“Uhh, yeah, I – before you go, could I have a little bit more coffee?” Jenny asked as she nodded to her cup.

“Sure! Of course,” Melissa said, stepping back up to the table to freshen up Jenny’s coffee.

“Thank you again,” Jenny said softly, offering Melissa a bright, thankful smile as she made a mental note to leave the girl a good tip.

“You’re very welcome. Enjoy your coffee,” Melissa said, giving her a polite smile as she finished pouring and headed back to the kitchen.

Jenny was torn between hiding behind her coffee cup and sitting up a bit straighter in her seat in order to see what was going on over at Shane and Lara’s table. One of the waiters came by, removing a large stack of napkins from where they were piled up on a nearby table between her own table and Shane’s, revealing an unimpeded view of Shane’s table.

Shane was slouched down low in her chair, a pair of mirrored aviator shades shielding her eyes from the fledgling rays of daybreak, a cigarette held between her long fingers. Lara was seated next to her, penny-red hair pulled back in a tight, long ponytail tied with a pale yellow bandana that swished about her shoulders as she shifted in her seat.

Unlike Shane, Lara wore no sunglasses and her eyes seemed especially bright and alert for someone who’d been up the whole night drinking. Her clothes were simple — a thin, baggy white t-shirt without a bra and a snug-fitting denim skirt – but rumpled, as though she’d picked up the first thing she’d come across on the floor and pulled it on. Lara was with Shane, but it was obvious just from studying her for a few moments that she didn’t come from the same place Shane did. Shane was all old, ragged New York art scene edges and Lara was clean and fresh-faced and pretty. A bedraggled and debauched girl-next-door to Shane’s proto-punk dyke.

“Baby,” Lara sighed as she extended one long arm and slipped it around Shane’s shoulders, leaning into her. Her fingertips idly toyed with the point of Shane’s collar, her nails painted a rich, girlish pink, though they were noticeably chipped. “What are we doing today?”