“twenty… three? Twenty three hours ago” she nodded to Eve who smiled quietly.

“Please… Twenty five!” interjected and jokingly indignant Alice

“Sometime I think you don’t care”

“Was it that long ago?”

“Yeah… Practically a lifetime” laughed Alice tapping the table once again.

“So what are you two lovely ladies up to today?”

“Oh the usual” smirked Eve, immediately comfortable in this woman’s presence

“Saving the world one abandoned raccoon at a time”

“Wow, that’s you guys?” replied a continuingly joking Alice with surprise slapped on her face

Eve nodded mockingly

“We don’t like to flash it about that much- wouldn’t want celebrity to get in the way of the cause…” licking her lips, enjoying the moment she paused before going on

“And with a package like this” she gestured to her body

“Well… You know”

“Oh yeah” agreed Alice with a grin. Leaning in on the table she waved her hand between them

“So how come our paths have never crossed before?”

Eve shrugged at Niki who decided to field this question

“I dunno,” she answered dryly

“Yeah…” replied Alice, suddenly uncomfortable as the conversation became fairly normal.

“And Evie, my girl what do you do with yourself?”

“Well I did the smart lezza thing and got myself a sugar mommy” she laughed

“Yeah you really want to dig those claws in nice and early”

“Oh yeah”

The two fell into a laughing fit, for no apparent reason- and the joke was lost on Niki who finished up her smoothie in the rest.

When Bette arrived she couldn’t believe that she hadn’t expected to see the exact scene that she was confronted with, Alice had never been a cheater but by the same token she was never good at leaving things alone. Strutting away across the floor she was soon standing above Alice and smiling down with motherly patronisation, Al was mid sentence and oblivious to her- but for the distracted faces of her companions.

“Hey Bette” she murmured like a naughty child recognising their teacher

“Hello Alice, hello again Eve…” giving Niki a long look she extended her slender, manicured hand

“Bette Porter”

Nik took it with a touch of trepidation