“Oh, what you mean there was someone else too? I already saw the picture with Michelle, what was that, just lip warm up?”

“No. Alice, listen to me. Dana didn’t sleep with Michelle or anyone. She kissed her. That was is. She didn’t let it go any further.”

“Wait. She didn’t…” Alice whispered, her head spinning. “She didn’t sleep with her…”

Shane sat beside Alice on the bed, she said softly, “No, Al, she didn’t.”

“Are you sure, Shane?” Alice asked, unable to lift her eyes to meet Shane’s. She was scared of the answer. She was scared to let herself believe that all of those images in her head for the last two days were not real.

“Yes, I’m sure Alice.”

“Oh, ok.” Alice spoke so softly Shane wasn’t sure if she heard her. Alice shook her head, as though trying to shake thoughts out of them, “Listen Shane, feel free to stay here today and thank you for coming, but I really need to finish getting ready for work.”

With that Alice was up and in the bathroom before Shane had a chance to respond. A few minutes later Alice was dressed and out the door.

Shane waited a few minutes and then went back to Dana’s room.

“How is she?” Dana asked.

“She’s been better. But Dana, you owe me one.”

“What do you mean? What’d you do?”

“Man, no wonder she was so pissed at you, she thought you fucked that trainer of yours…”

“Wait! She thought I that I actually slept with someone else? How could she think that?”

Dana took offense at Shane’s laughter, “You aren’t seriously going to act all indignant and above it all are you, Dane? Come on, seriously, your wife got flowers sent to her from your stalker with a picture of you kissing some other chick.”

“Yeah…well…I wouldn’t. And I didn’t.”

Shane was still chuckling to herself, “Well don’t worry about it, I cleared it up.”

“Thanks, Shane.”

“So listen, I think all this coffee has done me some good. I have an idea on how to deal with this stalker problem”

—

Alice got back to the hotel to find a message waiting for her at the front desk from Shane telling her to meet her in the bar. Alice walked in and saw Shane sitting with Dana and turned to leave. Shane caught up to her before she could leave.

“Alice, please come sit down.”

“Shane, I’m glad she didn’t sleep with Michelle, but she did kiss her and she did lie to me and I am just not up to talking to her.”

“I have an idea and need both of you to do it. It won’t kill you to have a drink with her. Just come join us.” Shane turned back towards her table, knowing that Alice would follow and begrudgingly, she did.

“Hey Al.” Dana timidly said.

With a fierceness that Dana wasn’t used to, Alice replied, “Don’t. I’m not here to talk to you. Shane said she had an idea to get us out of this mess. That is the only reason I’m here.”

“OK.”

“So McCutcheon, this had better be good. What’s this plan of yours?”