When Shane pulled her truck to the curb near where Alice was waiting, the first words out of her friend’s mouth were:  “I can’t believe you left her there by herself!”  The words were punctuated by the slamming of the passenger side door as Alice got in.

Slightly amused, Shane glanced around and pulled an illegal u-turn.  “She wasn’t alone.  Mr. Piddles was with her.”

“Not funny, Shane,” Alice argued, fishing around in her purse for her sunglasses.  “What if something happens?”

“Nothing will happen.  She’s just going to take a nap,” Shane insisted, taking a right turn.

“WellI’m still pissed at you,” Alice said.

Shane laughed.  “Why?”

Alice shrugged.  “I dunno.  Just makes me feel better, I guess.”  Digging once more in her purse, she held a hand out toward Shane.  “Want some gum?”

Shane shook her head.  “Dana has a dentist appointment tomorrow.  Are you gonna be able to take her, or should I?”

Chomping away at her gum, Alice answered, “I can’t.  I have a meeting with my editor.  Let me know how it goes, though, okay?”

“Sure,” Shane agreed, pulling into the parking lot of the grocery store and searching for a parking spot.

Alice suddenly pointed.  “There’s one!  Put on your turn signal and snag it before somebody else does!”

Shane dutifully put on her turn signal, waiting for the passing car to move so she could whip the truck into the space.  To her dismay, the old lady driving the other car ignored the signal and ever so slowly inched her long Buick into the space.

“Hey, that was our space!” Alice shouted, tapping at passenger’s side window with a fingernail.  “Move it, you old bat!”

“Alice, calm down.  She might hear you.  We’ll find another spot,” Shane scolded, biting back a smile.

“But that was our spot,” Alice pointed out, falling back to the seat, defeated.

Shane drove the truck around once more and parked neatly in a spot.  Alice hopped out of the vehicle and looked around in alarm.  “We’re like five miles from the store!  This is ridiculous.”

Laughing, Shane pulled her arm.  “Come on, Al.  The exercise won’t hurt us.”  She dragged a grumbling Alice into the store behind her.  Looking around her, Shane asked, “Don’t we need one of those cart thingies?”