"Oooh, old school. I like it. Does it mean anything to you?" Carmen liked watching Shane’s muscles bunch and flex under the olive-green wifebeater, and the tattoo complemented her nicely, she mused. Carmen was also getting hungry. She’d worked all morning at the studio, where she was a PA on the set for some made-for-TV-movie involving a rabid cougar terrorizing a small town, then went straight to the tattoo parlor. Maybe Shane would like to get a bite. She knew a good Mexican place within walking distance.

Shane lowered her arm and stretched lazily. It was nearing sunset and she’d been at the tattoo parlor for the better part of the day. She was achy from sitting in weird positions for so long and was getting hungry, but didn’t want to stop talking to this interesting, new person.

"Well, for sailors, seeing swallows meant they were nearing land, since they can’t fly out far at sea. I just got over some tough times, and I’m doing a lot better, so I’m hoping this means I’m nearing land." Shane inwardly winced at the memory of Cherie’s betrayal, her foray back into heavy drug use, a self-imposed seclusion, and a depressing sense of feeling utterly used that was a long-time coming. After going to confession and talking to that priest, she’d gone back twice more, and then sought help in the form of therapy at the LGBT Center. After a scare with a potential STD, Shane knew something had to give, and she was hoping the new tattoo would help her turn a new leaf. She’d made a vow not to have any hook ups for at least two weeks. Though she genuinely liked the affect she had on women, it was like an addiction, and any addiction came with weakness, and a price. With this addiction, the price could very well end up being her health.

Carmen’s stomach growled loudly, breaking Shane’s momentary contemplation. Laughing, she asked "Hungry much?"

"Yeah," Carmen replied, slightly embarrassed, "my stomach gave me away on that one." Carmen stood there for a moment, panicking. Ask her, Carmen. Ask the cute girl to have dinner with you. Do it. Do it now. Gathering her nerve, she asked, "Do you, um, want to get a bite?"

Surprised, and relieved that she didn’t have to do the asking, Shane smiled. "Sure, where do you have in mind?" Now this was going to be a challenge. Go out and have a nice time with a divinely attractive woman without basing the entire encounter on flirting and going "back to her place" afterwards. Her therapist would be proud.

"There’s this fun little Mexican place about a block down Jefferson over there," Carmen said, motioning vaguely off to the east.

Shane cocked her head with a smile and said, “Well alright then!” The red sun blazed low on the horizon, and the two women walked out of the tattoo shop’s parking lot together.