of the window. The look in Layla's eyes broke her heart. Her sister refused to even look up, keeping her field of vision completely floor level.

Barbi slowly picked up the phone, and Layla followed.

"You didn't have to come." Barbi tried to keep her voice light.

"Of course I did." Layla still didn't look up. "I couldn't just leave you in here alone."

"I'm not alone." She paused. She didn't want to sound like she was pushing Layla away. She wasn't. She was honestly glad to see her sister. "Thank you."

"For what?" Layla finally did look up.

Even though her sister was a grown woman, at that moment she looked like the awkward teen that Barbi knew so well. That bit of confusion and fear in her eyes, the way her bangs feel in front of her face, made her looke sixteen, not twenty four.

"For coming to see me." Barbi leaned forward, whispering. "Not many people want to even admit I exist right now, let alone give me a visit."

"Has anyone been here to see you?" Layla's voice had the slightest hint of anger as she spoke.

"Of course. Kurt was here, and a few of the models stopped in. Gio and Annabelle. That was awkward. Derrick came. A few reporters of course." She smiled. "I've been sticking to the good old 'no comment' for them."

Layla faked a laugh. At least she was trying to go along with Barbi's false cheer.

"Jade didn't come?" Layla spoke softly, her eyes drifting back towards her shoes.

"No." Barbi smirked. "Kurt did tell me that you did a number on her though."

"You should have heard the things she said about you!" Layla's voice jumped up an octave, and she stood. She was in full defensive teenager mode.

"Calm down, calm down." Barbi made a motion with her hand, telling Layla to sit. "I'm not really in the position to yell at you, okay. Just... try to control your temper."

"I know, for the company." Layla's eyes gazed to the side, never at Barbi.

"No, for your own protection." Barbi's voice became dead serious. "A lot of people are going to try to make you slip up, do something stupid. They don't just want to ruin me Layla, they want to hurt you to. I don't want that, but I really can't do much from in here."

"I... I have to go." Layla got up, dropping the phone onto the small shelf in front of the glass, and darted off to the side.

Barbi sat back, trying to choke back the tears. Her own sister could stand to look her in the eyes for more than five seconds.

Barbi looked over at the guard, signaling that she was ready to go back to her cell. At least in there she didn't have a constant visual reminder of how much she had hurt everyone. The worst part was, she was so sure she hadn't, but even that was starting to falter.

What I'm Reading...

So, to take a little break from the usual soap talk, I'm going to let you all know what I'm reading right now!

So, I'm one of those types of readers who prefers a book that doesn't require constant re-reading to get through. I like my stories fun, quick and dramatic. I like excitment and mystery and all that fun stuff.

Since overly-descriptive, flowery prose tend to get on my nerves I find myself looking at young adult series. They give me the drama I want, but they move at a pace where I'm not stuck reading some thousand page tome for three weeks. (Nothing wrong with that, just not my style).

Let me put it this way, I'm more likely to re-read Valley of the Dolls than pick up Pride and Prejudice.

So, currently I am reading two series.

The first is the House of Night Series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast, a mother and daughter team. I just completed the first book in the series, Marked and so far, am impressed. The writing is quick and easy to read. The characters, while not all that deep, are entertaining enough to make me care what happens to them. The story does feel a bit rushed, but once the main plot kicks in it keeps you wanting to find out what's going to happen next. That's all I really need with a book like this.

The main plot is that a young girl, Zoey Redbird, is "marked" to become a vampire. The thing is, vampires are common place in society in the world of the book. To be marked means that the outline of a crescent moon tattoo appears on your forehead, and as you begin to change into a vampire the tattoo fills in, and other tattoos appear on your body. All vampire fledlings are taken to the House of Night, a vampire boarding school, where they are trained and protected. The problem is, not everyone survives the change. Some say those who don't survive just die, but there is evidence that points to them becoming something monsterous and evil.

The quick and dirty of it is this. Imagine if True Blood and Harry Potter had a bastard child that liked to drop f-bombs every once in a while and talk about sex.

So far there are four books available in the series. The first is marked, followed by Betrayed, Chosen and Hunted.

The other book is one I haven't completed just yet, but I am really loving. Blue Bloods, the first in the Blue Blood series, is a smartly written, sexy, fun little book. While there are vampires in the stories, that isn't the focus. No, the focus is on the budding relationships between the characters, the sexual tension and the glitz and glamour of living the high life in New York. There is also a murder mystery, and ties to the original settlers on the Mayflower.

I'm loving this series. It is well written (unlike, say, Gossip Girl), and it shows that the author did her research.

So, I majorly recommend the House of Night and Blue Blood series. Don't let the YA label fool you. Both series are jam packed with soap twists and turns, hot romance, and fun plots.

If you want something more mature then pick up Jane Austin or D.H. Lawerence. I won't judge.