Chapter 6

Bette snapped out of her daze and checked the time.  She was going to be late for work, but somehow, she didn’t really care.  She hurried out the door, eager to get to the CAC and finish what she had to do for the day.  There was something she needed to do after work, before all the stores closed.

Meanwhile, Shane got dressed and ready to go to a studio call.  Ever since she’d done Maeve’s hair, her faerie godmother had been recommending her to all of her Hollywood connections.  As a result, Shane’s client list was expanding exponentially, and rarely a day went by that she didn’t have work.  Checking the time, she realized she had plenty of time to stop by the Planet for some coffee and company.

When she got to the Planet, none of her friends were there, so she got her coffee and left.  As she was going out the door, she literally bumped into Tina who was going in.

“Sorry…Oh hey, Tina!  Are you OK?” Shane asked, concerned, as she led Tina back inside.

“Oh!  Hi Shane.  Yes, I’m fine.  How are you?” Tina replied automatically.

“Good.  I’m good.  Can I get you anything?” she asked as Tina sat down.

“Well, I was in the mood for one of those iced green tea lemonades…”

“Cool.  Be right back.”

When Shane returned with her drink, Tina eyed her speculatively, wondering if it was just her imagination, or did Shane somehow know about the pregnancy.

“So, how are you, really?” Shane asked with a nod toward Tina’s midsection.

“Really, I’m fine.  This time has been a lot easier than last time was.  I haven’t been nearly as sick.  But Shane…how did you know?”

“Oh, well…I could just tell,” Shane answered vaguely with a shrug.  “So, how far along are you?  If I were to guess, I’d say 4 or 5 months,” she added sagely.

“But how…?” she sighed.  “Well, you’re right.  It’ll be 5 months next week.  Sometimes…” Tina shook her head. “…You take this Yoda thing to the extreme.  It’s a little unnerving.”

Shane grinned.  “So, when are you gonna tell Bette?”

“We’re really not on speaking terms right now.  I’d planned on telling her right about now…but that was before…everything fell apart.”  Tina paused.  “You won’t say anything, will you?”