Bette: “Oh, but Helena, you make it so easy.”

Helena folded her arms and smiled.  “Well ask yourself then, Bette, what exactly it is you yourself are doing here.  You know, we’re not that different, you and I.  But trust me when I tell you, the answers to your problems do not lie on the other side of that door.  Don’t let your pride rule you.  Tell Tina to take the job, because I can assure you, it’s a wonderful opportunity.   The Peabody‘s will save the day for you, it’ll just be a different Peabody…this time.”

Bette pushed her way past and opening the door to Peggy’s office, slammed it shut behind her.

The longer Alice and Dana sat in silence, the more awkward the situation had become.  What started out as the most comfortable of unions had now been reduced to walls and guarded statements.  Every time either of them would make even the slightest move, the other would perk up as if they were just happy to see the silence finally break.  When no words came, they would resume back to their slumped states and look around the room or pretend to bite a nail; not knowing what to say or how to say it, and both for completely different, yet equally misunderstood, reasons.

When Alice‘s cell phone began to ring from deep within her bag, she looked over at Dana as if she wasn’t allowed to move.  When Dana eventually shrugged, Alice took that as the “Go for it” she had been looking for.  “I’m gonna get that really quick.  It’ll just take a second.”

Dana nodded, “Yeah, yeah, sure, that’s fine.”  Grabbing for her bag, she pointed toward the bathroom door.  “I don’t want to be rude, but I’m going to take it in the other room if that’s okay.  I’ll be right back.  You um, ya know, make yourself comfortable.”

Alice gently closed the door behind her and breathed in a sigh of relief.   She dropped the bag in front of her and took a seat on the floor.  The second she heard her voice on the other end, she hung up and began dialing.  Helena didn’t even get to finish her “Helena Peab”

“It’s me.”

Alice could hear music in the background and covering one ear, Helena said, “Alice, where are you, I called”

“I know, I couldn’t answer it in time.  I’m kinda, well”  Alice rolled her eyes and said, “Busy, at the moment.”

Helena: “Are you alright?  Alice, I can barely hear you”

Alice: “That’s because I’m whispering.”

Helena: “Well, why are you whispering?”

Alice:  “I, it’s not really a good time.  I just wanted to let you know that I’ll probably be late.”

Helena looked at her watch and said, “Probably?  Alice, you were late an hour ago.”

Alice opened the door and immediately screamed.  Not expecting that exact reaction, Dana screamed back.  This went on for about a good minute or two until Dana polished it off with a “Holy ***** *****, Alice!!”

Alice, catching her breath, said, “Um, hi, I didn’t expect you to be standing right there, Dana!”

They both grabbed for their hearts and leaned against the first thing they could find.  Finally, Dana began to laugh.  “I’m sorry I was just going to knock on the door.”  Alice let out a chuckle of her own and said, “Well, I was on the phone.”

Dana: “I know, I heardso, who were you talking to?”

Alice waved her hand around and said, “No one, it was no one.  Did you need to use the bathroom?”  Dana bent over and resting her hands on her knees, said, “No, I just wanted to see what you were doing.  Do you want me to leave?  Because, I could”

Alice didn’t want Dana to leave; of course she didn’t want Dana to leave.  But something deep within her, that place that we all have, the one that seems to have an agenda of its own and reacts before the mind has a chance to catch up, forced her to nod, “yes” anyway.