Sleeping Beauties by Tamela Miles Page A

connection. Each one experienced vivid, incredible dreams on her own but there was something extraordinary about them dreaming together.
    They had discovered the dream realm one rainy night in freshman year while sleeping in Chloe’s bedroom in her parents’ little house on the outskirts of Caddo. Books hadn’t prepared them for the experience of linking their lucid, dreaming minds together in a place they called the dream realm. 
    Nicola kicked off her black satin heeled slippers and settled into a comfortable position next to Chloe on the sofa. Laurie left the big chair, stretching out on the jade green carpet next to them. They each grabbed a soft blanket from the arm of the sofa, left there for these occasions.
    Chloe could feel her eyelids getting heavy. “See you there,” she said softly, beginning to drift. Nicola and Laurie soon followed and moments later the only sound in the room was the ticking clock.
    ****** 
     
    “This is...awesome,” Chloe said softly, looking around the small nightclub where she had awakened just a few moments before. Coming into the dream realm was like waking up from the longest, most peaceful sleep after a night spent drinking. Things possessed a certain clarity, a vividness with nothing to suggest that she was actually asleep and none of this was real.
    Laurie took in everything, noting how the smallest detail of the club exactly mirrored her real life memories. “Ladies, we’ve outdone ourselves tonight.” She gave a small whoop.
    “Unbelievable, but this is Carlos and Charlie’s twenty years ago,” Nicola exclaimed. She looked down at herself, then gave her friends a quick glance. “Look what we’re wearing.” She gestured at the throng of people coming into the entrance of the nearly empty club.  “Look at them.”
    The hair, the sequins, and the black spandex most of the young women wore was a dead giveaway that they had dreamed up a past in the dream realm from over two decades ago. Carlos and Charlie’s nightclub on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood had been closed for roughly the same amount of time.
    “Ladies room,” Nicola suggested, as the club began filling up. They followed her to the front of the place and squeezed past a crowd of young girls grouped around the entrance to the restroom. Once in front of the mirror, Nicola smiled in delight. She pulled Chloe to stand beside her and Laurie followed.
    “We look smokin’ hot,” Chloe said, checking out her twenty-one year old face and body in the reflection. Her tiny black dress left little to the imagination, clinging to every curve. She loved seeing her younger self but she felt the crazy urge to cover up a bit.
    “Yeah baby!” Nicola had no problems showing off the goods in a snug white dress. All three wore ridiculously high platform heels.
    Laurie looked herself over thoroughly in the mirror, smiling. She loved being in crimson red. “This is definitely around summer of ’92. Look at my hair. Remember my platinum blonde stage?”
    Chloe gave both of her friends the once-over, nodding in approval. “Too bad none of this is real. But, we can make it another memorable dream experience. Let’s hit the bar.”
    The three women exited the club’s ladies’ room, heading over to the bar. The place was now packed, a surging crowd talking loudly, drowning out the soft background music. After they ordered drinks from the bartender, someone they didn’t recognize, Chloe found her gaze drifting over to the dj booth in the corner. Tonight’s dj apparently wasn’t there yet. She felt a pang of sadness. She didn’t truly expect to see Noah in the dream realm but it would have been nice. 
    As they sipped their drinks, Nicola nudged Chloe’s arm. “I wish he was real,” she said, nodding her head in the direction of a dark corner in the back of the club. They both focused their attention on an attractive man with long , straight blond hair, fair skin, t –shirt, and jeans strumming a guitar.
    As if he knew