Now it was Cherie’s turn to be angry. "Carmen?" she spat. It reminded Carmen of the same way she said it that day she first met her at WAX. And even now, Cherie sized her up from head to toe, looking at her as if she were some sort of gutter trash.

"Nice to see you Cherie. Have you had the chance to order?" Carmen said in her most sarcastic tone. The biting words didn’t go unnoticed by Shane and she couldn’t help but smirk. What Alice said many many times was so true – Latina women – caliente she thought.

Shane and Carmen didn’t wait for the invitation but instead sat in the booth seat across from Cherie who had yet to say another word.

"Shane, I thought I invited you, not you and …." Cherie didn’t know how to refer to Carmen.

"Well, you see Cherie, anything you need to say to me, you can say to my.."(she paused not knowing what to refer to Carmen as). She instead decided to play it safer. "I don’t keep secrets from Carmen, and if it involves me, I want her by my ssside." Shane happily replied and inside, she surprised even herself because she actually meant the words and was not just saying them for Cherie’s sake.

Carmen looked at Shane, and smiled as she gripped her knee under the table.

"I, um.." Cherie stammered. "I heard about the accident and wanted to make sure you were okay. I still love the way that you style my hair – it always seems to have an extra shine from your special touch." At these last words, Cherie stole a smug glance at Carmen.

"Well it is true- Shane has been known to work miracles from time to time on a customer’s hair" Carmen replied just as smugly.

Suddenly, Cherie had had enough. "You think you’re so smart don’t you? How smart were you those months back when your woman was in my bed? How smart were you when Shane left you standing at the alter ALONE?! Word travels fast around here and considering that I don’t frequent the same places as you, for me to find out about it just goes to show how quickly people talk about jilted brides." Cherie lashed out.