AN: This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction. It has been a while since I have written anything in a fiction format, so all feedback is welcome. This story may start off slow but I know where I want to go with it, and I'm hoping my writing improves in the process.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to IC and Showtime.
Friday morning:
"Well, well, well. Good morning, good morning" greeted Tasha as she walked to the table where Shane was sitting. Shane couldn't sleep the night before and decided to waste some time at The Planet before heading off to work. Shane looked up from the paper she was reading and smiled. She knew Tasha would never expect to see her up and awake before noon.
"Awful early for you to be up, McCutcheon. Got the flu?"
Shane laughed. "If that's what you want to call it."
"She doesn't have the flu. She's got the Cherie Jaffie virus" Kit joked as she poured Shane another cup of coffee.
Tasha laughed as she pulled out a chair and sat down. "So that's what they're calling it these days?"
"Yeah, and I heard it can get real nasty" said Kit as she gave Shane a playful nudge.
"That's not true, Kit. I don't know who started that shit about Cherie and I but it's not true" stated Shane. She was tired of hearing about the fling she had with Cherie. It had been over for nearly 3 months now. Shane had to admit that it was fun at the time, but the aftermath of her visits with Cherie always made her feel worse than before. She was trying to do better these days.
"Aw I know. I'm just messing with you. You know I'm not used to seeing you here this early" said Kit.
"Yeah, you know, I was just about to ask you the same thing, Kit. I thought today was a studio day?" asked Tasha. Kit was in the middle of recording a new album and normally took Fridays off in order to go to the studio.
"It is but today's my interview with Alice so I had to reschedule today's session. I'm going Monday instead" replied Kit.
"Oh yeah, today's your interview with Alice!" said Shane, surprised she had forgotten such an important event. She thought about it for a second before contributing her forgetfulness to her lack of sleep. "Where is Alice, anyway? There's no way she can still be asleep" asked Shane. She was up earlier than normal but she knew sleeping in wasn't Alice's style.
Tasha checked her watch, "Yeah she should have called by now. Surely she wouldn't still be in bed on a day like today." Alice usually woke up an hour before Tasha's shift ended and met her at The Planet for a cup of coffee before going to work.
"Three steps ahead of you, baby" said Alice. Tasha turned around to locate the voice and saw Alice making her way over to the table.
"Damn where'd you come from?" Tasha said with a smile as Alice leaned in to kiss her.
"Uh huh. Thought you could just talk about me and get away with it, huh?" Alice joked as she sat down next to Tasha.
"Ah come on, Al. We would never" roused Shane.
"Holy mother of god, what are you doing up at this hour?" asked Alice who, like the others, was surprised by Shane's appearance so early in the morning. "Let me guess, it was a girl?"
"Yes, a girl called insomnia. And let me tell you, she is a bitch" replied Shane. Alice knew Shane was telling the truth but she wasn't about to let her off that easy.
"Yeah, hmmm well you need to tell insomnia to keep it down. I don't know what you two were doing over there, but it gave me nightmares" Alice egged on.
"Very funny, Al. Maybe that should be something you consider before deciding to be my neighbor next time" Shane responded.
"Oh trust me, it will be" Alice said with a smile. Alice and Tasha moved into Bette and Tina's old house after they moved to New York. They would have never been able to afford it had it not been for the money Alice made from her movie idea. The same idea Jenny Schecter had once stolen and tried to cash in on.
Shane folded up her newspaper and slid it across the table to Alice. She knew she wasn't going to get much more reading done now that Alice had joined them. Alice liked skimming through the day's top stories before heading to work, anyway. "So, Tasha, anything good happen at work?" asked Shane. She had come to enjoy the stories Tasha had after every shift; Tasha got to deal with some colorful people as a cop.
"Nope, nothing today. Just the usual high school kids out up to no good" replied Tasha. "Spent most of the night catching up on paperwork. I gotta have it all squared away before vacation."
"Aren't you switching back to the day shift?" asked Kit.
"Yep. And boy am I glad. It'll be nice to sleep in my bed next to my woman for a change" said Tasha, while shooting Alice a smile.
Alice beamed at Tasha, "Aww baby. You sure you're not just glad to be going on vacation?"
Tasha laughed as she replied, "Trust me, Al, I could do without the craziness that comes with a Dinah Shore weekend." Alice was sort of a guest of honor at this year's Dinah Shore Weekend, and she was asked to give a speech. She begged everyone, including Bette and Tina in New York to come along and support her. In reality she just wanted to have all of her friends together again, even if it meant spending a weekend at the Dinah.
"Speaking of Dinah, have any of you guys talked to Bette and Tina?" asked Shane. She was very excited to see Bette and Tina again; it had been years.
"I did last night. Bette said they were flying out tomorrow morning" said Kit.
"Was she excited?" asked Shane.
"Oh yeah. She's not so jacked up on the idea of Dinah, either, but she's happy to be coming home" said Kit.
"Are they bringing the kids?" asked Tasha.
"Yep. Angie is going to be staying with me and Max is going to have Jake" Kit replied.
"Max? I thought Max was up in San Francisco working on something for Google?" asked Alice, slightly surprised.
"He is but he's coming home early on Sunday. They're ahead of schedule so he's coming to spend time with Jake while Bette and Tina are in town" stated Shane, who was met with a puzzled glance from Alice. "He called a couple days ago."
"Oh, well okay. I guess we have the babysitters booked then" said Alice as she gave Kit a teasing glance. "I still can't believe they're coming though. I mean, the Dinah has never really been a Bette and Tina kinda thing."
"Well I wonder why" said Tasha jokingly. "To be honest I'm not really sure it's mine."
"Oh hell no you are not making excuses now!" said Alice with a slight tone of worried anger. If anyone had to be there during her speech it was Tasha. "Baby you know how much this means to me."
Tasha laughed at Alice's sudden change in mood. "Alice, you know I'm going with you. I wouldn't miss it for the world" she replied as she leaned over and gave Alice a small kiss.
"Tasha does have a point though, Al. I mean, is Dinah Shore weekend really the hangout spot for engaged couples?" Shane teased. She knew she would get a response out of Alice with that comment. In honesty though, Shane was happy as ever for her best friend. Although they were two incredibly different people, there was no doubt Alice and Tasha belonged together. She also couldn't help but admit that Alice and Tasha's relationship and upcoming wedding made her feel empty; like there was something missing in her life.
"Right. And you're the expert on relationships now" said Alice as she rolled her eyes.
Shane laughed "Yes, and now I'm the expert on going to work as well." Shane stood up and took the last drink of her coffee before sliding her chair back under the table.
"Yeah your ass can runaway but you better be on set in time to do Kit's hair" said Alice with a serious tone, but she smiled as she said it. Shane had opened up her own salon but she sometimes did hair for the guests of Alice's talk show, which was appropriately titled "The Chart". Alice was doing pretty well for herself these days.
"Yeah, you know you gotta make me look beautiful for those big TV talk show lights" said Kit with a playful smile.
"Kit, you don't need me to look beautiful" said Shane. Kit just smiled and waved her hand in an "oh stop" gesture.
"Don't you have some big record company client today?" asked Tasha.
"Yeah, first client this morning" said Shane.
"What was her name again?" asked Alice.
"Robin. Can't recall the last name, but when I spoke to her on the phone her voice sounded really familiar" said Shane.
"Robin… Robin…. Hmmm, yeah that name does ring a bell" said Alice thinking aloud. "Then again, Shane, she's probably just one of those…. how many is it now?... oh right, millions.. of girls that that you've slept with" Alice said with a grin that clearly stated that she was, most likely, correct.
Shane laughed "Right, Al".
"And I'm sure after next weekend you'll have plenty of other…" Alice mockingly cleared her throat "clients."
Shane smiled sheepishly and picked up her car keys and cell phone off of the table. "I'll see you around 1 today, dear" she said as she gave Kit a hug. "Bye guys" she said as she started to walk away from the table and towards the door.
"Be there, McCutcheon!" called Alice after her.
Shane turned around and flashed a smile and a nod before walking out of the door. As she made her way to her Jeep she couldn't stop thinking about Alice's comment. Did she really just want some new girls to sleep with every night? Was that really what she was hoping to get out of their weekend at the Dinah?
She sighed as she climbed in the driver seat and cranked the ignition. She couldn't help but think how much better their trip would be if only she had someone special to share it with.