Kara walks up to her little book store a waiting Siobhan sits on a bench at her store front and Siobhan gives her a look of curiosity, "So what happened?"
Kara sighs and takes out her keys to unlock the stores door, "She never came."
"She stood you up?"
Kara doesn't answer her, she just pushes the door open and they file inside, flipping the lights on and setting her purse down she thinks for a minute, "I think something terrible happened, maybe something unexpected, which made it impossible for her…"
Winn walks in, "What happened?"
Kara just pouts, "She didn't make it."
"So she stood you up."
"What could have happened? Maybe she did show up and took one look at me and left."
Siobhan pats her on the shoulder, "That's not possible."
"Or maybe a subway accident?"
Siobhan nods, "Absolutely."
Winn just looks at them in disbelief at this exchange of pure denial going on between the two of them.
"Or she's in the hospital with no way of getting in touch with me," Kara stops and stares at the disbelieving Winn, "What?"
He hands over the newspaper in his hand, it reads 'COPS NAB ROOFTOP THIEF', Kara just sighs, "What are you trying to tell me?"
Winn nods to the newspaper, "It could be. She was arrested a few blocks away from the book store too."
Siobhan grabs the newspaper, "Is there a picture?"
Sure enough there is a picture of a brunette woman in a hoodie and they all stare at it, Siobhan and Winn resigned to the fact that this was probably the woman.
Siobhan tosses the newspaper on the counter, "Well that explains it."
Winn takes the newspaper and rolls it up, "She was in jail."
Siobhan adds in, "And there was a phone-"
"-and she only had one phone call and she called her lawyer."
"You're so lucky Kara, you could've been robbed or even worse killed."
Kara just stares at them dumbfounded, "Are you two crazy? She couldn't possibly be the rooftop robber."
Siobhan just rolls her eyes, "Remember when you thought James might be the Unabomber?"
"This is different."
"How long did you sit there alone?"
"Not very long, but then Cat Grant came in."
"Cat Grant!"
"I don't want to talk about it, let's get to work!"
Later that night Kara sits in front of her laptop and thinks about what to write to NY152 and if she'll even reply:
I've been thinking about you. I went to meet you last night and you weren't there. I wish I knew why, it made me feel so foolish. And as I was waiting this woman showed up, a woman who has made my professional life a living hell. But then something amazing happened, for once in my life I was able to say exactly what I wanted to say when I wanted to say it. And just as you said I felt terrible about it afterwards. I was cruel and I'm never cruel.
And although I can barely imagine that what I said actually mattered to this woman- because I'm just some small insignificant tiny book shop owner- but what if it did?
No matter what she's done to me, that's no excuse for the way I acted. Anyway, you're a dear friend to me and I so wanted to talk to you. I hope that you have a good reason for not being there. But if for some reason we never connect again I just wanted to let you know how much it has meant to me that you were there for me.
-Shopgirl
Across town Cat is reading this email, then she closes the browser and walks away to the kitchen. She grabs a glass of wine and walks back passed her laptop, she turns to head towards her bedroom but then stops and walks back to sit in front of her laptop.
She restarts the browser, logs back into her emails and begins a reply:
I was out of the country.
She deletes it.
I was in a meeting with no phone.
She deletes the no phone part.
I was in a meeting which I couldn't get out of. The power went out and I was trapped on the 20th floor and my phone was dead too.
She just stares at the screen and deletes the whole thing.
"Fuck."
She begins again:
Dear friend, I can't explain to you what happened last night but I beg you to forgive me from the bottom of my heart for what happened. I feel terrible that you were left in a situation that caused you additional pain. But I'm sure that what was said last night was most likely provoked and even deserved. And everyone says things they regret when they're stressed or upset. You were expecting to meet someone you trusted and instead were met with the enemy. The fault is mine. Someday I'll explain everything. Meanwhile, I'm still here. Talk to me.
-NY152
She hits send and hopes she can fix this.
