The three women shared a laugh as they recounted the morning’s events over lunch.

Stevie:  “I still don’t know why I ran.  I just heard ‘run’ so I did.”

Alice:  “Well you really didn’t have time to think about it.”

Bette:  “True.  What did happen?”

Alice:  “Ok so we go to the Suzuki guys office.”

Stevie:  “Suzuki?”

Bette:  “Alice just made up some name and it was actually right.”

Stevie just shook her head has Alice continued.

Alice:  “So we get there and the dudes you were having the meeting with start reaming him about his foul up.  ‘This is the third time!  You’re an idiot.’ On and on.  Meanwhile he’s sitting there wondering what the hell they’re talking about and looking at me like I’m stupid.  I guess he wasn’t quite getting it in English so they switched to Japanese.  At this point I’m checking for a clear exit because I knew it was just a matter of time before they realized we weren’t supposed to be there.”

Bette and Stevie laughed as she finished her story.

Alice:  “So they’re going back and forth.  This is when I realized that no was the same in every language.  Then they all start looking at the computer screen so he can prove that this wasn’t his fault.  By the time they looked up to me I’m sure all they saw was my back and that’s when I came to get you two.”

The other two women were in stitches by the end of the story. 

Stevie:  “Wow.  You two are a mess.  Wait.  How’d you even find out where the meeting was?”

Bette:  “Shane.”

Stevie:  “Shane.  Great.  Some secret keeper she is.”

Bette:  “I made her understand that me not finding you was not an option.  And by then I was on the plane anyway so she had little choice in the matter.”

Stevie:  “No wonder she and Xavier were acing so strange on the phone.”

Alice:  “They told you?”

Stevie:  “Well no, not in so many words but Shane kept asking me if everything was ok and if I saw anybody I knew.  And Xavier just plain asked me where you were.”