It had taken Dana only a moment or two to unscramble her brains enough to grab Alice and kiss her back. Ardently.

Alice had returned the kiss with equal passion, holding off the chorus of panic and rejoicing in her head.

Smiling, she looked up at Stella who had sat quietly throughout her
reverie. “So I guess she mentioned I broke up her engagement?”

Stella tried but couldn’t stop the hoot of laughter. “Yes. She mentioned that.”

Alice’s Apartment- Wednesday afternoon

Alice was anxious to see Dana. After showing up at Alice’s apartment
last week and their brief romantic encounter in the kitchen, Dana had
fallen off the planet other than to leave a quick message on Alice’s
machine about calling Dr. Rudnick’s office for an appointment.

They were supposed to meet with Dr. Rudnick tomorrow and Alice was
afraid that Dana had cold feet. If that was the case Alice wanted to
figure it out now, not in Dr. Rudnick’s office.

She had left the tennis player a couple of messages on her cell, one
before her meeting with Stella and one afterwards. Both had been light
communications, meant only to break the ice after that kiss.

Alice felt awkward about calling again. Only recently had they begun
tentative steps toward friendship. Alice certainly wasn’t at the point
where she was comfortable just calling Dana up to go grab coffee.

The buzzer disrupted Alice’s thoughts. Regret mixed with relief when
Alice heard Shane’s voice thru the intercom. She buzzed her in.

“Hey Al,” Shane greeted her friend.

“Hey,” grinned Alice, pulling Shane into the living room and depositing
her on the couch. “To what do I owe this pleasure?” Alice asked,
curious. They’d seen each other at the Planet only an hour ago.

Shane smiled sheepishly and admitted she had ulterior motives.

“Something you said earlier stayed with me. It’s probably nothing.”

“What was it?” Alice asked. A combination of intrigue and worry played on her face.

Shane was quick to try and reassure her. “It really is probably
nothing. But you had asked if any of us had seen Dana lately. When we
said no you mentioned that she was keeping a low profile.”

Alice nodded, cautiously, “Yeah? So?”

“Well, I was just worried something I said, might have upset her,” Shane admitted.

“What did you say?”

Making an imaginary trace of her hand on Alice’s coffee table Shane
heaved an exasperated sigh and took Alice’s hands in hers. “I may have
given her the impression that you didn’t want to get back together with
her,” she confessed.

Wincing, Shane looked up at the silence from Alice.

Alice looked back at her dumbfounded. “What?” she asked finally.

Shane hung her head. “So you haven’t talked to her since I have then.” She guessed.

Alice stared back at her cockeyed, “What the *****, Shane? How did you happen to say that?”

“You did say that Al,” Shane pointed out in her defense.

“Shane!”

“I don’t know!” Shane wailed. “You said you guys were going to couples
therapy. She said you were sleeping together. I just wondered WHY you
weren’t getting back together?” she threw her hands up in frustration.
“I’m really sorry Alice.”

Alice considered what Shane had told her.

“It’s okay, Yoda,” Alice assured her with an embrace.

“We’re kind of tough to read these days,” she agreed.

“No *****,” Shane smiled sadly. “I am sorry Al.”

“Hey. How many times do I get to bust on you for gossiping, right?” Alice smiled.

She walked Shane to the door, offering more assurances that she hadn’t
caused any irreparable damage. “Certainly not more than anything I’ve
caused myself,” she thought.

TBC