Shane? Alice loudly whispered into her cell phone.  Shane!.  Oh no. She looked at her cell phone – Call disconnected.  She could see through the crack of the stairwell door that Carmen had now walked into the hallway and was searching for Shane.  Think Alice, think.  She didnt know why the cell disconnected, but she knew if she didnt act fast, Carmen might just think she was stood up again.

She emerged from the stairwell.   Carmen? Hey, whats up? Alice asked innocently.    Alice, what are you doing here? Carmen asked.  What am I doing here?  Well, I, uh, see, the party downstairs had gotten kind of dull without you so I, So you just happened to end up all the way on the 12^th floor? Carmen quizzed.  Yeah, I mean, it looked like such a nice view of the city and. Alice stammered knowing she wasnt making any sense. And by the look on Carmens face, she wasnt being very convincing. But enough about me, what are you doing here? she asked.  Carmen thought back to just before she opened the door.  She knew that Shane was asking her to start over. Begin again as if the last 3   months had never happened when to Carmen, it seemed like just yesterday.  She grabbed the ring boxes from the table and flung the door open expecting Shane to be there wearing the sly grin that she had come to love and had sorely missed among other things. But when she opened the door and saw no one, she immediately thought she misread the note. Did she ask me to meet her somewhere ?  No, the note specifically said she would be behind the door.  Was this a joke ? Could it be that the elaborate setup was actually initiated by their mutual friends. She wanted answers and she wanted them now !

Im here waiting on Shane, or maybe you could tell me more about that Alice! Carmen said.  I dont know what Alice started , but Carmen interrupted saying Come on Alice. You just happened to be here?!  Did you and Bette and everybody decide to have a laugh at my expense? Did you tell Shane to come here in the hopes we would have a big reunion?! she screamed.  Carmen, its not like that at all! Alice covered. She didnt know how to explain.  Where the h*** are you Shane!  she thought rather than spoke out loud.  The elevator bell broke into her thoughts as she didnt even realize that Carmen had pressed the down button. Carmen-wait !  Shes on her way, I was talking to her on the phone just now and we got disconnected! Alice hurriedly explained.  By this time, both women were in the elevator beginning their descent.  I promise you, she came up with this whole thing on her own. She just asked the rest of us to help her pull it off she said.  Carmen softened.  Well,where is she now? she asked.  She was pulling up in the parking lot I think, and then Alice and Carmen stopped when they heard sirens approaching and saw the flashing lights as the elevator doors opened up into the lobby of the hotel.  Looking at each other, they dashed out the doors, only to be halted by a fairly large sized crowd who had gathered out front. They couldnt see through the crowd, so they pushed their way through.  Some kind of accident I think one person mumbled.  Looks pretty bad another said.