TLW:  An Alternate Universe 

Chapter 1

“What’s the matter, Baby?” she said clearing her throat and shielding the sun from her eyes.  Shane pulled her arms up under her pillow and stretched her legs while looking across the bed at Tina.  Tina had her leg up and her hand on her forehead. 

She sighed and said, “Nothing…” 

Propping her head up and reaching for Tina, Shane cleared her throat again and sighed.  “Talk to me, Baby.  What’s up?”  Shane reached over and gently touched Tina’s hair moving it from her forehead.

—

It had not been the first night they spent together, but the first night at Shane’s apartment.  She and Tina had been seeing each other for months on the sly, and now they were here at Shane’s place.  Alone.  Together.  Shane knew there would be some apprehension due to the fact that Tina is married with two kids, and they would be wondering when she would return home.  She always stressed about things, moral things.

Shane was in a relationship with a man herself.  He was on a charity mission for victims of the hurricane last month.  Shane thought so much of him for this.  Mark knew that Shane was into girls.  They had talked about it several times before.  He just loved her, and she loved him, and they lived together as lovers as well as friends.  They had an understanding.  This did not change the way that Shane felt about Tina.  She had figured all along that they would go nowhere as a “couple.”  She knew that for the sake of her children and her marriage that Tina was not about to admit to anyone, including herself, that she was not only fucking, but in love, with a woman.

Love.  Not something that Shane liked to talk about.  People love people in all sorts of different ways.  She did love Mark.  However, Shane knew she could reach Tina and that their feelings were mutual.

—

They were all friends for years, Shane, Mark, Henry and Tina.  They had mutual friends and lots in common so it was easy to hang out with each other.  Tina had been the drinker of the foursome, but that quickly changed once Shane found something shift between her and Tina when the drinks were coming at a steady pace.  Tina was not afraid to admit that she had affairs with other men, but was pretty quiet about the few women she had shared something with.  Shane knew that Tina got “friendly” when she was drinking, but thought nothing of it until Labor Day weekend a few years ago.