Tina struggled to get through the door of The Planet with her hands full. Tina was toting her diaper bag, purse, and Angelica’s car seat with her snuggled in it fast asleep. She smiled when Shane got up and expertly removed her purse and diaper bag from her shoulder so she could easily set Angelica’s car seat down near the table where the group sat.

“Thanks Shane,” Tina said smiling.

“Here,” Alice shoved a plate of fruit in front of Tina, but continued to pick off her favorites while Tina ate the rest of what was left.

“Hey Tina,” Helena said as she finished her cup of coffee quickly. “I need to go to the studio for a production meeting so I won’t be here for lunch.”

“Helena,” Alice said exasperated. “We were supposed to meet and that’s like the fourth time you’ve cancelled on me.”

“Duty calls.”

“I have a job too, just so you know.”

“Yes but mine actually requires me to work,” Helena said smiling at Alice to show her comment was made in good humor. She bent down and kissed Alice on the cheek and made her way to the front of The Planet and out the door in record time.

“So what’s new Mama T?” Shane said smiling down at Angelica as she slept, oblivious to the noise surrounding her.

“Nothing, it’s the same everyday Shane,” Tina winced as the words left her mouth, knowing her tone likely seemed angry although she wasn’t. “Sorry, that sounded angry and I’m not.”

“It’s ok.”

“No, it really isn’t,” Tina said sadly.

“What’s goin’ on Tina?” Dana asked genuinely concerned.

“Nothing really, I just feel a little lost.”

“Lost?” Alice asked. “What do you mean lost?”

“Nothing really, it’s not important.”

“No,” Alice said urging Tina to continue to explain her statement. “We’re here for you so talk to us. We hardly ever get a chance to see you outside of the house so while you’re here make the best of it and talk to us. Besides, Bette said you were struggling a little, so we already know something’s up.”

“Bette?”

“She was in here yesterday before work and sat down for a bit to catch up.”

“So she said I was lost?” Tina asked feeling slightly angered that Bette would take time to discuss it with their friends but not her.

“Well,” Alice looked at Shane sensing that she had likely said too much. “Not in so many words, but kind of yes.”

“Uh-huh,” Tina said as she finished the plate of fruit in front of her.

“She said that you were looking for some excitement to break up your day and some company to have an adult conversation with.”

“Well, she’d be right but I’m working on it. I actually have met some friends.”

“Sweet!” Alice seemed genuine in her excitement. “Who is it, other stay at home moms in your neighborhood?”

“No,” Tina said stealing Alice’s cup of coffee and taking a sip. “I actually met some friends online.”

“Online?” Dana said confused.

“Yes, one day when I was bored I stumbled onto a website dedicated to lesbians and bisexuals. It’s an amazing place and I feel so, welcomed, when I go there.”

“Wow,” Alice said surprised at Tina’s revelation. “That’s a little shocking.”

“Why is that?”

“Well, I mean, how did you make ‘friends’ just by going to this website? Is there some sort of chat associated with it?”

“As a matter of fact there is,” Tina said smiling.

“I didn’t think chat rooms were your thing.”

“They weren’t until I met some wonderful people in there.”

“Does Bette know?” Dana asked hesitantly.

“She does, but why does that matter?”

“It matters because I wouldn’t likely think she’d be happy about it,” Alice said.

“Why is that?” Tina asked.

“Because you never know who is on the opposite side of the screen. You have to be careful.”

“Now you sound like Bette.”

“Maybe Bette has a point then,” Alice said. “It’s something to be cautious about.”

“I thought you, of all people Al, would be excited that I’m finally on the Net.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I think any site that’s dedicated to the community is an excellent thing. I just know from doing research that people aren’t always what they seem when you’re not face to face with them.”

“They seem sincere to me,” Tina said innocently.

“How much do you know about these people?” Dana asked.

“I talk to these people more then I do you guys some days,” Tina pointed out. “It’s not a slam but it’s a convenient way for me to have some adult interaction and still be home with Angie when you guys are out living your lives.”

“What goes on in this chat room?” Alice asked, intrigued now by what caught Tina’s attention.

“Well, people chat,” Tina said laughing. “We just talk. It really is amazing to get to know the women in there.”

“What do you say?” Dana asked having never been in one.

“Whatever comes to mind and flows with the conversation. I just feel like I’ve clicked with some of them instantly. A few I’ve even started to talk to on instant message.”

“So you’ve added them to your IM?” Alice asked obviously concerned.

“They aren’t psychotic killers, Al!”

“You don’t know that at all, you have no idea who these people are.”

Tina’s answer was merely an eye roll in Alice’s direction.

“Are you really close with these people?” Dana asked obviously still confused. “I mean, you’ve never even seen them or heard their voice have you?”

“No but why would I need to do that? It’s just as real when they type something out rather then just saying it over the phone.”

“Why you would need that is because you have no idea who is on the other side of that computer,” Alice said. “For all you know it can be some sweaty, hairy guy that thinks it would be funny to hook a lesbian!”

“I could have done without that visual,” Dana said making a face of disgust.

“I’m just sayin’,” Alice said as she leaned back in her chair and looked down at Angelica. “What else is on this site?”

“They have links to amazing articles and resources for lesbians. I mean it’s packed with information, from third parent adoptions to coming out guides for those that need them, and it’s all organized so it’s right there and available to whomever needs it. They’ve got an amazing message board too.”

“Message board?” Dana asked trying to get a feel for what a message board was. “What’s on a message board?”

“It’s where there are topics posted and people can post their thoughts about that topic in thread,” Alice said in clarification. “Generally you can comment on the topics already started and sometimes start a new one yourself.”

“They have some very interesting subjects on that site,” Tina said as she smiled thinking back to some of “Charlie’s” posts.

“Such as?” Shane asked intrigued now as well.

“Oral sex,” Tina said matter-of-factly.

“With what, a poll on whether it’s a necessity or not?” Alice asked in a mocking tone.

“Technique.”

“Do you need that Tina because, well, you’ve been with Bette for so long that I’d think….” Alice smiled to show she was teasing Tina as Tina interrupted her thought.

“I think I do extremely well in that department Al.”

“We can always ask Porter,” Alice said smiling. “Ok so what about this thread intrigues you enough to enter into a chat room and then add some of these people to your personal IM? If you needed tips you could have always asked Yoda here.” Alice made a gesture with her head in Shane’s direction eliciting a scowl from her friend.

“I’m sure Tina can hold her own and then some,” Shane said in defense of her friend.

“It wasn’t the thread on oral sex that interested me, it was how genuine and open the women on that site seem to be.”

“I’d be careful,” Alice said again. “Anyone that I’ve ever talked to that has had experience online with something like this says it can be dangerous.”

“OK, I’ll bite, why?” Tina asked getting annoyed.

“My God Tina, where to begin?” Alice said as she began to use her fingers to count the various reasons she began to recite. “First off, it’s dangerous because you don’t know who is on the other side of the screen. I think we can all agree that anyone can be whomever they want in a chat room or on an IM if you’ve never met them before. They can be totally fake.”

“That hasn’t been my experience.”

“Second,” Alice said ignoring Tina’s rebuttal. “I’ve found that online relationships escalate much quicker then face to face ones.”

“Why is that?” Tina asked, now annoyed with the conversation.

“Because there isn’t that vulnerability that you have when you are in person. You can throw something out there online that you may not have face to face because there is a false sense of security. The person isn’t sitting in front of you where you’d see their reaction. So you feel comfortable in sharing parts of you that you would likely wait to share if you were talking in person. If they don’t like it, you can always log off without consequence.”

“I don’t feel any of these women are doing that.”

“What do you get out of this Tina?” Dana asked confused still by the allure of the Internet.

“Company,” Tina answered quickly and with sadness in her voice.

“I know a few women that met their partners online,” Shane pointed out to assist Tina in her efforts of defending her choice to enter into a chat room.

“Case in point,” Alice said pointing at Shane. “Were they living in the same area?”

“Nope,” Shane took a sip of her coffee. “In both cases one of them had to move to be with the other one.”

“So the relationship progressed to a point where one person would pick up their life, leave everything they know, to be with someone that they likely never sat face to face with or if they did, it wasn’t for an extended amount of time?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“And how long did it take for that to happen Shane?” Alice asked.

“I have no clue Al.”

“Months or years?” Alice pushed.

“Months I’d say,” Shane answered.

“So months go by and someone picks up their life to be with this person they know mostly online? I know some face-to-face relationships that aren’t moving that quickly. Take you and Bette Tina.”

“What about us?” Tina asked defensively.

“How long did you date before you moved into her house?”

“I don’t think you can hardly use us as an example!”

“Why not?” Alice pushed while smiling.

“Because it’s Bette and she was crazy busy with her gallery and she had never lived with someone before and the mere mention of it, at first, shocked her to the core,” Tina answered.

“Some of these people are moving their entire lives before many in person relationships are taking that step. The point I’m trying to make is that I believe the Internet is a wonderful place for information and even for friends. But I also think that things move very fast and that people aren’t always what they seem. I just want you to be careful.”

“There’s nothing to move fast about!”

“They don’t know that.”

“They know that I am involved with Bette and we have a baby. All I am asking for is friendship.”

“It’s not always about what you’re asking for Tina,” Alice said. “They likely have their own agenda too.”

“I want to go back to the message boards,” Dana said. “So there’s a thread that talks about going down on a woman?”

“Are you going to run back and read it Dana?” Alice said poking fun at her friend.

“No,” Dana sounded annoyed. “I’m just wondering how someone would have the nerve to write about their experiences.”

“Because the screen name gives them a false sense of comfort. It’s an alternative universe where that screen name is one person and the person typing, that is real, stands to lose nothing because nobody knows who they are. There aren’t a lot of consequences for online behavior for that reason.”

“Online behavior? Is there an ethics code now?” Tina mocked Alice.

“You’d be shocked at some of the research I had to do for LA Magazine about Internet behavior.”

“Give us an example,” Dana asked.

“People meet people online everyday Dane and end up having affairs.”

“How do you have an affair online?” Shane asked puzzled.

“Ever hear of cybering?” Alice asked causing Tina to put her fork down and listen intently to the discussion. Thoughts of “Charlie’s” post began to flood her mind, the emotion in which it was written catching Tina’s attention and holding it.

“What’s that?” Dana asked.

“It’s when you have sex online.”

“Give me a break,” Shane said rolling her eyes.

“I’m shocked you’ve never done it Shane!”

“I don’t even get on a computer, how would I have sex on it?”

“That’s very narrow minded Yoda. For someone with your track record I’m amazed that you’ve never done it.”

“Have you?” Tina asked Alice.

“No, just researched it and talked to women that have.”

“What’s it all about?” Dana asked.

“Well, it’s when the two people talking online begin to type sexual things to one another. It often is describing what they’d do to you if they were there. The purpose is to get you aroused and then you do what they’re telling you they are doing on the screen.”

“Jesus,” Dana said in shock.

“Dana, it is actually one of the many ways that long-distant relationships have passion.”

“Phone sex works for me,” Shane added smiling.

“It’s the new version of that Shane. It can be anything from chat to IM to IM with voice, like headsets, sometime webcams.”

“Are you kidding me?” Dana seemed shocked.

“It just seems to strange for me,” Shane said.

“There’s some women in that chat room that do it,” Tina said. “A lot of lesbians seem to be meeting women online and falling in love with the person, but there’s distance there.”

“How can you fall in love with someone you’ve never met?” Dana asked once again confused.

“That’s my point,” Alice said. “They’re falling in love with the person that they think is on the opposite end. They don’t know that for sure until they meet face to face with them.”

“I don’t think people set out to manipulate someone into loving a person they’re not. It’s bound to come out eventually. And for some of these women, it’s their only means to meet other lesbians. I mean not everybody lives in Weho, Al.”

“I’m not saying that some of these people aren’t totally honest and decent. It’s just that you’d be surprised Tina at what some people would do,” Alice said sadly. “You can easily hide things when you’re playing on the Internet. That person could be in a miserable relationship, they could be married and have straight girl curiosity, they could be anything, but portraying someone else in the words they type.”

“So cybering is like watching porn and masturbating?” Shane asked. “Is this what I’m hearing?”

“It can be if both parties agree to that, but look at what Tina’s said about the women in that chat room, many of them are using it as a stepping stone into relationships.”

“There was a thread on this,” Tina interjected. “The question was whether cybering was cheating if you were in a committed relationship.”

“And what were the responses?” Alice asked.

“Many said yes.”

“I view it as entertainment,” Shane said.

“But most women aren’t like you Shane, they can’t have sex with no emotional entanglements. It’s like it’s not in our DNA to fuck around,” Alice said. “So when you allow yourself to cyber, feelings form.”

“I don’t buy it,” Shane said. “You can type whatever it is you want, but it’s you that’s touching yourself and they’re touching themselves. What feelings are forming out of that?”

“It’s used as a means to be intimate given distance,” Tina said.

“I think if you’re looking for fulfillment outside of your relationship, whether it’s face to face or online, it’s cheating.”

“I agree Dana,” Alice added. “I think it’s a sign that something isn’t right in your relationship.”

“I still think it’s like masturbating to porn,” Shane said. “It’s no different then fantasizing about someone when you’re with someone else to get off.”

“There is a difference if you’re likely never to meet that person! I mean, how many of us fantasize about an actress when we’re with someone and it isn’t happening to prompt us to get to the big O?”

“I don’t Al,” Tina said smiling.

“Don’t tell me that Bette gets you there every single time because then there’s something wrong with you both if you’re getting out of bed,” Alice said in a bitter tone.

Tina laughed as Shane just shook her head and smiled.

“All I’m saying is that I don’t need to fantasize,” Tina said smiling.

“So let’s take a poll,” Alice said smiling. “Who thinks it is not cheating?”

Shane raised her hand proudly.

“I think if you aren’t going to meet with them in person and start something, it’s entertainment, a fantasy.”

“Ok so Shane has spoken,” Alice said frowning in her direction. “Dana what’s your take?”

“I still don’t know if I get it,” Dana said sadly.

“And you likely won’t ever if you can’t even follow the discussion,” Alice added.

“Fuck you Al.”

“Not online, I have washing to do that would be more entertaining,” Alice said laughing. “OK, so Tina, what are your thoughts?”

“My thoughts are that I am going home.”

“What?” Alice shrieked. “This was for your benefit!”

“Goodbye,” Tina said as she picked up the carrier and began to head outside with the help of Shane.