“Good morning.” Alice says joining Shane at the table.

“Hey Al.” Shane says putting the paper down.

“You’re here early.” Alice isn’t used to seeing Shane out and about quite this early.

“Woke up early and thought I would get a jump on my day.” The truth is she woke up from a ***** dream about Harper and couldn’t fall back asleep.

Alice pulls some papers from her bag. “Mind if I do some work?”

“No go right ahead.” Shane says picking her newspaper back up. A minute passes and Shane finds herself unable to focus on reading. She just stares at the page, her mind thinking about Harper. She wants to talk to someone about it. Her first choice would be Bette. Bette will listen, not judge, give sound advice and most importantly keep it to herself. As much as she loves Alice, she’s kind of the last person she would talk to about anything. Only because she cannot keep her mouth shut.

“Oh, guess who I saw last night?” Shane says in her best casual tone of voice.

“Who?” Alice says lifting her head from her work.

“Harper.” Shane says looking over her newspaper.

Busybody Alice immediately wants to know more. She is convinced that Shane is lusting after her. “Oh really? And where did you just happen to see her?”

“She was here with a friend.” Shane sees the hunger for gossip and drama in Alice’s eyes and begins to regret bringing it up.

“Hmm… and did you talk to her?”

“Yeah.”

“And…?” Alice knows there is more.

“And… she’d been up for two days straight working. Her friend dragged her here to have a drink and mack on some girl.”

“Who was mackin’, Harper or the friend?” Alice is confused.

“Her friend.” Shane clarifies.

“So what was Harper doing?”

“When I walked in she was trying not to fall asleep on the bar. We talked a little then I drove her home.”

Alice’s ears perk up, “I’m sure you did.”

Shane gives Alice a dirty look.

Alice plays innocent, “What, all I said was I was sure you gave her a ride home. Geez! So touchy.”