“I’m fine Kit.”

Kit, eyeballed Clark and asked, “And you are?”

“Oh, this is my brother Clark.  This is Kit.  She owns the place.”

Clark extended his hand to Kit. “Please to meet you.”

“Well it’s nice to meet you too, are you from out of town?”

“Does my small town naivet show?”  Clark asked.

“No, you look cool enough, its just Alice is my special girl and I haven’t met your acquaintance yet.”

Alice was boiled over in happiness from making this latest family connection and continued to express it with an irremovable smile that formed on her face.  “He’s just finished college and it’s his first day in the US of A,” she said.

“Then welcome, welcome to the Planet”, Kit said.

Clark pointed to Alice, “And that’s the first face I saw when I got off the plane.”

Alice and Clark are laughed hysterically as Kit seemed to have missed the punch line. “Well I’m going to let you two catch up.  Enjoy dinner, it’s on me.”

“Thanks.”  Alice said.

Kit leaned into Clark, “You be sure and come back.”

“I sure will, there are so many girls here.”

Alice and Kit gave each other a look and smiled. 

Across the club, Shane and Carmen are sitting at the bar, cuddling.

 “I got to get back to work.”  Carmen kissed Shane and stood up.  Shane followed Carmen with her eyes as she headed over to her DJ’s booth and put on her headphones.  Shane watched her begin move to the beat as she prepared the next track.  Shane glanced across the club and noticed Alice having dinner with a young guy, someone she didn’t know.  Suddenly, Dana Fairbanks appeared next to her.

“Hey Dane, what’s up?”

“Nothing, Al and I had a fight so…I just wanted to get out the house.”

“Oh.”  Shane moved around in an attempt to pull Dana’s line of vision away from Alice and her dinner companion.  Despite her friend’s effort Dana noticed her girlfriend and a young man having dinner.

“Who the ***** is that with Alice?”  Dana asked.

“Dunno, never see him before.”

“I don’t believe this.”  Dana signaled to the bartender.  Deb, brought her a beer.  Dana chugged as much as she could, got off the stool and was about to bolt when Shane stopped her.

“Dane, take it easy, it’s probably a business thing.”

“It’s Saturday night, what business?  Huh? She’s on a ***** date with him.”

Dana signaled Deb again.  “Can I get another beer and two shots of tequila?  Shane, do a shot with me.”

Shane could tell this could very well lead to something ugly, Fairbanks was not the best at holding her liquor down but it wasn’t in her to turn down a shot.  “Alright”.  The friends downed their shots and chased with their beers.

“I got this meeting to do hair for this tennis film.”  Shane said in an attempt to return Dana’s attention to her, instead of with Alice and the unknown man.  “It’s pretty simple when on court, pulled back and simple, well unless you’re name is Serena, right, she’s always glammed ou…” 

Dana turned away from Alice’s direction and looked at Shane.  “I don’t care, ***** Alice. 

Shane saw her friend’s cool blues were turning green.

To Be Continued