“Ms. Fairbanks?  Hello, I’m Alice Pieszecki.” 

At the sound of her voice Dana quickly reeled in her wandering thoughts and got to her feet with a slight grimace to shake Alice’s outstretched hand with her own.  Alice noted the grimace of pain that was swiftly replaced with a polite smile and filed it away.

“Please, call me Dana.  It’s nice to finally meet you Miss …” Dana trailed off as a look of panic crossed her face.  Realizing that the athlete was again about to butcher her last name, Alice cut in.

“Just call me Alice.”  She said with a smile. 

Dana nodded and a small smile of relief replaced the panic on her face.

Once Alice had seated herself across the table, Dana found herself at a complete loss for words as she took in Alice’s smiling face.  She’s beautiful!  Oh shit.  Not good Fairbanks.  You have to work with her.  She’s probably not even gay.  And you have yet to say anything to her.  She’s probably going to think you’re either mute or dumb.  Just be cool.  Ask her a question. 

“So Alice…do you like food?”  Genius Fairbanks.  That could not have gone any worse.

As Dana mentally scolded herself for the lame attempt at conversation, Alice couldn’t keep a giggle from escaping her lips causing Dana to glare at her.

“You’re laughing at me.”  The athlete accused her.

“No, No!  I’m laughing with you.”

“I’m not laughing.”

“True, but you should be.  Laughing is fun.  You should do it more often.”

Dana was definitely finding Alice a confusing character.  Was she laughing at her or really just a fun loving person who liked to laugh a lot?

“Are you sure you’re not laughing AT me?  I don’t like mean people.”  Dana said simply.

“I promise you I’m not laughing at you.  I don’t like mean people either!  Me and mean people don’t get along.  They’re poopyshit.”  Alice assured her.

“You called me a buttplug and said you hoped I’d been run over by a herd of hippos.”  Dana pointed out.

“At least it wasn’t a herd of squirrels.”  Alice said with a shudder.