“So where is your better half this evening?  Did Lara have to work?”  It was all Dana could do not to drop her mouth open at this statement.  It was said in a purely conversational manner.  Dana had never heard Alice talk about Lara with any tone other than one of distrust bordering on hatred.  Alice kept looking at Dana, waiting for her response.

“Uh…  She is in Paris.”

Alice was taken slightly aback.  Had she been so out of touch that she missed something like that?  She covered quickly.  “That must be so exciting for her.  I remember you saying she always wanted to go there.  Have you had a chance to visit?  The long-distance relationship thing must be hard.”

“Lara and I broke up a several weeks ago.  We spent a good amount of time analyzing our relationship before she left and it was a mutual decision.”  Dana said all this with her eyes downcast and twisting her fingers together in nervousness.  She hated confessing that the relationship she left Alice for turned out to be nothing but smoke and mirrors.

Alice reached out to put her hand on top of Dana’s.  “I’m really sorry to hear that” Alice said, genuinely concerned about the pain the break-up may have caused her friend.  Dana was warmed by the gesture and the honesty in Alice’s words.  After a few moments the writer put on her old Alice Pieszecki grin.  “But you know I never liked the bitch anyway.”

Both girls burst out laughing and Dana gave Alice a little nudge with her shoulder like you would to someone you liked in elementary school.

They settled down and each took another sip of their drinks.

Dana broke the silence “So you and Jackie seem…close.”  She watched Alice’s face intently when she said it.  Dana could probably write a book on interpreting Alice’s facial expressions and reading her right now was extremely important.

Alice had an almost wistful look on her face.  “She loves me.  She takes care of me.  And I know she will never leave me.  I never had that before.”

Dana looked away guiltily.  She felt Alice’s hand on the opposite side of her face to turn her head back to face her.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.  You were right to bail when you did.  I was such a mess back then.  As your best friend, I would have told you to leave me.”  Alice smiled sadly.

“No!  Don’t say that.  I wasn’t right.”  Dana reached out to grab both Alice’s hands in hers.  “If I had been any sort of partner I would have stayed so we could at least try to work through our problems.  I really regret not giving us a chance.  I know if I ever get another chance that I won’t throw it away.  I wish I could get another chance…”  Dana trailed off and looked at the ground.

“Me too.”  Alice whispered, so low that it could almost be taken for a sigh.  But Dana heard it and it felt like her heart started beating again for the first time since she stupidly broke up with Alice.  Maybe there was still a chance?

This time it was Dana that turned Alice’s head so that they were face-to-face.  Then she very slowly closed the gap between them until her lips were barely touching Alice’s.  She moved forward that fraction of an inch and their lips touched for the first time in what seemed like forever.

A bomb could have gone off and neither of the girls would have noticed.  It wasn’t a passionate kiss — although it certainly had the potential to develop into one.  It was a kiss of love and longing and hope.

The kiss only lasted a few seconds.   Dana was the one to back off first.  She did not want to push Alice further than she was comfortable.

Alice sighed and rested her forehead against Dana’s for a couple more seconds and then moved back to look deeply into Dana’s eyes.

That was how Jackie found them.